Fighting (Sequel to Fate)

Chapter 26

Katniss P.O.V.

It's funny how everything seems like it's in slow motion when someone's life is in danger.

Everything happens at once.

The gun goes off at least three times, and I watch as Peeta's body basically convulses before falling to the ground. I scream out and take off running towards Peeta, but someone quickly grabs me.

Another gun goes off from behind me and the Peacekeeper falls. I watch as more emerge from the shadows, and the soldiers begin to fire away at them.

I turn to see that Gale's the one who grabbed me. He looks down at me and takes a deep breath before speaking to me.

"Are you alright?"

"No," I say as I shake my head and look back over at Peeta. I start shaking as the tears fall down my face unwillingly. "Gale, Peeta's hurt. I need to get over there to him."

"Not yet. It's too dangerous."

"He's going to bleed to death if we just leave him laying there "

"Just wait a minute. You'll get shot too if you run out there."

I turn my head away and try to imagine that I'm somewhere safe, but it doesn't work. Between the gunfire and the fear that I might lose Peeta or have already lost him, it's hard to forget where I am at.

When the gunfire stops, I look up to see that all the Peacekeepers have fallen. I immediately push away from Gale and take off running.

"Peeta!" I yell as I drop to my knees beside of him. He looks up at me, and my heart drops. He looks so pale.

"You're okay?" he asks me in a weak voice that I can barely hear.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," I say as tears fall down my face. I can tell he's lost a lot of blood. "Where are you hit?"

"Left shoulder." He's having a hard time catching his breath. "Right arm."

"Anywhere else?" Peeta shakes his head. He begins to cough so much that he can't seem to catch his breath at all. I try sitting him up, but Gale quickly stops me and shakes his head.

"Don't move him," Gale says.

"Katniss," Peeta says weakly as he reaches a hand up to lay it on my stomach. "I love you so much."

"Peeta…"

"You have to promise me that you'll take care of yourself and our daughter."

I shake my head as tears fall down my face and sobs escape my mouth.

"Peeta, don't talk like that. Please. Don't do this to me," I beg. "You're going to be okay," I tell Peeta as I run a hand through his hair. "You're going to be okay. But you have to do one thing for me. You have to stay awake. Okay? Can you do that?"

Peeta nods his head.

"Come on, Katniss. We have to go now," Gale tells me.

"No," I say quickly as I shake my head. "I won't leave him."

"Listen to me. They'll send in a hovercraft to take Peeta to District Thirteen so he can get medical attention. But we have to get out of here in case Snow sends in more Peacekeepers."

"What about Peeta?"

"Go on, Katniss," Peeta says. "I'll be fine." I can tell that he's quickly losing the battle that he's fighting.

"No. I won't leave you."

Gale begins to pull me away from Peeta, but I fight back.

"No! Stop!" I yell as I try to stay by Peeta's side until help arrives.

"Hey. Hey," Peeta says as he gently squeezes my hand. "It's okay. Go on."

I lean down and give Peeta a quick kiss before I let Gale lead me away.

I can't look back. If I do, I'll stop moving forwards and Gale will have to drag me.

I feel so guilty. I feel like I'm abandoning Peeta by just walking away from him when he's hurting even though he told me to go.

One question comes to mind.

Did I just lose Peeta?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You good?" Gale asks me as he lays a hand on my shoulder.

I look up at him and shake my head. "I… I-I dont… I…"

"Hey, take a deep breath," Gale says as he sits down beside of me.

"I wish I could have went with him."

They sent in two hovercraft. Peeta was loaded into one, and I was allowed onto the other so I could also be sent back to District Thirteen. Gale decided to come with me to make sure I'm okay.

"I know," Gale tells me. "But they had to get Peeta back to Thirteen as soon as possible, and you probably wouldn't have been able to handle flying that fast."

I nod my head and look down at my stomach as the baby begins to tumble around. It's like she know that something is wrong.

"Ow!" I cry out as another annoying pain runs through my stomach.

"Katniss?"

"I'm okay," I breathe out.

"Don't lie I me."

I sigh. "I'm alright. I've been having these pains on and off for a couple of days."

"You're going to the hospital once we land."

"I'm fine."

"You might be fine. What if the baby isnt?"

I roll my eyes. "You sound like Peeta."

"Well, someone has to keep an eye on you."

"I don't need you to watch out for me."

Gale gives me a look. "Do you know what Peeta would do to me if I let anything happen to you."

I laugh a little bit as undetected tears begin to fall. I didn't even know I was about to cry.

I look down at the ground and shake my head slowly.

"It's all my fault."

"What?" Gale asks me.

"That Peacekeeper had his gun aimed at me because he wanted me dead. Instead, Peeta was hit and now he's fighting for his life in another hovercraft. I was the target. It's my fault."

"Katniss, don't blame yourself."

"Why shouldn't I?" I ask loudly as tears freely fall down my face now.

"Did you pull that trigger?"

"No," I choke out.

"And you didn't ask to be shot at?"

"No."

"And Peeta jumped out in front of that bullet to save you."

"So?"

"So there is absolutely no way that this us your fault."

I shake my head and decide to stay quiet until we reach District Thirteen. I have too much on my mind to argue with him right now.

This hurts so much. Not being able to be there by Peeta's side right now when he saved both mine and the baby's life today.