I don't go to breakfast the next morning. To emotionally worn out to move, really. Also, I really don't know what do to about the Gale issue. Everything was going fine until I had to open my mouth and make it awkward. I bet he won't even speak to me.
A sudden knocking on the door finally gets me up. I know my dad won't get it, he hardly comes out of his room anymore, or hardly talks. Mostly, I hear him coughing in the middle of the night.
I wrap one of the blankets around my shoulders and slowly walk to the door, where the knocking increases.
Quietly, I open the door to reveal Haymitch. Haymitch speaks quickly, without even waiting for me to open the door all the way.
"Hawthorne looks like he's been hit by a truck, and you don't look too good either. What happened?"
I'm so taken aback by the suddenness of the question that I can't think for a moment, until he asks again, slower this time.
"Both you and Hawthorne look like you had a rough night. Something happen between you two?"
I shrug, even though I know full well what happened. I don't want to talk about it. Not yet, not now, probably not ever. Just not in the mood to cry anymore.
"Come on, sweetheart. We aren't stupid. When you didn't show up, I think most of us figured out something had happened. Even Posy knew it! When we asked Hawthorne where you were, he shrugged and didn't say anything! When we asked him to come and get you, he ignored it and pretended to like his breakfast, when we all know that stuff is rubbish."
"Nothing happened." I force out and then fall backwards on the small couch, covering my face with the blanket.
"Sweetheart, I'm not stupid." Haymitch growls, pulling the blanket off of my head. In response, I pull it tighter around me. "Where's your dad, does he know anything about this?!"
"I don't talk to my dad anymore."
"Why?" Haymitch sounds a little angry.
"He's never around." Finally I force out the three words and he grumbles, going into my dad's room and I guess attempting to pull him out of bed.
That obviously doesn't work, because Haymitch quickly comes back out and dials the emergency number. Though, nothing's wrong with me. Slowly, I force myself to stand on shaking legs and attempt to walk to my father's room, but Haymitch shoves me back on the couch. He says some hurried words to the emergency clerk, words I can't catch, and then puts me back in my room.
"Don't come out until someone tells you too, okay?"
I nod slowly, and retreat to sit on my bed. There's a lot of movement outside of the room, and I think people keep trying to come in here, but Haymitch or someone stops them. I really have no clue what's going on, anymore. Not with Gale, not with my father, not even me.
Finally, a few minutes later, Haymitch slips in the room and tells me to take a shower and change very quickly.
So, I do. Or as quick a shower as you can in District 13. When I come out, Haymitch is still waiting and asks me to grab my things. As in everything from District 12. I'm getting very confused. I grab everything and he throws it in his compartment before leading me to the elevator. Quickly, the elevator goes to the hospital level. Is there something wrong with me that they have to get checked out?
He leads me to the waiting area and tells me to sit down and wait. He leaves again. This time, he's gone for a while, before he comes back, this time with Gale. Immediately, my eyes find the floor, determined to count how many flooring tiles there are.
"Madge, come here." Haymitch says slowly, and I do stand, slowly going to him, keeping my head down. "Madge, look at me." I'm forced to look at Haymitch and he sighs.
"Your father is very sick, Madge. He has been sick for a while. Not like your mother but, he's still sick. While back in 12, when the bombing happened, he stayed behind and tried to get as many people as he could out before the smoke got to him. He inhaled so much smoke in there, it gave him damage to his lungs. He's had trouble breathing, he's been coughing a lot, and hasn't felt like doing anything. Gale said that when he talked to him a few days ago, he said that he didn't look to good." I glance at Gale to find him staring at the floor, much like I was a few seconds ago. "Your father didn't tell you about it because he didn't know what it was, and he didn't want to worry you more."
I swallow thickly as Haymitch continues. "They're going to put him through surgery to see if they can do anything about it, maybe to prevent it from spreading further. For the time being, you're going to move in with me until he gets better." The words if he gets better ring in the silence. I feel sick. My dad's sick. I swallow again and Haymitch leads me down to where he's in surgery, Gale following behind slowly. I can't think straight. I really can't.
As soon as we're in the surgery ward, I practically fall onto one of the couches and my head falls into my hands. On top of everything else, I have this to deal with too. This is just not my week.
Haymitch and Gale are talking in hushed whispers a little further away from me as I try to calm down. Finally, footsteps start to approach me and I look up into the concerned eyes of Gale. Though, he does look like he's been hit by a truck. His eyes are a little red and he has bags under his eyes. I'm sure I look the same way.
Slowly, he sits on the couch and clasps his hands. "Rough day, huh?" He asks gently and I still can't look at him.
I nod a little and he sighs, shifting in his seat, "Wanna talk about it?" I know he's trying to help, but in all honestly, it's not really helping me. I shake my head quickly and try to prevent the tears from falling out of my eyes. I can't do this anymore. I just can't. It seems that every time I can get something under control the universe decides to make it so much worse.
