A/N - Hello ALL! Chapter 19 is here for you.. ON TIME! I had to make NO delays this time... I'm proud of myself! ;) ;) Anywho, this Chapter is every longer then the previous one(18)! Almost 7,000 words this time, not including the A/N and Chapter Preview! I'm getting better I assume at that, hopefully you won't find the Chapter to long? Let me know PLEASE at what you think of the length, too long? Just right? Longer? I love to hear your feedback! This Chapter contains ALOT! To my surprise I didn't have to much trouble writing it, It was easy actually. Hopefully you'll like it, it's one of my favorite Chapters yet!
THANK YOU for my reviews, ImaginationStation00, CatnipGirlOnFire, finewithbeingateennot, MadHatter0542, WeInHere, CampHalf-BloodGirl and of course.. Firework7! EACH review, little or big means the world to me, it means I have READERS and your obviously enjoying it! Hope you hear more reviews soon! ;) You guys crack me up with some of them! Firework7.. I seriously LOLed!
Well, important NEWS.. You can now find me on Tumblr! I created a fan blog for my Fiction work, link is on my profile under the Facebook link. I'll most likely post H.G. related pics ect and ect there too, make it more of a community type page rather then the update/info Facebook page. Anywho, Chapter 20 (Whoa, can't believe were that far!) will be up most likely Wednesday afternoon/evening (U.S. EST). Again, if anything changes check the Facebook AND/OR Tumblr page. Wednesday seems a go though, I have BIG plains for Chapter 20! Anyway, I REALLY hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did! PLEASE review... I love 'um! Much, much, (S0) much love - Macayla
Run.
I'm running… again. But this isn't my nightmare, this isn't a dream. It's…
Reality.
Oh how I want this to be just a nightmare, just another horrible, terrible dream that haunts me in my sleep. But…
It's not.
It's not a dream. I run. Prim, Rory and Vick in toe. I hear them staggering behind me. We follow with the mass of running people towards the mines.
Bam!
We hear it again, nearly knocking me (and everyone around myself) to the ground. Thankfully I catch my footing, a few others don't though, being trampled over by the frantic families of the miners.
Gale.
He's dead. No, Katniss… not yet. Hope. All I need is hope. As if my nightmare couldn't become anymore realistic it does. It starts to rain, no, pour. Blinding my vision from the huge sign that reads "Mine Entrance". The rain immediately soaks my tightly worn shirt, sending me shivering as I continue to run. The only thing keeping me inline to my destination are the people running with me and the bright red and yellow lights coming from the Peacekeeper's vehicles at the Mines.
Finally after another agonizing minute of running were almost there… but yet so far away. So far away from the only person I want to see right now… so far away from what seems like my own life or death.
"BACK!"
I hear a deep, loud voice yell from the crowd I'm finding myself tangled in, mixing with the ear piercing sound of lightning and sirens. No, no medical sirens, we have no such thing as that in twelve, their the Peacekeeper's vehicles. Mixing in with their brightly colored, flashing lights. There's only so much the Peacekeeper's are trained in medical wise… I know my mother will have her hands full tonight.
Bam! Bam!
I hear it again, sending the whole entire crowd to the ground. I feel a heavy weight thrown on top of me, nothing but blackness from my face meeting the ground and the rain. People begin to stand…
Bam!
No.. it's not the sound of the mines, it's coming no where from the mines. That sound, is a gun. Their shooting at us, shooting at the own families of these most likely dead miners. People stand again though, including the people around me… including myself. Being short has it's disadvantages, I can see nothing but rain and people's backs. I try pushing myself to the front, but everyone else is doing the same, only causing yelling, shoving and crying.
"I said BACK!" The same man screams again, obstructed from my view. He doesn't sound far though.
"My husbands in there!", "My son!", "My Grandfather!"
People yell, scream from around me, I feel tears pooling around my eyes, threatening to spill over and mix with the rain water on my bare, cold face. "My husbands in there." I whisper to myself. The next voice though nearly knocks the wind out of me, sending the most coldest, evilest shivers down my spine. It's the voice of a little girl, small, scared and frail…
"My Daddy!"
