Chapter XX
The threatening glint of the harpoon's sharpened point fills me with terror.
"Swerve!" Gale yells, but it's too late. The screeching sound of metal rings in my ears and the harpoon begins its flight towards us. The entire world slows down as the harpoon spirals towards us. Katniss turns the wheel and starts to swerve out of the way. I know she can't turn fast enough to avoid its oncoming trajectory.
Fear courses through my veins and I see the harpoon hit its target before I feel it. I watch as the sharpened edge pierces through the flesh of my left leg. Suddenly pain rips through my body and the world is no longer in slow motion. I cry out as the pain sears through my veins.
"Peeta!" I hear Katniss shriek, "Cut him loose!"
The edge of my vision begins to blur and all I know is pain. I vaguely register arms wrapping tightly around my body and the sawing motion as someone cuts the rope attached to the harpoon embedded in my leg. I can hear the shouts and screaming but I can't make out the words. Slowly the sights and sounds fade away and I'm left alone in the blackness.
…:::…
"Annie we're on! Go!" Johanna shrieks into the intercom as we drive into the cargo bay. She slams her fist on the button and the bay doors start to close. The ship immediately shakes and the engines roar to life.
"What happened?" Katniss shrieks as she launches off the four-wheeler towards Peeta's limp body that Gale has a tight grip on.
"The harpoon hit him in the leg." Gale keeps his grip tight around Peeta's torso. Blood seeps around the metal shaft and drips steadily onto the floor. Finnick comes over and grabs Peeta's legs carefully. With Gale carrying Peeta's torso they quickly bring him to the infirmary.
"Finnick tell Annie to find the nearest Union med cruiser!" Katniss growls.
Finnick rushes off quickly and Thresh steps up. "Union? Katniss we can't…"
One look from Katniss silences him quickly.
"I have a plan Thresh." She says through gritted teeth. "Right now Peeta needs medical attention. If you argue with me then I will hand you over to the Union." Her eyes are feral and her voice is low.
Thresh backs away; taking worried little Rue with him. Her eyes are filled with tears watching Peeta's limp body.
Annie forces the ship to fly as fast as she possibly can. The Mutt ship had been on their trail as the raced from the atmosphere but now, only because their ship was the slightest bit faster, they had managed to out fly them long enough that they lost interest in the chase. But the crew could not rejoice or relax just yet. Peeta's life was still hanging in the balance. Despite the tourniquet that Katniss had hastily made from random things found about the ship he was still not doing well. The blood had stopped flowing but he had lost a lot already. Katniss had completely changed into autopilot. Whatever medicinal things she could remember from her mom and sister, or the things she had learnt from Peeta, she was trying them just to keep him alive but it was clear he wasn't going to last much longer without real help.
When the Union Medical Cruiser finally became a blip on their radar Katniss once again took control as Captain. She barked orders for Thresh and Rue to don space suits and wait in the upper exit hatch. As soon as they had docked and the initial scans complete they were to exit the ship and hid on the ships underbelly. They took oxygen tanks with them so they would have enough oxygen for an hour, which was definitely long enough for the Union officers to physically search the ship for any suspicious activity and with the outside scans already done they wouldn't suspect a thing.
When they docked everything went according to plan. Thankfully Peeta was still registered with the Union and it amazed the entire crew how quickly the Union responded the moment they scanned his ident-card. He was rushed into surgery and everyone else was left to wait. Katniss, however, refused to allow him to go alone and she practically forced her way past the Union guard. When they tried to separate them she cried out Peeta's name with desperation. The Union guards took her to a large glass window where she could watch Peeta in his surgery. To see the blip of his heartbeat on the monitor comforted her greatly.
The surgery went perfectly. They had to amputate but their technological advances in prosthetics was amazing. It looked lifelike, the synthetic skin was nearly a perfect match, the only thing that gave it away was the removable panel to access the hydraulics and other gadgets inside. They tested his reflexes while he was still unconscious. They said he would need a few hours until the anesthesia wore off and Katniss waited dutifully by that window and watch his unconscious form.
The Doctor returned when Peeta began to stir and despite Katniss' protests they wouldn't let her in. When she began to pound her fist against the glass window they had a few guards restrain her while the Doctor discussed—in a very medical fashion that only doctors would understand—his condition and the surgery they performed. Katniss watched through the one-way glass as emotion flitted across Peeta's face. She watched him nod with understanding while his eyes screamed with pain and loss. Despite the amazing technology his life would forever be different and they both knew that.
When the Doctor had said all he could he gave permission for Katniss to see Peeta, first asking if Peeta would see her or rather rest. Hesitantly he agrees to see her. Truthfully he is afraid that she won't be able to past his new handicap. His heart desires nothing more than to see her, to hold her. But his head is telling him that she'll leave him, that this is too much. Truthfully he doesn't really know what to think, everything is so overwhelming.
The door creaks slightly as it opens and the Doctor steps in. Katniss tentatively steps into the room. She looks at Peeta with bloodshot eyes brimming with tears. She nervously rubs her wrists, which are oddly red. He notices the redness of her lips and his brow creases slightly with worry.
"Peeta." She breathes out with a small smile.
"Hey." He whispers back with a tiny grin of his own.
The tears finally spill onto her flushed cheeks and she rushes over to his bedside and falls to her knees. Her hands flutter about, unsure of where to rest them.
She tries to smile through the tears. Her body convulses with small sobs.
"Peeta…I was so worried. I thought…there was so much blood. I can't…it was just…how could you do that to me?" She cries out in a scolding tone. "How could you…you almost died… and I…and I…I can't live without you!" Her weak reprimanding turns back to gentle weeping.
He places his hand under her chin and pulls her face to his in a passionate kiss.
"I'm sorry love." He whispers against her lips. He places his hand under her chin and pulls her face to his in a passionate kiss. Their lips mould together in a desperate dance. Fear and worry are replaced with comfort and love.
"I couldn't handle it if you died." She murmurs. "Please promise you'll stay with me." She pleads.
"Always my love. Always." He promises with tender kisses to her lips, her temple, her fingers.
Epilogue
I've been sailing on the Mockingjay for five years now and I've never looked back. Katniss and I got married about a year and a half after I first boarded this ol' boat. It took me a long time for me to recover after losing my leg however I was able to successfully dance with Katniss at our little wedding ceremony here on the boat.
Johanna and Gale have never officially married, but ever since she gave him that last chance they have been together. Not always happily though, the sounds of their fighting often fills these steel walls but they always come back together. Every single time.
Thresh and Rue have managed to never be seen and soon enough the government officials stopped looking. There were a few close calls over the years, times where they came so close to finding little Rue. But as a team we've work so well and all these years later they are still safe. And finally they've stopped looking. Unoffically they have been declared dead.
Clove left us a few years ago. She decided to move on in her career but she still checks in every now and then. Mostly with Thresh. I think they would like to be together however her work complicates things.
Finnick and Annie found out they were expecting just before our wedding and nine months later I delivered little Finn in the infirmary. I thought Annie and Finnick would leave the ship when they announced they were pregnant. But this crew is a family, once that always stays together.
"Peeta." Katniss' voice wakes me from my musing.
"Hello love," I greet her with a soft kiss to the temple,
"Peeta," Her eyes glisten with what I'm hoping are happy tears, "I'm pregnant!"
The End
A/N: Well that's the end. I hope you all enjoyed it!