There's this pulling and tugging in my stomach that wakes me up at exactly 4:52 AM. After focusing in on the small alarm clock beside my bed, I double over as another wave of nausea hits me. Cato is sleeping soundly next to me, face buried into the pillows so that it seems like he can't breathe. I adjust his face before he suffocates and grab at the glass of water Mother set out for Cato when he wakes up later. She's ended up helping him to bed, being really keen on doing it instead of me. I didn't object, and instead watched a little TV in the living room while she treated him like a baby.
It's so dark right now that I can barely see much in the room other than the dim little light in my bathroom and the glass in my hand. I take small sips, trying not to cause too much commotion and wake up Cato. If he finds out I'm sick, he won't leave me alone. After a few seconds, I think I'm okay, and lay back down, but as soon as my head hits the pillow, I swing out of bed and rush into the bathroom. There is bile rising up my throat and if I don't make it to the toilet, there will be puke all over the bed and Cato. I don't think he loves me that much to let me puke all over him.
I make it into the bathroom just in time, flip on the light, and bury my head in the toilet, puking up the contents of my stomach. I kind of ate too much tonight and the food I ate here obviously doesn't sit well in my stomach after being so used to the Capitol food. Yea, the food at the celebration was much better than what people mostly get in Twelve, but it didn't compare to the Capitol's.
As I am heaving into the toilet bowl, my hair is lifted from my hand and I peek and see Cato before I'm hurling again. I guess it was inevitable that he would wake up to the harsh sounds I was making; I sounded so miserable. He begins rubbing my back softly as I vomit, but it doesn't make me feel any better. There's a slight burning in my throat that won't go away, even as my stomach empties. I dry-heave for a few seconds before being able to sit back and flush the toilet.
Cato hands me a towel and I wipe my mouth and hands. I stay on the floor, perched against the wall just in case anything else threatens to come back up. Right now, I feel like I can puke up my intestines.
Cato eyes me suspiciously. "What's going on?" he asks with a deep frown set in his brows. He's worried... and he won't stop worrying for maybe the next month if I don't completely assure him that I'm fine.
"I don't think my stomach agreed with the fish I ate at the party today," I rasp out, my throat sore.
Cato hands me a bottle of mouthwash. "You think you need to see a doctor or something?"
"No, I would know if I really wasn't okay. I'll be fine." I drown my mouth with the minty liquid. It burns my tongue.
"Are you sure? Because I can carry you on my back across the country to the best doctor in the nation if you need me to. You know I will."
I gurgle the mouthwash and spit the green liquid into the toilet. "I'm alright, Cato, honestly."
"Well, is there something I can do?"
"You can take me back to bed. All this puking has made me tired."
Cato jumps up instantly and scoops me up into his arms. He switches the light off in the bathroom and places me gently back onto my bed. He tucks me into the sheets and hands me his glass of water to sip on. The water helps settle my stomach just the tiniest bit.
"Anything else?" he asks, perched at my side. He looked ready to take flight at my request. "I can find some crackers downstairs, or something."
I smile and pat his large hand. "No, just go back to bed."
"But you're obviously sick. I can take care of you."
"Cato, I'm fine."
"Sure?"
"Yes."
"Because I can have the greatest physician here in two minutes, I swear." He holds up two fingers to emphasize his point.
"I'm okay. Just go back to bed."
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay, fine. But wake me up if you need anything, anything, okay?"
"I promise." I cross my heart.
Cato falls asleep minutes later, but I actually don't sleep for the rest of the night. The slight gnawing inside was constant for the entire time I was awake, but I didn't say anything because it wasn't really that big of a deal.
I heard my Mother moving around downstairs at around eight, so I silently washed up and snuck out of the room. Cato was still completely knocked out, so I let him rest. He had a blast yesterday, especially after we went back out to the party with my Mother in tow. She needed to have some fun for once in her life.
Mom was making us a huge breakfast, with all of my favorite dishes, and even some of Cato's. I had no clue how she knew what he liked to eat, but I didn't question it. Cato and my mom had quite a few talks alone while I was in my own little world, so who knows what they've discussed?
"Morning, Mom."
Mom looks up from the stove and smiles. "Good morning, darling. Where's Cato?"
"He's still sleeping."
"And how is he?"
"He seems okay to me. I just know that next time I need to keep an eye on him."
"So we have some time to talk about-"
"Mom, please," I interrupt, "I already told you. I took a test, I'm not pregnant."
"But how can you actually know without having gone to a real doctor?"
"Why are you so stuck on this?" I ask.
Mom shrugs. "I just want to be a grandmother so badly. It would help patch up the holes in my heart."
"Well, I'm sorry Mom, but I'm not pregnant. There will be no baby."
Mom sighs and sits down next to me. "But are you sure? Those tests aren't always accurate."
"I'm sure, Mom, and I really don't want to talk about this right now."
"Why not? I'm your mother, so I think I have the right to know what my daughter is feeling."
