AN: Thank you so much for everyone who followed/favorited this story, and a special shout out to XCadenceEverdeenX for my first ever review!

Also, I have no medical training whatsoever and the internet is only so reliable, so I apologize for any medical inaccuracies!

Chapter 3

I wake up in a hospital bed, surrounded by nurses. They are talking to each other, but I can't make out their words, save for a few like "tear" and "protection".

I don't remember how I got here; all I can register is the ringing in my head and the searing pain between my legs.

They are propped up in stirrups at the end of the bed, and when I look down I see one of the nurses sitting on a stool between my legs, and I think she is using swabs to collect samples.

Samples of what? I wonder

I see another person behind her taking pictures of the area with a large camera. I would be concerned about being so exposed, especially to someone taking pictures, but I can't bring myself to focus on it for too long.

Each time the flash from the camera goes off, a piercing pain slices through my skull. I don't even feel what the nurse between my legs is doing anymore, the area feeling like it has been numbed.

Another nurse at the head of the bed is shining a light in my eye, trying to talk to me. I can barely make out what she's saying, something like "Miss? Miss can you hear me?"

I begin to nod before the blackness takes over again and I pass out, my head hitting the bed.

I awake again some time later, alone in the room, except for a nurse standing next to me, writing something down on a clipboard.

"Where am I?" I croak out, my throat dry and scratchy.

"You're in the hospital, Miss. You drove yourself here last night." She answers in a calming voice. I close my eyes and lean back, trying to get past the throbbing in my head.

"Can I have some water?" I ask her.

"Of course." She answers, pouring me some water into a cup sitting next to the bed. She hands it to me and I take a big gulp, the water burning my dry throat as it slides down. I finish the cup and she pours me another.

"Can I ask you what your name is sweetie? We found an ID in the bag you brought in with you, but could you confirm it for me?" she asks.

"Katniss Everdeen." I tell her.

She nods and goes to stand up. "I am going to go get the doctor, and he will be here in a minute. Will you be okay by yourself for a few minutes?"

I look up at her to get a good look. She has very pale skin and some of the reddest hair I've ever seen. I look at her name tag, but trying to read that far away is making my head throb.

I give her a nod and she walks out of the room, leaving me in silence.

What happened last night? I ask myself.

The last thing I remember is driving Cato home and setting him on his bed, anything after that is a blur.

Why am I in the hospital?

I look around the room. It's glaringly white, save for a painting with a bright dandelion on the opposite wall. The picture is really calming and I feel relaxed for a moment.

I look at the bedside table and read the time on the clock that is there: 5:30 am.

The door to the room opens and a doctor walks through wearing light blue scrubs and a white doctor's coat. He reaches his hand out to me to introduce himself.

"Hello Ms. Everdeen, my name is Dr. Heavensbee, and I have been the doctor assigned to your case since you brought yourself here last night."

I shake his hand, although what he is saying doesn't make any sense.

Why would I drive myself to the hospital? This not remembering thing is beginning to frustrate me, so I figure I better ask him what happened.

"Hello Dr. Heavensbee, it's nice to meet you." I say. "Could you tell me what I'm doing here? I am having a hard time remembering anything from last night."

The look he gives me after I ask him this is one of pure sadness.

I can see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to find the best way to tell me something he thinks I'm obviously not going to like.

His silence is starting to unnerve me, and I can feel the panic starting to rise in my chest.

"Doctor, what happened to me?" I ask curiously but firmly. He clears his throat and begins to speak.

"I think you are having trouble remembering the events of last night because when you came to us you had a serious concussion, causing you to black out numerous times throughout the night. You also have a pretty bad bruise on your cheek and partially cracked cheekbone.

But, when you came here last night, the nurse at the front desk happened to catch the last thing you said right before you collapsed." He hesitates before going on, while I give him an expectant look.

"Ms. Everdeen, you managed to tell the nurse last night that your boyfriend had just sexually assaulted you. Due to this statement we were compelled to run some tests on you while you were unconscious, and, I am very sorry, but unfortunately our tests were a positive confirmation of your statement".

I scowl and look at him like he has three heads.

What the hell is he talking about? I ask myself.

Why is he saying that Cato sexually assaulted me? Cato is always so sweet, there's no way he would hurt me, let alone rape me.

The Doctor sees the look I'm giving him, and gives me a very sad look in return.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" he asks me softly. I shake my head.

"Not really, the last thing I remember is driving my boyfriend home after a party and walking him to his room, and then…"

I don't get to finish my thought as my head starts throbbing. I cradle it, putting my hands over my face. My breathing picks up as the memories come flooding back to me like a freight train.

Cato, whispering in my ear.

No.

Cato, slamming me against the wall.

No this isn't real.

Cato, pinning my hands above my head, the cold wood of the floor pushing against them.

No, no, no. I can feel the tears streaming down my face.

The sound of his belt as it clatters to the floor, along with his pants. The feeling of him violating my most private area, and area he's never shown anything but affection for.

I all the sudden can't breathe.

