Author's Note: o.O wow not many reactions to the last chapter, was expecting a whole load of "how could you do that to her!" or "Noooo!" huh, so misjudged that one
Thanks go to EWD for the review! Onward as always!
Chapter 66
Luck
Gale POV
"Ariana!" I cry out as I see my girlfriend practically launch herself over a graying man taking a bullet that would have surely killed him, she's on the ground a second later.
Katniss is hit too and I see she is swarmed by Bogg's team I check her and notice the bullet that hit her was lodged in her armor. She's gonna live.
That's when I hear a cry of shock and fear. I look up to see a lady turning over Ariana and crying her name.
When my feet get me there I feel the light in me being snuffed out.
She's pale, and there is a pool of blood under her, not large but still, her sunglasses that were shielding her bright blue eyes have been knocked off. I don't know how to react. If it were Katniss I would scoop her up and cry into her body. But this is Ariana, and my mind refuses to believe she is dead, silly I know, a bullet could kill anyone really easily, but still Ariana always has a plan, she had one for Peeta and Katniss, she had one for herself, this had to be something she saw coming…right?
The older gentleman puts two fingers to the side of her neck.
"She has a pulse" he says, "Kay get a medic quickly"
The woman nods and rushes off still with tears in her eyes.
"Come on Ari, don't give up" the man is saying to her, hold on...how does he know her and call her by her shortened name? Things click into place…Only one family would know this information in District Two.
"Mr. Letorch?" I finally say, the man looks up at me
"Well don't just stand there boy get a control of the situation!" he barks at me as two medic come over and take charge of my girlfriend.
"Hawthorne! Get your rear in gear!" Boggs calls to me and I head back
"Ariana's down" I tell him
He looks at me a bit of concern flashes in his eyes
"She's still alive, or at least she has a pulse" I add
"Good, well let the medics concern themselves with her" he says
"If it's all the same with you-" I start and he looks at me
"Go take charge of security detail for Crane, Everdeen is already in transport" he replies
Katniss who has no open wound was taken before my girlfriend who is bleeding and unconscious, "commander a word?"
Boggs nods and we find a less traffic laden area, "what gives? Triage states the worse the injury the higher the priority", at least that's what Ariana was teaching me on our off hours, a little bit of medicine.
Boggs looks uncomfortable, "unless the person sent you wants you dead" he says, "Coin wanted her here because of the danger it had, I don't like it anymore than you Gale"
My jaw sets rigidly, "you mean to say she wants Ariana dead? Why?!"
"Because Coin knows that she doesn't have Crane on her side, Ariana is a wild card and very moral, she won't help for the sake of open war, she won't help knowing innocent people could get killed" Boggs explains, "she has the ear of the districts if they knew she was alive..."
"What?" I ask
"Well let's just say the army behind her wouldn't just be from the districts" Boggs looks at me, "she was the darling of her games, 'Angel of Mercy' and all that, when she faked her death half the capital was in an uproar, the half that was working class...if they knew what was done to her to force her hand they would rally so quickly it would make Snow spin"
"Then why don't we? Why keep her hidden?" I ask
"Gale remember what I said...your girl doesn't want open war. That's why she refuses to have a camera on her" he looks at me, "better get a move on they should be transporting her soon"
I run off as I see them loading Ari into a medic transport
"I'm coming with her security detail" I tell the pilot who nods
She's strapped onto a stretcher they have a tube down her throat keeping her breathing. The bandage on her chest and back is bloody and in need of changing and when I touch her hands she's icy cold. I think Mr. Letorch sees my concern when I realize how cold she is.
"She always was cool to the touch anyone from Five is, in the desert it's natural they run cooler down south, dunno why. We only met her once but she was a cute little thing freezing in our mild winter" he chuckles then adds in a more serious tone as he looks at me, "security eh?"
"Yeah" I say softly resting her hand on her stomach, "making sure she gets to her destination in a hurry"
Mr. Letorch nods as I get up I head to the pilots, "move it full speed and if I hear you asking for clearance I will throw you out of this vehicle faster than you can object"
"Yessir" is chirped and I see them open to full throttle and we are off like a rocket.
We stay with her right until Makenzie takes her and rushes her past some doors.
The Letorches stand there stunned until I see Maverick speeding down the hall.
"I told you to keep her safe!" he barks at me, "and yet you let her go into a firefight without armor!"
"It wasn't my fault!" I argue back and feel the fight go out of me. In reality it was my fault I had armor I could have taken that round and walked away.
"Maverick?" Mrs. Letorch says unsure
Maverick blanches and looks behind me, "Mom? Dad?"
Mrs. Letorch bridges the gap and reaches out thinking he's a ghost, but when she touches something solid she bursts into fresh tears and wraps her son in her arms.
I decide to leave them be and go to a quiet area. My hands are trembling and I feel sick realizing I have her blood, Ari's blood, on my hands. I go to a washroom to clean up.