Much to my displeasure, the tears make their way out and I try to wipe them away before Gale or Haymitch can notice, but then I'm being consumed with sobs I can't control it. Then, before I know what's going on, someone's wrapping me into a hug. My first instinct is to get away because whoever it is could hurt me. They turn me around and I find that it's Gale. Gale won't hurt me. I bury my head into his chest as his arms tighten around me. He starts to rock me gently, probably to help. My sobs are muffled a little, and my hands clutch his shirt in bunches as I'm overwhelmed with images from stuff I don't remember.
Gale scowling at me at my backdoor, Gale down on one knee, Gale playing with my hair, so much more. It's all of Gale, no one else. It makes me more confused, but a little comforted to know that I'm starting to remember a little more. Even if I have no clue where the images come from, or why they happened, or anything, I'm remembering bits and pieces.
"Shh.. You're okay, you're okay. I got you." He murmurs, as one of his hands tangles in my hair, but I'm not focusing on that. I'm focusing on Gale. He smells like smoke, despite being underground for weeks, months even. He's unbelievably gentle and warm. When my cries turn to sniffles, his thumb wipes away the rest of the tears and he releases me slowly. I didn't want him to let go. It felt natural being in Gale's arms, like I'm supposed to be there.
"Better?" He asks gently, wiping away another stray tear and I nod slowly before throwing my arms around his neck. At first, he's a little surprised that I'm actually touching someone voluntarily, but then his arms hesitantly twist around my waist.
"Thank you, Gale." I force out in a choked voice and his arms tighten again and I think he buries his face in my hair because his breath is warm on my neck.
"You don't have to thank me. I'll be here for you." He murmurs and I slowly release him, and he gives me a small smile. "Better now?"
"Yeah. Better." I know I'm not lying and when he brushes a little of my hair behind my ear I don't flinch. That may be one of the first times I haven't tried to move away when someone touches me.
"Good." He says and I look at my hands and then Haymitch. He's either been watching us the entire time and decided to be tactful enough to pretend like he wasn't, or he actually wasn't watching us. He's talking to a doctor, probably about my father and such. Haymitch finally glances at us, does a double take when he sees our proximity. I guess we're still close to each other from when I was crying. I hate crying so much.
Haymitch walks over at stares at the both of us, his gaze lingering on Gale longer than me.
"He's still in surgery. I know it's sudden but no one had any idea what was going on. Still don't. Whatever his has isn't common here." I nod, the lump in my throat returning, "they're trying their best, but they said no promises." I try to swallow the lump, and stare at the ground.
"How long will he be in surgery?" Gale asks Haymitch and he sighs.
"Said he won't be able to have visitors for a while after. Didn't exactly say how long he would be in there."
"Oh." I force out and I lean back against the couch and rub my eyes, trying not to cry again. Not that I would mind being held by Gale again, but still. I think I've had enough crying to last me a life time and I don't even remember before my torture. Haymitch glances at my schedule he hastily made me put on my arm earlier and sighs.
"Madge, you have to go meet with Dr. Byrd. Make sure you tell her, or write it down, about your father. I can't take you, Coin wanted to talk to me, so can you figure your way down there?"
Slowly, I stand as Gale says he'll take me there. Good, because last time I got lost trying to find my way. Haymitch gives Gale a look and Gale rolls his eyes before Haymitch looks at me.
"You going to be okay?" I nod, and Haymitch nods back. "You remember where I live?"
"Right next to me." He nods again.
"Now, go on. You're meeting with Sayer today too." Haymitch stays with us until we reach his floor and he leaves, giving Gale another glance. I remember our conversation from yesterday in the elevator and immediately feel awkward.
We're both quiet until we reach my floor and he leads me down there. Before I go in, though, he talks again.
"You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah." I pause and fiddle with my fingers.
"I'll get you if anything happens," I swallow. Will anything happen? "Not that there's a chance anything will happen, but just in case." He says hastily, and I nod.
"Thank you." I finally choke out and he nods giving me a soft smile, but doesn't ask why I'm thanking him, because I'm pretty sure he knows why. Because he comforted me when I needed someone.
"Go on. Don't want to be late." He says, opening the door for me and I get a glimpse of Dr. Byrd and another boy, who I'm assuming is Sayer, indiscreetly staring at us and my gaze shifts to the ground as Gale tells me that he'll see me later.
From now on, I decide, Gale's the only one I'm going to trust to touch me because I know he won't hurt me. It's not much, but it's something. I'm getting there.
A/N: Sorry if this is shorter than normal, but it's something, I guess? Thoughts? I know Madge's father's disease or whatever is sudden, but I've been dropping hints about it a few times, but I think most of y'all are going to pay attention to the other big thing that happened between Gale and Madge c:
