Mockingjay - 4 weeks after Peeta's rescue

1. Peeta

Katniss and Haymitch are on their way to Betee’s office when they see a person standing at the edge of the banister. Ready to jump.

They go closer, very quiet and Katniss says softly “Peeta?!”

Peeta dressed in an old jeans and a hospital shirt with an open back freezes. “Go away!” he sobs “I tried to kill you. I’m a Capitol Mut – it’s better for me to die.”

“NO! You’re not a mut right now. You’ll be fine. Don’t do it – please!”

“Tortured by the Capitol and District 13 I have no one; nobody cares for me, so why should I live any longer?”

Katniss stretches her fingers to touch his hand carefully and strokes it with her thumb.

“I do. I care for you!”                                  

With irritated eyes he looks back to her.

“I never wanted to kill you – I’m so sorry.”

“Please come here, please. Tell me what happened.” Katniss says and touches his arm.

“Ok …” Peeta is shaking so hard, that he nearly lost his grip. Katniss hold him and with Haymitch’s help she gets him over the banister.

Peeta collapses on the ground, Katniss crawls on his side with tears in her eyes, hold his head and strokes back his hair.

“Since a few days I’m able to fight the venom-made feelings back. So you’re no more in danger. I can sort the most real memories from the unreal and now I remember how much I love you.”

“Peeta, I ..”    “Schh.. let me end first.” Peeta interrupts Katniss. “Maybe these are good news, but for me there was no hope to see you again, after I tried to kill you. I don’t want to live my life fixed with handcuffs in a hospital” he says with tear-stained.

“Peeta, you have friends, you have Finnick and Haymitch and especially you have me! I’m not only your friend – I love you and I don’t wanna lose you again.” Tears stream down her cheeks while she says it.

“Now we get you back to the hospital” are the first words Haymitch says after a while.

“NO!” Peeta screams “Not back to the hospital. I cannot stay there any longer. Not one day! It’s like the Capitol – every time I get a nightmare or can’t fight back the mut feelings they give me electric shocks to stop me moving. I’m all over with burn marks. See yourself.” He says and lifts his shirt.

“Oh my God, Peeta” gasps Katniss. Haymitch growls “Shit” and they both agree that Peeta can’t go back to the hospital.

Haymitch takes him up and they make their way to Katniss apartment to treat his wounds and decide what to do next.

Haymitch lays Peeta into the bed and pulls off his shirt while Katniss looks for the burn-medicine.

Carefully she takes the medicine on Peeta’s wounds. After the pain goes down Peeta sighs in relief and asks: “Katniss, what you said, can you say it again?”

“What do you mean?” she answers and looks in his eyes.

“That you care for me and…”.

Katniss smiles and says: “I love you!” She leans in and kisses him.

After Haymitch leaves to get some food and catch news about Peeta’s disappear, Katniss lies down beside Peeta and caresses his hair until he falls asleep.