Chapter 55
We climbed a ladder into an apartment utility room, only to find ourselves face-to-face with a terrified, magenta-haired woman. Katniss shot her swiftly through the heart with one of her arrows, and we made way around the utility entrance for the rest of the squad to enter the now-empty apartment.
"How long do you think we have before they figure out some of us could've survived?" Katniss asked me, her breathing rapid. I placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her as she clumsily slung her bow back over her shoulder.
"I think they could be here anytime," I answered honestly. "They knew we were heading for the streets. Probably the explosion will throw them for a few minutes, then they'll start looking for our exit point."
Katniss pulled away and walked briskly over to the window. She threw open the shades to survey the ground below. From behind her, I could make out crowds of Capitol citizens rushing down the street. I tried to follow her, but when I took a step forward, I was nearly overwhelmed by nausea. Instead, I collapsed onto a sofa and lay my head back against the soft cushions. I could feel my own blood seeping into the fabric beneath my neck.
I didn't want to know how bad my wound was.
Peeta had settled in at the other end of the sofa. He seemed exhausted, and it was no wonder- climbing with handcuffs was probably no small feat. Peeta looked over at me and tried to offer a smile, but when his eyes fell on my neck, he turned away and grabbed the nearest pillow. He clenched his eyes shut and stuffed the corner of the pillow into his mouth, biting it as though his life depended on it. His desperate, crazed action took me by surprise- he had seemed to have a better hold over himself in the tunnels. He's still as vulnerable to himself as ever.
When our squad motioned for us to join them on a tour of the house, I rose slowly and helped Peeta up. I tried not to think about the way that Katniss had kissed him as we walked. It's not his fault that she loves him. I can't take that out on him. But it isn't fair... he goes mad, and he still gets the girl?
We followed Katniss into one of the woman's walk-in closets, which was filled from floor to ceiling with clothing, wigs, and make-up.
"Okay," Katniss said slowly, surveying the closet. "Everyone needs to get dressed. If we look like Capitol citizens, we'll have an easier time blending in on the street."
Finnick and Cressida were the first to step forward, and began distributing clothing out to the rest of us. I leaned against the wall, doing my best to stay conscious. In front of me, Katniss turned to find Peeta and froze at the sight of his bleeding wrists.
"No, Peeta..." she said softly, reaching into her pocket for the key to his handcuffs.
"No," he insisted. "Don't. They help hold me together."
"You might need your hands," I warned him, stepping forward to join Katniss. Regardless of whether she cared for me as she did for the boy with the bread, I owed her my solidarity.
"When I feel myself slipping, I dig my wrists into them, and the pain helps me focus." Peeta told Katniss, who closed her eyes and nodded slightly before re-pocketing the key.
Finnick walked up behind me and put his hand on my left shoulder. I cringed, realizing that I hadn't taken an amaranth injection in some time, but tried to disguise my pain by turning to face him.
"Come on, Gale. It's cold out. Let me help you find a coat, and we'll find a soft scarf to bundle around your neck. Okay?" Finnick asked, staring cautiously at me.
"Okay," I agreed. I leaned slightly on Finnick's arm as he led me over to the men's closet.
~X~
Out in the street, I just focused on following my squad, one step at a time. One step at a time. One step at a time. Peeta seemed to feel similarly, and fell into step beside me. Katniss had wrapped him in so many layers that I couldn't even make out the clanking of his handcuffs.
Cressida had some idea of a place we could stay, and Katniss agreed tiredly. So a few blocks later, we found ourselves standing on a side-street across from a window decorated with hanging pairs of furry underwear.
Peeta groaned good-naturedly beside me, and Finnick snorted, slapping Peeta gently on the back. Capitol fashion must be something they've seen plenty of in the past few years.
Katniss and Cressida were the first to walk in the door, and proceeded straight up to the counter to address some woman who I couldn't see, called "Tigris." I slumped against the entryway, and Finnick caught me before I could fall to the ground.
"We're going to get that wound cleaned up first thing," he assured me. "I can't believe you've made it so far with it already. Just hold on a few more minutes. Tigris is going to help us. Some furry underwear is exactly what the doctor ordered."
"Finnick..." I moaned sarcastically, and he laughed.
Sure enough, Cressida motioned for me, Finnick, and Peeta to follow them into some kind of cellar. Finnick helped me to my knees so that I could crawl into the narrow space and down the stairs to what I assumed was to be our safe haven. As soon as I was inside, Finnick dragged some pelts over from the pile in the corner and laid them out like a bed.
"Lie down, Gale," he instructed me softly. "You're first. You're going to make it. Just stay with us."
Katniss knelt down beside Finnick with a first-aid kit. My vision went gray as she cleaned my neck wound and applied what felt like a set of stitches. Finnick squeezed my hand and talked softly to me while she worked, but I couldn't make out his words. Finally, Katniss applied a cool layer of something that must have been medicine to my wound, and gave me some painkillers.
"You can rest now," she said. "It's safe here."
It's safe here. You're safe here. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.
Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate everyone's feedback and following along, and I hope that the story is turning out to be everything you want it to be.
Peace :)
