I spit the berries out. I pull Katniss with me to the lake, making sure not to swallow in case any juice remains. We flush our mouths again and again, and finally wipe our tongues with the end of our shirts.

We collapse into each other's arms. I hold Katniss tight against my chest. My Katniss. She's safe.

"You didn't swallow any?" she asks pulling away to look at me.

I shake my head. "You?" I ask, even though I know she didn't. She would be dead if she had.

"Guess I'd be dead by now if I did," she says, as if reading my thoughts.

It's hard to hear her over the cheers of the crowd from the Capital.

Or maybe it's just me. I feel terrible; my head is spinning, and my ears ringing.

A hovercraft materializes over us, and two ladders drop. Katniss wraps her arm around my waist and helps me up. The electric current freezes us in place as soon as we touch the ladder.

The ladder pulls us up slowly. Too slowly. My head begins spinning again, and black spots cloud my vision. I turn to look at Katniss, but it's too late. Dark. Everything's is so dark…

"Peeta," whispers a familiar low voice. "Wake up."

I open my eyes slowly.

"Dad?" I look around confused. How did I get here?

"Oh," dad sighs in relief. "Finally."

"Where's Katniss?" I ask panicked.

"Katniss?"

"Yeah! She was with me, in the ladder, and then I…." I trail off unsure. "Where's Katniss?" I ask again.

"Son," my dad begins. He touches my forehead. "She didn't make it."

"What?! But she was okay – she was okay – I was the one hurt – she was okay – I saw her dad! She was fine!"

"The berries, Peeta," he says slowly shaking his head. "Apparently she swallowed some of its juice, and…she didn't make it."

No. This can't be happening.

. "No!"

"No!"

My eyes open, suddenly, to a different place. I touch my hand to my eyes and am surprised to find moisture there.

"It was dream?" I whisper silently to myself. "It was a dream."

A door opens then, and a girl – probably in her sixteen, seventeen years-old – walks in with a tray of food in her hands.

I try to sit up, but a band around my waist restrains me.

I pull at it, trying to untie it, but the girl stops me. she holds my gaze for a few seconds and then pushes me gently back down.

"Where am I?" I ask her. "Where's Katniss?"

She looks at me and then covers her mouth.

"Oh," I mumble, feeling slightly stupid. She's an Avox.

She pulls a small table from underneath my bed, and places it over my legs. She then presses a few buttons on the side of my bed, and it fixes me up into a sitting position.

She places my food in the table and turns to leave.

I grab her hand before she can walk away. She flinches away, her eyes wide and looks around the room as if someone is watching us.

"Sorry," I whisper, and can't help but look around, too.

She smiles a tiny reassuring smile.

"Is – is Katniss okay?" I ask hesitating. I'm afraid I haven't woken up from my dream yet.

She nods once, and walks quickly out of the room.

I sigh in relief.

I stare at the food on the mini table.

I should feel hungry. But I don't.

How long has it been since that day with the berries…? And what happened afterwards? Where's Katniss? Where am I?

I look around. All four walls – and the ceiling and the floor, too – are completely white, and the door is barely visible.

There are clear tubes taped to my arm, the needle at its end hidden under my skin.

I push the table away and try to loosen the restraining band again, but before I can manage my way free, the white door opens again and a man in a white robe walks in.

"Peeta Mellark," he greets me with a friendly smile. "I am honored to be taking care of you." He walks over and shakes my hand in a firm grasp. "I'm Doctor Pardo."

"Nice to meet you," I stammer.

The expression on his face is a warm and trusting one, but I can't help myself from staring at his purple hair.

"Well," says Doctor Pardo. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news to spoil your triumph."

"Katniss?" I ask, my heart giving a painful thump against my chest.

"Oh no, no, don't you worry about her, she's alright," he reassures me quickly. "You, in the other hand…" he trails off.

"Me…?"

"Peeta," he says slowly. "First, let me tell you we did everything in our power – and that says a lot considering all the marvelous technology we've got – but unfortunately it wasn't enough this time…"

"What?" I ask him, "What's wrong with me?"

"You're leg was in a very poor condition, Peeta, and we couldn't save it."

It takes a minute for it to sink in, and his silence feels loud when it does.

I reach over to feel my leg, and sure enough, the bump that should have been my calf is missing.

I let my hand lay there, limp on the flat surface of the bed, while my other hand feel the leg that's still there.

"I'm sorry, Peeta," says Doctor Pardo, "I truly did do everything in my power."

"It's okay," I mumble. "It's fine. I mean, I'm alive, I made it. It's okay. I lived to see Katniss again, and that's what matters."

"You really do love her, don't you?" he asks with a fascinated expression.

"You have no idea," I tell him. I recline back against the pillow, and watch as Doctor Pardo walks out the white door.

"Peeta," he says before the door closes behind him. "If you love her like you say, you might want to eat your food." The door closes, and I'm alone once more in the white room.

I pull the mini table back and grab my spoon.