19. Safe and Sound

My legs trembled. That was perhaps the closest to death I had ever been since the bombing of 12.

I had almost died.

I looked back to Peeta, who looked like he was quivering himself. He had just saved my life.

My legs buckled under me, Gale was there to support me.

“You aren’t hurt, are you?” he asked me, panicking. I shook my head, I was pretty sure I didn’t get hurt.

“I thought you couldn’t shoot,” Katniss murmured to Peeta.

“That was a lucky shot,” Peeta huffed.

“Very lucky, I’d say.”

“Can we not just stand here in awe by his first kill?” Gale chimed. “As amazing as that is, we need to get out of here, right now.” He grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me to my feet as we headed out.

We were instantly blinded by darkness. Cold air pierced through me, making me release a shudder. Fierce growling from behind us warned us another mutt was in pursuit. The siren wails were muffled only just before a loud shatter told us that the mutt had broken through the doors.

The ground vibrated slightly as the mutt pounded its way to us. Peeta whipped around to quickly shoot the mutt. He missed and got its paw. The mutt jumped back and immediately tried to dislodge the arrow.

I gestured for Peeta to hand the bow and arrow over. He tossed me both, and quickly I ended the mutt’s life. I couldn’t see the mutt, but I knew it was dead, there were no pursuing footfalls. That was the second kill I made. Score two for me, zero for the mutts.

We all made our way behind the side of a building.

“How are we getting out of here?” Katniss whispered as she bent down on her knees, panting.

“We’ve got a hovercraft waiting,” Peeta told her.

“How far is it?”

“Shouldn’t be too far if we are where I think we are.”

 “We better leave now before Peacekeepers seek us out. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think I’ve had enough fighting for one night.”

Everybody started to move ahead except for me. I felt something trickling—no, pouring—against my skin. Blood pounded in my ears, I felt like I was falling.

I fell backwards, but somehow someone got behind me before I could collide with the ground. I shut my eyes to focus better; I could hear panicking feet around me.

“What’s wrong with her?” Gale panicked. He was on my right, Katniss on my left. I assumed Peeta was holding me upright. I gritted my teeth as the cold attacked me in my vulnerable state. “Katrina? Look at me.”

I panted.

“She couldn’t tell you what’s wrong if she wanted to,” Katniss hissed. “Wait…what’s that, on her shirt?”

“He got her,” Gale snarled. “He still got her.”

“I thought he missed,” Peeta complained.

“I guess in the frenzy he got his lucky shot.”

“No, don’t touch it,” Katniss said to me. She held my left wrist firmly.

“How bad is it?” Peeta asked.

“Pretty bad.”

“We’ve got to cover it up with something at least to slow the bleeding,” Gale suggested. “If we don’t, she won’t make it.”

My teeth chattered to emphasize how crucial it was for me to get some warmth and attention.

“I’ll probably freeze to death from this, but at least I don’t have serious injuries,” Katniss said. She shrugged off her jacket and wrapped it around me snug. “That’s the best thing for her right now. If we hurry now, we can get her warm before she freezes to death.”

“There’s no way she’s going to be able to walk, not in this state. We’re going to have to carry her,” Peeta suggested.

“Let me do that,” Gale volunteered. Carefully, Gale cradled me and lifted me up. I immediately burrowed into him, trying to block out the cold. “Don’t move a lot, okay?”

“Let’s go,” Katniss piped.

I wouldn’t know how long Gale had jogged, because not too long after we started for the hovercraft, I slipped into unconsciousness.

***

I felt rough ground on my cheek. I shook myself awake, my vision a bit fuzzy at first. I soon saw where I was. I was back in District 12, and 12 looked like it had before it had been bombed.

I rose to my feet, not feeling any pain in my leg. No pain? I thought. I yanked up my pant leg to see no slice on my leg, no sign of healing. The skin was just like it had been before. If the spear injury is gone, then…

            I roughly felt my back. There were no lashes across my back either. There were no whip marks. I felt under my shirt, no cut. My lips pursed, and I yelped. I accidentally bit my tongue—my tongue! That was back as well—which meant—

            I can talk again! Already I knew this had to be a dream, because in reality, all injuries that were healed here were not.

I scanned 12. There was nobody out and about, it was eerily quiet.

            “Hello?” I called, feeling rather happy to hear myself talk again. Moments passed, and I got no reply. I tried again, still no answer.

Puzzled, I began venturing the ghost town that was 12. I looked for any sign of movement, something that would make me feel like I wasn’t alone here. But why was I alone? Had something happened here that made everybody leave—or even die off?