"Because!" My voices raises a little bit. "I'm upset about it, alright?" I finally admit. "Mom, I know I can't have a baby right now, especially at my age, but I was very upset about testing negative. Cato wouldn't be happy about it, but after a little bit of questioning, I thought that a baby wouldn't be so bad. I even started planning things in my head because I was so sure that it would come out positive. I couldn't stop thinking about Cato being a Daddy, and how amazing that he would be because he treats me like a queen. Imagine how he would be if he had his own daughter? He'd be head over heels about the little girl. I got in over my head, and then I was completely disappointed for the umpteenth time in my life. I want a baby, so, so badly, but Cato doesn't want one, and I'm sure that now he's going to make sure that doesn't happen."
Mom frowns. "Darling, there is nothing wrong with you having a baby right now, no matter the age. You are mature, even at sixteen, and now you've got a life, and you survived and was able to figure out a way to support yourself without me or Katniss. You did that on your own, so there's nothing in this world that you can't do. This is the future, when age doesn't matter. If you're in love, then you're in love, and whatever comes after that is what it is."
"I was just so disappointed." Please don't cry.
"Of course you were, and with good reason. Your motherly instincts kicked in instantly. Primrose, you would make the greatest mother in the world, and if Katniss were here, she'd be proud of you no matter what other obstacles come with that."
"Thanks, Mom," I sigh. I'm starting to feel a little better about the whole situation now, maybe because I've had this talk with my mom.
"Well, since you don't want to talk about that, can I at least talk to you about sex?"
"Mom, no!" Oh God!
Mom snickers at my reaction. "It's natural for me to be worried about this, and while I cannot stop you, I can at least give you some advice!"
"Please, just stop!" I cover my ears, blocking her out, but not completely.
"I know you teenagers like to be... experimental when it comes to these things, and that's okay. But you need to experiment safely."
I stand up abruptly. I cannot believe she is doing this. "Wow, okay Mom, while you sit here and talk about this by yourself, I'm gonna go and check out Haymitch's place."
Mom laughs and gets up to check on the stove again. "I'm glad we had this talk!" She laughs more as I make my way around the kitchen and to the door, where I grab my shoes and jacket. I'm still in my pajamas, but there's no one around to see me in the Victor's Village, so I'll be okay.
"Oh, and Effie called. She'll be here soon, she's coming for breakfast!"
"Alright!" I yell back.
Just as I'm slipping my boots on, Cato comes barreling down the stairs, his shirt missing.
"Where ya headed?" he leans in and kisses me with minty breath. I make sure to hug him extra tight, but I have no clue why.
"I'm just going to check out Haymitch's place. Make sure his plants are watered and everything is in order."
As I open the door, Cato stops me. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
He sighs. "Because, you're in a really fragile place right now, especially since he only died recently, and being there may get you a little upset."
"Cato, I'm going to be just fine, trust me."
"You say that now, but you'll come back here crying and then I'm going to have to wipe up all the fucking tears."
"It's really not that big of a deal! I'm just going to check on his place since he's not here to do it." My voice raises a bit as I get much more irritated with Cato and his assumptions.
"You don't have to get so snappy. Shit, I'm just trying to protect that pretty little heart of yours."
"Well maybe I'm tired of you always trying to protect me!" Woah, where did that come from?
Cato raises his eyebrows, seemingly hurt. "Then don't come crying to me anymore and I'll make sure to leave you alone!"
"Good! I don't need you anyway." Holy hell! Where is all this anger coming from? Cato is just trying to help me. My mouth seems to not have a filter, so everything that I'm thinking is just pouring out without any warning.
"You can be so naive sometimes. You know going into that house is going to do nothing but damage, but you decide to do it anyway. It's like you have no fucking concern for yourself. You must like getting hurt."
"Whatever, Cato, I'm going. I'll be back when Effie gets here."
I swing the door open angrily and step out into the cold, brisk air. The ground is a little slick, meaning it must have rained last night. I stomp down the stairs and turn back to see Cato watching me angrily from the door.
I want to say something else to him, but I think against it and step out onto the street. Just as I turn to cross the mini street to the other side, I'm knocked down harshly onto the concrete, my head hitting it hard. I lay disoriented on the cold street, not able to see or hear very much.
The last thing I hear before blacking out is the sound of my mother screaming.
My eyes slowly flutter open, and I'm surrounded by nothing but white surfaces. There's an IV stuck into my arm, and I hear lots of beeping.
I'm in the hospital, but there isn't one in District Twelve. The last I remember, I was in Twelve. I don't comprehend how I got to this hospital, wherever it is, or why I'm in this hospital bed anyway.
Once my eyes completely focus, I feel a painful throbbing in my head and struggle to sit up. Everything hurts everywhere, my body not feeling any mercy even in the slightest. What happened to me? And where am I?
