第84章
i ask.
“left leg. up high,” he answers.
“let’s get you in the stream, wash you off so i can see what
kind of wounds you’ve got,” i say.
“lean down a minute first,” he says. “need to tell you some-
thing.” i lean over and put my good ear to his lips, which tickle
as he whispers. “remember, we’re madly in love, so it’s all
right to kiss me anytime you feel like it.”
i jerk my head back but end up laughing. “thanks, i’ll keep
it in mind.” at least, he’s still able to joke around. but when i
start to help him to the stream, all the levity disappears. it’s
only two feet away, how hard can it be? very hard when i real-
ize he’s unable to move an inch on his own. he’s so weak that
the best he can do is not to resist. i try to drag him, but despite
the fact that i know he’s doing all he can to keep quiet, sharp
cries of pain escape him. the mud and plants seem to have
imprisoned him and i finally have to give a gigantic tug to
break him from their clutches. he’s still two feet from the wa-
ter, lying there, teeth gritted, tears cutting trails in the dirt on
his face.
“look, peeta, i’m going to roll you into the stream. it’s very
shallow here, okay?” i say.
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“excellent,” he says.
i crouch down beside him. no matter what happens, i tell
myself, don’t stop until he’s in the water. “on three,” i say.
“one, two, three!” i can only manage one full roll before i have
to stop because of the horrible sound he’s making. now he’s
on the edge of the stream. maybe this is better anyway.
“okay, change of plans. i’m not going to put you all the way
in,” i tell him. besides, if i get him in, who knows if i’d ever be
able to get him out?
“no more rolling?” he asks.
“that’s all done. let’s get you cleaned up. keep an eye on
the woods for me, okay?” i say. it’s hard to know where to
start. he so caked with mud and matted leaves, i can’t even
see his clothes. if he’s wearing clothes. the thought makes me
hesitate a moment, but then i plunge in. naked bodies are no
big deal in the arena, right?
i’ve got two water bottles and rue’s water skin. i prop them
against rocks in the stream so that two are always filling while
i pour the third over peeta’s body. it takes a while, but i finally
get rid of enough mud to find his clothes. i gently unzip his
jacket, unbutton his shirt and ease them off him. his under-
shirt is so plastered into his wounds i have to cut it away with
my knife and drench him again to work it loose. he’s badly
bruised with a long burn across his chest and four tracker
jacker stings, if you count the one under his ear. but i feel a bit
better. this much i can fix. i decide to take care of his upper
body first, to alleviate some pain, before i tackle whatever
damage cato did to his leg.
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since treating his wounds seems pointless when he’s lying
in what’s become a mud puddle, i manage to prop him up
against a boulder. he sits there, uncomplaining, while i wash
away all the traces of dirt from his hair and skin. his flesh is
very pale in the sunlight and he no longer looks strong and
stocky. i have to dig the stingers out of his tracker jacker
lumps, which causes him to wince, but the minute i apply the
leaves he sighs in relief. while he dries in the sun, i wash his
filthy shirt and jacket and spread them over boulders. then i
apply the burn cream to his chest. this is when i notice how
hot his skin is becoming. the layer of mud and the bottles of
water have disguised the fact that he’s burning with fever. i
dig through the first-aid kit i got from the boy from district 1
and find pills that reduce your temperature. my mother ac-
tually breaks down and buys these on occasion when her
home remedies fail.
“swallow these,” i tell him, and he obediently takes the
medicine. “you must be hungry.”
“not really. it’s funny, i haven’t been hungry for days,” says
peeta. in fact, when i offer him groosling, he wrinkles his nose
at it and turns away. that’s when i know how sick he is.
“peeta, we need to get some food in you,” i insist.
“it’ll just come right back up,” he says. the best i can do is
to get him to eat a few bits of dried apple. “thanks. i’m much
better, really. can i sleep now, katniss?”