Somehow

Chapter 22

Katniss P.O.V.

I haven't been able to stop shaking since we've arrived at the hospital. I also haven't been able to leave the bathroom. Right now, I'm bent over the toilet ridding my stomach of everything I've eating within the last day.

I start thinking about how much I wish Peeta was holding my hair back and telling me everything's going to be okay, and I start crying that much harder. My stomach finally finishes emptying itself, so I go over to the sink to rinse my mouth out. I eventually go into the waiting room and sit down. The door to the waiting room opens and I look up to see Mom walk in.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her. "I told you to go on." Mom sits down beside of me.

"Do you honestly think I'd go to the Capitol now?" Mom asks me. "I'll just have to reschedule. So what happened?"

"I don't know," I say with a shrug. "Peeta wasn't feeling good and he came home early. He went straight to bed after he picked Willow up from school. I tried to wake him up to tell him I was getting ready to leave, and he just wouldn't wake up." I start sobbing and Mom wraps her arms around me.

"Where's Willow?" Mom asks.

"Haymitch has her," I tell her. "He's walking her around, trying to calm her down."

"Does she know that something's wrong with Peeta?"

"No," I say as I shake my head. "I scared her with my screaming though." I stop and take a deep breath. "I didn't mean to scare her. I was trying to wake Peeta up." My stomach flips again. "I'll be right back," I say before I hurry back to the bathroom.

I don't get sick though. I just stand there and grip the edges of the sink, watching my tears hit the counter. I hear a small tap on the door.

"Mommy?" Willow calls. I take a deep breath and dry my face before walking out of the bathroom. "You okay, Mommy?"

"Yes, baby girl," I tell her. "I'm okay."

"Why are we here, Mommy?" she asks. "Is somebody sick?"

I swallow hard and nod my head. "Daddy isn't feeling too good, baby girl."

"Will Daddy be okay?"

"He'll be fine, Willow," Haymitch quickly tells her. I start feeling weak so I lean up against the wall. "Willow, why don't you go into the waiting room?"

Willow looks up at Haymitch. "By myself?"

"Grandma's in there," I tell her. Willow nods and does as she's told. Haymitch walks over to me and I lay my head on his shoulder. "I c-can't loose h-him, Haymitch!" I cry. "I l-love him so much!"

"I know," Haymitch says quietly.

"Our k-kids can't loose h-him! I don't w-want them to grow up without th-their Daddy!" I start feeling lightheaded and I can't catch my breath.

"They're not going to, Katniss," Haymitch says. He holds me close, but it does little to comfort me.

Oh how I wish Peeta was holding me right now.

"I n-need to sit d-down," I sob as my knees start giving out. We go back to the waiting room and I see Willow sitting in a corner occupying herself with a book she's found.

"A nurse came in not long after you walked out," Mom says quietly so Willow doesn't hear. I sit down beside of her and Haymitch sits down across from us, leaning in so he can hear better.

"What did they say?"

"They're taking Peeta back for surgery right now," Mom says.

My heart drops. "Surgery? Why? What for?"