Annabeth opened her eyes, and the bright light stung.
"Wherespercy?" she mumbled, her words running together. Voices she didn't recognize talked in hushed voices.
"Percy?"
"Isn't he the one who brought her here?"
"Call him!"
"Hurry!"
The voices fell silent. A door opened and closed. She couldn't see anything but white light. She closed her eyes again, and soon, she was asleep.
The phone wrang as Percy was leaving the house to go to school. For a week, he had tried to pretend that everything was fine.
"Percy, can you get the phone?" Sally called from upstairs.
"Sure! I'm early anyway!" he ran back into the kitchen and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Is this the home of Percy Jackson?"
"Yeah. I'm Percy."
"Percy, this is the town hospital's head doctor. It's about Annabeth." Percy blanched.
"Hold on a sec, okay?" he took the phone away from his ear and covered the mouthpiece. "Mom, it's the hospital! Something's up with Annabeth!" Upstairs, he heard something fall to the floor, then his mom charged down the stairs.
"Percy, give me the phone." he reluctantly obliged.
"Hello, this is Percy's mother. What's the problem?" A ten seconds passed before she spoke again.
"Yes, of course. I understand completely. He'll be right there." fear twisted Percy's stomach into knots as his mom hung up the phone.
"Percy, you need to go to the hospital. Annabeth woke up, and she wants you there right away."
"She's okay?"
"She's much better. I'll call the school." she handed him some money. "This is for the cab. Hurry!"
Percy ran out of the house and hailed a cab, handing the cabby the money his mom gave him and telling him the destination. The last thing he saw before the cab started to move was his mom standing in the doorway with the phone to her ear.
Annabeth woke up when a hand gently grabbed hers.
"Annabeth?" she opened her eyes and sat up. She immediately regretted the decision. She winced as her entire body felt like it was exploding.
"Don't move. You're still hurt."
She ignored him, kicking off the blankets. Someone had changed her into a hospital gown, exposing fresh cuts on her legs from her father's soccer cleats. He didn't even play. He just kept them around for abusive purposes.
The doctor came in with a look of worry on his face.
"Annabeth, you've healed a lot. You have to go home now. You've been here so many times in so many life threatening situations, I'm afraid we can't treat you anymore. This is the last time s"
Annabeth felt disappointed. She had never wanted to go back.
Percy watched as Annabeth walked down the stairs to the waiting room after changing into her old clothes again.
"I hope she'll be okay." he mumbled. He suddenly had an idea. He ran down the stairs after Annabeth.
"Annabeth, let me come with you! I need to know that you make it there alright!"
"Okay, but let me warn you. My dad is a total asshole."
"Understood."
Annabeth opened the door when the cab came to a stop.
"Don't come inside unless something really bad happens Percy, okay?"
"Alright. I'll just watch through the windows."
"Just, be careful, okay?"
"Don't worry about me, worry about you."
Annabeth nodded and stepped inside.
Percy positioned himself at the window. He watched Annabeth's dad's face twist into a mask of rage as she walked inside.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, BITCH!?"
"I'VE BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL, THANKS TO Y-!"
He swung his hand, and it collided with her face once again. She fell to the floor. While she was recovering, he slid into a pair of cleats by the door. A second to late, Percy realized what he was planning to do. Instead of normal cones, thick sewing needles stuck out of the bottom. Annabeth screamed as they sunk into her legs. Her father dealt another blow, this time through her stomach. He kicked her and scratched her at an amazing speed, so quickly that she was covered in blood by the time Percy made it to the doorframe.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!"
"Don't tell me how to parent, child." he wasn't yelling anymore. His voice was low, like a growl. He suddenly threw himself at Percy. When Percy stepped out of the way, he directed his attention to Annabeth, who was trying to drag herself away. He grabbed a knife from the counter and threw it. It sliced across both of her ankles, almost to the bone. Percy lunged while his back was turned.
He landed on Annabeth's dad's back, knocking him off balance. He hit the floor, and Percy rolled of. He stopped next to Annabeth, panting. He regained his energy quickly, and was running towards the door with Annabeth clutched to his chest before Mr. Chase could get up. He rushed her back to his house. Not wanting to bother his mom, who was upstairs sleeping, he lay Annabeth, who was still conscious, on the couch and grabbed the medical kit.
"Percy?" Annabeth whispered as he knelt down beside her.
"What is it?"
"Why did you help me?"
"Come on, you know."
"No, I don't. Most people I don't know that well would just leave me." there were tears streaming down her cheeks, into her still-open cuts.
"But I do know you well. And you know me more than anyone else."
Annabeth winced as Percy began to wrap a the bandage around her one of her ankle cuts.
"Annabeth, you're going to be okay."
He began to wrap another bandage around her other ankle.
"How- how do you know?"
"I just know, okay? I'm sure of it."
Percy began to treat the other scratches and punctures. By the time he finished, it was nearly midnight.
"It hurts!" Annabeth cringed as Percy rubbed Neosporin on a puncture that went deep into her leg.
"Sh. It's going to be okay." Percy's voice was soothing, and before she knew it, Annabeth had drifted off to sleep.
