Okay. New update! Yay! LOL. Just to clarify, Nico is not really talking to her. Annabeth is just making up his responses! He is still in his coma so...yup, he didn't magically wake up just to give her a life lesson or anything. I did not proofread on this so I'm so sorry if there is any mistakes. I was rushing to get this chapter updated. And now that I have, I will go do some homework and review :3
Make me happy and please R&R! I appreciate everyone of you guys that reviewed any of the last three chapters. It's great motivation and inspiration so...you know what to do!
~ C
As I maneuvered my way through the bustling streets of New York, I felt someone following me. At first it was just a prickle at the back of my neck. But as I continued to my destination, the feeling became more insistent. I caught a few brief glimpses of my follower but the descriptions weren't all that concrete. He looked familiar though. I knew I'd seen him before, I just didn't know who he was.
I clenched my hands and felt my panic rose with every step I took. What would happen if I had to fight him? If I had to confront him? He's going to keep tailing me until he eventually catches me alone and what could I do when that happens? I wasn't a fighter, I can't fight. I can't even throw a proper punch!
The only solution was to keep myself in the public eye. I watched enough movies to understand that they won't attack in public. Feeling more assured, I continued my journey to the hospital. It was visiting day. Every Saturday afternoon, I would find myself in front of the big looming building of New York's Neuropediatrics Hospital. Despite the doctor's firm beliefs that Nico couldn't hear anything I said, I kept up with my visits. Neglecting him was just as worse as giving up hope.
I turned the corner and pulled myself to a stop. The hospital was five stories tall with a more modern architecture. A long circular drive leading straight to the entrance. Like all the other skyscrapers in the city, this one was also made of glass; it reflected its surroundings, shimmering like a mirage. I paused and turned around, my eyes scrutinizing the pedestrians.
No one paid much attention to me. They all minded their own businesses but the back of my neck still prickled, confirming my suspicion. Squaring my shoulders, I pulled open the doors to the hospital and walked in. The smell of antiseptic and Lysol greeted me as I walked to the reception area.
A petite nurse in her late forties greeted me with a smile and after exchanging a few pleasantries; she pushed a clipboard towards me and told me to sign. I did so and passed the clipboard back to her, taking a discreet look around. The prickly feeling was gone and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Go on up, sweetheart." She typed a few keys on her computer before lifting her head back up and informing me, "The doctor wants to see you afterwards."
Feeling dread settling in my chest, I gave a weary nod and stalked down the hall. I suddenly felt tired and listless. I nodded half-heartedly to a couple of nurses walking past and finally stopped in front of a door with a golden plaque on the door that read: 784.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed down on the door handle and let myself in. The room was dark and sterile, appearing very cold and uninhabited. I let my eyesight rested on everything except for the small figure lying on the bed in the middle of the room. The heart monitor beside the bed was beeping periodically and the IV dripped unknown liquid into the bag. A vase full of wilted roses sat atop a small table and beside that were bundles of deflated balloons. I crossed over to the window and flung the curtains open, letting the sunlight spill in, lighting the room somewhat.
Finally, I swung my eyes towards Nico. His demeanor was always the same: lifeless, limp, and unresponsive. Just one look brought tears to my eyes and I didn't bother blinking them away. Pain coursed through my veins and I stumbled to the bed, gripping the handrail so tightly that my knuckles turned white.
"Nico..." I whispered, feeling my tear drops dripped down my face.
Since I never received any responses, I decided to conjure up his answers. It filled the wide chasm in my heart.
Annabeth, he sighed exasperatedly, stop crying. You look seriously unattractive right now.
I laughed softly. "I didn't ask you if I looked attractive. How are you?"
Fine, I guess. I hate this hospital though. They always keep the curtains closed. I never get to see the view. Besides, the nurses feed me chicken noodle soup every day! You know how disgusting it is having to eat that every day? Sheesh. And it's so boring in here!
I ran my fingers through his hair as he continued his rant. It was amazing how accurate my imagination could get. Nico's responses were extremely close to how he'd really reacted and that brought a sharp pang to my chest.
But enough about me, he stopped in the middle of his tirade, what's going on with you? I shrugged. "Nothing much. I got this architecture project and my boss is a arrogant asshole who's also a player." I groaned and let my head fall onto the mattress.
Ouch, Nico winced. Sorry, sis. Who is he, anyways?
"Percy Jackson." I replied then after a moment of hesitation, I added, "Dick."
Don't know him but he sounds familiar. You should ask Luke; Luke probably knows. He grew quiet. How are Thalia and Luke?
"They're still together." I answered. "They miss you."
