Unthinkable

Chapter 23~ Flustered

"Finnnn," I groan. I'm holding him and rocking him and shushing him, but nothing is working. My lack of patience makes me want to scream at him to shut up, but I can't do that and most likely it'd only make it worse. As soon as he's began to quiet down and I actually have a tiny moment to breathe, the phone rings and he cries louder all over again because of the sound.

Still trying to hold the screaming toddler while grabbing the phone, I reach what feels like ten miles to the coffee table, my shirt almost stretching up over my head as I do so. When I've finally grasped the phone in my trembling hands, I lean back on the couch and sigh loudly. When I answer, I don't do so politely. I answer with a harsh,

"What?"

For a moment there's silence and then I hear Gale's strong, deep voice on the other side of the phone.

"Katniss. What happened?"

Over Finn's screaming I can hardly hear him and have to cover the ear that isn't held against the phone. I begin to cry softly which only makes the toddler more upset. I can't handle this, I think to myself. I don't ever remember Prim getting this way as a baby and if she did I forgot how irritating and frustrating it was.

"I can't do it Gale. He took a fall outside and hardly got a scrape, but he's been screaming since. I don't know what to do."

It's like I can hear Gale's smirk from the other end of the phone. I find it annoying that he thinks my exasperation is amusing. I'd like to see him handle this. It's worse than I ever thought it'd be. But Gale, just simply, in a calm, but loud voice so that I can hear him asks if I bandaged it. I tell him no because it wasn't even bleeding which makes Gale laugh.

"Catnip. Take Finn to the bathroom and sit him on the toilet. Under the sink there should be a box of bandaids. Take one, look Finn in the eyes and ask if he wants a big boy bandage."

I wipe my tears and do as I'm told. I take the toddler and the phone to the bathroom. I set Finn on the toilet where he continues to cry. His little legs that dangle over the seat kick the air everywhere. I set the phone on the sink on speaker and grab a bandaid from underneath the sink. I then kneel and hold little Finn's toddler hands in my own.

"Listen to me," I say as calmly as possible. "I've got a big boy bandage right here that makes all the little big boys' boo boos like yours feel all better. Would you like one?"

He wipes his tears gently, his sobs softening a little into heavy breaths and silent tears as he nods his head.

I unwrap the bandage and gently place it over the peeled skin. I then notice Gale speaking in the phone and I ask him to repeat what he said.

"Now, go outside, hit the ground where he fell and say, 'don't you hurt my Finn ever again.' Little kids like that."

I laugh at this. I'd seen Gale do this before with Finn and begin to wonder why I didn't think of it, but as ridiculous as it feels, once I have done it the toddler is smiling and laughing asking me to do it over and over again until I finally tell him we need to go inside and eat lunch. I'd forgotten Gale was on the phone until I hear a,

"No, no, no." I halt. I'd forgotten in the moment that it'd been Gale who had called me first. "It's my lunch break and I wanted to take you and the monster out for lunch."

"Out?" I scoff. "Gale, don't worry about that-"

"No," he cuts me off, "I'd be more than happy to, be ready in 10."

I find myself scrambling to throw on me and Finn some decent clothes and I've just finished brushing my teeth when Gale shows up. I run up to him, almost toppling him in a hug. I thank him one million times for helping me earlier and even reward him with a short kiss. He smiles at this, but then rushes us all out the door, telling me he doesn't have much time before he has to get back to work.