Different Worlds

Chapter 39: Venom

"Peeta i'm scared." Prim says as we sit outside the door to Katniss' room.

"I know Prim, but we're gonna be ok" I say wrapping my arm around her shoulders. The last few hours have been insane. Katniss' screams continued to sound through the walls; making me cringe each time. Finally for the last twenty minutes, the room has been silent, now it's just the anticipation creeping around us.

I hear a lock click and automatically look towards the door, the same way I have every time a sound occurs. The door opens a crack and then all the way, Cinna walks out, a grave look upon his face. I stand up straight away.

"Cinna, what is it? Is she going to be ok?"

"Peeta" he says "I think you may want to sit down."

I look at him, completely bewildered. Doctors never have good news when they tell you to sit down. I lower myself back into my chair and stare at him, completely scared and my mind blank.

"It appears that the men who captured Katniss, also injected her with something we call Tracker Jacker venom. It creates powerful hallucinations and great confusion." He breaks for a second; probably to allow this information to sink in. "While Katniss may be fine some of the time, any small trigger can immediately make her believe that she is back in that underground cell, left alone to die."

"W-what was the trigger...I mean, what made her start to think that before?" My voice is shaky.

"When she woke up before, and you were gone. Her mind went straight to being alone and never seeing you again. That girl must have some pretty deep feelings for you; for it to create a panic attack of that strength."

I can say nothing, only nod my head to everything. My throat feels as though it's constricted. I feel Prim's small hand slip into my own and I squeeze it tightly, desperately needing the comfort.

"Can you fix it? Take the venom out of her system or something?" Prim asks.

"We have never seen anything like this before. It will take some time to run tests and figure out the best possible solution to this."

"So she might always be like this? Always have to deal with flashbacks and hallucinations?" I ask quietly, so quiet it scares me.

"I don't know Peeta, but we will try our best to help her, I promise. Now you might want to go in there" he says gesturing to the room door; "She's been asking for you."

I nod slowly as I stand up and head into Katniss room. There is no one other than her in here. She is lying in bed, the blankets tucked around her tightly while she stares up at the ceiling. She hasn't noticed my entrance yet so I take a moment to stand and watch her quietly.

I watch as a small tear rims her eye and then slowly falls out the corner, sliding down the side of her face onto the White cotton pillow. I feel my heart break a thousand times just at this small thing. I walk over and take her hand in mine. Her eyes look up at me, full of sadness and sorrow.

"Hey" I say softly, brushing back her hair with my fingertips. She sniffs and I watch as her eyes water and fill with tears.

"Hey no don't cry, it's ok, i'm here. Okay? I'm here always." I brush her tears away with my thumb.

"Can you hold me?" She asks quietly. I nod as she shifts over in the bed and I climb up next to her. She curls herself into my side with her head resting on my chest. I hold her closely, not wanting to ever let her go.

"The doctor told me what happened" I say. "I want you to know that you are never going to lose me. Okay?"

She nods and leans up to kiss me. I close my eyes and kiss her back softly.

"I was so scared. I don't ever want to go through that again" she whispers. I squeeze her tighter to me.

"You won't. I promise."

***

The next morning I wake up still in the hospital bed with Katniss. Prim is asleep over on one of the couches and Cinna is standing over at one of the machines Katniss is hooked up to, assessing it. He looks over and sees me awake before coming and sitting down in the chair next to the bed.

"How...um...how is she?" I ask, my voice still thick from sleep.

"Katniss, it seems is the most relaxed I have seen her since she was admitted. It seems you being here next to her all night as helped a great deal."

"Oh" I shift uncomfortably, while still trying not to wake Katniss up as she sleeps in my arms.

"Don't be embarrassed Peeta" he says as he stands up, "this is a good thing."

I nod, still nervous and a tad embarrassed. Katniss starts to stir in my arms and she buries her head into my chest. Cinna smiles and chuckles slightly.

"You really are a cute couple" he says over his shoulder as he heads out the door. "I'll be back in a hour or two to check on everything."

When the door shuts behind him, the whole room seems to feel much calmer. Maybe it's only because he caught me asleep with Katniss. Prim stirs over on the couch and sits up blindly, rubbing her eyes. "Hey peeta" she yawns sleepily as she stands up and makes her way over to us, sitting in the seat Cinna recently vacated.

"Hey Prim" I say absentmindedly as I gaze at the wall, not really thinking about anything.

"Peeta?" Prim asks.

I turn my head to her, "yeah?"

"Do you think Katniss is going to be okay?"

"I really hope so Prim, I really hope so" I tell her.

***

"I hate hospital food" Katniss spits as she picks up a spoonful of yogurt and eyes it venomously. Prim is over on the back corner couch, absolutely knelt over in tears as she clutches her stomach, trying to hold her laughs in at her sisters obvious annoyance. Katniss has been ranting about the food ever since the lady came in with her trolley, laden with trays of the putrid food.

"Prim it's not funny" she snaps as she tips the spoon over in the air and let's the yogurt fall onto the tray with a splat.

"It can't be that bad" I say teasingly as she turns and glowers at me.

"Don't you start too" she sighs as she picks up the muffin and rips a piece off. She holds it out to me, "you eat it if it's not that bad."

I really don't want to eat it, but i'm determine to prove her wrong. I take the piece of muffin from her and eat it, trying not to scrunch my face up in distain. It's awful, floury and dry and bland.

"It tastes good" I lie, trying to keep a straight face.

"Your lying" she accuses, and I try really hard not to laugh. "I don't know why your laughing, you guys aren't the ones who have to eat this crap all the time."

"I know, i'm sorry" I say, still trying to keep a straight face.

"It's not even that bad" I say holding the muffin out to her. She glares at me and I immediately retract my hand. "Okay so maybe it is terrible, I confess."

"Thank you" she sighs and leans back against the pillows with a huff. "I'm starving though."

"Do you want me to sneak you in some good food?" I ask as I rub my thumb over the back of her hand absentmindedly.

"Really?" She ask excited.

"Yeah, and don't act like you weren't trying to convince me of that the whole time" I laugh.

"You got me, but can you please get cheese buns, i'm craving those things right now."

"Yeah sure I can" I say. I am just about to get out of the chair and leave when the door opens. One of the nurses walks in carrying a bouquet of flowers.

"Miss Everdeen, someone left these at the front desk for you" she says. But she doesn't get a reply. I turn to face Katniss to see her whole face has gone deathly pale, her bottom lip trembles and her eyes widen, frightened, as she stares at the white roses.

~~