Nine days later, Percy had dark circles under his eyes, and had eaten the barest minimum.
Piper watched him from the doorway to the mess hall, Jason hovering behind her, their hands intertwined. Coach was leaning against the wall opposite to them, lips pressed tight together.
Percy was slumped at one of the tables, sitting across from Nico and Hazel.
Annabeth falling into Tartarus had hit them all hard, but not as hard as it had to Percy.
Piper had lost her best friend, aside from Leo and Jason. Leo had disappeared into the engine room, emerging only for food, and even then he sometimes sent Buford out for it.
They had never seen Percy like this: so hysterical and fragile.
Suddenly Nico gave a small gasp and Percy's eyes snapped up to him, hope and resignation shining in their depths.
Hazel glanced at Nico who looked back at her. Hazel covered her mouth with her hand, fresh tears in her amber eyes.
"Nico." Percy's voice was cracked and rusty from disuse. He was sitting horribly still, so unlike his usual fidgeting.
Nico shook his head, a tiny, hushed "No." whispering past his lips.
Frank came forward and hugged Hazel who cried in his arms.
Piper felt Jason's arms come around her waist, and she dropped her head in defeat, tears dripping down her cheeks. Wetness spreading on her shoulder told her Jason was crying too.
Through her tears, she heard rustling and clunking behind her. When she turned her head, Leo was standing there, Buford by his side.
Leo had tear streaks down his soot and grease-stained cheeks. When he looked at Piper and Jason, then at everyone inside the room, another tear slipped down.
Jason held out an arm, silently inviting Leo to join the hug and Leo half-stumbled over to them, his right hand brushing against Buford's top, trying to keep himself balanced.
He leaned against them, looking back at Hazel who was gazing at them blankly from across the room.
"Perce." Nico's almost silent voice sounded deafening in the shocked silence of the room.
They had all known Annabeth had a tiny chance of survival, but she had done so well in her own quest, they had clung on to a shard of hope.
"No." growled Percy, standing up, flinging his chair back, sending it skittering across the floor.
Outside of the room, pipes exploded again, drawing an exhausted sob out of Leo who had spent ages and used countless supplies to fix them after the events over a week ago.
Piper could hear the crashing of waves below them and the ship surged in the water. She was flung against the doorway as they pounded into the side of the Argo II.
Leo cast an apologetic look towards Percy who was standing in the middle of the room, fists clenched at his sides, before turning and tiredly loping down the corridor in an attempt to get the ship stable.
Piper pulled Jason's arms off her, giving his hands a regretful squeeze, and turned to dash down the hall after Leo.
Just as she turned to leave, a quiet voice speak up from inside the room.
"I will make her pay."