Fighting (Sequel to Fate)

Chapter 28

"Have you heard anything?" I ask her immediately.

Prim swallows hard and nods her head at me. "I think you need to come with me, Katniss."
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"Peeta made it through surgery," Mom tells me.

I really didn't want to talk to her, but I'm okay as long as I'm finding out about how Peeta's doing.

"Then where is he?" I ask her impatiently.

"Behind that door," Mom tells me as she points across the hall. "But before you see him, I have to tell you that there is another concern right now."

"With what?" I ask anxiously.

"He's not waking up," Prim tells me softly.

"All of the medicine that Peeta was given to put him to sleep for the surgery should have worn off by now," Mom adds.

"The doctor's can't find out why Peeta's not responding," Prim says. "His oxygen levels are great. His heart rate is normal. The surgery went without any complications at all. They just had to be careful with that one bullet so it wouldn't move."

I take a deep breath. "Can I see him?"

Mom nods her head, and I quickly take off towards the door that leads to Peeta's room. I walk over to Peeta's bed and frown.

"Oh, Peeta," I say softly as I sit down in the chair beside of his bed. I reach over and lay my hand gently over top of his. I lay my head down beside of Peeta's and look over at him.

"Can you hear me?" I ask Peeta quietly. "You're not waking up, so can you at least hear me talking to you right now? I hope so." I swallow hard and fight back the tears.

"I want to thank you for saving mine and the baby's life," I tell Peeta. "It shows me how much you love us. You didn't even have to think about running out in front of that bullet for us. I know that you were just thinking about the fact that we were in danger and you needed to find a way to protect us."

I sniffle and let my many tears land on the bed.

"You can't leave us. Who's going to be there for me when the baby is born? I'm going to need you there by my side to encourage me and tell me that everything's going to be alright. I'm going to need your hand to hold, and for you to calm me down when I'm screaming and yelling."

More tears fall.

"I need to see your face when we hear her sweet cries for the first time, or when she is placed into your arms. I'm going to need you there by me when she keeps us up at all hours of the night. I'll need you to dry my tears when she takes her first steps, or has her fist birthday.

"You've got to teach her how to paint and bake as well as you do. You'll have to help her with her homework because I have always hated school. I don't even want to think about this yet, but you've got to walk her down the aisle when she gets married.

"And what about if she even wants a little brother or sister? I'll never have another baby if you don't live, because I'd never remarry. Even if I did, it wouldn't be the same. I'd never love another man as much as I love you."

I pause for a moment.

"You've gotta wake up Peeta. I need you to pull yourself through this."

I lean over and gently kiss his lips.

"I can't live without you."

Suddenly, the heart monitor starts beeping loudly and a bunch of other alarms begin to go off.

I try to pull back, but Peeta suddenly gasps as his eyes fly open. He quickly sits up halfway in the bed and grips the top of my arms as hard as he can with his hands. His eyes are wide with an emotion that I can't quiet place, and he's breathing awfully hard. Not to mention that he's shaking as though he's being electrocuted.

"Peeta," I say softly. "It's okay. It's me. Katniss. Your wife. The baby and I are okay and we've been so worried about you."

I didn't realize that Mom and Prim came through the door until I feel Mom trying to pry Peeta's fingers off of me. Once I'm free, Mom quickly ushers me out of the room.

"What happened?" Prim asks me.

I shake my head. "I… I don't know. I was talking to him, and he just suddenly sat up and grabbed me."

"He left bruises," Mom says as she reaches out toward my arm.

"Don't touch me," I say as I jerk my arm away. "Don't touch me. Don't come near me. Just leave me alone."

I walk off with tears streaming down my face.

What is happening to Peeta?