Sorry about the wait for this chapter, as well as lasts. But wait no longer!

For some odd reason, the bathtub has always been a good refuge for me when I was in one of my moods. So, once more, I found myself huddled in the tub, clutching my head in my hands, rocking back and forth. I must be going mad, I thought to myself. Staring down at the empty coffin, it was almost as if Gale had somehow managed to claw his way out. But it was impossible. I watched him die with my own two eyes. I suppose there was the slightest chance that he miraculously came alive, but that was about as likely as me wanting to marry Haymitch. I shuddered at the thought.

Last time I hid in the bathtub, I just turned the shower on and sat there drenching myself, and didn't even bother to take my clothes off. Now, I had the sense to take off my lovely black dress and soak in just my underclothes. Well, the soaking part wasn't going so well, seeing as how I was too lazy to turn the water on.

It didn't take Peeta too long to come to me this time. He knocked in the door.

I hastily reached over and turned the water knob. Freezing water sputtered and ran onto me, making me flinch. "I-I'm taking a shower. Go away."

"You're not fooling anyone, Katniss." Peeta seemed to have caught onto my lame plan quicker than I had hoped. "I brought your mother and Prim."

Well, crap.

I sighed and stood up, cold water running the length of me. If he already knew all of my tricks, what was the point of trying to play any of them? Scowling I opened the door and faced Peeta, Mother, and Prim, still in my sopping underclothes.

Mother glanced at Peeta with a look that clearly asked, does she do this often?

Peeta smiled sadly. "I'll just leave you three to have some time alone." He rubbed his temples and only left with a quick kiss on the cheek for me.

"Let's get you dried off." Mother motioned for Prim to get some towels and she helped me onto my bed, since I could barely walk.

When Prim came back out, I opened my mouth to speak, but a towel was draped over my shoulders. "You don't have to say anything just yet. First, we need to get you out of these wet clothes."

Without a shred of embarrassment, Primrose and my mother stripped me of my wet clothes, dried me off, and helped me into a fresh gown. It was only when I was sitting on my bed with Primrose combing out my wet hair when Mother cleared her throat.

"What happened, Katniss?" It was a blunt question, but anything but mean or prying. Mother just seemed curious. "Prim, Peeta, and I went outside, and began walking down the hall, but it was only about ten minutes later you came barreling past all three of us with a horrified look in your eyes. You didn't even seem to notice us."

I bit my lip and only allowed a single tear to squeeze its way out. "I'm going mad, Mother. Gale's coffin—I… I opened it."

Both Mother and Prim gasped. Prim stopped combing. "But you're not allowed to do that."

"I know!" I snapped, but I attempted to calm down. "I wanted to say one last goodbye to him, and maybe he would forgive me, since it was my fault he died… I opened it and—" I stifled a sob, and folded my arms across my chest. "He wasn't in there. Blood…and-and claw marks…" I must have sounded even more insane mumbling about blood and such, but my family didn't seem to think I was at all crazier than I normally was. That wasn't really saying anything, though.

"You have been through a lot of stress lately, Katniss." Prim scooted up next to me and put her hand on my shoulder. "You just need a good night's sleep and some food in your belly, and peacefulness. So far you life here in Thirteen has just been 'stress, stress, death, babies, more stress'. You need some down time."

"I-I hope you're right." I didn't believe her one bit, but I went along with it to make her feel better. I know what I saw.

"I'll go get you some dinner." Mother took my hand and held it for a second before getting up. "It'll be fine, Katniss. You'll be alright." She took a moment longer to kiss the top of my head and left me and Prim.

Only a few seconds had passed, when Prim snapped out of her daydream. She sighed and looked over at me. "How are you feeling?"

"My arm is killing me, but other than that I'm doing just fine." I shrugged, which brought on a stab of pain. "Case in point."

"I think it's bleeding again." Prim frowned at me, obviously annoyed. "You just had to get yourself stabbed in the shoulder."

"Shame on me." I laughed quietly.

Prim smiled and got up. "I think there is medical stuff in the bathroom, am I correct?"

I nodded sheepishly. "Peeta keeps extra supplies in there just in case I hurt myself. Again."

