For Prim- An Everlark Fanfiction

Part 9- What Now?

Katniss POV: I cannot believe there was a fire at the bakery. My life is changed. All of these things I promised never to do. Like getting pregnant. Or falling in love. Only pain, that's what I get. So as Peeta is here in front of me, dying, my mind is slipping away. What am I supposed to do? I lower my head to his chest. I've heard his steady heartbeat beating heavily many times. For a year I've relied on his heartbeat. But today I hear nothing. Silence.

"Peeta..." The silence snaps me back to life. I'm not my mother. I'm not going to drift away from Prim and my baby. "Prim. We need to get Peeta to the hospital."

"The real hospital?!" Prim yelps.

"Yes. Call them while I try to stop Peeta's bleeding." And with that Prim runs to the neighboring business to use their phone. The real hospital in District 12 can only be called once in your life. Most people call them when they're old, sick, and dying, but Peeta needs real medical attention. Now. Within a few minutes a small car, which are extremely rare around here, arrives in front of the bakery. A group of peace keepers hop out and pick Peeta up while a few of them put out the fire still burning the bakery. Peeta's parents remain inside. My heart breaks for Mr. Mellark. His great smile is gone. I hop into the car with Prim and the peace keepers.

    "Who are you?" One of them asks. I notice his full beard and kind eyes.

    "I'm Katniss Mellark, the mother of his child. The girl next to me is Primrose Everdeen, my younger sister who lives with us. We need to keep Peeta alive, guys." I look around, my face showing unwavering strength.

"Alright, Mrs. Mellark. We're going to make sure Peeta doesn't go anywhere." The peace keeper adds. A few others look down, as if they are unsure about Peeta's survival. But I refuse to think like that. He will be fine.

The white, sterile walls of the hospital makes me feel hollow. As we walk down the halls, I become more and more anxious. We arrive at the emergency care room and Peeta is whisked inside. I try to follow, a peace keeper grabs arm and tells me I can't go in. I start to scream and kick, but when they pull out a needle to sedate me I stop. I can't sleep. Not now.

A doctor comes out of the room. He walks over to me. "Mrs. Mellark. I'm Doctor Beetee Latier. Peeta's... in critical care. His leg is burned beyond repair. I think we have to amputate him. Even then, I don't know if he will make it. He lost a lot of blood."

"Whatever you can do, doctor Latier. Please help him." I whisper. He walks back into the surgery room.

Prim wraps her arms around me. I look once, into her sorrowful eyes, then I break down. My tears will not stop. And I don't want them to.

Peeta POV: I wake up on a small, white room. I turn over and see Katniss through a small window, sitting and crying next to Prim. Then, the events of the last few days flood back to me.I remember the fire. My parents, gone. Being dragged outside. My, Katniss, yelling I love you and that she was...pregnant. But, everything is blurry and I really don't remember anything after that. I try to get up, run to Katniss, but immediately a few people push me back into bed. I yell "KATNISS! KATNISS!" A few times before finally she bursts into the room. She rushes over to me.

"Peeta, I thought- I need you, Peeta! You can't die! I love you!" She yells, hugging me tightly.

"I know Katniss, and I'm sorry. I never should have ran into the flames."

"HAH! You're apologizing. Seriously? You gave nothing to say sorry for. Nothing that happened was your fault." She whispered.

"Katniss," I say, changing the subject because no matter what I feel guilty, "you said you were...pregnant?"

"Yes Peeta. Our child is currently growing inside me. And, I think I'm about 2 months along."

"Really? Our baby?" I cry, tears of joy flooding my eyes."Yes, Peeta. A little Mellark, all ours." She smiles.

I cannot believe Katniss is carrying my baby. For her to be my wife, have my children, that's all I ever wanted.

"I love you, I love you so much." I say, kissing her as she murmurs "I love you too."

"Peeta, did the doctors tell you?" She asks, pulling away. Katniss seems worried.

"Tell me what?"Peeta...your leg, it wasn't salvageable. They had to cut it off. You're going to have a prosthetic."

And then my world came crashing down.

My leg is gone. That explains how I can't feel anything below my knee. But how am I going to do anything like I used to before? And what about my future? How am I going to play with my children?

Katniss breaks my trance. "Peeta?" She whispers before kissing my cheek. I look deep into her eyes and see how much she cares. I love her so much. But how could she want me anymore? I'm a cripple, a mess up. And...an orphan.

I miss my parents. I need them. My father's laugh, his smile. My mother's face when she and Dad randomly looked into each other's eyes. The creations my father would whip up on Sundays. My heart shatters. So I take it out on Katniss.

"Katniss, are you in love with me?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"Why? I'm all messed up, how could you want me anymore?"

    '"Peeta! You're amazing! How could you say that?" Katniss cries as I push her away.

"That's not true. You don't love me, how could you? How could you lie to me? My child, is it real? How do I know?" I yell, putting all my doubt and frustration into words. I'm going to get it all out.

"Peeta- I love you so much, so much. How could I pretend? But if that's not enough, I'll leave. If you want me, say something. Because I'm leaving." Katniss sobs.

And I do. I want her so badly, crave her, need her. But I can't find words. So Katniss walks out of my life, maybe forever.