Chapter 14

Caretaker

When I find Katniss she's out cold. I panic for a second, thinking that her stings may have killed her, only to realize there hasn't been a canon.

She's sprawled out on the ground, right next to a divot in the earth. The hole is full of dead, moist leaves, and it will provide useful for keeping her concealed in her unconscious state.

I pull at her arms and legs, trying to unlock their grip around her knees, so she's in a small ball, but she won't be budged. Katniss is only one hundred something pounds at most, and in the arena she's been losing weight-it won't be easy for me to move her to the hole, but it will be manageable.

Before I move her I need to treat her wounds. At a quick glance I can see she's been stung three times. Once on her neck, once on her hand, and once on her cheek.

I know how to treat these wounds, so I begin with them. I chew the plantain leaves and press the globs onto her stings. She was smart enough to act on instinct and pull the stingers out of her stings that cut the time of the tracker jacker's effect in half.

I let the leaves work their magic, and I watch Katniss closes eyes twitch, moving in fear that is trapped in her own mind. With any luck the venom's attack will only last a few days. In 11 sometimes it lasts weeks, and when people come to they are forever changed by what they've seen. I hope Katniss will be ok.

With her stings treated I look her over for any noticeable wounds. Other than her burn, which is healing nicely thanks to Haymitch, I see nothing, not even a scratch. All I have to do for her burns is smear on some more burn medicine, to ease some of her pain.

She also has her bow, clutched tightly in her fists, as though it's her lifeline-which incidentally it is. I know that leaving a pristine weapon like this out in the open is asking for trouble so I place it in the bottom of the hole with the quiver of arrows beside it.

I take some time to carefully drag Katniss into the hole. She lies on top of the weapons, concealing them, and I know it must be uncomfortable, but it's imperative these weapons remain hidden.

With her in the divot I pull some dead leaves over her. They're moist, and they can't be warm, but she's too far gone to notice. Before nightfall I will pull her sleeping bag over her.

I wedge her pack into the hole, and it takes up all the remaining space. She's packed in tightly with all her supplies, and I vaguely camouflage her and her supplies.

Simply put, with the Career pack out of commission at the moment I'm as safe as ever in the arena. I think about my conversation with Peeta about Cato-"I'll take care of him." I certainly could kill him, if I had a mind to, but I'm not like that. I won't kill him.

I just need a way to ensure he won't come after Katniss when he comes to. I think for a moment and realize a way to do just that. I climb into a tree and fly back to the sight of the accident. Peeta's blood is smeared everywhere, and I make a mental note to wipe away his trail.

I reach Cato's sprawled body quickly and I scurry down my tree. He doesn't move, and his eyes are reeling in his head, just like Katniss's. I know the venom had pulled him into the world of terror. I can't imagine what would scare him, but I'm sure there's something.

I approach him cautiously. I move slowly and I take his sword quickly, and dart for the trees. Now he's weaponless. He can't kill Katniss without his weapon. Good.

I consider what he's done-probably killed more than one human being-and I decide it's not wrong for me to take his pack as well. I stash the sword in a tree too high for him to climb without falling, and I go back for his pack. I don't take anything from that-I do not steal-but I do 'relocate' in this instance.

I take the supplies four trees over and wedge them into an opening into the trunk. When it's secure I return to Katniss. It's a slow day, without moving, and I think of something to keep me busy.

I go back to Peeta's blood trail and use my water skin's contents to wash it away. It comes off easily when I use my rag to scrub the remnants away. The trail leads to the river I told Peeta about, and it abruptly disappears. I don't think too much about it, and I don't go searching for Peeta, knowing him he's camouflaged his way into disappearing, and probably fainted from his blood loss.

I smear the blood trail away completely for about thirty yards, leading away from the scene of the attack. Then I leave partial streaks, thinking that Katniss may want to repay him, by saving his life, because he saved hers.

I leave the trail, satisfied that no one who isn't looking for it closely will find it.

Night is falling and I head back to my tree. I sleep just over Katniss, about a hundred feet in the air. I don't leave Katniss unprotected from the elements though. I cover her in her sleeping bag, and I zip up her jacket. I would have tried to put her in the bag, but in her fetal position it was too difficult.

I don't sleep well; I'm too worried someone will discover her. She's too exposed, but there's nothing I can do about it but cover her in more leaves.

The next two days are uneventful, except I have to cut my sweatshirt apart for Katniss to use as a blanket. She's been shivering uncontrollably at night, even with her sleeping bag. I use it to cover her legs, and her feet and hands, because I know this will help keep her body temperature up.

I'm a little cold at night, but it's nothing I can't handle. I've taken to sleeping in the mornings, while it's getting warmer, and moving around at night. I collect food, and water, as well as keep watch on Katniss.

I add to my food supply some silverweed-which to my great surprise, was very simple to find, in 11 it's almost impossible to come by. I don't have a fire to cook it, so I don't eat it, I just store it. I also find another bush of edible berries. I also stumble across a patch of clovers, which taste perfectly fine without being cooked-though I like them best boiled.

I collect most of the clovers, but leave some behind, so the plants will replenish themselves and I can collect them later. I'm feeling fine, with a full stomach and satisfied thirst.

It's a fine two days in my death trap. Katniss stays 'asleep' for two days; though I imagine when she arises she will be exhausted and sore, like most tracker jacker sting victims.

On the third day I expect she'll be waking up, so I remove the traces of my presence. I take my ripped sweatshirt and cut off the usable squares, and a few strips to use as bandages if needed, and I wrap them into my belt. When they're secure I wash the plantain leaves off her stings. They are still large lumps-but I've changed the leaves twice-and I know she'll need further treatment. I can't help her anymore though, I need to remain hidden, I don't-can't have her feeling bad over my death.

Katniss simply looks simple, in her hole-and that could have happened by chance, however unlikely that is. She's lying on top of her bow, which is even less likely to have happened coincidentally, but I think in her venom-tainted mind she won't notice it-I'm banking on that.

My theory proves to be correct, and I see Katniss's eyes begin to flutter and they finally open. After three days of not being able to see her eyes it's a relief to be staring at the cool grey of district 12.

She doesn't move for a few moments, probably expecting the venom to drag her mind back into its clutches, or perhaps she thought she was dreaming. She sits up and takes in her position slowly. She moves out of the hole, and drinks water from her bottle slowly, so very slowly.

She looks to the sky to see the time of day. It's afternoon now, and when she went out it was morning. This is troubling to her and myself, because all Katniss knows is she was unconscious for some time. She has no idea what has happened, and she has no idea how many days she has been in the arena. But finally, and most importantly, she doesn't know whom she's still up against.

Hey readers! I know this was a shorter chapter, but you had to know what went on while Katniss was passed out. Peeta was by the stream (now we know how she knew that too) and Cato's supplies were 'relocated' courtesy of Rue. I know I wasn't the only one who thought Cato would have hunted Katniss down the minute he woke up if he were able.

Oh, and loveable little Rue decided to help Peeta, both by washing away his trail, and also leaving it-just a little.

Let me know what you think, please.

Thanks,

R&R