Author's Note: Here I am, back with a new chapter! Hopefully you all appreciate that I'm more punctual than last time. I'm going to try and get chapters out weekly until the school year starts again.
This chapter was originally meant to have Grey and Cato separated once again, but one of my good friends RoseMaple decided that she would attack me if I did that, so I decided to give you a nice Grey/Cato scene at the end. Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter, there are quite a number of emotions here. Without further ado, enjoy!
Crowd of Two
Chapter Twenty-Four
Grey's POV
The rumbling of a large mass underneath me forced me back to consciousness. My thoughts instantly went to that of an earthquake in the arena. That was definitely something that would get all the tributes running towards the center of the arena. When I didn't hear any screams of terror after the first few seconds I opened one eye slowly. What I saw came as a big shock.
I was lying on something uncomfortable and my view was that of a grey metal roof above me. I blinked slowly for a few moments trying to understand what on earth had happened between what I last remembered and where I was now. I had been standing in the arena – with Cato – and then there was a big sound and I got knocked out.
"Cato?" I squeak as I sit bolt upright and scan my surroundings. The confusion at where I even was could wait. "Cato!"
On either side of me are flat cots – identical to the one I had just sat up from – with familiar people in varying degrees of disarray. A bespectacled man whose name is on the edge of my memory lies motionless with bandaged hands uncovered by a blanket. Titus, with a lot of bruising but not much other visible damage, lies on a cot adjacent to ones holding Haymitch and Katniss. It's not until I look to my left, however, that I see a sight that makes me cry out in relief.
Cato is lying on the cot next to mine with his face towards me. He's been propped up purposefully by pillows so he sleeps on his side – a position I know from experience that he despises – and it makes me suspect he has somehow injured his ribs. His right hand is bound tightly up to his forearm and he holds it out in front of him while he sleeps. I quickly look myself over and seeing that I am relatively unharmed I wonder what could possibly have happened to Cato while I was out. With a groan from my tired muscles I get to my feet and instantly kneel down beside Cato's head.
"What have you done, Cato…" I murmur at his sleeping face as I gently play with the hair on the side of his head.
"Oh, you're up!" A startled voice exclaims from behind me, and I instantly turn my head in fright. The thoughts of how I had woken up here and not in the arena suddenly came back with full force.
"What's wrong with him? What happened to us? Wait, where are we?" I barrel each question that comes to mind at the poor man in medical scrubs – he probably now regrets ever entering the room.
"Erm," He stutters, "I was just coming to change some dressings. Oh dear, where is the Commander when I need him…" The man's words fade off but when I continue to stare at him awaiting an answer he rubs his neck anxiously.
"We're not supposed to reveal any information until everyone is awake, but I suppose I could tell you the rumors. There was a big explosion in the arena but all we saw was you and a few other tributes walking close to the force-field and then suddenly getting thrown away like ragdolls!" The man animatedly moves his arms as he speaks and I figure that he's probably proud to give such important information after his initial hesitation. I am, however, utterly confused.
"But what caused the explosion – I don't understand!" I ask as I rub my eyes, feeling mentally exhausted from trying to take in the information. He shrugs his shoulders.
"No one knows – except maybe the Commander. But anyway, the force-field was suddenly open. We rebels had been waiting for an opportunity to come in and retrieve you all and after the explosion we could fly right in to pick you up! You were all knocked out cold and-"
"Rebels?" I ask adamantly, wondering just how long I had been asleep. I knew there was talk of a rebellion in the air, but the fact that there were enough rebels to actually do something like this baffled me.
"Yes rebels," The supposed rebel says with a sigh, "Have you been living in a cupboard? This rebellion has been in planning stages for a long time – it's not some spur of the moment action!"
"Yeah yeah, okay, I get it," I say dismissively, wanting no more information in my already bursting brain. "But that doesn't explain why Cato is so beaten up." The man jumps to attention and instantly moves to Cato, remembering he was meant to be changing his dressings, and he speaks while he removes the pillows and gently rolls my unconscious boyfriend – it still felt strangely inappropriate to say that in this situation – onto his back.
"This young man here probably saved your – and your child's – life! It is his, isn't it?" I nod and touch the small-but-growing swell of my stomach and wait for him to continue. "When the explosion pushed the both of you back he made sure to get behind you so he was hit the hardest. It was a lucky move because you both were thrown against a tree by the force, but he was the one to take the hit while you sustained no more than bruises! He broke your fall and suffered broken ribs, a sprained wrist, and a minor concussion to do it!"
