So this wasn't my best chapter word count wise but I had to stop myself or it would have been about 5000 words! Sorry that updates are a bit slow, soccer season is in full swing and with practices three nights a week and games on weekends, my time has seriously been cut in half! So read, enjoy and review if you like!

Disclaimer : I do not own Percy Jackson, or any of the content published from Rick Riordan.

Chapter 3

Grace managed to get us out of the building and into the parking lot before we were busted by our student adviser. She literally came out of nowhere and was standing directly in our path.

"Get out of the way Amy," Grace grumbled rudely as she tried to balance my weight with our sudden stop.

"No, we are under curfew and you two are breaking that rule! I could easily have you removed for this!"

"Bull shit," Grace spat back at her.

I was going to interject but the pounding in my head took over again. All I could do was slam the heel of my hand into my temple and hang on to Grace.

Amy stepped closer to us to try and block our path even more. "I said, no! Now go back to your dorm, I don't care how drunk she is, she can ride it out in the dorm like everyone else!" She crossed her arms over her chest and stood her ground.

Any other day I would have politely told her off, especially since I didn't drink but I just didn't have the energy. I squeezed my eyes shut and tears pushed their way out of the corners. "Just go Grace."

Grace did as she was told and started to take a step around Amy when she reached out to stop us. She grabbed my arm and when she touched me, I instantly leaned over and threw up all over her shoes. I can't say she totally deserved my steaming pile of bile on her feet but it got the point across that we needed to leave.

Amy jumped back and screamed. Grace on the other hand rushed us past her as soon as I was done retching.

"Sorry Amy! By the way, I will be sure to let the Dean know you were out after curfew as well, stopping students from getting to the E.R," Grace screamed back at her as we made our way to her Explorer. "Thank you for doing that on her feet and not in my car," She exclaimed as I hobbled along as quickly as I could to the passenger door.

All I could do was nod. We made it to her Explorer and she shoved me into her car as gently as she could, which for Grace, meant pushing me back into the seat and slamming the door on me.

I closed my eyes as we drove to the E.R. and willed the pain in my leg and head to go away without much luck.

"I am going to run in and get you someone and a wheelchair. You don't need to walk any more than you already have."

I cracked my left eye open to look at her but the tears were in the way. Nodding was quickly becoming my second language. I closed my eyes again and moments later there was a knock on the window next to me. I didn't even notice that she had parked the car and left me to fend for myself.

I opened the door to find Grace behind a wheelchair and a young woman in purple scrubs holding a hand out to help me.

"Hurry. We need to get back inside. It's not safe out here," she whispered as she let her eyes dart all over the parking lot.

I wanted to ask her what she meant about it not being safe, but the pain in my head and leg were getting to me. I couldn't even make words come out of my mouth let alone full sentences, so instead I stuck out my hands and she carefully helped me into the wheelchair.

I leaned forward in my new seat and pressed my hands to my head again, the pressure on my temples the only thing keeping my head from exploding. 'Where the hell was this headache coming from and why was my ankle in more pain than my bleeding knee?'

The nurse practically ran me into the E.R., not even bothering to make me fill out any of the information on the usual charts. She ran past the desk and nurses station which was oddly empty and took me to an empty room at the back of the triage area.

She and Grace helped me out of the chair and up onto the bed. I really wanted to lie down but I was afraid that I might actually never get up if I did.

"Look, all I can do is fix you up and send you on your way. A lot of crazy stuff has been happening tonight and my presence will be missed here in a few minutes."

I watched her as she put gloves on and pulled out what looked like a suture kit.

"Tell me what happened." She sat down next to me and tried to get me to focus on her but the pain in my head refused to let me.

Grace quickly stepped to my other side and filled her in on everything from the man at the Backbone to my fever and throwing up back at the dorm.

"Shit!"

"What?" Grace and I questioned in unison.

The nurse shook her head and then quickly made her way to my ankle. "It's crossed. This . . . is not good," She let out in a raspy breath. "How long has it been since you were scratched?" She looked up at me from her spot on the floor with piercing green eyes.

I simply shrugged my shoulders and pressed my hands to my temples again. The pain was getting worse and it was taking everything I had in me not to pass out right there on top of her.

"I need to know how long!" Her voice was high pitched and desperate.

I could see Grace shaking her head, trying to remember times but this evening had been a blur for both of us. "It's been well over three hours."

The nurse shook her head and looked up at me. I felt her grab my face with both of her hands as she tried to get me to look her in the eyes.

"Tell me what hurts," she requested of me quietly.

"My head. The pain . . . the pain . . ." Suddenly I felt like the man back at the Backbone and I instantly busted out into tears.

Grace looked at me confused and then back at the nurse. "Help her!"

