Pure Torture: a Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter 63

Peeta

"I heard the doctors put your chest in pain, but then it could have been the medicine. Now you're lying in the bed again; either way I'll cry with the rest of them." -Ed Sheeran

They had to sedate Katniss. I brought her in after she panicked and couldn't calm down. I watch her intently as she sleeps off her sedative in the new, clean hospital in 12. It's nearly midnight, but she still has 2 hours until she wakes up. The sedative only lasts 6 hours.

Even though it's almost midnight, the doctors and nurses on nightshift are quietly going about their business outside the room. The lights are on, but dim in here.
Doctor Wilson knocks on the door quietly as if not to wake Katniss. Like she'd even wake up.

"Yeah." I answer. He comes in, holding his clipboard. He glances down on whatever information on my wife is on it.
"What's going on with her?" I ask, "We haven't had a relapse so bad in almost 6 years."
He looks grim.
"Mr. Mellark, I believe I could have an explanation as to why this has happened to Mrs. Mellark over here." Doctor Wilson says

"Okay? What is it?" I ask intently.
He takes a deep breath. The seconds feel like minutes. He looks at his clipboard as if to double check.
"Well," He says, "I was checking her body vitals and I found elevated amounts of hormones in her body. And not just any hormones. Pregnancy hormones." He explains.
"No." I say in disbelief, "No."
"Yes, Mr. Mellark. We have reason to believe that your wife is expecting." He says.

"Do you know that for sure?" I ask.
"No. It's just a possibility. It seems quite likely though..." He says.
"Wait.." I realize, "when I was trying to talk to her, she said she'd come out of the bathroom or something like that. What if there's something in there?"

"Mr. Mellark, I believe you should go home and check. I'm dearly sorry you have to do that this late, but it's best for her." Doctor Wilson says.
"Anything to help her." I say.
"Go ahead."

--

I hurry home as fast as I can.
I sprint up the stairs and into the bedroom to find that it's already been cleaned. There's no more vomit. The bed's been stripped down. I can't help but wonder who did this. It certainly wasn't Haymitch.

I find the bathroom door left ajar from when Katniss left it. I hurry in and shut the door behind me. I take a deep breath before looking in the trashcan next to the sink. There it is.

The pristine white Capitol made pregnancy test sits in the garbage. I pick it up, only caring about what the symbol on it says.
'-' for negative and '+' for positive.
I shut my eyes, not knowing what I want. I want a child so badly, but I want the best for my wife. If she's not okay, I'm not okay.

I count to three silently and open my eyes. They fall on the test and the symbol.
It's positive. She's pregnant. She's pregnant!
As overjoyed as I am, I have to wonder... How? We were always so careful. And then I see the empty box of birth control pills on the sink.

She ran out. I was supposed to get them for her.
This is my fault...
I know she won't want this baby. She won't be able to handle it. I'm putting her through this. It's all my fault.

--

I walk back into the hospital, thankful for the darkness outside. I want nobody to see me.

Doctor Wilson stands at the triage desk, discussing a patient with a nurse. When he sees me, he ceases to talk. He walks over to me.
"Did you find anything?" He asks.
"A pregnancy test." I reply quietly.

He looks around cautiously.
"Let's take this somewhere else." He says. He leads me back into Katniss's room. We have 45 minutes until she'll start waking up.