Katniss

I sit up as Beetee comes into the room with a small cart. I look around and pull up my blanket. "Why, why are you here?" I ask. 

"We've been working on a new prosthesis for you," he says matter of factly and I look at the metallic appendage on his little cart. "We've already taken cast of your leg and created a socket for you along with sensors to ensure we give you back the amount of movement you were used to with your prior leg. Today I'd like to do a fitting for it and see how your mobility is on it. I look around and nod, I turn so I'm sitting on the edge of my bed and slowly uncover my stump. Beetee comes forward and tries to touch me and I pull back and shake my head. 

"No," I say. "Please, don't touch me. I, I really don't like to be touched." He steps back.

"I just need to check measurements now that you are starting to gain some weight back," He says and I shake my head.

"No, " I say. And he tries to speak again. I feel my pulse rising and I shake my head, my hands rising to claw at my hair. "No. NO. No. NO! Stay away! Don't touch me. Don't touch me!" I cower down, rocking, my head tucked to my chest. I keep letting out low wails and running what is and isn't a real thing through my head. I hear someone walk in, but I don't dare look up, too concerned about protecting my broken body. 

"What did you do?" I hear a low voice say. "I told you to wait. She doesn't even let me near her unless I'm holding the baby. She's terrified of men. I told you that."

"She seemed fine a moment ago," Beetee protests and I hear Peeta sigh. 

"She isn't well, Beetee," Peeta sighs before I see his feet in front of me. I look up and he has Luna cradled against his chest. He sees me looking and gives me a sad smile before looking at the baby and rubbing her back. " Hey, Luna, why don't you go to Mommy. She looks like she needs you for a little bit." He lifts her off his shoulder and I reach up, gently holding onto her and pulling her towards me. I smile and set her up on my knee. I hear Peeta arguing with Beetee above me and I just sigh, looking at my baby.Her brilliant blue eyes watch me and I run a finger down her tiny nose. I kiss her forehead and she moves away a little, her legs kicking. I smile and lay my hand on her to keep her steady. 

Suddenly, Luna's face twists and she starts crying, and I pick her up, holding her up on my chest as I lay down. I rub her back, hushing her and kissing her little cheek. 

"Shhh," I whisper, patting her back. "It's okay. You're okay." She keeps screaming and I lean my head back and keep rubbing her back, softly humming to her. I look at her and Peeta stops talking, looking over at me. 

"Do you want me to take her?" He asks and I shake my head

"No, she's okay," I whisper. I look at her again and start quietly whispering into her tiny ear, singing to her like when I used to when she was just a tiny flutter in my belly. As I sing, her crying starts to soften and I smile, rubbing her back.

https://youtu.be/U_aYibUx1B8

Peeta sits on the edge of my bed and I look up at him. "Do I still need to try the leg on?" He nods and I sit up a little, my back not near as sore as it had been before. "Okay," I say. "But I don't want to be touched."

"That's okay," He says. "We won't touch you. You can try it on at your own pace, Katniss." I look at Beetee and nod, carefully handing the now sleeping baby back to Peeta. Beetee comes forward and hands the metallic device to me. It is light and cool to the touch, with beautiful silver wires running through it. I run my finger down a seam of it.

"We are working on touch receptors to aid in your balance and we will be covering it with  a rubber material color matched to your skin tone," Beetee says and I pull it up. 

"I'd be able to feel it?" I ask and he nods. I feel a tear fall from my eye and carefully set it on the ground. I carefully bend the knee and join it with the end of my left leg. I feel the cool metal against my skin and the knee moves a little bit. I flex the toes and watch as the foot moves where I want. 

"It's responding well," Beetee says and I nod. "Do you want to stand?" I shake my head and pull the leg off.

"No, my other leg is too weak yet," I say looking at the thin, atrophied muscles of my leg. The physical therapy hasn't put a dent in the injuries yet.

"All right, that's fine," he says taking the leg back and puts it on the cart. "I'll work on the stimulus response for the skin and we will  try again in a week or two one you've built some strength up." I nod and he leaves as quickly as he came. I look at Peeta and he smiles. 

"That's good news, isn't it," He says quietly. "You're getting a new leg.' I nod and he reaches towards me and I pull my hand away. 

"Yeah, it is," I say. "If I could even lift my leg, which I very barely can." Peeta nods and gets up, setting the sleeping baby in a bassinet that they keep in here for when they allow me time alone with the baby. Peeta sits back down next to me and I bite my lip. 

"I'm not going to hurt you, okay," He says. "But I'm going to help you stretch your leg a little bit, if you are okay with it?" I glance at him a moment before slowly nodding. I lay down and he gets up gently grabbing onto my knee.He pushes my leg up and holds it, stretching out the muscles. I feel tears welling up in my eyes and Peeta gently rubs my bruised ankle. "Deep breaths, Katniss. I know it hurts, but it won't kill you.

"I know," I whimper and he releases my leg gently for a moment before stretching it back up. I feel it pulling in my back and I groan. "But it  feels like it can't go that far and my leg has dislocated before."

"I'm not going to dislocate your hip again, Katniss," He says. "But you need to use the muscles again. You want to be able to carry our daughter around, don't you?" I nod and groan as he stretches my leg up. 

"What is going on outside?" I ask. "Since you know, I live in this one room all the time." 

"Not a whole lot," Peeta says. "War is rather boring on this side of the lines." I look at him and notice that the smile on his face at the joke doesn't reach his eyes.

"What is it?" I ask and he sighs.

"8, there was an airstrike that practically wiped everyone out," He says before looking down, "Even the children weren't safe." I take a deep breath and he lets my leg down. "It isn't your fault, Katniss." I shake my head and sit up. 

"How can we provide a better life for Luna if this is still happening?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"We will," He says. "We will end this war. When you can, you'll join the meetings and we will work to make sure that everything is carried out in a proper, good way.. We will build a good, beautiful world for her to grow up in." He tips my head up and I wrap my arms around his neck.