Chapter 4

                                    

                                          
Katniss' POV
                          
I get woken up by someone shaking me. At first, I'm happy, because I was having a horrible nightmare about Peeta slowly killing me and President Snow laughing, coughing up blood.
                          
But then I see what time it is. "Katniss, Katniss, wake up!"
It is Haymitch.
                          
"What?" I yawn. "It's 12.04 in the morning, what is so urgent?"
I throw a pillow at him, but I miss. To my defence, I wasn't even aiming.
                          
"It is Peeta. We need you. He needs you!"
"I don caaaaaare about Peeta!" I scream into my pillow.
                          
"What? Are you even listening to yourself, kiddo?" Haymitch says in a harsh voice.
                          
"Haymitch, he is GONE. Snow won. That boy down the hall, newsflash: IS NOT PEETA."
                          
It is not my boy with the bread.
A single tear escapes my eye, but Haymitch won't be able to tell in the darkness.
                          
"Katniss..." Haymitch stops himself, because he can see that I am hurting.
He sits down on my bed, and puts his arm around me. For once he isn't ruining the moment be smelling like alchohol.
                          
"He is gone Haymitch." My voice cracks. If he couldn't see me cry, he can definitely hear it.
                          
He grabs my chin, and lifts it up. "Katniss, I do now know what you did to him yesterday, after you unhooked him, but it is working." Confused by his words, I look away.
I try to process. What worked? He freaked out on me. He turned into a mutt, who tried to kill me. If anything, that is taking a step backwards.
                          
"Katniss, right now, he is in there, screaming your name."
I don't believe what I am hearing. It makes no sense.
                          
"We don't know exactly if it is a good or bad thing yet."
                          
There it was. The key to why this sounded so unrealistic. They are not sure. They are just hoping for the best. But it was me who were with him yesterday. And I know better.
                          
"If you are unsure, just hook him up to The Machine." I breathe. "Why do I have to be there?"
"We can't hold him down. We have been trying ever since he started. We have been trying for half an hour now!" He says, raising his voice. He is still calm, but slowly loosing his temper with me.
                          
"Who? You, Beetee, and Plutarch? Beetee is a cribble, Plutarch is not in the best shape, and you are probably hungover right now." As soon as I say whose words, I instantly regret them. Haymitch lets go of my shoulder, and stares at me.
                          
"I- I didn't- I didn't mean tha-" He cuts me off and says: "The guards were helping us too,"
"Is he awake?"
"No."
"Then it can't be that hard to keep him down, when you are five people to do the job." Once again, I insult Haymitch.
                          
"You don't get it, Katniss. He is insanely strong. I mean, stronger than usual. We think that it was something that Snow installed, to make sure that he could finish you off," Haymitch explains. "Whenever we try to attah him to The Mahine, he either hits us or rip them off again. All, while his eyes are closed, and he is having nightmares."
                          
"Then wake him up," I suggest. I just can't see him in pain again. I really do not want to follow Haymitch to Peeta's room
"It is not that easy." He says, taking a short break. "You can't just wake up hijacked people while they are having a nightmare. It can mess his memories up even more. 
                          
He looks me deeply in the eyes. "Peeta needs you."
                          
---
                          
After Haymitch convinces me to see Peeta, I change into some sweatpants and a t-shirt. I braid my hair, and put on some fuzzy socks. "Katniss, come on!"
Haymitch calls from the other side of the door.
I forget about shoes and open the door to Haymitch.
                          
We rush down the hall and as soon as we are standing in front of the door into Peeta's room, I feel guilt. Guilt for not wanting to come here before. He is not screaming out my name. he is crying out my name.
"Katniss.. Katniss! KATNISS!! KATNISS WHERE ARE YOU?! No, no! Don't do this to me! No, NO!! KATNISS HELP ME!"
                          
I freeze, and so does Haymitch. He didn't mention that it was this bad. I look over at Haymitch. He looks frightend. Peeta was obviously only screaming 'Katniss' when he left.
                          
I burst through thee door and in two steps I am by his side. I kneel in front of him, and tells everyone to back off.
                          
The people backing off is Plutarch, Beetee, Effie and the two guards.
"Leave me alone with him," I almost hiss at them. As expected, no one leaves the room. They just go as far away from me as they can.
                          
As soon as Haymitch enters the room, Effie runs over to him, and holds him back.
                          
"KATNISS! KATNISS! Katniss, please don't let them hurt me!"
                          
It is like a train hits me with emotions, when I realize what he is saying.
And a wave of guilt drowns me.