Fighting (Sequel to Fate)

Chapter 7

Katniss P.O.V.

Haymitch won't let me go see Peeta right away. He told me to let the doctors and nurses do their work. Mom promised me that her and Prim would make sure Peeta's okay, so that comforts me a little bit.

Haymitch told me he wouldn't sugar coat it. Peeta still has a chance of not making it. However, it is a slim chance.

I am currently leaned up againat the door to my room. I couldn't stay in there. It felt like the walls were closing in on me. The hallway isn't much better, but it's the only other option I have

"Katniss."

I turn to see Gale walking towards me. I go over to him and wrap my arms around his neck.

"Thank you," I tell him. There's so many questions I want to ask him right now. How did they manage to get back safely without a plan? Were there any casualties? But before I can ask anything, Gale speaks up.

"We have to go back."

I pull back from him and give him a confused look. "Back... to the Capitol?" I ask. Gale nods his head. "Why? When?"

"Coin didn't say when," Gale tells me. "She's going to wait until we have a solid plan. We got lucky this time."

"What do you mean?"

Gale takes a deep breath. "We went in there with our guns raised, ready to shoot anything that moved, but there was nobody there. Katniss, there were no guards, or Peacekeepers. Nothing. We walked in, got Peeta, and walked out."

"Well, why do you have to go back?" I ask him.

"Peeta isn't the only Victor that Snow has captured," Gale tells me. "We could only get Peeta out for now, though. We didn't know about the others until we arrived."

I swallow hard. "I...um... H-How was Peeta?"

Gale shakes his head. "Unconscious."

"And?" I ask. "Gale, please. I have to know."

"You'll see him in a few minutes," Gale tells me.

I nod my head. That didn't help at all. I'm already preparing myself for the worst.

"Oh. I almost forgot," Gale says. "Coin wants to meet with you as soon as Peeta gets better."

I nod my head. "Okay." I want to be annoyed that she couldn't wait a full day before she brought up meeting with me. But this is what we both agreed to. "Tell her that I'll speak with her as soon as Peeta is awake and well, but not a moment sooner."

Gale nods his head. "Seems fair enough. I guess I'll see you later." Gale walks off, and I lean back up against my door and wait.
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My hands shake as we get closer and closer to the door. Haymitch came and got me during dinner and told me that I could go see Peeta now.

He warned me that Peeta looks badly beat up, and that it will probably make me more upset than I already am. But I don't care. I have to see Peeta now. I can't wait another second.

Once we reach the door, I turn to face Haymitch.

"The doctors said Peeta would be sedated for a while," Haymitch tells me.

"So he's still unconscious?" I ask him.

Haymitch nods. "Probably will be for a while."

I take a deep breath and put my hand on the doorknob. "Here we go," I breathe as I pull on the handle and open the door.

My stomach twists, and tears come to my eyes when I see him. The first thing I notice are the wires and tubes connecting Peeta to all the machines.

I take a seat in the chair beside of his bed, and I lay my hand over his. I lean over and press my lips to a bruise on his cheek.

I pull back to assess the damage.

He has bruises and cuts on his face, along with a busted lip. His arms are also scratched up, and a big gash runs from his elbow to his hand on his left arm.

He's lost way too much weight, making all of his bones prominent through his skin. I run a thumb over Peeta's hollow cheekbones. His arms look weak, unlike the strong arms that held me a month and a half ago.

His skin is discolored. His cheeks no longer have a rosy tint to them. He looks like the life has been sucked out of him.

Peeta's hand shakes against mine every now and then, and if I look closely enough, I can see the tremors running though his whole body.

I watch as his chest slowly rises and falls. Much more slowly than it should, even with the machine helping him. I look over at the heart monitor to see that Peeta's heart is barely beating.

I start feeling sick when I realize something. This is all my fault. If I hadn't tried to show Snow up, none of this would have happened.

"Peeta!" I sob as I rest my head on top of our hands.

He's here.

He's here!

And yet, he's not. He's barely a skeleton of himself.

I don't realize that I've started shaking until Haymitch sets a hand on my shoulder. I slowly look up at him.

"Katniss, you've got to calm down," he tells me.

I swallow hard and make a five word promise.

"I'm going to kill Snow."