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Lucy Gray tried not to think about the games. Especially Jessup. Especially Dill. She was back in Twelve and things were how they were before and also not the same at all.
Things looked the same, the Covey people mostly treated her the same as before. But now, she was singing practically every night, trading in her odd jobs for the one she truly loved and was proficient in. Coriolanus had recently moved to the district, and she saw him almost as often as she sang.
There were reminders here and there, though, as there were bound to be. Lucy Gray never ate meat anymore. She never looked in the butcher’s window. Ironic as it was, Coriolanus, practically her partner in the Games, was one of the only things that truly distracted her when she was reminded, or when she got in a “mood” as some people so callously called it.
Now, all those things were crashing into each other and going to shit.
Coriolanus had been spacey the last few times she had seen him. His eyes seemed glazed over, he lost focus easily. He had only ever been intensely focused when with her, almost hanging on her every word. He wasn’t eating, either. One girl had snidely suggested he might just not be interested in her anymore, but she had seen these things before.
In the arena. And a little bit before. In the Games, overall, she supposed. Lucy Gray tried to be covert in confirming her suspicions, but even in his less cognizant state, Coriolanus noticed.
He was visiting her house, which wasn’t usually an option he took her up on, but the… oddness about him might have contributed to his acceptance of her invitation. Lucy Gray had extended the invitation this time in hopes of soothing her fears. It probably wasn’t what Jessup had. But Coriolanus lived on the outskirts of town, in shitty Capitol barracks. They didn’t care about the comfort of their peacekeeping officers, especially not the likes of him, who was there for a punishment anyway. There were rats there, she knew. She also knew she had taken him into the woods and to the lake many times, where he could have gotten bitten or scratched by a number of wild animals.
They were sitting at her table, Lucy Gray hadn’t spoken in many minutes, which was odd enough, but she hadn’t been listening either, Coriolanus noticed. She was still meeting his eyes, but her gaze was unseeing. She got like this sometimes.
He grabbed her hand, sympathetic when she jumped at the contact. She shook her head as if to clear it, schooling a smile onto her face quickly. Her other hand came up to cover his.
“I’m sorry, I think you lost me for a minute. What was it you were sayin’?” The charm that had helped her win the Games was on full display.
“There aren’t any cameras. It’s just me.”
Her mouth stayed stretched in that smile, but something changed in her eyes. Her cheeks dropped a bit, like she wasn’t trying to keep it up anymore but the muscle memory was too strong.
“Lucy Gray, talk to me. I’m the only one in the whole District who might understand.”
Her eyes searched his face. Her hands loosened on his.
She had decided what to say, he could see it in her eyes and total change of expression. Sometimes he thought she was always in performance mode.
“How have you been feeling? You’ve been… droopy.” She asked.
“Droopy?” He laughed back.
“Not yourself. It reminded me of…” She trailed off and looked away from Coriolanus’s face. Her hands slipped again from his. He knew what she couldn’t say.
“Can you look at me?” She tentatively brought her eyes up to meet his. “I’m okay. I got the flu. My immune system isn’t used to whatever variant that’s here in Twelve. I actually got a few days off for it, the Medical Officer gave me leave. I was thinking, if it’s okay, maybe I lay low here for a few days? I’d hate to be on a cot in the infirmary for a week because of this bug.”
Lucy Gray nodded quickly.
“Please.” She flushed at the desperation in her voice. “I mean, I’d be happy to look after you for a few days. I’ve taken care of the Covey kids when they’ve gotten sick, you shouldn’t be too different, being a bit of a baby yourself.” She teased, laughing at him when he shook his head and rolled his eyes with a grin on his face.
Coriolanus winced at the movement and clutched his forehead.
“Bad idea. Ugh, I’m dizzy now.” He looked up at her with big eyes, not dissimilar to the puppy that liked to beg when she helped feed the animals. “Help me to bed?”
It was Lucy Gray’s turn to roll her eyes.
“If I have to.”
She kept up her jokes, but later, when he offered an arm out to her from her bed, she quickly snuggled into his side with no worry of catching the illness herself.