The Wrong Victor

Chapter thriteen: Peeta

Haymitch convinced me to bake. He said it keeps me busy and helps me. I don't know what to do anymore so all I can do is listen to orders. I mindlessly bake and bake and bake and bake and bake and- the door opens.

"Peeta, they're back. They're all safe. Every last one of them. They're all alive!" Prim stands in the door bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Come on! Let's go see Katniss!" Prim grabs my hand and pulls me out of the kitchen and towards the bakery. "She's alive, Peeta! She's really alive!"

I silently follow and when we get to the hospital I see Annie and Johanna. Where is she?

"Annie!" "Finnick!" I turn to see Annie scrambling off the bed and into Finnick's arms. They cry and sink to the ground holding each other. Prim tugs my hand and I follow her past Johanna who just laughs at me. She's still Johanna. That's good to know.

Prim and I make it to a private room. I rest my hand on Prim's shoulder as we walk in. The brown hair that was once shiny and smooth is oily, dirty, and tangled. I gently push Prim to stay near the door as I walk around to face Katniss.

Her entire body is paper thin. She looks pale and unwell. She has dark bags under her eyes. Her cheeks cave in. I notice the multiple wounds on her neck. "Katniss, what did they do to you?" I whisper out unable to believe she's finally in front of me. Her once fiery grey eyes look dull and dead. They stare straight through me as if I'm not really there.

"Katniss?" Prim's soft voice calls from the door. Katniss' head turns so quickly she could have snapped it clean off. Her demeanor changes and I sense her flight or fight decision being made.

"Prim, I need you to slowly leave." I say slowly walking back to Prim to put my body in front of her. I won't let Katniss hurt Prim.

"No! That's my sister!" Prim whines stepping in front of me.

That sends Katniss down a spiral. I grab Prim and quickly rotate so Katniss attacks my back. Her nails claw at my neck as she tries to scramble on my back. I gently shove Prim out of the room. I grab her hands and maneuver her in front of me, trapping her in my arms.

She scratches at my arms and neck and tries to scratch my face. She's screaming. "Mutt! Mutt! Let go! You're a mutt!" She screams over and over again as she fights against me.

"Katniss, shh, you're home. Please." I whisper as nurses flood in. I shake my head. No I won't let them take her from me. "Katniss please. It's me. It's Peeta. Calm down." I beg into her hair as she starts jumping and pulling away even more. "Please."

"Mutt! Mutt! Mutt!" She screams and then the screaming stops. I look up to see a nurse pull a needle from Katniss' neck. I sink to the ground holding her in my arms as I just rock her small body.

"What did they do to you?" I ask in tears as I lean my forehead against her head. "Katniss, I'll fix this. I promise. I promise everything will be okay. I promise you you'll have a happy ending." I kiss her head as nurses try to take her from me. I wave them off keeping her in my arms.

"Kid, she needs to be taken care of. I know you missed her. I know. But she needs to be taken care of by the doctors." Haymitch's hand rests on my shoulder. I look at him then back at her.

"Look at what they did to her. She's been starved, beaten, god only knows what was injected into her." I cry as I continue to bundle her into my arms.

"Peeta, the doctors can figure it out and start reversing whatever the Capitol did. But she needs to be on that bed and you need to get out of their way." Haymitch says and I slowly stand up with her in my arms. She's barely as heavy as a bag of flour. Oh Katniss.

I gently lay her on the bed and tuck her in. I don't want to leave her. I tuck an oily dirty strand of hair behind her ear and kiss her forehead. "I'm right here. Always." I whisper to her as I take one of her hands and sit in a chair. I won't leave her. Never again.

"Peeta, Coin wants to see you." Haymitch says from the foot of the bed. I shake my head keeping my eyes trained on her and the nurses. "Peeta, you have to or Coin will treat them as traitors."

"I don't want to leave her, Haymitch. I just got her back. Please. Just an hour. That's all I'm asking." I look up to him and I know I look even more like a kicked puppy than usual. I just want an hour with her to make sure she's really here. "Please. Just an hour. I'll do whatever Coin wants, but I want an hour with her."

Haymitch sighs looking at me. "Kid, I don't know if I can get her to agree to that. Come on."

"No, Haymitch please. I want to be with her. I haven't seen her in person in so long. Look at what they did to her! Please. Just an hour then I'll do whatever she wants. I just want an hour."

"Peeta, I get that. I know you want to stay with her to make sure this is real. However, she just tried to attack not just you but Prim. She's not well, kid. Look at your arms."

"I don't care. She's not in her right mind. You know she would never try to hurt Prim. They did something to her. I just... I just want to stay and try to get her back when she wakes up." I rub my eyes as I stare at her. "I just want to see her awake and maybe I can get through to her. Maybe I can talk to her. Please. She's been gone so long."

I hear Haymitch sigh laying his hand on my shoulder. "I'll talk to her. I can't guarantee anything, but I'll try. I know you missed her kid. I missed her too, but I don't think our girl is in there anymore. The Capitol did something, Peeta. I don't know what, but we need to prepare ourselves if the medics say she'll never come back to us. We need to be ready to take that and continue our mission." Haymitch walks out and I think about what he says.

She might not be in there? Oh Katniss what did they do to you? I finally break down holding her hand. I sob as I grip her small frail hand. Please come back to me. Please. I can't live without you.

"Katniss, stay with me. Please. Please just stay with me." I close my eyes finally feeling exhaustion take over me. I continue to plead for Katniss to stay with me as I start falling asleep.

"Always."