"Smart boy." Prim went into the bathroom and began rummaging around in the cabinet below the sink.

Just to confirm what my sister had said, I peeked over at the disposable plaster bandages and saw that they were peeling, and a faint pink blotch was visible. I was supposed to be at the doctors right now; Dr. Tyrwhitt instructed me to go directly there as soon as I was done at the funeral, but since when do I listen to doctors?

Primrose, who had come back with her arms full of medical materials, sat down in front of me on my bed. "I am going to have to get that plaster stuff off of you if I am supposed to stop the bleeding. Really, this is a job for doctors."

"I trust you more than any other doctor here." I said, wincing as Prim cut a slit in the old bandages and pried them off my skin. The smell of fresh blood mixed with stale ointment filled my mouth and nearly made me puke. "Although they're going to be pretty ticked at me for letting you fix it up."

Prim tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and kept working without saying anything. After a few minutes, my wounded shoulder was patched up with new supplies, and was feeling a bit better.

"I have to get surgery done on it." I told her. "It chipped my arm nerve and they have to repair it. They said I might need to stay in the hospital for a day or two after the surgery."

Primrose looked automatically worried. "Who will watch over Alexis?"

I froze. Prim didn't know about the deal with Alexis. She didn't know about what was wrong with her, let alone I can't keep her. Should I break the news to my sister now? Or should I keep it from her and wait until I absolutely have to tell her? I made up my mind. "Primrose, I need to talk to you and Mother about that when she gets back."

As if on cue, my bedroom door opened and my mother came in, holding a tray of food for me. Taking one look at both of our faces—obviously dread— Mother frowned as well and set the tray down next to me. "I take it there is something we need to discuss."

She knew me too well. Taking a shaky breath, I repeated the whole entire meeting with Dr. Longarden to them. However, I left out the fact that the doctors wanted to destroy Alexis, saving that for last. "…and all of the doctors are convinced that Alexis will be bomb ending Panem. The Capitol was just the fuse."

Prim stared at me with an open mouth. "Why is that such a bad thing? I have heard of the process of hijacking, and if what Alexis had been put through it should be reversible."

I shook my head. "You don't understand. She wasn't put through a process. She was…She is the process. It can't be reversed."

"There has to be a way around it!" Mother seemed devastated by the mere idea.

"That's just the thing. There isn't." Here it comes. The worst news of all. "The doctors want to kill Alexis."

The reaction was immediate. Mother got a horror-struck face on and clutched her chest. Primrose let out a cry and clapped her hands over her mouth.

"And you wonder why I am so stressed out." That was my final breaking point. I covered my face with my hands and my whole body shook with sobs. "I don't know what to do. Help me…"

Both of their arms around me and we were all crying together. I don't think there was anything they could help with.

"There-there isn't any loopholes. Either k-kill her or have the weight of an entire country's life in your hands. I hate it. I hate every bit of it. I am done with being a leader. I am done with being in control of so many lives…"

"Have you…Have you decided what you want to do?" Mother hiccupped slightly, but mostly she was containing herself.

Prim, on the other hand, was crying. A lot. "Don't kill her! Katniss don't kill Alexis. She is just a helpless baby, don't kill her."

"You're not making things any better, Primrose. It has to happen." I was harsh. I didn't need to hear an emotional response. I had to think of what would be best for everyone. And that was saving Panem, no matter how much I wanted to shut myself away.

Prim let out a sob and ran from the room, slamming the door behind her.

"She just needs time." Mother reassured me. "It's a lot to take in."

"Sometimes I just wish that Cato had killed me back in the Games."

"Don't think like that!" She scolded me. "Things may seem hard right now, but you'll get through it, I promise. It will all turn out."

I was tired of all of the lies I was getting. Things will be alright, Katniss. Everything will turn out good. Killing your daughter is the best thing for your country. "If you'll excuse me I have a surgery to get to."

I stood up and briskly walked from the room, leaving my mother sitting on my bed staring after me.

I really hoped I wouldn't have to pull this card, but last chapter I only got two reviews. I would really appreciate it if I got a wee bit more. Morale booster, you know? Well…read and review!