A Baird and the Snow

Healing

The month did not fly by.

It had already been a little over a week but Coriolanus felt as though it were dragging along for an eternity. Lucy Gray was forcing to him remain in bed, to avoid risk towards his healing bones. He was grateful for her care but he felt useless. He wanted to move around, he wanted to ask Coin more questions and he didn't want Lucy Gray on her own around the compound. And more than anything he wanted to find Hilarius Heavensbee and break a few of his own ribs. But he wouldn't do that. Even if he wasn't bedridden.

As he laid on his back in his and Lucy Gray's new and bigger bed, he stared at the ceiling, waiting patiently for his songbird to come back with the food she promised. (Another reason he felt like a nuisance. He was like a baby bird waiting for his mother to come back with his worms.)

Why she loved a snake like him, he would never know. But as long as she stayed, he would do everything in his power to make sure he deserved it. And if that meant doing nothing in bed for an entire month, then so be it.

He wasn't entirely sure why his mind had changed so drastically about staying in 13, but when before, he wanted more than anything to take Lucy Gray away and never look back, he now only wanted to be a part of this rebellion even more. 

Maybe it was what Hilarius had said, about Coriolanus' meddling ruining everything in the Capitol. He might've been right. About his cheating causing the games to still be a thing, when before they would have disappeared for good.

No one had wanted the games. Not even Dean Highbottom. At least that's what Coriolanus suspected. But he had practically handed the games right into Doctor Gaul's red gloved hands for her to control for the many more that were bound to come.

Coriolanus couldn't afford to keep thinking about how things had ended like this. What's done is done. There's no going back. And there would be no more running.

When the door to the room opened, he instinctively began to sit up, stopping himself immediately when the strain caused his insides to scream at him.

He could smell food as soon as Lucy Gray stepped into the room. "Lucy Gray," Coriolanus grunted as he settled back into the mattress.

"I brought some supper," she said brightly as she set down a metal tray on the bedside table. She placed a kiss on his forehead before sitting on the edge of the bed.

She helped Coriolanus sit up and he groaned with the movement. "Thank you," he said, smiling through the pain.

"Of course," Lucy Gray said, grabbing the book that Lennox had brought him to pass the time and moving it from the bed so that she could sit beside him

The general was right. They had slowly begun to become friends with their forced proximity, and Coriolanus found his paranoia waning bit by bit every day. He knew he was ridiculous, but he couldn't help how he was. He didn't suppose anyone could.

Lucy Gray, of course, had no trouble becoming friends with him. Coriolanus wouldn't say that she trusted easily, but she never had a problem being kind to strangers. It was until they did something to hurt her or her friends that she became the fierce person that Coryo knew.

···

Lucy Gray watched for the next few weeks as Coriolanus slowly progressed. He finally had the strength to sit up on his own and he was allowed to walk around, but only with the support of Lucy Gray. She could tell that he was frustrated with how slowly he was healing.

"Lucy Gray," Coriolanus said as they walked through the compound at a slow pace. It seemed people were moving five times as fast as they were. "Did Lennox tell you why he had even come to our room all those weeks ago?"

She was momentarily caught off guard by the question. She supposed that they had both been so distracted with getting Coriolanus healthy again, that they'd forgotten all about it. "Apparently President Coin had a plan for our first mission as her mockingjays."

Coryo's brow furrowed. "Mockingjays?"

Lucy Gray nodded. "Apparently that's the symbol of this rebellion. They're similar to jabberjays but not so devious, an analogy for her operation I guess."

"Hmm."

"I think they went on with the mission anyway, just without us. They couldn't leave all of those people in District 8 on their own much longer."

"Of course not," Coriolanus sighed. "How exciting our new life has been so far," he said, a bit of sarcasm in his words along with the truth.

Lucy Gray shrugged. "I think it's alright. Better than life in 12."

"In some ways," Coriolanus conceded. "But I miss seeing you performing with The Covey. That always made everything better."

Lucy Gray laughed. "I wouldn't say it made everything better. But it certainly did make the day a little brighter."

"Do you think they'll have any mission that'll bring us to 12? We could get your family out. Bring them back here." Coriolanus said. "Then you could perform here, for us rebels."

She got a little sad thinking about her family, but she appreciated Coriolanus' efforts to make her feel good. "I'll have The Covey back in no time, and no doubt that I would perform for the people here. There's nothing they could do to stop me from doing that."

Coriolanus bent down to kiss the top of her head, only tensing a bit with the small movement.

"I think it's time to head back now, how about you?"

Coriolanus hummed his agreement. When they turned around, they saw Hilarius walk by, a dark look on his face when his eyes met theirs.

He had been giving them looks like that all month. He didn't seem to have any sympathy at all for Coryo's five broken ribs.

Lucy Gray had been prepared to forgive him, but she wasn't so sure now. He seemed too sour to even be thinking about apologizing and it made her crinkle her nose.

Coriolanus' jaw clenched each time we saw him and she knew he was holding himself back from jumping him the second he spotted him.

She was tempted to do it herself, but it wouldn't accomplish anything but more injuries. So she pulled Coryo along, back to their room where he sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh.

Almost as soon as they got back, there was a knock on the door.

Lucy Gray opened it to see Lennox, holding a basin full of supplies. "You mentioned wanting to clean your dress," he says, holding it out for Lucy Gray. "These are the things me and my wife use. She suggested we let you borrow our things for a bit."

Lucy Gray's eyes brightened at the sight of it and she took it from him. "That's sweet, will you thank her for me?"

Lennox smiled and nodded, then looked at Coriolanus. "How are you faring?" He asked.

"Better than I was a month ago," Coriolanus said with a smile, brushing his hair away from his brow. It was growing back nicely and Lucy Gray was happy to see the curls coming back to his snowy hair.

"Good. My wife, Valia, she's got an instinct for caretaking," Lennox said.

"That's sweet," Lucy Gray smiled.

"She was wondering if you both might like us to bring you supper one of these days, so that you can get some rest, Lucy Gray, without having to fetch something at meal time for once."

Coriolanus stood and came to Lucy Gray's side, taking her hand in his and squeezing. "That's generous of you to offer," he said.

"We would appreciate it," Lucy Gray said and while she looked humble, she was excited at the idea of sitting down and relaxing with Coryo for an evening.

Lennox nodded. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. Goodnight," he said.

They said goodnight.

***

Author's Note:

Since I made you guys wait so long for the last one, I decided I'd give you this one early ;)

I love the idea of Lennox and Valia Odair being a homey sort of people. They're caretakers, like Finnick was for Mags.

Hope you enjoyed <3