Chapter 6: Capitol Mutt
The weekend has passed so quickly in Annie's home. Nausea is still affecting Katniss and Annie makes sure that she eats small amounts, and often, to keep these bouts at bay. So far, it seems to be working. Finn has been a delight and he reminds Katniss so much of Finnick. He has a cheeky side and isn't shy at all. She remembers Haymitch calling Finnick a peacock and can see that little Finn will have both Finnick's charm as well as his good looks.
This gets Katniss thinking about Peeta. She hopes their baby looks like him. She hopes they have his calm and reassuring nature, quiet yet strong. This makes Katniss miss him even more and she places her hand over her stomach. Katniss wonders how long it will be before she feels the baby move? Annie explains what she thinks Katniss needs to know for now. She tells her that the nausea should wear off in another six to twelve weeks, maybe sooner, and that Katniss will probably experience the first movements of the baby as a little flutter in her stomach. That won't be for a few weeks yet. Then, as the baby grows, it's movements will become stronger and Annie tells Katniss that if Peeta puts his hand over her stomach, he will be able to feel the baby move, too. He will like that, Katniss thinks. A funny thought comes into her head about a bun in the oven and she starts to laugh. Pregnancy will not be such a hard thing for Peeta to understand after all.
Annie tells Katniss that she will need to have her mother, or another woman she trusts, to look after her when it is time for the baby to be born. This is because giving birth is an exhilarating, but painful experience that may last several hours, and Katniss will probably cry out. Having someone there to hold her hand and comfort her, even give her morphling if she needs it, will be a big help. Katniss can't imagine anyone but Peeta doing this for her. Annie suggests that Peeta can be close by, even in the room, but only another woman will really be able to help her with the birth. She says when Finn was born, if Finnick had been there, he probably would have passed out because he could not stand to see her in pain. Katniss thinks Peeta might be the same.
Annie goes on to tell Katniss that her breasts will become larger and that when the baby is born they will produce milk to feed it. Strangely, Katniss had already noticed her breasts becoming fuller and wondered if Peeta had noticed, too. If he had, he hadn't mentioned it to her yet. Katniss starts to wonder how she didn't know these things already and guessed it was probably because she spent too much time in the woods, avoiding their home where her mother carried out her healing duties. That usually involved things that Katniss did not want to know about. She wondered if Prim had ever seen a baby being born. Mostly it was people who were hurt in some way that their mother treated and Katniss starts to wish her mother was here to reassure her now.
A knock at the door interrupts them and Annie gets up to see who is there. Katniss' mother appears in the doorway and Katniss immediately runs into her mother's arms. They had not seen each other since her return to District 12 and her mother eventually holds Katniss out to have a look at her.
"Katniss. You look tired. How have you been?"
"I'm pregnant!" she blurts out.
"I know" says her mother. "Annie told me. She called me at the local hospital to tell me you were here and I just had to come and see you".
Katniss thinks her mother looks tired, too, and wonders how she is coming to terms with Prim's death. Right now she doesn't want to bring that up, though, as they are finally sharing some happy news. Katniss had not been close to her mother since her father's death. The grief had been overwhelming for her mother and Katniss had been left trying to pick up the pieces for her little sister Prim. She had lost someone, too, and now it had happened again. The gulf between them was wider than ever, but Katniss remembers how her mother stayed with her all through her hospitalisation after the overthrow of the Capitol, how she tended to her wounds and refused to leave her, even to attend Prim's funeral. Katniss found it hard to be grateful most of the time, but she was thankful to her mother for that. Katniss' relationship with Peeta had taken some of the sadness out of the fact that her mother had not returned to District 12. Maybe she will visit more often now.
Annie sits them both down at the table and they talk about the pregnancy, what to expect and then about Peeta. Katniss' mother had been surprised to hear that Katniss and Peeta had become so close, so quickly again. She is concerned about the possibility of Peeta having flashbacks and whether he could still hurt her. Katniss reassures her that Peeta has come a long way since the dark days of his hijacking and that she doesn't know where she would be without him. "He is my rock" she tells her mother, convincing her that all is well back in District 12.
