Deep in the Meadow

|20| Asher

Johanna rests her hands on her baby bump.

"Oh, Johanna! I'm so happy for you!" I cheer.

"How long have you had the baby?" Peeta asks in as much amazement as me.

"Around 9 months. If not, It's close to there." She answers. The softness in her eyes still lingers. I wonder if it's permanent now. I sure hope so.

"So, when are you due?" I ask nervous because she has already been pregnant long enough to have the baby. And I know I wouldn't want to have my baby in a situation like this.

She sighs.
"That's the problem. In order for us to get out of here, I can't be in labor. So either we get out before then. Or after I have it. But we have to be careful that we don't do it when I could be in labor." She says, not quite answering my question.

"Ok, so when are you suppose to have it?" I ask again.

Johanna puts her head down and murmurs,
"Two days."

"What?!" I yell even catching myself off guard. It echoes throughout the gym, and I notice that all the rest of the workers have left to go to the meeting, leaving only the muffled sound of the training room to be heard.
"Johanna, we have to make this decision right now if we want to escape before we get killed. It's either we escape tomorrow and I tell Selena to get the Capitol alliance together so we can escape, or that you have that baby and wait a few days to leave. At least then you don't have to worry about the labor part." I say.

"Well we don't know when I'm going to have him! That's the problem! It could be tomorrow! It could be 4 days from now!" She yells.

"Then I'll make the decision." I say thinking of the safest way for Johanna.
"We will escape after you have the baby. That way the labor is out of the way and West said he was going to kill us in two weeks, so that still gives us time. You can have a few days to rest after you have it." I tell her.

"Fine. And don't call him "baby" brainless. He has a name." She remarks.

"Ok, what's his name?" I ask curiously.

She looks at her baby bump.
"His name is Ash. Asher to be exact." She answers and a hint of a smile appears on her lips.

I smile too.
"Ash. I like it." I say.
"Is he named after the tree?"

Johanna's smile remains.
"Yes actually. My dad's favorite type of tree was the Ash tree. It's also where me and Aspen met. We were walking home one day around a month after the rebellion and both stopped at a large ash tree for a break. We talked until sunset and it turns out he was in the rebellion. Me and him were in the group that assassinated Celestia Snow.
After that evening we walked home together everyday. We became a couple after a few weeks. I know I said that love was weird, but there is something about him that I've never experienced before." She says and for some reason tearing up.

"I thought you said that your baby was what you had to live for. I didn't know you actually had a husband to love too!" I say surprisingly glad that Johanna has a family to love. But instead of her being glad, a tear drops from her eye.

"I don't have a husband to love anymore." She says patting her baby bump.
"I knew he wasn't going to live long when I met him. I even second guessed him before I said that I would marry him, to spare me some pain when he would die. But I learned that the pain is worth it when you have love.
He passed away from a kidney disease the day after I told him that I was pregnant. I had never seen him happier." She says. And I can tell that if she keeps talking about it she's going to ball her eyes out, so I don't push it. It seems like everyone special to her dies. I feel bad for her. At least she has her baby to love. And I'm going to make sure she has that baby to keep loving. I don't want her losing it. She's lost too much.

•

That night Selena pays me a visit while the rest of the workers are still in the meeting, and tells me and Peeta all about the torturers that tortured us and how the Capitol Alliance is going to have their first official meeting in secret tonight. She mentions Oden-the torturer that I got-a lot, and I can't help but think she and him have a thing going, but I'm afraid to ask. Plus, there are much more important matters.

I explain to her about Johanna's baby and that we have to get out a few days after she has it.
Selena agrees and says that they have sculpted a plan to help us escape.
"It's too complicated to explain but it will all work. Just trust me. We will put it in action two days after Asher is born. One of us will help escort you guys through the plan and escape as we go." Selena says. I nod glad we are making progress.

"What will happen to you when we escape?" I ask her.

"Don't worry about us. We are dedicated to helping you, not ourselves. We will hold off West and the mutts as long as we can, and if it's possible we will try to eliminate West. If it's not possible I don't know what the consequences will be. Just make sure to get home and stay safe. This is probably that last time we can talk to each other before the plan is played out. I think West's guards are getting suspicious with me always near you guys's cells." She says and takes a step back.
"So I guess I'll see you two days after Asher's birth." She concludes.

"Thank you for everything. For giving me and my family a way out, and saving us from our death in 2 weeks." I tell her. She smiles.

"It's no problem. After all, you saved Panem from the hunger games. It's the least I could do." Selena says and walks away. It touches my heart that she was against the Hunger Games even though she lived in the Capitol.

I'm eager to get out of here. To get Willow, Rye, Peeta, Johanna, and baby Ash to safety. It's all my fault that they are here, and it should be my job to get them out.

Just two days after Ash's birth. That's not long. Johanna is due in two days. All I can do is hope that the plan works and that after we escape, West is killed. If he isn't, he's most likely going to release the mutts after us and that means game over. We can only hope that the Capitol Alliance that works here, can over power West and his army. But is unlikely.

I look over at Johanna who is laying on her table, draped in her trench coat. Clearly she listened to our whole conversation and now understands all that I do.

The elevator opens allowing a cart full of workers to enter the gym. The meeting must be over.

"Great." Johanna rolls her eyes annoyed at all the sudden noise from the scientists.
"There back." She complains.
"I'm going to be glad when we are out of here and it can be quieter." She remarks and slowly sits up.

Johanna gasps.

"Katniss!" She yells startling the few workers who have just arrived in the gym.

It's then that I notice that her water just broke.