*Katniss Pov*
The nausea hits before I'm fully awake. Thick and bitter, rising fast.
It's not the usual ache of hunger or the cold sting of a nightmare. This is different. Deeper. Meaner.
I slap a hand over my mouth and push Peeta's arm off me gently. He shifts but doesn't wake. I slide out of bed barefoot and make it halfway to the bathroom before I double over and gag.
The rest happens fast. Cold tile against my knees. Hands gripping the toilet. My body forcing everything out in sharp, burning waves.
Behind me, I hear the creak of the mattress.
"Katniss?" Peeta's voice is hoarse with sleep.
I don't answer. I can't. I'm too busy trying to breathe.
A second later, his footsteps pad across the floor.
"Hey, hey" he says gently, kneeling beside me. "I've got you."
His hand settles on my back, rubbing slow, careful circles. He brushes my hair out of my face with the other, warm and steady like always. I hate how much that steadiness makes my throat tighten.
"I'm fine," I whisper, though I'm still on the floor, still shaking.
"You just threw up your insides. That's not fine," he says, but not unkindly.
I shut my eyes. The tile is cool under my palms. My forehead rests against the porcelain. I wish I could melt into it and disappear.
Peeta reaches up and flushes the toilet. Then he's holding out a damp cloth, pressing it into my hands.
"It's probably just the flu or something" I say.
We head back to bed, and I snuggle up against him and he wraps his arms around me like he never wants to let go.
_
I wake up and the nausea hits me again. I run to the toilet and the cold tile is pressing against my knees just as it was last night.
This time Peeta isn't here to help me, but I called over Annie, Jo, and Claudine.
I hear a knock on the door. I rinse my mouth, flush the toilet, and walk downstairs to let them in.
"Hey brainless." "Hi Jo, where are the others?" I ask. "Oh claudine couldn't come, and Annie is dropping off Fin at school but shes coming.
"Oh okay." I am disappointed Claudine couldn't come, but I understand I know what it's like to have a two year old.
"So, what's wrong Kat. You don't look great, and bread boy texted me 30 minutes ago telling me to make you soup. Which I will not be doing."
"I woke up at like 3 AM, and I felt so sick and I just threw up. Just now before you got here I threw up again waking up with the same nausea." I say all in one.
"Have you had your period yet this month?" She asks. "No? you don't think-" She cuts me off. "Katniss I do think, and I'm having Annie pick you up a test."
"Fuck." I murmur. She gives me a look. "What's wrong do you not want another kid?" "No, I really don't" I say rolling my eyes.
Annie comes running in with a two tests in hand. "Go take it" She says quickly. "Okay, Okay."
I run to the bathroom with both tests. Once i'm done I walk back out...and wait.
_
About 5 minutes later I check both, and the results shake me to my core. "No no no no no." I cry. I bring my knees up to face and just cry.
"I'm having another baby"
Johanna picks up the test and looks at Annie. "Katniss, it's gonna be alright." I hear Annie say. Her voice almost makes it seem as it would be.
"Annie, I'm not ready for another baby. I don't want to mess up another child's life with my stupid problems."
"I blame bread boy" I hear Johanna say across the room. "Shut up" I say.
"Okay, when does Peeta usually come back." "Well usually 12:00 PM, but that is in like 3 hours." I complain.
"Why don't you have him close up for today." She suggests. I take her advice knowing I need to tell him sooner or later.
"I'll call him." Johanna says dialing the bakery.
_
They both leave, and Peeta said he'll be here in 5 minutes. How am I going to tell him?
"Kat?" "In here!" I say trying to sound normal but my voice cracks.
"Are you okay darling?" I just burst into tears, and I get up and go get the tests. I put it in his hand, and he looks excited, but then upset when he looks at me.
"Maybe it's false, you can't always trust these things." I place the second one in his hand. "Maybe a 3rd won't hurt?"
"I'm pregnant Peeta!" I yell. "Okay, but really what's bad about this?" He asks confused.
"Peeta, I don't wanna mess this baby up to, and Willow is already famous because of us I don't want to do that."
"You want to..get rid of it?" He asks. "God no, but i'm scared Peeta."
"Kat, I know this all seems really scary right now, but remember how scared we were with Willow, and when we brought her home we didn't know what to do. It's the same thing, we'll take it day by day".
" I love you." I say embracing him.
"I love you too, and i'm gonna love our future baby."
I sit down on the couch, and he makes me some lunch and turns on the TV.
I turn on another one of Peeta's favorite shows. "The British bake off" I pretend like I hate it, but i'm always silently rooting for the underdog to win.
He doesn't complain when he returns and sees this playing. He hands me my plate of food, and neither of us say anything.
We just enjoy each others company, and I know if he is by my side it will be alright, because if he is strong then I can be too.
YOU ARE READING
After the rebellion
NonfiksiWe all know and love the beautifully written novel by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games. This dystopian series had quite a time to jump in the epilogue. Katniss and Peeta are in the meadow with their two children, but what happened before that? Read...
