The Mental Hospital

Chapter 3

Katniss POV

I sat in the stupid room alone. I had not seen Dr Kingston since he came in and asked me those questions. I had been almost a week when he finally returned.

"Hello." He seemed far too happy for someone who spent their time in one of these places but, he did get to go home at the end of the day. I did not. I scoffed in reply, not wanting to be in a conversation with someone who left me in solitary confinement for a week.

"I have a proposition for you." I looked up at him, studying him with my eyes. "How would you like to attend group therapy?"

"With who?" I was skeptical about his offer because he had done nothing to prove to me that I could trust him and after being in the Games twice, I know how important trust is.

"Other people just like you." I was skeptical but maybe making contact with other people would make me feel less crazy.

"Okay. I'm in."

The next day, Dr Kingston lead me to a room where five other people sat. I studied their expressions.

One of the tall boys had his arms folded. His eyebrows knitted together and a frown seemed carved on his chiseled face. I understood his anger.

The other was slouched in his seat staring intently at a pen on the table. He didn't seem angry or sad about being there. Just obsessed with the pen.

There was another boy, clearly much shorter then the others. He looked irritated. Like being there just annoyed him more then anything.

There were two red headed girls. One was taller more serious. She sat with her back straight and her lips in a firm line. The other sat cross legged in the hard metal chair, a sketch book balanced on her knees as she sketched symbols. The same symbols were etched into her skin. Some looked like tattoos, others looked like scars. She looked almost as happy, at peace with the fact she was trapped.

There were two empty chairs. One for me and one for Dr Kingston. At least thats what I thought. A different man stood in the back of the room, only walking over after I sat down. Dr Kingston excused himself and the man took the final seat at the table.

"Hello everyone. Welcome to our first session. I would like to go around the room and everyone to say their name and one interesting fact about themselves." He looked around at all of us. "I'll go first. My name is Archibald Hopper but you can all call me Archie or Dr Hopper if you prefer. I have been a psychotherapist for 28 years." He pointed to the first boy who who just stared at him angrily. Dr Hopper turned to me instead.

"Katniss Everdeen." One of the boys snickered but stopped immediately after I flashed him a glare. "I am the mocking Jay." Dr Hopper pointed to the next girl, still drawing in her sketch book. I wondered where she got it. They hadn't given me anything to do.

"Clary and I'm a Shadowhunter." She said not looking up from her drawings. I didnt know what a shadowhunter was but I didnt want to ask. Then the next girl spoke.

"My name is America Singer and I was entered in the selection." The selection was another thing I hadn't heard of.

"Harry Potter. I'm a Wizard." I knew what that was. My mother used to tell me stories before my father died.

"Percy Jackson." Said the pen boy. "And I'm a demigod, son of Poseidon."

It came around to the angry one. We all stared at him until he finally spoke.

"Four." We looked at him weirdly. "My name is Four."

"An interesting fact?"

"The girl I love is dead." He spat. At least that explains why he's so bitter.

"O-okay." Archie seemed a little uncomfortable with his statement. Some psychotherapist.

"I'm sorry." I said.

"I don't want your pity." He replied, not meeting my eyes.

"Its not pity. I've lost people too. My little sister. The person I loved more then anything in the world." I told him annoyed that he thought he was the only one who faced loss.

"My friend Leo went missing after the war. He blew himself up so we don't know if he's alive or not." Pen boy sighed. "The last battle so many of my friends were killed. Silena, Charlie, Luke even before all that, Bianca, Zoe." Tobias looked taken aback. He looked around at all of us.

"My friends were killed in battle." Harry mumbled. "They all died to protect me."

"My friends' little brother was killed. 9 years old." Clary said, looking up from her drawings for the first time.

"When I was brought here, my friends were all being shot by the rebels. I don't know who's alive and who isn't." America said a tear brimming her eye. I hadn't noticed the tears rolling down my face. The others looked just as upset.

"Well uh good talk today. We will pick this up tomorrow." Dr Hopper said before standing up and glancing at us all sadly. "Stay here. Dr Kingston will be here to escort you all back to your rooms." He left the six of us alone.

"Why are we here?" I asked looking around at each of my companions. A chorus of I don't knows came from everyone.

"We shouldn't be here. We aren't crazy." Clary said placing her sketch book on the table.

"We need to find a way out." Percy added stating the obvious. I would have called him out but the door opened and we all fell silent. One by one he took us back to our rooms.

I was the last to go so I waited with Four.

"I really am sorry for your loss." I said to him not looking at him.

"I'm sorry for being so rude. I just...have you ever been in love." He asked. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him looking at me.

"I don't know. I haven't had much time to think about it. I want to say yes but I don't know if it was real. I love them but I don't know if I was in love." I kept blabbing as Four watched me. Before our conversation could continue Dr Kingston came to bring Four back to his room.

"See you next time." For the first time, I saw him smile. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I grinned to myself until Dr Kingston came and escorted me to my room.