This is a long and eventful chapter. This where we turn straight to unknown territory, as in, most of the stuff (events) will not be totally supported by Mockingjay, because Kantniss wasn't pregnant and stuff... Here comes "originality"! I hope you like it.
Chapter 22
So Prim is leaving in the evening. It's the only hovercraft leaving today, and it seems the doctor administrators want her on it. My mother asked about the possibility of joining them, but they said that she's needed here and they think I shouldn't be alone. Ugh. I never get tired of hearing that.
My doctor is one of the few that is staying. I'm given a notice of an appointment around noon. I'm pretty far along now. I'm more than halfway there. I keep assuring myself that my bump isn't noticeable, but I'm starting to realize that I'm getting kind of huge, like how Johanna put it. No random person has come up to congratulate me, so either they don't notice, or they pity me.
Prim, my mother, and I grab our breakfast from the line, and then find a table in a corner. That's the way I like it; right in the corner, away from everyone. I sit across my sister and mother sits to the left of her. I notice the food here has been getting better. Since the agriculture district went on the rebel side, we've been receiving shipments. Today, it's egg and fruit. It could be powdered egg, but I don't care. It's still better tasting than what we had before.
"Katniss! Hi!" I haven't seen you in awhile." I look to see Delly. She looks different. She lost her chubbiness, and her face isn't as round. Her straight blonde hair is in a ponytail.
"Hi Delly, how've you been?" I ask. Good, this normal conversation.
"I'm good," she says. "Oh, hello Ms. Everdeen and Primrose!"
She's probably the friendliest person I know. She's nice… I think. Well, I've only talk to her a few times. All I know is that she used to be Peeta's friend when we were all little. She went to go talk to him when he was barely brought here, in District 13. They thought a friend of his, that has nothing to do with me, would help him remember. I wonder where she's been.
"Hello Delly, would you like to sit with us?" asks Prim.
"Oh thank you, but I just finished. I'm going to my class with my brother."
"Oh, okay." Prim says.
"Yes, I want to get there early so we can find some good seats." She adds. "It was so nice to see you all."
"Uh, it was good to see you." I say. She walks off then waves at us when she's about to leave the Dining Hall. Then, at the entrance, I notice someone. Annie walks in and she looks lost. "I'll be right back." I say getting up from the table.
I walk over to Annie who has just gotten her breakfast. "Hi Annie," I say.
"Oh, hi Katniss,"
"Would you like to sit over with us? It's only my mother, sister and I."
"Sure, thank you." She replies.
We walk back to the table and then I introduce Annie to my mother and Prim. My sister keeps a conversation with Annie, and she acts normal. Prim asks her about stuff from District Four and then Annie asks about Twelve. It's just chit chat, but they start comparing wedding rituals and festivals they have. During the conversation, I notice my mother is thinking about something. She looks to me, when she hears "wedding".
After my first two classes, I find some time to see Peeta. I made sure to let the doctor know I was going, and then he mentions Haymitch is already there. Haymitch is there?
I get to the room and open the door. Sure enough, Haymitch leans in a chair, looking grumpy. Peeta hides a paper behind his pillow.
"I saw that." I say.
"Yeah, I know. I just don't want you to see it yet." Peeta says.
I walk over next to them both. "So, you guys talking?"
"No, we were practicing our singing for a coming propo." Haymitch says sarcastically.
I pretend to go along with it. "Haymitch, I didn't know you sing!" He rolls his eyes and sighs gruffly.
"Haymitch was just informing me what's going on. You know, like in the Capitol." Peeta says.
"Yeah, there's a whole lot going on out there." I say in a low tone.
"I just heard FInnick, Gale, and Johanna went." Peeta says.
"Yeah," I say lowly.
"It's all very dandy, isn't it?" Haymitch says. "What do we do? Just sit here. I'm not complaining, though. Well, I will complain about these strict rules that this district enforces."
I know immediately, he's talking about the alcohol.
"You don't need it. This is probably the longest you've gone without it. Try staying clean." Peeta says.
"Ha! Good one." Haymitch says sarcastically. "Wow, this guy. Quite the comedian." Now I roll my eyes. "Well, if you'll excuse me. I'm going to try to break into the pharmacy for something." Haymitch gets up from his chair slowly. He walks out of the room.
"Does he really plan to drink that kind of alcohol? It would kill him." Peeta says.
"I don't think he will, but he is kind of desperate…" I say.
"Na, he'll be fine." Peeta says. I smile at his remark, but then it disappears off my face as soon as I think of what's going to happen this evening. I start thinking about my friends over in the Capitol right now.
