Mockingjay - Peeta Mellark (3)

}13{ - Hijacked

The cold collar chafed her neck and made the shivering even harder to control.

At least she was no longer in the claustrophobic tube, while the machines clicked and whirred around her, listening to a disembodied voice telling her to hold still while she tried to convince herself she could still breathe.

Even now, when she had been assured there would be no permanent damage, she hungered for air.

The medical team's main concerns- damage to her spinal cord, airway, veins, and arteries- had been allayed.

Bruising, hoarseness, the sore larynx, a strange little cough- not to be worried about.

It would all be fine.

The Mockingjay would not lose her voice.

Where, Livia wanted to ask, was the doctor who determines if she was losing her mind?

Only she was not supposed to talk.

She couldn't even thank Boggs when he came to check on her.

To look her over and tell her he had seen a lot worse injuries among the soldiers when they taught choke holds in training.

It was Boggs who knocked out Peeta with one blow before any permanent damage could be done.

Livia knew Haymitch would have come to her defense if he hadn't been utterly unprepared.

To catch both Haymitch and Livia off guard was a rare thing.

But they had been so consumed with saving Peeta, so tortured by having him in the Capitol's hands, that the elation at having him back blinded them.

If she had a private reunion with Peeta, he would have killed her.

Now that he was deranged-

No, not deranged, she reminded herself- Hijacked.

It was the word she had heard pass between Plutarch and Haymitch as she was wheeled past them in the hallway.

Hijacked.

Livia didn't know what it meant.

Ambrose, who appeared moments after the attack, had stayed as close to her as possible ever since.

He spread another blanket over her, "I think they'll take the collar off soon, Livia. You won't be so cold then."

Ambrose took one of Livia's hands, which was clutched in a fist, and massaged it until it open and blood began to flow through her fingers again.

He was starting on the second fist when the doctors showed up, removed the collar, and gave her a shot of something for pain and swelling.

She lied, as instructed, with her head still, not aggravating the injuries to her neck.

Plutarch, Haymitch, and Beetee had been waiting in the hall for the doctors to give them clearance to see Livia.

Plutarch ushered the doctors out and tried to order Ambrose to go as well, but he refused- making a comment of how poorly they had handled the situation.