What if?- A Mockingjay Story

Chapter 62

What if?

What if what has happened to him is serious? What if one of his injuries will effect him for his entire life? What if this is a lot worse then it may seem?

What if? What if? What if...
----
After those words last night he passed out again. I stayed by his side that night, sitting awkwardly in the chair. I hardly got any sleep, my eyes fighting to stay open to watch him, to keep him safe, to be here when he needs me. When I awake in the morning I hear the steady beeping of the heart monitor at his bedside. I sit up and look at him. His skin is pale, almost a perfect match to the sheets laid upon him. His arms are laid straight at his sides, his forehead bandaged with a white strip that is stained red of blood. His blond hair is sprawled across the pillow. An IV is hooked into his arm, sending fluids of medicine into his bloodstream. His breathing is faint but still there, still going with his heart beat. His not dying, I know he's not. He can't give up, he won't give up. He knows he's not done on this world yet and after all he's been through he's not about to die. He will not let himself go that easily. Peeta Mellark is a fighter. I tell him this after a while

"Your not going to die. I won't let you. You won't let yourself. Your a fighter. You will get through this, we always get through this"

I'm saying this for my sake more than his. Not long after this the door opens and in walks Gracie. She says stuttering

"Oh my god Katniss! I'm sorry I couldn't call yesterday when you came I had to go back to work and tell everybody and..."

She pulls me into a hug. I say

"It's okay"

She cares for Peeta also, they are related. She wouldn't have just not come. After all she was the one who found him. As we sit I ask her

"What happened him?"

She shakes her head as she says, her voice shaking like mine

"I don't know. It was an hour after he was supposed to be at work so I decided to walk to your house to see if he was coming in and then I found him about a minute later, unconscious on the ground. I immediately called an ambulance of course but nobody's told me what is wrong with him"

I tell her

"The head doctor is calling on an hour to talk to me about his condition. I promise to call you as soon as I know what's wrong"

She nods and gives me a quick hug before leaving again. I spend another hour at his bedside, holding his hand until the door opens. A doctor clutching a clipboard enters and I stand. He says holding out his hand

"You must be Ms Everdeen. I'm Doctor O'Keeffe, your...."

He pauses for a moment. I can immediately think of what's going through his head. His fiancé, his ally, his friend... The list goes on but within a second he settles for

"Friend's head doctor"

He sits on the chair on the opposite side of Peeta's bed. I sit in my chair as he scribbles a few things on his clipboard before turning to face me. He clears his voice and places his clipboard on the locker at Peeta's bedside. He then says to me

"Ms Everdeen while we are still unaware of how Mr. Mellark got injured we are now aware of his injuries and I think you will be relieved to hear that none of these are life threatening or permanently effecting him in anyway"

I nod and sigh of relief. He continues

"However Mr.Mellark has gained some injuries, luckily ones that with the right amount of time given to heal will not become serious"

He pins up an X-ray photo on the board behind him and continues to speak

"His head was cut and has no damage done to it. However he has done damage to his left arm. He has broken his elbow, fractured his wrist and broken one of his fingers"

He points at the broken bones. I say

"So he obviously fell on his left side, protecting his fall with his left arm"

The doctor nods, chewing on the end of us pen and says

"Most likely. But he was very lucky, with the proper amount of recovery time he will be back to normal by spring"

He sits down again and says to me

"You should go, get something to eat. I have to bandage him up, put him in a sling. You can call back in an hour"

I stand and say to him

"Thank you"

My voice is drained of emotion, of appreciation for all he's done to help Peeta. But I know he can tell without it being completely obvious, how much it means to me. He gives me that pity smile once more and says

"My pleasure Ms.Everdeen"

Then I walk out. I make my way down to the cafeteria and sit at a table by myself. I order a coffee and drink it slowly at the table. I know he's going to be okay, even the doctor said that but worrying is human nature, all we know in situations like this. But hope, hope drives us to not break, to stay strong at times like this. Peeta will stay strong, he will get through this. I know he will.
---
Peeta's POV
As I slowly open my eyes I intake the white blur around me, soon settling to a clear image of a hospital room. I'm in hospital. As I try to sit up I moan at the pain that in gulfs me, filling my vision with stars and threatening to pull me back under into the black sea of unconsciousness. i look down at my left arm to find it in a sling and cast. I feel a bandage on my forehead, the faint smell of blood also. Suddenly I hear across the room

"Mr. Mellark, you're awake"

My eyes follow the voice until they stare at a man, a doctor on the other side of the room filing in things on a clipboard balanced on his lap. He asks me whilst scribbling more things on the clipboard

"How do you feel?"

"Terrible"

I reply. He laughs slightly and says

"That's normal. I'm Dr. O'Keeffe, your head doctor"

He continues to check things, my steady heartbeat on the IV at my bedside, the drip supplying me with morphling and a few other things around the room. I ask him despite the painful pounding in my ears

"Why am I here?"

He replies

"Everyone's been waiting to ask you the same question"

What? What does he mean? I begin

"Everyone?..."

Before I can continue there's a knock on the door which causes me to jump. The doctor smiles slightly and says to me

"Well, you seem fine for now. I'll check on you later"

I don't even bother saying yes or nodding knowing that a blinding pain would be guaranteed to follow. He walks out of the room then, moments later I hear muffled voices outside one that supposedly belongs to the doctor. Then I hear the door open again and as I look over I immediately meet Katniss' eyes. She breathes out whilst saying

"Peeta..."

She runs to my side, planting a kiss on my cheek. She looks pale, worried as she clutches my hand and asks me

"How do you feel?"

I manage to grin and say to her weakly

"You missed"

Her worried expression wipes off her face to look more confused and then soon to an amused and scolding look. She scoffs and kisses me deeply on the lips. When she pulls away her finger holds up my chin. Her expression shifts once more to a saddened look as she whispers

"You scared me you know, I thought you had been seriously hurt"

I tell her

"It's okay. I'm okay. I'll always stay Katniss"

She whispers unsure

"Always?"

I nod slowly, ignoring the pain that follows

"Always"