Everybody Talks (Hunger Game Fanfiction) #Watty's2014

Chapter Twenty-Two: Mom

She isn't breathing.
"Mom!" I scream jumping on the other side of the couch, kneeling beside her. I don't shake her because I have learned better from health class, but I continue to scream for her. Her chest doesn't rise or fall, and her mouth stays closed. I check to see if she will respond by taping her on the shoulders, but somehow I know she won't wake up. Dammit, I should have listened during our CPR course! But I just had to talk to Annie didn't I? Wait, Finnick paid attention! I grab my cell phone and dial Finnicks number.
"Well hello there sugar cube." He says trying to be funny. But I'm being very serious.
"Finnick! You have to help me. Get over here now." I exclaim into the phone. I sense he gets serious.
"What's wrong?"
"My mom isn't breathing an I don't know CPR." Sobs are racking my body and my voice trembles.
"I'm on my way. Do you know compassion's?"
"No! I don't know anything!" I cry out into the phone.
"First, calm down. I'll call 9-1-1, start compassion's. Push down two inches on the breast bone. 100 per minute!" Finnick instructs. This could save my moms life so I hang up and start compressions. I don't really see how pounding someone's chest in is going to help them breath, But I do as I am told, pushing down on the chest two inches. I have no way to tell if I'm doing it right I not. For all. Know I could be making it worse. I keep doing that until I hear a crack.
"Mom!?" I scream. I check for breathing again. Nothing. "Mom I'm sorry." I continue with compassion's, despite hearing another crack. Tears run down my face. Finnick talked about CPR a lot after we first learned it. For some reason I remember him saying something about hearing cracks and what they meant.
"It will usually occur with older people." He had said. "A cracked rib. And injury though, is a lot better than death."
With that in mind, I keep pressing down on my moms chest, stopping everybody few minutes to check for breathing and every time finding none. My shoulders begin to hurt, and my arms are like jello. My mom hasn't responded to me yet. She needs air in her lungs. But I don't know how to open up the airway and give them to her. For 10 minutes I continue compression's, and then Finnick comes rushing in with Annie behind.
"You weren't supposed to do it on the couch." Finnick says moving my mother to the floor.
"In sorry I didn't know what to do!" I say with tears in my eyes, my voice defensive. He pays no attention as he starts compassion's, counting them out.
"They won't work!" I yell. Again, he doesn't acknowledge what I say. After he reaches 30 compassion's, he tilts back her head and puts his mouth to hers. I know it's saving her life but it looks like he is kissing her. He breathes in twice, and watches her chest. It doesn't rise.
"Annie call Gale please." I say. I need my best friend here with me. She leaves me for a phone while I watch Finnick continue CPR. He keeps giving her mouth to mouth and on about the 5th time, her chest finally rises. That had to be a good sign. When Gale walks in the door, only 5 minutes later,the police follow him. Finnick doesn't stop doing CPR until they actually get to her. Gale wraps his arms around me as I fear for my mothers life. They bring in a stretcher and they take my mom to the waiting ambulance. Though the EMT's are doing CPR just like Finnick was al the way into the ambulance. I hear someone order an AED in there, and only seconds later hear the computer voice of one.
"Shock one delivered. Begin CPR." The voice says. My mothers heart had stopped and she had been shocked. Maybe that will be enough to save her life, maybe it won't. I don't know because they drive away. I don't think I can ride with her anyways. Instead, I stay is Gale's arms. He doesn't say anything until the ambulance is out of site, and he tries to get me to go to the hospital.
"Katniss. Come on you have to go." He says to see, pulling me towards Annie and Finnick waiting in the car.
"I can't Gale."
"Why not?"
"Because she is my mother. She is my only family left and if she doesn't wake up... I can't handle that." I say. Instead of responding right away, he picks me up and pulls me into the back seat. I scream and thrash around, yelling at him to wet me down but he doesn't. And I know he won't. Once he had the door closes and Before I can try to get out, Finnick starts driving.
"No! Let me out!" I hiss at them.
"Katniss, you'll find out how your mother is doing sooner or later." Gale tries to calm me.
"You don't understand!" I growl, but then tears from In my eyes said and as I talk, my voice cracks. "You don't get it. My mom, we finally became close. And then she may be taken from me. And, she looks so much like Prim. It's like watching this happen to my little sister all over again! I can't go through this again!" I cover my face with my hands and cry, while everyone else Is silent. It's a selfish reason to not want to see your mom after she had been taken to the hospital, but I don't think I could cope with that. Not again. But I also know that I need to be there. So Finnick speeds down the highway towards Saint Rita's hospital. He is driving well over the speed limit and I don't want him to drive that fast. I am afraid of what I might find out when I get there. I finally look up at Gale who is staring ahead at nothing. I lean my head against his shoulder, letting my tears stain his shirt. He doesn't seem to mind though, instead he only takes my hand. When we get to the building, in hesitant to walk in the ER unit. As soon as I'm in there I could be told she won't wake up. That she is sick with something and will never be the same again. Or worse, that she didn't make it. That I am an orphan basically. All alone with no family at all.
