I couldn't go to the Capitol. Not with Katniss like this. Besides going to the Capitol to end it was my idea. Coin's probably ecstatic that I'm not going.
Everyday is the same. We wake up, we get our schedules printed, we help Katniss take her medicine, and then we start the day. Katniss spends one day with me, then a day with Prim, then a day with Haymitch, and the cycle continues. Today is my day with her.
"Katniss, it's time to wake up." I whisper brushing her brown hair from her cheeks. They've filled out more and she's completely healed. The only thing left are scars physical and mental. "Katniss, wake up." I brush her hair from her neck to look at the many scars left behind from the needles and venom.
Her grey eyes open slowly as she stretches out like a cat. "Peeta?"
"Right here." I remind her drawing her chin up so she could see me.
She smiles up at me before curling into my body humming at the warmth. "Safe."
I brush through her brown hair and just enjoy the early mornings we get. "We're all safe, Katniss. I promise. I won't let anything hurt you or Prim." I brush over her cheek as she smiles. "We need to get up. We have a busy day today."
Katniss is reluctant to get out of bed but does it anyway and goes off to shower.
I walk over to Prim's bed and gently wake her. "Little duck, wake up. You have a long day today."
Prim offers me a yawn before getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom to change. The two of them sing as they get ready. Their voices harmonizing. It sounds like a good day.
I quickly change out in the common room before getting my schedule printed out. It's going to be a long day.
First Katniss and I are in the kitchen making breakfast and also making bread for lunch. Then we're going to film a few propos and I don't know how she'll react seeing as she hasn't filmed propos here yet. Then it's lunch time. Then off to the infirmary to do physical therapy and normal therapy for Katniss. That almost never works out well. Then we have some free time to come back here and rest before dinner.
Katniss comes out of the bathroom with Prim both dressed for the day. Prim gets her arm printed, but because Katniss has had bad reactions to having her arm printed she doesn't get it and just goes off my arm for the day.
"Where to first?" Katniss asks pulling on her shoes. I help her a little and then do my own shoes.
"The kitchen to make breakfast and some bread for lunch and dinner. Then we eat breakfast." I tell her. She wraps her hand around mine and we start walking down the metal halls.
I can already tell today is a good day for her. She had minimal nightmares last night, she showered by herself, and even sung a bit with Prim. She's even humming as we walk down the halls to the kitchen. However, this peace can't always stay.
"Lover boy." Johanna. I'm grabbed and thrown into the wall causing Katniss to scream. "You were supposed to go with them." Her eyebrows knit together as she glares at me.
"I'm needed here by Katniss. I wanted to go, but Katniss needs me. You saw her when I tried to leave." I gently take Johanna's arm off my throat and check in with Katniss. "Look, we can talk about this later. When Katniss isn't around."
"So you haven't seen the broadcasts?"
"No, I just woke up, Johanna. And you know the rule. No broadcasts near Katniss."
"They're saying everyone is dead. We haven't heard from them."
"They weren't supposed to be near the fight. What happened?"
Before Johanna can even answer two guys walk over and one grabs Katniss. "Coin wants to see Peeta and Katniss. Now." The one holding Katniss says as the other attaches to my arm.
"No! Let me go! Let me go!" Katniss! She's pulling from the man only to get no where. She's freaking out. Her breathing is uneven.
"Let her go. We'll come with you, you don't have to hold her. I can take her." I shout over Katniss' screams. It breaks my soul to hear her screaming as someone holds her. "Please! We'll go! Just let her out of your hold! I'll hold her!"
"PEETA!" Katniss screams her eyes dilate and I know it's going to be bad. "MUTT! MUTTS! I'LL KILL EVERY ONE OF YOU MUTTS FOR KILLING PEETA AND PRIM!" Katniss screams still jumping to get out of the hold. She grabs the man's head and throws him over her body. She crawls on top of him snarling as she shoves her hands down on his throat.
I break from the grip on me and tackle Katniss. "Stop, stop. Hey. It's okay. It's okay. It's me." I tell her my hands holding hers above her head. "Look at me. Look at me!" I plead as she snarls and pulls.
"YOU KILLED PRIM! YOU KILLED PEETA! YOU'RE A MUTT! A FILTHY MUTT!"
"Katniss, look at me. Please. Look, it's me. I'm here. I'm Peeta. I'm right here. Please stop."
"PEETA IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!"
