Pregnant In the Quell

Chapter Thirty Three

Peeta's POV

Katniss lies on a hospital once again, for the same purpose a second time. I remember the day Dahlia was born like it was just yesterday. She grasps onto my hand, it being her lifeline now. I stroke her tangled hair as she pants, and I murmur loving and encouraging phrases into her ear. We've been like this for the past 18 hours.

"Okay, Katniss.." Dor inspects, "you're just about ready." Katniss groans in pain as another contraction hits.

"Dor.." She sighs. "I hope you know how grateful I am for you to be doing this a second time, for twice as long." She breaths. I smile and my hands travel down to stroke Katniss' arm.

"If you can do so well with Dahlia, I know you can do just as good this time." I comment, and kiss her on the nose.

Katniss takes in another deep breath, trying to even out her shallow ones. "I..Okay." She makes out before scrunching her face when she feels another contraction. She begins cursing under her breath impulsively. I carefully hug her to the best of my ability.

Her hands travel to the collar of my shirt and she grips the fabric tight in her fists.

"It's okay.." I mumble and choose to repeat it.

"Alright, Katniss, you're fully dialated." Dor states. "You know the drill."

Katniss huffs in frustration, and soon, she's crying out in pain at her sixth attempt at pushing.

Tears start to leak from her eyes and mine too. "Keep trying, Katniss. He'll be here any second! I can feel it. " I state. I know she's in more pain than seven years ago.

"I can feel it too!" She exclaims, panting and gasping, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Katniss.." I say. She turns her head to look at me, gasping for breath and pain filling in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm the one that wanted to go through with this. We did it again and I can see that you're in so much more pain. All I want to do is take that all away from you and go through it myself. I'm so sorry."

"Oh, Peeta. I didn't mean to sound angry." She says through clenched teeth. "I'm s- ohh." She moans, tears now building forcefully in the corner of her eyes.

"Come on, sweetie. You have to get him out. I won't be leaving anytime soon." I insist.

The next contraction hits and she doubles foreword, attempting to push. Dor soon notifies us that our child's head is visible. I sigh in relief, knowing that we're progressing.

"We're getting closer. He's nearly here!" I comment. Katniss grasps onto my hand again as another contraction comes and she begins pushing for the tenth time since we started.

After a few more pushes, he's finally here. Our confirmation, his cries bellowing through the air.

"It's a boy!" Dor exclaims.

I gasp at my son's eye and hair color. He cries in my arms, his blue eyes wide open and alert. Little tufts of blonde hair showing.

"Hey little man," I coo. I start slightly bobbing him. I'm now a father to a beautiful baby boy. Another Mellark.

My attention is then drawn to Katniss. She is still moaning in pain. Our son continues to cry, and a nurse takes him from my arms. "We need to weigh him and make sure everything is okay." She says to me.

"Something isn't right." Katniss says. "I'm still feeling contractions." Katniss becomes hysterical and is clenching her stomach.

"What's wrong with her?" I scream at Dor. I can't lose Katniss. This can't be happening.

Dor pulls up a monitor and examines Katniss's ultrasound images. "Okay, Katniss. Do you feel pressure?"

"Yes.." Katniss breathes. "Lots."

Dor takes another look at the ultrasound  image, before a strange look creeps over her face. "Oh my god.." I hear her whisper. Katniss then whales in pain.

"Katniss, Peeta." Dor says. "I know this is sudden, but.. It seems Katniss has been carrying triplets."

"What?" I hear Katniss cry as she throws her head back.

Triplets. We're going to have three children. Everything is happening so fast. I don't have time to think anything through.

"I'm going to need you to push when you feel your next contraction." Dor says to Katniss.

I run over to her and clench her hand tightly. She pushes with all of her might, determined to get them out and after one push, I hear more cries rippling through the air.

They're her cries. I have a daughter.

I examine her as Dor cuts the umbilical cord and she is whisked away along with my son. She has gorgeous blue eyes with small tufts of dark brown hair. She is a complete mix of Katniss and I.

I look back down towards Katniss who is bawling. She is so overwhelmed, and I am too. I lean down and kiss her temple. "I know this was unexpected.." I whisper. "We just need one more push and the last baby will be out."

Katniss looks at me with desperation in her eyes, before clenching my hand for one last push. She pushes harder than I had seen her push yet. She pushes for 15 seconds.. Nothing.

"Okay, Katniss. Three more of those and we'll have this baby out in no time." Dor says reassuringly.

Katniss does this once again, this time whaling in pain and squeezing my hand, almost breaking it, and then, I hear the smallest cries of all.

I have another daughter.

She has dark grey eyes with dark brown hair to match. She is Katniss.

Another nurse takes her away, and Katniss sits up, tears streaming down her face.

I cradle her, and rock her back and forth, trying to calm her, but I don't blame her for her hysterical state. We just went to having no children to three.