The Last Mockingjay

Chapter 3

Haymitch, Peeta, the doctor- I still don't know his name, and I sit around the fireplace in the living room discussing what to do next.

"First of all, I am happy to report that the patient should make a full recovery," says the doctor, and I feel relief rush through my body as I relax into Peeta's arms.

"He's lost a lot of blood, and his burns and wounds are very severe, so he needs at least two months of bed rest," he continues.

This is where I tune out. I only need to know that Gale is okay. I know he had abandoned me for years, but he is still my friend, or at least he was.

"What do you want to do Katniss?"

"Huh?" I stare at Peeta, uncomprehending.

"Where is Gale going to stay while he recovers?" Peeta asks. I know he doesn't necessarily care for Gale, but he knows what Gale means to me.

"Here. He can't stay at Hazelle's because she is too busy with her other children. As soon as he's well, we can send him on his way."

"Very well," the doctor replies, "I will continue to check up on him every week."

"But what about your work, doctor?" Peeta wonders.

"It is fine. I must help a patient in need. My business is strictly research, and it can wait."

"How much do you want for payment?" I ask, getting up to go to the emergency cash supply.

"Just consider it a favor, Mockingjay."

"No, you must be-"

"You have given our country payment enough, Mrs. Mellark."

The doctor quickly packs his equipment and walks out of the door before I can respond. He must've only been a child when I was the Mockingjay, so he must be mistaken, thinking that he owes me anything. I did nothing except bring pain to everyone I love. I don't deserve this life, which is at the cost of others.

Weeks go by, and Gale slowly gets better, only able to stay awake long enough to be fed. The doctor- who's name, I learned, is Robert- keeps his word, coming weekly to change Gale's bandages. Haymitch says that at one point he was awake long enough to ask a few questions, but quickly lost consciousness before anyone could rationally react.

Even if he was awake long enough for me to talk to him, I wouldn't know what to say. I don't know how his life has been for the past nine years, and I don't know if I want to find out. I'm not even sure I can confront him without breaking down.

One day Dr. Robert comes up to me after treating Gale.

"He's awake if you would like to visit him. He should be done with the majority of his recovery by the end of the week."

"Thank you, Doctor," I say to him. He nods his head towards me and walks back out the front door.

This is the moment I've been dreading for weeks. I know I have to face him eventually. The old Katniss, the one from the Arena, wouldn't have been able to. But I'm no longer that person.

The Rebellion has changed me. Motherhood has changed me. Peeta has changed me.

I decide to face him.

I walk to the guest bedroom upstairs that used to be mine, and peek in the room through the crack in the door. Gale is sitting up in the bed, shirtless, eating some broth that Peeta must've made.

I look at his burns and wounds. You can barely see them because most are covered by layers of bandages, but what you can see is what my skin looked like when I believed myself to be a fire mutt created by the Capitol. Even though his skin is shredded, he looks like the same Gale I've always known.

I push the door open as Gale examines his body. At first he doesn't notice me, so I take a step forward. His head snaps up, covered in pain from the sudden movement. His face quickly forms into a smile at the sight of my face.

"Catnip!"

"Gale."

I rush over to where he sits on the bed and try to hug him, until I remember his injuries, so I just turn and sit on the edge of the bed. Gale looks at me, inspecting the older version of me. I do the same to him.

His face looks exactly the same, except for some additional frown lines. His face is covered in a light stubble, and there are a few grey hairs sticking out here and there, even though he's only twenty-nine.

"I never thought I'd see you again," he says, lifting his hand to touch my face as if to make sure I'm really here. I'm surprised to find my hand on top of his, feeling his tough, yet gentle hands.

I break away suddenly. It doesn't feel right, to have another man besides Peeta comfort me.

"What's wrong, Katniss?"

That was a bad question to ask. I feel resentment begin to bubble inside from all the years he had ignored me. From the grudge against him I'd been holding ever since my sister's death.

"What's wrong Gale?" I feel my voice beginning to rise, my anger becoming more and more uncontrollable.

"What's wrong is that I haven't heard from you in nine years, and you expect everything to be okay? You ABANDONED ME! I might have thought about forgiving you, but you just LEFT! YOU LEFT AND MISSED NINE YEARS OF MY LIFE, AND MY MARRIAGE, AND MY CHILDREN. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MY BEST FRIEND. YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO BE THERE, AND YOU JUST DESERTED ME!"

"You think I would be able to watch you fall in love with him all over again?" Gale says, choking back emotion, but even this does not make my anger waver.

"Gale. It's not always about you. Have you ever thought that I ever needed you?"

"It's ALWAYS been about YOU, Katniss! I did what I thought was best for ME! For ONCE in my life I made a decision for ME!"

The fight goes out of me. Just like that, I feel weak and exposed.

"You could've called, Gale. You could've visited... done something."

By now, I'm standing up, tears running down my cheeks. I make no attempt to hide them as I walk towards the door.

"Katniss... I was... I was afraid that-"

"I would blame you for Prim's death? Well you're fears have just been confirmed."

I leave him with those words as I walk into the hallway and close the door behind me. I hear him calling my name, but I don't look back. I'm never looking back ever again.

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I know my chapters are short, but I think I usually pack quite a bit into each one (except for the few I use to transition and grow some new characters that have been introduced).

Please, please tell me what you think! I'd absolutely love feedback!