She screams in a hysterical cry. My cry chimes in. I was her. Yes, my fathers death wasn't quite as chaotic as this, but I was her. Pleading for my father to not be dead to the mines. Today I'm pleading for my own Husband to be alive, safe from the wretched mines that take so many, so many fathers, husbands, sons, daughters, grandchildren.
I turn around, in search of this voice, in search of this little girl I can so much relate to. But why? To comfort her? To put a face to this voice? To hold her in my arms? To cry with her? I spot her though through the pouring down rain, being shoved back by a grown, older looking woman. The little girl cries out "Daddy!" again, mixing in with the cries and shouts of the others. Mixing in with the sound of my own weeping and over the sound of rain and thunder.
"Stop!" I shout at the woman.
The little girl falls to the ground with the loudest thud, banging her head on someone's leg. I watch for a second. Expecting the woman to help her, expecting someone much closer to her then me to help her, to extend a hand. To scope her up, set her down and continue their own shoving.
But they don't.
No one helps the poor, innocent girl from the ground. I only watch for another second, trying to depict her age. She looks eight. I hear the man shouting "Back" numerous times as I begin pushing against the crowd, never taking my eyes off the child. I finally reach her, but not without getting cussed by a man. I crotch down, extending my hand to the girl. Blood appears on her face, near her nose.
"It's okay, I'm here to help you!" I shout above the chaotic noise around us. My voice strains of panic and tears.
The sound of louder Peacekeeper sirens make notice. The rain seems to subdue to some viable range. She looks at me, hard through her tear stricken eyes, squinting at me. I keep my feet or two of distance. I'd wish the girl would take my hand, I have a dying husband to care about.
"But she has a dying father."
I hear in my head, almost draining me of my own thoughts of Gale. I extend my hand further, trying to smile through my pain and tears. She latches on at last, curling her fingers around the tip of my own fingers. I go to stand but I'm violently knocked down, nearly landing on top of the girl. The girl's and I's fingers are still interlaced with I fall flat on my front, smashing my face, torso and stomach flat into the ground, causing me to whimper in… pain. Abdomen pain.
The baby.
I just may be losing two people today. I may be losing the only remaining aspect I have of Gale. Something we did together… something we made together… something we created together.
Dead. Just like his own father might be.
I raise to my knees, keeping a tight grip on the girl. The next thing that happens seems not… me. Not myself. Something straight out of my dreams, a bad dream though, even though it's not entirely bad. It's not bad at all. My free hand slowly raises to my abdomen, gently resting over exactly where the baby is.
"It's okay baby. Your gonna make it."
I say. Unaware of the words until they leave my lips. No, I'm not talking to the starring, crying girl next to me. I'm talking to my dying baby. I close my eyes, speaking my next words-
"It's okay baby. Your gonna make this Gale."
I let the words again slip, unaware of them before I spoke them again. I speak honestly though, I'm not losing one today… especially not two people. I turn my attention back to the girl gripping my entire hand now tightly (thinking I must be nuts). Leaving my other hand on my abdomen, I stand, yanking the girl with me. Most likely hurting her skinny, boney arm, just in time to hear-
"Alive ones!" Screamed from somewhere in the crowd. Alive.
Alive.
Alive! Gale's alive!
"Dead ones too! Lot's of injured!" Screams the same man from somewhere in the crowd, beyond the crowd.
Almost in a blink of an eye everyone immediately starts pushing… hard. From where I'm at with the girl I can see nothing but peoples backs still.
"Follow me!" I shout to the girl, clutching on to her hand tightly. She nods her head quickly in answer.
Her eyes never leave me as I begin pushing myself, shoving. I move my arm to behind my back, dragging the girl directly behind me as I squeeze my way through people, spots so narrow only one of us can fit at a time. Finally I begin to spot the rod iron, 7ft tall fence that boarders the mine entrance. I shove, hard through the ever growing, ever angry crowd. Trying nothing more then to make it to that fence, knowing I'll see more that way.
Lightning. It cracks through the sky, rumbling the ground beneath me. The rain stops to a steady fold of water, not a downpour though. It's the time of storm that comes on a hot summer afternoon, making the town turn a depressing grey. My eyes become blurry with water (From rain or tears I don't know) as I begin to see the fence more clearly, as I weave in and out between people, keeping a tight grip on the whimpering girl behind me. A woman shoves me hard, sending an indescribable pain through my abdomen. I close my eyes just briefly-
"Come on, you can make it."
