-Chapter VII-
Katniss slowly opens her eyes. All she can see is a road ahead of her, and she doesn't exactly know where it could be heading.
"Cato? Baby! Are you there?" she calls. Her voice echoed to her ears, she is filled nothing but confusion and worry. She's worried that something might have happened to her husband. And then she starts running down the road.
She keep running and running, until she realize that this road doesn't exactly take her to somewhere. She halt, and because of the sudden surge of emotions that she's feeling, she sat in the middle of the road and hugs her knees. Tears are starting to slowly flow from her eyes, "Where are you Cato?" she whispers.
She rubbed her eyes and there, just a few feet ahead of her, she sees a figure. She hastily get to her feet and run towards the figure. She stopped and smile, as she realize that it is Cato with his back to her. She reached for him, "Cato".
Katniss felt really happy when Cato turn to face her with a smile on his face. She instantly felt relieved and hug him, "I thought something bad happened to you."
Cato gently stroked the back of his wife and kiss the top of her head. He reached to tip her chin up so that he can look at her beautiful gray ones, "I love you Katniss. And I couldn't wish for a better way to go than with the person who makes me happy and content. I have no regrets. I will and forever love you, my Katniss."
Before Katniss could answer, Cato let go of her and started walking away from her, "Wait! Where are you going?!" She tried to follow him but she seems stuck to where she stands. "Cato! Where are you going?!" she calls. She suddenly feels uncomfortable and try hard to reach for Cato. But he just continued walking away from her.
He stop for a moment and turn to her with a huge smile on his face. Katniss then burst into tears repeatedly calling for her husband, "Cato! Cato! Catooooooo!"
And then, it suddenly goes dark.
"Katniss!"
"Katniss! Stay with us okay!"
"Stay with us!"
Katniss thought the voice is familiar. She tried to open her eyes but nothing happened. She suddenly felt a grave amount of pain all over her body. She wants to scream because of the unbearable feeling but she cannot seem to do so.
She feels like she's being dragged. She can't move her body. She can't make of what's happening. Why she's hurt and why is she being dragged.
She then felt something pierced her skin, and suddenly her consciousness about her surrounding starts to elude her.
Katniss slowly opens her eyes, her sight is blurry. She tried to reach and rub her eyes. She surveyed her surrounding and see a woman sleeping at a nearby couch.
She looked at the woman and realize that it's her mother. She inhaled softly and called onto her mother, "Mom?"
Her voice came out weak and low, but her mother must have heard her because Mrs. Everdeen immediately get off the couch and walk towards her, "Katniss? Honey?"
Katniss gently tried to lift her hand and reach for her mother. Mrs. Everdeen hold her hand and kissed it, "Oh my God baby!" her mother leaves calling for the doctor.
A few moments later, her mother returned with the doctor ahead of her and immediately check on Katniss. The doctor checked on her and sighed in relief, "Mrs. Everdeen, the worry is over." He said to her mother and turn back to her with a smile, "Welcome back Katniss."
"How long was I out?" Katniss asked.
"A week. But what matters is you're alright now."
Katniss, still weak and slightly confused tried her hard to return the smile. She looked at her mother and see her sobbing lightly, "Mom."
"Yes sweetie?" Mrs. Everdeen smiled at Katniss and rushes to her daughter's side.
"Where's Cato?"
Mrs. Everdeen's face fell and looked at the doctor, "Um- I'll be at my office. I'll leave you two to talk. If you need anything, just call me." and he left.
Katniss is still not averting her look at her mother who become uneasy, "Is something wrong?" she asked her mother.
"Um- just tired honey. I'll call your father so that he and Prim knows you're okay now." said Mrs, Everdeen trying to recover from her previous reluctance. As she was about to go out, Katniss grabbed her mother's hand.
"You didn't answer my question." Katniss squeezing her mother's hand gently, "Where's my husband?"
Mrs. Everdeen smiled at her daughter and kiss the top of her head, "We'll talk later when your father arrived."
Katniss felt too tired to further urge her mother for her husband's whereabouts. When her mother left, she instantly dozed off.
A few hours later, Katniss woke up when she heard indistinct chatter surrounds her. When she opened her eyes, she instantly felt happy as she sees her family and friends in her room. Her mother, father, and Prim is there. With Gale, Johanna, Madge, and Cinna.
"You're all here." Katniss said, and they all turn to look at her.
"Katniss!" Prim immediately get on the bed and hug her sister, "I was so worried!"
Katniss gently stroked her sister's hair, "I'm fine now little duck." She hugged her tightly, "It's good to see you." She looked at the people around her, "All of you."
She felt refreshed as she sees her family and friend's faces smiling at her, but somehow it seems off, "Where's Cato?"
The room feel silent, and Prim turn to look at her and give Katniss a confused look, "You don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Okay," cut off by her father, "Darling, why don't you and Prim get some fresh air." Mr. Everdeen says to Mrs. Everdeen.
Mrs. Everdeen quickly collects Prim and get out of the room. While Gale, Cinna, Johanna, and Madge stayed silent and keeping their heads down.
Katniss instantly felt uncomfortable and anxious, "Dad, what's going on?"
Mr. Everdeen took a deep breath and figures that it's no use in hiding around the bush, "Katniss, sweetie." He sits beside Katniss and hold her hand, "Cato is-" he sighs and tried to hold back his tears, "He's no longer with us."
Everyone inside the room is holding their breaths and waiting for Katniss' respond. Madge and Johanna is gently sniffling, while Cinna sits on the couch with his hands covering his face, and Gale is behind Johanna stroking her back to comfort her.
Mr. Everdeen keeps a straight face and focused on Katniss as he continues to speak, "The night of the accident, Cato took the hardest impact. His side took most of the collision from the approaching car. The paramedics immediately rushed to the scene. They easily pulled you out but they had a hard time pulling Cato out. But they eventually did."
Katniss shut her eyes as she continues to her father. "The doctor said, they thought Cato would make it. He said, Cato keeps fighting to survive. He said that, Cato keeps calling your name. He keeps telling them to save you. But because of the impact, the doctor said it would take a miracle for Cato to survive. They managed to keep him. But we can't visit him. And then, earlier today, his doctor said his brain is dead. And as much as medical assistance they can provide so that he can still continue, there is a guarantee that he have no quality of life left. His doctor is waiting for your decision honey."
"Decide to what?" Katniss asked, still keeping her eyes close.
"If you want to still put him on life support. Attach him to those machine they attach for life assistance."
Katniss exhaled harshly, as the events starts to flash back on her memory. She remembered seeing the headlights coming for them, she see Cato looking at her, and she see Cato unbuckling her and push her out of the car. Katniss wants to cry right there and then, but no tears came out of her.
She opened her eyes and see five pairs of eyes focusing on her, "I want to see him."