《the hunger games-饥饿游戏(英文版)》饥饿游戏(英文版)-第69章

face　of　a　boy　slides　into　view；　and　after　an　initial　jolt　of　alarm；　I　feel　better。　¨Peeta。〃
¨Hey；〃　he　says。　¨Good　to　see　your　eyes　again。〃
¨How　long　have　I　been　out？〃　I　ask。
¨Not　sure。　I　woke　up　yesterday　evening　and　you　were　lying　next　to　me　in　a　very　scary　pool　of　blood；〃　he　says。　¨I　think　itˇs　stopped　finally；　but　I　wouldnˇt　sit　up　or　anything。〃
I　gingerly　lift　my　hand　to　my　head　and　find　it　bandaged。　This　simple　gesture　leaves　me　weak　and　dizzy。　Peeta　holds　a　bottle　to　my　lips　and　I　drink　thirstily。
¨Youˇre　better；〃　I　say。
¨Much　better。　Whatever　you　shot　into　my　arm　did　the　trick；〃　he　says。　¨By　this　morning；　almost　all　the　swelling　in　my　leg　was　gone。〃
He　doesnˇt　seem　angry　about　my　tricking　him；　drugging　him；　and　running　off　to　the　feast。　Maybe　Iˇm　just　too　beat…up　and　Iˇll　hear　about　it　later　when　Iˇm　stronger。　But　for　the　moment；　heˇs　all　gentleness。
¨Did　you　eat？〃　I　ask。
¨Iˇm　sorry　to　say　I　gobbled　down　three　pieces　of　that　groosling　before　I　realized　it　might　have　to　last　a　while。　Donˇt　worry；　Iˇm　back　on　a　strict　diet；〃　he　says。
¨No；　itˇs　good。　You　need　to　eat。　Iˇll　go　hunting　soon；〃　I　say。
¨Not　too　soon；　all　right？〃　he　says。　¨You　just　let　me　take　care　of　you　for　a　while。〃
I　donˇt　really　seem　to　have　much　choice。　Peeta　feeds　me　bites　of　groosling　and　raisins　and　makes　me　drink　plenty　of　water。　He　rubs　some　warmth　back　into　my　feet　and　wraps　them　in　his　jacket　before　tucking　the　sleeping　bag　back　up　around　my　chin。
¨Your　boots　and　socks　are　still　damp　and　the　weatherˇs　not　helping　much；〃　he　says。　Thereˇs　a　clap　of　thunder；　and　I　see　lightning　electrify　the　sky　through　an　opening　in　the　rocks。　Rain　drips　through　several　holes　in　the　ceiling；　but　Peeta　has　built　a　sort　of　canopy　over　my　head　an　upper　body　by　wedging　the　square　of　plastic　into　the　rock　above　me。
¨I　wonder　what　brought　on　this　storm？　I　mean；　whoˇs　the　target？〃　says　Peeta。
¨Cato　and　Thresh；〃　I　say　without　thinking。　¨Foxface　will　be　in　her　den　somewhere；　and　Clove　。　。　。　she　cut　me　an　then　。　。　。〃　My　voice　trails　off。
¨I　know　Cloveˇs　dead。　I　saw　it　in　the　sky　last　night；〃　he　says。　¨Did　you　kill　her？〃
¨No。　Thresh　broke　her　skull　with　a　rock；〃　I　say。
¨Lucky　he　didnˇt　catch　you；　too；〃　says　Peeta。
The　memory　of　the　feast　returns　full…force　and　I　feel　sick。　¨He　did。　But　he　let　me　go。〃　Then；　of　course；　I　have　to　tell　him。　About　things　Iˇve　kept　to　myself　because　he　was　too　sick　to　ask　and　I　wasnˇt　ready　to　relive　anyway。　Like　the　explosion　and　my　ear　and　Rueˇs　dying　and　the　boy　from　District　1　and　the　bread。　All　of　which　leads　to　what　happened　with　Thresh　and　how　he　was　paying　off　a　debt　of　sorts。
¨He　let　you　go　because　he　didnˇt　want　to　owe　you　anything？〃　asks　Peeta　in　disbelief。
¨Yes。　I　donˇt　expect　you　to　understand　it。　Youˇve　always　had　enough。　But　if　youˇd　lived　in　the　Seam；　I　wouldnˇt　have　to　explain；〃　I　say。
¨And　donˇt　try。　Obviously　Iˇm　too　dim　to　get　it。〃
¨Itˇs　like　the　bread。　How　I　never　seem　to　get　over　owing　you　for　that；〃　I　say。
