Chapter 26

I froze in my tracks, and then spun around to confront the voice from the shadows. "Haymitch?"

"Let's have a little chat, kid," he slurred, stumbling into the light.

"Look, Haymitch, it's late, I should-"

Haymitch grabbed me by the collar of my gray hospital pajama shirt. "Exactly," he growled at me. "It's late. It's the middle of the night, my boy in there is wide awake, and we're both out wandering the halls. Don't try to tell me that all is right and cheerful in District 13 tonight."

I jerked away and glared at Haymitch, but this didn't seem to alarm him at all.

"That's right, kid," he said, smirking. "Now let's talk."

Haymitch opened the door to Peeta's observation room and held it for me. Typical Haymitch, tossing in a gesture of sarcastic chivalry while completely intoxicated.

"We're going in there to talk?" I asked skeptically.

Haymitch dramatically rolled his head toward the door, motioning for me to enter. "I don't have all night," he muttered.

I slipped into the room and Haymitch followed closely behind me. We left the lights off. Beyond the observation window, I could make out Peeta's form lying in bed. He had pulled the white blanket all the way up to his chin. Haymitch pulled two chairs over to the window and gestured for me to sit.

"He's asked to see Katniss," Haymitch said bluntly.

"I know."

"He said it was your idea."

"It was."

Haymitch and I glanced at each other, but then immediately averted our eyes. I watched as Peeta tossed and turned beneath the blanket, most likely trying to find a comfortable position. With just one leg, he used his arms to readjust himself on the bed. I wanted to leave, but it didn't feel right. Instead, I waited for Haymitch to drop the other shoe.

"Is he going to try to kill her?" he demanded.

I looked at Haymitch in surprise. His squinted at me, his chin set forward as though he were trying to keep his emotions in check beneath a hard, thick shell.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because you love her." I said nothing. Haymitch rolled his eyes. "Look, kid. District 13 would like us to think that it's bending over backwards to protect that girl. But we both know you care more about her safety than anyone else in Panem. So if you think there's a danger in letting Peeta see her, now is your chance to speak up."

I stood and walked right up to the glass that separated us from Peeta. The glass that labelled him as a prisoner of his own mind. Haymitch has a point. If I don't speak up for Katniss's safety now, no one will. He's torn. He loves Peeta like a son, and yet he cares for Katniss too. Whatever went on between those three is probably a relationship I'll never understand. He can't deny Peeta a chance at healing, and yet he can't endanger Katniss. He's asking me to take the pressure off his shoulders, to either reassure him that Katniss will be okay to meet with Peeta, or to save him the agony of having to deny Peeta a piece of the therapy that might save him from himself, someday.

Peeta pushed himself up into a sitting position, letting his blanket fall into his lap. He was breathing heavily, but he seemed to be trying to pull himself together. I watched as he carefully pushed his left sleeve back, and then his right. He ran his fingers down the puckered skin that extended from his wrists to his elbows. Then he slowly unbuttoned his gray hospital pajama shirt. Even with his carefully-monitored District 13 diet, he was still much thinner than he had been before his imprisonment in the Capitol. The gray fabric slipped easily off his shoulders and tumbled down around his waist on the bed. With his arms crossed over his body, he ran his fingers down his shoulders, his chest, his stomach. In the dark, I couldn't make out what he felt beneath his fingertips. But it didn't take much effort to imagine the physical evidence of his torture as Peeta relived the scars of his past.

"He's still trying to figure out where he is," Haymitch whispered. Suddenly, the full circumstances of our meeting dawned on me.

"You watched me visit with Peeta," I said slowly. "You must have slipped in right after Prim left."

"Smart boy."

"You weren't supposed to be watching us!" I hissed.

"You never told me that I couldn't."

I watched as Peeta slipped the shirt back over his bony shoulders. He wrapped his arms around his calf and guided his leg back onto the bed. Then he wrapped himself tightly in the blanket and rocked slowly back and forth on the mattress.

The concern on Haymitch's face told me everything that he couldn't. He can't bear to see Peeta like this. And yet he can't stand to leave him alone, either. He knows what I realized earlier tonight: that when the lock clicks shut on Peeta's bedroom door, he is completely helpless.

"You care about him, too," Haymitch whispered. "Maybe for the wrong reasons. But you don't want him to get hurt." I paused, and then nodded. Haymitch continued. "I spoke with Dr. Lewis. He wants to wait a few more weeks before we try to arrange a meeting. And even then, Peeta won't be allowed to see her unless he's been excessively restrained."

"He can see her, if she wants to visit him," I said softly. "I trust Dr. Lewis to take the necessary precautions." And I trust Peeta to fight his demons as hard as he can.

"Good. And one more thing, kid."

"What is it?"

"Finnick and Annie are getting married. There will be a party. You will be required to attend. And I expect you to behave. Not because I particularly care about you, but because I want your... cousin... to be able to stay under the radar as much as possible that night. Got it?"

I walked out of the room, letting the door slam closed behind me.

Thank you for reading! We're not even halfway through, so don't forget to add Gale's Amaranth to your alerts list so that you get the many, many updates yet to come! And please leave a review before you go-they're really helpful to me and they make my day! I read and consider all of them.