I mouth to myself, speaking not just to my most likely dying baby inside of me but to my most likely dying Husband underground too. I open my eyes just in time to see a small crack in the crowd, leading straight to the fence. I sprint, run to that fence. Yet again yanking the girl with me.
When I reach the small fence I nearly pass out at the new sight before me. It's nothing of the crowd. I place my free hand on one of the bars before me, keeping my balance as my vision turns from blurry to clear… then back to blurry. I curse this fence, the fence they purposely close during mine explosions to hold back the families and friends.
Through my troubled vision I can see a mass of Peacekeeper's surrounding the Mine Entrance, shouting (and screaming) things I'd never understand, codes and singles that only they themselves know. Just a few feet from them, in the brush around the small building that lines the Mine Shaft stands another mass of Peacekeeper's, all bent over in what appears to almost be a circle. In that semi-circle and area lines dozens of…
Miners.
"Gale!?" I scream at them, trying desperately to see his face in the injured, bleeding miners laying on the ground.
Even though I scream, it goes completely unnoticed. Blocked out by the sirens, (other) screams and cracking lightning and rain. The next person I see almost relief's me. No it's not Gale it's…
My mother.
My mother. Who's the healer. She's the one to keep Gale alive if he's even still alive. I see Prim, standing next to her. Helping her.
Prim!
Rory! Vick! I have completely forgot they were behind me, following me into the crowd. I pray that Rory and Vick are unharmed from the crowd. Obviously Prim found her way around it, I'll never understand how she works…
I turn my attention back to the group of Peacekeeper's at the Mine Entrance just in time to see them pull another seven or eight Miners from the shaft. Smoke and ash are mixed in with them, I hear a few of them coughing. I try frantically, desperately to identify one of them as Gale but it's in possible. Their so covered with dirt, coal and blood. Some of them begin to limp over to where my mother has set up her medic station, some of the others are carried by the Peacekeeper's, other's are completely unmovable, being slung over the backs of other Peacekeeper's.
Dead.
I've seen enough dead people in my life to know one when I see one. I cover my mouth with my hand as tears begin pouring from my eyes. What if one of those dead men is Gale? Just what if? Minutes begin ticking by but no other miners are pulled out yet, their all working frantically though, sending more and more Peacekeeper's down in the wretched mines. I crotch down, still holding on to the hand of the girl that has now made her way beside me, keeping my other hand on the bar still as my hand slides down it. I sit completely on my bottom, watching. Waiting.
How long I wait? I don't know. The rain stops completely as minutes begin ticking by, faster and faster. Another load of miners come up from the smoking shaft, mostly dead ones as far as I can see. Being slowly dragged over to my mothers medic station, dropped on the floor. All of their identities are still unclear, the smoke, ash, coal and mostly blood cover their faces and bodies more then ever now. I rest my forehead on the bars, ignoring the shooting pains through my abdomen.
"I'll always be here for you Katniss."
I hear the sentence in my head, replaying the words Gale told me just last night.
"Oh Gale." I cry out. "I need you!" I say through my wretched sobs.
I feel a slight squeeze on one of my hands, confused I raise my head from the fence, starring into the teary eyes of the girl. She's now crotched down with me, clutching my hand with her head resting on my shoulder. Even though I have no idea who she is, or what's her story I feel an odd, comfortable feeling with her. Feeling as though her herself is my father, telling me everything's alright.
Everything's alright.
XX
An hour. Two. They come, the crowd getting quieter and quieter, all following with crouching down, holding on to their families members. Silently (now) crying and weeping to themselves. The sirens from the Peacekeeper's vehicles and the mines have somewhat calmed themselves in volume. Maybe are ears are simply adjusting to it now. Through the quieter crowd I can hear the Peacekeeper's talking more, speaking about the miners. I listen as I can barley hear one of them shout "22 dead so far sir". I cringe at the news.
22?
And one of them could be Gale. I close my eyes, trying desperately to tell Gale I love him, through whatever lies between us… life or death.
