A/N: I just wanted to say thank you to the Guest Reviewer who commented…I have no way to know who you are, but your reviews meant the world to me
Changing the Game
Chapter 18 : Osteopnius Calleria 5000 XLS
| Portia |
It breaks my heart to see Katniss in the state she is in. She clutches on to Peeta for dear life, cognizant to let anyone near him. Haymitch speaks soft and gently to her, unsure of how she will react to us. Haymitch informed us the reason we are needed on the hovercraft is that upon retrieving a tribute from the arena, their behavior can range from timid and scared, all the way to a raging killer, and a familiar face is sometimes needed. This fact does not surprise me; when you lock a person inside a cage, forcing them to kill for their survival…what more should be expected of them?
"Why are you talking to me like that?" I reach for Cinna's hand and a smile forms on my lips when I hear Katniss' words. Even frightened as she is, she knows this is un-natural behavior for Haymitch. She is still in there.
One of the medics on the hovercraft enters our compartment and heads straight for Peeta. Katniss clings to him even tighter, pulling his motionless body to her chest.
"DO NOT TOUCH HIM, DON'T YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON HIM!" She hisses at the man, sending him cowering in fear.
The medic pulls out a syringe, preparing to sedate her with his tranquilizer when Haymitch pushes him back. "Give me a second, doc." He pleads with the man.
"It's okay sweetheart, they're here to help. Let them take the boy so they can look him over and fix him up. They won't hurt him."
"I don't trust them Haymitch, what if they—" She stumbles over her words, wiping her tears with her shoulder, still refusing to let go of Peeta. I get an idea and unbuckle my seatbelt, walking slowly up to Haymitch.
"It's okay Katniss, they are here to take care of you guys. What if…What if I go with him? You have my word; I will stay by his side the entire time; I promise no one will harm him." She looks me up and down, trying to gauge whether or not she can trust me. After a moment, her body relaxes and slowly, her grip on Peeta gradually loosens.
"Promise, promise you won't leave, not even for one second." She stipulates, putting her faith in me as she relaxes her arms and allows the attendant to carry Peeta over to the gurney. When I kneel to give Katniss a hug, at first, she is startled by my touch, but then wraps her arms around me too.
"I promise Katniss, and…I love him too." I tell her, and she meets my eyes with a nod, just as another tear rolls down her cheek. I follow behind the attendants with Peeta in tow as they rush him into the observation room. They immediately get to work, attaching tubes and wires into each of his arms, and a mask of oxygen over his face. They forgo removing his clothes and cut straight up the seam, stripping him of his clothes and replacing it with one of their paper medical gowns.
I am asked to step outside the room while their fancy machines capture images of his bones and internal organs. I would object if I could not see through the glass from outside the door; not only because of my promise to Katniss, but because I too, do not exactly trust them.
Just as I promised Katniss, I remain by Peeta's side for the entire duration of our trip. We are not far from The Capitol, so the hovercraft ride is short. Within ten minutes, an announcement is broadcast throughout the hovercraft, informing us that we will be landing in less than ten minutes, so we must return to our seats and strap ourselves in. Not wanting to leave Peeta's side, one of the medics guides me to a seat attached to the wall in the observation room that I strap myself to.
The medics administer some type of medication into Peeta's IV that will keep his vitals stable for transport, making the transition from hovercraft to the medical center flow easier, or something like that. All of the medical jargon just went right over my head, sounding like a foreign language rather than medical terminology.
When it is time to exit the hovercraft, I grab onto the rail of Peeta's bed and walk alongside him. I suppose they ended up sedating Katniss anyway, because not far behind me, Cinna and Haymitch accompany an unconscious Katniss. I hear the beeping of their monitors, but something is amiss. Closing my eyes, I listen to the steady beeping of their machines while the medics report their findings to the doctors.
Katniss and Peeta are each hooked up to their own machine, however, I only hear one set of heart-beeps.
"Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Haymitch asks me.
"Their heart monitors."
"Yeah, that beeping is annoying." Haymitch retorts.
Cinna closes his eyes, straining to hear what I hear, and then I see his face light up in recognition once he gets it.
"That is…that is quite incredible. How…uncanny." Cinna remarks, smiling.
"What?" Haymitch is aggravated that he is left in the dark.
"Their heart monitors…are perfectly in sync. Their heart's beat at the same rhythm, in time with the other."
Haymitch is silent as he listens to the monitors. "Well shit. That's crazy."
I see a smile ghost one of the medic's lips as we fall in line at the Tribute Center. Effie is at the door waiting for us, her lipstick touched up and not a single hair out of place. Her eyes glisten and then she places her hands over her mouth, mystified by the sight of our kids.
"Oh my heavens! My darlings. Oh, you poor, poor things!" She cries, reaching out and stroking Peeta's hair away from his forehead.
The hovercraft medics hand Katniss and Peeta off to the surgeons who will take over their care. No one is allowed beyond the red line other than authorized personnel only, and the four of us are ushered into a waiting area.
We sit. We wait. Haymitch paces. Effie paces. Cinna sketches. I watch the hands move on the clock.
"Should we give their families a call? Update them on their status?" I stand up, prepared to find a phone when Haymitch frowns, shaking his head.
"Won't do any good. No phones." He tells me.
"Right, right. How foolish of me to have forgotten." I return to my seat, disappointed. 'Surely there must be some way to inform the families' I begin to think to myself and see a flicker of something ghost Haymitch's face. What is he up to?
