Katniss POV- (End of January)
"I need to talk to Doctor Coles now, please?" Peeta says frantically into the phone.
He's getting angry and louder, not making my headache any better. I want to tell him to shut up but he's trying to get me some help to see what's wrong with me.
"My wife is extremely sick and I don't think it's from the baby, please let me talk to her?" Peeta begs the receptionist.
He groans, "I'll wait but please tell her to hurry, it's really important."
"Yes, I understand that she's with someone else but my wife is very sick." He tells them, raising his voice.
I close my eyes, "Peeta, calm down." I mumble, putting my fingers against my temples and taking a deep, shaky breath and letting out an involuntarily cough of bloody mucus.
He looks at me and shakes his head, obviously annoyed with the receptionist.
I lean over and spit out the stuff into the trash can Peeta put next to our bed, the sight of it makes me puke.
I've been doing this since I woke up this morning.
I couldn't even take Willow to school so I had to call Peeta to come get her. I didn't dare call Bristol. She's still mad with us for Peeta and Carter's innocent conversation over a month ago.
Luckily she's not treating Willow any differently that I know of.
I am almost positive I have a fever and besides that I have the worst headache I think I've ever had in my life. I'm achy and nauseous beyond what I was with Willow or this baby so far.
Something is seriously wrong.
I can barely breathe and I have been coughing and puking since I woke up this morning.
I'm not sure what's wrong but I'm scared I'll hurt the baby when I'm coughing or puking as bad as I have been. Or that whatever sickness I've come down with will hurt the baby.
"Dr. Coles, this is Peeta. Katniss is extremely sick and she's been this way since she woke up this morning." Peeta says frantically into the phone.
"No, it's not just her normal sickness. It's not morning sickness because it never lasts this long. It's two in the afternoon and she still can't keep anything down and she's nauseous and has a fever. She's puking, coughing up bloody looking stuff too. She's miserable." Peeta explains quickly to her, sounding so pitiful for me.
I sigh deeply, laying my head back down on the pillow and close my eyes, listening to my husband rant and the sound of my heart pounding in my head.
"I don't know. She hasn't been really anywhere but home." He tells her, "No, Willow hasn't been sick and neither have I. I don't know how she could've gotten sick."
"I don't have time to wait until after your last appointment. I'm taking her to the hospital now." He says and hangs up.
I keep my eyes closed and focus on breathing the best that I can.
"Katniss? Sweetheart, I'm get you up to hospital now." Peeta tells me quietly and rubs the side of my arm.
"I don't want to go to the hospital." I mumble.
He sighs, "I'm taking you whether you want me to or not. Dr. Coles say it sounds really serious and couldn't get you in until about 6 tonight. I can't wait that long-I'm taking you."
I sigh deeply, knowing I'm not at all in my right mind.
I open my heavy eyes, "Get my shoes." I instruct him.
He rushes around our bedroom, gathering some shoes and a hoodie for me to slip on since I'm freezing cold, even though Peeta turned the heat up for me hours ago.
I sigh preparing for a trip to the hospital.
I do not at all want to go but I'm so afraid this is affecting the baby and I don't want anything to happen to it.
He helps me sit up and I set my hand on his back as he puts my shoes on to steady myself from the spinning room.
"Ugh, I feel so bad, Peeta." I whine.
"I know you do but let's get you to the doctor to see what's wrong." He says softly, slipping one of his hoods over my head.
He helps me stand up slowly and I have to lean my head against his chest and hold onto him. I don't think I'm gonna be able to stand up too long while being this dizzy-plus the lack of nutrients in my body is making it a lot harder.
"I'm gonna have to carry you. You're not steady enough to walk by yourself or even with me. I don't want to risk anything." He says.
"Peeta, you're gonna hurt yourself." I mumble to him.
He shakes his head, "I'm not worried about me and I may be older but I can still pick you up. You haven't gained a pound since you've been pregnant." Peeta says.
I sigh, "Fine." I groan, just wanting to go already.
He slowly scoops me into his arms and I press my forehead up against his chest as he carefully goes down the stairs.
Peeta takes me to the car, buckling me up and hurrying to his side.
