Numb - Nick Jonas ft. Angel Haze

Savin' Me - Nickelback

Lonely Eyes - Chris Young

"The couples that are meant to be are the couples that go through everything
that is supposed to tear them apart, and come out even stronger than before."

Chapter 14 - Morphling

The sky and buildings looked grayer than usual. It could have been a storm coming in, it could have been my mood, I'll never know.

I was the only person focused on the surrounding grey. I didn't want to look into anybody's eyes and pretend that I was happy, because I wasn't. I'm done pretending, at least for now. The people's murmur surround me, but I don't pay attention to what they whisper.

It's harder than usual, getting into the square , where I inevitably have to go through in order to get home. Everybody is packing in, but I'm so focused on what's going on with me, that I don't focus on what everybody else is paying attention to. That's my first mistake of the evening.

The second? The turkey. That it's hanging above Gale's head as his back is filleted in front of the entire district.

When I finally see him, I gasp in horror, frozen. Every time the whip comes down on his bloody back, it make's me want to puke. I want to run to his rescue, I want to do something to help him. But my feet are buried in concrete, and it's impossible to go anywhere.

Somebody tugs on my arm, pulls my face away from the scene, and buries my face into their burly chest. I let them. I can't watch.

"Madge, get some morphling." Peeta whispers in my ear, his raspy voice giving me a much needed push to get moving. "Go, now."

I run, like my life depends on it. Maybe it does. Gale's does.

I push people aside, some so hard that they fall, but I don't have time to help them right now. There is no time for apologies. One word beats like a mantra through my head, and that's morphling. Gale needs my mother's morphling. And I'll be damned if he doesn't get it.

By the time I reach my house, I feel as though my entire body has been lit on fire. My legs are jello, my lungs struggle for breath, but my pain is nothing compared to Gale's. I rush for my mother's room, hardly stopping to open the front door. Her bedroom door bangs open, and I take a moment to feel bad about the loud noise.

"Madge?" She asks, a spoon half way to her mouth. At least I didn't wake her...

"I need morphling, just a little bit, mom. Please?" I plead. "I shot a turkey, and Gale took it, and now he's being whipped for trying to cover for me, and it's bad mom.. His back is shredded."

"Slow down, Madge," She says softly, and then with a hint of anger in her voice, adds: "What were you thinking going out in the woods?"

"I don't have time to argue, can I get the morphling or not?" I all but yell, exasperated.

She nods her head, and doesn't stop looking at me, a deep frown etched across her face. I run to the dresser right below where the tv hangs and grab two vials of the clear liquid. I turn to leave.

"Don't forget the syringes." My mom says, just loud enough for me to hear. I stop, turn around and grab said syringes from the drawer just below where the morphling sits.

"Thank you, mom." I say, hoping that she grasps the gratitude in my voice. I don't have time to tell her just how thankful I am, it's already taken me too long. I still have to go half way across the district to get to Gale's house.

As soon as I shut my mother's door, I start running. By the time I get out of the front yard, and into the road, I am running as fast as I can. I briefly hope that my ankle doesn't twist, but it's a fleeting thought.

"Madge!" I hear somebody yell as I get into the now deserted square. I stop when I realize that it's Bristol.

"You're going to Gale's?" She asks, as she jogs over to me.

"Yes." I say, holding up the small vials.

Her eyes widen at the site of the morphling.

"You need to hide that. If they think you're helping him, it could be trouble for both of you. This bastard is crazy, he hit Katniss when she tried to stop him, and then almost shot her for not getting out of the way. It was freakin' crazy!"

I hide the vials in my coat pocket, zipping them in so that there is no way they can get out.

"That's where they took him, by the way. Katniss'. Her mother can help, she's had to do it before." Does she breathe? "But, you know, it's been a while."

"Okay, I have to go then." I say hurriedly, interrupting her. "Thanks for your help, Bristol. I owe you." I scream behind me as I start running back towards victor's village, beating myself up inside for not figuring out where they would have gone. I'd wasted precious moments heading to Gale's when I should have been going the opposite way.

My heart feels as though it may beat out of my chest, but I can't stop. He wouldn't stop if the roles were reversed. But then again, he wouldn't mess up so badly that it got me whipped. He's so much more careful than that. I try to move my legs faster, but I don't actually know if it works or not.

