Since she'd hit a dead end with Haymitch, Katniss turned to Johanna and Finnick for back up. They both nodded and Finnick turned to Haymitch, "Think of a plan, we volunteer to go get him out."

Katniss nodded and turned on her heel to go to the hospital. She wanted to see if her mother was okay enough to watch Keegan so she could rescue Gale. Her mother, Haymitch, and Peeta were the only three she trusted enough to make sure her baby didn't fall into the wrong hands.

But what about...

She dropped her hands to her stomach. She hadn't told anyone she was pregnant, except Keegan, who was barely talking. Well, if you could even call it talking. She was babbling in her own language, but she hadn't said "dada" or "mama," yet, and Katniss was a little worried. Maybe she would whenever Gale came home.

Because Gale would come home, she'd make sure of it. The only question was whether she'd give her life for him or not.

Of course, if it was just herself she was worried about, she would do anything for him, no matter the cost. But with a baby at home and one on the way...she had to take in Gale's opinion a little more than normal. He wouldn't want her to die for him, knowing she was carrying his child. He'd be miserable for the rest of his life. Sure, he didn't know she was pregnant as of now, but that nurse would tell him eventually. He probably wouldn't hate her, but he'd be more upset than he should be if he found out.

She walks through the doors of the hospital, meeting Prim who was heading the same way, having just taken Rory back for his check up. She smiled as she told Katniss how much better he was now that he thought he'd be involved in Gale's rescue. His anger was fueling him to think of great things. Katniss takes her hand and leads her through the door marked Katherine Everdeen. Their mother is asleep, just hooked up to the machines for regular checkups to assess the conditions the Capitol left her in, the nurse explains.

Prim runs to her bedside and takes her hand. The motion wakes up Katherine, who stares at the two girls in horror. "Who are you? Am I supposed to know you?"

Prim looks at Katniss, the horror in their mother's face matched in her own, "What do you mean you don't know us?" Katniss asks, "We're your daughters!"

"Daughters?" Katherine asks. "No, no. I don't have any daughters. Ross died before we could have children."

The nurse narrows her eyes and begins typing on some computer next to the bed. She starts asking Katherine a series of questions, which the nurse explains has to do with the state of her mind.

What is your name?

"Katherine Everdeen."

How old are you?

"Thirty seven."

Who were you married to?

"Ross Everdeen."

How did he die?

"A mining accident, the same one that claimed a number of men."

Like the Hawthornes?

"Yes, poor Gale Hawthorne. He had to take all that responsibility all by himself. Tragic."

Katniss and Prim look at each other, and Katniss feels Prim take her hand. Why does it seem as if they have been erased from their mother's memory? What did the Capitol do to her? As the nurse starts asking questions that have to do with Prim and Katniss, Katherine's answers become shorter and shorter. Katniss observes that she acts as if she's...numb.

And then it hits her.

"Those grasshoppers!" She screams, interrupting the nurse's question. "They did something to her with the grasshoppers that they used on Rory and Peeta!"

A light goes on in the nurse's brain, and she sends Prim and Katniss down to Rory's room while she heads out to find the head doctor. Katniss directs Prim to the hospital room, but she runs to her compartment, where Cinna is keeping Keegan.

Apparently, she realizes, I can't trust the people I thought I could.

She runs to her room, frantic to find her. But Cinna is there, rocking her with a story. It's almost her bedtime, Katniss thinks. She smiles at Cinna, and he nods, handing Keegan to her. "They're conducting tests on my mom, can you let me know if they find out anything or if Haymitch comes up with a plan?" Cinna nods and excuses himself, leaving the two of them alone.

Keegan cries, Gale normally reads her a story instead of Katniss, because he's better at making the voices and sounds that a children's book requires. Katniss reads to her anyway, sings her the precious song that she hopes keeps Gale safe, feeds her, and finally puts her in the bed.

She sits down at the desk in her room, pen and paper in her hands. She starts writing a letter to Prim, her mother, and most of all, Gale and Keegan.

My family,
If you're reading this, I've died to save your father. I'd want you know that I really wouldn't have it any other way, otherwise I wouldn't have done what I did. Gale, Keegan, you two are the most important in my life, I would give anything for you, and obviously I've proved that.

But please don't give up hope, don't give up anything. I'll always be with you, deep in your heart, in your voice when you say "I love you." And I do love you both, so much more than you can imagine. Gale, you're my best friend, hunting partner, and most of all, my love and partner in life. I love you, and there's something you should know.

She scratched out the last sentence. It was too hard to write. She finished the letter and turned out the lamp.

Whenever you miss me, sing these words, and I'll always come back to you...

Deep in the meadow, under the willow,
a bed of grass, a soft green pillow.
Lay down your head, and close your eyes,
when they open, the sun will rise.

Here, it's safe, here, it's warm,
here, the daisies guard you from every harm.
Here your dreams are sweet, and tomorrow brings them true,
here is the place, where i love you.

Always in my heart,
Katniss

...

When Gale wakes up, the first thing he realizes is how malnourished he is. It's worse than anything he's ever felt while living in the Seam. Partially because whatever this IV hooked up to him is doing, it seems to be emptying him of everything that was inside his body. And he's not a doctor, but he knows that's definitely not a good thing.

But, they discussed this in training, what the Capitol could do if one was taken captive. The first thing was to always check yourself. Gale looked down, he was laying on some kind of bed, hooked up to a machine. Nothing seemed to be missing, bleeding, or bruised, so he deemed himself okay. He could only imagine the battered tomato his face resembled after getting slammed with that glove Snow used. He touched his face, his eye seemed a little swollen, but no blood was flowing, and he thought he felt scabs.

The second thing they taught was to assess your surroundings. It looked like some kind of doctor's room, so they'd moved him from wherever he was when he talked to Snow. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. He tried to get up from the bed, but his legs and waist were strapped down, which was a very, very bad thing. Just as he was wondering why his hands were free and the rest of him wasn't, a doctor walked in.

Gale tried to look as weak and innocent as he could, but he knew his thoughts were leaking into his emotions, and he was thinking of all the ways he could kill this sorry bastard so he could escape.

The doctor looked over some files and met Gale's eye, "Good morning, Gale Hawthone. My name is Dr. Calpo, and I'm in charge of taking care of you." Upon finishing his sentence, he handed Gale a few pieces of bread and some water. The bread had a ... mockingjay stamped into it? Weird. The mockingjay was the symbol of the rebellion, but he wasn't sure the doctor knew that.

He sniffed the bread, being as suspicious as they taught them to be in training. His stomach was yearning for the meager bread, but he didn't want it to be his last meal. The doctor laughed, "It's authentic, son. It means exactly what you think it means." Gale raised and eyebrow at the double meaning, and the doctor laughed again, "free bread, son? Ever had it?"

Gale nodded and tore into it and the water, leaving no crumbs or droplets left. The doctor gave him a few more pieces and said he'd had enough. He clicked something at the monitor, and the temperature of the IV changed. Gale felt...better, like it was pumping into him rather than exiting. He still didn't know his full opinion of the doctor, but so far, he was a pretty alright guy.

The doctor checked his vitals and made sure Gale knew exactly who he was before pointing to a clock in the corner, "It's 8:30 now, someone will bring your lunch at 12, and I'll be back at 6:30." He turned to the door before turning back to Gale, "With others." He winked and was gone.

Was that some kind of double meaning? With others? Did that mean others from 13? Should he be ready? What should he do?

Well, he thought, maybe Haymitch got off his ass and thought of a way to get me home. Guess I better be ready for anything.