Johanna Mason finds me, she's been puttering the hospital since she was awake, she finds me washing my hands raw, "hey Gale" she says
"Hey" I reply
"They say she's just bruised and maybe a cracked rib or two at the moment" she's talking about Katniss
"What about Ariana?" I ask she doesn't reply, "thanks for the update" I add after a moment
She follows me down to the waiting room, "she'll be fine, she bounces back faster than most" she tries to reassure, when we get there Ziggy who is
Ariana's tech support and friend is waiting. She is holding a small monitor and watching intently, when she looks up she isn't smiling.
"Either of you know your blood type?" she asks, "I'm AB- I can't donate she's o +"
Johanna shrugs, "no idea"
"Go get checked out!" Ziggy snaps at us, this blond haired buggy eyed wiry lady has become fierce and downright scary, "go now!" she shoves us towards the nurses station, "type these two if either match they will need a pint for Crane" she looks at the nurse who is stunned "well get to it!"
I'm not a match, I'm B +, but Johanna is o- so they rush her off to get her to donate a pint or two...Ziggy seems to calm as that happens and she returns to her seat perched on the back of a chair.
I pace, it's several hours I haven't seen Maverick or his parents. My mom shows up and hugs me. I'm usually the strong one but right now hands stinging from scrubbing them raw and my emotions running high I actually press my face into her shoulder and cry soundlessly.
"No news then?" she asks
"They are taking forever" I say, "mom...what if...I mean I love her, we had just said it finally to each other"
"I know Gale, I knew you loved her before you did because you act just like your father did" she shushes me, "she'll be fine"
"How do you know?"
"Because the longer they are in there the longer her heart has been beating, if they had come out earlier it means she had lost the fight" she explains, "you should go and eat Gale" she touches my face, "I'll stay for now, and as soon as I find out I'll find you okay?"
I shake my head unwilling to move from here when a nurse comes out, her apron has a few blood splashes not many but enough. "she's pulled thru, stable but in intensive care"
"Can I see her?" I ask and she shakes her head, it makes me angry, "look I am a commander and I order access to her!"
"Let him" I hear and Makenzie comes out in her surgical gown that the nurse peels off her, "she's still unconscious Gale, but I don't see any reason to keep you away" she takes a few steps and ushers me to follow.
We get to her room at the far end where it's quiet and the lights have been purposefully dimmed, she's hooked up to monitors and there is a bag of blood going into her arm. She still has a tube down her throat, and an apparatus in her chest.
"We'll take her off the intubation tomorrow maybe or late tonight" Makenzie says, "chest tube closely following that."
"Will she be alright?" I ask touching her face
"Should do, it nicked a vein and collapsed a lung and broke a rib, she also has a concussion because when she fell she hit her head, she won't be doing much for a while" she looks at me, "I am sure she'd smack you upside the head though for not eating, go get a quick bite, get washed and into something a bit cleaner and go to the debrief. She'll still be here when you are done, I will advise the staff you have full access"
"If there is any change-" I begin
"If there is I will make sure that we haul you from the table" she smirks, "but there shouldn't be, go on let her know you will be back and head off" before she leaves she adds, "to think Gale, if she was just a couple inches taller it would have done a lot more damage…small miracles" she pats my shoulder gently and leaves.
I take an uneasy step into the room, she's so still. It's not like her to be still, she bounces on her toes, or she has this nervous energy around her. She doesn't seem to be here now just her body, even if she has a heartbeat and breathing. Small miracles indeed.
I touch her cool cheek, no response.
"I'm here" I tell her, "I'm so sorry Ari, I should have protected you" I feel myself get chocked up and steel myself, "we'll find a better way, a way without guns I promise just get better" I brush my thumb across her cheek, "I'll be back in a couple hours okay?" I kiss her forehead since I can't kiss her lips with the tube down her throat, "I love you"
I do exactly as Makenzie orders, I get some food.
Though I don't talk to anyone. Posy seems to know something is wrong and touches my arm.
"Where's Ari?" she asks, "she said she'd teach me t'draw"
I feel a bit chocked up, "Ari might not be able to for a while Posy" I explain to her big grey eyes, "there was an accident, Ari got hurt"
Her eyes get even bigger if that is possible, "she gonna be 'k?"
I nod, "I hope so" it's about that time that my comunicuff goes off and it reads 'debrief cmnd rm'
"Gonna go play soldier?" she asks as my mom comes to sit with her
"Yeah I'll see you both later" and I give each a peck on the cheek
I head for the war room and the rest are there save for Katniss and Ariana.
