There Are Much Worse Games To Play

Chapter 7: 'Home'

I finally wake up from a long, nightmare-filled sleep. But I have Peeta's arms around me to comfort me when I scream myself awake. And eventually his lips.

I know now why my mother was with Peeta so quickly after he got shot. She works in the District 12 hospital, and she hasn't even told me! Talking about Peeta being shot, I still don't know why he can move around freely since he was in mutt mode like nothing ever happened. And I won't until he tells me. So I ask him: "Hey, Peeta. How come it seems like you didn't ever get shot? You can walk, lie and sit down all by yourself without any problems." "I- I have no idea. When I was in mutt mode, I felt a kind of energy in me that I've never felt before. I- It was like- like I had superhuman strength or something," he says. "Well, you do, anyway," I say jokingly, squeezing his bicep. Peeta smiles.

Just then, Dr Aurelius walks in. "Good morning," he says. I smile in reply. "Did you sleep all right?" he asks with a frown. "Aside from nightmares of mutts, lost children and my sister Prim, yeah, I had a damn fine night," I say sarcastically. "Katniss! Manners!" Peeta whispers in my ear. "Well, well," he says, clearly not sensing the sarcasm, "I have more good news, you can go home today!" "Really! That's great!" Peeta says since I'm not in the mood for talking anymore. "I'll leave you so you can pack and I'll come back in half an hour," Dr Aurelius says. I nod as he leaves the room.

Then I realise we don't have a home anymore. "Where do we go, Peeta? We've lost all our stuff," "We'll just claim another house in Victor's Village." he says. "But it won't feel like home anymore," I say, thinking about the picture of our wedding I was bawling my eyes out at just yesterday morning. Peeta kisses my forehead. "We'll figure it out. Together." "Together," I whisper.

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Just as we're finished packing, Dr Aurelius enters the room again. "Are you done?" "Yeah," I say. "Come with me, please," he says. As we follow him to the front desk, I spot my mother sleeping on a desk. I walk over to where she's sleeping and shake her shoulder. "Katniss?!" she says at the sight of my face. "What are you doing here?" She gives me a hug. "I can ask you the same thing." "I work here now. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." "You will be," I joke. "Got to go now, mother. See you soon!"

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When we arrive at Victor's Village, our burnt down house is unmistakable among the two neat rows of white houses. The tears begin to well up in my eyes. My home. Our home. All gone. Not a fly to save. 

I entwine my fingers with Peeta's, holding on tightly. I can't bear it.

We walk to Haymitch's house hand-in-hand. I press the doorbell and Haymitch opens the door. "Hey, sweetheart." I do my best to smile, but it's all too overwhelming. Tears start to run down my cheeks. He opens his arms and I go into them. "I'm so so sorry Haymitch," I sob, my tears soaking the fabric in his shirt. "There's no need to apologize, Katniss. It's OK. You can stay here as long as you want." Haymitch is like a dad to me, not only because he has mentored me twice, but also because he has been there for me whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on. Literally. 

We walk into the living room and we see Isabel and Charlie playing with old dolls. "Mummy! Daddy!" Isabel shouts as she runs into my arms and Charlie into Peeta's. Then we all sit on the floor hugging each other, being happy and sad at the same time, while Haymitch makes drinks. "I'm sorry, mummy," Isabel says as she bawls her eyes out. "Shh, it's OK. It was just an accident. You didn't mean to do it." "But I did do it!" Tears are streaming like a river down her cheeks now. I feel so bad when I see my children upset. It feels like I'm failing to be a mother. And as a wife, too, because I suddenly realise I left Peeta's pearl on my bedside in the hospital! "Peeta, honey, I got to go back to the hospital. I left something behind. "Okay. Drive carefu-" That's all I hear before I run out of the house.

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As I make my way into the hospital, I notice it's unusually quiet inside. Nevertheless, I find my way to the room I was staying in. Luckily it's unlocked, so I can quickly take the pearl and get the hell out of here. As I enter the room, I realize there's going to be a change of plans, because I see my mother and Dr Aurelius make out on my hospital bed.