Sorry that took so long! Ok as promised, shirtless Percy for a chapter!
No I still don't own it!
"It's hard to enjoy practical jokes when your whole life feels like one."
And thanks to AnnabethC98 for helping me edit this chapter J
Ok deep breath Annabeth, it's just blood… and raw skin… and a bone. Blood is to me what height is to Thalia, we just don't get along. But Percy is trusting us to fix him, and fix him I will!
"Ouch." is what Thalia deems appropriate to say at that moment; fortunately it appears Percy has a great sense of humor.
He smiles at us and in a strained voice that tells me he is lying says, "It's not as bad as it looks, barely hurts anymore. One or two might be bleeding, but it'll be fine." he reaches to grab his shirt back as if to put it back on, but I've already grabbed it and planned on using it as bandages. What I would really need it a needle and thread to sew him back up, but I'm lacking severely in tools here so I'm stuck using a bloody tee shirt to try to bind him back together.
"Oh yeah right. Percy you can't just leave this unattended, you're sort of falling apart." I try to make a joke of the fact that his entire body looks like meat you see at the butchers.
He gives me a goofy grin and says, "And what, Dr. Annabeth, are you going to use to fix me with? My dirty tee shirt?"
"Maybe, you have a problem with that?" I say, faking insulted.
Percy tenses telling me he actually does have a problem with that, "Shockingly I'd love to be able to wear my shirt if you don't mind." he reaches again for his shirt, I pull it back from him and out of his reach knowing he has no chance of moving enough to reach for it.
"Alright, you have my shirt, how is that going to help you fix me?" his voice is tense, he isn't happy.
I look at Thalia for help and she smiles, she has a much higher tolerance for blood than me.
"Ok this is what we are going to do. Percy, I need you to lie down so the skin at your wounds isn't bunched together from sitting up. Annabeth, I need you to keep Percy laying down because he isn't going to like this. I'm going to just bind some strips around the worst of his cuts to get the bleeding to slow at least, I don't want to tie them too tight because that might slow the circulation to the rest of his body. Everyone got it?" I nod, Percy stares.
"And how do I know you have any idea what you're doing?"
Thalia grins, "You don't, you're just going to have to trust me. Because if you don't and you leave these open to the air down here, you're definitely screwed." Plain and simple, very Thalia.
Percy nods, he knows she is right, and shifts slightly so he can lie down somewhat comfortably. I move to his head and wait for Thalia to give me further instructions.
"Grab his shoulders, do not touch any cuts!" She is dead serious, which is a rarity with Thalia. To be honest I'm confused as to why I'm holding Percy's shoulders, comfort maybe? I figure out the real reason quickly. The moment Thalia places the cloth on one of the still bleeding cuts Percy's entire body tenses and he holds his breath in. She starts to tighten the makeshift bandage around his torso and Percy reaches an arm up to stop her. He shakes his head, telling her to stop.
"Beth, grab his arms." I do as I'm told, pulling Percy's arms to the ground and holding them there. She finishes one of the ties and I turn to see Percy's face. His color is ever further gone, but I think that is from pain not blood loss; and his eyes are shut so tight I fear he won't ever open them again. I have to see those eyes again or I'll go crazy in this place. I wouldn't be able to take the basement or the men upstairs if I didn't get to see those eyes. Almost as if he knows my desperation his face loosens enough for him to open his eyes. He looks directly at me; I stroke his cheek trying to take away the pain that is so far past my imagination. I turn to Thalia, who is ripping the shirt into another bandage,
"Enough, for now." She opens her mouth to argue,
"Thalia, look at him." She is tough, but she is not heartless. Percy is breathing shallowly, the pain still evident in his body. She nods, but it's sad somehow, as if she knows this is just the beginning. For all we know one of us could be in his place next. And that is when we heard the door to the basement open.
Ok Guys, sorry that was a few days longer than expected but I was busy and didn't want to give you a bad chapter. Ok this is a little shorter than I wanted it to be but I thought this was a good place to end it, haha cliffy! Ok give me reviews so I care enough to write another chapter! I swear the next one will be way longer and really start to get into the plot!