Chapter 8: The Guard
Gale has heard about the threat on the Mockingjay and knows that Katniss has been transferred to the Capitol. He insists on an immediate transfer and Paylor accedes to his request. He doesn't know how Katniss will feel about it, but keeping her safe is still his main priority, whether she likes it or not.
Arriving at the Presidential Palace he seeks Paylor out and asks her about Katniss.
"We have her secured here. She is fine. We have also put extra peacekeepers in place in District 12 for Peeta's safety and as a means of tracking the rebels down" says Paylor.
Why would Peeta need protection, Gale wonders. He knows Peeta is back in District 12, but the threat is to Katniss, not to Peeta. Unless the Capitol Rebels make an attempt to use him again as a weapon. Gale doesn't know Peeta's state of mind at the minute and is unsure how safe Katniss is with Peeta around. He doesn't like the idea of them living side by side in the Victor's Village, never mind in the same District. He asks Paylor if he can be part of the guard on Katniss. Paylor doesn't think this is a good idea due to Katniss' recent instability and she knows Katniss blames Gale for what happened to Prim.
"I need to see her" he says.
"We will put you on an overnight watch for now. That way she will not even know you are there. We don't want to antagonize her Gale. We need her for the Propos" says Paylor.
Gale realizes he will have to be satisfied with the night watch for now and prepares to take the 12MN to 6am shift tonight. Katniss is in the same room that he had collected her from the last time she was here. He hadn't gotten over that day yet, the way she dismissed him from her presence with a simple "goodbye". He hadn't gotten over the loss of her friendship either. Maybe, if he got the chance, he could convince her that he never meant for Prim to die. The message she had tried to convey when she told him "it is always personal" was still ringing in his ears.
Gale heads to Katniss's room at midnight for the change of shift. The Peacekeeper on duty tells him that she handed him a paperbasket of vomit the day before and that Gale should expect a frosty reception. Katniss is asleep now, so that shouldn't be a problem. He sits outside her room in the early hours of the morning wishing he could speak to her, but he knows better than to disturb her sleep. Suddenly, he hears whimpering from inside the room. Katniss is calling for Prim. He opens the door slightly and sees her clawing at her arms and body. "Prim! Prim!" she shouts. Gale goes into the room. She continues to claw at herself and Gale eventually feels the need to put a stop to her terror, so he gently touches her arm.
"Peeta?" she says as she begins to relax. Katniss turns over, trying to wake up, and looks for Peeta. She knows he is here, she felt him beside her.
"It's me, Katniss" says Gale.
Katniss sits bolt upright and suddenly realizes where she is. Gale? What is he doing here?
"Katniss…" Gale begins.
"What are you doing here?" she asks unable to keep the anger out of her voice.
"I heard you whimpering and calling Prim's name. You were clawing at yourself in your sleep. I just wanted to make sure you were OK".
"I'm fine!" says Katniss. She is still trying to work out why Gale is here at the Presidential Palace, never mind why he is in her room.
"I heard about the threat on the Mockingjay and I asked to be stationed here as part of your guard".
"Well, I don't want you as part of my guard. In fact I don't want any guards" she says.
Gale realizes that Katniss hasn't changed that much since the Rebellion.
"Katniss, you need protection. The Capitol Rebels are mounting attacks everywhere. I asked to be transferred here so that I could do what I always wanted to do…protect you" says Gale.
You didn't protect my sister, thinks Katniss bitterly. Deep down she knows she cannot keep blaming Gale for Prim's death, but she is not ready to forgive him yet. The wound is still too deep and, besides that, Peeta is the one who protects her now.
"I don't want your protection, Gale. I just want to get back to District 12".
"The guard I relieved at mignight told me you had been sick yesterday, Katniss. Are you OK?"
"I'm pregnant!" Katniss could not believe she had come out with it, just like that.
Gale's face registered shock and dismay. How could Katniss be pregnant?
"it's Peeta's" she says.
Katniss and Peeta are having a baby? Gale knew that Katniss loved Peeta, but Peeta had been so damaged by his hijacking that Gale thought there was no chance Katniss would ever look at him the same way or let him near her again. He was wrong.
Gale pipes up "I don't know what to say. I mean I knew that Peter had gone back to 12 after you left, but…"
"But what, Gale? You thought that Peeta was so damaged by his hijacking I would give up on him? That the Capitol turning him into a weapon meant that I would never be able to trust him again?"
Gale remembered saying to Peeta that Katniss would end up with the person that she could not survive without. Now he knew, for Katniss, that person was Peeta.
"Katniss, we both needed you to choose. There are thousand different ways this could have turned out, but I want what is best for you. If that is Peeta, then I am happy for you both".
Katniss begins to feel tears well up in her eyes. She doesn't want understanding from Gale, she wants to stay mad at him, forever. But what she wants more than anything right now is to have Peeta sitting on the bed beside her, Peeta putting his arms around her and Peeta asking her again "You love me. Real or not real?" She knows how she would answer, how she will always answer.
"Gale I need to get back to District 12. I am worried about Peeta. He is expecting me back today and if communications are still down he won't know where I am. Plutarch brought me here to shoot more Propos and I have no way of telling him that I am not her by choice".
Gale gets the sense that Peeta's grasp on reality is still quite fragile and that without Katniss there to reassure him, he could slip back into thinking she is a threat. That would be a risk to Katniss as well.
"I will see what I can do to get word to Peeta that you have been brought to the Capitol at Plutarch's request. We might be able to bring him here if I can get Paylor to agree. That way you will both be safe".
Katniss wants to hug Gale, but knows she can't. She just thanks him and asks him not to tell anyone about the pregnancy.
Gale leaves Katniss to go and sit outside her room again. He will need to talk to Paylor after his shift about getting Peeta back to the Capitol.