Pieces in the game. (The Hunger Games)

Chapter 25: The Victors

Lilly's POV.

We spew the berries from our mouths. I then wipe my tongue with the end of my jacket to make sure no juice remains. I can see the others doing the same. I then pull Peeta towards the lake, Kat and Gale already on their way there, where we all flush our mouths out with water before collapsing in a heap beside each other. "You didn't swallow any?" Katniss asks us all. Gale shakes his head, Peeta mutters a small "No" and I squeeze Kat's hand. "You?" I ask her. "Guess I'd be dead by now if I did," I say. I go to respond but everything I say is drowned out by the roar of the crowd in the Capitol that they are playing live over the speakers. The hovercraft materialises overhead and four ladders drop, except there is no way I am letting go of Peeta. I keep one arm around him as I struggle helping him to his feet. I watch as Kat and Gale go hand in hand, each placing one hand on the ladder and each holding the others hand. I encourage Peeta to put his good leg on the first rung of the ladder and I do the same, holding on tight to him as the electric current freezes us in place. I am glad I chose to do this because I'm not really sure Peeta can hang on for the whole ride. And since my eyes were looking down to make sure we got our feet on the ladder I can see that while our muscles are immobile, nothing is preventing the blood from draining out of Peeta's leg. Sure enough, the minute we are inside the hovercraft the doors closed behind us and the current stops, he slumps to the floor, unconscious.

"Peeta," I scream. My fingers are still gripping the back of his jacket so tightly that when they take him away it tears, leaving me with a fistful of black fabric. I try to lunge forward before Gale grab me and as I watch Doctors in sterile white, masked and gloved, already prepared to operate, go into action. Peeta's so pale and still on a silver table, tubes and wires springing out of him every which way, and for a moment I forget We're out of the games. I am so beyond tired, scared out of my wits and most likely dehydrated that I see the doctors as just one more threat, one more pack of mutts designed to kill him and I start struggling against Gale. A peacekeeper emerges and starts backing the three of us into another room. Once inside a glass door seals behind us and I scream, "NO!". Gale decides its safe enough to let me go and I race back to the glass door sobbing as I hit it, attempting to break it but the glass does not budge. I press my hands against the glass and slowly sink to my knees, watching the Doctors every move. This is what I hoped for, but I cannot help but shake the fear I am going to lose him. I can hear that there are other people in this room with me. I can hear Kat and Gale close by whispering to each other. Everyone ignores us, except for a Capitol attendent who comes and offers us all a drink. I can hear Katniss and Gale accept theirs but I do not turn from my vigil. Through the glass, I see the doctors working feverishly on Peeta, their brows creased in concentration. I see the flow of liquids, pumping through the tubes, likely medicine to prevent infection and more blood. As I watch I see a monitor I have only read about have a straight flat line go across the screen and I whimper, sobbing as I curl myself up in a ball and watch the doctors resuscitate Peeta. I manage to release a breath when they get a heartbeat back, only to repeat the same process a few minutes later when it happens again.

I Don't realise I have started rocking back and forth as I watch, feeling so helpless. In some ways it feels like being back home again, when they bring in the hopelessly mangled person from the mine explosion, or the woman in her third day of labour, or the famished child struggling against pneumonia, and my mother, Prim and I would wear a similar look on our faces. Now it's critical, if his heart stops one more time they likely don't try to restart it. Kat and Gale hover and I startle as I catch my reflection looking back at me. Wild eyes, hollow cheeks, covered in bruises, my hair a tangled mess with a leaf hanging off the side of my head. Katniss and Gale looks much the same. Rabid. Feral. Mad. It really is no wonder everyone is keeping a safe distance from us. The three of us together watch on, keeping vigil, hoping for Peeta's safety. The next thing I know We've landed back on the roof of the Training Centre and They're taking Peeta but leaving us behind the door. I start screeching, hurling myself against the glass. Kat and Gale also try to get through for a minute but then they go weirdly quiet. I think I just catch a glimpse of pink hair- it must be Effie, it has to be Effie coming to our rescue- when the needle jabs me from behind and everything goes dark.