The New Mockingjay

Chapter Five

It already crowded when Nurse Patten, mom and I reached the medical center. 

"Get some morphling ready." Ordered Nurse Patten and she and mom hurried towards the formal hostages.

As I prepared the painkiller, I could see from the corner of my eye Katniss rushing in with Finnick and Haymitch right behind her. 

Nurse Patten didn't say whether to take the tablets or insert the drug in a needle.  I'll just take both. I said to myself.

When I came back to the main clearing of the medical center, I saw the formal hostages for the first time. 

Johanna, no hair, and dangerously thin. I was about to pity her when I heard her snap, "I don't want that." Ripping off some of the medical patches and tubes off her face.

Katniss seemed to stop at the sight of her. But there was no time to study her face, I needed to find Nurse Patten.

I found her, taking a close look at Annie Cresta. She had her hair, and she didn't look quite so thin. But at the sight of Finnick, she called out to him and started tearing off the same medical patches and tubes. 

"Thank you, Prim," murmured Nurse Patten when I handed her the syringe, "I'll give this to the nurses who are looking after Johanna. She needs it."

"Where's Peeta?" I asked.

Nurse Patten looked at me for a second. "He is in a special room. He had been knocked out with some gas the soldiers used to knock out the Peacekeepers. He should wake up soon. But until then, do not go in there. It's for your own safety."

I stared at the door in silence. I saw Katniss hurry over and hug Gale. The two of them were talking urgently, and I heard Katniss ask the same question I asked Nurse Patten, "Where is he?"

Gale nodded towards a room with the door shut. I could see just a glimpse of a body laying on the bed. My eyes widened when Katniss opened the door and entered.

"Prim. I need you to help your mother set up a medication for Annie." Nurse Patten's brisk voice broke my thoughts.

"Yes, Nurse Patten." I said.

The noise began to die down. Both my mom and I were almost finished making a soothing and calming remedy for Annie when Boggs shouted at the top of his lungs, "Nurse! Nurse! We need a medical team on Katniss immediately!"

My mom and I whirled around.

"What happened?" Asked Nurse Patten, her voice shook, but it was calm.

"One of the hostages, Peeta. Tried to strangle Katniss. She's in critical condition."

Nurse Patten turned some of the nurses and doctors who were listening, "Get a neck brace ready. We'll check on her."

"What happened to Peeta?" I asked Boggs.

"He's knocked out. But we'll put him strapped in a safety bed so he won't get out and do more damage." He replied. 

I couldn't do anything. I was told to stay back. I all I could do was watch nurses and doctors go in and out of the room. 

The waiting was excruciating. Not only worrying about Katniss's life, but also Johanna's complaining and whining. I wished I could tell her to be quiet, but I knew that you should never get mad at a patient.

Finally, Nurse Patten came out. "She's resting." She told me, "We'll just have to wait until she wakes up."

For what it seemed (and probably was) like hours, Boggs came out of the room. "She's awake."

With Nurse Patten's permission, I followed him into the emergency room.

Plutarch Heavensbee, Haymitch, and Beetee were there to my surprise. Plutarch looked weary as he rubbed his temples.

"It's called hijacking." 

I sat down next to Katniss and held her hand. Beetee looked shook his head quietly while Haymitch paced restlessly.

"We don't know how long the Capitol's been doing this to Peeta." Continued Plutarch. 

I looked at him with confusion. 

"It's fear conditioning," explains Beetee, "enhanced with Tracker Jacker venom. You were stung in your first games remember?" He looks at Katniss who nods weakly.

"The venom puts the subject in a dissociative state. And..." he seemed to hesitate a bit, "..they torture him."

I gripped Katniss's hand tighter. How could they do that to him?

"They torture him with shocks, beatings, and strip down his identity." Continued Beetee, "and then, all the suffering and fear is redirected. Associated with other memories or a person."

"They can change the memories of Katniss?" I asked quietly with concern.

"To make her seem life threatening." Said Beetee.

Haymitch spoke, looking directly at my sister, "They turned her into a weapon Katniss. To kill you."

At the thought, I looked at Katniss. Her eyes were bloodshot red. She was lucky to survive, or she would've died.

"But you can reverse it?" I pressed.

Beetee looked down, and it seemed like he was talking to the ground, "Fear is the most difficult thing to overcome. We're hardwired to remember fear best."

"It's new terrain." Said Plutarch, "But we put together a team. I'm optimistic."

At one last glance at Katniss, she seemed more relaxed, the redness was slowly fading from her eyes.