I am SOOOOOOOOO sorry I haven't posted in over a week. I had writers block and I wanted to make sure this next few chapters were perfect because they are the big ones (if ya know what I mean)! Sorry for the lame title but I didn't want to give away too much.
Lysmachia is going to have the ride of her life… :-D
Peeta's POV
I stay by her side all day, forcing her to get dressed and sit upright on the couch. As I watch her, I paint, trying desperately to act as if things were fine, which they aren't.
Soon after lunch, I hear a knock at the door. I run to answer it, hoping it is Dr. Everdeen. Thankfully, it is. She greets me civilly, but I know she is very anxious about her daughter.
When she sees her, she lets out a gasp. "Oh no, she really is gone." She captures Katniss in an embrace that, had she been aware, she would have returned it gladly. But now, she just stares blankly off into space.
"Peeta, don't worry, she'll be OK." She says, noticing that I am wringing my hands with dismay at Katniss' state.
"Do you have a extra syringe? I might need it, if this doesn't work."
"I don't know. I have to make a snack for the kids since their coming home from school soon."
"Ok, one question though, "
"What?"
"What set her off? Was it Gale?"
"Gale? What do you mean, he's all the way back in District 4 with Annie, how could he have said anything to her?" I ask incredulously.
"Um..., he lives a few miles down the road from here..."
"What road, Gale is here?"
Shock and the fear, oh the fear, of all the things he could have done to her,
if he had seen her. What could he have said to make her withdraw?
Dr. Everdeen sees the panic rising on my face and starts to explain: "Gale arrived on the train a couple weeks ago. He wanted to enroll his kids in school. I forget how many he has now..., but anyway he wanted them to grow up where he did. I figure he would've visited you by now. He must still be busy with settling in."
"No, he hasn't come to visit yet, it was the flowers that set her off, the roses." I cling to this fact, reminding myself that Gale didn't make her withdraw, the flowers did, and she was safe from the memories that he would bring back.
"Oh, then it can't be that bad... I'll have to adjust her dose though, hmm, I need to add this and-"
"Dad, We're home!" I run to hug my children, the only things left untainted by fear and pain.
Lysmachia's POV
I look over Dad's shoulder an survey the room. Mom is lying still on the couch. Next to her, are little bottles, various sizes of syringes, and a woman, probably in her early sixties she refuses to tell us her age despite our frequent laughing inquiries. I smile at her, but I know not to talk to her when she is busy with a patient. "Hi Grandma!": I say, even though I shouldn't disturb her. Lich refuses to talk to her, as usual. He need time to adjust to her, he is always shy with strangers.
"Did you have a nice day at school?" Dad interjects suddenly.
"It was OK. We're going to learn about the days of destruction soon. I can't wait! We have some homework to do, so we should probably go upstairs."Dad looks up quickly when I mention the days of destruction.
"You're not ready to learn that yet! You just started school two days ago."
"I don't know why dad, I just know I have to read up on them. We have a test in two weeks and I like to be prepared."
"Hold off on the research for a while ok love bug? I want to talk to Mom about that..."
"Alright, I'll be upstairs if you need me!"
Once we are out of earshot I look at Lich, he nods. We don't want Dad to worry, but he obviously doesn't have time to help us research the victors. So, we agreed to sneak into the library, pretendi to be watching the television, and do a little digging around. Lich rifles through a pile of movies that we barely watch; they are all stuffed in an old cabinet in the back of the room.
"Hey Lys, look at this, I found something!"
"What?"
"I don't know it just says 50, the rest is faded off."
"Let's not watch that..., c'mon there's gotta be something good."
I dig through the pile, reaching far back into the cabinet, until my fingers clutch a stack of old DVDs that nobody uses any more. (I mean seriously, DVDs? Video chips are so much better...) I read the labels, Mockingjay propos, District appeals, The Victory Tour.
"This one might be good, it has the word victor in it." I suggest, pointing to the last one.
"Nah, it sounds boring..." Lich objects.
"I think it looks fine."
"Well, I don't, um..., what about this one?" He offers, digging his hand deep in the pile, and pulling out a random video.
"OK, fine, whatever I don't really care."
I pop it into the skinny slot by the screen and flop back on the couch. When the words come on the screen, I sit straight up. Like in class today, my full attention is commanded. The last words I expected to hear resound from the speakers: "Happy Hunger Games!"
Dun, dun, dun… Haha, cliffhanger! Anyway, Annie is going to be in the story maybe in 3-4 chapters and Gale is living next door (almost). Do you guys want me to bring back Haymitch and Effie? Please review, review, review!