I cry silently as slowly, one by one they start calling people from the mass crowd, walking around some when no one answers to the name. Taking two families at a time to the injured or dead miners, they must be nearly sixty or seventy of them now. Most of them now obstructed from the crowds view, including my own. I grip the girls hand tightly as the crowd silently watches the first two families being escorted to the injured/dead by several exhausted looking Peacekeeper's. One of the families, a woman that must be in her thirties and her little girl are taken away to the injured that are obstructed from my view by the crowd. I turn my attention to the other family, an older looking woman with grey hair and her two sons, they both look to be my age. They each take hold of their mothers arm as she is slightly bent over, all three slowly walking with the Peacekeeper. Two Peacekeeper's lead them over to where several, several miners lay to what appears to be uncurious, dead. The next moment I hear the woman scream, falling to the ground.
Dead. Whoever she was looking for must be… dead.
I wait. Silently with the girl as name after name is called. Screams after screams. Some of joy. Some of grief. Some of pain. Not from the families though, from the miners my mother is frantically working on still. Name after name after name after name are called, a good forty or fifty minutes must pass by, the storm clouds get darker and darker. Going into the late afternoon with no sunlight.
I watch as two Peacekeeper's walk up to each other, one from the mine shaft and one from the injured, they only feet from where I'm at, I listen to their entire conversation unnoticed-
"Sir, the fire is to much. I can't send anymore of my men down there without getting killed"
"How many are left?" The other Peacekeeper asks, I'm almost positive he's the head one.
"I don't know, a lot. Two hundred, maybe three."
"We can't leave them to die."
"Sir, with all do respect." He pauses for a second. "I'm sure they already are. The mines are not suit anymore for human contact. Between the heat, fire and smoke, Sir… their already dead. I can't risk anymore of our Peacekeeper's lives."
"How many of our own have we lost?"
"Five Sir."
The head Peacekeeper sighs loudly, appearing angry before his next words-
"Send code 325 to the Capitol, 233 to District 2 and 890 to the Mayor. It's mission over. Tell the Mayor we lost more then we could save."
And with that they both part their ways. I (again)cringe at the words, there's well over more dead miners then alive miners, meaning Gale is most likely dead. I cry, loudly. The girl's cries beside me echo my own. A light mist begins from the storm clouds, drowning me further into my sorrow. I continue crying as name after name is called still. I close my eyes, realizing what will happen when my own name is ca-
"Katniss Hawthorn!?"
I open my eyes to see a Peacekeeper standing directly above me, on the other side of the fence…
Darius!
But that does absolutely nothing to what is about to happen to me. I'm about to find out my husband is dead, gone forever. Darius crotches down on my level, on the other side of the fence still.
"Katniss," He whispers. "He's alive."
And with that… I scream. Joy. No, more like relief.
He's alive!
Darius briefly smiles at my reaction, but just briefly.
"He's alive." He repeats. "He's pretty banged up but your mom thinks he's going to make it. He's asking for you." He says.
I stand, shaking my head violently. The girl beside me stands too. I don't quit catch the next name called but it must be hers-
"That's me." She chokes out, speaking her first words to me.
She runs off, dropping my hand and running to the small opening now in the fence a few yards down. I slowly walk after her, toward the opening too but I quickly lose her.
"Good luck." I mouth to myself.
After stepping over a few people I make it to the small gate in the fence, meeting Darius there. He gives me a reassuring smile before placing a hand on my back, helping me move. With his steady hand there, I follow him, walking into the mass of moaning, injured, bleeding miners. Away from the dead ones…
Away from the dead ones.
I pass one miner who (as it appears) for his legs burned off. I look away at the sight and to Darius as we pass him,
"What happened?" I ask, fear evident in my voice.
"Airgusta hid a bomb somewhere in the mines…" He starts as we step over and around the injured. "It triggered an explosion but it blew a lot of the gases, causing a massive fire to break out. That stays between us, got it?" He finishes in a whisper.
"Yes." I choke out, louder then I intended.
I continue following Darius in the ever growing mass of bleeding injured, the moans become louder and more urgent as we go, a few of them screaming help through their choked and weak voices. A lot of the miners have their families with them now, gathered around. I try searching for my mother but spot no one but a girl named 'Sunny', she helps my mother and Prim a lot when she has to care for more then four or five patients at a time.
