Title - Apartment B-25
Thalia managed to shoot one of the monsters. She turned to the two frightened hunters behind her. Being relatively new, one of them being with the hunt for two months while the other was with them for four, they were still unaccustomed to the life of constant danger.
The hunt was staying in New York for the week. Thalia, Phoebe, and the two new hunters Heather and Marie were going to buy more supplies when a gang of monsters decided it was a good time to intervene. Early in the fight, Phoebe had blocked a major attack on Heather and was now passed out on the floor. Marie was bleeding badly from a claw slash on her stomach. Heather shoulder was dislocated, her ankle twisted and her wrist broken. They were in really bad shape. Thalia was the only one holding off the monsters. Thinking quickly Thalia rattled out an address.
"Who lives there?" shouted Marie. Even thought she was in pain, she was still cautious of persons she didn't know.
"A friend of mine. Now go, take Phoebe. I'll be there soon. If he's not there, pick the lock."
"He?" Heather spat through clenched teeth.
"Yes he. Now go!"
They hesitated. "Go! That's an order!"
Marie and Heather struggled to pick up Phoebe. They stumbled out of the alley scanning the streets to get their bearing.
"Four blocks down," Marie shouted, "I guess our aim is those apartment buildings." Heather shivered. She hated apartment buildings after her experience. But they had on other option. Together they stumbled along to the buildings, dragging Phoebe behind them.
Marie smiled at the door man as they rushed to the elevator without saying much. Phoebe was bleeding out quickly. She needed medical help. Heather pressed the number fourteen in the elevator before closing her eyes and leaning against the wall, ignoring the stares they got from the other people in the elevator. She wondered what they saw through the mist.
Ding.
They climbed out and started looking for the apartment. B-14, B-15, B-18…
"Over there!" they waddled towards B-25 coming up in front of the door.
"You ring" Marie gestured towards the bell. Heather rang.
"I'm coming!" a man shouted.
Thirty seconds later the door open showing a man who seemed to be in his late thirty's. He had salt and pepper hair, slight stubble and a coffee mug in his hand. He was dressed in simple slacks and a T-shirt. His jaw dropped as he took in the sight of the three girls. His face was still filled with shock as he beckoned the girls inside. He guided them to a sitting area with a sofa set along with other things you usually see in a living room. Despite the fact that Heather barely glanced around the room, she could feel the warmth and coziness coming from the house.
"Give me a second," the man muttered as he bounded up the stairs. A minute later he came back down with a first-aid kit and a teenage raven haired boy dressed in a ratty old sweatpants and a long sleeved black T-shirt with one of the sleeves rolled up to his elbow. He was Heather's definition of hot. If she wasn't sworn off boys, she would totally flirt with him. His sea green eyes widen slightly as he took in the scene in front of him. He started shouting orders in a very sexy voice.
"Paul, rest down the first-aid kit and get me a bowl of water." He pointed a Phoebe, "lay her down on sofa. Put her ankles on top of the armrest. You, sit on the other chair," he said gesturing towards Marie.
"Why should we listen to you?" Heather couldn't help but ask. The boy gave her a skeptical look.
"Do you want my help or not? Not to be rude but do what I say. It would make things easier for me and less painful for you all"
Everyone shuffled around, moving to where the boy said. 'Why am I listening to a boy?' Heather questioned, but nevertheless she got up to move, falling in the process. The boy was remarkably fast, Heather thought. He caught her, ignoring the glare she was giving him for touching her. His eyes roamed over her body as he helped her stand, making her more angry.
"Why in Hades are you checking me out!" she exclaimed.
The boy didn't even flinch at her words; instead he raised an eyebrow, "Dislocated shoulder, broken wrist, twisted ankle. Painful but not life threatening. Help you friend put pressure on her wound. I'd give you'll nectar but I should clean and set those wounds first. Plus Phoebe needs immediate attention." He turned towards Phoebe and started working on her.
Heather cheeks burned with embarrassment. She slowly and humbly walked over to Marie to start helping her. She couldn't believe it. The boy wasn't checking her out. Instead, he was assessing her wounds and injuries.
The boy muttered something towards the older man before turning towards Marie. The boy took the bowl of water and opened the kit. Heather glanced over to see what he did to Phoebe. He apparently stopped the bleeding, or was trying to. Apparently Marie wound was more concerning if he left the person who needed 'immediate attention' to attend to her.
Marie had similar thoughts since she asked, "What about Phoebe?"
"She's stable unlike you. Take you shirt off," he told Marie.
"What!" Heather and Marie shouted in unison.
"Excuse me boy, if you think that-"
"Your wound is really bad. You need stiches," he said while rolling his eyes. He started treading a needle with green thread. Marie glared at him. She could see Heather in the background shaking her head for her not to do it. She sighed and pulled off her shirt wishing she was wearing something underneath. She was left in a purple bra with her whole torso exposed down to her hips.
The boy barely glanced at her as he worked, he was focused at the wound, wiping the blood away, cleaning the wound and stitching it up. Paul was his assistant, handing him the tools and materials needed. Marie was glad for the painkillers he gave her. She didn't want to take it at first. What if they were harmful drugs? The boy argued with her until he gave up.
"Fine," he said, "just don't go wiggling while in cleaning the cut."
Two minutes later she swallowed the pill and was glad it gave immediate relief. She glared at the boy, daring him to say anything. He didn't.
He moved on to Heather and then back to Phoebe, and worked on her until she regained consciousness. The hunter blinked multiple times, scowling at the lights.
"Paul, dim the lights," the boy said as he helped Phoebe sit up.
Phoebe glanced around the room taking in the sight of blood, bandages, gauze, water, medicine and ruined clothes scattered around the room. She realized that besides the bra and the thick white bandages that roped around her, Marie's upper body wasn't clothed. Heather's pants were in pieces on the floor. Phoebe also noticed that under all the blankets wrapped around her, she was wearing nothing but her bra and underwear. Marie thought that Phoebe would have told the boy off but instead she smiled.
"Honestly Jackson, couldn't you not strip us to fix us?'
The boy laughed. "Now where's the fun in that?" he winked slyly.
Phoebe laughed. Marie and Heather were in shock. Did Phoebe just laugh at an innuendo made by a boy? Phoebe saw there shocked faces and smirked.
"This is Heather and Marie," she said to the boy. Then she turned to her fellow hunters, "And the boy you're sending death glares to is Percy Jackson.
Percy left after the introductions. He went upstairs to find them some clothes saying that their own had too much blood. Paul was cleaning up.
"That boy was Percy Jackson? As in the Percy Jackson?" Marie asked.
"Yep?" Phoebe replied.
They had heard a lot about Percy Jackson including how he was the only male acceptable to the hunt.
"Nobody told me he was hot." Heather muttered.
Phoebe snickered, "He is isn't he?"
"- Yea, yea fine. Just hurry up will ya? No- well I got distracted by some guest- yeah the came over for a- NO! Oh my gods NO! Yea fine. What- Of course- I'm done. I'll call you back. - sure sure, goodbye." Percy hanged up the phone. He gave the girls a tired smile.
"I have clothes."
"She was with you?" he asked.
"Yeah, she told us to come here. She told us that she'd follow…"
"Of course she did" he muttered and rolled his eyes. "I'll find her." And he was gone.
He found her on the ground surrounded by monster dust. She smiled at him as he approached.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me," she said.
For the rest of the day Percy entertained the girls in apartment. Heather could help but think that maybe all boys weren't that bad though Thalia still made both of them apologies to Percy for being 'rude'.
