The Hunger Games- What If's (Fan Fiction)

Chapter Eight

   Peeta looked me in the eyes, and I could tell that he really saw me. His eyes penetrated my normal defense system and made my stomach do back-flips. I started to breathe faster and my heart started racing. He started to lean in, and I did too...

   Then he pulled away and giggled. "You tease!" I joked loudly. He just grinned foolishly. "Just eat your groosling!" He looked at me questioningly. "Here, this is groosling. It's a really delicious bird. Try some..." I held a piece of groosling to his mouth as our eyes connected again. He kept looking at me as he took a small bite. "How is it?" I asked quietly.

   No response. Then I remembered that I had told him to be quiet. "You like it? Good. Here, finish this off, then I'll get you some more water."

   Peeta took the groosling, now a little stronger, and I set the almost empty jar of water next to him. Again I picked up his shirt and waded into the shallows of the river, as close to Peeta as I could get.

   I continued to wash his shirt until I couldn't force any more mud or dirt out of it. Then I made my way back to Peeta, who was still holding the groosling meat in his hand. His water jar was empty though.

   I huffed. "I thought I told you to finish that!" I pointed at the groosling sternly. Peeta just looked down at the groosling, then up at me again, just like a helpless puppy. I couldn't help but soften up a little. "Do I need to feed you?" Peeta nodded enthusiastically. I laughed a bit. "Fine then."

   So I held the groosling to his lips and he looked at me just like before. We stayed that way for what must have been half an hour before he finally finished the small groosling wing off.

   "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Peeta looked down at the water jar. "Oh, right. Here, I'll get some more for you."

   I picked up the jar of water and made my way a little further into the river. When the jar was full, I handed it to Peeta who downed it instantly. Again, I refilled it. Again, he chugged it. The third time I filled it, he still had half left after he had finished drinking, so I figured that would be fine for now. Time for the more difficult part.

   "Okay, I have to take your pants off now. Is that going to hurt you?" I asked, a little nervously.

   I had always been the squeamish one. Whenever my mother had any patients in our district with burns, open wounds, or broken bones, I couldn't stand even being in the same room with them. I didn't have anything against them, I just couldn't stand seeing people with gashes and bleeding wounds that will turn into scars, not to mention nude bodies.

   Peeta looked up at me and motioned to his pants as If to say, "Good luck."

   First, I unlaced his boots and took the laces out. I set the laces on the riverside and opened up the boots as much as possible so they would dry more quickly. The I tried to unbutton his pants, but Peeta had to help me with that bit. I tried to urge the pants over his wounded leg, but they refused to. I had no choice; I would have to cut them.

   "Sorry Peeta, but I'm going to have to cut these pants. You don't mind, do you?" Peeta shook his head, told me no. "Okay then... I just have to go get my knife."

   Once I retrieved my knife, I began to cut Peeta's pants, as if to make them into shorts. I could tell when Peeta winced every now and then, so I became more gentle with the cuts I made and how I handled the knife.

   Eventually, I had successfully cut off one leg of Peeta's pants without prodding at his wound too much. Already, I could tell that it wasn't going to be pretty. Blood stained his leg, surrounding it. It was bruised and swollen, and already I could tell that he may have blood poisoning, though I hid that fact from Peeta as best I could. I kept my face a blank mask as much as possible. I would not let him die. If he dies, I fail, so I should die as well. I must save him.

   I worked off Peeta's pants and washed them just as thoroughly as his shirt. I laid his half-pants out to dry next to the boots and the shirt and again, headed back over to Peeta.

   "Time to wash out that leg..." I sighed very softly.

   After jars and jars and jars of water, his leg finally started to clear up and the blood was washed away. It looked even worse, though. He obviously had blood poisoning, though I wasn't letting on that he did. Silently, I made my way over to my bag after telling Peeta I'd be right back. I sifted through until I managed to find the herbal leaves Rue had given me.

   "These are herbal leaves, they may help with the swelling. Rue- that's the girl who was my ally from District 11- gave them to me to help with my Tracker Jacker stings. Maybe they'll help you, too," I said after I made my way back over to him.

   I stuck four leaves into my mouth and chewed onto them until their sweet tang filled my mouth. I placed the first mouth full on Peeta's leg, then repeated the process several times until I finally covered his entire wound.

   Carefully, I peeled away the leaves. Instantly, puss flowed from the wound. I gagged a bit, but tried to hide it. Unfortunately, I didn't succeed.

   "Am I allowed to speak now?" Peeta asked quietly.

   I looked up at him. "Yeah. Uh, are you hurt at all?"

   "Obviously," Peeta joked. "I'm just kidding, you know. Lighten up! You found me, and I'm glad. But yeah, it hurts a bit. You know what would make me fell a load better?" Peeta asked.

   I knew exactly what he was implying, but said: "No, what?" Anyway.

   "Peeta smiled and took my hand. He slowly led me closer until I was next to him, our foreheads pressed together.

   "A kiss," Peeta whispered quietly.

   Just at that moment, I felt as though  a speaker crackled on in my head. I could hear Hamitch, urging me on.

   "Come on, girl! Kiss the boy! How else will you get sponsors? People will eat this up! Do it!"

   Then I thought of Gale, who must have been watching, hurt. First I let Thresh play my, and now I'm willingly giving myself to Peeta. Or at least it looks willing.

   I'm not exactly sure who I am or what I'm supposed to do, even now. I just knew that I had to keep myself alive, and to do that, I had to kiss the boy whom I was touching at that very moment. I couldn't think about what would happened after the Games, nor could I think about the people who I may be hurting whether I wanted to or not. I just had to stay alive. I could make everything right later. But right then... Then, I had to kiss Peeta.

   So I did.

   I leaned in and let our lips touch.

   I pulled away, apparently too soon for Peeta, who silently begged me for more with his eyes.

   I turned back to his leg, which was done spewing puss at the moment. Once again, I turned to Peeta.

   "I have to put more leaves on it. Ready?" I asked.

   "Ready," Peeta said, not in the least bit annoyed, which I know I would have been if I had ever been in his position.

   So I put more leaves on, more puss. Repeat. Then I thought of the burn cream.

   I took the burn cream from my bag and got back into the river once more. I opened the small jar and smeared a thin coat across Peeta's entire thigh. He grimaced at first, but soon sighed in relief.

   "Man, that feels so good..." Peeta said dreamily. "Where'd you get this stuff?"

   "Hamitch." I said curtly.

   "Ahhh..." Peeta let the cream soothe him.

   After several minutes, I ventured to think about what to do next.

   "What do we do now?" I asked Peeta, who was now back on earth.

   Peeta shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. Why don't I just stay here? The water feels so nice..." Peeta said, 'patting' the water.

   I chuckled. "How about I go and try to find some shelter, then we'll see if you can walk that far?" I acted as though he was a small child who needed much guiding.

   "Well, okay," Peeta played along.

   I laughed a little more and then said "I'll be back soon enough."