I do not own The Hunger Games

Chapter 22- Sickness.

(Peeta)

All I wanted to do was sleep as winter slowly melted into spring. My nose was red and my forehead was hot. I skipped work at the bakery every now and then and Katniss was starting to notice. I talked to Ethan about it and he said I was tired from working so hard, but I wasn't convinced. My legs felt heavy and my head had its own heartbeat. It was becoming hard to chase my nightmares about Katniss away. I was slowly losing some of my control.

One night she screamed in my arms.

She did that a lot, but I wasn't the same this time. My eyes opened to reveal Katniss' arms curled around me. It was utterly horrifying. I shot out of bed and back against a wall. Katniss woke up and seemed paralyzed. She held her stomach like she was about to be sick.

"Peeta!" She wailed.

"Wh…What?" I stuttered in fright. "What do you want from me?" I nearly shouted.

She opened her eyes and looked at me. Her eyes were pleading. They weren't vicious or angry. They were full of….no it couldn't be, she didn't feel that way about someone like me. It was then I came back to my reality. I sank against the wall and slid to the ground. I held my head tightly until all my nightmares were gone. I looked back to Katniss who was sitting on the edge of the bed closest to me. I realized she had been singing. She stopped when I stood up.

She began to ask if I was okay but I cut her off.

"Keep singing. Please?"

She sang.

I sat next to her and she put her arms around me. We fell asleep soon after that.

The next morning we were still wrapped in each other's arms. Katniss left for the woods and I told her I was heading to the bakery. But I wasn't. I went into the living room and called Dr. Aurelius.

"Peeta, I hope you are just checking in." Dr. Aurelius answered.

"I'm afraid not."

He was silent for a minute and then, "Explain, please."

"I've been feeling….under the weather." I began. "And then last night I wasn't able to control myself."

"Did you attack Katniss?" Aurelius asked sternly.

"No, thankfully. I just ran from her." I answered.

"Well this is obviously just your sickness hampering your reactions."

A huge weight floated off my shoulders, this was fixable. I wasn't losing the little sanity I have left.

"Then what should I do." I asked.

"Call Katniss' mother. She is excellent with these things." And then the line clicked off.

I headed to work but didn't last long.

I was dizzy the whole walk there and the second I walked in the door, I passed out.

I awoke in my old living room above the bakery. It looked different, of course. But it still brought back a wave of memories that didn't help my pounding head.

I groaned and a cold hand pressed against my cheek.

"Peeta?" A voice insisted.

I saw a blurry figure of Katniss kneeling beside the couch I was on. I was startled for a second; but was able to control myself. It was harder than usual.

"Katniss." I said putting my hand on top of yours.

She smiled, but then her face became concerned again. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

"I didn't know I was."

She scowled. "Yes you did. You told Ethan and called Doctor Aurelius."

I smiled to try and ease the trouble I was in.

She pulled her hand away, "Why would you go to work and not do as Dr. Aurelius said."

"I was going to call your mom tonight." I said. "I'm sorry."

She scowled for a minute longer then, "No, I'm sorry."

"Then can I have your hand back?" I mumbled.

She laughed ever so slightly and put her hand back on my face.

Katniss called her mom that night after she half carried me back to the house.

Her mom seemed very concerned but said she would not come back to 12. I understood and told Katniss that I just needed some rest but Katniss would not drop it. She went upstairs and they argued. Katniss came back with red eyes and blotchy cheeks.

"Sorry, Mom isn't coming." She said sitting next to me and handing me a piece of paper. "This is what she said you needed." She pointed to the paper.

"It's okay. I'm fine" I put my arms around her and she buried her face in my shoulder.

"Promise?" She asked.

"Promise." I answered.

But it was a lie.

What Ms. Everdeen had prescribed was not working, and over the next few days I became worse and worse. And the higher my fever got the lower my control got.

Thank you for reading and please leave a review!

About some of the spelling and grammar, I'm dyslexic, so proofing takes me forever. I figured you'd want the story faster with more errors. ANYWAY, I love you all and I'm going to get working on the next chapter. Thank you all SO much!