I miss them too. And you, and Mom and Dad.
The happy moment was gone. Tears sprung back into my eyes and this time, Nico didn't reprimand me for crying. "I wish you would wake up."
Annabeth, I want to. I really do. But it's like...my brain's not cooperating. Nico replied, frustrated. Every time I try to, my effort just springs back at me. I think it's because it's not time for me to wake up yet.
"That's ridiculous!" I cried. "It's been a year! You've been in a vegetative state for the past year. It's definitely time for you to wake up." My silent tears grew louder until they were sobs. "You need to wake up. The guilt is eating at me. I keep thinking it's my fault, I keep reliving the moment it happened. I-I c-can't do it anymore, Nico. I know Mom and Dad haven't said anything but I know that they blame me. Even I blame myself. I could've stopped him. Ethan. I could've stopped the car. I could've - "
Stop it! Nico commanded. It's not your fault. It's Ethan's. Don't you ever think you had anything to do with it! That crash would've taken someone's life. Better mine than yours.
"What are you saying?" I exclaimed. "It should've been me! I should be on this bed, not you. You have so much life in you. You're missing out on so much! I'm so sorry!"
Would you rather I had die than being in this coma? Nico demanded.
"No!" I gasped.
There you go. I'm not gone. Far from it. I'm just mentally preparing myself so that when I do wake up, I could give you hell for the hole you're digging yourself into. I'm not gone, Annabeth. I'm simply...hibernating. You haven't lost me. I will wake up. I believe it and so should you. Have hope because that's the only thing that anyone will ever have when things go wrong. I have to go. Stop crying and try to salvage the rest of your Saturday, okay? I'll be fine.
I nodded. He was right. I needed to have hope. My little brother wasn't gone. Not yet. "Okay. I love you."
Nico smiled. I love you too, Annabeth.
...
"Mom? Dad?" I called out as I walked into my parents' apartment. I stumbled into the kitchen and snatched a bottle of water from the fridge, taking a long drink. My father emerged from the living room and his face was grim.
"How is he?" My mother, Athena, entered the kitchen behind him and scrutinized me.
I pulled out a chair and gingerly lowered myself down in it, feeling my limbs ached. "His vital signs are fine. But he won't wake up for a little while." I answered, gripping my water bottle tightly in my hand. The plastic crinkled and I released it in disgust. "They want to release him to a nursing home."
My father pulled out another chair and sat down opposite of me. My mother followed in suit. She was still silent but her startling grey eyes - a mirror of mine - took in everything. "Why?"
"Doctor Mendez claimed that it is against hospital policy to keep a comatose patient in the ICU for more than three months and as we all know, it's been a year." I sighed and rubbed my eyes, feeling sleep settling in.
"Have you given them an answer? An agreement?"
"No." I shook my head. "I want to discuss this with you. Should we really do this? I mean, Nico won't be under constant supervision. What if something goes wrong?"
"We haven't had a choice, Annabeth." My mother spoke up, her voice quiet but commanding. "Hospitals have their policies and we're not above the rules. Whether we like it or not, we'll have to transfer him."
I stared at her in disbelief but then realization dawned. "You've thought about this, haven't you?"
She nodded tentatively. "It occurred to me, yes."
"But what if something goes wrong?" I cried desperately.
"Annabeth," My mother reprimanded sharply. She disliked it whenever I delved into the problem too much. She's always forced me to focus on the bright side instead of the dark. My mother was a woman of logic and like always, she's had everything figured out. "There will be nurses on duty twenty-four seven. The chances of anything happening to him is unlikely. Although there is still the concern of payment. We can't take any more out of the company funds and we cannot afford to take any more money out of our investments."
We were silent. Already we've taken thousands out of our investments and the funds; we couldn't afford to take anymore. The insurance, I knew for a fact, won't cover the majority of the expenses and we were all out of loans. The question was: how can we pay for the transfer?
"The commission." I said quietly.
"What?"
"The twenty thousand dollars commission from Mr. Jackson. I can use the money to pay for the transfer." I explained, feeling my excitement rose. Seeing my father open his mouth, ready to protest, I held up my hand to stop him. "No, I want to do this. Besides, the money would've gone to the hospital billings anyway."
"Athena, go call Doctor Mendez and tell her to affirm the transfer. Annabeth, come, we've got to look for some good homes." My mother grabbed the phone off its charger and stalked into the next room, her posture stiff.
"Is she...?"
