The life of a victor: Cloves story

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 : An ill mother

The next morning after I'm washed and dressed I head over to Enobaria's house. I don't know why I'm going but I just need someone to help me get through all this. I knock on her door and when she answers I say "Please can we talk?"
"Sure" she says. I walk into her house, she has redecorated the whole house to match her style.

"What wrong?" she says. I tell her about everything, Cato cheating on me, me fighting Kia. "Clove stop stressing out about everything, you have money and a house you have an amazing boyfriend who will soon be your husband" she says. It's true I have everything that I could want and yet I still want more. "Your right" I say.

"Cheer up your going to be a mentor in a couple of months" she says.
"Great I look forward to it" I say sarcastically. The weather is getting warmer, a sign that summer is coming. I go home and find my mother is asleep in her chair, this is unusual she never sleeps during the day.

When I walk up to her, I see that her face is very pale. "Wake up" I whisper. Her eyes flutter open, and she starts to cough. "Are you okay you look ill?" I say suddenly worried.
"I'm fine Clove" she says.
"Your not, your pale and coughing!" I say.
"I am just-" she runs out the room to the bathroom and throws up in the toilet.

I run downstairs and call the doctor, thankfully he isn't busy and he will be here in 5 minutes. I go back up stairs, she has stopped being sick but she is more pale than before. "Come on let's get you into bed" I say. I guide her back to her room and lay her on the bed.

Just then there is a knock on the door, I hurry down and let the doctor in.
"She is upstairs" I say. I follow him up and I show him her room. He does a couple of checks on her and then leads me out the room. "Clove your mother has an illness which is like the flu only much worse" he says.
"Is she going to be okay?" I say.
"She should be, just make sure she stays in bed and she can only drink water, also she can only eat light meals" he says.
"Ok got it" I say. He Hands me a box of tablets. "Make sure she takes these every morning and night" he says. "Ok thanks for coming" I hand him the money and show him out.

When he is gone I make my mother soup and a glass of water. I sit with her until she has finished it all and then stay with her until she falls asleep. I lie down on the sofa and close my eyes, I'm about to fall asleep when I hear my mother cry out in pain. I jump of the sofa and run upstairs, she has woken up and I quickly remember the tablet that she is supposed to take, I give her one and she quickly goes back to sleep.

I sludge downstairs and sit on the sofa more tired and hungry than ever. At some point I fall asleep and have a nightmare about Katniss, she is killing me over and over again. I wake up screaming and I see Cato sitting down next to me. "Hey" he says softly, he brushes a loose strand of hair off my face. "Hi" I say sleepily. "I came in last night because I heard a cry of pain, so I looked after your mother because I didn't want to wake you" he says.
"Thanks" I say. I get up and make a glass of water. "Well I should get going, call me if you need anything" he says, and he gets up and leaves.

The next few days are extremely exhausting, I have to look after my mother 24 hours a day and I haven't been eating or sleeping enough. My mother's condition isn't getting better, in fact I think it is getting worse. Today she has been worse than usual, she is being sick alot more. I make her a small glass of water and take it up to her. When I walk in she is coughing into a tissue, and when she takes it away from her mouth, my hears drops into my stomach.

The tissue is splattered in blood and her face is as pale as ever. I quickly give her the water and call the doctor.
After he has examined her he takes me downstairs and tells me the news I don't want to hear. "Clove, your mother isn't going to hang on much longer, she has and illness that can not be cured" he says.
"So you are saying......she is going to..die" I choke out.
"Yes I'm so sorry Clove" he says.
"How long does she have left" I say.
"A few days" He says. He gives me a quick hug and then leaves.

I lie on the sofa and grab a cushion, then I start to scream until my throat is raw. Then I just lay there looking into the distance. The sound of my mother in pain brings me to my feet, I go upstairs and tell her the bad news. She doesn't say anything she just tells me that she wants her last moments to be with me.

I stay with her until she falls asleep and then I call Cato and ask him to come over. When he is here I tell him everything and he brings me into his arms and comforts me. He goes off and makes us both dinner, I go up to my mothers room and see that she is looking at pictures. I go over and see the picture, one is of her and my father when they were married and one is of me when I was born.

Cato is calling me so I go down, he has prepared an amazing meal for us both, I quickly start to eat and I realise it is the first thing I have eaten in days. Once I'm done I go up to bed and let Cato tuck me in, eventually I let him climb in with me.

The next day is awful, I know that it is my mothers last day. Cato leaves to let me have some time on my own with my mother. I sit on her bed and she puts her arm around me, I feel like a child again. She talks to me about happy memories of her childhood and about me when I was a baby. By late afternoon I know the time has come, I am hugging her and telling her I love her and what she means to me.

She is telling me a few last memories and then she says "Clove I am so proud of you" Tears are spilling out of my eyes and for her sake I try and be strong. Eventually she gives me a last hug and a kiss and then grabs my hand, then she says her last words "Clove I love you"