Heart by heart. (TMI)

20) Jigsaw.

Izzy's voice is mere echo in the back of her head. The world sounds as though it is underwater. And she is drowning. A hand grasps her shoulder. A voice calls her name. It's only when Izzy begins to pull Clary up and the sheets begin to slip that she awakes from this state.

"Wait, Izzy, I'm naked. We'll be out in a minute." She say autonomously, thoughts elsewhere.

Izzy stalked towards the door and Clary turned round to grab a shirt and some joggers from a drawer, pulling them on to just below her waistline- all her maternity clothes were still in her room. Jace offers her a hand and they go to find Izzy waiting outside. 

"Where is he? The infirmary?" Clary hears a voice ask. It's her voice, she realises.

Izzy nods and then Clary tries to run, stumbling on her leg. Jace picks her up and moves fast towards where their friend awaits. He hasn't finished helping her onto her feet when she sees Simon and hobbles towards him. 

Simon. 

The rest of the world was grey. Her bestfriend. Her parabati. 

Clary briefly wondered why she didn't realise through her rune when she checks her shoulder, it had been torn away by the demonic worms, leaving behind only the pain of the poison.

Another flash of colour and Clary realises that Magnus is stood above her, fingers dancing, attempting to seal Simon's wounds. Every time it seems he was making progress, they cuts would reopen and the bruises would paint themselves back across Simon's skin. Taunting. Laughing.

She understands now that this is the same poison that courses through her blood. Though his injuries are on his chest, closer to his heart. He hasn't got much time. So this is how it ends? Clary thinks to herself. As though we are just some characters in a tragic poem, waiting for a poetic ending? Two inseparable best friends, separated by the same disease. Connected.

Lunching forward, her hand goes to his but before their skin touches, Clary is pulled back by Izzy. "Please. Magnus needs to work. I know." Clary cries out and Izzy looks into her eyes. "I know." 

She loved him and Clary knew this. Suddenly everything seemed too overwhelming and she began to cry. Loud sobs racked her ribs and her knees hit the cold stone ground. Jace took her shoulders and led Clary out of the infirmary. Simon had already been lost to her once and she couldn't lose him again. And then her thoughts flickered elsewhere. She had been so selfish to dismiss this. If the poison was in their bloodstream, does that mean her children are in just as much danger? 

Her eyes widened. "Jace?" She choked out.

"It's okay my Angel. I know."

And somehow she knew he did. She needed to save people and instead she felt helpless. Her thoughts whirred, It felt like rush hour traffic within her neurons. And then she stood up turning to Jace. A smile, a glint in her eye. Hope.

"I've put the pieces together, Jace. I've finished the jigsaw." 

And with that Clary headed out of the institute doors into the darkened city of New York.