"No, Katniss, I'm right here. I'm right here." Nurses come over ready to inject her but I shield her body. "I can talk her down. Please, just let me try." I look back down to Katniss who is trying to bite my arm. I have one last trick. I lean down and use my free hand to grab her chin as gently but firmly as possible. I really hope she doesn't bite me. I press my lips against hers hoping it'll bring her back.
Katniss' body goes slack while our lips are pushed together. I pull back and see a nurse pulling a needle from Katniss' arm. Damn.
"I told you I had it." I hiss at the nurse as I climb off Katniss and collect her in my arms. She's so fragile and broken it hurts me to see her constantly battling this war in her head.
"President Coin would like to see you." The men from earlier repeat as I stand with Katniss in my arms.
I scoff and shake my head. "No, we aren't going. Katniss has been through enough stress today. I'm taking her back to our unit to rest. If you have an issue with it tell President Coin that you would not listen to me and sent her into an episode." With that I push past them and walk back to our family unit.
I tuck Katniss back into our bed and climb in next to her so she doesn't have nightmares. I brush over her cheek as I wait for her to wake.
After an hour, it's clear she was given enough sedative to have her out for multiple hours. So, I climb out of bed and grab my sketch book and pencils. Even though Katniss is here with me, I still get nightmares from our games. Nightmares of her death, of the mutts from the first games, of the monkey mutts in the second, of Rue, of the careers. The list goes on and on as the horrors I've encountered only seem to add on.
My hand moves slowly as I draw Katniss as she is now, calm. Sure, it's the most calm she's been, but it's not natural. She needs to be awake to work on getting better, not forced into sleep where her nightmares are worse because they don't know how to deal with her.
I draw the way her hair flows from her scalp down to the pillow where it fans out framing her beautiful face. I draw the curve of her cheeks that have finally filled out. I draw her closed eyes wishing they would open so I could see the storm clouds, but they won't. Not for a while. I draw the curve of her lips that pout slightly at an on coming nightmare.
Her eyebrows knit together and I set my drawing tools down so I can climb back on the bed. I brush over her hair watching her face. "Katniss, it's alright. I'm here. No one can hurt you now." I whisper brushing over her cheek with my thumb. "Everything is alright. I promise you."
The door opens and I see Prim standing there looking worried. "I went to breakfast and didn't see you two. No one knew where you were."
Oh Prim. I open my arms and she quickly finds her way into my chest. "I'm sorry. Johanna caught us before we made it to the kitchen. Then two guys tried to drag us to Coin. She didn't take it well. While I was trying to calm her some nurses sedated her. We've been here. I've been waiting for her to wake up." I explain brushing my hand over her blonde braid. She now wears her hair just like Katniss. She's growing up so much. I hold Prim tighter as I worry about the two girls.
Prim pulls away and brushes over Katniss' cheek. "She looks peaceful. How much did they give her?" Prim asks her crystal clear blue eyes never leaving Katniss' face.
"She's been battling a nightmare in there. I've been trying to keep it at bay. But, I don't know how much they gave her. I had to tackle her to keep her from choking someone. Then to try to get her to calm down I kissed her. Sometime during that they gave her the shot."
"She's very lucky to have you, Peeta."
"She's lucky to have you, too, Prim."
"Lucky... for bo..th." Prim and I look back down to Katniss and smile as her eyes flutter open slightly showing us the storm cloud grey eyes.
"Hey sleepy head." Prim teases as she helps Katniss sit up. Prim then starts quizzing Katniss on what she knows and remembers. Asks Katniss to do multiple things to test if she's really awake. "Some of the sedation medication is still in your system. Give it a few and you'll be back to normal. Until then stay in bed. I don't want you falling down."
"Yes, doctor." Katniss teases as she leans against the wall. She seems to be back to the Katniss we had before the hijacking. Her grey eyes move from Prim to me and shine when she smiles. "Hey, you."
"Hey." I whisper back and Prim giggles. "What?"
"Nothing. I have to go back to work. Behave. I'll have someone bring you two breakfast. Doctor orders. She stays in bed and stays out of trouble." Then with that Prim leaves.
I climb on the bed next to Katniss and smile at her. "How are you feeling?" I ask brushing her hair away from her face again.
"Tired, mentally tired. Physically tired. Emotionally tired." Katniss takes my arm and pulls me to where I'm laying down before she lays down with her head on my chest. "Can you tell me a story?"
Such a small request from her, but it means so much. I brush over her head again and give her forehead a kiss before leaning back. "Which story would you like?"
"Any story." And with that I dive into the story of how I fell in love with her.