The Hunger Games: Uprising!

Chapter 24

I slam the phone back down in its cradle my teeth gritted in anger. How can she be so blind, surely she must realise that if we lose 12, district 13 will come under direct attack.

"That didn't go too well then" says Ross

"Paylor's going to regret not helping us. I'm going to....

Just then gunfire erupts from outside the justice building, I look at Ross a look of concern on his face. He's holding his earpiece listening to his team, then he stares at me, a look of dread on his face.

"Peeta!" I scream.

I turn and run from the office into the lobby to see Peeta being carried in by two of Ross's security team. They lay him gently on the carpeted floor. I run to his side and kneel down. "Peeta?"

He doesn't answer.

I look at his injuries. One bullet wound to his arm and another in the chest. He's unconscious and losing a lot of blood. I start sobbing uncontrollably

"Somebody do something!" I scream

"Peeta, stay with me, don't leave me" I whisper between sobs. I look back to the office and I see Ross talking to someone on the phone, or more like shouting at someone on the phone.

I look back to my Peeta, lying broken on the floor in front of me. Suddenly his eyes flicker open.

"Peeta!" I gasp. I lean my head down to him and he puts his good arm around my neck.

"I love you Kat, I always will" he says weakly.

"No don't go, don't leave us!" I cry

"I love you, I love you"I repeat, I pull back and look into his eyes, I feel like my own life is flashing in front of me. This can't be happening, I can't imagine my life without him, to live my life alone is simply unthinkable.

Just then more of Ross's people come running in with a stretcher, they unpack bandages syringes and a drip.

Then suddenly I'm grabbed from behind, lifted off my feet, being pulled away from Peeta. I start kicking and screaming, struggling to get free.

Then, I feel a sharp jab in my back, everything starts to feel hazy and I feel like I'm drifting away into another world. And then darkness takes me.

I wake in a familiar place, I can tell by the smell it's not my home. I open my eyes and find myself lying on our bed back in district 13. I look to my side and find the bed empty. Only buttercup lies there sleeping silently, how did he get here? I suddenly panic over the thought of Peeta. Tears start to well up in my eyes and I sit up, then run to the door. I open it to find Haymitch sat on a chair outside in the corridor. He gets up stiffly and looks at me.

"Peeta?" Is all I can say, the tears now running freely.

"He'll be Okay," he replies tiredly

I run into Haymitch's arms and he embraces me. I sob into his shoulder.

"I really thought I'd lost him Haymitch, when they brought him in I....

I start sobbing again, to the point that I can't even talk.

"Calm down sweetheart, he'll be Okay. Do you want to go and see him?"

I look at Haymitch and just nod. He takes my hand and leads me to the elevator and down to the medical level.

We walk onto the ward to see Peeta lying in a bed in a private room with his arm, shoulder and chest wrapped in bandages. Wires are fixed to different parts of his body, monitoring his condition.