Chapter X
"How are you feeling there Captain?" I ask as she seats herself down on the infirmary table.
"Feelin' pretty good doc. Can we just get these stitches out already?" She grumbles.
I turn around and grab the tray of supplies. I place it near the table and turn towards her. "Umm…I…you…" I stop and force myself to breathe. "Katniss I'll, umm, need you to remove your shirt." I can feel the blush spread quickly from my neck to my cheeks. I try my best not to make eye contact.
"Right." She mutters and starts unbuttoning her top. I do my best to not look directly at her; instead I attempt to busy myself with random objects on the counter. Out of the corner of my eye I can see her fingers working nimbly over the buttons. A faint blush covers her cheeks. She slips out of the brown button down shirt, leaving her only in a white camisole. She clears her throat and I turn back towards her. Forcing my eyes not to linger.
"Let's start with the one on your arm shall we." She nods in agreement. I remove the gauze and wipe the area clean. I snip the stitches and pull them free from her skin. I wipe some gel over the healing wound. I move to the wound on her collarbone. I accidentally run my fingers over the tight skin on her collarbone, she shivers under my touch. I clear my throat and remove the gauze from her collarbone. I snip the stitches, pull them free and gently rub gel over the puckering skin.
Realization dawns on me as to where the next wound is. I clear my throat and shift awkwardly. Katniss looks nervously around the room. "Umm…Katniss," my voice is embarrassingly shaky, "I'm going to need you to roll up your shirt."
Her eyes go wide for a moment before she looks away and mumbles, "right."
She moves slowly and rolls up the hem, uncovering her toned stomach bit by bit. I gulp silently and wish I could find a way to avert my eyes. Luckily for me she never looks my way. She uncovers the next two wounds.
"Lie back please." She obliges and I bend over her, scissors in hand. I repeat the routine on the wound below her breast, being very careful not to brush it with the back of my hand. I notice the way her skin goose bumps under my fingers and where my breath brushes. Finally I move to the stab wound. It has healed extremely well so far. My heart beats erratically at the closeness between us. I do my best to keep myself from reacting to the proximity. I focus on the task at hand and do not let my mind wander until all the stitches are removed and she is re-buttoning her shirt.
"Thanks doc." She says awkwardly before stalking out of the infirmary.
Once she is gone I let out a long, shaky breath. Being near her is almost torturous. My entire body involuntarily reacts to her presence. But I could never act on it. Yet I can't stop myself from hoping.
…:::…
"Alright you lazy fools!" I yell over the noise in the dinning room. "We've got ourselves a little distress call. The sheriff on Uwe called in sayin' that there's been lots of trouble from a group of bandits. They can pay us pretty decent. Looks like it won't be all to difficult." Everyone nods.
"Finnick and Gale," I turn and look 'em both in the eyes, "You know your jobs." They nod, "As for the rest of you, don't get into any trouble."
…:::…
The bandits surround the covered wagon. Predictably they couldn't resist a wagon filled with goods. I can hear the dialogue bein' exchanged.
"Now I wouldn't recommend you nice folks be causin' us any trouble, ya hear?" One says. The leader I assume.
"It'd be a real shame for ya'll to find yourselves in some kind of harm cause ya'll weren't to keen on cooperating." His heavy drawl grates my nerves.
"Yes sir." I hear Gale's fake accent from the front of the wagon.
"Then, afterwards, I think yer goin' to be givin' me a bit of one on one time with the missus over there."
Gale is dressed up to be a simple country farmer. Beside him is what appears to be a bonnet clad wife. Which ain't exactly the case.
"Oh you really are gonna wanna reconsider that request. Sadly I married myself a powerful ugly creature." Gale drones.
"How can you say that? How can you humiliate me like that?" The 'wife' exclaims indignantly.
Gale chuckles loudly, "If I could make you prettier I would!" He says loudly.
"You are not the man I met a year ago." The sound of guns being drawn and cocked draw my attention. I grab my own and silently ready it. Surprised stutters from the group of bandits shows that Finnick has removed his bonnet. Finnick ain't ugly per say but he sure as hell is not a woman. I chuckle silently.
"Now think real hard. Ya'll be causin' a mighty bit of trouble her for a while now. I'm thinkin' they wouldn't be too heartbroken to find a corpse of you. Now you can spend some quality time in a jail cell, but if your hand gets any closer to those pistols…then I swear by my pretty floral bonnet I will end you." Finnick speaks sternly.
I hear the sound of cocking guns and so I swiftly swing from the back of the wagon. I fire my pistol; hit the ring leader right in the knee cap. The horses all spook and make a nice distraction. We round those bandits up real quick and throw them in the back of the wagon. I take a good look at Gale and Finnick. Gale looks remarkably like his dad, all dressed up in ragged clothes. Finnick on the other hand, is covered head to toe in a light purple floral number. It takes all my might not to laugh.
