Pure as Snow: A Do-Over of Corio and Lucy Gray's love story

Chapter Five: Dr. Gaul's New Pet

To say Lucy Gray was wise beyond her years would have been an understatement. As she paced the waiting area of Dr. Gaul's office, Lucy Gray rehearsed in her mind how she would attempt to win her approval. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror that was placed in the hallway she was standing in. Lucy Gray found her appearance to be unrecognizible in her new Academy uniform. Looking down at her crimson red long sleeve jacket, running her fingers through her newly straightened hair, not one piece out of place. Her small heels were causing her feet to blister. The door swung open and it was showtime. Lucy Gray was no stranger to performance. And talking with Dr. Gaul would be no different then taking the stage in District 12. She took a deep breath, forced her grimace into a smile and approached the head gamemaker.

"Good morning Dr. Gaul." Lucy Gray said through gritted teeth. Dr. Gaul returned the gesture as she reached out to shake Lucy Gray's hand. 

"Lucy Gray, Coriolanus Snow has never spoken so highly of anyone before. It seems his heart is not entirely made of coal, like everyone assumed." She said back. 

"Well I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to change. I know you summoned me for a reason, does it pertain to my relationship with Coriolanus?" Lucy Gray asked doing exactly what her boyfriend told her, playing dumb. Something she found very out of character for herself to do. But she understood why she had to. 

"In fact it does not. It has to do with your performance in the games. I know Coriolanus helped you win, we all do. Obviously you know the Capitol doesn't take lightly to cheating, Coriolanus paid his penance...as a peacekeeper or preferably with Sejanus' treason. However you choose to believe it. You we remarkable with my snakes in the arena, they seemed to have taken a great liking towards you and for that..I'd like to offer you the job of reptilian care coordinator. Let me rephrase...it's not exactly an offer." Dr. Gaul said making direct eye contact with Lucy Gray. Coriolanus had mapped out to perfection Dr. Gaul and her's entire interaction prior to her meeting and he had been right about everything so far. 

"I understand, I accept with oblige for your consideration." Lucy Gray responded. She wanted to run, cry and scream her way away from the Capitol. But what change would come of a rebel with no voice. It had to come from the first lady of Panem, a rebel in disguise behind the coquette misery she found herself drowning in.

"I have to admit Lucy Gray, your response is quite shocking. But I have a feeling your boyfriend Mr. Snow may have vetted you prior to our interaction. Something I urged him not to do. Because for you to gain my trust, I ask for vulnerability. How can you be vulnerable when you came prepared for your presentation?" Dr. Gaul said back to her. Lucy Gray had to think fast so word would not spread she wasn't capable of the responsibility it took to infiltrate the inside. 

"Fine, I'll prove to you I wasn't vetted. Please choose the obstacle and I will complete it with no prior knowledge, training or experience. And most importantly without Mr. Snow's knowledge I've agreed to complete it." Lucy Gray said stunning Dr. Gaul.

"This is what I was looking for little girl. I have just the obstacle you can complete to prove your loyalty and gain my trust. You see your snakes over there?" Dr. Gaul asked. 

"I do, they are beautys." Lucy Gray said back admiring them as they moved freely in their tank. Because they were free and caged just like her...she understood the feeling better than anyone.

"They have taken a liking to your scent. They are familiar with you. I want you to stick your hand in the tank behind theirs. Those snakes are one of my experiments, their new..they don't trust scent from anyone. If you can stick your hand in their tank knowing the chance you could get bit, you will be welcomed and honored as Coriolanus Snow's future first lady of Panem. I know you want that title more than you want District 12 to be free. You would be lying to yourself if that wasn't true. So please spare me your righteousness for now." Dr. Gaul said as she directed Lucy Gray to the new snake tank. 

Lucy Gray didn't speak, she just nodded and walked with Dr. Gaul up to the tank. Rolling the sleeve of her red jacket, Lucy Gray looked at her one more time. She could back out, she could run...but everything she had worked so hard for would be over and she would be alone again. No change would come and the games would most likely get even worse because Coriolanus' heart would be broken...therefore his trust would be none existent. Lucy Gray had no other choice. She nodded for Dr. Gaul to open the tank and she dove her hand in without thinking twice.  Around the 30 second mark right as Lucy Gray was about to pull her hand out, one of the snakes latched onto her wrist. She tried to stifle her scream of pain as she shook the snake off her arm and stumbled back away from the tank. Dr. Gaul closed the door and smiled at Lucy Gray while she held her bleeding arm. 

"Welcome to Panem Lucy Gray Snow...be careful what you wish for." Dr. Gaul said as Lucy Gray's vision began to blur. She found herself loosing consciousness and woke up in the infirmary with Coriolanus right by her side. He was holding her hand and his look of concern was swirling back and forth with furocious anger in his blue eyes. 

"Corio.." Lucy Gray's voice was weak as she looked up at him.

"Lucy Gray Baird...you could have died." He whispered as he kissed her sweat soaked forehead. 

"I'm still here..." She said back her eyes closing again. 

"Why did you do it." He said back to her.

"For us..." She said squeezing his hand. "I accepted the position to Dr. Gaul's shock. She claimed you vetted me and that my reaction didn't seem genuine or vulnerable. So I showed her how vulnerable I could be. Are you mad?" Lucy Gray asked unable to keep her eyes open.

"Mad? Mad I am furious Lucy Gray but not with you. You rest, I will see to it you're never put in that position again." Coriolanus' protective tone brought a calm over Lucy Gray she had never known before. 

"Please don't, Dr. Gaul trusts me, now there is nothing we can't do. Coriolanus...we have to destroy her to end the games. And doing it from the inside where she'll never expect it...will be.." Coriolanus interrupted Lucy Gray and completed her thought.

"All the more satisfying my love." Coriolanus said as he kissed Lucy Gray one more time before he requested an emergency meeting with Dr. Gaul. He agreed with Lucy Gray, it was easier to bring down the Capitol from the inside but he was wise to Dr. Gaul continuously trying to break Lucy Gray in the process. And he wasn't going to allow that to happen. After all he'd paid the price for blood on his hands before. If anything happened to Lucy Gray, the sea of red Panem would drown in would be unimaginable. Coriolanus' wrath would see no end and the future president would make that known to Dr. Gaul.