Rescue Me

Twenty Three

I walked into the hospital the next day as per usual. My brown hair was twisted in a braid down the center of my head, which I never wore. When I walked down the familiar hall something felt different in here today. It was like the atmosphere around me, the energy, is different.

I pushed open the door to Cato's room and saw him sitting up. He picked his head up from staring at his lap and his face softened.

"Kat?" He asked with tears in his eyes. I blinked, standing frozen in the same spot. "Kat you're here." Why the hell is he saying this? Unless... he remembers who I am.

"Cato?" I whispered. It was all that could come out. "Do...Do you remember me?" He smiled with tears in his eyes as he stood off the bed.

"Of course I remember you Kat." He ran over to me and picked me up, spinning me around. "I can't believe we're both okay. Are we in thirteen?"

"Yes. Yes we are."

"Kat!" Someone shouted.

My eyes flew open and I swallowed hard. It was a dream. That was all a dream.

"Sorry to wake you," It was Katniss. I ran a hand through my hair - I never wear a braid. I should've known. "You were talking in your sleep. And now you look shaken up, are you okay?"

"Just fine," I lied. I needed a minute to recollect myself after that dream. It felt so real. She sits down on my bed. "I'm assuming you're not here to talk about my dreams."

"You assumed right," She answered. "We're going back to Two. We want you to come." My home? They want me to go back to Two on a mission? "Do you think you could handle that?"

"How destroyed is it?" I asked.

"I don't think very bad. The commander is still living there in The Nut, as are others." The Nut was the command and control center for the capital defenses. We were told never to go near there, at least I was by my parents. It's not like we had time anyway, we spent our lives whisked away training. "We are in a war though."

"Yeah I'll do it, it'll be nice to get away for a bit," I explained and threw the blanket off of me. "Nice to see home too, if it's still standing." She nodded.

"Come on, we leave in thirty minutes."

"I'm going to have to say goodbye," I tell her. She turns around when she realizes I'm not following her. She gives me a nod and then walks out the door. I tie Cato's necklace around my neck, as I always do. And walk quickly out of my room.

I walk into the hospital for real this time, and find my father. He looks at me with his eyebrows scrunched together.

"I'm going home," I tell him. He tilts his head. "Back to Two. On Coin's orders." He shifts in his spot and wraps his arms around me tightly.

"Be careful, my darling, okay?" I nod and tightly hug him back. "I'm proud of you for being so strong Kat."

"Thanks dad," I tell him. He ticks some hair behind my ear. "I love you."

"I love you too honey." We part and I walk down the hallway towards Cato's room. I knock first, I didn't exactly want to walk in on Cato and Terra again. I push open the door to find Cato sitting in his bed as per usual, alone. He picks his head up as he sees me and a smile appears on his face.

"Hey."

"Hey." I hear some screams and I turn around to see he was watching the games. Even though we watched the entire games yesterday, here he is watching them over again.

"You really are talented with those knives," He said. I smiled and looked at the television, he's watching the bloodbath. "But god I was a monster. It's hard to rewatch it." At least he can admit it now. I still remember the first girl he killed in the arena, he slashed her over and over again with his sword. I pushed the dark thought out of my head.