When a woman dressed in white walks out, Haymitch rushes up to her, with Effie at his heels.
"Well?" Haymitch says.
"Is he alive?" Effie questions the woman.
"Yes. For the moment at least." The woman replies emotionlessly.
"What do you mean for now?" Haymitch retorts.
"He flatlined a few times but we were able to revive him, however, they are not sure if they can save the leg. They fear the infection is too severe."
"Who cares about the damn leg, save the kid!" Haymitch bellows to the woman, as if this isn't obvious.
"Shall I inform the doctor's you are providing consent for amputation if need be?"
"Tell them to do whatever they need to do to save that boy's life. Just don't let him die!" Haymitch barks, running his hand down his face, and the woman nods her head and makes her way back to the operating room.
"What's going on?" Cinna walks up to us, not privy to the conversation with the woman in white.
"The boy's hanging on by a thread, she didn't say anything about the girl, so I'm assuming she's stable. They're doing everything they can." Haymitch explains, giving Cinna a condensed version of the conversation.
"Are they?" Cinna questions suspiciously.
"They announced two victors, so they will have two victors. Anything less will make them look like fools. Kid will probably lose his leg though, but you can be damn sure they will save his life."
"Are you guys with the District Twelve tributes, I mean victor's?" A young girl with spikey jet-black hair, no older than twenty years old asks, poking her head through the door.
"Yes, we are." Effie politely informs the woman.
The woman enters the room and places a small device in Haymitch's hand. "This is a pager. When the doctors are finished caring for the victor's, they will page you. Red lights will flash, followed by a vibration, instructing you to head back to this room. If they have a question or need information, the same will happen. Thank you." She smiles, exiting the room, and just like that, she is gone.
"This is wonderful. Cinna, Portia, how are their costumes coming along for their interviews?" Effie turns to Cinna and me, flashing us a brilliant smile.
"They are almost complete; however, I believe we will need to make some minor alterations, due to the severity of their total weight loss." Cinna explains for both of us.
"Wonderful, you guys get together with your teams and make sure the costumes are to your satisfaction, and once we are able to see our victor's, we shall get you in there to obtain their measurements." Effie turns, facing Haymitch. "Haymitch, you and I have some sponsor's to publicly thank for their generosity. Shall we?"
I am more than surprised when Effie extends her hand, and Haymitch accepts it, exiting the waiting room together.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
| Haymitch |
"Where are we going?" I ask Effie once the elevator doors close.
"YOU are going to freshen up while I get us some eyes and ears in those operating rooms." She tells me after pressing the '12' button.
"What are you talking about?"
"You'll see." Effie says with a mischievous smile. How does that woman always manage to have a smile on her face?
The elevator doors open to the twelfth floor, and we step into the hallway. The last time I was here…was when I found Effie in tears after one of the boy's stories. We enter the suite and the redheaded avox that Katniss claimed to have recognized is inside, cleaning up.
"You there!" The girl looks up from her broom questioningly, pointing to herself and mouths the word, 'me'.
"Yes, you. I need you to go down to the medical center and be useful! Your job is to care for our victors, do you understand?" Effie's words are sharp, but she apologizes to the avox with her eyes.
The girl nods her head with a kind smile, understanding Effie's unspoken message and finishes sweeping her pile of dust, emptying it into the trash can before heading out the door.
"You think they'll let her in there?"
"They won't even notice her. If anything is amiss, we will know about it." Effie says, shooing me away, "Now, go take a shower, you reek of a stale bottle of scotch. I shall freshen up as well."
I never thought in a million years I would say this, but she's kind of brilliant, that Effie Trinket is.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
| Cinna |
"You have such a beautiful voice Katniss; have I ever told you how much I love it when you sing?" I look up from my sketch pad in Peeta's hospital room and smile when I see he is mumbling in his sleep. It is day three of his medically induced coma and Haymitch, Effie, Portia and I continue to take turns sitting with the kids until they are awoken.
"Cinna, Cinna, come here, you have to see this!" Portia bursts through the door, smiling from ear to ear. I set my sketch pad down, giving her a quizzical look.
"What is it?"
"It's Katniss. She is singing in her sleep. Or coma, or whatever they are calling it, but Cinna, she is SINGING!"
"What'd you say?"
"You heard me; she is singing." I lift an eyebrow, thinking how odd that is; Peeta was just mumbling in his sleep about Katniss voice.
Portia grabs my hand, pulling me into the next room to witness Katniss' melodic vocalizations in action. They each have been mumbling in their sleep induced coma's over the last few days, but none of us have thought anything of it. The medic's informed us this was normal behavior for someone in a coma, and it only means their recovery is on track.
When we enter Katniss' room, she is no longer singing.
"Peeta, can you hear me? Are you okay? What happened, do you know?" Portia narrows her eyes, and I think our minds are on the same wavelength as we both backtrack into Peeta's room, only to find him responding to Katniss' question.
"Impossible." I blurt out in a whisper.
"Katniss, is that you? I'm...I'm...I don't know, everything is black. Did we win? Are you okay? You didn't eat the berries, did you?"
Again, Portia and I rush next door to Katniss' room.
"It's me Peeta, and I...I think I'm okay, but maybe I'm dead. I...I remember they changed the rules, but then...the berries, and then...then they picked us up. I remember...Haymitch and Cinna and Portia, yes, Portia promised to stay with you to make sure they didn't kill you. I think we're okay Peeta."
