A lot of Cato's view for now

I just don't really have the wherewithal to right Errol's yet

I hope you enjoy, and I own nothing but everything I own. Comments and reviews in the

doobly-do.

The Hunger Games, Fleeing Snake

Part 21

-Cato's view-

We managed to escape into the forest. Strangely the careers never chased after us, but to be honest, they didn't have to. They had destroyed us and they didn't have to lift a finger. Errol had passed out and felt like dead weight on my shoulders. I followed Gale for what seemed like miles into the woods. We just kept running, with two bloody, half dead boys slung on our backs. We eventually came to a small pond a great distance from the horn. There were a few supplies already laid out and I guessed this is where Gale had made camp before we ran into him. We carefully brought the boys to the pond and laid them near the shore. The boys were completely out and their breath was hard and ragged. We laid their heads in the water and started washing the blood off their faces. We pealed off their clothes and started washing them carefully as we could. I expected Errol to be littered with cuts but he was almost completely clean of injuries. Peeta, however was in bad shape. His body was full of wombs and I knew he wouldn't last long unattended. I gave Gale the last of the medical supplies we had, knowing he would need them more than I would.

It was the most terrible hours of our lives as we washed their bloody bodies treated their wombs and finally laid them down. Their breathing had returned to normal and Gale had taken care of the worst of Peeta's injuries. We both sat back, still trying to catch our breath after everything had happened. The plan may have fallen apart but we succeeded. Peeta was back in our hands and everyone was alive, well almost everyone. Errol's snake was gone. I can remember Errol crying and holding the snakes body, limp and cold.

"Hey." Gale said coming over to me. "I have something." He said reaching into his pack. It was a package wrapped in a large cloth. He unraveled it slowly, it was the snake. Gale placed the snake on the ground slowly and backed away. He was a live but just barely. The snake had two large puncture wombs on its side, it looked like it had been bitten by something. I moved towards him but he spit at me and refused to let me touch him.

"I grabbed him before we left." Gale said crossing his arms. The snake looked around and caught Errol's scent. It slithered slowly towards Errol but was only able to make it a few inches. I walked over to it and picked it up. The snake bit me but I didn't get angry, I knew what it wanted. I laid it on Errol's chest and the snake calmed down. It coiled around Errol's neck and seemed happy to be where it belonged. Its whole life it was treated as a weapon, its caretakers were scientist turning it into a monster, but in the last few days of its life it had a friend who only wanted to protect him. Errol had fed him, cared for him, and probably loved him. In the last few moments of its life I imagine the snake wanted to be with the person it loved most, it wanted to be with Errol.

I could empathize with that.

The snakes breath eventually slowed and it finally died. Gale walked over and gently placed it in a container lined with red cloth.

"We should bury it before he wakes up." Gale said. I looked at the snake, just lying there. It looked like it was sleeping and at any moment would wake up, but I knew it wouldn't. That snake was more of a man than I was. It never left Errol's side and had saved his life more than once, and in the very end it gave its life protecting what it loved. I dug a small hole underneath a tree and Gale placed the box into the ground, before he put the lid on I touched the snakes still warm body.

"Thank you Ketta." I said. We sealed it up and buried our greatest ally. Gale went to the river and picked a lily from the water and placed it gently on the grave. Before we left Gale stood and placed three fingers to his lips and held them out to Ketta. I guess it was his way of saying goodbye.

We returned to the camp and watched the boys for a little bit longer. After about an hour Peeta started grumbling and opened his eyes slowly. Before I could even open my mouth Gale was by his side, propping up Peeta's head. Peeta seemed confused with everything going on around him, but when he laid eyes on Gale everything seemed to come into focus. Peeta latched his arms around Gale and Gale did the same. I couldn't see exactly what they were doing but Peeta backed away from the hug for a second then came close to Gale's face, they were kissing. In front of millions Peeta had kissed Gale, and neither of them seemed to care. Now watching two guys make out did creep me out a little, but when Gale grabbed a fistful of blonde hair and pulled Peeta to the ground I quickly got up and walked away to Errol. I decided they were probably best left alone.

