"John Peyton, quarterback for the Eagles calls the coin toss – heads – and it is indeed heads! We will start with the Eagles with possession! A kick is returned by Marvel Everwood, a junior from Breckenridge, Colorado. He catches the ball at the Eagle's 40th yard line!" Claudius Templesmith narrated.
"There he is! There's Peety!" Katniss squealed as the John Peyton got his offensive linemen in formation on the field.
"Oh God, Katniss, will you please not call him that for the entire game?" Gale growled.
"Shut up!" Katniss yelled.
"He caught it!" Rue squealed as Peyton threw the ball to Peeta who caught it while narrowly avoiding two burly Air Force offensive tackles.
"That's Mellark, a Junior out of West Virginia, he's actually new to the team and what a catch! He runs the ball for six yards giving the Panem Eagles a first down!" The players on the field regrouped to a resounding cheer coming from the students' section.
"YEAH!" Prim and Rue cheered as the Marvel ran the ball 3 yards for another Eagles touchdown. The scoreboard changed to read: 21-14.
"And the Eagles lead by 7 points at the half!" Ceasar Flickerman announced. "While our teams regroup, the Panem Eagles band will perform the halftime show!"
"Kat, do you want more beer?" Gale asked before draining his fourth red solo cup of beer.
"Gale, how many have you had?" Katniss asked. "You need to save money for your share of rent."
"Yes, mother." Gale spat. "We're fine, Kat. I'll bring you some to loosen you up." Grumbling to himself, he made his way to the concesesion stand lines that were forming.
"We should use the ladies room." Katniss said wisely. Luckily the line wasn't too long and the girls returned to their seats
"Aaaand, everybody please welcome back your Panem Eagles!" Claudius Templesmith announced as the crowd roared.
"PEETY PIE!" Katniss squealed as Peeta joined the offensive.
"YEAH MARVEL! YEAH CATO AND PEETA! GO ALPHA KAPPA DETLA BROTHERS!" The guys from Peeta's frat cheered.
"Just win!" Gale roared. Prim and Rue simply cheered. One of the frat guys noticed the girls dancing around and cheering and smiled. Rue caught his eye and giggled.
"Peyton throws and the catch is intercepted by the Air Force, but is taken down by Everwood at the 46 yard line! The Air Force has possession."
"Aw, c'mon, we can't get behind now." Gale grumbled. After a few more plays the Eagles had control of the ball.
"Peyton throws to Mellark who catches it at the 30 and runs it toward the Eagles' inzone –"
"GO PEETY!" Katniss screamed.
"GO PEETA, GO! GO EAGLES!" Prim and Rue screamed.
"NO – NO, PEETY, WATCH OUT!" Katniss screamed before a burly Air Force defensive player crashed into Peeta seconds before they both fell onto the field. The field went silent as Peeta laid unmoving, the ball clutched in his hands.
"And Mellark is down on the field, medics are coming to his aid. His leg is clearly hurt and bent at a – ah – very odd angle." Caesar said worriedly.
"Oh my gosh – Peeta – is he ok? Is he breathing?" Katniss gasped.
"Yeah." Prim said pulling out her binoculars to focus on the medics surrounding Peeta. "They just have an oxygen mask on him so he can breathe easier – they're not putting pressure on his abdomen – they just have his leg wrapped up – oh my gosh! I think that's a part of his tibia on the field!" Prim's comment caused several people around them to faint.
"His what?" Rue asked shakily.
"Part of his leg bone. He has a complex fracture." Prim explained before Katniss pushed her face into Gale's chest and sobbed. Prim put an arm around her sister as the medics loaded Peeta onto a stretcher.
The rest of the game was a blur to the two Everdeen sisters. They cheered as the Eagles won 34-21. "So, Foothills General?" Gale asked as he, Prim, Katniss, and Rue left the stands.
"Yeah." Prim and Katniss said.
"Should I hitch a ride with someone else back to campus?" Rue asked. "I don't want to intrude."
"You can come with." Prim offered. "Only if you want, though."
"Hospitals make me squeamish."
"Tell ya what, I'll drop you at campus since it's on the way." Gale said. Katniss downed another beer as everyone got settled into Gale's truck.
"Hey! Kat and gang!" Cato called jogging over to Gale's truck still in his football jersey. "You all visiting Pete?"
"Yeah, is the whole team?" Katniss asked.
"Not yet. Coach wants all to shower real good and stuff. But we'll be over." After he left, Prim wrinkled her nose.
"They'd better shower, who knows what bacteria is in their B.O." She remarked before Rue giggled. After they dropped Rue off at the dorms, Gale and the Everdeens made their way to Foothills General Hospital.
"You are all here to see Peeta Mellark?" The receptionist asked.
"Yeah." Katniss said.
"Friends of his?"
"I'm his boyfriend." Katniss said. "And she's my sister, and Gale's our mutual best friend." She ignored Gale's grumbling about being 'friendzoned.'
"Alright, well looks like he's in the recovery room. Only two visitors can go in at a time." After the receptionist gave the three their visitor stickers and directions to the recovery room, they made their way to the post-op waiting room.
"You two go." Gale said to Prim and Katniss. "I'll hang here." Gale plopped himself down in a chair and grabbed a Sports Illustrated magazine. "Hey, Kat." Katniss looked at Gale with her eyebrows raised. "Tell Pete I say hi, ok?"
"You can come in after us." Prim suggested before Gale shrugged.
"Nah. I'll stop by when he's less drugged." The girls nodded and checked in at the reception desk at the entrance to the recovery room. A nurse escorted them to Peeta's bedside where another nurse was checking his vital signs.
"Peety-pie?" Katniss asked as Peeta's eyelids fluttered open.
"Huh? Katniss?" Peeta asked clearly in a daze. "They cut my leg off. Clean off."
"They have a cast on it, son." The nurse corrected. "You can't feel much because of the painkillers you had in the OR."
"We won." Prim said grinning.
"Oh. Ok." Peeta said before dozing off for a few minutes. "Kat?"
"Yes, love?" Katniss asked as she held one of his hands and kissed his cheek.
"Take my leg back to my dad, ok?"
"Ok." Katniss said after exchanging glances with Prim. "We'll come back when you're settled in your room, ok?"
"Ok." Peeta murmered. "I wet my jock strap out there. Tell coach I'm sorry."
"I'm sure that's the least of his worries, babe. We're just glad you're awake." Katniss replied waiting until Peeta closed his eyes to make a disgusted face as Prim bit her lip to keep from laughing.
"See you around, Peeta. Just remember that you guys won, ok?" Prim said gently squeezing his hand.
"Okay." Peeta said as a slight grin came to his face. "Cool. I'll even let Coach use my leg as a trophy."