I Love You, Peeta Mellark

Chapter Six

(PREVIOUSLY)

"I'm your midwife, Colleen. How are you?"

"I'm..."

"I'm..," I groan. Peeta jumps up, "Katniss!" Colleen looks at me, "Lay still. I want feel your stomach." She pulls my hospital gown up. I cover my legs with a blanket. She rubs my stomach gently. I groan again. "Katniss, how many are you having?" Colleen asks quietly. I hold up 1 finger and shrug. Peeta squeezes my hand.

"We should take you to an ultrasound room," Colleen states before running out of the room. I look at Peeta, worriedly. He tries to smile. He's worried, too. I grab my notepad and paper. Peeta. My throat. He looks at me, "I'm so sorry babe. I know it hurts." I kiss him.

Colleen runs back in. She has a team of nurses with her. "Katniss. We need you to come with us. My team assists me, so you might see them a lot. I'll unhook your bed from the wall. We'll wheel you in it. Peeta, you may come. We have to get an ultrasound, that's all," She reassures. I nod. They unhook my bed from the wall it is attached to and put up the railings. The team takes me through the door. Peeta follows, with Colleen bringing up the rear. We pass Haymitch and Effie in the hall. They join us.

"Haymitch. Go call Plutarch. I want to see him. I want to speak with him," Peeta says. Haymitch nods. They slump back to the room. Peeta, Colleen, the team, and I turn into this large room with a monitor connected to a machine. Once again, Colleen pulls up my hospital gown. I groan. She puts on a cool gel on my stomach. Peeta squeezes my hand. A nurse hands Colleen a tool from the machine. The monitor is on now. Colleen rubs the tool around my stomach on the gel. She looks at the monitor.

"Katniss. There are three. Three children," Colleen says. I gasp and start to cry. Peeta is sitting there. He's shocked. I can tell by his expression. Colleen smiles, "I'll wipe the gel away and then we'll take you back to your room. Rose. Get this ultrasound on a DVD." She wipes the gel off and pulls down my gown. Peeta stands and we begin our trip back to our room.

When we get back, Mom, Prim, Ben, Haymitch, and Effie are there. Prim sees that I am crying. "What happened, Katniss?" She mumbles. I look at Peeta and he looks at me. I point at him and nod. "She, well we got a shock. They took Kat and I to an ultrasound room to get an ultrasound done. We are halfway through the ultrasound and Colleen looks at us. She tells me and Katniss that we are.. we are...," His voice falters.

"What is it, Peeta?" Haymitch asks, "You are what?" Peeta sighs and shakes his head, "I can't. Kat. I can't. I just can't." He grabs the back of a chair and squeezes his eyes shut. He's breathing slowly. He's letting a flashback pass. I know it better than anyone.

Haymitch. Let the flashback pass. It'll be worse if we interrupt it. Everything is awful if we interrupt. He nods, "Katniss. What's going on?" NOT NOW HAYMITCH! I give him my signature death threat look. He looks at me innocently. Effie grabs his hand.

Prim looks at me and Haymitch and then Mom. "Mom," she asks, "What are you thinking about?" Mom's obviously thinking because her expression is blank. "Carrie. She needs to know. Kat knows. Prim needs to know. I can't hide it much longer," Haymitch says. "Mom," Prim looks at her and Haymitch, "What's going on? Haymitch, what can't you hide?" Mom sighs, "Haymitch is my older brother. He's 6 years older than me." Prim's eyes dilate. "You're telling me Haymitch is my uncle?" Haymitch nods. Prim hugs him instantly, "I love you, Uncle Haymitch." Haymitch smiles, "I love you too, kiddo."