Tortured but Together (A Hunger Games Fanfiction) [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter Twenty-Five

A/N: Usual PSA that the Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins and not to me! With that out of the way, enjoy!!

(Peeta POV)
It hurts my heart to see Katniss being that afraid, and it hurts my heart to lie to her. The games, the victory tour, the death, the heartbreak; I wonder how much she remembers but of course I can't ask. I squeeze onto her hand, I promised I'd always stay with her, and I mean to keep that promise.

"So, Katniss Everdeen, how does it feel to be back in the Capitol," Caesar Flickerman asks with his usual over the top energy.

"It's...disorienting. There are some things that feel similar and then some of it feels strange and new, it's hard to describe..."

"That makes sense," he turns to face the camera directly now as he continues to speak. "For those of you who have been living under a rock, this is our first interview with Katniss Everdeen after she suffered a traumatic head injury inflicted by a disgruntled Panem citizen. The citizen has been punished, and now we're happy to have Miss Everdeen back with us once again!"

The crowd claps. It takes all my willpower to not blurt out that it's a lie, all of it is a lie! It wasn't a disgruntled citizen, it was President Snow! It's a special form of torture to have to smile through the lies.

"So, Peeta, how would you say Katniss' recovery is going, is she feeling any better?"

I'm really confused why they're not asking Katniss this, but she seems relieved to not be the center of attention at the moment. So, just like I did for our Hunger Games tribute interviews, I steal the show a bit.

"Yeah, I'd definitely say she's doing better. Things were sort of touch and go for a minute but the doctors here have really helped her pull through. Mostly, I'm just glad that Katniss seems like she's back to her old self." I give Katniss a hug, being on live television is terrifying and she's handling it so well. She surprises me by leaning in and kissing me, but I can't say that I'm disappointed.

After a minute Caesar Flickerman clears his throat, right, the interview. "So, Katniss, I think that all of Panem is wondering this and so I have to ask..."

Before he can finish, the screen behind us turns to static and then turns to show district 13 in the background. No, not now, please not now, I silently beg in my head. Not now...

"Katniss Everdeen, our Mockingjay, we're hoping this message is getting through to you." I see some technicians frantically trying to cut off the signal, but it doesn't seem to be working. "We're here in district 13, and we will get you out of there, we will free Panem." It goes back to static for a minute.

"Peeta, what are they talking about? What's this about a mockingjay?" From Katniss' voice I can tell she's afraid, terrified really.

"Katniss..."

But all I have time to say is her name before her sister Prim comes up on the screen. "Katniss, we're going to save you, you'll be alright, we'll get you out of there. District 13 stands with you Katniss."

When she hears Prim's voice, she lets out a strangled cry. "Prim! Prim you have to get out of there! You have to get out of there Prim!" I'm not sure what threat Katniss thinks there is, but I can tell she's desperate.

"Katniss, are you there?"

"I'm here Prim, I'm here little duck! I'm here!"

"Katniss...we're going to be there soon, we're going to get you out. Everything will be..."

And then it cuts out. Katniss, Caesar, and I are on the screen on the back wall again. I take a look at our reflection and I can see a speechless Caesar Flickerman, a panicked Katniss, and I still don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling.

All of that happens in a split second, and, before I can reach out to comfort Katniss she's running towards the screen on the back wall. "Prim! PRIM!! What happened? Are you safe? What's going on!" She claws at the screen, chipping her nails in the process. "Prim! Prim where are you?"

The red recording light cuts off abruptly, apparently this isn't something President Snow wants all of Panem to see. Not even hesitating for a second, I run over to Katniss, wrapping her up in a hug.

"Where's Prim? Where's my sister, what's happening?" She wraps her arms around me and cries into my shirt, violently trembling. "Is my sister alright? And why isn't she here? Why isn't my sister here?"

Several doctors come onstage, most likely to check that Katniss isn't hurt, but she pushes them away. "I don't know you people! I don't even know what's going on anymore! What's going on with district 13? What do they mean they're coming to rescue me? Why are they calling me the mockingjay? Is Prim safe, is my sister safe?"

Her breathing is speeding up, and her eyes dart around frantically, not able to focus on anything. I may not be an expert but I'm pretty sure that if I don't do something then Katniss is going to have a panic attack. "Katniss, your sister is safe, we'll get her out of there as soon as we can and then you can see her as soon as she's here. It'll be alright Katniss, it'll be alright Kat," I murmur in a soothing tone.

"But..but what were they saying about a mockingjay? Who do they think I am? Is there something I'm forgetting?"

What do I tell her? That there's a revolution in the works? That she's the face of it? "They think you're someone you're not, Katniss. They want you to put yourself at risk for them when they haven't done anything for you. But I won't let them get to you, I won't let anything bad happen to you or your sister or your family or anything."

She looks up at me, and the look in her eyes is so trusting; I don't deserve that. But there's nothing I can do about that, it seems like there's nothing that I can do period. And so I simply nod, and I tell her it will all be okay. Maybe that's what we all need to believe, after all the trauma, all the tragedy; maybe we just need to believe that it will all be okay.

I carefully scoop her up in my arms so we can walk offstage, and the doctors follow us back to her hospital room. Apparently they're determined she still needs to stay here, and it's not like I can argue. If  I so much as step a toe out of line, there's no telling what it will mean for me, much less what it'll mean for Katniss.

"Alright Miss Everdeen, it's time for your medication, it'll help you calm down and hopefully let you get some sleep," one of the nurses says gently.

Katniss shakes her head back and forth though, crawling under the covers of her hospital bed, like she's trying to disappear.

"Miss Everdeen, you have to take your medication now," the nurse says, a bit more firmly this time.

"I can't..I don't want to go back to sleep. Don't make me go back to sleep, please..."

The nurse sighs, and grabs Katniss' arm, sticking a syringe in. "It should take effect in about fifteen minutes," she says, before walking out and shutting it behind her.

Getting up, I climb into bed next to Katniss and let her cuddle up against me. She lays her head down on my chest, and tries to keep her eyes open. "Peeta, don't let me fall back asleep, please. Don't let me fall back asleep."

"Katniss..you need sleep," I say gently. "And I'll be here for you, nothing can hurt you while I'm here," I say reassuringly.

"What about my nightmares," she whispers.

"Not even your nightmares. Whatever happens, I'll protect you, nobody will hurt you."

Her eyes begin to droop, and she looks like she's almost asleep when she quietly says, "Rue looked like she was just sleeping at the end, when they took her away..."

Before she has the chance to say anything else though, she falls asleep, and I can't help but wonder just how deeply buried her memories truly are. And what they'll end up doing to her once she finds out the truth...