Real - An Everlark Fanfiction

- Chapter Twenty Three -

As soon as I hear the familiar sound of the hospital door opening, I shut my eyes tight. I don't want to witness what's about to happen. I don't want this horrible memory to coexist with the many others in my cluttered mind. I shouldn't be forced to do this. My confrontation with Gale. I shouldn't be forced to do anything that I don't feel comfortable doing. If I could control my situations, though, which could and will never happen, I'd have an extremely different life. And right now, that's all I'm hoping for.

Right when the nurse called out Gale's name, I was shocked once again. I've never had the sensation of falling so many times in one day. I'm surprised he had the guts to come see me, though. Gale. I thought he would have left without a word. Like he always does. Either that or he would have scavenged the town looking for me. Probably hurt a few people along the way. The one thing I know about Gale is this: Once he gets mad, he won't stop destroying until he's calmed down. It can take him days, sometimes weeks, to relax. And this is probably the maddest he's ever been.

Peeta's still lying with me. Injured in our hospital bed. Unable to move. I can tell by the way me squeezes my hand that there is someone in the room that I haven't seen in years. There aren't too many people alive that could give this person a name or face. All my friends and family already left. But I know who it is, standing in this cold room with us. I know exactly who it is.  Without even looking I can already picture the entire scene going down. It's horrible, and I can't help but feel utterly terrified. More terrified than I've ever been before. And something tells me to open my eyes.

In front of me stands a man I've never seen before. A man that has the face of a killer. The presence of a prisoner trapped inside his own body. But deep inside I can see the sorrow in his eyes that only proves how many mistakes he's made. In front of me stands Gale - but not the same Gale that I knew before. Here stands the man that ruined my wedding. Killed my sister. Hit me and my husband. And I hope this new man isn't expecting to talk to Katniss Everdeen. Because that troubled woman doesn't exist anymore. Now he's going to have to talk to me.

Two large men hold Gale's hands behind his back, but I know he could escape their grasps easily if he really wanted to. I know that he's not struggling to be released. I've seen Gale struggle, and this isn't it. He probably doesn't want to upset me anymore than he already has.

"Let go of him," I mumble. One of the two men raises an eyebrow. I know what it's like to be contained, and it's neither fun nor necessary for any occasion. And plus, he already looks injured enough. Gale may have won the fight, but Peeta definitely still did his damage.

"Please let him go," I raise my voice. Peeta turns towards me, concerned. I meet his trembling eyes. He looks so scared. He must think his dreams are coming true. His nightmares of losing me are finally coming to life. But this isn't the case. I just need Gale to be speaking to me by choice. There can't be an outside force keeping him here.

The men let go of Gale, and he sits in the uncomfortable wooden chair located in the corner of the room. Peeta tenses up at every move he makes. He's a mess. I need to make sure that he knows that I'm not leaving him.

"This is the last time you will disturb our lives in a negative way," I say sternly. Gale needs to realize this before he speaks. I look over at the two men and dismiss them. This is none of their business.

As soon as they close the door, I look right into Gale's eyes. There are so many emotions flowing through them, that I don't know what to expect.

"I..." He begins. I give him my full attention. "I never meant to do... Any of this. None of it."

Gale's voice is so calming and so harsh at the same time. It relaxes me- it takes me back through time. To a worry free place. It also hurts me in strange ways I can't describe. I almost can't bare it.