By the time I get to the Everdeen's, mostly everybody else is gone. Katniss, of course, is there with her mother and Prim. She hides in the corner, nail between her teeth, pacing in the five square feet that she has allowed for herself. Mrs. Everdeen's fingers move quickly, surely, and she barks out orders to Prim. Prim does exactly as she's told, brow furrowed in concentration.

Hazel sits next to Gale, brushing the hair from his face, tears bursting from her eyes like a hose that's about to bust. He's passed out from the pain, but he still grunts in discomfort, and gasps for breath anytime Mrs. Everdeen touches his poor back.

"I brought morphling." I say, barely louder than a whisper. I shouldn't care, but I do feel like I am intruding.

Mrs. Everdeen, Prim, and Hazel take a moment to look at me.

"Prim." Mrs. Everdeen commands. She runs to me, and I hand her the vials.

"How much?" Prim asks, grabbing one of the needles out of the box.

"Hazel, do you know how much he weighs?" Mrs. Everdeen's voice is direct, but remains kind.

Hazel shakes her head.

"Let's play it safe then and shoot for lower. Draw up five milligrams. Insert it subcutaneously in his shoulder up here." She says as she points to where she wants it injected. Prim nods.

I hadn't realized it, but I had been slowly moving closer to the table. Gale's back is on display, patches here and there looking like ground beef. It makes me want to vomit. I fall to my knees beside Hazel's chair, unable to stand any longer.

She takes my hand to comfort me, but I can't let her do that after what I've done to her son.

"Hazel, I'm so sorry." I croak. "This is my fault, I should have listened to him."

She looks at me bewildered.

"Madge, honey, what are you talking about?"

"I shot the turkey." I say quietly between tears. "He told me not to be out there, but I wanted to help."

"Gale's a big boy, Madge." She says after a minute. "He wouldn't blame you, so neither will I." And with that, she turns back to her son and continues to wipe his face with a cool wash cloth, never letting go of my hand.

Eventually, Hazel has to get back to the kids. Mrs. Everdeen finishes sewing up his back the best she can, but it still doesn't look all that great. Now, black strings are just mingled in with the jagged cuts, black and purple bruises take over the color of his skin.

It's just me and Katniss left in the room now. Gale sleeping soundly, breathing slowly. He sighs every once in a while.

"I heard what you said to Hazel." Katniss finally says after a while.

"I'm sorry." I croak. My voice is gone, my body aches. Honestly, I don't feel like having this conversation right now.

"She may have forgiven you," Katniss whispers, "but I can't."

I nod my head. I understand. I betrayed not only Gale, but her too. I lied to her to get her to teach me how to shoot. I made her think he would be happy about it. And he was 100% against it.

She leaves after that.

"I'm so sorry, Gale." I gasp, breathless. My heart hurts with what I've done to him. I take his hand, intertwining my fingers with his. I end up falling asleep that way, my head lying on the hard wood of the counter top.

I wake up to fingers playing with my hair, tugging and stroking. Gale's grey eyes look straight into mine, but he hasn't moved from his position on the counter top.

"Good morning." He whispers. Tears fall down my face, and he does his best to stroke them away.

"Stop." He demands.

"But it's my fault," I sob. "I did this to you."

"Nobody, other than the guy with the whip in his hand, did this to me. I should have paid better attention. This is on me."

"How bad does it hurt?" I ask.

He smirks a little bit, showing me that we can still be us. "It's fucking horrible."

"Do you want more morphling?" I ask. "I can go get Mrs. Everdeen to give you some more."

"I'd rather talk to you." He doesn't miss a beat.

"That's sweet, but you shouldn't be in pain just to talk to me." I whisper.

"Then I'm in no pain whatsoever. Let's go for a jog, huh?" He tries to chuckle but it comes out like more of a cough, the movement hurting his back, which makes him grunt.

I look at him in disdain, and slowly shake my head.

"I told your mom I shot the turkey."

He looks at me, confused. "Why would you say that out loud? In the middle of the district?"

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Why'd you tell her?" He asks.

"She was trying to console me. But I was the reason you were lying there, passed out from the pain, blood everywhere. I couldn't let her do that knowing that I did that to you." I explain. He huffs, shaking his head.

"She said she didn't blame me, because you wouldn't blame me."

"Good." He states.

"Why don't you blame me?" I ask, desperately needing to know if I was truly forgiven for my mistakes.