Portia meets my eyes and says what I am thinking. "No one can know of this." I nod, agreeing with my partner; my best friend. My wife.
Yes, we are good with secrets, no one knows the status of our relationship, only that we are business partners, colleagues. But Portia is my partner, my best friend, and also, my wife.
She gives me a cheeky smile just before I head back into Peeta's room. I close the door behind me, return to my seat and pick my sketch pad back up and act as if nothing ever happened. Portia and I both noticed a kind of silent form of communication between our pair during their time in the arena, and this confirms it. No, that was no mere coincidence.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
| Alaric Undersee |
"Rose, have you seen Madge?" Rose looks up from the pile of laundry she is folding and offers me a sad smile.
"Yes, Mr. Undersee, she is with Grace."
"Still?"
"Yes, sir."
"Have you looked in on them recently?"
"Last time I went to check on Grace was this morning to give her a dose of her medication." We both look up when the doorbell rings. Rose slides the laundry basket over to stand up, and I place my hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
"I'll get it Rose." She nods, sitting back down and continues to fold the laundry.
When I make my way to the door and open it, I am surprised to see Gale Hawthorne.
"Well, hello Gale, I wasn't expecting to see you, this isn't your normal day to come." I tell him with a welcoming smile.
"I don't…I don't have anything…actually Mayor Undersee—"
"Ric, please call me Ric."
"Um…okay, well, I was wondering if Madge was home? I haven't seen her since the last night of the games, and I was kind of worried about her." 'You and me both, kid.' I think to myself.
"I'm sorry Gale, she has been a little under the weather. I will tell—"
"Could you give her something for me?"
"Sure." Gale hands me a folded-up piece of paper and I tuck it in the breast pocket of my shirt.
"Just…just let her know I'm thinking about her…and I'm sorry. And…no, that's it." Gale mutters indecisively before turning to leave.
I close the door behind him and head up the stairs to Grace's day room. When I open the door just a crack and see Madge curled up in bed next to her mother, my heart shatters. I think she knows. I do not know how, or when, but I am almost certain she knows. She has not left the house once, ever since she came home the last night of the games. She refuses to go to school and denies any form of social interaction. I know she does not have many friends other than Katniss and Peeta, but she has been spending time with Prim and Gale on occasion. All she does is lay in bed with her mother or sit in my office with me.
It is like…it is like she knows her time with us is limited and she is trying to soak up every moment with us that she can. I had Rose decrease Grace's morphling so that she is more coherent, but oddly enough, Grace has been rather lucid all on her own over the last few weeks. Ever since her confession.
I enter the room, shutting the door behind me and toe my shoes off next to the bed, and climb in the bed with my girls.
"Hi daddy." Madge says, not moving an inch. I lean over and brush her hair over, moving it out of the way to kiss her cheek.
"Gale stopped by bug. He's worried about you, and he asked me to give you this." I pull the folded up paper from my pocket and hand it to her. She accepts it, holding it tightly in her hand, but then returns her hand back to her chest, in the fetal position.
"Thanks daddy."
"Madge honey, what's wrong?"
"I'm just tired daddy."
"Okay." I say, not pushing her any further and then let out an exasperated breath. I lay with my girls in silence for close to an hour before getting up to leave. Just before I get up, I get an idea.
I lean over to whisper in Madge's ear. "I'm going down to the basement; I'd love some company if you are up for it. Two hours." I tell her and then leave the room. I make my way to my office and close the door behind me, hoping Madge will take me up on my offer. Taking a seat at my desk, I lean back in my chair and close my eyes, remembering my last conversation with Haymitch.
"You need to tell her, Ric. She needs to be prepared."
"I can't, Haymitch. What am I supposed to say? 'Oh honey, when your mother and I board the train in a few weeks, don't expect to ever see us again?' Haymitch, all she does is lie in bed with her mother or sit in my office with me pretending to read a book."
"What about Grace, have you told her?"
"I told her the lie. That we are going to The Capitol for an experimental treatment. I can't tell her Haymitch, she'll blame herself. She already has so much guilt, I cannot add this to it. Just promise me you will look after her. Promise me she will be okay. Everything is set up; I have got boxes and boxes of her things stored in one of the Victor's homes. I gave Dylan all our medications for Lilly to use, minus what Grace will need for the next two weeks. All of the important papers are where we discussed, and I have transferred everything to Amnesty."
Amnesty Heavensbee, what a better rebel spy than the soon-to-be Head Gamemaker's daughter. Snow does not even know of her existence, and Plutarch has already planted the seed in Snow's mind. Obviously under a fake name. Upon my departure, Amnesty will be sworn in as the interim mayor of Twelve, and once the news hits of our death, or disappearance, or whatever he has planned, the position will become permanent. Her and her 'husband.'
Glancing at the clock, I see that I still have over an hour before I need to head out, so I pull out my pen and some paper; it is time to say goodbye to my daughter.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
| Haymitch |
"What the hell is he doing here?" Johanna yells out when Seneca Crane enters our secret meeting room.
"Chill Jo, he's on our side." Finnick tells her, trying to calm her down.
"Bullshit, he's gonna run straight to Snow and we'll all be dead by the end of the day."
"Jo, I swear he's cool. Just listen to him. He's got a huge stake in this…please?" Finnick begs her.
"Fine." Johanna says, sitting down, scraping the legs of the chair against the floor as she scoots under the table, causing everyone to cringe at the screeching noise. "But don't come crying to me when you're begging for mercy at Snow's feet." She mumbles under her breath.
