Return of the Mockingjay

Chapter 18

I stagger away in shock. Shocked that I've actually been wounded but at least I know that Thread's also injured and unable to keep up the chase. I run away while controlling my pace, my old military training coming back to me. If I run too fast my increased heart rate will only force more blood from my wound and the last thing I need now is to pass out through blood loss. I head for a mound of rocks which Gale and I used to use as a landmark to navigate by. I climb up the mound and reach a crevice between two rocks on very top of the mound. Here I can at least tend to my arm and keep an eye on the forest for Thread. It's reasonably well sheltered and should keep me hidden. I pull off my fathers hunting jacket and examine my arm and find that the bullet has passed right through the muscle and appears to of missed the bone. As I sit and rest I feel my adrenaline start to subside to be replaced by  pain which seems to build by the minute. I tear off the bottom of my shirt and wrap it around the wound, the bleeding isn't as bad as it was before but the pain is still there. I need to end this soon before my body goes into shock.

I wince in pain as I pull on my hunting jacket and steal a quick glimpse over the rocky outcropping to see Thread limping past about 100 metres away. My arrow is still embedded in his leg but he's snapped off the shaft near the wound and he's obviously trying to struggle on. Blood stains his leg as it slowly seeps out of the wound. I wait until he's past then climb from my temporary sanctuary and follow him at a safe distance, I can feel the blood weeping from my wound, running down my arm and dripping off my fingers. I now know Thread's struggling as his trail is becoming more erratic in it's direction and he's also starting to drag his wounded leg. I follow him for what seems like ages, I have no idea as to what I'm gonna do when I finally catch up to him and I'm now fully aware that we're now fighting another race. A race of attrition. Who will succombe to their injuries first. I'm feeling giddy and light headed and I know I can't go on much further, the pain is excruciating and I can feel my vising becoming blurred. I finally catch up to him, he's slumped against a tree with his hood and webbing pulled back from his head, he looks at the sky gasping for breath. I can see the shaven head, a new scar running across his cheek and the grimace of pain on his face. I take an arrow and string it, ready to finish the fight, but with my wounded arm I have no strength to pull back the string, I grown out load in pain as I collapse to my knees, my prey just a few yards away. He slowly turns his head and see's me, unclips his leg holster, pulls out his pistol and takes aim at me. I close my eye's waiting for the inevitable, at least Peeta and Rue are alive I think to myself.

There's a loud crack that echo's through the forest and I wait for the feeling of death taking me but when I open my eyes I see Flux standing off to my right with a smoking pistol having just shot Thread in the chest. I crawl forward to Thread and take the gun out of his now weak, pitiful grip.

"I beat you" I say quietly as I sense Flux, Lyndons second in command come to my side.

Thread smiles at me as the last moments of life ebb from him.

"You might of won this fight bitch, but the bigger game is still to be played"

His head slowly turns to the side as his dead sightless eyes stare on at nothing. I collapse to the ground and I'm vaguely aware of being picked up and hoisted over someone's shoulder and carried away as I finally let darkness take me.

My eyes open to be greeted by the ceiling of my room, not a room in medical or in District 13 but my own room back in 12. I can see the bright morning sunshine pouring through the window, the sound of birdsong coming from outside. I try to sit up but wince when I try to use my arm. It's set in a sling and for a second I cant remember how or why I got here but then it comes back to me, I got shot. I manage to sit up a little and look round my room to find it deserted, no Peeta, no Rue. No one.

I can just about hear talking coming from downstairs and I throw the covers back and try to sit on the edge of the bed. I feel awful, the whole room swirls around me and I feel sick. Just when I think I'm getting things under control I feel myself falling from the bed and I watch in dismay as the floor seems to come up and hit me. I crash to the floor and groan, I try to get back up but I'm just too weak to do anything. The door flies open and Gale and Lyndon come rushing forward to get me back into bed. They both pick me up and Gale tucks me back in. I feel like I need to get some air, I dont know why but my body feel stiff and weak, almost as if I've been here a long while.

"Gale, where's Peeta?" I ask.

Both Lyndon and Gale exchange a concerned glance, then look back at me. I suddenly feel a deep concern for Peeta, that maybe Thread wasn't alone, that there were more soldiers in the forest, has Peeta been hurt or even worse killed! And what of Rue? My eyes start to fill with tears in panic at what might of happened to my family. Gale figures out what I'm thinking from my reaction.

"Catnip calm down, everyone's okay"

"But where's Peeta and Rue, are they okay, tell me Gale!" I plead.

"Katniss you must calm down, Rue is sleeping downstairs while Megan watches over her. Peeta had some things to sort out back in 13" says Lyndon.

"But, why isn't he here, he's always been there for me when I wake up" my eyes start to fill with tears once again, where is Peeta?

Lyndon turns and leaves the room and shuts the door behind him leaving me with Gale.

He looks at me with look of sorrow on his face.

"I think it's best I start at the beginning Katniss"

"The beginning, the beginning of what?"

"Well, you lost a lot of blood when you got shot Katniss and that caused you to pass out. The doctors always knew you'd recover. It was just a matter of when"

"What do you mean, tell me Gale?"

"Well Catnip, you've been in a coma for nearly a month"