Beacon of Hope

Chapter Ten <3 Treatment

Peeta groans as my mother touches his back, looking for any signs of early infection. I can't bring myself to look at her hands, slashing around in the raw piece of bloody meat that was once his back, so instead I whisper in his ear. " It's ok, It's gonna be ok, Peeta." I say, in an attempt to make him feel better. It doesn't work.

He screams every time my mother touches his back. Prim asks me about my eye and I tell her it's ok. " Make some snow mix, Prim." My mother says. Prim tells me to get the snow. I run out and grab some snow, then give it to Prim. She mixes it with some herbs and pl it on his back. It soaks in and it seems to calm Peeta a little.

" He needs morphling!" Mother says, running to the kitchen cupboard. She grabs it and puts it in a needle. Then she stabs it directly into his back. He screams at first, but then he seems calmed and he sighs in relief.

" Shh, there you go. It's better, Peeta. It's better, shh," I say, smiling at him softly.

He groans out a response, " Mmm,"

" See, there you go." I whisper.

I see Haymitch grab a bottle of rubbing alcohol out the corn or of my eye. He shrugs and proceeds to drink it, but I grab it out his hand and sit it beside me. Peeta chuckles then groans from the pain. I kiss his cheek and tell him, " I love you,"

" I love you too," he whispers.

Haymitch sits me in a chair and holds some ice to my cheek, whilst Prim re braids my hair. My mother begins rearranging the salvageable pieces of skin onto his back.

Even with her expertise, it takes her a while to fix the skin onto his back. Prim hands me a herbal sleep mixture. I drip the muddy, yellow syrup into his waiting mouth. He complains that it tastes vile, yet he takes it all.

I stroke his blood coated hair out his face as his consciousness fades. I peck his cheek, and he falls asleep. " Can you go get Peeta's parents please, Prim?" I say.

She nods and pulls her hood over her face, bouncing out the door. Haymitch's decided to stay the night, so my mother assigns him a room. Then she goes to her bed gladly. I thank her before she leaves the room.

Prim comes bouncing through the door with Peeta's older brother, Rye. I've only met him a couple times, but non the less I give him a brief hug. Then he runs to Peeta's limp body and squats beside his table.

" Is he gonna be okay?" Rye whispers.

" Yeah, but he's been through a huge ordeal." I answer.

He sighs in relief and looks up at me. " Thanks for taking care of him."

" Well," I say, then look down at Peeta. Has he told Rye? Has he told any of his family? I put my hand on my belly, then realise you can't really see my bump. Crap, I'm going to have to tell him. " Rye, has Peeta told you?"

" Told me what?" He says, shaking his head.

" I'm pregnant, Rye," I say, looking at the floor. Why the hell hasn't Peeta told him yet? I take a glance at Ryes shocked face.

" Oh my god," he says. " So. . . I'm gonna be an uncle?"

I take a deep breath. " Yeah,"

He smiles at me and embraces me again. " Thank you for giving my brother this!" He says.

I giggle against him and he kisses my cheek before pulling away. I smile at him and he looks down at my belly. I take his hint and lift my t shirt up. You can't really see my bump unless my belly is bare, in which case there is a tiny lump there.

" You can't really see it yet," I say. He nods and smiles, never really looking away from my belly. Then, there's a small moan from behind us. I whip around to see Peeta up. I pull my t shirt down and kneel next to him. He smiles and says, " Hey, Katniss. . . Oh, hey, Rye."

" Hey, Peeta," Rye says and kneels next to me.

" Why didn't you tell them, Peeta?" I ask, nodding towards Rye. Peeta blushes and looks as if he's about to say something when the drugs pull him back under. I sigh unhappily and stand up. I peek at his back under the gauze, and notice that he needs it sterilized. I pull the blood covered bandage of and take a deep breath. Then I grab some sterilizer and rub it into my hands, then lightly massage it into his back, just the way that my mother did.

Rye thanks me again and says goodbye, before running out into the storm. I squat on the stool and grab Peeta's hand. He's resting happily, so I stroke his hair, smiling at him. I put his free hand on my belly and think about what it'll be like to be a mother.

I'm suddenly wracked with fear and I wonder why I was so into having a baby. We lost the last one, so why did I need to have another. But this love I feel for this little thing that lives inside of me, it's so strong. It's not stronger than my love for Peeta, but maybe just as strong.

I lay my head down, staring into his ocean blue eyes. I fade into darkness, smiling all the while.

- - - * * * - - -

I'm awoken by the sound of the door clicking open and closed. I lift my head up and get up, unlocking my fingers from Peeta's tight grasp. His hand falls into air as I walk towards the door. I peek my head round the kitchen door and the person I see fills me with such hatred.

I scowl at Gale.

" Get out of my house!" I shout at him, walking towards him till we're face to face.

" Katniss," he says.

I laugh sarcastically, " Oh, what Gale!?" I shout at him. " How could you!?"

He takes my hands in his and I try to pull away but his grip is too tight. " I love you, Katniss," he says, leaning in to kiss me again. I struggle against his lips, trying to get away from the kiss. Eventually, he pulls away. " I've always loved you, Katniss."

" Gale, that doesn't make up-" I start. " Gale, I'm pregnant.."

He growls and runs into the kitchen. " Did he force you into this!?" He screams. I scowl at him. Peeta's eyes open a crack and he notices Gale. Gale yells obscenities at him, then slaps him across the face. I scream.

" Haymitch! Help!" I scream. I hear clambering up the stairs and then the sounding of feet down the stairs. Haymitch runs to the kitchen, holding his knife in his hand. Gale grabs me and holds me in front of him. Haymitch grabs me and pulls me towards him, then whips me behind him.

" You!" Haymitch scoffs. Gale grabs a knife from the drawer and holds it above Peeta's arm, threateningly. " Don't you-" Haymitch starts, but Gale digs the knife into Peeta's arm. Peeta yelps in pain and I scream. Gale steps back from Peeta's shaking body.

I try to pull the knife out of Peeta's arm, but when it becomes clear it's useless, I call my mother. Prim and her come rushing down the stairs and I fall to the ground in confusion. My mother sends Prim back to bed.

How far is Gale willing to go? Who's next on his hit list? Haymitch? Mother?

Prim.