A handful of us mentors and a few others who are in on the plan have gathered at our secret meeting place to discuss our next steps. My kids are still unconscious in the hospital, so we have a few hours at most before anyone will notice our absence. I grip the pager tightly in my hand, flipping it over and over.
Today is day five of my kids' being unconscious, so this thing could go off at any moment. We have all been on pins and needles all day long, anticipating the call.
Everyone is seated at the round table in the center of the room. Not everyone involved is here; it would rouse too many suspicions if every single one of us were missing.
Seneca and Plutarch sit at the nine o'clock hour, to their left is Beetee from Three; to his left, Finnick from Four, Johanna from Seven, Woof from Eight, Seedar and Chaff from Eleven, and then Portia, Cinna and I complete the circle.
Seneca stands up from his chair with the remote in his hand and, presses a button, dimming the lights and producing an image that is projected on the wall of Ric and Dylan in the secret underground tunnel in Twelve. Seneca gets up from his seat and walks around the room, searching for a spot that allows him to face everyone.
"Hey guys, I appreciate you all making the time to meet today, I know for some of you it was not particularly easy." He says, looking directly at me. "I know those of you who haven't met with me are suspicious, and rightfully so, so I am going to share a story with you." Seneca presses some more buttons on the control pad and an image appears next to the live feed of everyone in Twelve.
"Hey, that's Brooke!" Finnick blurts out. "Oh, sorry." He says when Seneca glares at him for interrupting.
"This beautiful woman is the love of my life. I met her roughly ten years ago while I was touring the districts." He clicks another button and an image of a beautiful little girl with reddish brown hair and green eyes who is smiling from ear to ear fills the screen. He clicks the button once more and it is an image of the three of them.
"And this is my daughter—"
"Saylor." Finnick blurts out again, this time in a shocked whisper.
Seneca nods, looking at Finnick. "This is my family. No one knows about them, and I would prefer to keep it that way, for their safety." Everyone is gasping and there are hushed whispers throughout the room.
"About ten years ago, I was just like every other Capitol citizen. The games were nothing more than a form of entertainment, I was up there with the rest of them taking names and placing bets. Even after I met Brooke, I wasn't much different. Sure, I began to question the ethical ramifications of the games, but it wasn't until the first time I held my daughter in my arms that it hit me.
Here I was, an aspiring Gamemaker, in love with someone from the districts, and I was about two seconds from giving up my privileged life in the spotlight and moving to District Four to be with my family.
It wasn't until this tiny little human was placed in my arms and I looked into her big bright eyes; I was so overcome with emotion, I thought I would explode. It was in that moment that I knew I would die for her; I would kill anyone who dare try to harm a single hair on her head. But then I realized it was me; or well...people like me who would kill her. What would happen when her name was drawn from the reaping bowl? It was inevitable because when they found out her father was a gamemaker, well, what better entertainment than that?
Instead of giving up my life in The Capitol for an ordinary life, Brooke convinced me to stay. With my position as Head Gamemaker, I could make a difference, I could implement change. And that is exactly what I did. I soared to the top, which came to no surprise to my family since it had been my dream since I was a child. And that is all I want; it is what I desire most; freedom. Call me a hypocrite if you like, none of it will matter, because I will be dead by the week's end."
"Why?" Johanna asks.
"Snow is not happy with the outcome of the games. I knew when I kept the camera's rolling when Peeta shared his 'stories' with Katniss that it would anger him, but when I ordered Templesmith to announce them both as the winners, that was the final nail in the coffin. But here we are, and for the first time in the history of the games, we have two victors."
"Yeah, no thanks to you." I mumble under my breath.
"Haymitch, they figured a way out of it, that is what matters. They never would have died, anyway." I quirk an eyebrow up, wondering what he meant. Seneca stops glaring at me, giving his attention to the room.
"I asked you guys here today so that we can talk about our next steps. What we need to do, or not do next. President Snow is furious. He is beyond furious, and I suspect this will be my last time speaking to you.
"Sen—" Seneca holds his hand up, silencing Plutarch.
"I will happily lay down my life, knowing that you guys will continue to work towards the freedom that we're fighting for.
I have been in touch with the leader of District Thirteen, Alma Coin. Thirteen has been living underground for the last seventy-four years, and they are willing to help us. I have passed along all my contacts and resources to Plutarch. He is now the main person to contact, and I have directed him to Alma Coin. Lastly, I just want to say thanks for letting me ramble and talk your ears off. It has been a pleasure, and an honor to have had the privilege to work with each of you, and I wish you all the best of luck." Seneca goes to sit down in his seat, but quickly gets back up.
"One more thing. President Snow is on a mission to take these kids down. He will try his hardest to separate Katniss and Peeta. He thinks that together, they are unstoppable. He is terrified of them and will stop at nothing to break them. Whatever you do, you can NOT allow this to happen. You can NOT allow them to be split apart." He returns to his chair, scooting up to the table.
"What makes you think they are not unstoppable apart?"
"Haymitch, they are like…How do I explain this…they are like…"
"Two halves of one whole." A tiny voice says from the screen.
"Let's come back to that in a moment, Seneca, why do you think that the president is afraid of two children?" Beetee asks.