"Let's go boys." I command. We hop on the wagon and drive it to town.
The sheriff meets us the minute we hit the town border. He takes the bandits into custody.
The mayor arrives a few minutes later and once he learns of our heroic deeds demands we allow him to throw a celebration in our honor.
At sundown the townspeople light up a fire and bring out all kinds of musical contraptions.
Everyone joins in for the festivities. Even the good doctor loosens up for a change.
"So explain to me why you weren't in the dress Captain?" He asks.
"Tactics of course! I needed to be in the back. Plus I think Finnick likes the feel of them soft cotton dresses. Might be because of the airflow." The drinks have been flowin' and I find that I'm a bit lighter myself.
"I don't even want to know how he would know about that!" The doctor throws up his hands in surrender as he chuckles.
All round the fire people are dancin' and laughin'. Finnick and Annie are holdin' each other close, gazing deeply into each other's eyes. Sometimes I wish I could love like that. But I've long since given up hope on that.
Gale is dancin' with some busty blonde. His gaze is filled with lust and drunken desire. I wouldn't exactly call it dancing what they are doin'. It resembles more like two slabs of meat in a grinder. I even see Gale sneak a kiss or two. I know I'm not the only one. Johanna's sittin' just around the fire seeing the exact same thing I am. She's livid, can't say that I blame her. Also can't say that I'm surprised.
Johanna storms away from the fire. I can tell this is gonna be one hell of a night.
More than a few drinks later we all stumble back onto the ship. Johanna is nowhere to be seen. We all stagger to our bunks and call it a night.
…:::…
I awake the next morning to loud voices sounding from upstairs. The dining hall it sounds like. I quickly throw on a shirt and duck upstairs. Rue's and Thresh's bunks are still dark so I assume they haven't yet been woken by the noise. I tip toe as quietly as I can, which isn't all that quiet since I've always been heavy footed.
I identify Johanna's voice immediately.
"What the hell Gale? I saw you last night! And yet you are still denying it! I saw you kissing that bimbo!" She screeches.
"Woman, you are completely off your nut." Gale growls in return.
"No! Don't you dare turn this on me Gale Hawthorne! I was at that fire just like the rest of ya'll. Only difference between you and me Gale is that I wasn't all caught up in some busty blonde's tits! Whatever the hell you was doin' can even be called dancing Gale! And then ya kissed her…am I not enough for you Gale. You hafta get somethin' else on the side do ya? I can't keep doin' this Gale." Her voice drops dramatically in tone and volume.
"I thought one day you'd change Gale. That one day you'd finally make good of all your dumbass promises. I was a fool Gale Hawthorne, a damn fool for believing it. You'll never change. I can't do it no more Gale. I can't keep thinkin', hopin' that you'll finally get yer act together and be with me. I can't keep takin' you back everytime you get lonely. I won't do it no more." I hear her stifle a sob.
"Johanna…" Gale begins.
"No! Don't Gale. Go find yourself some other girl to lie to. I'm done." She finishes and the noise of her combat boots starts towards where I am hiding. I jump back quickly into the stairs and out of the hallway. She tromps by with quiet sobs.
I hesitantly make my way back towards the dining room. Gale still stands in the middle of the room, looking dumbstruck. Just then Katniss comes into the room.
"I don't wanna say I told you so Gale." She speaks softly.
"Then don't." He snaps and storms from the room towards his bunk.
I hear him slam the hatch to his room and then I hear Katniss sigh. I step hesitantly into the room.
"I guess you were right." She looks up at me, no doubt she heard my footsteps and therefore is not surprised.
"I really wish I wasn't." She looks earnestly at me. Her eyes are filled with the sadness that is reflected in my own.
"I don't think they'll be comin' back from this one doc." I agree with her statement. "Johanna has had bout all she can take. Unless Gale gets his head out from his ass I think they're really done."
I nod my head, "Is there nothing we can do?" I ask with the last amount of hope I can muster for their situation.
"Gale's stubborn as hell and Johanna ain't much better. No amount of talkin' is gonna change that. Gale's gonna have to smarten up…best not put your hope in that one." She sighs again and rubs her temple. I know she feels saddened by the situation at hand and I yearn to go collect her in my arms and comfort her. I doubt she'd allow that.
Instead I step forward and place one hand on her shoulder. "Everything will turn out fine," She looks doubtful so I quickly add, "someday." She snorts a quiet laugh and gives me a small smile.
With that I find yet another insight into the enigma that is Captain Katniss Everdeen. She plays tough but inside is someone who genuinely cares. But it can be dangerous to show such emotion in her line of work no doubt. I am even more entranced by this mysterious woman; I want to know everything about her.
Author's Note: Hey everybody! Sorry if this is a bit late! Please read and review. Also feel free to check out some of my other stories! I just posted the first chapter to a brand new one!