Pregnant In the Quell

Chapter Fifteen

When I wake up, I am laying in a hospital bed once again. My arms are shackled to the sides and all of the medicine is locked up.

I hear a knock at the door, and it's Haymitch.

"Hi.." He says shyly.

I try to find my voice, but there's no point in talking. I just give him a slight nod of acknowledgement.

He comes towards the bed and sits down next to me. He just stares at me for a few minutes. I watch as a tear trickles from his eye.

"Why, Katniss? I don't understand why you would want to kill yourself."

I look down at my stomach and begin to bawl.

"I wasn't going to do it," I say as I sob. "I just can't imagine raising this baby without Peeta. He's the only person I am certain I love, besides Prim. He's my rock. I can't live without him."

"Calm down, Katniss." He starts. "You can go into early labor."

I give Haymitch a look of anger. "I can't calm down when Peeta is in the capital with snow, and I'm here slumming it in 13, pregnant with his child. If he doesn't come back, this baby won't have a father."

Haymitch looks down at my stomach. "They sent out rescue troops earlier this morning," he whispers.

"What? They did?" I say as I perk up.

"Yes, they did."

"Wow..." I whisper. "I must be really important."

"Well," Haymitch says. "Gale insisted they do it. He was the first brave solider to volunteer. He knew that there was no way you'd survive without Peeta."

I look down at the floor. "Thank you, Gale." I whisper, knowing he can't hear me, but it had to be said.

***

I wait patiently in the hospital in hope for news, but there's none. Prim comes to visit me, and my
mother takes care of me. It's been five days since Peeta was captured by the capital, and one day since the troops set out.

I then see Finnick peering through the door.

"They're back," he says with a smile. "All of them. Annie, Johanna, and of course Peeta."

I hurriedly jump out of the bed and run frantically down the halls, looking for them.

"Katniss!" I hear Haymitch scream. "In here!"

I barge into the other hospital area, where I see Johanna laying on a bed, head shaved, and pulling an IV out of her hand.

I spot Gale and run up to him. "He's in there," he says as he nods towards a door.

"Thank you." I whisper.

I slowly open the door, and Peeta is facing the wall opposite of me. His neck is bruised and he has lost some weight.

"Peeta?" I say as I approach him. As his face comes into view, I can see now what they have done to him. His eyes are dark grey and there are bruises all around. His lips are puffy, and you can almost see the bones in his neck.