¨The　bread？　What？　From　when　we　were　kids？〃　he　says。　¨I　think　we　can　let　that　go。　I　mean；　you　just　brought　me　back　from　the　dead。〃
¨But　you　didnˇt　know　me。　We　had　never　even　spoken。　Besides；　itˇs　the　first　gift　thatˇs　always　the　hardest　to　pay　back。　I　wouldnˇt　even　have　been　here　to　do　it　if　you　hadnˇt　helped　me　then；〃　I　say。　¨Why　did　you；　anyway？〃
¨Why？　You　know　why；〃　Peeta　says。　I　give　my　head　a　slight；　painful　shake。　¨Haymitch　said　you　would　take　a　lot　of　convincing。〃
¨Haymitch？〃　I　ask。　¨Whatˇs　he　got　to　do　with　it？〃
¨Nothing；〃　Peeta　says。　¨So；　Cato　and　Thresh；　huh？　I　guess　itˇs　too　much　to　hope　that　theyˇll　simultaneously　destroy　each　other？〃
But　the　thought　only　upsets　me。　¨I　think　we　would　like　Thresh。　I　think　heˇd　be　our　friend　back　in　District　Twelve；〃　I　say。
¨Then　letˇs　hope　Cato　kills　him；　so　we　donˇt　have　to；〃　says　Peeta　grimly。
I　donˇt　want　Cato　to　kill　Thresh　at　all。　I　donˇt　want　anyone　else　to　die。　But　this　is　absolutely　not　the　kind　of　thing　that　victors　go　around　saying　in　the　arena。　Despite　my　best　efforts；　I　can　feel　tears　starting　to　pool　in　my　eyes。
Peeta　looks　at　me　in　concern。　¨What　is　it？　Are　you　in　a　lot　of　pain？〃
I　give　him　another　answer；　because　it　is　equally　true　but　can　be　taken　as　a　brief　moment　of　weakness　instead　of　a　terminal　one。　¨I　want　to　go　home；　Peeta；〃　I　say　plaintively；　like　a　small　child。
¨You　will。　I　promise；〃　he　says；　and　bends　over　to　give　me　a　kiss。
¨I　want　to　go　home　now；〃　I　say。
¨Tell　you　what。　You　go　back　to　sleep　and　dream　of　home。　And　youˇll　be　there　for　real　before　you　know　it；〃　lie　says。　¨Okay？〃
¨Okay；〃　I　whisper。　¨Wake　me　if　you　need　me　to　keep　watch。〃
¨Iˇm　good　and　rested；　thanks　to　you　and　Haymitch。　Besides；　who　knows　how　long　this　will　last？〃　he　says。
What　does　he　mean？　The　storm？　The　brief　respite　ii　brings　us？　The　Games　themselves？　I　donˇt　know；　but　Iˇm　ion　sad　and　tired　to　ask。
Itˇs　evening　when　Peeta　wakes　me　again。　The　rain　has　turned　to　a　downpour；　sending　streams　of　water　through　our　ceiling　where　earlier　there　had　been　only　drips。　Peeta　has　placed　the　broth　pot　under　the　worst　one　and　repositioned　the　plastic　to　deflect　most　of　it　from　me。　I　feel　a　bit　better；　able　to　sit　up　without　getting　too　dizzy；　and　Iˇm　absolutely　famished。　So　is　Peeta。　Itˇs　clear　heˇs　been　waiting　for　me　to　wake　up　to　eat　and　is　eager　to　get　started。
Thereˇs　not　much　left。　Two　pieces　of　groosling；　a　small　mishmash　of　roots；　and　a　handful　of　dried　fruit。
¨Should　we　try　and　ration　it？〃　Peeta　asks。
¨No；　letˇs　just　finish　it。　The　grooslingˇs　getting　old　anyway；　and　the　last　thing　we　need　is　to　get　sick　off　spoilt　food；〃　I　say；　dividing　the　food　into　two　equal　piles。　We　try　and　eat　slowly；　but　weˇre　both　so　hungry　were　done　in　a　couple　of　minutes。　My　stomach　is　in　no　way　satisfied。　¨Tomorrowˇs　a　hunting　day；〃　I　say。
¨I　wonˇt　be　much　help　with　that；〃　Peeta　says。　¨Iˇve　never　hunted　before。〃
¨Iˇll　kill　and　you　cook；〃　I　say。　¨And　you　can　always　gather。〃
¨I　wish　there　was　some　sort　of　bread　bush　out　there；〃　says　Peeta。
¨The　bread　they　sent　me　from　District　Eleven　was　still　warm；〃　I　say