It's A Jungle Out There

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"Do you have a number for his parents?"

I look to Mr Abernathy, who shakes his head solemnly. We sit in the waiting room while the Doctor sees to Peeta alone. My mum checked in on me earlier, concern written all over her, but couldn't stay long because she had other obligations. Nurse Paylor stays with us now, a clipboard on her lap as she fills in Peeta's details.

"His parents have always been very private people. We couldn't even get them to attend a Parent Teacher Meeting, let alone give us their home number," says Mr Abernathy.

"If you get my mum, she could call to the bakery on her way home when her shift ends," I say. I'm distracted. I'm so worried about Peeta I can barely think straight. My eyes keep returning to the door in which he's being treated behind. The whole ride here, Peeta remained unconscious. Sometimes I questioned if he was even breathing. I look at Paylor desperately. "How is he? Will he be okay?"

"You have to remain calm," Paylor tells me.

"Oh, trust me, I'm being very, very calm," I say as measured as I can manage. "If I were acting how I truly felt right now, you wouldn't be able to contain me."

"Has Mr Mellark ever showed symptoms to suggest that he's been unwell?" asks Nurse Paylor.

Mr Abernathy looks to me. "I don't know the boy that well," he admits. "Katniss, have you noticed anything?"

I chew on my lip anxiously. Nurse Paylor waits patiently, pen poised over the clipboard, ready to take note of anything I say. "Can you help him?" I ask her

"I can do my best," Paylor replies. "We have to know what's wrong first, though."

I lean forward, and so does Paylor. Abernathy sits back, almost as if he knows that what I'm about to say is exclusive information I'm not keen on everyone knowing. "Peeta's sick," I tell Nurse Paylor. "He's anorexic. I don't know how long he's been this way but I think it's why he had the heart attack. He didn't want me to tell anyone but there's no hiding it now. You guys probably would have guessed it once you seen him anyway, right?"

Nurse Paylor nods sympathetically. "I understand that you were trying to protect him," she says. "We can help him now. All he needs is support from those around him, especially when it gets tough."

"I'll do that," I say firmly. "I will."

"You really should have told someone," Mr Abernathy says.

"And betray him?" I whirl around and glare at him. "All Peeta gets from people is shit. Maybe I wanted to be one he actually trusts for once. Besides, who could I tell? You can't force someone to eat. I know you're a good teacher, Abernathy, but you're not that good. I've been trying to help him as much as I can and you know what? It's hard. It's goddamn hard. I just wanted him to listen but trying to tell Peeta that's not fat is as easy as trying to tell Glimmer that Gale Hawthorne is going to break her heart. It's not going to get through. And you know whose fault it is? Ours. My fault, the student body's fault, the school's fault."

Mr Abernathy rubs his hand over his face tiredly. "I can't wait to retire and get the fuck away from that school."

I thought I'd be alarmed hearing my math teacher curse but, actually, it quite fits the situation. "It's not you," I mutter. "It's Snow. If he'd just crushed the stupid food chain initiative before it started, everything wouldn't be as bad as it is now."

The door opens and the Doctor comes out. I'd stand up if I could but I can't. Abernathy and Paylor do, however, and all I can do is straighten up. "Is he okay?" I ask before anyone else can. "Will he live? He won't die, will he? Tell me he won't die?"