Chapter 15

Katniss lays her sleeping bag out and gets me into it. I watch Katniss as she does something at the mouth of the cave. But she gets frustrated.

"Katniss," She walks to me. "Thanks for find me." I say.

Katniss nods. "You would have found me if you could."

This is true. "Yes. Look if I don't make it back-" I begin.

"Don't talk like that. I didn't drain all that pus for nothing." she cuts me off.

"I know. But just in case I don't-"

"No, Peeta, I don't even want to discuss it," Katniss interrupts me again, placing her fingers to my lips.

"But I-"

Katniss presses her lips to mine to shut me up. Then she pulls away. "You're not going to die. I forbid it. All right?" Katniss says.

"All right," I whisper. Katniss walks out of the cave and my eyes close.

My eyes open and I pull away. Katniss was kissing me. "Peeta, look what Haymitch has sent you." says Katniss holding up a pot. It's my first sponsor. Only, I'm not hungry. Katniss tries everything to convince me to eat the broth in the pot. Eventually it's empty. I close my eyes. I wake up a few times throughout the night. Katniss is always there.

I open my eyes this time, though, Katniss is gone. I remember the carriers hunt at night. I struggle to get up, after a few minutes, Katniss walks in. I sigh. "I woke up and you were gone, I was worried about you."

Katniss laughs. "You were worried about me? Have you taken a look at yourself lately?"

"I thought Cato and Clove might have found you. They like to hunt at night." I say.

Katniss looks confused. "Clove? Which one is that?"

"The girl from District Two. She's still alive, right?" I ask.

Katniss nods. "Yes, there's just them and us and Thresh and Foxface," I raise my eyebrow, Foxface? "That's what I nicknamed the girl from Five." she tells me. "How do you feel?"

"Better than yesterday." I say. "This is an enormous improvement over the mud. Clean cloths and medicine and a sleeping bag and... you."

Katniss goes to touch my check, but I take Katniss's hand and press it to my lips. "No more kisses for you until you've eaten." says Katniss.

Katniss gives me some smashed berries, but I refuse to eat the meat again. Then I beg her to get some sleep while I take watch. She finally accepts.

After hours, Katniss wakes up. "Peeta, you were supposed to wake me after a couple hours."

"For what?" I ask. "Nothing's going on here. Besides I like watching you sleep. You don't scowl. Improves your looks a lot." Then, Katniss scowls, causing me to grin.

Katniss unwraps my leg. I watch Katniss's face, it looks like she'll throw up. "Well, there's more swelling, but the pus is gone," she says in a shaky voice.

I look at my wound. "I know what blood poisoning is. Katniss, even if my mother isn't a healer." I say.

"You're going to have to outlast the others, Peeta. They'll cure you in the Capitol when we win." she says.

"Yes, that's a good plan," I say.

Katniss looks at me for a moment. "You have to eat. Keep your strength up. I'm going to make you soup."

"Don't light a fire," I say. "It's not worth it."

"We'll see," Katniss says.

Later Katniss comes back. I wish I would die. This is making me miserable. But I need to try to think like a winner. For Katniss, it seems like she has some interest in me.

"Do you want anything?" Katniss asks.

"No thank you. Wait, yes. Tell me a story." I say. My dad used to tell me stories. And sometimes my brothers would too. Although there stories used to frighten me

"A story? About what?" she asks.

"Something happy. Tell me about the happiest day you can remember." I say.

Katniss sighs and thinks for a moment. "Did I ever tell you about how I got Prim's goat?" Katniss asks. I shake my head and listen.

Katniss begins with telling me how she was able to buy the goat. And how it was injured, once she got the goat home, Prim and Katniss's mother started working to heal the goat's wound.

"They sound like you." I say.

Katniss looks at me. "Oh, no, Peeta. That thing couldn't have died if it tired."

"Don't worry. I'm not trying. Finish the story." I say.

"Well, that's it. Only I remember that night, Prim insisted on sleeping with Lady on a blanket next to the fire. And just before they drifted off, the goat licked her check, like it was giving her a good night kiss or something. It was already mad about her." says Katniss.

I smile. "Was it still wearing the pink ribbon?"

"I think so. Why?" says Katniss.

"I'm just trying to get a picture. I can see why that day made you happy." I say.

"Well I knew that goat would be a little gold mine." she says.

I roll my eyes. "Yes, of course I was referring to that, not the lasting joy you gave the sister you love so much you took her place in the Reaping."

"The goat has paid for itself, several times over." she says.

"Well, it wouldn't dare do anything else after you saved it's life." I say. Katniss looks confused. "I intend to do the same thing." I say.

"Really what did you coast me again?" she asks.

"A lot of trouble. Don't worry. You'll get it all back." I say.

Katniss laughs. "You're not making any sense," Katniss puts her hand to my forehead. "You're a little cooler though."

Trumpets sound off and Katniss runs to the mouth of the cave. "Claudius Templesmith has another announcement. Hopefully the rule change hasn't been revoked. Thankfully Claudius invites us to the feast instead. The feast is basically the second blood bath of The Hunger Games. They send up supplies, and the tributes fight to get them.

I listen to the voice. "Now hold on. Some of you may already be declining my invitation. But this is no ordinary feast. Each of you need something desperately." says Claudius. Claudius goes into the further explaining, and I know the medicine I need for my leg will be at the feast. Once the announcement is over, and speak up. I stand up and grab Katniss's shoulder. I ignore the pain.

"No. You're not risking your life for me." I say.

"Who said I was?" says Katniss.

"So you're not going?" I ask.

"Or course, I'm not going. Give me some credit. Do you think I'm running straight into some free-for-all against Cato and Clove and Thresh? Don't be stupid. I'll let them fight it out, we'll see who's in the sky tomorrow night and work out the plan from there." she says.

"You're such a bad liar, Katniss. I don't know how you survived this long. I knew that goat would be a little gold mine. You're a little cooler though. Of course, I'm not going." I shake my head again. "Never gamble at cards. You'll lose your last coin." I say.

I watch as Katniss's face gets redder. "All right, I am going, and you can't stop me."

"I can follow you. At least partway, I may not make it to the Cornucopia, but if I'm yelling your name, I bet someone can find me. And then I'll be dead for sure." I say.

"You won't get a hundred yards from here on that leg." says Katniss.

"Then I'll drag myself. You go and I'm going too." I say.

Katniss looks at me. "What am I supposed to do? Sit here and watch you die?"

"I won't die. I promise. If you promise not to go." I say.

"Then you have to do what I say. Drink you water, wake me up when I tell you, and eat every bite of the soup no matter how disgusting it is." Katniss tells me.

I nod my head. "Agreed. Is it ready." Katniss stands up.

"Wait here," she says and walks out of the cave.

Katniss comes back, and I eat the soup, and don't complain. I even scrap every last bite of soup in the pot. And I start encouraging her with how great the soup tasted. Katniss gives me more pills and walks out of the cave.

I watch as Katniss walks back into the cave. "I brought you treat. I found a new patch of berries a little further downstream." I take the first bite.

"They're very sweet." I say.

Katniss nods. "Yes they're sugar berries. My mother makes jam from them. Haven't you ever had them before?"

I take another bite. "No. But they taste familiar. Sugar berries?" I ask.

Katniss nods and gives me another bite. "They're sweet as syrup," I say. "Syrup."

Sleep syrup. It makes you fall asleep. She will go to the feast, I try to spite the stuff up. But Katniss covers my mouth. There's nothing I can do as I'm dragged into unconsciousness.