Everybody Talks: Sequel

Chapter Twenty Nine: How Is He?

I rush into the waiting room that I was given directions to. As soon as the door opens Annie looks up, her face falls when she sees it's me but I'm not offended; she was hoping that somehow Finnick had managed to get here and I don't blame her. In her situation I'm sure I'd feel the same too.

With everything that's happened it's so easy to forget how young we all are. We're all eighteen or nineteen- apart from James who is seventeen and still in school. Annie is only nineteen, her boyfriend is away and she has a newborn baby who was premature and has now been rushed to intensive care. She went through her pregnancy not knowing if the father of her baby would ever get to meet him and now she doesn't know if they'll get to see each other again.

Annie basically throws herself into my arms and sobs on my shoulder. I don't know what to say to comfort her so I don't say anything. I wrap my arms tightly around her and just allow her to cry.

Eventually she let's go of me and steps out of the hug, "I'm sorry... I just..."

"It's okay, Ann. You don't need to apologise."

"Are the others on the way?"

I nod and say, "The girls are but the guys and Jo had to go. I'm sorry, he tried to get here."

"I didn't think he'd be able to but I couldn't help but hope."

"I know, we'll email him whenever we know anything and he'll find it out as soon as possible."

She nods and I see her eyes well up with tears again. "H-he just started to struggle for breath and then the nurses rushed in and they took him away and I-I don't know what's going on."

She bursts into tears again as the rest of the girls walk into the room. Delly goes straight to her and gives her a hug and everyone kind of joins in. Finnick's mum sits in the corner of the room, looking as though she's feeling kind of awkward. I'm guessing Annie's parents are on the way here.

I go and sit beside her and offer her a friendly smile, "Are you okay?"

She nods but I can see the tears in her eyes. I've known Finnick's mum for years, basically as long as I've known Finnick and she's such a nice person. None of this can be easy on her; her son and his friends have just gone off to fight and something has happened to her grandson. I offer my arms out to her in a hug and she accepts. I pat her back a little and then her husband comes through the door so I let go of her and they rush together and embrace.

I wish Peeta was here. I wish all of the guys and Jo were here.

Annie's parents show up and as soon as they do Annie bursts into tears again, she doesn't deserve this at all.

A few short minutes later the doctor shows up. Everyone goes immediately silent as soon as he steps through the doorway and the attention is one hundred percent on him as we all wait anxiously for what he has to say, "We're not sure what it is yet, but he was struggling for breath. It's likely to be his lungs because they're underdeveloped due to him being premature. He's stable and in intensive care where he will remain for the time being. We're going to run some more tests to make sure our assumptions are correct but we're going to allow you to have a few minutes with him now if you want.

****Annie's POV****

I follow behind the doctor and when he leaves me at the double doors I take a deep breath to compose myself before gently pushing one if the doors and slowly walking in. I glance around the room and my eyes quickly land on my baby boy. His bronze curls seem duller and his amazing green eyes are closed. I know he's sleeping but he looks like he's in so much pain: as though each tiny breath takes so much energy for him. He has a tube going into his mouth, I'm assuming to supply oxygen, and a plastic incubator surrounds him, making him look even tinier and more fragile. As though if I was to touch him he'd break. His skin looks dangerously pale and the rise and fall of his chest appear jagged. I'm going to pray constantly that he'll be okay. He has to be okay. I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to him.

His tiny hand lies open beside him and I slide my hand through the side of the incubator and I stroke the palm of his hand with my thumb. He slowly closes his little fist around it and a smile a little but his grip isn't as strong as usual which worries me. He's obviously weak and it's scaring me how different he looks compared to just hours ago. I wish Finnick was here, the circumstances we're in are absolutely horrible. We discussed having children quite a bit but I think I can safely say we never imagined that when we had a baby it would be like this. No one, not even my worst enemy, deserves something like this.

All of my attention goes the the little boy in front if me and I don't even notice the doctor walking up to me until he is stood right beside me. He smiles softly at me and rests a hand on my shoulder, "We looked at the results of the tests we did immediately after he was brought here. They tell us all we need to know, the issue is that his lungs are underdeveloped. This is common with premature babies and it's nothing to worry too much about. We'll keep him in the ICU with a close eye on him and we'll put him on some steroids through a drip. We'll also keep a constant supply of oxygen straight to his lungs. It may take a little while but if he reacts well to the treatment we give him, he should be absolutely fine. It's a waiting game to see how he reacts but only a very very small minority need alternative treatment to what we've decided on. We're not sure why it's taken so long for this problem to become clear but sometimes it happens. Please don't get yourself worked up; we see this all the time Annie."

I let out a breath I didn't even realise that I was holding and feel a little relieved- not completely but more so than before-; it sounds like he'll be okay in the end.

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-Lauren