Everlasting

Chapter 11

Katniss P.O.V.

I hear the door to the waiting room open, and I look up to see Mom walk in.

"What happened?" Mom asks as she sits down beside of me.

"I don't know," I say as I shake my head. "His fever got really high all of a sudden. The doctor hasn't come back and said anything yet, so I'm just waiting right now."

"Where's Willow and Peeta?"

"I told Peeta to take Willow out of the room for right now," I say.

"You want me to take her home with me?"

I shrug my shoulders. "It doesn't matter," I say. The door opens again and Peeta walks in carrying Willow. I open my arms and he gently lays our baby girl down in my lap.

"Have they said anything yet?" Peeta asks anxiously. I shake my head and he sits down on the other side of me.

That heavy feeling settles in my heart. The feeling that only the fear of loosing a child can create. A fear that we've been face with many times. I always thought that the Hunger Games would be responsible for claiming the life of one of our children. I quickly learned that even with the Games gone, there's plenty of other things that can threaten to take a child away from us.

That heavy feeling becomes too much and threatens to suffocate me. It becomes so strong that it feels like my heart will burst at any second. My throat starts to tighten, and the tears involuntarily pour down my face.

Mom takes Willow from me and I turn towards Peeta. He wrap his arms around me and I press my face into his chest as the sobs start. Peeta kisses my temple, and I can feel his own tears hitting my head and shoulder.

Our hearts ache. Just like they did when we lost our first daughter. When I was pregnant with Willow and they told us we could loose her. When we about lost Willow when she was a baby. When I was pregnant with Rye and had complications.

"Why… Wh-Why does this k-keep happening?" I ask through my sobs. But I know Peeta doesn't have the answer. He just holds me tight as I cry until I have no tears left.

"Katniss," Mom says. "Let me take Willow home so she can rest better." I look at her and nod my head.

"I'll carry Willow out," Peeta says. "I'll be right back. Okay?"

I nod my head once. "Okay," I say quietly. Peeta kisses my forehead before taking Willow from Mom. Once they walk out of the waiting room, I hug my knees up to my chest. I lay my head over on my knees and wait.

"Are you okay?"

I jump a little and look up to see Haymitch standing in front of me.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Haymitch says as he sits down in the chair in front of me. I shrug my shoulders.

"It's alright," I say. "I didn't hear the door open."

"Are you okay?" he repeats.

"Depends on what your definition of okay is," I say. "I wish that our babies didn't have to suffer. It's been one thing right after the other and we can't seem to get a break."

"Hey, Willow got through this when she was a baby."

"It's not the same, Haymitch," I tell him. "Rye was already sick. His fever spiked. Willow forgot to breathe in her sleep. It's different."

"Doesn't change the fact that Rye's going to be okay too," Haymitch says. I shake my head.

"You don't know that."

"Look, Katniss, I know that everything seems to be falling apart lately, but it's all been working out in the end."

"That doesn't matter," I say quietly. "All it takes is for one thing to go wrong and our whole world will fall apart." I quickly wipe a few stray tears away and stare down at the floor.

"I wish you two could have an easier life," he says. "You deserve it. But it just shows how strong you two are. You don't let anything break you." I swallow hard and nod my head.

"We have to be strong for each other and for our kids," I say.

Haymitch leans forward and places a hand on my shoulder. "Just remember that and you two can make it through anything." I give him a sad smile and slowly nod my head.

It isn't long until Peeta walks back in and takes his seat beside of me.

"Have they…" I shake my head, already knowing what he was going to ask.

"Should it be taking this long?" I ask.

Peeta wraps his arms back around me. "Honey, if something happened to Rye, they'd let us know right away." I nod and lay my head over on his shoulder.

By the time a doctor finally comes in, I'm a bundle of nerves.

"How is he?" I ask impatiently as soon as the door opens.

"He's stopped convulsing for now," the doctor says. "His fever is still really high, so we're giving him medicine, but there's not much that we can give an infant. All we can do is try to get his fever down and monitor him for a few days."

"Can we go see him?" Peeta asks.

"Not yet. But I will keep you updated." Peeta and I both nod our head, and the doctor leaves.

It doesn't take long for me to start getting antsy. I get up and start pacing the room, but Peeta is quick to make me sit down.

"You look like you're about to pass out," leta says.

"You need to rest," Haymitch tells me.

"And eat," Peeta adds. "You haven't ate anything in a while."

"Neither have you," I say.

"I'm fine."

"If I told you that, you wouldn't believe me," I shoot back.

"Why don't you two quit arguing and you both go get something to eat?" Haymitch tells us. I shake my head.

"Please, Katniss," Peeta pleads. "If the doctor comes back, Haymitch will let us know. Come on." I just stare at him and he lets out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. I'll bring you back some food if you don't want to go eat. But either way, you are going to eat something." Peeta leaves the room and Haymitch starts laughing.

"Good job," he says. I give him a look.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've managed to make the boy as stubborn as you are," Haymitch says. I roll my eyes at him and stand up. "Where are you going?"

"Out," I say as I leave the room. I find a phone and call Mom to let her know what the doctor told us, then I walk around the hallways near the waiting room. I start feeling weak, so I lean up against the wall.

I'm going on no sleep, and very little food. I don't feel like eating right now, and I'm not sleeping until I know for sure that my baby boy is going to be okay.

"Katniss." I turn to see Peeta walking towards me. "I took your food to the waiting room. Let's go eat." I slowly nod and Peeta wraps an arm around my waist as we start back to the room. I feel lightheaded, so I lean into Peeta.

"Kat? Are you okay, honey?" I close my eyes and nod my head.

"I'm just feeling weak."

"That's because you need food and sleep," Peeta tells me. "Can you make it to the waiting room?"

"Yeah," I say as I nod my head. We make it just a few more steps before I feel myself beginning to black out. I cling to Peeta as my knees give out.

"Woah!" Peeta says as he catches me before I hit the floor. "Come here," he says as he puts an arm beneath my back and legs and picks me up. I lean my head over on Peeta's shoulder, and he carries me back to the waiting room.