Broken Pieces: Part 1

Chapter 31: Peeta's POV:

I'm barely holding on when I hear what Snow says. I see Katniss collapse to the ground with tears in her eyes. I want to help her, but I'm unable to move. With all my might I force myself to talk. "I will stay behind, Katniss." I croak. She looks at me with anger, but I know it's not towards me. It's toward Snow, for making us choose who lives and dies, once again. "I'm not leaving you, Peeta. You are sick and need to be treated for. I will stay." She lets a single tear fall down her cheek and I immediately protest. "No Katniss. I can't let you. I won't." I'm still strapped to Haymich's back but I reach out and caress her cheek and she smiles at me sadly. Haymich speaks up. "I will stay. I'm the oldest and you two still have the rest of your lives to live." He says. Katniss objects saying, "Most of it isn't even worth living anymore." She sighs and puts her face in her hands. I stare at her and then come up with an idea, but it won't end well for any of us. "We could all stay behind." I suggest. They both look at me silently processing what I've just said. Haymich is the first one to speak. "Start it together, end it together, right?" I hear the smile in his voice and know he's in. I look over at Katniss and see her crying softly. "Katniss, it's ok, you don't have to." I tell her. She shakes her head. "My sister and mother....they'd be devastated." She says softly. "It's ok, Katniss, we understand." I say. She looks at me for a long moment and I notice how much she's changed since I last saw her in the Quarter Quell. Her eyes are darker and her body is slimmer. She snaps me out of my trance when she smiles and puts her hands in mine. "We'll do this together or not at all." She says. "Together?" She asks both Haymich and I. Haymich puts his hands around ours and we both reply. "Together."