A Baird and the Snow

Second Thoughts

Breathing hurt. Coughing hurt. Moving less than an inch hurt. Everything hurt like hell. Coriolanus spent the rest of the day holding his abdomen. Lucy Gray was begging for him to go find a doctor somewhere around here but he kept refusing.

"I wanted peace today, Lucy Gray," he said, explaining his reluctance. "I don't want to go out there and have someone fussing over me. Kind of like you are right now," he teased.

Lucy Gray glared at him. "Coriolanus Snow, you can't stand there, tell me you think you have a broken rib, and then refuse to see a doctor. Absolutely not. Get up right now and let me take you to find some to check you out."

Coriolanus smiled mischievously. "The only person I want checking me out is you, Lucy Gray."

She scowled at him. "Now is not the time, Coriolanus."

He just chuckled, then in instant regret, winced and grabbed his side.

"We're taking you to find someone and if you come up with another damn excuse I'm not going to listen."

Coriolanus looked at her solemnly for a moment before finally nodding. "Okay."

"Put your arm around me," Lucy Gray told him and he did as she said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"It's a good thing you're so much shorter than me, otherwise this might not work," Corionlanus said, smiling.

He watched Lucy Gray suppress a smile. "Just shut up and walk, Coryo."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, letting her lead her to the door.

When Lucy Gray opens the door, they both let out sounds of surprise when they see General Odair standing outside with his knuckles raised, as though he were about to knock.

"What the hell happened?" The general exclaimed as he took in the sight of Coriolanus.

Coryo immediately stands up straighter, refusing to look weak in front of anyone but her, and he ignores Lucy Gray's frown. "Hilarius Heavensbee, that's what," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

"He needs a doctor," Lucy Gray said. "Can you take us to one?"

The general simply nods, moving to put his arms around Coriolanus to assist Lucy Gray in helping him walk. "The physician's room isn't too far from here," Odair says, "we'll be there in no time."

"Thank you, general," Lucy Gray said, smiling slightly. Coriolanus could see her trembling a bit from his weight.

Odair sighed, "call me Lennox," he said. "We're going to be around each other for a long time starting now. Might as well become friends while we're at it."

Coriolnaus studied him, unable to ward off his suspicions of the general.

They walked slowly, but at a steady pace and he was starting to struggle with his control over his breaths. He was trying to keep them smooth and unstrained, but they were quickly coming out as ragged wheezes, each movement causing another break of sweat on his brow.

After what felt like an agonizing hour— but what must've been less than three minutes, they're walking through a door and he's being laid down on a cot.

•••

"Do you care to tell me what happened now?" Lucy Gray heard Lennox ask and she turned away from brushing her fingers through Coriolanus' slowly growing hair. "Did Heavensbee break into your room?"

Lucy Gray shook her head. "He had followed us without our noticing, and he knocked on the door so Coriolanus opened it. He wasn't expecting anyone to rush in and attack him."

"Why did he attack?"

"He was angry. Is angry. Coriolanus isn't exactly loved by the people he grew up with."

Lennox nodded thoughtfully, seeming to take in that information as a doctor came in to look at Coriolanus's bruising. "Well, I won't let him near you guys again."

"Thank you," Lucy Gray said, wrapping her arms around herself, biting her lip as she watched the doctor with Coriolanus anxiously. She tears her eyes away, remembering that Lennox was about to knock on the door. "Were you coming to talk to us about something? Before?"

"Oh. Yes. President Coin wanted to see you guys but I'll let her know that it's going to have to wait." Lennox said, waving over a guard standing in the corner. He told him to give President Coin the message and then the guard was gone.

"What does she want?"

"She has your first mission as the faces of this rebellion," Lennox explained.

"Do you... know what it is?" Lucy Gray asked tentatively.

He hesitates only for a moment. "How many people would you guess are attempting to run from their districts?"

Lucy Gray's first answer was everyone. But then she remembered the fear that overtook people's faces, especially at the hanging tree. Sometimes fear drove people to do dangerous things in defiance, but mostly it only beat them into submission. "It must be more than half. But not everyone. Not the people who are too afraid."

Lennox nodded solemnly. "There are so many people who try to run, Lucy Gray Baird. And we do our best to make sure they succeed. And right now more than half of District 8 is storming the gates, the barracks of the peace keepers, the mayor's office. It's resulted in too many lives lost. So we're on a mission tomorrow, to go help those people. And Coin wants you there. She wants President Ravinstill to know that he doesn't have complete control over his Capitol. She wants him to see you and she wants it to strike fear in them for once, not us."

Lucy Gray took that in silently. This was it. This was the change that she's been wanting all this time. But she looked at Coriolanus and her gut clenched. They couldn't do that while he was like this. She refused. She wouldn't go with them without Coryo and he's in no condition to even walk more than a few feet.

"You're right. It is going to have to wait," Lucy Gray said.

—

"Five broken ribs," the doctor said, coming to speak to Lucy Gray and Lennox after she's finished with Coriolanus. "I've wrapped a bandage around his torso to keep his movement minimal and I've given him some pain killers, but he needs to rest for at least a month, maybe more depending on his progress."

Lucy Gray sucked in a breath. A month was a long time. She tried to hold in the tears in her eyes and she turned around, using her finger to catch a tear before it rolled down her cheek. She ran with Coriolanus to get away from the danger, away from the pain that waited everywhere to drag one of them under.

So what were they doing here? This place wasn't going to bring them peace. It was only going to bring more strife.

"Lucy Gray," she heard Coriolanus say her name and she turned back around, going to his bedside immediately to take his hand. "What's wrong, songbird?" He kissed her knuckles.

"Just... second thoughts, I suppose." She laughed faintly.

He smiled softly. "No more running, Lucy Gray. Remember?"

Lucy Gray nodded. "I know. But—"

"It's a tempting idea. I know that better than anyone."

"But we're going to see this through," Lucy Gray whispered, remembering his words back in their room.

"We're going to see this through," Coriolnaus repeated. "The doctor said a month, right? It'll fly by."

***

Author's Note:

I'm so sorry! I know it's been a whole two weeks. School got real busy real quick, plus I had a crazy Valentine's Week. A good one though ;) Hope you guys did too!

I want to thank @mollycurrin24 for pointing out that it's been two weeks haha. You pushed me to finish this chapter and I love you for it! <3

Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)