I don't say anything as we pass her, for no apparent reason though. My soul focus right now is on Gale… He's alive! We continue yet again weaving in and out of the injured, maybe there's more then sixty or seventy… it looks well over that now. Just as we step over a few more bleeding miners I begin to see Gale, from what it looks like but before I can say or do anything…
BAM!
Everyone screams, falling to the ground. Darius pushes me there, but remains completely calm.
"What the hell was that!?" I shout before I can stop it.
"Explosion. Controlled." He says, sternly as he survey's the people around us. His radio goes off-
"466 is done. No human life remains in the mines. Mission is complete."
Darius ignores the voice coming through his radio and helps me stand, brushing dirt off of his white panted, bloody uniform. I would find it funny if I wasn't so confused.
"Controlled." He says again. "We had to do it Katniss, to end any suffering." He adds.
I finally add his words up. They made yet another mine explosion, killing off any living miners. I want to scream, cuss every fowl word at him, at his squad for allowing something like this, for doing something like this. I hold my tongue though, realizing I'm just feet away from an injured Gale who's asking for me. Right now I have to focus on my own family.
I turn back around and everyone has resumed whatever the hell they were doing before, everyone acts as though it didn't happened. That the Peacekeeper's just didn't make the death toll rise higher. I shake my head and turn my attention back to the man I thought was Gale. Darius leads me past him, I was wrong, it wasn't him. We walk another few feet before he walks me to where several miners lay, moaning in pain.
"Right there." Darius says, pointing to a man covered in blood, coal and ash.
Gale.
He's completely unrecognizable. His skin is burned, mostly his body, arms, legs. I jog over to him, closing the feet or two of distance.
"Katni-" He chokes out, unable to finish my own name.
I get down on my knees beside him, placing my hands on either side of his head that has a gashing wound across his forehead, one of his arms is wrapped in white linen. The touch instantly stains my hands red.
"Oh Gale!" I let out through my tears.
"I was worried about you." Gale says, coughing afterwards. His words are sloppy though, he can barley move his mouth. I laugh briefly at his words.
"Me? I was worried about you!" I reply, soothing back his hair that is caked to his wound on his head from blood. He moans in pain. "Sorry. Sorry!" I say.
I move my head from being just inches from his and survey his body. The remaining bit of his mining clothes he has on is burned to his skin. Blood is everywhere, mostly dry though, meaning he hasn't bled as much recently.
"Catnip?" He chokes out, I bring my head back up to his.
"You going to be fine. Sh!" I respond, trying to sooth him by running my fingers in his tangled hair.
"How bad is it?" He asks me, pain evident in his voice, straining.
"Not bad. Not bad at all!" I answer with a reassuring smile. I speak only somewhat honestly though, his burns are pretty server, from what I know.
"I'm sorry Katniss, I'm so sorry!" He says, extending his good arm and placing it on my waist. "I should've been more carefu-"
"Gale, Shh!" I say, cutting him off from his words.
"I'm sorry. I.. We were coming out, getting off…" He swallows loudly. "… early. We were alm-"
"Gale, Stop. Res-"
"…almost there. We had… clocked out and… were heading to the.. Shaft when-"
"Gale!" I shout, trying to calm him, knowing how upset he appears and the weakness in his voice.
He's only doing himself worse by trying to tell me this story that yes, I absolutely am interested in but not now, not here. He doesn't listen though and does his best with continuing,-
"… when everything got…" He stutters. "got… bright. And hot. Katniss?"
I remove my hands from his head, taking his one hand on my waist and taking it in my own, resting it on my lap, causing blood to stain my clothes.
"What?" I ask gently, wishing he'd shut up, wishing he'd just relax.
"I… I was scared."
XX
Ten or fifteen minutes later I'm ordered to stand, backing up… by my own mother. Her, with four or five Peacekeeper's surround Gale, lifting him and placing him on a wide piece of wood. I cry silently as I watch them do this, causing Gale to cry out in agonizing pain. He cusses at my own mother. It doesn't effect her though, she acts as though she didn't hear it. While the Peacekeeper's retrain Gale to the make-shift gurney with rope, my mother quickly comes over to me. Her hairs a tangled mess in her usual braid, her clothes are completely red with blood, old and fresh and she reeks of sweat, blood and tears. The worst part of it though, is she clearly reeks of routing flesh.