            I saw the familiar route I was taking: back to my old home before it was destroyed. My mouth dropped as I looked upon my house. It was up, looking not battle-ridden.

            “Somebody pinch me,” I whispered. I gave a yelp when something actually did pinch me. I knew for a fact I didn’t do that to myself. I whipped around and almost screamed.

            I had to be seeing ghosts. There was no way she was right there in front of me, big gray eyes looking up at me. I almost broke down crying. This had to be some kind of crazy miracle.

            “What?” Raven piped, her head tilted to the side. “You said someone pinch you, and I did. Why do you look shocked, sissy?”

            It was scary how Raven was only five compared to me being seventeen. There was quite an age difference there.

            “Ray,” I said, bending down to her level, “can you explain to me what’s going on here?”

            “She’s too young to explain it, Katrina,” called a voice behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see coming from the blinding light in our doorway, my mother, Diana Azaria.

            “Up!” Ray chirped, trying to climb into my arms.

            “I can’t do this forever, you know,” I reminded her as I hoisted her into my arms. Ray’s legs stuck to me as I turned us both to see our mother.

            I felt so out of place in my family, because I was the only one who had a different look. The only way I resembled my mother was my personality. Her hair was trimmed short and stuck to her head, her face showing her age: early forties. Most other women gave her odd looks, but my mother never cared what they thought. She never let others’ opinions get to her; I always admired that about her.

            “I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” I sighed.

            “Well, yes—and no,” Mom said carefully.

            “What do you mean yes and no? Where is everybody? And where’s Colton and Dad?”

            “Easy, Katrina, they’ll come eventually. As for everybody, well, you just want us here. Nothing bad has happened to them.”

            “So…the explanation?” I pressed.

            “You’re in a mini coma, dear.”

            “Mini coma? How long has it been?” It surely couldn’t have been too long.

            “I can’t tell you that since this is your dream. If you don’t know, I don’t either.”

            “Is Kat finally here?” Colton piped. He came running out of the bright light, Dad chasing after him. Colton’s eyes brightened at the sight of me and he ran to me, hugging my legs. I giggled.

            “We’ve missed you so much!” Raven squeaked, holding me tighter.

            “I’ve missed you all a lot too,” I choked; blinking back tears, “everyday. It’s been rough.”

            “We know, sweetheart,” Dad murmured, grabbing Mom’s hand. “But you’ve powered through it. We always knew you would.”

            “She’s not awake yet?” a new voice echoed through the open doorway. I jumped; Ray almost fell out of my arms.

            “What was that?” I sputtered.

            “That is what you’re hearing right now,” Mom explained. “That’s the way back to reality.”

            “Do I have to go back?” I gripped Raven tight. I was just getting comfortable, seeing my family again.

            “Honey, you’re not between life and death,” Dad said softly. “You have a life out there. You have something to look forward to when waking up.”

            “Like Gale,” Ray chimed.

            I looked past my family to see the doorway. If I walked through there, I’d wake up. Where I would wake up, I was unsure. I knew for a fact I would be alive when passing through that door.

            “I don’t want to go back there just yet,” I whimpered.

            “You have to sometime,” Dad said.

            “But if I go, I’ll never see you all again.”

            “Yes you will,” Colton said. I looked down at him. “One day you will.”

            “We’re with you wherever you go, Kat,” Mom said, smiling. “Don’t think for one minute that we aren’t with you.”

            “You aren’t physically,” I noted.

            “We are in here,” Ray sang, putting a hand over my heart. “Remember that? Mommy always told us that.”

 I smiled at my little sister.

            “And I always hoped you’d stick by that,” Mom chuckled.

            “You two aren’t upset that I’ll have to go back?” I looked at Ray, then at Colton.

            “No, because we know we’ll see each other again,” Colton said. “Maybe we’ll be together in a dream of yours sometime soon.”

            “I hope it’s soon, that way we can be one happy family again!” Ray squeaked.

            “Maybe we will,” I mused, kissing Ray’s head.

            “She’ll wake up soon,” said the voice from the doorway. It sounded like Katniss. “We’ve just got to be patient.”

 I looked again at the doorway. My time had dawned on me. I might as well not prolong waking up any longer. It’d probably give Katniss, Peeta, and Gale some peace once they knew I was awake and alive.

            Mom and Dad looked where I did. They knew, too.

I set Raven down on her feet, and Colton released my legs. I hugged my parents, and Raven and Colton joined in on the family hug. I wanted this to be all real. It felt real, but I knew it wasn’t. This was something I used to have before the bombing of District 12. It was something I would never have again with my family—but that didn’t mean I could never have it happen again.