"Because if two children, and two children from the poorest of districts of all places can change the rules and defy The Capitol, then what is stopping say...You, or me from doing it? Two children whose intentions were never even to defy The Capitol, all they wanted was to live and to love each other, to make it out of the games alive and together, then what will happen when someone wants to purposefully challenge The Capitol? Katniss and Peeta have given the people of our nation the one thing President Snow fears, hope." Everyone is shocked to see the small girl standing next to Ric. Madge.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean...it just kind of popped out." Madge looks straight into the camera, more confident than I have ever seen her, offering her apology.
"She's right." I say proudly, giving Madge a wink.
"Who is this young lady?" Beetee asks, pointing to the screen.
"Marjorie Undersee, District Twelve. But everyone calls me Madge." Madge answers Beetee as he looks at each of us nodding.
"The young lady is correct; I could not have said it better myself." Beetee confirms, continuing to nod at each of us.
"So, what's next? What do we need to do to get this ball rolling?" Johanna asks.
"We let them go home. Together. We let them heal, we get more people on board, we get the message out there. We keep them safe, go about our lives in the meantime. The next big day will happen during the Victory Tour. Eight is making preparations as we speak." Plutarch explains.
"When do we bring them in?" Finnick wants to know.
"Soon. I think for now, they just want to go home. Let's not overwhelm them all at once." Plutarch says.
"What about the interviews tonight? Do they need to know anything before hand?" Cinna asks, massaging his temples.
"The President thinks they planned this from the beginning, that they are not truly in love. At first, I thought it was scheme to get the girl home, but after watching them and seeing how they acted in the games, I know better. I think…I think we should let the boy know; he's got a way with words. I'm not so sure about Katniss though; she's rather…emotional." Finnick says, offering his opinion.
Instantly, I feel something buzzing and when I open my hand the pager is flashing its red lights.
"It's the doctors, sorry guys, I've got to go." I blurt out, standing up and shoving my chair under the table. Cinna and Portia follow my lead and are at my side.
"Haymitch, may I have a word with you guys?" Seneca asks, following me to the door.
"Make it quick." I tell him. We step outside the door for privacy and Seneca takes a deep breath.
"I have to tell you something, and I hate the words that are about to come out of my mouth." He says, looking ashamed.
"You know how the doctors came to you about Peeta's leg? They said the leg wasn't salvageable, it needed to be removed in order to save his life?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Well, that wasn't entirely true. The doctors could have attempted to save his leg, but President Snow was angry. He was so furious with your kids, that he told the doctors to remove it. The first doctor questioned him, so, Snow killed her sister." The three of us are so shocked by this revelation, and then Seneca decides to shock us even more.
"That's not even the worst of it, Haymitch. Snow ordered the doctor to implant a listening device inside of the leg. I don't know how you feel about cluing them in on everything, but he needs to know. Also, speaking of listening devices, out of the twelve homes in Victors Village, only three are without surveillance. I'll send you a map, and maybe you can get one of your kids into one of the homes without surveillance."
"How do we get rid of the bug in his leg?"
"Drown it."
"And what did you mean when you said they never would have died?" Cinna asks.
"When Katniss picked up the berries after the girl from Five died, there was this glimmer of a look on the girls face. It was like she knew what we were up to. So, I…deactivated the poison in the berries temporarily."
"Thank you, Seneca and…good luck. We need to go." I tell him, holding up the flashing pager.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
| Effie |
"Stop pacing Trinkie, they said the doc will be out here any minute. Tearin' up the floor isn't going to make him come any faster." I stop pacing to glare at Haymitch. He came to retrieve me after the pager went off, saying the doctor needed to speak with him about Katniss and Peeta.
"District Twelve?" A doctor in a white uniform enters the room, removing his face mask and tossing it into the waste bin by the door. He removes his blue surgical scrub cap and ruffles his hair as if he is overwhelmed.
"How are they? Are they okay? Are they awake? Can I see them?" Haymitch spits out question after question, not giving the doctor any time to answer. I cover my mouth, hiding my smirk; and he was making fun of ME for pacing the floor.
Haymitch may act like a heartless drunken buffoon who doesn't give two cents about others, but watching him throughout the games, and especially now, it is clear that Katniss and Peeta have embedded themselves somewhere in that corroded heart of his.
"Let's sit down." He extends his arm toward the round table in the far corner of the room.
My heart is pounding in anticipation, anxious for him to hurry up and tell us, yet I am petrified all the same.
"My name is Dr. Kaza LeSieur, and I am the medical doctor overseeing your tributes care. First of—"
"Victor's" Haymitch's hisses.
"Right. Victor's. Well, most importantly, they are stable and will be fine." We all release a gush of air in relief. That was our main concern, now on to the intricate details of their injuries.
"I'll start with the boy since his injuries are more severe." Dr. LeSieur begins.
"Peeta." I blurt out, correcting him, but quickly realize my mistake. "I'm sorry, how rude of me! The boy's name is Peeta. Peeta Mellark."
The doctor nods, looking at Haymitch. "Okay, well 'Peeta' was barely hanging on when the medics got to him. Whatever medication you sent into the arena saved his life, so that was smart thinking. He received a knife to his calf during the feast, which was left untreated. That, in addition to the mutt that bit his leg caused the infection to soar throughout his body. The infection in the leg caused him to become septic, so with your approval, we removed it." Dr. LeSieur explains, making sure to point out Haymitch's consent prior to removing the limb. "The amputation went perfectly, and he will be fitted with a prosthesis as soon as it is ready."
"The leg was making him sicker?" Portia asks.