"Katniss, Hon?" She speaks, frantically and quickly. "I'm going to give you a few instructions for Gale right now, I need you to listen." She says, shaking her head at me.
I quickly sniff my tears away as I hear my mother start to continue, and another scream of pain from Gale.
"Hon, I'm sending Gale home for now, he'll be okay but he's badly wounded." She pauses, making sure I'm following. "Hazel was here, she's moved the mattress downstairs in the living room for Gale, putting fresh sheets on. The Peacekeeper's will help you lay him there.." She pauses again. "Leave him there! Give him water if he asks for it but no food, understand?" She asks me, I nod my head in answer, trying to absorb it all in. "Good. I need you to keep him talking, don't let him sleep. If he's talking he's breathing. Don't give him any medicine. But I do need you to do one thing for me, sweetheart for him.." She says, looking at me intensely.
I'm almost scared at what she's about to say, Ever since I was young I've been squeamish around human blood, guts and bones. I swallow hard and shake my head,
"I need you to clean the burns for me. You know how do it Katniss!" She says.
She's right, I do. It's the only bit of help my mother ever can get from me when she's with her patients, it still makes me sick to my stomach though. But it's Gale, I'll do anything for him.
"I'll be there as soon as I can Katniss. Just talk to him, distract him!" My mother finishes, Taking my hand and squeezing it slightly, I burst into tears before I'm aware of it.
"Katniss, baby. He's going to be okay. I just need you to be that strong woman I know you are. Hazel's there to help yo-"
"Mrs. Everdeen! Mrs. Everdeen! We need you!" A man shouts from a several feet away.
"I have to go. Take him home, I promise I'll be there as soon as I can. Love you."
And with that she runs off, following the guy to area of the dead. One of the Peacekeeper's who's helping Gale looks at me, the rain starts to come down harder again, a heavy downpour.
"Where to Mrs. Hawthorn?" He asks me, I hear Gale moan in pain.
"West end of the Seam." I choke out.
He shakes his head in answer. The rain lets up as somewhat as we begin making our way out of the mining gate that covers the property and start down the Seam road. I tag behind them, quickly nodding at the Peacekeeper holding the gate open for me. He smiles… a sad smile.
We walk, the five or six minute walk to Gale's and I's home. His moans and cries of pain only get louder and more intense. I manage to stop my crying, but it only makes the pain worse in my heart. Were almost there (I point it out to the Peacekeeper's) when Gale speaks again-
"Katniss?" He somewhat shouts, seeking me out through the pain, rain and blood.
"I'm right here!" I shout form behind Gale and the men. "Were almost home!"
He only answers with another agonizing moan. Loud thunder cracks, making the beating of my hurting heart go even faster. I feel as though I could faint. From exhaustion, misery, sorrow but I can't. I have to be strong for Gale.
We arrive at our home, the men stop at the porch stairs, looking back at me. I run ahead of them, throwing the front door open, pointing with my finger for them to walk inside. The heave Gale over their shoulders now. I step aside on the porch, letting them enter. When they are, I follow them in, shutting the door behind me. All four of the Peacekeeper's work to take Gale off of the stretcher (wood) and onto the mattress Hazel moved from the bedroom. I stand there with her in the doorway, she clings tightly to me as we watch. The house fills with Gale's screams and shouts of fowl language. I manage again to hold back all my tears, in effort to be stronger for Hazel. She cries hysterically.
"He's going to make it." I tell her. "He's going to be alright."
I rub my hand down her arm, trying to comfort her but I'm not the comforting type. I'm the one needing to be comforted, I'm the one.
With one last grunt from Gale the Peacekeeper's finally get him down and onto the mattress on the floor. They turn towards Hazel and I, carrying the blood stained piece of wood.
"Anything else Mrs. Hawthorn?" The same Peacekeeper asks me.
"No, thank you." I choke out, my voice sounding unlike my own.
