Mockingjay - Peeta Mellark (3)

}9{ - Aired Warning

Livia stopped trying to sleep after her first few attempts were interrupted by unspeakable nightmares.

After that, she just lied still and faked breathed whenever someone checked on her.

In the morning, she was released from the hospital and instructed to take it easy.

Cressida asked her to record a few lines for a new Mockingjay propo.

At lunch, Livia kept waiting for people to bring up Peeta's appearance, but no one did.

Someone must have seen it besides Finnick and her.

Livia had training, but Gale was scheduled to work with Beetee on weapons or something, so Livia got permission to take Finnick to the woods.

They wandered around awhile and then ditched their communicators under a bush.

When they were a safe distance away, they sat and discussed Peeta's broadcast.

"I haven't heard one word about it. No one's told you anything?" Finnick quizzed and Livia shook her head. He paused before he asked, "Not even Gale?"

Livia was clinging to a shred of hope that Gale honestly knew nothing about Peeta's message.

But she had a bad feeling he did.

"Maybe he's trying to find a time to tell you privately."

"Maybe." Livia said.

They stayed silent so long that a buck wandered into range.

Livia took it down with a disc and Finnick hauled it back to the fence.

For dinner, there was minced venison in the stew.

Gale walked her back to her Compartment after they ate.

When she asked him what had been going on, again there was no mention of Peeta.

As soon as she'd put the twins to sleep and her brothers' snoring filled the air, she slipped the pearl from the drawer and spent a second sleepless night clutching it in her hand- replaying Peeta's words in her head.

"Ask yourself, do you really trust the people you're working with? Do you really know what's going on? And if you don't... find out."

Find out.

What?

From who?

And how could Peeta know anything except what the Capitol told him?

It was just a Capitol propo.

More noise.

But if Plutarch thought it was just the Capitol line, why didn't he tell Livia about it?

Why hadn't anyone let her or Finnick know?

Under this debate lied the real source of her distress: Peeta.

What had they done to him?

And what were they doing to him right now?