"I need to take it out." Rue warns Katniss as she stares at the shaft of the bloody spear.
"I-I know" Katniss replies uneasily.
"On three okay?" Katniss nods in approval.
"One…"
"Two…"
"Three."
Rue yanks the spear out in a matter of seconds, but it feels like an eternity of torture to Katniss. Every centimeter the spear retracts feels like a flaming sword burning her flesh from the inside out.
By the time the spearhead leaves her body, the pain is too much and Katniss is exhausted. She lets out a gasp of pain and succumbs to the darkness that engulfs her.
Her eyes flutter open. She is staring at the bright gleaming light above. It feels so warm. Am I dead? Katniss asks herself. She reaches up toward the light but is quickly jolted back to reality when she feels a sharp pain in her torso. Katniss lets out a grunt of discomfort. In an instant little Rue is hovering over her.
"You're awake!" Rue smiles at her.
"How long have I been out?" Katniss asks as she begins to gather her senses.
"Three days." Rue responds nonchalantly.
Katniss knows a lot can happen in three days. "W-what about Peeta?" she asks terrified that the District 12 boy's name was featured in the arena's sky nights ago. She tries to sit up at the thought of Peeta dead.
"Katniss, stop! You're going to hurt yourself more. Take it easy!" She gently pushes Katniss back down on the makeshift bed she constructed out of the sleeping bag and the orange backpack as a pillow. "He's fine. As far as I know he's still down by the river."
Hearing Peeta is alive, Katniss is able to regain her composure. She then feels the temporary bandage Rue has made for her wound and realizes Rue is doing all in her power to nurse Katniss back to health.
Thankful for having Rue as an ally, Katniss shows her gratitude, "Thank you…for saving me."
"Of course, Katniss. I guess we can call it even now." Rue chuckles.
"Haha…OW…don't make me laugh." Katniss grimaces.
"You must be starving!" Rue jumps up and makes her way to the backpack.
"We only have berries and a few crackers left. Sorry." She hands Katniss what's left of their small food supply and the water flask.
"That's okay, I'll go hunting soon."
"Not too soon okay?"
"Rue, we can't stay here any longer. It's not safe. And besides we need to go find Peeta."
"Alright, we'll go tomorrow. Now lay still I need to change your bandage."
Katniss complies with Rue's command. She is slightly relieved that the three of them are still alive and have a possibility of making it to the end. Now they just have to find Peeta.
What do you think? What should happen next? Let me know!