After the Ashes - Story from Gale Hawthorne

Chapter 5

Katniss notices I haven't ate in three days. I can't convince her that I'm not hungry. She leaves my room to get me food and comes back soon after.

"Sit up," Katniss tells me, giving me a tray holding a bowl of potato soup and two pieces of bread. Bread, I think. Which of course reminds me of Peeta. I take a sip of soup as she eyes me.

It burns my tongue. I decide to try some bread while the soup cools off. I take a small bite and swallow hard.

"Come on Gale, it isn't going to hurt you. Eat," she encourages. So I eat more, until the first piece of bread is gone. I eat some more soup. I feel queasy and want to stop eating.

"Finish one more piece of bread and you can be done," Katniss instructs.

"You aren't my mother. I want to be done now," I say while pushing the tray away. I can tell she is about to object and get mad, but she has no time as I run to the bathroom feeling the soup come up the back of my throat.

It all comes up in the porcelain toilet and Katniss pats my back, waiting for me to finish. My mouth burns with foul taste.

I regain my breath and walk wearily back to my bedroom. I feel better but am not nearly ready for more food. Katniss follows and takes the tray back to the kitchen. I lay down, curled in a ball sweating.

Katniss walks in and shuts the door, looking sorry for pushing me to eat. I wish for her to leave so I can nap. But she wouldn't leave no matter how much I asked. So I attempt to ignore her presence. I close my eyes and try to sleep. Feeling a hand on my back, I jerk forward a little. I slowly relax again, as Katniss rubs my back like I'm some sick child. But I'm not physically sick as much as I am mentally. Maybe she knows this.

It takes me a while, but I finally fall asleep. When I wake up, Katniss is snoring, resting her head on my back but still sitting in the chair. I want to get up, but I couldn't exactly move.

"Katniss," I say loudly to wake her. She jerks up, somewhat surprised. My guess is that she never meant to fall asleep.

"I want to tour the town," I say seriously. She nods and I walk to the bathroom with clean clothes. I quickly shower and dry off. I do what I can to look descent. Shave, comb my hair, and brush my teeth. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I notice I look almost normal. Besides the blue under-eye bags and skinner build, anyways.

I walk out to see Katniss in the kitchen talking to my mom. I walk to them and they both looks at me with the same expression.

"Wow Gale you clean up nice," my mom, Hazelle, says while giving me an approving look. I awkwardly walk out the door and am blinded my the sun. Katniss follows behind me.