"Because I love you. I'd much rather this happen to me. It would kill me to see you in only a fraction of as much pain."

I kiss him, softly, slowly. Like it's the first time. I feel his presence everywhere, even though he never moves his body. His hand that was previously wiping away my tears now moves to the back of my head, as he grasps the back of my neck, keeping me in place. I giggle, and he smiles.

Heaven. This is what heaven feels like.

He stays out of work for a week. Meaning he stays out of the woods too.

Gale was never meant to stay at home.

He's making everybody antsy. Hazel doesn't allow him to be around her anymore because his constant tapping and pacing gets on her last nerve, makes it to where she can't concentrate. Gale tries his damnedest to get Rory and Vick to do chores around the house, but they just don't have the capability to do what needs to get done, and it frustrates Gale. It's not their fault they aren't strong enough to get the roof supplies on top of the house in order to fix the leak in the kitchen roof. It's driving Gale insane.

One more day. Then he's cleared to go back to the mines. I honestly don't know whether to be thankful or afraid. When I walk through the front door, I'm greeted by a hug from Hazel.

"Oh thank God." She exclaims. "Please make sure he doesn't leave his room for at least an hour, preferably four."

I can't help but give a short laugh. "I'll try my best."

When I walk through his door, I see him in a push up position, slowly moving down a few inches, then going back up. I close the door behind me.

"Does it hurt real bad?" I question.

"Not as bad as it used to." He answers, going down again. "I still can't do a pull up. It feels like my back is ripping in half."

"It's only been a week." I counter. "You're doing awesome. I bet you can still get higher than I can."

"No doubt." He smirks.

"Hey." I frown. "Don't be mean."

"It's not mean if I like it." He states.

"Yes, it is." I argue.

"No." He says as he wraps his arms around my waist. "I love you."

"I love you." I smile.

He kisses me, sweet and slow, tugging at my bottom lip with his teeth. The back of my knees hits the bed, causing me to fall backwards onto the bed. Gale follows, never breaking our kiss.

"How much practice have you had at that?" I ask.

"None."

"Bull." I scowl.

"I've never had sex in a bed." He states.

"How?" I ask, flabbergasted.

"Just never have. Never been around one when the moment came up."

"So where have you had sex?" I ask, my heart beating just a bit harder.

He sighs, frustrated. But I'm curious, so I don't resend my question.

"Now?" He asks.

I shrug. "Why not?"

"Okay," he sighs. "I lost my virginity in the meadow when I was fifteen. Had sex at the slagheap after that. Then the locker room at school. And then against the side of an empty house."

I look at him, shocked. "The locker room?"

"Yup." He says.

"You weren't scared of getting caught?"

"That's what made it fun." He says.

"You're officially insane."

"I'd have to be to stick around you." He smiles.

I scowled as he pulled me closer, laughing.

It was almost a week later when the mayor called me into his office at our home. He wasn't staying there just yet, but had been coming around more often.

"Madge, can I speak with you, please?"

I walked into his office, hands held tightly together.

"Yes, Dad?" It felt so wrong calling him that. It made me want to spit, but I kept my face straight and emotionless.

"Have a seat." He pointed lazily to one of the chairs facing his desk.

I did as he asked.

"How is Gale?" He started.

I was shocked, the expression sweeping over my face.

"Good as can be expected."

"Good, good." He nodded, clasping his hands.

"I hope you know, there was nothing that could be done for him. At least from my end. I wouldn't have dared give the punishment myself." He explained.

"Yes sir." I answer. I don't know if it is true or not, but I won't question it.

"Let him know, for his best interest, not to be travelling near the fence any more. The capitol has fixed it finally! And they did such a wonderful job, too! You can't even hear it buzzing any more. It was always so annoying, and loud, you know." He smiles brokenly.

He's warning me. But why isn't he just telling me straight forward?

Unless someone is listening. I straighten.

"Yes sir, I will let him know to widen his distance."

"Good, good." He nods, as if he is contemplating something.

"Give him my best wishes, will you?"

I nod, confused.

"I'll see you later, then." He dismisses me.

I leave, not sure whether to be thankful, or frightened.

So, I'm sorry it's been so long you guys! I've had a ton of important stuff happen, and I've had to kind of prioritize lately :) But, on the bright side, I haven't completely forgotten about the story! YAY! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this little update, and please let me know how I can improve! (Nicely!)