"What's wrong?" asks Peeta
Am I really that obvious? Maybe Peeta just reads me too well. "Uh, my sister just finished her basic training, and she's going to on a hovercraft to the Capitol this evening."
"Really? They're making her go? Prim is so young. That doesn't seem right."
"Actually, the administrators asked her if she would go." I take a pause and sigh. "She said yes."
"Why does she want to go?" asks Peeta.
"She… she was just set in her mind that this how she wants to help people." I say slightly frustrated. "She's too good. She's putting herself in danger for others." I speak more solemnly.
"It sounds like someone I know." Peeta says. I tilt my head wondering who he's talking about. "I'm talking about you!"
"Me?"
"Yeah well, from what I remember, and what's been going on here in Thirteen, it sounds just like you. It's what you've been doing."
I move a hair out of my face, but it just falls in my face again. "I guess it does sound like me, but that was huge mistake on my part. I could of risked losing the baby."
Peeta tucks the hair behind my ear.
"Yes, but you weren't thinking about yourself. You were pretty much blinded with idea of you had to save others. Familiar isn't it?"
I sigh, and sit at the end of the bed. "Yup." I sound defeated. I can't stop my sister from going. I'm just going wait here, in District 13 and do nothing, but worry for the safety of everyone over in the Capitol. I brush my hands on my pants and then notice the corner of the paper sticking out from under the paper. Then, as if reading my mind, Peeta takes it from under there and puts it in a drawer.
"I wasn't-"
"Sure," He says smiling.
Then I remember about my appointment with Dr. Odessa. I look to a clock on the wall and see it's just minutes away.
"Hey Peeta, I was wondering if… you want to go my appointment with me? I mean, you don't have to go… I was just wondering if you wanted to go."
"Sure, I'll go." He says.
"Oh, good."
"Just we got to let my doctor know."
"Oh, right,"
Peeta gets up and stretches his hand to me. "We better go find him, then." I take his hand then we get out of the room. We find the doctor with other workers, and tell him where we're going. He gives us permission and then we rush to Dr. Odessa's office.
We find the doctor unlocking her door. We walk up to her and she sees me from the corner of her eye. "Just in time, Katniss," she says.
"I brought Peeta along with me." I say. She turns around, and for some reason her cheery expression dies, and then it suddenly turns into a forced polite smile. "Is it alright if he comes with me?"
"Oh, yes. It's okay," She says kind of quickly. Peeta stretches a hand out, and she kind of hesitates to shake it. "I'm Dr. Odessa," she greets him.
"Peeta Mellark," Peeta says.
"Oh, I already know who you are," she says. "Shall we get started then?"
We walk into her office and I lay down, while Peeta stands close by. Dr. Odessa begins with the same questions. I try to still answer them confidently, even I feel a little weird being asked in front of Peeta, who pretends not to be listening. After the questions, she begins preparations for the ultrasound. The monitor begins to show the image of what looks like under water in an ocean. I concentrate on the listening to the baby's heartbeat. Peeta stands closer and looks at the monitor fervently.
Dr. Odessa moves the device around my bare stomach till she gets a good image on the monitor. Peeta is in awe, and his facial expression makes me laugh. He holds on to one of my hands. He's seen the picture, but it different seeing it on the monitor. Its heartbeat echoes and it almost like it's just sleeping till he or she comes out.
Dr. Odessa keeps a professional gesture. It seems unlike her, but I don't pay too much attention to it. I'm just happy Peeta is here with me.
"Your baby is a little small for a 5 month term, but it shouldn't be of any worry. Would you like to know the gender?" she asks.
"Yes," says Peeta.
"No," I say. "I want to keep it a surprise." Peeta looks at me almost pleadingly. "We're going to wait." I say.
"Alright," he says slightly disappointed.
Dr. Odessa cleans up, and leads us into the hallway. She doesn't say much.
"Oh, when is my next appointment?" I ask before I walk off.
"Oh, let's see… I think I won't see you till next month." She says hastily.
"Okay, then. Thank you." She only nods, and doesn't say anything else. I walk off quickly to go catch up with Peeta. When we're back in the general hospital hallways, Peeta asks about my doctor.
"Does she always act like that; distant?"
"No, she's usually all happy and friendly," I reply.
"Do you think it was because I was there?"
"I'm not sure. Even when you walked off, she was still so serious. It's probably no big deal. Even super cheery people get bad days."
"True," he says. "Well, it was really great to see the ultrasound. Even though it's not really a good time for a baby, I'm still excited."
"That's great." I say.
"Are you?" he asks.