"Good to see you are unharmed commander Hawthorne" Coin smiles, before I would return the smile, but now I reply with a cool glance and take a seat next to Maverick who looks murderous
"Well now that we have all the districts we should start thinking about mounting are attack on the Capitol" she says
"So soon?" I say before stopping myself, "we just got Two shouldn't we wait and see"
Coin's genial smile falters, I was her favorite in all accounts, when Boggs and Charring had given me top marks in my tests she's been eyeing me like a prize to be won, in fact I think she might be attracted to me which gives me the creeps, "we have to strike fast Hawthorne or the Capitol will strike us"
"With what army? They don't have Two anymore they have no resources we should wait" I rebuttal, "it's just a matter of time before it just falls apart"
"They can outlast us they have more resources at their disposal and what army they have will be able to force districts in turn back in line one by one, we can't waste time" Coin starts to look agitated
"Actually" Ziggy speaks up from her seat, "we can't do anything until Beetee and I decode the disarming code to the Capitol defences"
Beetee pushes his glasses up his nose, "damned if I know what code Crane used but I can't understand it, it's not numerical or alphabetical or a combination"
"Well how long will that take?" Coin is frustrated
"Days maybe weeks" Beetee says, "could be longer"
"And we still need the Mockingjay" Boggs adds "and she needs to recover"
Mrs. Everdeen speaks up, "she should be up in a week or two, Sparrow isn't my case so I wouldn't know her condition"
"She's stable last I checked" I tell her, "in intensive care but stable"
Coin throws me a glance that is part hurt part jealous then shakes her head to be rid of it, "Boggs what's our resources like"
By resources she means soldiers
"They could do with a rest and some more drills, some were shot and are bruised up pretty badly" Boggs explains
"See to their training" she gets up and leaves
"I guess we're dismissed" Finnick says, "how are they really" he looks at Mrs. Everdeen and I in turn
"Katniss will make a full recovery" Mrs. Everdeen says
"And I'm gonna go check on Ari once I shower and change" I reply, "you can come with me Finn when I go visit her"
He nods and we file out
"Gale wait up" Maverick rolls to a stop in front of me, "look I'm sorry I yelled earlier it's just...she's like a little sister to me and..."
"No it's okay Mav, I blame myself she got shot. I promised I'd take care of her and I failed" I feel my eyes itch and it feels weird since I've never been this torn up about someone before.
I think Maverick understands because he nods, I'm sure if he could he'd pat my shoulder like any other guy but seeing that would need him to stand...
"I better go check on my folks" he says and turns
I head to my quarters and wash, I have it icy cold since I feel hot and sweaty and I do not want to go back to the hospital wing like that...not for my girl.
Finnick arrives a little past reflection time and we head off, he explains Annie was going to come but she's still gun shy walking these halls.
"Never seen anyone so tied up with the live wire though" he adds with a smirks, "I mean Mav was just protective like a brother but you Gale are smitten"
"The first time I ever talked to her was before the quarter quell, I was tripping on words I think my first ever words were to ask why she was being so hard on Katniss and Peeta. She was so calm and when she finally looked at me...her eyes I remembered being fourteen going to the cemetery to see my dad's grave with my mom and younger brothers and she gave me the single rose she was holding, no hesitation just gave it" I smirk, "then when she was helping train Peeta and Katniss I see her again and she was running with them and I joined in...ran into the Mellark's apple tree, land right on my back with all the whiplash scars are but even with my back screaming in pain she looks down at me laughing and reaches out a hand and I couldn't help laughing myself"
"First time I met her she was with her mentors in victors hall, she was drinking a virgin daiquiri always strawberry and drawing in a notebook" Finnick recalls, "there had been an argument over a rule change and since her and I share the record for youngest victors I saw her side of things"
"What side of things" I ask
"Luck...it's a lot of luck that gets anyone out of the arena, if you're not lucky then your dead" he smirks
"Ari must have a four leaf clover hidden inside somewhere" I remark
"Maybe it's tattooed" Finnick smirks coyly.
We round the corner to her room lowering our voices when we enter
But we're not alone.
Katniss is standing at Ariana's bedside, she's holding herself up a bit by the bed frame. She has one of those poles with a bag of fluid attached to her. Much like Ariana has, must be morphline since Katniss must be in a lot of pain, they must have rushed her thru surgery and woken her up emmediately after, I'll never understand doctors.
"Catnip?" I say softly
She starts, "Gale! I'm ...I'm sorry...'bout everything I shouldn't be jealous" she blushes a bit.
"It's okay" I tell her, "why are you here though"
She looks back at Ariana, "she backed me up, when everyone else was saying no she said yes, and now she is shot because of it."
"No way" Finnick interups, "Katniss, thing with Ari is she's unpredictable, but she always has a purpose, it's not your fault she got shot"
"But we disarmed! We wanted peace" Katniss argues back.
"Capitol doesn't that's the thing" I tell her, "but we are gonna figure a better way okay?"
"How? When?" Katniss asks, Finnick seems to share her feelings because what katniss is saying is mirrored in his expression, and yet they are looking at me for answers. I don't think I have those yet, but I think Ariana will.
"When she wakes up" I say to her, "I know she will and when she does Catnip we are gonna take down the Capitol somehow"
Finnick gives my girl a peck on the forehead before leaving with Katniss, I'm alone with her.
I don't think I'm going to move from this spot until she wakes up.
A/N #2: Yes I know, sappy, fluffy, mary-sue stuff again! Don't care my story! Deal with it people!