"Yes, forgive me, allow me to back up just a bit. You see, when that creature bit into his leg, its venomous teeth released a poison into his bloodstream which spread throughout his entire body. We were able to perform a procedure that removed all his blood, stripping the poison out and replacing it with oxygen rich blood. We were hoping that would fix the problem."
"But it didn't?" Haymitch questions the doctor suspiciously.
"I am sorry, no it did not. However, he will be supplied with the best, the most advanced, top of the line prosthesis; he will barely be able to tell the difference." The doctor explains enthusiastically.
"Okay, what else?" Haymitch barks.
"We also repaired his blown eardrum, that is the sum of his detrimental injuries. The other issues are minor. He is dehydrated, malnourished, and severely underweight for a boy his age. The medics on the hovercraft started an IV that will release intravenous fluids into his body, hydrating him while he is unable to drink. We have placed a feeding tube into his nasal— I mean his nose which will provide nutrients until he is able to eat on his own. And…I believe that is it for the boy. Like I said, the leg was our main concern. Since its' removal, his vitals have stabilized, and I foresee a perfect recovery."
"And Katniss?" Cinna inquires.
"Yes, Katniss. She is a feisty one, that girl is." The doctor chuckles before continuing. "Her body was full of infection, the medication she received in the arena did not wipe it out completely. Like the boy, she is severely dehydrated and malnourished, which is to be expected when a tribute is pulled from the arena." Once again, I cringe at the word "tribute" and must bite my tongue in order to refrain from correcting him. "We have placed her, as well as the boy in a medically induced coma to quicken the healing process. Our doctors have also placed a feeding tube and an IV to rehydrate her and supply her with vital nutrients, just like the boy."
"Is there anything else?" Haymitch asks.
"I believe that is it, Mr. Abernathy. Once the b— Peeta comes out of surgery, both tributes—"
"Victors, they are victors now." Haymitch corrects the doctor again, scowling at him in disgust.
"Forgive me, both "Victor's" have been placed under a medically induced coma after their surgeries and should be waking any moment now."
The doctor gets up to leave, nodding his head and offering up a fake smile.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
| Peeta |
'Peeta? Peeta, are you there? Can you hear me?'
'Katniss? Where are you? I can't see you. I can't see anything. Are we alive? Are you okay?'
'Peeta? Peeta, I'm here. Where are you?'
For some reason, when Katniss yells out to me, it reminds me of the time we were unconscious from the tracker jackers. When I was in her head.
'Katniss, is this, are we—'
I can't tell whether I am awake or asleep, dead, or alive. The last thing I remember was Claudius Templesmith's voice telling us to stop, followed by him announcing that we won, and then a fuzzy image of a hovercraft in the sky.
"It's been five days, doctor, why isn't he awake yet? You said they would be awake soon." It sounds like Haymitch's gruff voice, but I cannot seem to open my eyes.
"That number is just an estimate, give him a few more hours. Sometimes it takes a little longer for some patients, it all depends on how they react to the anesthesia. If he has not awoken by noon, I will administer a serum to flush the remaining anesthesia from his system."
I hear a beeping noise, and there are...wires? Tubes? And, are they dangling from my arms? My head feels fuzzy, foggy, like there is an opaque film encasing my body. And Katniss, where is she?
'KATNISS?' I try to form the words, but neither my voice nor my mouth are obeying my commands.
"LOOK! He moved his hand!" Effie's voice shrieks. I am not sure if it is really Haymitch and Effie's voices that I am hearing, or if I am dreaming.
I decide to tune them out and listen for Katniss' voice.
'Peeta? I'm here okay. I love you Peeta. Don't you dare leave me; do you understand? Please say something, Peeta!'
'Katniss?' I try so hard to reach her, this time in my mind.
'Peeta? Is that you? Are you okay? Can you hear me?'
'Katniss?'
'Oh my god Peeta, I thought they took you from me!'
'Katniss, where are we? Did we make it? Did we win?'
"This medication will flush the remaining effects of the anesthesia from his system. He should wake up any moment now. I will give you some privacy." A voice I do not recognize comes from...somewhere.
'Katniss?'
'Peeta?!'
"Look, his eyes are fluttering, he's waking up!" Effie's high-pitched voice hurts my head.
"Shhh. Not s'-loud." I say, but it does not sound like my voice. It sounds like me, but at the same time it doesn't. I scrunch my face up, grimacing in pain from a combination of Effie's voice and the artificial lighting in the room.
"Are you going to tell him Haymitch? You should be the one, I just can't, I just…Oh, Haymitch, he will be so devastated!" Effie exclaims in a whisper.
Even though my eyes are closed, I can tell someone has dimmed the lights, so I try again to open them.
When I get them open, Effie is on my left, tears in her eyes, clasping her hands with a huge smile. To my left, Haymitch is sitting in a chair next to my bed. I study Haymitch's face for a moment, and realize he has a lamented expression on his face. It is that pitiful look you give someone when you are about to inform them of a loved one dying. I sit bolt upright in my bed, barely able to choke the words out due to my dry mouth.
Effie is immediately by my side, holding a Styrofoam cup in her hand, bringing the straw up to my lips. I purse my lips around the straw and take a sip, filling my mouth with the precious liquid.
"Wow, that's good." I nearly moan in pleasure. It is only water, but it's cool, and it feels so succulent as it fills my mouth; I don't know if anything has ever tasted so divine.
Once my euphoria subsides from the cool, refreshing water, I am reminded of the pained expression displayed on Haymitch's face.