They all nod their heads at me, leaving for the door and shutting it quietly behind them. I turn to Hazel, asking her one quick question-
"The kids?"
"At a friends house, the boys, Posy. Their fine." She says quickly.
Before I can respond she runs into the living room (I follow) and throws herself at Gale, much like I did. Talking soothing words to him. He answers back and I remind myself him talking is a good thing, I mother ordered him to.
My mother's instructions.
I go back to what my mother has just said to me not twenty minutes ago… water good. Food no. Medicine no. Clean his wounds/burns yes.
"Hazel, I need you to go to my mothers home and get some things I need for his burns." I say, surprisingly calmly.
She says something quickly to Gale, (I don't quite catch it) and stands, facing me. I rack my brain, trying to remember what my mother uses to treat burns and cuts. I place both my hands on my forehead, closing my eyes, in an effort to think harder. I hear Gale call for me but I ignore for the moment. Finally it comes to me, most of it anyway. I tell Hazel of the few herbs to bring, asking her to pick up a few extra clean towels.
"Got it!" She says when I'm done.
I start walking towards Gale as Hazel walks to the front door but then a thought hits me, I turn around slightly-
"Oh! Bring Rory over, I could use an extra set of hands." I say to her, hoping she'll be fine with that. She nods her head in answer, slamming the door behind her.
"Katniss?" Gale says weakly.
"I'm here, Gale. I'm here." I say, crouching down beside him.
I hear that his breathing is heavy, almost small silent gasps with each breath he takes. That's normal though isn't it? I pray that it is.
Gale watches me for the next minutes as we wait for Hazel, I rub small circles into the palm of his good hand. He starres at my shirt covered in blood, and my hands as well.
"Katniss?" He speaks, breaking the house from it's ere sound of distant sirens, run and thunder.
"Hmm?" I respond softly, moving my other hand to his hair. I see the pain in his eyes.
"I… I'm in so… much pain." He says, pretty much telling me he wants pain killers.
"My mothers on her way, she's bringing medicine." I reply.
"I.. I can't wait tha-"
"Gale, you are so strong." I tell him honestly. "You can get through this. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
He looks at me and for the first time he… smiles. Small yes, but a smile either way.
"I guess… I… I've been through worse." He says jokingly. He can't be serious? I laugh though, remembering my mother said to distract him.
"And how?" I ask, smiling and continuing with rubbing circles on his hand.
"Re… Remember the time we… we were wrestling?" He asks me, weakly.
I squint my face and then bam… I know the exact story Gale is trying to tell me-
This story is only from last year. Me and Prim had come over to Gale's home for the day, to have fun, it was for no apparent reason. Gale recalled that he spend a year on the wrestling team, the year his Dad had died. Long story short somehow I got thrown into a bet that I could beat Gale at wrestling, low and behold I did(with a lot of effort). Surprising myself, Gale (of course), Prim, the boys, Posy. Even Hazel who walked into the living room to see me having her son in a death grip around the neck. It wasn't easy and I didn't go easy on Gale. On my last move, I kicked Gale square in the head, knocking him instantly unconscious. That day I had thought I had hurt Gale seriously. He woke up twenty minutes later with a pounding, aching headache and a lump on the side of his head. His brothers haven't let the memory die every since.
I laugh at the thought of that memory, me taking a beating to Gale. Gale's weak laugh joins in with mine.
"I let you win." He tells me.
I laugh harder, beyond thankful that were both now laughing in a moment like this, when only minutes ago we were both crying in pain, separate kind of pains. The front door suddenly bust open and I know it must be Hazel and hopefully Rory, I can't see from the living room. Thankfully I'm correct when Hazel rejoins us in the living room. Gale lets out a whimper of pain as he tries readjusting his legs, he stops though. Gale weakly smiles when he see's Rory.
"Thank you." I say to Hazel as she hands me the herbs and items I needed to clean Gale's burns/wounds. "Rory? I need you to sterilize some water for me, a lot of it. There's some buckets and a water spout in the backyard…" I say. "… there's a bottle of Iodine under the sink. Quickly please!" I tell him.
He doesn't say anything and runs off, again the door slams shut. I take the bottles of herb's and fresh linins from Hazel, opening the containers.