I slowly rotate my head to get a good look at my surroundings, and there's Cato, sleeping in a tiny chair perched closely to the bed. His hand is wrapped around the bed's railing tightly, making sure that no one would move me without him knowing. My mom is laying on a couch up next to a wall, sleeping with her back to me.
I struggle to sit up again, and my movement shakes the bed, which wakes up Cato.
His eyes flutter open and once he sees that I'm awake, he jumps up and is by my side in a millisecond.
"Rose, you're awake!" Relief is flooding his voice, and he hugs me tenderly, careful not to hurt me. He holds my face in his hands and kisses me over and over again, overly excited at me being awake. "I was so, so worried you wouldn't wake up."
"Where am I?" My voice is groggy, like I haven't spoken in a week.
"The Capitol. We had to bring you here to get the right treatment."
"What happened?"
Cato immediately angers. "A fucking Peacekeeper hit you with a fucking car. He was driving Effie over, dropped his gun below his seat, and the motherfucker let go of the wheel to pick it up. Once he turned onto the street, the car slid from it raining last night, and he came out of nowhere and hit you. Stupid shitty ass fucker."
I was hit by a car?!
"It was the Mayor's fault. He allowed the asshole to complete training even though he knew the guy wasn't fully prepared."
My mother stirs on the couch and sits up, stretching her whole body. Once she opens her eyes, she nearly faints to the ground. "You're awake, finally." She smiles and reaches to hug me, tighter than Cato, so it hurt a little.
"What do you mean, 'finally'? How long was I out?"
"Just for a couple days. Nothing serious, though. The doctor's said they would update us on your status once you woke up, but they mostly kept you under so your body had the chance to heal."
"Well, where's Effie?"
Cato jerks his head harshly to the door. "I won't let her in. She let that fucker drive."
"Language," Mom scolds. Cato mumbles a 'sorry' and blushes. Wow.
"And what happened to the guy?" He must be in a jail or something for being so careless.
"I killed him," Cato says seriously.
I nearly choke on my saliva. "You... you killed him?!"
"Yeah," Cato shrugs nonchalantly. "Snapped his neck in the same spot they took you away from. He hit you with a car, I had no choice."
Well I guess he wasn't joking when he said he would kill for me. I look to Mother to see if there is any doubt, but she shows no sign of it. So it's true, he did kill the guy. Poor Peacekeeper... next time, people will learn before they just let a maniac onto the streets.
"We were so worried about you," Mom says, taking my hand.
"How are you feeling? Are you alright? Do you need anything, food, water?" Cato asks in a panic.
"Water, actually?"
Cato hands me a glass of water, already ready for me, just as a doctor walks into the room. I see Effie peek her hair into the room before sneaking back out.
"I got a signal that you were awake. How are you?" the doctor asks me, checking on my IV. "Is there any pain?"
I nod. "Pretty much everywhere hurts."
The doctor adjusts the amount of medicine I'm receiving and my body floods with relief. The pain is lifted almost instantaneously, making it easier to move my neck and arms.
"Well, you suffered a pretty rough accident. There is bruising of your ribs, your wrist is sprained, and so is your ankle, so you might want to take it easy for the next few weeks," he explains while checking my heartbeat and examining my eyes.
"But she's okay, right?" Cato asks.
"Yes, she's fine." The doctor plays around with my wrapped wrist, and it kind of hurts a little, but I don't complain. I'm lucky to be alive. "If you would have stepped out onto the street a second earlier, it would've been much worse for you."
He moves on to my torso, replacing the wrap around my bruised ribs.
"What do you mean, Dr. Pinciotti?" Mom asks, leaning onto the tips of her toes.
"Well, you would have survived with worse injuries, but your baby may not have made it through."
My what?!
My eyes bug out and the doctor eyes me cautiously.
"Did you not know?" he asks me softly.
"Know what?" I grab onto Cato's hand tightly. He's stiff beside me, his face going completely pale. Oh no.
"That you were pregnant."
Mom cries with joy and I sit completely frozen, not knowing what to say or do, whether I should cry or scream, or faint.
"What... I mean, she, um. She took a test and it said negative," Cato stutters, letting go of my hand. I think he's going to faint.
The doctor waves his hand at me dismissively. "Those tests are always messy, very unreliable if you want a sure result."
Mom is now crying beside me. The tears are pouring down her face. "So, what you're saying is... is that I'm-"
"Congratulations, Ms. Everdeen. You are about five weeks into your pregnancy."
So, it's been a long, long, long, long, long long time, but I finally have put out a chapter. These past few weeks have been so busy with work, and I'm back in school, and it's just everything all at once. I am really happy to be getting back into the flow of school and everything, and I will be trying to update regularly from now on, especially since I am in a somewhat better place right now.
PRATO BABY IS ON THE WAY! CAN'T YOU JUST FEEL THE FEELS, OMGOMGOMG.
Anyway, make sure you vote, comment, share, and follow, and thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate all of you for sticking around with me for more than a year! It means so much.
Cheers. Laters, baby.
Myesha xx