波波小说

第33部分（第1页）

¨Well；　donˇt　step　on　me。〃

I　jump　back。　His　voice　was　right　under　my　feet。　Still　thereˇs　nothing。　Then　his　eyes　open；　unmistakably　blue　in　the　brown　mud　and　green　leaves。　I　gasp　and　am　rewarded　with　a　hint　of　white　teeth　as　he　laughs。

Itˇs　the　final　word　in　camouflage。　Forget　chucking　weights　around。　Peeta　should　have　gone　into　his　private　session　with　the　Gamemakers　and　painted　himself　into　a　tree。　Or　a　boulder。　Or　a　muddy　bank　full　of　weeds。

¨Close　your　eyes　again；〃　I　order。　He　does；　and　his　mouth；　too；　and　pletely　disappears。　Most　of　what　I　judge　to　be　his　body　is　actually　under　a　layer　of　mud　and　plants。　His　face　and　arms　are　so　artfully　disguised　as　to　be　invisible。　I　kneel　beside　him。　¨I　guess　all　those　hours　decorating　cakes　paid　off。〃

Peeta　smiles。　¨Yes；　frosting。　The　final　defense　of　the　dying。〃

¨Youˇre　not　going　to　die；〃　I　tell　him　firmly。　¨Says　who？〃　His　voice　is　so　ragged。　¨Says　me。　Weˇre　on　the　same　team　now；　you　know；〃　I　tell　him。

His　eyes　open。　¨So；　I　heard。　Nice　of　you　to　find　whatˇs　left　of　me。〃

I　pull　out　my　water　bottle　and　give　him　a　drink。　¨Did　Cato　cut　you？〃　I　ask。

¨Left　leg。　Up　high；〃　he　answers。

¨Letˇs　get　you　in　the　stream；　wash　you　off　so　I　can　see　what　kind　of　wounds　youˇve　got；〃　I　say。

¨Lean　down　a　minute　first；〃　he　says。　¨Need　to　tell　you　something。〃　I　lean　over　and　put　my　good　ear　to　his　lips；　which　tickle　as　he　whispers。　¨Remember；　weˇre　madly　in　love；　so　itˇs　all　right　to　kiss　me　anytime　you　feel　like　it。〃

I　jerk　my　head　back　but　end　up　laughing。　¨Thanks；　Iˇll　keep　it　in　mind。〃　At　least；　heˇs　still　able　to　joke　around。　But　when　I　start　to　help　him　to　the　stream；　all　the　levity　disappears。　Itˇs　only　two　feet　away；　how　hard　can　it　be？　Very　hard　when　I　realize　heˇs　unable　to　move　an　inch　on　his　own。　Heˇs　so　weak　that　the　best　he　can　do　is　not　to　resist。　I　try　to　drag　him；　but　despite　the　fact　that　I　know　heˇs　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。　Heˇs　still　two　feet　from　the　water；　lying　there；　teeth　gritted；　tears　cutting　trails　in　the　dirt　on　his　face。

¨Look；　Peeta；　Iˇm　going　to　roll　you　into　the　stream。　Itˇs　very　shallow　here；　okay？〃　I　say。

¨Excellent；〃　he　says。

I　crouch　down　beside　him。　No　matter　what　happens；　I　tell　myself；　donˇt　stop　until　heˇs　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　heˇs　making。　Now　heˇs　on　the　edge　of　the　stream。　Maybe　this　is　better　anyway。

¨Okay；　change　of　plans。　Iˇm　not　going　to　put　you　all　the　way　in；〃　I　tell　him。　Besides；　if　I　get　him　in；　who　knows　if　Iˇd　ever　be　able　to　get　him　out？

¨No　more　rolling？〃　he　asks。

¨Thatˇs　all　done。　Letˇs　get　you　cleaned　up。　Keep　an　eye　on　the　woods　for　me；　okay？〃　I　say。　Itˇs　hard　to　know　where　to　start。　He　so　caked　with　mud　and　matted　leaves；　I　canˇt　even　see　his　clothes。　If　heˇs　wearing　clothes。　The　thought　makes　me　hesitate　a　moment；　but　then　I　plunge　in。　Naked　bodies　are　no　big　deal　in　the　arena；　right？

Iˇve　got　two　water　bottles　and　Rueˇs　water　skin。　I　prop　them　against　rocks　in　the　stream　so　that　two　are　always　filling　while　I　pour　the　third　over　Peetaˇs　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　undershirt　is　so　plastered　into　his　wounds　I　have　to　cut　it　away　with　my　knife　and　drench　him　again　to　work　it　loose。　Heˇs　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。

Since　treating　his　wounds　seems　pointless　when　heˇs　lying　in　whatˇs　bee　a　mud　puddle；　I　manage　to　prop　him　up　against　a　boulder。　He　sits　there；　unplaining；　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　being。　The　layer　of　mud　and　the　bottles　of　water　have　disguised　the　fact　that　heˇs　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　actually　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。　Itˇs　funny；　I　havenˇt　been　hungry　for　days；〃　says　Peeta。　In　fact；　when　I　offer　him　groosling；　he　wrinkles　his　nose　at　it　and　turns　away。　Thatˇs　when　I　know　how　sick　he　is。

¨Peeta；　we　need　to　get　some　food　in　you；〃　I　insist。

¨Itˇll　just　e　right　back　up；〃　he　says。　The　best　I　can　do　is　to　get　him　to　eat　a　few　bits　of　dried　apple。　¨Thanks。　Iˇm　much　better；　really。　Can　I　sleep　now；　Katniss？〃　he　asks。

¨Soon；〃　I　promise。　¨I　need　to　look　at　your　leg　first。〃　Trying　to　be　as　gentle　as　I　can；　I　remove　his　boots；　his　socks；　and　then　very　slowly　inch　his　pants　off　of　him。　I　can　see　the　tear　Catoˇs　sword　made　in　the　fabric　over　his　thigh；　but　it　in　no　way　prepares　me　for　what　lies　underneath。　The　deep　inflamed　gash　oozing　both　blood　and　pus。　The　swelling　of　the　leg。　And　worst　of　all；　the　smell　of　festering　flesh。

I　want　to　run　away。　Disappear　into　the　woods　like　I　did　that　day　they　brought　the　burn　victim　to　our　house。　Go　and　hunt　while　my　mother　and　Prim　attend　to　what　I　have　neither　the　skill　nor　the　courage　to　face。　But　thereˇs　no　one　here　but　me。　I　try　to　capture　the　calm　demeanor　my　mother　assumes　when

handling　particularly　bad　cases。

¨Pretty　awful；　huh？〃　says　Peeta。　Heˇs　watching　me　closely。

¨So…so。〃　I　shrug　like　itˇs　no　big　deal。　¨You　should　see　some　of　the　people　they　bring　my　mother　from　the　mines。〃　I　refrain　from　saying　how　I　usually　clear　out　of　the　house　whenever　sheˇs　treating　anything　worse　than　a　cold。　e　to　think　of　it；　I　donˇt　even　much　like　to　be　around　coughing。　¨First　thing　is　to　clean　it　well。〃

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