After a couple of hours, Katniss' mother tells her she needs to go back to the hospital as they are very busy at the moment. There was a disturbance in the District last night and, when Katniss asks her what the disturbance was about, her mother says some Capitol rebels had tried to blow up ships in the Port to disrupt trade with the Capitol. They are not happy with the new regime and will do whatever it takes to return the old leadership in Panem. This was the first Katniss had heard about the Capitol rebels although she knew there was some lawlessness in the Districts. So far it had not affected District 12 and she hoped it stayed that way.
This had made her think about Gale. It was his job now to keep the peace and she wondered what things were like in District 2. That was even closer to the Capitol, and probably the rebel strongholds, which meant that Gale was still in danger. While she and Peeta were celebrating their new life in the safety of District 12, Gale was still risking his life helping to keep people safe. Too bad he hadn't been able to keep Prim safe. Katniss feels the bitterness rising in her chest and pushes it down quickly as she does not want anything to spoil her happiness now. She thinks about calling Peeta and telling him about her mother's visit.
Unexpectedly, there is another knock on the door. Annie tells Katniss she is not expecting anyone else to visit today and opens the door to find two peacekeepers standing there. One of them asks her name.
"Annie Cresta" she says.
"Is Katniss Everdeen staying with you ma'am?" they ask.
Katniss doesn't move. Why would peacekeepers be looking for her here? It doesn't make any sense.
"What do you want?" says Katniss challenging them without hesitation.
"We need you to come to the Capitol. Plutarch Heavensbee has requested a meeting with you".
"Why would Plutarch want to see me?" Katniss asks, sounding surprised.
"We are just here on orders from the Capitol. We need you to come with us"
"And if I refuse?" says Katniss.
"We do not want to have to use force, Ma'am. Please come with us and everything will be explained when we get there".
Katniss remembers her unborn child and her protective instincts come to the fore. She does not want to put her child at risk, so she reluctantly agrees to go with them. Katniss asks Annie to let Haymitch know what is happening, but warns her not to tell Peeta, at least not until Katniss knows why Plutarch wants to see her. Her biggest concern is that Peeta is expecting her back tomorrow and the delay could have dire consequences for both of them.
The hovercraft that brings her to the Capitol involves a two hour flight. It has been uncomfortable and Katniss can feel the nausea rising in her stomach again. When she alights, Katniss gulps in the fresh air and prepares to give Plutarch a piece of her mind. She has done her part for the Rebellion and doesn't want any more to do with establishing the New Panem.
After being led into the Presidential Palace, she sees Plutarch sitting behind his desk looking smug as usual. He doesn't get up.
"What is this about, Plutarch?" she says.
"Nice to see you too, Katniss" is his reply. Fortunately, he doesn't waste any time getting down to business. "We have a little problem and we think you might be able to help".
"I have done my bit for the Rebellion" she tells him "now I just want to be left alone!".
"I am sorry to say it is not possible for us to keep you out of this. The Districts are becoming uncontrollable since Snow has been overthrown and we need the face of the Rebellion to help us restore order in the Districts".
"I am no longer the Mockingay, Plutarch. I am not anyone except Katniss Everdeen, who comes from District 12, and that's the way I want to keep it".
"Unfortunately, you don't really have a choice. You were let off pretty lightly after you killed Coin and you owe us, Katniss".
Katniss can't believe what she is hearing. She owes them?! She had given them everything, and nearly lost her own life, as well as losing her sister. Somehow she owes them?
"I have done all I can to support the Rebellion. What happens now is not my problem" she says.
"Did you know the Capitol rebels are planning an attack on 12?" he says. "They plan to find and kill you Mockingjay".
Katniss starts to feel faint. She immediately thinks of Peeta. For now, she is safe in the Capitol, but what about him?
Plutarch goes on. "We should be able to put a stop to their plan, but we need your help".
Katniss knows she will need to do what Plutarch is asking. There are three lives at risk now, including her and Peeta's unborn child.
"What do you need me to do for you?" Katniss says.
"Propos!" says Plutarch grinning at her.
Katniss hates Propos. She hates Plutarch, and she hates the Capitol right now, too. How could they make her do this again? She is so afraid Peeta will think she has become what she once called him…a Capitol Mutt.