Maybe in the future, when I’d settle down and have kids, we’d be as close as my family was.

            “I love you so much,” I crooned. “All of you.”

            Neither Colton nor Raven tried to stop me by hugging my legs as I departed from the group hug. Just as I was at the threshold of the door, I looked back at my family one last time. All their hopeful faces stared at me.

            I put one foot in the bright light, and it consumed me, leaving my family behind me.

***

            Sheets, that’s the first thing I felt caressing my body. I could hear birds chirping. It must be morning or afternoon, I theorized. I didn’t feel any stitch in my side when I breathed, so I was good there. Nothing ached nor stung on my body—which was also another good sign. I also felt something on my hand…warmth. I felt heat beside me too, on my right.

            I heard footsteps walk in, they were light. They had to belong to Katniss.

            “Still nothing?” she asked.

            “Nothing,” Gale huffed. He was lying next to me. How come that didn’t surprise me? It wasn’t like I was expecting Peeta to be in Gale’s place. “Maybe she’s in a coma longer than we think.”

            “She shouldn’t be out forever, she’s still breathing. We’ve got food if you’re hungry.”

            “Maybe later.”

            “Gale, you’ve got to eat something. You barely ate anything last night and the day before that.”

            “I’ll eat when I feel like I’m dying. I’m used to starving, remember?” There was a vague hint of joking in his tone.

            “Sometimes I wonder about you.” I heard Katniss leave.

            “I know you can’t hear me, Kat,” Gale whispered. I listened intently. “I know you were upset with me, and you had every right to be. I really wish I could take back what I let slip, but what happened between us, that was real. I never did that because I thought you were Katniss. I know that’s what you thought, and you probably still believe that it wasn’t real. I just wish you were awake so you can accept my apology.”

            I remembered Peeta telling me that he didn’t perceive Gale as somebody who would do such a thing, use a friend like that. I’ll admit I am not one for taking any side but my own in an argument unless I’m given legitimate proof. What I just heard was proof enough to prove Peeta right. What Gale did was just a slip of the tongue, something that happened to everybody now and again.

            I really wish I could say how sorry I am, too, Gale, I thought. But I can’t. I’ll just have to show you somehow. But first…I got to get myself woken up.

            I felt his thumb stroke the top of my hand. His fingers curled around mine. Lightly, I squeezed his hand. I felt Gale shift beside me.

            “Kat?” His voice was low. “Can you hear me?” I squeezed his hand again, hoping he’d take that as an affirmative. He choked out a laugh. “I don’t believe it.”

            I lolled my head to the right to open my eyes and see Gale. I gave a weak, tired smile at him. He pressed his forehead into the side of my head. I scanned the room to realize I was back at Katniss and Peeta’s, in the white bedroom.

 I had almost convinced myself for a minute that I was in a hospital room.

            I made the charade for Gale to get me something to write with. He pulled out a notepad and pencil from behind him. I guess he prepared ahead of time for this.

            What happened?

      “We got you to the hovercraft,” Gale started. “You were still losing blood. When we got back here, you were in the coma.” Immediately I felt my slashed side. “It’s all patched up now. The stitches will be gone depending on how well you heal. Your leg is stitched up, too.”

            There was no struggle while I was out?

      “Not one. The Peacekeepers didn’t pursue.”

            I heard you, before. About the whole incident we had here a few days ago.

      “Oh.” Gale went a little red. “You did?” I nodded. “Do you think I’m lying?” I shook my head. “I’m guessing this means I’m forgiven?” I nodded again. Gale kissed my temple while I scribbled vigorously.

            You aren’t going to think of me different now that I have battle scars of my own, will you? You won’t confuse me with Katniss?

      “No way,” he snorted. “Nothing can make me change the way I feel about you. I hope you realize that.”

            But I can’t speak.

      “So what? I’ll try and learn to get good at charades, or at least try to lip-read better.”

            “Can you read my lips right now?” I tried to ask.

            “Slower.”

            “Can you—tell what—I’m saying?”

            “I think this pace is good for us.”

            I had a feeling I’d lose the sketchpad soon for talking, but that didn’t mean I’d never come back to it again. If I was bored and felt like writing out my emotions, that’s what I’d pour my emotions onto.

            Gale tried to kiss me, but I shied away. That was one experience that certainly wouldn’t feel the same anymore.

            “What is it?” he whispered.

            “It might—feel weird if—we try,” I mouthed.