I sat with Errol for a bit. I brushed the hair out of his eyes and made sure he was staying warm. It was about 5 a clock and the sun was just starting to go down when Errol finally opened his eye. He looked up at me and a tear fell from his face. He remembered everything.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked trying to forget the question he really wanted to ask.

"Yeah, Peeta and Gale are fine, and happy to be together." I said running my hands through his hair.

"And Ketta?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"He's gone." I said as softly as I could. Errol took a deep, hard breath and tried to swallow back his boiling emotions. "Gale was able to bring him back. We buried him properly." I said trying to make Errol feel better, not that it was really helping. I helped Errol to his feet and brought him to Ketta's grave. Errol keeled in front of it and put his hands together in front of his face.

"What are you doing?" I asked. He didn't say anything but I could hear him mumbling something. Errol finished after a second and stood up, wiping his eyes. Errol was putting on a brave face but anyone could see how badly he was hurt. I thought about being like Peeta, just taking him and kissing him, but it seemed like too much. Before I could do anything Errol grabbed my hand and held it tight. I raised his hand to my face and kissed it, it may not have been the grand gesture I was going for, but it was a start.

"Hey." We turned when we heard Gale calling us. Gale and Peeta walked over holding hands like a normal couple. I thought it looked weird until I remembered Errol and I were doing the same thing. We all stopped and took in exactly what was going on around us. Errol and I, Gale and Peeta and it seemed to all come together in a second. I looked at Errol and before he could look at me I leaned over and planted a quick kiss. Now I use the term kiss lightly, because it was less of a kiss and more of a lip graze, but it felt damn good. I pulled back and couldn't help but think, "That was our first kiss...we had sex and that was our first kiss." Errol wasn't shocked or angry, if anything he seemed relieved, and I could hear Gale snickering in the background. I was just about to jump over and knock his head off when Errol lean over and kissed me, and it was a kiss. Not to get graphic, but it was a deep, good kiss that told me everything I needed to know.

"Hey Cato." Peeta said coming closer to us. It had been a while since I'd seen him but it was good to see him back on his feet. I nodded and Errol extended his hand.

"I'm Errol. I don't think we've met but its good to finally meet you." Errol said polite as always. Peeta shook his hand and the sight of them shaking hands, smiling, could have blinded the world.

"Good lord." Gale said trying to hold back his smile. They both looked at us confused by our laughs.

"What?" Peeta asked.

"Nothing, just don't stand so close together. You'll make us go blind." I said, trying to hide the filthy look on my face.

That night we all sat around a fire and ate what we could. Gale and Peeta spent most of the night talking and catching up. Errol and I spent a few hours behind a tree, making sure I got the whole 'kissing men' thing, but I always was a quick learner. Eventually we got back together and Gale asked the most important question of the night.

"What happened in there?" Peeta and Errol went pale and quiet. They didn't want to relive what they saw, but they went on anyway.

"There was something in there." Errol said forcing his words out. "Something evil." He looked at Peeta who had spent the most time in the horn. He was starting to shake and Gale pulled him close. This seemed to calm him down but his words still came out dry and hard.

"He's right...it was something evil." Peeta said slinking deeper into Gale's embrace.

"A muttation?" Gale asked.

Errol and Peeta both shook their heads.

"It wasn't a muttation...it...it was human. It was a tribute." Errol said trying to keep himself together.

"NO!" Peeta screamed. "Its not a tribute! Not anymore." He was sweating and his shaking had only gotten worse.

"It...it's a monster."

Sandersonia's Bio

Name: Lee Sandersonia

Age: 44

Gender: Female

Height: 5,7

Weight: 115lbs

Birthplace: The Capitol

Occupation: Stylist

Weapon:None