"Gale, I'm going to have to clean the burns. I'm sorry." I apologize, knowing how bad it will make it burn. He doesn't say anything but sighs.
I begin taking the lids off of the three containers, dipping the end of a white clothe into the sticky, dark green ointment. It has a particular smell… not pleasant.
"Side." I hear Gale say through my thoughts. The sound of a loud crack of thunder jolts me.
"What?" I ask him, continuing dipping the linins.
"I… I want to be… on my side. My… my back is… burned." He answers, coughing afterwards.
I stop and look up, understanding what he's saying. It would cause more pain if he's hurt on his back but therefore laying on top of it. I nod my head and look at Hazel.
"We need to roll him onto his side gently." I strain the word, knowing that Hazel would be though of course.
Before we do though, I ask Hazel to bring me a pair of scissors or a knife. She brings a pair of scissors down from her knitting basket. I carefully and gently (the best I can) cut Gale from his shirt. Pits and pieces are charred into his flesh, I leave them. Honestly being lost at what to do there.
Once I'm finished I lay aside the blood covered scissors, turning my attention with getting Gale on his side. I position my knees on the mattress, sitting on my feet. Hazel rolls Gale to his side and making his torso aliened with my knees. Of course this doesn't come without more agonizing moans, grunts, groans and screams of pain from Gale, making my heart tare into two at each sound. I silently pray that the closeness to me now helps him with the pain, he wraps both his arms around me, burying his head on the side of my legs. He squeezes me tightly, staining my clothes redder.
I begin rubbing the ointment gently on his back, legs, arms(that I can get to) and face. Getting cussed at several times from him. I continue doing this while listening to the screams about from Gale. I lone, silent tear falls from my eyes. After applying the ointment for a good ten, fifteen minutes (with both Hazel's and Rory's help), I wait the five minutes I'm supposed to and then I start with applying the clean water now that Rory brought in for me. Another round of Gale's screams courses through my body as I work the water on, cleaning the blood and puss. Ten minutes of that and were finally done. I've cleaned the burns/wounds the best I can. All that is left is to wait for my mother to finish and give him medicine he's in desperate need of.
"Take a break." I say to Hazel in a whisper-like tone, noticing her greenness on her face. She nods, silently getting up and excusing herself to the kitchen.
Gale rolls back to his back, without our help or awareness before hand. He grunts loudly as he thumps back onto the mattress completely-
"Gale, please be careful!" I exclaim to him.
"I ne… ed that medici… medicine, Katniss! Please!" He shouts at me, Rory watches intently.
"I know baby but I can't-"
"Yes you can!" He shouts me, louder. "Please!" He begs.
It's almost as though I can feel Gale's pain, his heartache. I want nothing more then to give him the relief he so desperately needs but I can't. My mother locks the pain medicine away, carrying the key with herself always. I can do nothing for him until my mother shows up, which I pray is any second. I tell Gale this and he grunts in answer.
"Damn it, Katniss!" He screams at me.
That's when I know I need a short break, a breather. I hate to leave Gale with just his brother but I have to, just for a moment. I exclaim this to Rory and he nods his head, telling me the same thing I told Hazel, 'Take a break'. And I will do just that. I whisper to Rory to keep Gale talking, distract him. He nods his head again. Rory takes my seat on the mattress and I excuse myself into the kitchen too. I walk in to see Hazel looking at something on the counter, I pay no mind to her as I pull out a chair at the table, slamming my head down onto it. Tears begin building in my eyes-
"Katniss?" Hazel calls for me, her tone completely changed. Back to her sweet nature.
"What?" I respond, a bit to harshly.
"What are these darling?" She asks me.
I raise my head up from the table, turning my attention toward where she stands. She wears an odd grin. In her hands are books,
The pregnancy books . . . . . .
Chapter 20 Preview: How will Katniss respond to Hazel finding the pregnancy books? Will stress take over her emotions in answering? And how will Hazel respond to whatever news Katniss delivers? How will Gale heal? Will Katniss ever see that certain little girl she met at the mines or is she gone forever? What is the fate of her Father? And what will happen when Katniss goes searching for her? Find out Wednesday!