It all happened so fast. The cry for help, the brooding silence, followed by the snapping of multiple branches. He watched as her body slammed onto the surface, so hard that she bounced up. Then she tumbled down the incline in a violent fashion.

Time stopped and Coriolanus could feel his heart sink to his feet. The first thing that came into his mind was Lamina falling off of the beam and dying on impact.

All he could muster was a sort of primal cry, one of despair and anguish.

Lucy Gray. His Lucy Gray. Dead.

He bolted towards her body and landed on his knees by her side. Her purple sun dress was torn at the bottom and splotched with blood from an open wound in her leg. Tons of thorns from the thicker bushes she rolled through pierced her flesh. And worst of all was the heaving sound of her trying to breathe back all the air that was ejected from her lungs.

He quickly checked her pulse and, relieved that there was still life in her, began to sob violently.

"Hey..!" He said, gently shaking her shoulder. "Lucy Gray, please…"

His sobs silenced him. And Lucy Gray remained unmoved, only the sounds of her struggling breath to offer him.

He had to get her out of there. Had to get her help. As fast and as gently as he could, he lifted her up bridal style and began to run in the direction of the Seam.

It was beyond treacherous for him. Running in the unfamiliar while carrying her broken body. Several times he almost tripped over stumps and bushes, but he persisted.

It felt like forever before he finally found himself in the open field of the meadow. Something warm was building on his chest, his heat rash getting irritated perhaps. But looking down he realized that it was her blood soaking the front of his shirt.

Barb Azure and Maude Ivory were both sitting idly in the front with Shamus.

"Maudie, make sure he's tied to that post good." Barb said.

"Ol' Shamus here ain't going anywhere. We're too good to him. Ain't that right scruff!?" Maude Ivory replied, giving Shamus a scratch on his beard.

"You remember the last time he got free? The butcher bout' had em' that time. I ain't saving him again."

Maude Ivory frowned. "Well, then I will if he does! And come on, don't forget about his cheese!"

Barb smiled and rolled her eyes in response.

"And he's a good listener too! Watch."

Maude Ivory began to sing to him, and his ears seemed to perk up in amusement.

"The tree is tall, in blissful glee

The birds above, swoop down to see!

In rain, in storm, in mountainous snow,

Comes the call that-"

"Oh my god!" Barb shouted, cutting Maude Ivory's song short.

No. No, it couldn't be.

But there was no mistaking it.

Racing down the hill at the edge of the Seam was Coriolanus. He was shirtless and blood smeared his skin. In his arms was Lucy Gray.

The first thing that caught Barb's eye was Coriolanus' once white shirt that was tied to Lucy's leg. Only now it was red and soaked in blood.

"What the hell happened!!?" She shouted.

"What's going on..?" Maude Ivory whimpered as she clung to Shamus.

"Open the door!!" Coriolanus fired back.

But before Barb could even get to the door, Coriolanus rushed forward and kicked it off of its hinges.

The sudden abruption into the home caused Tam Amber and CC to jump in their seats.

"Get that shit off the table! Hurry!" Coriolanus shouted.

On the kitchen table were a couple smaller instruments that Tam had been fiddling with. But again, Coriolanus took no time, plunging the instruments to the floor and gently placing Lucy Gray onto the table.

Soon enough, the rest of the Covey were gathered around the scene.

Hours had passed by since Coriolanus arrived. A Seam doctor offered to help free of charge, citing the Covey preforming as payment enough.

He couldn't bear to be in the room when the doctor stitched her leg up and examined her. He was reminded of the Dark Days. The bodies littered in the streets, the severed leg, the blood and gore that introduced itself every morning. And all of that now projected onto his Lucy Gray.

He did everything he could to save her from the arena. Cheated and rigged and stripped of honor. Sent into the lowest district by choice and even denying his stint in District 2. All for her.

And here he was about to lose her. From what? An accident? A sheer chance happening? It was all so unfair. Unfair for her.

For a moment, he agreed with Sejanus. The absolute insanity of it all. The treating others as lesser and forcing them to fight to the death as punishment. But more so for him because of what they did to Lucy Gray. He would end it all for her. He would do anything for her. But if she died? If she succumbed to an accident? He wouldn't be able to live with himself. You could take his home, his success, his power, his honor. But you could not take his Lucy Gray.

He pondered if he should go back inside to check on her, to see if she was alright. But it terrified him to think what he might find. Instead he kept himself glued to the back porch.

"Hey, uh…Coriolanus is it?"

He turned around at the sudden voice. It was Barb Azure. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her voice still choked up.

"The doctor left. You can come inside now."

"I-Is she alright!?" He said, jumping to his feet.

The desperation on his face almost made Barb break down.

"He said she's in pretty bad shape, but nothin' time and rest won't fix. Broken ribs and all that. But not much else besides the leg that he stitched up. He said she was pretty lucky. He's gonna be stopping by a few times every day to check on her."

Coriolanus sighed deeply. Both in relief and anticipation. He was gonna go in. He was gonna face her no matter what.