CHAPTER ELEVEN
Annie and I are squeezed together on the hospital bed. I spoon her, my hand resting on her belly, rubbing slow circles. Inside her stomach is my future child. I kiss Annie's neck.
"Thanks, Annie…"
"For what, baby?" she murmurs.
"For carrying my child," I chuckle.
She suddenly clutches my hand and groan. Another contraction. They were waiting to give her the epidural and morphine till right before the operation.
"You squeeze as tight as you want, Annie. I don't mind," I whisper in her ear.
To my reluctance, she does. Very hard. I hold back a grunt of pain. I don't want her to feel bad. Not after all she's done for me. I remain silent. She squeezes harder. I bite my lip as she slowly eases her grip up. The contraction ends. It's going to be a long labor. Poor Annie. That's all I can think.
They gave Annie an epidural and then some morphine a half hour ago. It's finally starting to work and she is delirious. She stares up at the ceiling blinking slowly. I wear a doctor's mask and scrubs as they begin cooperate and cut open her stomach.
"How you holding up, beautiful?" I ask, my voice slightly muffled through the mask.
Her eyes slowly move to mine and she smiles, her silky hair is pulled up in a bun underneath a doctor's hairnet.
"I feel wonderful…" she smiles.
I hold her hand and avoid looking at the operation. I can bear to see Annie cut open. I raise her hand to my lips and she giggles.
"You're silly. I like having you around. You're sooo sooo pretty…" she sighs dreamily.
I can't help but smile a little. I've never seen Annie so loopy. It's almost humorous.
"Alright, Mrs. Odair, we've just made the right incision and we are about to open further. Okay?"
"I don't feel a thing! You can open away! I'm fine!" she sings.
"Alright, Annie. Calm down," I chuckle.
"But I am so calm! So, so relaxed. We should do morphine together…" Annie adds.
I kiss Annie on the hand again and she giggles once more.
There's a sickening ripping noise and the doctors whisper indistinctly to one another. I peer over the curtain that sections Annie's chest from her belly. The sight is shocking. Annie's stomach is split wide open. Then…suddenly…there's a screaming noise…one of the doctors reaches in and removes my firstborn child. He snips the umbilical cord.
"You did it, Annie," I say turning my eyes to hers.
But Annie isn't awake. Her eyes are almost completely closed, but what's left showing is just white. Her mouth hangs slightly open.
"Annie?"
She doesn't respond.
"Annie?"
Nothing.
"Guys, she's not awake. What's wrong with her?" I ask frantically.
My child is whisked over to a table and they start to clean it off. I look back over to Annie only to be shoved away. Four doctors crowd around Annie. I crane my neck over their shoulders. They push on Annie's chest and breathe in her mouth.
"What's going on?" I shout.
"I need the defibrillators and get Finnick out of here!" orders the head doctor.
"No! Wait? What? What's happening?" I shout.
One of the doctors grabs me by the shoulders and I look around him at Annie. She flops and writhes as they punch two circles to her chest.
"We're losing her! Stitch her stomach, I'll keep trying to bring her back!"
"Bring her back? What do you mean?" I cry out frantically.
I'm shoved out of the room. The doctor places a hand on my chest and I look over his shoulder to see the heart monitor that's attached to her doing unsteady lines.
"Mr. Odair, please wait out here. We'll bring you back in when the situation is under control," the doctor says.
He shuts the door. I immediately go to open it and reenter…but it's locked. I bang on the door.
"Hey, that's my wife! That's my wife, dammit! Let me in!" I bark at the door.
I continue to yell at the door for five minutes, until my fists are sore then collapse on the bench just outside the door. I rest my elbows on my knees and cradle my head in my hands. Annie's lifeless body is all I can see. Those big eyes almost all the way shut and none of that beautiful ocean blue visible.
"Finnick!"
I look up to see Katniss and Peeta racing down the hall. They both carry two sets of flowers and smile. Their smiles fade when they see my upset face.
"Finnick, what's wrong?" asks Katniss.
"The baby was in breech position so they had to do a cesarean section on Annie and um…"
My throat gets thick. My eyes burn with tears at the thought of my life without Annie.
"They told me to leave. They said they were trying to…to bring her back," I manage to stammer, tears streaming down my face.
Peeta immediately embraces me and Katniss just stares at the door.
"Finnick, is the baby okay?" Katniss whispers.
"Yeah, from what I saw. I still don't know the gender," I say trying to lighten the mood.
Neither of them smile. Both of them exchange dark glances.
"Annie will be fine, Finnick. She'll be fine," Peeta reassures. "Tell him, Katniss!"
Katniss stares at her feet then looks back up to me, her eyes dark.
"I'm sorry, Finnick. I'm so sorry."
The door opens to Annie's room. All three of us whip around to see a doctor. He stares at the three of us then back to me.
"Finnick…"
My heart beats a million miles a minute. What news is about to befall me? Is my wife still alive?