"Stay with me?"

Chapter 24

Katniss has been in a coma for 3 months now, these have been the worst three months of my life. I haven't been able to cope without her! I can't look after myself let alone look after the twins, I've been so worried that she won't wake up, that I've lost her forever. She's in such a bad condition but I don't know how? Gale couldn't have hit her head that hard surely? I've had so much help with looking after the twins from Katniss' mother, I'm so thankful that her mother has stayed with me and the twins, she's stayed with me ever since she got here for the wedding, the wedding that we didn't have because of Gale! Gale...I wonder what happened to him? I don't want him anywhere near me, Katniss and the twins anymore!

"Peeta? How's Katniss doing?" Johanna asks me softly, I feel so bad for getting her involved in this, she's put her wedding off for a few more months only until Katniss is better, "Honestly Johanna, not good.." I tell her trying not to cry, "Peeta you don't have to be strong in front of me, you don't have to hide your emotions from me, and anyway it's not like I've never seen you cry before" she tells me nudging her elbow into my arm so she knows that I know she's only playing. The tears start pouring out my eyes, I go and sit on the sofa and Johanna follows me, "Johanna I can't do this anymore! I can't cope without Katniss! If she doesn't wake up then there's no reason form me to live!" I cry.

"Peeta!" She shouts, I look up at her and she points to Willow and Finn, "You do have a reason to live! If Katniss doesn't wake up and you end your life then these kids are going to grow up without a mother and a father! You would've failed them, and you would've failed Katniss!" She shouts back, her words sting my heart. She's right though, I have to live for my children if Katniss doesn't wake up, but she will.. I know she'll wake up! "Johanna it's hard! It's hard to sleep at night knowing the one you love could die at any moment, my children could be without a mother. M..my worst nightmare came true the other day when the doctors came over to me and said her condition had gotten worse, th..they wanted me to sw..switch her m..machine off" I can't stop the tears now, I look over at Johanna who is also crying now that I said that, "Th..they wanted to sw..switch her o..off?" She tries to say through her tears, "y..yes-" I get interrupted by Johanna "Peeta I'm so sorry! I didn't realise they asked you that! I didn't know her condition got that bad" she screams, she gets up and runs outside. She's so heartbroken its hard to watch. "Peeta who was tha-" Katniss' mother says walking through the door she stops talking when she's sees me sitting on the sofa crying my eyes out, "Peeta what's wrong? Has something happened to Katniss? Who was that running out the house?" She questions me, there's too many questions for me to handle, I didn't tell her about them wanting to switch Katniss off but I might as well tell her, "THEY WANTED TO SWITCH HER OFF" I yell, i can see Katniss' mother starting to cry, I shouldn't have said it like that! I can't handle it anymore, I grab my coat and run outside, there's only one place I want to be right now.