Pregnant In the Quell

Chapter Three

I gaze down at all of the people waiting for Peeta an I to return.

I exit the train, only to encounter  a crowd of people scattered around taking our pictures. I catch a glimpse of Gale and Prim. She is on his shoulders. I hold Peeta's hand and walk through the crowd, straight to my house.

Peeta helps me into my house and we walk upstairs. He sets my bags on the ground and sits on the bed.

"Are you okay?" Peeta starts... "After these few weeks?"

My stomach churns and I suddenly feel sick. "I'm alright.." I breathe, trying to make myself feel better.

It doesn't help. I run to the bathroom and throw up. I feel mortified.

Seconds later, I feel Peeta holding back my hair and rubbing my back. 

Suddenly, Prim walks She realizes that I am throwing up and she runs to me and basically pushes Peeta out of the way.

I stand up with a groan. I  wash my hands and my mouth out. Prim hugs me tightly, ignoring the fact that less than a minute ago, I was throwing up my lungs.

When Prim pulls away from our hug, she looks at me concerned.

"What's wrong, Are you sick?"

"No, I think it's just something I ate on the train," I say assuringly.

She offers me a smile. "Feel better." She then looks towards Peeta.

"Mom was wondering if you two wanted to stay for dinner?"

He grins slightly. "Thank you, Prim. That would be great."

I remember the grin from the times we had spent in school together. Peeta and I never sat together, but he was in a few of my classes. He always looked happy and healthy. Me on the other hand, I was struggling to survive.

My daze is broken by Prim. "Dinner is in 15 minutes."

"Okay, we'll be down," I say as I shut the door behind Prim.

I down at my feet and Peeta speaks again.

"I'll go if you want me to."

"No." I start. "Please stay." I whisper as my lip quivers. I am trying to hold in my tears, but break down again. My emotions are all over the place. I sit on the ground and Peeta sits himself next to me. He puts his arm around me and rocks me back and fourth.

I try to get words out in between my cries.

"Peeta, I don't know what to do," I say as I sob some more. "So many people are dead because of me."

Peeta doesn't say anything. He picks me up and sits me down on the bed. He wipes the tears from my eyes.

I lay back on to my bed and Peeta lies next to me. He puts his arm around me and cradles me in a spooning position. We both fall into a deep slumber.

+++

I awake with a sick feeling in my stomach. I run to the toilet and heave up whatever was left inside of me from yesterday. My mother must have seen that Peeta and I were asleep and just let us be.

Peeta approaches me from behind and holds my hair back.

"I don't want to get you sick," I say in between heaves.

"It's okay," he says as he rubs my back gently.

Peeta walks me over to the sink and I wash up. I brush me teeth and wash my hands.