"Katniss?" Gale asks. "Do you want to stay here?" I nod my head.
"Yes. But I can't. Just, don't leave me in there."
"I won't." He helps me out of the car, still holding my hand, and he leads me inside. He knows I am nervous so he only pulls me closer. How did such a perfect day turn into this? How did meeting Tich, the person who saved my life, turn into this? How did the blue skies suddenly go grey? Like a pop up storm in the middle of summer. Maybe this storm is past and the sun is going to show itself again. We hurry along to the nurses desk, where we are told my mothers condition hasn't been revealed and that we just needed to wait in the waiting room. So we all sit down and I bite my finger nails, until they bleed out of worry. The tears have stopped and I don't feel like crying, I feel numb. I lean against Gale, still holding his hand. After another 15 minutes of anxiously waiting for a doctor, someone else comes through the door. It's Peeta. I leave Gale's comfort and go to him, praying his arms are warm and inviting. Of course they are, but I don't cry. Not again.
"Katniss." Peeta sighs into my hair.
"How did you know we were here?"
"Finnick called." He strokes my hair.
"Peeta, I'm scared." I say like a small child.
"It's okay. She will be fine." He says softly. Peeta has this thing that makes people believe, even when he doesn't say much. I think it's just something about him. He is like, always right.
"Alright." I say and hug him tighter. His arms feel like home. He leads me back to the chairs where I sit in between Gale and Peeta, taking both of their hands, smiling at each of them, and leaning my head back. I wish I could sleep but I know my mind won't let me. Though that doesn't stop me from closing my eyes and waiting for the doctor. He comes out soon enough, asking for Ms. Everdeen's family.
"Katniss?" He calls out. I think that's what he said at least. I look up and he checks his clipboard. "Katniss Everdeen?" He says again. He must have worked with my mother here and that's how he knows who I am. I stand quickly, not knowing I still have the guy's hands so they come with me, and I stand in front of the doctor.
"I'm Katniss." I say. He sighs.
"Please follow me." The doctor says, nodding towards the double doors to the patients rooms. I'm not sure what to think, usually they just tell you how the person is doing right now. But now I have to follow him. I free my hands, and walk with the doctor.
"Did you notice any unusual behavior with your mom in the last week or so?" He asks me passed the doors.
"Well she had the flu the other day, and like, 2 days ago she was throwing up a lot. But I figured she just wasn't over the stomach virus."
"It was a lot more than the stomach virus. Your mother had a ruptured appendix. Her body was filling up with poison." He stops outside of a door. "She is in there. But she isn't responsive and we estimate she has about 2 hours, 3 hours left. There isn't anything we can do at this point." He says and my worse fear comes true. I'm about to lose my mother. We finally patch things up and all is forgiven, just for her to be taken away from me. Like my dad, and Prim. The strange thing is, I can't cry. I don't feel like crying. I think I just want to say my final good bye, and leave. So I never have to come back here again. Though with my luck, I'm sure I will.
"Can I go in?" I ask the doctor.
"Yes. Spend as much time as you need in there." He opens the door for me and I look in. They haven't even bothered to put her on Life Support she is that bad. How could I not notice the shadow of death on my mothers face. Now I see it. Her hollow cheeks and dark circles around her eyes are still there. I was thinking maybe she wasn't sleeping well, I know I don't when I'm sick, and that explained her eyes. She kept throwing up, so I knew she was underweight. That explained the hollow face. I walk to her bedside and take her hand.
"Hi mom." I say. It's like I'm talking to a brick wall. She doesn't move. "I, know this is the end for you. And I know that things could have been better for us since dad and Prim died, but for the most part they weren't. At Christmas, you made things better. And I forgive you for everything and I love you so much. I hope you can hear me. You made things right with my so please make things right with God. Before you go." I stop. I'm so use to her talking back to me but now she isn't.
"I don't know what else to say. Only that I'm going to miss you." I stand then, not knowing what else to say. I walk out of her room to see a shocked looking doctor, considering I wasn't in there long. But I ignore him and walk down the hallway. To the waiting room. Everyone stands up when I walk out. I tear escapes my eye but I'm not actually crying. I look at Peeta.
"You said she would be fine." My voice comes out shaky. Peeta's mouth opens but not to say anything, just in shock. I run to him and he wraps his arms around me. I hear Gale and Finnick talking about it, and Annie is pacing the floor. This is it. I have no family left.
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Sorry I took so long to update!

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~Hannah