My mouth drops open in shock at what Cato had done in a split second of instinct, and I press my forehead to his while the doctor unwraps his hand and gently prods it. It's purple and bruised around his wrist and I'm forced to look away, and I instead focus on his Cato's closed eyelids. He saved the life of me and his child and didn't even pause to think about what that would mean for him. Unsure if it's the right thing to do, I reach for Cato's left – uninjured – hand and gently place it atop my stomach so he can feel the soft curve. If anything, I hope he can feel through his pained haze that there are now two people that love him waiting for him to wake up. The doctor looks up and silently watches the action, but gives no more than a gentle nod.
Suddenly I hear a groan coming from the other side of the room, and I leave Cato with a squeeze of his limp hand and hurry towards the sound with the doctor on my heels. My speed increases to a run when I see Luke lying on one of the beds with his head wrapped in a bandage, groaning in agony. My increase of speed means I nearly fall into the wall when I hear the sound of a large engine and the ground moves from underneath me.
"Steady," The rebel says as he grabs my arm to keep me from falling, "We're on an airship. The acceleration takes a little while to get used to." I nod in thanks but pull my arm out of his grasp. So we're on an airship, I think, that certainly explains the metal walls surrounding us. We must be in a hangar.
I reach Luke and instantly kneel down beside his head like I had done moments ago with Cato. The brunette boy, however, is much worse for wear. Inspecting his bandage closer up, I can see that a red patch above his right left temple is slowly growing. I look to the man behind me for his diagnosis but he merely shakes his head and begins to check the other ex-tributes in their beds.
"Grey?" Luke murmurs, his groans stopping temporarily as he watches me with wide eyes. "Am I dying?" His question makes me recoil slightly and rather than answer I instead rearrange the blanket covering his battered body.
"I figured as much." He replies emotionlessly, seeming unsurprised. "It's funny how I was so close to surviving. Do you know where this airship is headed? District Thirteen – the hub of all the rebellion. Now we've actually got a chance to do something, Grey! Well… you've got a chance. I'm not meant to go any further than this." Storing his words about District Thirteen away for another time, I lean closer to him and grip his hands in mine. He gives a small smile as his eyes begin to cloud over.
"No! You can't leave now!" I exclaim, shaking him slightly. "What about Niel? What about your scythe? You're meant to stab that into President Snow's eye and end the rebellion!" Luke laughs softly, but it ends in a choking cough.
"If you ever see him, tell Niel how I died. He would have liked to know that it wasn't in the games. You are the one that needs to move forward. You have to kill President Snow yourself. That was never my job Grey – I was only meant to provide the means to an end." He reaches down under his blanket and pulls out the tiny wood carving. He fumbles for my hand but eventually presses his token into my hand.
"I can see now why Cato gave you his token… It makes so much sense to me now. Now you have both of us rooting you on. Make sure you look after Cato now that you're together again. Make sure you never give up – for me. Okay Grey?"
"I promise." I say, holding up the small weapon in the air as if I'm taking an oath. "You can count on me."
"Oh, I know." Luke smiles once more and then gently closes his eyes. His death is not instantaneous – I've come to realise that every death is different. Caria's had ended with violent gasps poisoned by the venom, but Luke fades so gently that when he takes his final breath he still has the smile on his face.
Luke…
Cato's POV
Discomfort is the first feeling that plagues my waking conscience. I'm lying on my side on an uncomfortable bed – I never lie on my side – and in order to right this terrible situation I propel my body to twist over onto my back. Bad idea. A stream of curse words escapes my mouth as I feel my injuries for the first time. To try and combat the pain in my chest most likely caused by numerous broken ribs I sit up and try and find a position that doesn't cause soreness.
"Cato!" A familiar voice reaches my ears and I look up to see Grey smiling brokenly at me. I'm unsure of why I see tears of sadness in her eyes as well as the smile, so I reach out my arms and invite her to me. She doesn't hesitate to crawl onto my stretcher and hold me to her, but her pressing against my sore ribs causes me to hiss in pain so she quickly lets go.
"How are you feeling?" She asks as we try and find a comfortable position. The stretcher is too small for the two of us to lie beside one another so the only thing Grey can do is try to kiss me while lying flush against my body. My agonising "Don't!" as she nearly prods her elbow into a broken rib is enough to send her completely off me.
"Terrible," I dismiss instantly once she's standing beside my bed, "What's the matter?" Grey's face falls into one of deep sadness for a moment as she looks towards an empty bed on the other side of the room. It looks like I'm in a hovercraft of some sort, but I choose to take one question at a time. Suddenly I notice the uncomfortable intrusion of a man in hospital scrubs standing very close to us. As one of my hands had been bound with a compression bandage I assume that this is my doctor, but right now I want privacy with my girlfriend and she seems to want privacy with me.
"Do you think you could give us a minute?" I ask rudely, and the man folds his arms and huffs at me.
"No, actually," He sneers, gaining an instant dislike for me, "I need to keep constant watch on all the injured here." Grey gives me a condescending look before putting on her best innocent face.