"She's a bit stressed out. Don't worry about it." Reluctantly, I let my father lead me into his office, and closed the door softly behind me. He sat down in front of his laptop and quickly opened up a search engine, typing in a few words. His spacious office was filled with the sounds of keys clacking. My eyes zeroed on his desk, its finished surface littered with blueprints and thick opened volumes with a light sheen of dusts on the cover.
"How's the project going?" Dad asked, his eyes still glued to his flashing computer screen.
I picked up a stack of papers and began going through them absently. "Hm? It's going fine. The design should be finalized tomorrow when I present the idea to Mr. Jackson. With any luck, he'll approve."
"And how is working with his son?" He asked. His lips were set in a straight line but his eyes twinkled with amusement.
I didn't know how to respond. I honestly haven't formed my opinion of Percy yet. From what I'd seen and heard so far, he was a tangled mess of arrogance with a hint of sweetness. "More than I can handle, that's for sure." I replied truthfully and moved to one of the wide opened volumes sprawled haphazardly across my father's desk. The tome was opened to a page describing comatose patients.
"But you guys are working together right? He's seen your design?"
I nodded. "Yeah. He made some suggestions and we're all set for the presentation with his father on Monday."
"That's good."
A heavy silence settled over my father's study and I fiddled with his paraphernalia nervously. Everything was coming apart. When Nico was first admitted into the hospital, Doctor Mendez had predicted that he won't be in a coma for more than two weeks. It's been a year and the results still hasn't changed. My parents might not admit it but I knew they were thinking what everyone else was: that this was permanent, that Nico might never wake up.
"Come. I think I found the perfect place."
Even as I scanned the computer screen and nodded in approval, I knew it wasn't perfect. Things weren't near perfect until I have my little brother by my side - awake and alive.
...
"No changes, Thalia." I announced as I placed the phone between my cheek and shoulder. I could hear shuffling in the background and a masculine voice shouting.
"Really? I'm sorry."
I shrugged though I knew she couldn't see me. "So what did you do all day?"
Thalia heaved a sigh. "Change Luke's bloody bandages."
I winced; the sudden onslaught of bloody imagines caused my stomach to churn. "Ouch."
"Right?"
"Did you tell Luke you'd been spending at least a year in Italy?"
I heard an indignant what? in the background and a lot of thumping. Thalia's growled lowly, "Not yet."
"Oops." I giggled, grabbing a banana and peeling off its peel. I grabbed a small knife and chopped it into tinier pieces before throwing it into the blender along with a few frozen strawberries. After adding a cup of milk, I twisted the cap back on and blended it. "Sorry. He deserved to know!" I said defensively.
"Anyway, speaking of Percy Jackson, I found something about him."
"Okay. First, we weren't even talking about Percy Jackson. He wasn't even mentioned! And whatever it is, I don't want to know." I said firmly, shaking the pink slush from the blender into a glass.
"Oh, I think you do." Thalia responded deviously. "Okay, you ready?"
"No." I deadpanned.
Thalia ignored me and proceeded on with her momentous discovery. "After I took care of Luke at the hospital, I did some research. It involved a little bit of hacking and breaching security measures but it's important."
"Yeah, should I stop you there so I can pass the lie detector test later?" I asked, taking a sip from my smoothie.
"Probably." Thalia replied. "Anyways, when he was eighteen, he was driving home with his best friend and they were both drunk out of their minds. Percy was driving and his friend was passed out in the backseat. I don't know the exact details but a truck collided with them. It was a hit and run. They never did catch the other driver but his friend died right on the spot but Percy managed to get out without so much as a scratch. I also found out that he went to a therapist so I went down there and got my hands on his files. You will never believe that I found out!"
While Thalia was still babbling at top speed, I tuned her out. His story was so familiar to mine. A car crash. Check. Both of us got out unharmed. Check. Our loved ones paid for the consequences. Check. It was eerie. And as she retold his life story, I began to relive mine. The pain was so fresh and raw that it sent throbbing bolts to my heart.
"He has night terrors."
Flashing headlights.
"Sometimes he would wake up screaming."
Nico's face streaming with tears.
"He swore that his friend's face still haunts him at night."
A blinding flash and then...
Nothing.
"Annabeth? Are you still there?"
I gasped and lurched back to reality. "Yeah. I-I'm here."
Silence. Then, "Are you okay?"
My thumb was poised over the End Call button as I said, "I'll call you back."
"Okay but - "
The line cut off. I tossed the phone onto the couch and raced to my bedroom where I unpacked my laptop from my messenger bag and booted it back up. His story. So eerily similar. I opened up a search engine and watched the blinking cursor, a feeling of uncertainty passed through me.
I finally typed it night terrors and clicked search.