"Lay back. Let me stitch your knee and then tend to the rest. I don't have a lot of time left."

I did as I was told with the help of Grace who still looked as lost as ever.

"Would someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?"

Even with my eyes closed, I could tell that Grace was busy pacing next to me. She was one of those people who could almost control the mood of a room when she was in it. The vibe she was giving off was highly energized, full of stress and confusion.

"Stop pacing and sit down next to her and I will tell you! Just for God's sake, STOP pacing!"

I felt Grace plop down in a chair next to me and the mood shifted again, a heavy tension filling the room.

The nurse was quiet for several minutes as she filled my knee with a local anesthetic. Honestly she should have just stitched me then and there and not even bothered with the local as I felt every painful stitch as she started on closing the gash on my knee.

"Here is what I know," She was whispering to us as she quickly made stitch after stitch. "There is a new vaccination that the government is pressing on certain groups of people. Those with respiratory issues, prone to chronic illness . . . things like that. Listen to me carefully. DO NOT under any circumstances take this vaccine."

"Why?"

"Because she didn't add the medical field in that group of people who need to get the vaccine," I replied with a hushed voice. Despite the massive migraine raging in my head, I could still comprehend some things at least.

"Exactly. The medical field personnel are always the first to get the recommended vaccinations because we come in contact with everything. We need that added help of immunity. They don't even want us taking this vaccine!" I could tell she was tense as the stitching went from slow and careful to fast and fervent.

"Here is the thing, the vaccine is doing weird things to people. We have seen a lot of people coming in here with symptoms similar to yours. Headache, fever, throwing up . . ." She trailed off and I tried to concentrate on what she was saying but the pounding in my temples was at its peak.

"But she hasn't had any vaccinations. So how does she have these same symptoms?" Grace was panicked and the mood again shifted. She was back on her feet again, pacing.

"These people are being infected with something in the vaccine. The only difference is they have all turned violent. Biting, scratching and trying to rip people apart kind of violent. My guess is the man who scratched you was infected with . . . whatever this is, and you are now infected."

"But Annabeth isn't violent. How long does it take to get violent?"

"Right now, the estimate is between two to five hours of symptoms appearing. It could longer in those with a stronger immune system. We just don't know. We have been seeing more and more cases since the vaccine was released on Wednesday. So far, what I know is that some people are being effected within hours of receiving the vaccine and others it has been days."

Grace was pacing frantically now. Each footstep she made on the hard tile floor made my head pound harder.

"Grace, I am going to say this as nicely as I can . . . sit the fuck down before I beat you into the chair!" Even through the pain, I made sure that my voice was calm and even. I knew that was the only way I was going to get Grace to calm down. She was only scared of me when I was angry and calm at the same time.

I opened my eyes, only to be greeted by the blinding light of the room and more black dots in my eyes. I blinked again and tried to focus on Grace. She had finally stopped behind the chair, her fingers gripping the back of it so tight that her knuckles had turned white.

I tried desperately to focus but everything was just a big blur. The urge to throw up was creeping up on me and I sat up quickly, just as the nurse finished the last stitch on my knee. Before I knew it, there was a bucket in my lap and Grace was holding back my damp curls.

Dry heaves are the worst. My abdomen was screaming at me from the muscle spasms but the plus side was that the pain in my head was beginning to subside.

"So what does all of this mean? How do we know what is going on?" Grace was pacing again as she asked her questions. She caught my glare and stopped behind the chair again.

The nurse looked up at Grace and then at me. "I wish I had an answer for you but sadly I do not. I am going to bandage this mess up for you and then I need to go and you girls need to get somewhere safe."

I could feel her spray my ankle with some sort of antiseptic, and the stinging sensation brought me back to reality for a moment.

"So, if this really is as bad as my mind is currently telling me, nowhere is going to be safe," I said as I wiped the sweat off of my forehead.

The nurse looked up at me sadly and nodded.

I flopped back onto the bed as she bandaged my ankle. I closed my eyes and tried to think but I really needed sleep all of a sudden. I could hear her and Grace talking quietly but my mind was wandering off as they spoke.

"What do I do if she gets violent?"

The nurse sighed into her answer, "Lock her in a room. Do not let her touch you and call the police. If all else fails, severe head trauma is the only want to stop her."

"What?"

"It's the only way to stop them once they change. I have done all I can for her. Take these with you and remember to keep an eye on her. I have to go. I have been in here too long. Be safe and pray she is immune."

I heard Grace sniffle and wished I could comfort her as I heard her shove some things into her bags.

"Come on Annabeth. We need to get you back to the dorm."

I allowed her to help me back into the wheelchair and then into her car. After that the exhaustion took over and I allowed myself to succumb too much needed sleep.