"Ignore him, he gets a little cranky. Is there anywhere private where Cato and I would be able to talk? I'd really appreciate it." The man gets slightly flustered when Grey smiles sweetly at him and he hurries to escort her out of the room, leaving me to get up myself. My girl had absolutely no idea what effect she had on people.
We are led from the large main area down a hall, and looking both ways before producing a key the man unlocks a door coming off the passageway and pushes us into it, telling us that we have to be back in half an hour to avoid anyone noticing our disappearance.
"Yeah, yeah, we'll be there." I say, pushing the door closed in his face and leaving us alone at last.
I barely have time to deduce that we're in some sort of large storage cupboard when Grey launches herself at me and bursts into tears. Because she's so upset I ignore the fact that she's gripping my injuries, but while I make soothing sounds to comfort her I lift her up so her legs wrap around my hips and she is no longer gripping my ribs.
"Luke's dead." She sobs into my neck and I finally realise the source of her sadness. Rubbing her back softly I press my forehead against Grey's to reply.
"I'm sorry. From what I saw you two were really close." I try hard not to make my statement sound cutting – the only reason she banded with other guys was because I wasn't there for her myself.
"He was always there when I missed you, but never when you were around. It's like he was no longer needed when you woke up so he just died on me. How could he Cato?" Sensing that Grey was dropping into hysterics I stop her speaking by planting a soft kiss at the very corner of her mouth.
"Stop trying to do everything at once, Grey," I order as I gently let her down onto the ground. "You've just lost one person and gained another, and you need to separate these feelings. Let's go back so you can sit down and grieve."
Grey tilts her head to the side and looks up at me as various emotions float through her face. Eventually she seems to decide on one.
"No, you need to sit down Cato." She says seriously with just a hint of a smile. She comes closer and forces me to sit down on the ground. I wince at the jarring movement and she moves away to search along the shelves surrounding the room.
"This doesn't seem like grieving." I comment as she returns to me with a pile of blankets and places them strategically around and under me. She shushes me without saying a word and I stay quiet, seeing where this is going.
Promptly she leans back to inspect her work. I'm sitting up against the only wall without shelves to the floor and big thick blankets are jammed between my back and the wall so my ribs aren't agitated. There's also some placed under my thighs so I am slightly tilted up and I can definitely see where this is going. My guesses are confirmed when Grey seats herself primly on my pelvis and my body already fires up to meet her. She laughs.
"Eager are we Cato?" I laugh with her, slightly embarrassed that my lower region was so quick to fire up.
Grey leans forward and presses her lips to mine in a heated kiss of two lovers that had been long awaiting a reunion, and I am unable to suppress a moan when she grinds into me. She smirks into the kiss as she rocks against me and my hips thrust up as my hands find the small of her back and attempt to pull her shirt up.
"Your hand is injured," She scolds, pushing my hands away and removing her shirt herself, "Let me do everything." I lean back and put my hands behind my head as Grey unzips my pants, willing to see how she leads us through this. Last time – her first time – it had been all me.
"But you're pregnant." I argue one last time even though she already has me in her palm – literally.
"I'm sure it won't mind."
Grey's POV
Cato and I hurry back after forty-five minutes, laughing at the image of the grumpy doctor that we were going to be faced with when we showed our faces. Cato's hair is plastered to his head with sweat and no amount of messing with it can return it to its normal state, and he takes pride in informing me that my face is flushed pink.
Part of me couldn't actually believe what we – what I – had just done. If Cato's groans had been anything to go by, I had either done a good job or leaned on his ribs. Even though only an hour ago I had been watching Luke take his last breaths, seeing Cato after so long apart had made me want to connect with him as physically as I could – even if he had just come round from unconsciousness. My grief for Luke was put in another corner of my brain, but by loving Cato so thoroughly I somehow no longer wanted to bawl my eyes out and instead I wanted to take his scythe and stab it through the eye of President Snow.
"You alright?" Cato asks, looking slightly giddy. We really needed to compose ourselves before we entered the main room where everyone else was.
"Yeah, I was just thinking about how being with you actually made me cope with my grief for Luke in a way." I reply thoughtfully as I come to a stop outside the door.
"Yeah? Well, I have that effect on people." He smirks and wraps one big arm around me – his ribs don't seem to be bothering him that much anymore – before pulling us both into the main hangar where all the beds are.
The doctor is standing right on the other side of the door, as if he was about to come looking for us, and he gives a slightly appalled glance as he takes in our appearances.
"The others have all woken up." He states with no mention of any of the thoughts he is obviously bursting to say. We could have happily left it like that, but Cato of course feels the need to take it one step further.
"Thanks for the room," He says, bumping playfully against the doctor on his way past, "I feel much better now."