I glance over as I cough and cough, my throat is raw and stings every time I talk.
I can see the worry in Peeta's eyes and across his face.
"I think I'm gonna puke again." I mumble in pain, holding my hand over my mouth.
He glances over, "What?" He asks.
Before I can repeat myself, I can't help but to let the very last bit of stomach bile goes onto the car floor. I cough some more, "I'm sorry." I mumble.
Peeta lets out a deep sigh, "It's alright, baby." He says putting his hand on my back and rubbing it gently.
I groan and close my eyes. A few minutes later he pulls into the ER and stops the car.
"Come on, sweetheart." Peeta says opening my car door, taking my seatbelt off me and scooping me out of the car.
I start having a coughing fit as the cold air hits my lungs and Peeta hurries into the entrance.
It's a lot warmer in here but I'm still freezing. Peeta half runs down the hall as nurses pull a wheelchair out. He gently sits me in it.
"She is really sick." He says over and over, nearly losing it.
A nurse rushes me into a room and then helps me up. I sit on the crumbling sheet of protectant paper and feel like the room is spinning. Peeta holds onto me as he sees I'm about to take a tumble onto the floor.
They're all moving too fast for me.
I can barely hear them talking over the sound of my heart pounding in my head.
A nurse comes over and takes my blood pressure and temperature as Peeta frantically explains everything wrong with me and tells them I'm three months pregnant.
As soon as they hear that, a nurse immediately puts her stethoscope onto my stomach and moves it around until she stops and listens.
She looks up at me, leaning down to me, obviously noticing I can't hear very well or that I'm not in my right mind right now.
"I can't hear anything but if you're not very far along that's normal. I am going to go get our Doppler." She says standing up and rushing out of the room, about two or three other nurses rushing around the room-making me more overwhelmed.
"You're blood pressure is pretty high. How old are you?"
"She's 28." Peeta beats me to it. I start coughing some more and can taste the fowl bloody mucus.
The nurse sighs and writes it on a sheet, handing me a little tray.
"If you need to puke or spit anything out." She says.
I hock a little blood into the tray and make a face, gagging as I see it.
I don't know why I look at it.
"You have a pretty high fever too." She says.
"What is it?" Peeta asks immediately.
The nurse looks down at the thermometer, "103.6."
Peeta looks like he's going to faint or be sick himself.
"Please tell me that you guys can get her better soon?" He says.
"We can sure try. Her symptoms seem to be influenza which can be deadly to pregnant women, especially as early as she is. It attacks her immune system and can harm the baby as well. It's very likely but hopefully we caught it just in time." The nurse explains to him.
I immediately feel tears streaming down my cheeks and Peeta takes my hand, I hug his waist and cry into it.
I can't die and the baby can't die either.
"She just woke up with it this morning. She's been fine until this morning, hopefully it's not too late to get her treatment." Peeta says.
"Well, hopefully we can get her treatment in time. She's really sick but if she just woke up with this this morning then it should be okay. The doctor will be with you soon. He's treating someone else but I'm sending him down here." She says leaving the room.
I completely lose it once she's left.
"Peeta, I don't want to die. I don't want to die or lose the baby." I cry hysterically to him, the tears loosening up my stuffed nose and draining down my throat.
No doubt am I scaring him more but I can't help it.
"Peeta." I whine into his stomach and spit more blood into the pan.
Crying is not helping my headache, but it is clearing all the mucus making me unable to breathe, but it's also making me cough up a storm.
"Katniss, please quit crying." Peeta says with tears rushing down his face.
"I'm sorry but I don't want to die." I cry hysterically and take a deep shaky breath.
He sighs, "I don't want you to die either but we have to be positive and you need to quit crying. You're making it worse."
"I know but I can't help it." I say.
"Katniss, listen to me." Peeta says bending down a little bit.
I look up at him and see how much fear is captured in his blue eyes.
"I know you can get better and I know the baby will be fine."
"You don't know that." I mumble shakily.
He sighs, "I do know that. Do you know how I know that?"
I shrug my shoulders.
"Because you are the strongest woman I know. You've beat so many things and even though you've never been faced with death that many times, I know that you'll beat it too. And I also know that you will do everything you can to make sure the baby is not affected." He tells me determinedly.
