fallen ~ 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤

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        I sit in the hospital waiting room's baby blue chairs for what feels like forever. For the first two hours I did nothing but cry. Why couldn't it have been me? Why? Cato didn't deserve any of this. It should have been me.

      Paisley, Enobaria, Brutus, and Rosemary sit with me and wait. This could not be any worse. Finally, a nurse dressed in a calming pink color takes me into Cato's room. The others decided it was best to let me see him alone. The second I enter Room 23, I collapse inside. Cato is burned, his entire body is wrapped in white bandages. I can't even recognize him.

"Cato," I say. My eyes fill with tears and my bottom lip quivers.

"Cato!" I yell. The nurse walks up from behind me.

"Clove, I'm sorry. He is paralyzed. He can't hear or see you." She says.

"No, that's not right. Tell me it's not right! Please! Cato can't be paralyzed! He can't! Please!" I scream. I try to hit the nurse but Peacekeepers grab me. I let my knees buckle and I fall into their arms. Then they start pulling me out of the room.

"No! Cato! Please! I love you!" I screech. Just before I'm pulled out, I really look at Cato. I can hardly see through the layer of tears in my eyes, but he is in the worst condition I have ever seen anyone in. My sobs and scream echo through the empty hallways and all the way into the elevator.

"Cato!" I scream again. This can't be happening. Cato. Cato. Cato. Please. Cato.

      Once I get back into the apartment, I collapse on the couch and cry my eyes out. This isn't real. I pray and pray to God, I pray that Cato will recover. He has to. Suddenly, the elevator door opens.

"Paisley, I don't want to talk. Okay?" I manage to push out.

There's no answer. I turn around and see two Peacekeepers instead, what are they doing here?

"Miss Kentwell, your attendance is required at the hospital. It's an emergency." One says in a deep voice. Emergency? Oh no. He's not, he cant, Cato don't die on me. Please, no. I hobble into the elevator and try to stop crying but it just won't stop. The Peacekeepers just stand at my sides silent. I am a mess.

When I get to the hospital, I run into Cato's room. He's still there. No nurses are at his aid, his monitor is still running, he's okay. Why was I called down? A nurse walks up from behind me and grabs my arm, leading me out of the door.

"What is going on?" I ask.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kentwell. We had a mixup." She says.

"A mixup?" I ask.

"Yes, we have only found one body when we cleared the elevator. But we have information that it was a janitor working underneath it. We found Cato." They found Cato? I can't believe it! I almost bubble in happiness. She leads me into Room 5 and there he is, almost perfectly fine, except his left arm is in a cast, whenever I glance at it all I hear is that snapping sound. Remarkably, he only has a few burns. Oh, and those blue eyes and that blonde hair, how I missed them!

"Cato!" I scream and run to his bed. He sits up as a nurse injects an IV into his arm. He smiles at me.

"Clove." He says. I lean over the bed and kiss him.

"I thought you were paralyzed! Cato, I'm so sorry!" I start sobbing again. I try to convince myself that he is okay but I can't believe my own eyes.

"Clover, please, no, it's not your fault. It was just the elevator." He rubs my cheek with his thumb. He still has that same soft and gentle touch.

"No it's not, it's my fault and you know it! I'm sorry! Please, can we just leave it at that? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I choke out.

"Shhh, you're gonna make me cry, now stop that, please, Princess?" He says. I can see his eyes start to get watery. I don't want to see him cry, I'll try to stop for his sake.

"Please tell me what happened." I say. He gives me a long, soft stare.

"Okay. Well, after the elevator hit the bottom, it crushed the walls just right for me to escape. Then, it engulfed in flames. It was dark down there too, I couldn't see anything so I remember hiding. I found my way up into one of the underground floors, and I hid there." He explains. That makes a lot of sense. I sniffle and hug him, I've never been so relieved in my life.

"I love you." He says.

"I love you, too." I add. A doctor in neon blue walks in and whispers something to the nurse. Then he leaves and the nurse turns to us and pulls out the IV in Cato's arm.

"Good news, you are being released out of the hospital." The nurse presses a button on the bed and it lowers down.

"Really? Thanks." Cato says. He gets off of the bed and stands up. He's still wearing his training outfit. Same as me. I smile and grab his hand. As we walk out, I get a whiff of his scent. I love it, it smells like pine.

A few Peacekeepers lead us back and straight into the Training Center. Finally, training at last. I run to my knives and let the magic begin.