Cato pushed past the doctors, ignoring the shouts of his name coming from Jay and Max, and ran into the ICU. As soon as he entered the ward, he froze. Amethyst was lying on a hospital bed, her head wrapped up in a cloth bandage and various tubes and wires connected to her. Her face was deathly pale, as white as the sheet, and her dark hair looked blacker then before as it spread around her, like a halo. Cato squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the image of her lying so still on the bed. When he opened his eyes, he walked towards the bed and took Amethyst's hand in his. He was surprised at how cold it was. But as soon as he felt it, he remembered the first time he had met her. Way back when he was five years old and she was four.

It was snowing in District 2 and Cato, like usual, was outside playing with his friends. Jay was making hot chocolate for them inside the house while his parents were at work. Cato threw a snowball at one of his friends who laughed and threw another one back. A snowball fight began. Cato packed a tight snowball and hid behind a tree, waiting to do a surprise attack on whoever crossed his path. He heard footsteps and instantly jumped from behind the tree, pelting the unfortunate person with the big snowball. "Got you!" He exclaimed, letting out a laugh. His laughing stopped when he caught sight of the long black hair, now covered in snow, and the pale face of... of a girl. A small whimper escaped her lips as she burst into tears. Cato knelt down in front of her. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you. I thought it was my friend." He whispered, dusting the snow off of her hair. She sniffed and wiped her tears. "I have no friends." She whispered back, her big grey eyes beginning to water again.

Cato grinned. "Do you want to be my friend?" He asked. The girl's eyes widened and she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!"

Cato stood up and the girl scrambled to her feet. "I'm Cato." He said proudly. "What's your name?"

The girl smiled. "Amee-thy-ist." She answered.

Cato tilted his head and held out his hand, as a sign of friendship. She took it in her much smaller one. He flinched when she touched it. "You have cold hands." He said, pulling his hand away. Amethyst's face fell as she looked down at her red hands. Cato pulled his scarf off and wrapped it around both of her hands. "There, now you won't have cold hands anymore!" He exclaimed with a satisfied smile.

Amethyst beamed at him. "Thank you!" And then she kissed his cheek. Cato touched the spot she had kissed and grinned.

It had seemed like only yesterday Cato was playing in the snow. And now, he was holding his beloved's hand as she took her last breaths. Tears began to fall down his cheeks and landed on the white sheets. Cato knelt down next to Amethyst's body and wept. But deep down inside, he had begun to accept reality. He wept and wept, for as long as he could. And he kept weeping as the doctors came in and covered Amethyst's face, pulling up the white sheet. He wept as they removed the various tubes and wires. He wept as they patted his shoulder and told him how sorry they were. He wept as Max and Jay entered the room, tears streaming down their faces too. He wept as he caught sign of the Flat line. He wept as the doctors told him again how sorry they were.

And he never let go of her cold hand. Her cold hand which would never squeeze his again. Her cold hand which would never run through his hair again. Her cold hand which would never hold his as she told him how much she loved him. Her cold hand which would never hold their sons again. Her cold hand which would remain like the body that it was connected to.

Cold and lifeless.