"I can't prevent anything, Peeta."
"You can too. I know you can."
"Whatever happens, happens. I can't decide whether or not this hurts the baby or me."
"Yes you can, Katniss. I know you can."
I frown, "I'm just scared to death. Things are were finally starting to seem real with this baby and starting to be really really good and now this."
He sighs, "That's usually how that works, Katniss. You know that. It's been that way for years and every single time we've gotten through it and it's not going to be different this time."
I look up, "What if it is?"
"It won't be. I won't let it. I am gonna make sure that they do anything they can and if they can't I'll take you to anyone who can."
I sniffle, "Peeta." I whine, more tears streaming down my cheeks.
About that time the doctor walks in.
"Sir, I need you to step away from her. She's probably infectious and you don't need to be sick as well."
Peeta steps away but rolls his eyes, "I don't care if I get sick. I want to be with her through this all." He says.
"Okay, well you were in my way so after I'm through you can come over."
"I want him on the other side of me." I tell the doctor, crossing my arms.
He looks down, "What?"
"I said I need him to be on the other side of me."
"Why?"
"Because I need him." I say annoyed.
I don't understand why this is a big deal.
I don't want Peeta getting sick but I also know how much he wants to be next to me and I need him to be.
"Fine." He says and Peeta comes around to the opposite side of me and takes my hand, squeezing it tightly, setting his other hand on my back and rubbing it softly. I lean my head against him as the doctor reads my paper.
"The nurses and I are pretty sure you have influenza. They also mentioned you're 3 months pregnant?"
I nod my head.
"That can be very dangerous to you and your baby. We need to get you started on treatment as soon as we can but first I need to swab your throat to see if that's the illness you have or if it's something more serious."
I nod.
"Open your mouth." The doctor says and I do. He shoves a little swab down my throat and I start gagging and coughing again.
"Okay. I'm going to test this but until then, I'm going to go ahead and have the nurses begin treatment. You look horrible." The doctor says and leaves the room.
I look up at Peeta, "You can't get sick too."
"I'm not going to die if I did." Peeta says and I can't help but to laugh.
"Shut up." I say in a whiney laugh.
He smiles sadly, "I'm sorry."
I frown.
"I want to lay down. My back hurts and so does my head and I'm still dizzy." I complain.
He helps ease me down, I lay my head on the crinkly pillow.
"I feel horrible."
"I know you do."
"I bet I look so gross right now. I don't even think I fixed my hair this morning or even brushed my teeth." I groan.
Peeta laughs, "No judgement here. Promise."
I laugh a little, "I love you." I say frowning.
"I love you too."
I sigh deeply and close my eyes, at least I'm able to breathe a little better but every breath I take stings.
I hear someone come in the room, "Mrs. Mellark? Do you want to hear your baby's heartbeat?" A lady asks.
I open my heavy eyes and see a lady with a heart monitor thing.
I nod my head as the lady lifts up my shirt.
Hopefully I'll be able to hear this heartbeat over mine.
"Do you know what the usual rate is for your baby?" She asks me and Peeta.
I look up at Peeta, "Between 160 and 170 usually." I mumble.
The nurse nods, "If the baby's heartbeat isn't normal sounding, being a lot under 160 or a lot over 170, I'm going to have to have the doctor or your obstetrician come in and decide what we need to do."
I nod and she flips on the machine.
Seconds later I hear a familiar loud, repetitive thumping noises.
I can't help but to smile a little when I hear it, Peeta the same, he leans over and kisses my forehead and we all three listen a minute before the nurse clicks the machine off and the noise stops.
"The heart rate is 172. I am going to let your obstetrician, Dr. Coles, know to decide if she needs to come see you."
The nurse disappears.
I look at Peeta.
"It's high." I mumble, more tears making an appearance.
"Not by much. It's been 170 before. 172 isn't up by much." He says.
"But that doesn't mean anything. It means the baby is stressed out."
"Katniss, you're stressed out and I guarantee your heartbeat is freaking out just as badly as the baby's. You remember how when Willow would get really excited every time you did? I bet it's the same for this baby." Peeta tells me.
He's probably right but I'm still worried, it's still not normal.