"Kid, I've gotta tell ya something, so, you need to brace yourself."
"Katniss? Is she okay? She's not...is she—"
Effie begins rubbing circles on my back, trying to comfort me. Haymitch perks up, realizing what I must have inferred from his words.
"Oh, no; no kid, she's fine. She just woke up, and she's been obstinate as usual, demanding to see you."
"Okay, so what—"
"They um...They had to take your leg, kid. I am so sorry, but...it was the only way to save your life. I'm so sorry, kid. God I'm so sorry!" He reveals, covering his face with his hands, shamefully.
I am stunned speechless, just absorbing his words when Effie immediately chimes in.
"But my darling, you will be supplied with the best, the most advanced prosthesis there is to offer! It will function just like your real leg. No one will even be able to tell it isn't your own!"
I nod, watching Haymitch look so…. I don't even know the word for it. Sad doesn't seem like the right word, but it's all I can come up with.
"It's okay Haymitch. I'm alive. That's what matters. Besides, I didn't like that leg anyway." I tell him, trying to lighten the mood. He gives me a timid smile, patting my hand.
"But geez, Haymitch. Don't scare me like that, I thought you were going to tell me that Katniss didn't make it, or something. I…I knew it was a possibility when Katniss and I were in the…you know."
Haymitch nods, understanding that I do not even want to say the word out loud.
Arena.
Games.
No, those words will be stripped from my vocabulary. Forbidden.
"When can I see her?"
"Not yet, kid. They want to wait until your interview for your reunion. I'm sorry kid, I tried, but they wouldn't budge." I nod, wondering who "they" are.
"But she's okay, right?"
"Yes, yes, of course. She's giving the doctor's a hard time; she threw a tantrum when they told her she couldn't see you." For some reason, that puts a smile on my face. That is fine, I don't need to see her, I can just talk to her.
"Well listen kid, Effie and I have some things to take care of before the interviews. Portia will be in here soon, and she will take you up to get you ready for the interview tonight. A nurse should be in here soon to teach you about your prosthesis. We'll see you tonight, okay?" Haymitch stands up and ruffles my hair before leaving. Effie leans down and kisses my forehead and then falls in line with Haymitch.
I close my eyes, listening to the steady beeping coming from my machines.
'Peeta?'
'Katniss? Is that you? Is it really you?'
'Peeta, I have been asking to see you all day, but I…they locked me in here. Are you okay?' Should I tell her about my leg? I know she will feel guilty, even though she did everything to save me. If she hadn't tied my leg off, it would have been my life instead of my leg.
'I'm okay, I just woke up. Are you okay?'
'I'm hungry. All they will give me to eat is this bland broth and something they call "Jell-O".'
'Katniss?'
'Yes?'
'I love you.'
'Peeta…I—" There is a pregnant pause as she contemplates her next words. I know she has always struggled to voice the words 'I love you', so I am not prepared for what she says next. "the words, "I love you" don't seem sufficient enough for how I feel about you, but I love you too Peeta.'
And she says she is not good with words.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
| Katniss |
"Katniss, there is something I need to tell you." Dad says, carrying my game bag from the woods in Twelve.
"Ok, dad. What's wrong?"
"Today, something is going to happen. I can't say what, I just want you to know how much I love you. I want you to know how proud I am that you are my daughter. I have raised a strong, confident, fearless, brave young woman. And in this horrible world that we live in, there is good out there. Always remember that. You are strong Katniss, you are so strong and brave, and I believe in you." Then dad slides under the fence, headed for the market.
It's the day of the reaping, the morning I met him in the woods.
And then, something changes. We are no longer in the woods, but in The Justice Building. When we said our goodbye's after the reaping.
"Lexie, you and Peeta stay a team. All the way to the end." Dad says, kissing my forehead before he leaves.
And then I am in that room, the room where I met Cinna and he calls me Lexie.
And then Peeta and I are on the chariot. Portia comes over to help Peeta with our costumes and just before she leaves, she is telling us to hold hands, all the way to the end.
All the way to the end.
All the way to the end.
Did we make it? Did Peeta and I make it all the way to the end, together?
And then Rue appears in her fairy wings from the night of the interviews. "Katniss, it's you. You are going to make a difference; you will change this nation. No one else can do this, only you." She grins, pointing to my pin.
"But I don't want to be. I just want to go home." Rue shakes her head at me, waving her finger.
"It doesn't matter. You already are... Think Katniss, was this an accident? Or were all these little coincidences just a little too perfect? Ask yourself; what were the chances of your little sister's name being called? Peeta's name? Ask the questions you need to get your answers."
And then she slowly begins to sparkle, turning into glitter before vanishing altogether.
'It was rigged.' My brain is awake before I can open my eyes, and I hear the steady beeping sound that sounds rather close. Finally, my eyes pop open to see Cinna standing over me, greeting me with a smile. When I lift my arms, I notice that I am connected to several tubes and wires.
"Hey. How are you, girl on fire?" I open my mouth to speak, but my mouth is so dry. Cinna seems to understand and pours some water into a small cup. He sticks a straw in the cup and brings it to my lips. I suck through the straw and feel the cool water swimming around in my mouth and it feels heavenly.
"Okay." I croak out, my voice sounding raspy and hoarse. "Where's Peeta?"
Cinna puts his hand on my arm, rubbing it in hopes to calm me, I think.
"Slow down, it's okay. Peeta is okay, he is actually in the next room. He hasn't woken up yet, but the doctors say he will wake up any time today." I feel my body relax at his words.
