Sorry this is so late. Actually I'm not really that sorry but I was super busy and when I did have time it wasn't really flowing the way I wanted it to.

Slight trigger warnings for this chapter because Piper did some drugs y'all. I'm clearly not an expert or anything but Don't do drugs kids (if you do do drugs do it smart, don't take drugs from strangers, don't mix substances, take small amounts so you know how your body will react, and do it with other people in case something bad happens.)

Drew

The road was dark and winding. The shadows from our lanterns were stretched and distorted, reaching for me from every direction. We could only see a few feet in every direction before the weak light from the lanterns was consumed by the darkness. Everywhere the darkness seemed to be looming and my thoughts were as dark as the shadows around us. 'What if we couldn't find Piper, what if she was hurt, what if she was dead…' my thoughts began to spiral and I was losing sense of reality. I was overcome with fear. It was everywhere, covering my skin and carving the light out of my chest. The darkness felt like it was about to consume me, until I felt calloused fingers lacing between my own delicate ones. The warm solid feeling of Percy's hand in mine spread from my fingers up my arm, filling my body with light and settling in my bones, grounding me in reality. Percy glanced at me and when he saw I wasn't pulling away he gently squeezed my hand. Percy attempted a reassuring smile and I tried to smile back before lifting my lantern and resuming my search.

We were almost all the way to town when Selina screamed. "Oh my gods! Piper!" Selina froze in place for a moment in sheer horror before running to the side of the road. As she approached the slight ditch between the road and the tree line her lantern illuminated the area. As Selina got closer the rest of our group was frozen in place with the same horror that Selina must have felt mere seconds ago. Percy's grip on my hand tightened as the lantern revealed a figure in the ditch. She was unconscious, her hair wild and falling out of her usual braid. Her clothes were torn and her bronze skin was littered with small cuts. it looked as if she had crawled part of the way down the road and gotten caught in some of the brambles that reached out of the woods, but it was definitely Piper. Percy dropped my hand as he sprinted to Piper and I felt the loss keenly but I trailed after him, Thalia and Jason hot on my heels. "Backup, back up! Give them space!" Selina implored us as Percy gently rolled Piper over and leaned down to check her breathing. I felt myself holding my own breath as I watched Percy count Piper's breaths. "She's breathing, but it's very slow and shallow. We need an ambulance." Percy stated as calmly as he could, "Jason, Piper is going to be fine but I need you to go with Selina and Thalia into town to get a doctor."

"No! I need … I need to stay here! What if, what if she wakes up and she's scared? Or if she … if she doesn't wake up? I have to be here for her!" Jason was frantic, pacing back and forth, tripping over his words.

"Jason." Percy said placatingly, "Piper will be safe with me and Drew, we know what to do and I need you to keep Selina and Thalia safe when they go to town. This is the best way for you to help Piper."

"C'mon Jason," Thalia said shakily, "lets go hurry and get the ambulance."

Jason nodded quickly, his glasses slipping down his nose slightly. "Okay, we'll go to town." With Jason, Thalia, and Selina heading off to get the ambulance it was up to Percy and I to try and keep Piper stable. I kneeled down next to Percy and held Piper's hand, gently murmuring reassurances, both to Piper and herself. Piper's fingertips were turning blue I noticed dully, and her hands were cold as ice. I began rubbing her hands back and forth over Piper's icy ones to warm them. As Percy tipped her head back slightly to open up Piper's airway as much as possible. We sat like that, next to Piper in the chilly fall air, for what must have been at least half an hour. At some point Percy's hoodie was draped over Piper's torso and, a short time later, I felt him place his jacket around my shoulders. The ambulance finally came, it's workers quickly loaded Piper up, someone told me that I should go to the hospital to wait for Piper to wake up. And when the ambulance departed as quickly, and loudly, as it came. Percy and I walked into town.

"Alprazolam." The doctor informed us. "It's a fairly new prescription drug. You might know it as Xanax. She took a normal dosage but she was highly intoxicated at the time which greatly increased the likelihood that she would overdose."

"Is she ok?" Jason asked urgently, stepping closer to the doctor. The doctor took a step back, eyeing us carefully. "Yes, Ms. Mclean will be right as rain quite soon. We just have to pump her stomach and give her some medication but she should be able to see … friends and family in a few hours." The doctor gave us all one more quick glance before bustling away. That's when I realized why the doctor had been giving us such odd looks. I knew how I was dressed, how Selina and Piper looked. When Thalia, Jason, and Selina had arrived at the hospital they probably didn't even notice Selina. I was sure it was a shock for them to see Piper, she was so obviously Jason's girlfriend, and I'd never quite realized how they must look to the people of these small towns. I was suddenly so aware of Percy's hand in mine and it felt like the doctor's eyes were still watching us. I dropped his hand.

Hey babes, sorry this is like three weeks late. :( it just wasn't really working for me so I just left it for a bit to work on some other small things (some of that will be posted soon i guess but honestly i'm kind of a mess rn so who knows. I don't really have any notes for this update, but the next 2-3 chapters will be mostly fluff and then we'll really be getting into the main arc. get ready for some piperxjason cuteness!

thanks for your patience xx