"I don't know."
"You need to try and calm down. I bet if you calmed down a little bit then the baby would too. Try to relax." He says softly, pushing hair back out of my eyes.
I close my eyes and let myself relax, involuntarily coughing every few minutes, listening to Peeta's voice, going on about how it'll be alright and feeling the soft strokes he makes on my hand and face.
Before I know it I'm kind of in an awake sleep, I can hear everything going on around me.
I can hear that doctor and Peeta talking. Nurses mumbling back and forth to each other and Peeta too.
"She's really sick, I don't think I've ever seen her this sick before." Peeta tells the doctor.
"Well, results came back and she definitely has the flu. It can be deadly to pregnant women, if it's not deadly, there's a possibility of the virus affecting the development, meaning the baby could be born with birth defects." He says.
I literally feel my heart sink.
"As long as they're both alive and healthy, we won't care." Peeta tells him truthfully.
"Well, if that's the case and something does come about with the baby, then we can discuss other options, but until then we are going to be hooking her up to IVs. She's really dehydrated from her vomiting and nausea." He says.
"What about the baby. It's heart-rate was kind of high earlier-are you going to he monitoring it?" Peeta asks.
"Yes. We are also hooking her up to a baby heart monitor soon. Your wife's obstetrician, Dr. Coles will be here around 6 to examine the fetus." He says.
Fetus.
I stop myself from groaning or opening my mouth letting him know, that it's a baby.
"She wanted us to wait until 6 to take Katniss in to see her but I couldn't wait. Do you think that it was good to bring her here?" Peeta asks him.
"Yes, very much so. I think if you would've waited to see her obstetrician she would be a lot sicker and the child would be in more distress. So it was a good move in bringing her here. The fluids should be getting her to feeling a little better within a few hours. We are planning on treating her fever as well and treating her for the influenza virus."
"How long does this last?"
"It usually lasts 3-5 days. Some cases it could last up to two weeks or even result in death. I think since it's the first day and she's being treated, it should only last less than 3-5 days. I would so no more than 5." The doctor explains.
Thank God.
I hear Peeta sigh relieved, "Good."
"Don't worry, sir. You did the right thing bringing her in when you did. It gives more of a chance of her getting better quickly and lowers the chance of the virus getting to your baby."
"Okay. Thank you." Peeta says.
"No problem. Let her sleep though. I will be in every two hours until my shift is over. Nurses will check on her every 30 minutes. Doctor Coles will be here about 6. It's 5:20 now." The doctor says.
"Okay."
"After Doctor Coles leaves, we will be moving her to a room. She will not be going home for a few days." He says.
Peeta sighs and I hear him coming over. He sits on the edge of the examination bed.
I force my heavy eyes open and see Peeta is staring at me.
"Hi." I mumble softly.
"Hi." Peeta says softly, leaning down and hugging me softly.
"Did you hear everything?" He asks knowingly.
I nod my head.
"If something is wrong with the baby, you won't be mad at me will you?" I ask him.
He shakes his head, "Oh, no, Katniss. I won't be mad at anyone. And I don't think anything will be wrong with the baby." He tells me.
"But if there is?"
"I will love them no matter what and still love you just as much as I always have."
"I will love them too. I just hope nothing happens. I hope we caught it in time."
"I bet we did." He says quietly.
"I love you."
"I love you too." Peeta says and leans down, pressing a kiss to my lips.
"Peeta, why did you kiss me? I've been puking all day long and you're gonna get sick too." I laugh tiredly.
He laughs a little, "I don't care. You need to get some sleep before Doctor Coles comes in here. Hopefully it'll calm the baby down some more."
"The nurses will probably come in and poke me before I can fall asleep."
"Hopefully not. I bet they won't do much until you get moved. Do you want anything to drink or eat? I'm sure you could use it."
I shake my head, "My throat hurts too much and I'm afraid anything will make me start coughing. If I talk to loud I know I'll start coughing again."
"Then hush." Peeta says.
I can't help but to laugh a little and that starts it up a little.
"Please try and sleep." He says softly.
I nod my head and close my eyes. Peeta softly holds my hand as I do finally fall into a slumber.
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