In Another's Eyes

Chapter 9

Katniss

I'm still in shock as Peeta gets to my house. I don't even speak to him as he carefully dresses me and carries me to his car. I'm terrified of what just happened. He quickly drives me to the hospital and Delly meets him by my door.

"Peeta? What's going on?" She asks. "And why did you bring her with you?" She says 'her' with such distaste that I know for sure that she knows what has been going on between her husband and I.

"Delly, she needs your help, okay?" He says calmly. "She just called me and said her husband raped her. Now she won't talk. Please, I need you to help her. I need to know she's gonna be okay." Delly sighs, and I see a tear run down her cheek as she nods.

"Bring her in," she says in a voice as quiet as a mouse. Peeta opens my door and gently as he can, gets me out of the car and sets me in the wheelchair Delly had waiting. I look up at him as I'm slowly pushed into the hospital. A pretty redhead in her thirties waits there and walks beside us.

"What do we have Mellark?" She asks Delly.

"Twenty-five year old female, possible rape victim," she says and then looks down. "She's Willa Everdeen's daughter." The redhead looks at me softly and then turns to Peeta."

"We've got it from here," she says. "Right now, the less people in the room with her while we do this, the better." Peeta looks at me, as though to ask if I will be okay.

"It's okay," I say softly. "You can go to the waiting room. I, I'll be okay." He leans down and kisses my cheek before leaving, earning a glare from Delly, that is not unseen by the red headed attendee.

"Delly, get her prepped while I go get the kit," she says.

"Yes Dr. Montgomery," she says and she has me step into an exam room. I finally find my voice as she closes the door.

"How long have you known?" I ask her.

"A while," she says as she slips on some gloves. "But you aren't exactly surprised by that are you."

"About six months after we got married, my husband put me in the same situation," I say. "It was two of my best friends, one right after the other. I knew, even if he never said. I guess it's true what they say, how the wife always knows." She stays silent only really speaking when she hands me the hospital gown. I slide out of the sweatpants and T-shirt Peeta was able to get on me, and she gasps. I look down at my naked form and see the dark purple handprints on my hips that I had guessed would show up. I feel hollow as I stare at them.

"What kind of monster could do this?" She asks herself as she reaches out to touch one of them, making me wince.

"The same kind of monster who would drive me to start cheating on him," I say and she looks at me with horror.

"Your husband did this?" She asks and I just nod. "Oh my God, how could he do this?"

"I provoked him," I say. "He caught Peeta and I together and confronted me about it. I guess you could say l was almost glad the lying was over, but I didn't expect him to react quite the way he did." She looks up at me with a soft expression.

"He never tried to tell me," she says.

"He didn't want to hurt you," I say. "This was never to hurt you. I didn't know anything about you until after the first night. I didn't know Peeta was married. I know your side of things. I would never wish that on anyone and now, it's all just this terrible thing." She helps me into the hospital gown and has me lay down.

"Is there anything that I should tell Dr. Montgomery before she comes in to examine you?" She asks. I look down and she sighs. "Your pregnant aren't you? And it's Peeta's isn't it?"

"He's the only possibility," I say. "He doesn't even know. Which I guess would be a good thing considering after what I went through, there won't be a baby anymore." Her face softens and she reaches out and takes my hand.

"He may not love me anymore, but I love him," she says. "And I know how much he loves you and will love this child. I can probably guess that he told you what happened to us, and we both know that he can't take going through what happened to Emily all over again. Which is why I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that you don't lose this baby. Dr. Montgomery is the best neonatal surgeon in the country. You'll be just fine."

"I'm so sorry Delly," I say but she looks down.

"He was never really mine Katniss," she says. "He never, not even in the beginning, looked at me the way he looks at you. He loves you. I only want him to be happy." She goes to the door and turns back to me. "Dr. Montgomery should be in in a few moments." I nod and she leaves. A about five minutes later, Dr. Montgomery comes in and starts working on me. It's really awkward and she tries to make it easier by talking to me.

"So, does your mother know about you being here?" She asks.

"She's a surgeon," I say. "I'm just a little annoyance that set her carrier back three months after I was born. She doesn't know about my affair or the abuse I've been taking form my husband." I look down at where my hands cradle my abdomen and a tear slips out of her eye. "She probably despises me now. I was sleeping with the husband of her favorite intern. And last I checked, I was knocked up with his child. I'm trash in the eyes of Dr. Willa Everdeen." Dr. Montgomery just shakes her head.

"Willa is not an easy woman to work with," she admits. "I would know. The branches of our fields intertwine. But she brags about you all the time. She was an amazing teacher, but a stubborn woman." She shuts the rape kit and helps me stand. "I'm going to keep you here under observation for a few days. The police will want to speak with you and I would recommend going into counseling. I'm also gonna order an ultra sound tomorrow to make sure everything is fine with your baby, though I'm not worried. Your cervix is bruised but everything seems intact. I'm also gonna start you on some IV mess and get you a private room so you can get some rest more comfortably." I nod and start dressing while she watches carefully.

"Thank you Dr. Montgomery," I say. "I was in high school while you were doing your internship and residency. My mother always spoke highly of you."

"Please, call me Addison," I say. "I think I'll enjoy being your doctor Katniss. Because whether you know it or not, Willa talks about you a lot. She's very proud of you." I watch as she leaves and then sit the in silence, wondering what is going on with my life.

(Song of. The Chapter: "Does He Love You" ~Reba McIntyre ft. Linda Davis)