The tears on my face, begging him to please stop. The feeling of him shuddering above me, claiming my body for himself against my will.

I don't even realize I'm screaming until I hear the Doctor call for backup.

I hear people rush into the room, and feel someone push me back against the bed.

"NO!" I scream at them.

"NO! DON'T TOUCH ME! GET OFF OF ME! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP! PLEASE, NO!" I feel myself being restrained as the tears are flooding down the hot skin on my face.

I feel my body start to convulse and I cannot stop shaking.

All of the sudden I feel a cooling sensation go up my arm, and look over just in time to see a nurse putting something into my IV.

"No please don't!" I sob hysterically at her. "Please don't hurt me!"

I feel the blackness creep into the edges of my vision before I feel my body slump against the bed.

I wake up later feeling extremely groggy, like I had slept for days.

Upon opening my eyes, I look over and see my mother sitting in a chair beside my bed, my father standing behind her, a hand on her shoulder.

My mother looks grief-stricken with tear tracks down her pale cheeks. My father looks as though he is wound up and could snap at any moment, a stoic expression on his face.

They're both staring at the floor with red-rimmed eyes, obviously having been crying.

"Mom?" I moan out.

She looks up at me and I immediately see some form of relief in her eyes.

"Oh thank god! Oh, baby, I'm so sorry." She cries as she shoots out of the chair and rushes over to my bedside to pull me into a tight hug.

She immediately starts crying, and I don't realize I am too until I feel the tears sliding down my cheek, dampening her shirt.

I tuck my face into the crook of her neck, trying to hold back the whimpers that are threatening to escape.

I feel my father move over to sit on the bed and hug us both, resting his chin on the top of my head and closing his eyes, letting a few tears slip down his olive skin.

"Mommy." I sob into her shirt. "I'm so sorry Mommy. I'm so, so sorry." I bawl, chanting the phrase like a prayer.

"Shhhh baby, it's okay. You're okay. Shhh it's not your fault. It's not your fault, baby." I hear her repeat over and over through her tears and her trembling voice.

I don't know how long we sit there, holding each other, whispering apologies and reassurances. Minutes? Hours? Days?

It all feels the same to me.

I hear someone come into the room and look over to see Dr. Heavensbee enter with a small, sad smile on his face.

"Hello Katniss. I hope it's okay that we took the initiative and called your parents for you since you are only seventeen."

"Of course it is." I reply, relieved that they are here.

"I would like to go over everything with you before you are discharged today, if that's alright?" I give him a nod.

He nods back and continues. "I already told you about your concussion, which we have monitored to make sure it didn't get any worse. It seems fine, and as long as you take it easy you should be feeling better in no time.

The crack on your cheekbone was very slight, so we do not need to operate on it. Again if you just take it easy, it should heal in due time, along with the bruise."

I nod again and wait for him to continue. He looks at my parents hesitantly, but goes on.

"When you were brought in last night, you had a bad tear in the lining surrounding the opening of your vaginal wall. We stitched it up for you, and in a few weeks you will need to come back and get the stitches removed.

We also noted that your assailant did not use any form of protection, so we went ahead and administered an emergency pregnancy preventative pill for you, just to be safe, not only from pregnancy but also any STDs."

I look at him and try to comprehend everything he is telling me, but I am too ashamed to look at my parents. All of the sudden I don't feel comforted having them near.

How can they even stand to be around me after what the Doctor just said?

"The best thing you can do now is to go home to get some rest and take it easy, not too much physical exertion. Also, I think it would be helpful if you maybe gave counseling some consideration. I know these situations can sometimes be extremely hard to deal with psychologically, and it's always good to be able to talk to someone who knows how to help. If you think that is an option for you, I can recommend a few therapists."

I nod at him and my father gives me a kiss on the top of my head and follows the Doctor out of the room to get the number of the therapist he recommends.

My mother looks down at me with a sad smile, kissing me on my forehead, trying to reassure me.

"You're going to be okay, baby. We're going to get through this together, I promise."

I try to smile back at her, but I don't think it even comes close to reaching my eyes. I have never felt more ashamed or exposed in my life, and the fact that my parents know what happened is turning my stomach.

I get dressed in the clothes my mom brought from home, being careful of my new stitches, and am discharged from the hospital.

Walking to the car with my parents, the sun is just going down, dipping below the horizon.

The sky is orange and yellow with a hint of pink, but not a bright shade of orange, only the soothing shade a sunset can give.

A million thoughts run through my mind at once as we pull out of the parking lot.

How am I going to get through this?

No one will ever want me again.

I don't even want me, how will someone else?

How can my parents even stand to look at me after what I've done?

I know this is all my fault, how will I ever live with what I've done?

I should have fought him off.

I should have fought harder.

It's my fault I didn't.

I let this happen.

It's all my fault.

I sigh, close my eyes, and lean my head against the window, wondering if I will ever find a way to quiet this new voice inside my head, even though I know it's right.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave a review! I want to know what you guys think! As always you can find me here or on tumblr at lovemesomehungergames1029 ;)