Forever a Safe House

Chapter 4

<Katniss's POV>

"Is he dead?" I ask the policeman, Sam still whimpering in my arm.

"No, but if we don't get him to the hospital fast he could be," the man answers me. I gasp. Looking around, I spot the rest of my friends. Cato, Clove, Foxface, Rue, and Prim come running over to me. I hand Sam over to Foxface.

"Are you okay Kat?" Cato asks giving me a giant hug. I cringe because he squeezes to hard on my fragile bones.

"Yes I'm fine, we need to follow the ambulance to the hospital, come on," I say. I follow my friends to the car and we start to follow the ambulance as it wail down the roads. A million questions run through my mind.

Where's Peeta? Is Finn going to die? What state is Jo in? How did I not get badly hurt? The last question rattles me the most. Was it luck that I didn't get thrown from the car like Finn and Jo? Was it luck that I didn't get crushed by car ceiling like Peeta? Clove must see that I am troubled because she puts a hand on my shoulder and forces a weak smile onto her face. I force a weak grin back at her. We hold hands until we get to the hospital. When we leave the car Cato and Clove lead the way whilst I take Prim and Rue's hands and Foxface carries Sam.

A nurse that was in the ambulance with Peeta, Jo and Finn, leads us to the assigned waiting room. "We should call Glimmer and Marvel to tell them," Foxface suggests. I quickly reject the idea.

"No let them have their honeymoon, they'll be home tomorrow, but we need to call Annie," I say. Foxface nods in agreement. I take out my phone and dial the memorized number.

"Hey Kat, what's up?" Annie's happy voice asks. It pains me to have to tell her Finnick may die.

"Annie, there's been an accident, you need to get to the hospital immediately," I say quickly, fearing her reaction. I hear crying sounds from the other end then the line goes dead. I start to tear up again.

A doctor walks into the waiting room. we all sit up straight. I itch for more news on Peeta, Finn, and Jo.

"The boy, Peeta Mellark, is awake, but he has suffered several injuries, but you may see him now," the tall doctor says. I jump up and follow the doctor to Peeta's room.

When we enter the room I am immediately frighten by the many machines beeping. I find Peeta laying motionless on the hospital bed. Dragging a chair next to his bedside, I sit and grab his cold hand.

His deep voice quietly mumbles, "Hey Katniss." I smile.

"Hi honey," I whisper rubbing his hand. He opens his eyes a little.

"You have a lot of bloody scratches," he grumbles.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not, get a nurse to tend to you," Peeta demands, surprisingly strong for someone who looks so weak. I give in and page a nurse. Quickly a blonde nurse comes to my side.

"Could you just inspect and clean up my wife quickly?" Peeta asks softly and barely audible over the beeping of the surrounding machines. The nurse nods and starts to clean my many cuts. She furrows her eyebrows when she looks at my arm that has been hurting.

"You have a slight break in this arm," then she moves down to my legs, "and a minor burn on your thigh," the nurse informs me. Quickly she tends to my burn and wraps my arm and puts it in an uncomfortable sling. I sigh in defeat. Then the doctor I saw before walks into the room again. My heart catches in my throat in anticipation.

"The girl is awake," he states. I look to Peeta as if asking permission to leave for a minute. He nods and I follow the doctor to the room next door. Johanna has much less machines attached to her, but a lot more damages on the outside. Peeta needed to machines for the inside, but obviously Johanna just has been physically hurt on the outside.

"How are you feeling Ms. Mason?" The doctor asks quietly. Johanna completely ignores the doctor and looks to me instead.

"Sam?" She asks. I know what she means so I smile and nod in reassurance that Sam was not hurt. "Peeta?"

"Collapsed lung, internal bleeding, bruises, broken leg, cuts," I say suggesting he'll be fine.

"Finnick?" She ask. I stay quiet so the doctor explains instead.

"Mr. Odair has experiences the worst of the injuries. He has extreme fractures in his spine, internal bleeding, broken leg, concussion, collapsed lung, dislocated arm, and a deadly cut in his side that is a result of him flying out of the car when his seatbelt detached and the door flew off the hinges. Crying and depressed I walk out of Jo's room and back into the waiting room. I am flooded with questions from everyone.

"Peeta and Jo seem to be okay, but Finnick, well-" I am cutoff by my own river of tears. The other misfits must know what I mean so they don't push me with further questioning. From behind me I hear tears louder than mine. I whip my head around to see Annie. My friend falls into my arms and we cry together.

I just want the news that Finnick is awake and is shining his million dollar smile. I can just picture him. That twinkle in his sea green eyes. When you look closely at them sometimes it feels as if you may fall into them forever and the green waves would just carry you away somewhere happy. His mouth would reach from one ear to another. His teeth would shine like the full moon, illuminating the space around him in joy. His hair would sit in neat bronze curls on top of his head that holds his brain. That intelligent, smart ass, joking brain of his. Of course his laughter would be heard over the rest of us. The laugh would just dance naturally out of his throat as if it was his job to lighten up everyone's mood. If you played music, without a doubt he would start a little Irish jig that would bring you to an Ireland pub with the jolly men and women flicking coins at him as if congratulating him on his dancing talents. And of course his beautiful fiancé with the fiery red hair would clap at his side cheering him on. But this was all a lie.

There wouldn't be a twinkle is his eyes, just dark bags. His mouth wouldn't be turned in a smile, but rather a bloodied frown. None of his teeth would shine, they would just darken and crack. His hair wouldn't be combed neatly, they would be blood coated and knotted. Bruised, his brain would be instead of happy. No laughter would be heard from him. Silence is his only response along with the beeping of the machines keeping him alive. He wouldn't start to dance around the room, for his legs are broken and useless. There are no jolly men and women, just doctors and nurses, no happy wife clapping at his side. Just a girl with a tear stained face and old clothing.

The happy image of Finnick that we all want to see is none existent. If we were to walk into Finnick's room all we would find is a lifeless sad young man who deserves better, and that's why it is so hard to picture the Finnick we had seen the moment before the crash that seemingly changed everything.

A/N suckish filler chapter sorry #sorrynotsorry