"Um, yeah. I'm excited." I say. Peeta looks at me. He can tell I'm not saying the whole truth. The fact that we're having a baby can be seen as something beautiful, but I'm still afraid. I'm afraid of the uncertainty, and what will happen to them.
Peeta puts an arm around my shoulder. "You may be letting your fear over shadow the happiness of it all, but don't worry. You'll realize that the fear is nothing in comparison to the joy that it brings. You'll know. I'm totally sure about it." He talks in a low tone. I smile up at him, and then we break apart and get back to his room in the hospital.
After a lunch and a few hours of classes, my mother and I help Prim with her bag of some belongings she'll take aboard the hovercraft. Here we are again, in the Hangar, saying good-bye. It seems like it was just yesterday. Actually, it was yesterday, and already, they need to send more people to the Capitol.
My sister wears the regular gray uniform, but she has a red band on her arm to identify her as a medic. She swings the simple pack over shoulders. Her hair is in a braid down her back.
"You'll be careful," my mother says. "You only help where you're assigned, and not go off to help in the battle zones."
"Don't worry, I'll be careful," she says.
My mother hugs her tightly. "Alright, I love you," she says.
"I love you." Prim says. My mother lets go of her and Prim hugs me.
"I love you, Prim." I say.
"I love you too, Katniss," she says sincerely and breaks away.
"Hopefully, you'll come back in time before your nephew or niece is born."
"Of course!" Prim exclaims. "I want to be one of first they see. I'll be there the very minute I become an aunt."
"Alright then, you'll promise?"
"I promise," she says.
An intercom announcement tells it time for departure. Prim picks up her pack again and walks to the hovercraft. She waves at us before she enters. I wave back, wildly. My mother simply waves, and then she wipes one of her eyes. I put a hand on her shoulder and she gives me a sort of sad smile. We start walking off the road way and toward the exit. Just a few other people came to see their loved ones off. We're behind the crowd and then I notice her at the exit, and I get a chill down my spine. President Coin stands with a few pilots. My mother doesn't notice her, and she walks out, but when I'm about to step away, she puts a hand on my shoulder.
"Seeing someone off?" she asks.
"Yes, my sister." I answer toneless.
"Oh, that's right. I heard your sister got one of the highest scores on her exam, and has completed many volunteer hours at the hospital. She's very intelligent and such a selfless person."
"Yes, she is."
"I thought this mission would be perfect for her. She's emotionally strong for her age, and a very good medic."
Then I realize. Coin set this up. She got Prim to go on this mission. She's the one introduced her to the idea going to the Capitol.
"There just aren't enough medics over there, and we could use all the help we can get. We don't want to kill off the human race, so it's very important that we save as many lives as we can." She continues.
"You asked her if she would go." I say in a low, hoarse voice. I'm feeling the anger swell up inside of me.
"Actually, I recommended her for the mission, and the administrators saw her perfectly able for going," she speaks calmly, like we're discussing the weather. I have to bury the impulse to sock her in the face, or at least cuss her out. She's doing this just because I didn't go to the Capitol. Since I'm not going, she got my sister go.
President Coin steps closer to me ,till her face is just a few inches away. I see no one is here to witness. She speaks menacingly.
"Understand Katniss Everdeen, that you are not the one in charge here. You may have some influence, but not enough to be calling the shots. You interfere with my plans, you pay for it dearly. You do not want Peeta Mellark or any your friends in the Capitol to get involved, do you?"
"You can't do this." I say sternly.
"I very much will, if I have to," she says. "Also understand, what I'm doing is the best for everyone. This is not just for me. When we come out of this war, we need a strong leader to govern our ashen-turned country. I've worked and dedicated much for this future government, and I'm not going to let a pregnant, strong-headed teenager ruin it."
"I'm eighteen." I spit out.
"You are still young, and you shouldn't be let alone to make important decisions. Obviously, you make mistakes." She says looking to my slightly protruding belly.
I feel the blood rush to my cheeks, but I still feel furious. I want to slap her, here and now. She deserves it. She can't talk to me like this. She's threatening me. I just added a new enemy to my list. She's right under Snow. She's evil, and I will do anything to make sure she doesn't go into power. The only thing is, whatever I do is going to have consequences. She'll hurt the people I love because of my actions, but I can't let her do this.
"Good night," Coin says and then she leaves. I stand there till I see she's gone. That evil hag.
She's E-Vel! And this is not the only person who is out to get her. There is another person as well, and it could only mean... bad stuff. Yeah, not a good choice of words, but it's not Good. Next chapter in a day or two. Thanks for reading and reviews would be absolutely lovely and dandy. (I don't now what's up with my vocabulary today)
-cheezebuns