Katniss & Peeta After Life Book 1

Chapter 20: Old Friend

OKAY.... first I wanna say it has been nearly 5 years since I've released a chapter and for that I'm sorry. I was 14 when I stopped writing and you could tell.😂 But seeing how some people actually like this which is really confusing to me and everything going on in the world right now, I decided to try to finish THIS book at least. I had plans to do a trilogy but idk... Anyways I'm very sorry for the wait. Stay safe and here is...
Chapter 20

(Anna's POV) 2 days later

When I woke up, I heard the sound of a consistent beeping right beside me. I followed the sound to the left side of my bed to see a heart monitor. I'm in a hospital? What happened? The last thing I remembered was Dad changing and slamming me face first onto the wall, but how much damage did he actually end up doing. I sit up in my bed only to just now realize that nobody from my family was there to see me wake up. Although I would've thought that they should be in the room, I then remembered that I was the first one to get attacked. Where's Rue and Rory? Are they okay? Are they hurt? Did...did Dad...did Dad kill them? I need to find them.

I took the IVs out of my arms and the clip off my finger. I already know that I'm fine and if I'm not then..."walk it off" I guess. I don't know I've never been in a hospital. I don't bother changing out of my hospital gown, though it was rather comfortable to say the least. I attempted to stand only to lose my balance but I caught the side railing of the bed before I could actually fall. I grabbed the heart monitor to use as a sort of crutch or cane and walked out of my room.

When I walk out into the hallway, I find a table with wheels with hospital supplies on top, more specifically, a tranquilizer shot. There was a nurse in the room next to mine and I watched to see if she was looking in my direction. She wasn't at all, so I pick it up and I continue walking in search of my siblings.

A doctor spotted me and standing next to him was my parents. The doctor approaches me, but as a reflex I try to stab him in the neck, but my mom quickly grabs the shot from my hand. I look at my parents and they stand there with their eyes widen. "I'll give you guys some time but I do need to provide her with proper medication." The doctor stated, then left to go attend to other patients.

"What happened?" I asked them. They look at each other and back at me. "I accidentally put you in the hospital, little one. Now that your awake we can finally relax." Dad says attempts to embrace me, but I back away. "We?" I ask him. "Us, Rory and Rue." Mom says. I can feel my heart racing. I feel like I'm having a mini-panic attack.

"Where are they?" I ask them more frantically. I have a lot of questions to ask them, but first I want to know for sure that they're alright. "Rory is getting examined." Mom says. "And Rue is in Room 318 resting." Dad finishes. Rue is hurt?! I have to go see her.

"Can I see them?" I ask and they nod. When we enter the waiting I see Rory sitting down. I run towards him and give him a relieved hug.

"Well it's good to see you again." Rory tells me. I smile. "Are you feeling okay?" he asks. I give him a confused face. "I feel a little weird." I tell him. He gives me a worried face. "I thought you were getting examined?" Mom questioned. "I did. They said I need to be on bed rest for a couple of days for healing." Dad sat next to him. "I'm so sorry guys. Honestly. But this is why I told you 'no' so many times." We nodded.

"Did you hear what happened?" Rory asked me. "Uh..yeah Dad attacked." I replied. "Foreal??" He said with a clear hint of sarcasm. He chuckled but his tone turned more serious. "No seriously... did you hear?" I wasn't aware of anything else, I shook my head 'no'.

Rory and my parents walk me into a private room with a table and a couple of chairs. "You might want to sit down." Dad tells me while gesturing to sit, and I do. "What's wrong?" I ask. "Anna, when you got here, they discovered you had internally bleeding. It got so bad that you...you...you died. You were dead for about 8 minutes." Mom finishes with tears in her eyes. Speechless. I don't really know what I'm feeling. It's just...a mixture of emotions. "Okay." I simply said.

They all look at me with confusion. "What?!" they exclaimed at the same time. "How can you just let it go like that?" Rory asks in disbelief. "Well I'm just happy to be alive." I answer. Rory sighs. "Anna. Dad cracked your skull and gave you a concussion. And not to mention, he pretty much killed you." He sounded a little bit annoyed. It's not that I was actually 'okay' with anything, it's just that it's hard to process that kind of information. But don't get it twisted, I'm going to need to get back to this at some point.

However, for now, I just want to know if Rue's okay.

(Peeta's POV)

"PEETA MELLARK TO ROOM 318, PLEASE."

I looked at the rest, "I guess Rue wants to talk to me, finally." "Good luck." Katniss chuckled.

I follow the room numbers until I got to the right one. I stared at the door for awhile trying to collect my thoughts before I walk in to see her. What if she hates me now? What if she's scared? What if she decides that this isn't for her and...leaves? Leaves them...leaves me? But then again, I am the reason why she's here. I am the one who should've just let them question what my mutt mode is like instead actually showing them. I am the reason Rory is in physical pain and the reason why Anna was...gone. And I am going to be the reason for Rue hating herself for being a mutt.

I looked down at the golden handle, gently placing my hand around it. Then, suddenly, I completely opened the door. "Hey." I turned to her voice. Rue's voice. "Hi." I replied nervously with my hand scratching the back of my neck.

I took a seat in the green chair that was placed right beside her hospital bed. "How are they?" She questioned. I looked at her but for some reason, the words didn't come out. "Rory and Anna? How are they?" She repeated herself. "Uh...they're fine. Rory just needs to heal for a couple of days and Anna seems alright. She actually walked out of her room herself, you know? The doctor is going to put her on some medication for her head injuries." I caught her up.

It was silent for a while, but I ultimately started the conversation back up again. "Look, Rue. I'm really sorry. I just...it's-" I took a breath and continued. "See this is why I didn't want to show you guys. This 'dark side' that I tried so hard to hide from you, but I guess because you have it too, I just wanted to show you what was gonna happen. Now that's not an excuse for what I did to you three, but just remember. That wasn't me doing it. And I'm sorry."

"Dad...I don't know how but...I was in control the whole time." Rue revealed. "What?" I asked genuinely confused. "Like I made myself stop when I needed to but you...you just kept going until someone stopped you which ultimately ended up being me." She explained. I sat back in my chair. "Huh." "What?" She asked maybe she thought I would have a theory. "You know, I saw a lot of people, including myself, lose their mind over this. But you didn't?" She shook her head 'no'. "Maybe...maybe it's because you were born with it. Or... I don't know." I looked at her blue eyes. "I really don't know."

I stood up and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Relax that leg of yours." She nodded and I left the room to the nearest phone....

"Hello?" The voice answered.

"Annie? It's Peeta. Peeta Mellark."

"Peeta?"

"Yeah. Hey listen, um... I need your help."