DISCLAIMER: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
After I took the wet cloth off his forehead, my face twisted at the sight of the blood and grime that had come off with it. He had a temperature, and although I had managed to bring it down a bit, now it was stuck at an unacceptable 102 degrees which I was determined to bring to at least a 99.
I had somehow managed to bring this man all the way back to my apartment. He was lying on the couch, still unconscious. Without Thalia home, I knew I'd at least have enough time to fix him up a bit before getting a lecture about taking home strange guys.
After repositioning a new cool cloth on his head, I was about to get some bandages when I accidently touched his shoulder. There was a sharp intake of breath and I moved back to get a better look of it. There wasn't anything visible from the top, but when I moved him slightly to look at it from behind I saw that the cloth of his coat and shirt were completely torn. There was a huge gash in their place, staining the back of his coat and a part of the couch.
The wound itself was ghastly, leaving me to wonder even more about what had happened to this guy. I went to grab the first aid kit and try to at least stop the bleeding. As I tried to clean it, I could hear him grunt in pain. I turned to look at his face and I could see his eyelashes wet with tears. He was biting his lip softly, as if knowing there was more pain to come. I figured out a way to pull off his coat without hurting him too much and bandaging the shoulder, stopping his blood loss.
I thought about taking him to the hospital but reconsidered because I had no idea who he was. What if he couldn't pay for medical treatment? What if he was a criminal? I could be putting him in danger if I went straight to the authorities. Then again I shouldn't be caring, should I?
I suddenly wondered if this man had a wallet. If someone attacked him then they might've taken it, but maybe there were some credit card we could track or something.
But I wouldn't know until he woke up…
I heard the door open and I braced myself for what might happen. I expected a scream or at least something. Instead there was only silence. I turned to see Thalia with a strange look on her face…it was almost afraid. She took a deep breath then spoke.
"What is he doing here? How did he find this place?" she said, her voice filling with anger. "Get him out."
Does she know him? It almost seems like it. I looked from Thalia to the man and raised an eyebrow. "I found him and he was hurt and I couldn't just leave him there…"
"You don't know who he is."
"Do you?"
Thalia glared at me then stormed into her room. I could hear loud Green Day music being blasted from the speakers, and I knew there would be people calling to complain that it was too loud.
And she's supposed to be the responsible one…
Hours later, after I was getting tired of hearing 'Kill the DJ' on repeat and the man's temperature at 97 degrees something finally happened. He twitched a little bit, and then his eyes fluttered open.
"How are you feeling?" I asked, speaking slowly. He nodded his head and began trying to sit up, but winced due to the shoulder injury. "Don't worry, just lie down."
The man closed his eyes again and nodded, leaving me to stare at him. Then he finally said something.
"Thank you."
His voice was dry and hoarse, and I decided to get him some water. As I walked into the kitchen, Thalia stepped out of her room with a frown. "Is he gone?"
"He just woke up. I'll find out who he is and we'll call the police if necessary."
I walked back to the couch with Thalia behind me. I touched his face and his eyes flew open again. Then he jerked away from me.
"Are you okay?" I asked, setting the water down on the end table. He was staring right at Thalia, and he nodded.
I helped him sit up, and he drank the water, no longer staring at Thalia. She was still glaring at him though, her eyes so fierce that I was sure that they knew each other.
"So what brings you back to New York?" asked Thalia. The man looked up at her with a wrinkled brow.
"I'm sorry?" he croaked, his voice showing slight improvement. "I don't know you."
"Don't lie to me, Jackson."
"Who's that?" he asked. His face was clueless.
"Thalia," I said, turning to her. "Let me handle this." She narrowed her eyes at him but seemed to agree since she went back into her room. I turned to the man and spoke. "What's your name?"
"I don't know."
I'm guessing it has something to do with Jackson.
A/N: So this is chapter two! Not the best, but this story is focused on plot (as many of my other stories) instead of some deeper meaning. I personally believe that the 'life lesson' stuff kind of just shows up to the reader, no matter what it is. Some authors may intend to slip in some sort of moral to their story, but I like letting the audience just interpret everything the way they want. Also, I'm much too lazy to make this fanfiction some sort of soul-searching piece of art.
Anyways, I hope you liked it! Follow if you want to read more, review because I just love feedback, and until next time!
