Pieces in the game. (The Hunger Games)

Chapter 21: After the Feast

Lilly's POV.

I startle awake to the sound of a cannon and look around frantically. They gave us sleeping draught! They went to the feast. The cannon! I immediately crawl towards the entrance, feeling groggy, and wait. I can feel the tears sliding down my face. Who's cannon was it? Gale? Kat? For once I find myself doing the unthinkable. I am praying, praying that that cannon belonged to someone else. Once I am in the entrance I sit and wait, silently crying. Looking back every so often to check on Peeta, only to find him asleep, still in the throes of his fever. I have a knife in hand as I start to hear rustling and movement in the distance, and I feel myself slump in relief as I see Gale come storming through the branches. That is, until I see Katniss's listless body in his arms. "No! NO!" I scream and stand as I see the blood dripping down her head. Gale ushers us into the cave and gently sets Katniss down before taking the small bag from around her wrist. There is a needle in it, which Gale immediately pushes into Peeta's arm before depressing the plunger to give Peeta the medicine he needs. Once I am sure he's still asleep and not reacting to the medicine I turn my attention to Gale and Katniss. I grab the first aid kit and immediately start cleaning the cut on her forehead. Thankfully it's not deep. Once I clean it out I use some of the leaves to draw out anything that shouldn't be there before wrapping her head. Then I take off her shoes and socks and wrap her up in her sleeping bag, before doing the same to Gale.

In the time it took me to help Katniss Gale had fallen asleep. I check him over as best I can and notice a small lump on the back of his head, like he'd been hit hard with something. I wet down some bandages and gently place them on his head before gently rousing him. Once I am sure that his eyes look ok and he can tell me who he is and what time of day it is I let him sleep. As I sit there watching the three people who matter most to me in the world I finally allow myself to take a deep breath and I break down. Soul shattering sobs rip through my body before I calm myself down enough to think. I quickly crawl out of the cave and splash my face in the cool water. If it was possible it's even hotter today. To minimise time away from watching my charges I go and grab all the waterskins, bring them out and fill them. The second the last one is filled I bring them all back into the cave and purify them. I curl myself up in a ball against the wall of the cave and let my mind wander. Who was that cannon for? 

It takes a while for the first of them to rouse. That being Gale, who winces as he touches the lump on his head muttering something about "stone throwing bastards". He takes one look at me and I turn away. "I'm grateful. I am, but I hate you both right now, don't talk to me," I move to a waterskin, pushing it towards him before grabbing another and getting Peeta to gain enough consciousness to have a drink before recovery drags him back under. I take a look at his leg, while I can't be certain he's out of the woods yet, it certainly looks better. I take a deep breath and whisper "Thank you" under my breath before kissing Peeta's forehead. During all of this I notice Gale manages to get Kat to have a drink. He has put his shoes and socks back on and has moved to our dwindling food supply. He takes out some dried fruit and passes it to me. I slowly nibble on it as I lean against Gale. "She didn't want you near in case he turned up. We didn't want to lose you again, possibly permanently this time. As she grabbed the pack I got hit in the head with a rock, then Clove attacked Katniss. Whatever the rock hit dropped me, Thresh arrived and took care of Clove. He spared us, spared us for looking after Rue," Gale's voice is thick with emotion as he finishes speaking, never once taking his eyes off Katniss. I just hug him. "I understand, but I don't have to like it," sitting up I kiss his cheek. "Thank you both, you might have saved us both". This gets me an concerned glance but Gale wisely lets it go and just hugs me to him. 

The pair of us sit in a more comfortable silence until I notice Peeta starting to wake up. I move over to him and smile as his eyes open. Placing my hand on his forehead I almost start crying again in relief. His fever has broken. "Hey there! How you feeling?" I whisper, not wanting to wake Katniss. Peeta smiles up at me, his eyes looking clear for the first time. "I'm doing good sweetheart," as he speaks he reaches up and runs his hand down my cheek. I turn and grab the waterskin and help him sit up to drink as Gale passes over groosling and Peeta starts nibbling on it. "They went to the feast?" he asks. I nod, before telling him everything that happened while he was out, and the reason for him being out. Let's just say he wasn't best pleased that he'd been given a sleeping draught but after a few moments of yelling he thanked Gale. I move away from his side to check on Katniss's wound and frown as she's bled through the bandage and there is a small puddle under her head. Damn, I forgot just how much headwounds bleed! After cleaning her wound and rebandaging her I wake her to give her a drink. I don't manage to get any food down her but at least she's drinking. Turning and cuddling back up to Peeta I start to drift off. Until the Capitol anthem blasts through the arena and I scramble to the cave entrance. Just Clove. We're down to seven and now we are the only district with more than one tribute. Gale makes us all eat something, suprisingly Peeta manages to keep down the two other groosling legs he eats, and then urges me and Peeta to sleep some more. I do, but only after making him swear he'll wake me when he gets tired and he agrees. So, I drift off to sleep clinging to Peeta.