"Can I see him?" I manage to get the words out, but my voice sounds so foreign. I do not recognize the sound at all.
"Oh no, no, no, you are not going anywhere! If you attempt to stand, you will probably collapse straight to the ground. You are extremely weak right now."
"Okay." I say reluctantly yet believing him.
"Listen, Katniss," I can tell that whatever he is going to tell me is important by the serious tone in his voice, but just as he says my name, we are interrupted by a knock at the door, causing Cinna to frown.
"I'm sorry Katniss, I've got to go. But…I'll see you later okay?" I nod my head, thinking there isn't much I can do about it anyway, and close my eyes.
The next time I open my eyes, Haymitch is sitting in a chair next to my bed. "Hey sweetheart."
Is this real? Is he real?
"Peeta?" My voice is hoarse and raspy and sounds nothing like my own. How long have I been in here? Haymitch reaches over and pours me a cup of water, which I accept greedily.
Haymitch pulls his chair closer to the bed and reaches for my hand. I snatch my hand out of his, scowling at him.
"Where is Peeta?" This time my voice does not sound quite as strange, but it is also not quite familiar.
"He's okay, he hasn't woken up yet, but the doctor's say it should be anytime now."
Whew. Relief washes over me, and I feel my body relax at Haymitch's words.
"Can I see him?" Haymitch wrinkles his forehead and his eyes become serious.
"No, not yet." He says, shaking his head.
"Why not?"
"I tried, I knew you would want to see each other, but they said…it'll make for good television to capture your reunion on live tv for the nation to see."
"I don't care about TV or the nation, or ratings or whatever, I just want to see Peeta!" I scream at him.
There is a table next to my bed, and I pick up the closest thing I can reach and chuck it at Haymitch, angry that I am being refused this simple request.
It so happens that it was a Styrofoam pitcher of water, which splatters all over the floor. Whatever drugs they have filled my body with must be affecting my aim, because Haymitch is not even that far away.
"I'll see what I can do, but you need to get that temper of yours in check. Interviews are tonight, and it needs to go perfectly." Haymitch walks over to me, leans down so that our faces are nearly touching. There is something in his eyes, anger? No, that is not it. Fear? It looks like he is scared. Why is Haymitch scared?
"Okay." Is all I say.
"I am going to let you get some rest, Cinna will be in shortly to get you ready for tonight."
Haymitch leaves, closing the door behind him. I sit on the side of the bed, dangling my feet for a moment before attempting to stand up. The moment I stand up, I am immediately dizzy and have to sit back down.
The redheaded avox from before enters my room and helps me to lie back down. Wait, where did she come from?
"Thank you." I tell her, meeting her eyes. "Is Peeta okay? Have you seen him?"
She meets my eyes again, and nods, her eyes lighting up with so much emotion. She gives me a thumbs up sign before pulling the covers up to my chest and patting my head. As I watch her leave my room, I notice there is a keypad next to the door that she punches a code into. Those assholes have locked me in here! Unbelievable.
I close my eyes and call out to Peeta.
'Peeta? Peeta, are you there? Can you hear me?'
'Katniss? Where are you? I can't see you. I can't see anything. Are we alive? Are you okay?' Peeta's voice is small and feels so far away, but it is there.
'Peeta? Peeta, I'm here. Where are you?'
'Peeta? I'm here okay. I love you Peeta. Don't you dare leave me; do you understand? Please say something, Peeta!'
'Katniss?'
'Peeta? Is that you? Are you okay? Can you hear me?'
'Katniss?'
'Oh my god Peeta, I thought they took you from me!'
'Katniss, where are we? Did we make it? Did we win?'
'Katniss?'
'Peeta?!'
It's like he's there, but something is blocking us from truly hearing the other.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0
| President Snow |
The medics came to me, notifying me of those stupid brats' injuries. The boy, Peeta is his name; happens to be in worse shape than the girl; Katniss Everdeen. They could have saved his leg, but I told them to remove it anyway. Azriella did not want to, she said "It does not seem right to do such a thing when we have the capabilities to heal him." Well I showed her what is not right. She is now an only child. And now, Seraphina the head Orthopedic Surgeon walks into my office.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" I nod my head and instruct her to sit. She knows better than to disobey.
"You are to supply him with the Osteopnius Calleria 5000 XLS. You will bring it to Callexia for inspection before you take it to the medic who will attach it to the patient. The patient must be advised that under absolutely no circumstances may he submerge the prosthesis under water. It may get wet, just not submerged. Understood?"
"Yes sir." She nods her head.
Now to deal with Seneca.
A/N: Sorry there isn't much of Katniss and Peeta in this chapter. They are mostly unconscious, having surgery and healing from their injuries. They will be back next chapter!
So, as we are approaching the end of this book, and I know I asked this question a few chapters back, but I didn't get any feedback, so I thought I'd ask again. As we get into the next "book" what are your thoughts on whether I should just keep going or make a whole new "story". I have seen it done both ways, I just am not sure which is the best route. Anyhow, drop me a line and let me know what you think about my question, as well as what you thought about this chapter! Thanks! 3
From Chapter 19, from Peeta:
"Why won't you go away? Why would you want to be with me anymore? Look at me! I'm a pathetic cripple now. I'm disgusting. I'm not whole anymore. They disfigured me, they…." She wipes my face with the washcloth, strokes my hair and climbs into my lap, wrapping her legs around my waist.