            “So what? We’ll adjust. It wouldn’t hurt to try.”

            He moved in once again, but this time, footsteps interrupted us. I could see Gale scowling. I had to grin at that.

            “She’s finally up,” Peeta mused as Katniss followed in tow behind him.

            “Let’s see how your back is holding up,” Katniss said. She helped me sit up.

            “Her back?”

            “Yes, her back.”

            “What happened?” Gale asked.

            “You’re about to see.”

            Katniss sat on the edge of the bed beside me and lifted up the back of my shirt. Peeta hovered behind Katniss and looked like he was going to be sick. Gale looked like he was about ready to punch a wall or rip the headboard off the bed in one tug. I realized Gale and I hadn’t let go of each other, so I squeezed his hand again, trying to calm him down.

            “They did that to you didn’t they, the Peacekeepers?” Gale asked me coldly. I gave a solemn nod. “The bastards.”

            “You think this is bad?” Katniss snorted. “You would have hated to have witnessed it.”

            “You saw it?” Peeta asked.

            “Yes. They whipped her in the cell Gale found her in. That’s how they made her lose her tongue; they whipped her until she caved.”

            I scribbled frantically on the pad, remembering something important. I tapped on the pad, showing it to Gale.

            The family has to know what happened by now, surely. Do they?

Gale sighed; I took that as a ‘yes’. “Mom was the first to know, she flipped out completely,” he muttered. “She kept it as vague as possible for Rory, Vick, and Posy. She didn’t want them panicking and jumping to bad conclusions.”

            What did she tell them?

      “That Peacekeepers caught you and were holding you. When I mentioned what happened to you, she told them that you came out okay but were hurt, so we’re nursing you here and then you’re coming home.”

            My next question went to Katniss and Peeta.

            And you two are okay with keeping me around a little bit longer to take care of me?

      “Of course,” Peeta piped. “We’ve got everything here that’ll help greatly. Besides, I don’t think you’ll cause a nuisance.” I rolled my eyes at him.

            “C’mon, Peeta, I think she’s getting annoyed with you,” Katniss crooned as she yanked down my shirt and dragged her boyfriend away. I never meant for the eye roll to be a cue for those two to leave, but actually, I was kind of glad for Katniss’s misinterpretation.

            “How come you never showed me the lashes on your back?” Gale growled at me. I shrugged. “Well, I don’t think I should interrogate you more, that’s not how you’ll heal. You need some good care.” He peppered the side of my head with kisses. I wriggled to be burrowed into him. “I’m guessing you missed this a lot.” I nodded. He tilted my chin up.

            I never took Gale to be someone who’d fall for a girl like me. He had all the girls at his disposal. Why me? That question was good enough to write down on the notepad. Gale chuckled. I didn’t see what was so funny, it was an honest question.

            “It’s sort of like the reason why I fell in love with Katniss at one point,” he admitted, messing with one of my hands. “Because I know you well, just like you know me well. Those other girls wouldn’t like me for who I am. That’s what separates you from them, you like me because of who I am, not because of how handsome I look.”

            That was part of the reason.

      “An honest confession,” he commended me. “I can believe it. But you care about what’s inside. To me, that’s something special.” A hand delicately smoothed my soon-to-be-scarred back.

            You will come back here, right, to help out?

      “Of course.” He grinned. “What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I didn’t?”

            I didn’t think we were together. I thought we were just brother and sister, so to speak.

      “It’s been like that for quite some time, but not anymore.” He kissed the top of my head.

            Well, when I do go back, we’re going to have to explain all this: I can’t talk, and we’re together. I bet Rory and Vick will just love that; they’ll have something to pick on us about.

      “I’m sure they won’t pick on you a lot if they understand what you’re going through. I’ll take all the heat.”

            Can I ask you something?

      “Sure.”

            That night I couldn’t sleep, and the other nights I supposedly had nightmares, did you really sneak into bed calm me down, or were you partially using that as an excuse to be with me?

      “It was more of both,” he confessed.

            I yawned, trying to snuggle into Gale even more. Even though I had just woken up from a mini coma, I was pretty wiped out. Just lying here felt so comfortable.

            “I won’t leave,” Gale whispered when he noticed I was tired. “I promise.”

            I felt at ease as I dozed back into dreamland. Somehow, I got the feeling that whatever I dreamed about would be something good. 

**Personally, I love this chapter mainly because of the title I gave it. Speaking of the chapter title, the said song that inspired the chapter is on the right. (Note, it was only the song title, not the lyrics themselves).**