SummerSpirit18: Anyone who worships math needs a serious reality check and possibly some counseling. I'm glad you loved it all, I have a huge soft spot for angsty dramatic love, which the end totally was. I'm glad to see that someone actually reads these notes. By the way, I totally agree with the five-day-week two-day-weekend thing, but I think if I had too much more summer vacation I would go crazy. I don't know where you live, but I live in the middle of fucking nowhere with nothing to do and two siblings. They're turning ten this July (they stole my birthmonth) and they're twins. You know that thing people say about twins reading each other's minds? Yeah, it's true and very creepy. Thank you for understanding that it takes time to update.

Mrs-diAngelo25: Thank you, and if that chapter made you cry I think this one might. But I'm a really bad judge of that, I don't really cry at anything.

trustingHim17: My parents won't let me have an account because they're mean. My mom is a writer (on the side) and she thinks that I should always be trying to improve myself and FF doesn't make me improve myself. She also thinks that I'll spend too much time here. Ha. I don't spend enough time here.

LizziDaughterOfHades: I think you can get 21CB converse, I'm not sure. If you can that's what I want. Best album ever. My internet isn't restricted, it's just monitored. Which sucks, but it's better than restrictions.

RainonSaturn: Thank you. I would try that, but this is working perfectly. My parents don't know and unless my annoying little brother who is currently sitting next to me tells them they won't find out. But I'll take that into consideration.

Radiogirl12: I hope you didn't go insane waiting for this chapter.

Thalico and Percabeth FTW: I'm not sure what you mean by "it attacks me right in the feels", but thank you I think.

infinity heart star lightning: I'm glad I made your day. I loved that chapter, too, especially the end. It would be awesome to be able to change your life like that. I would make it just like Thalia's world. By the way, I finished your plaque but I'm not sure how to send it to you. I feel like I should ask for your email, but then I would feel like a stalker. If you have an idea, let me know. I think it's a pretty cool plaque. Even if it's more like a certificate.

Nico Di Angelo101: I love your username, and I'm sorry it took so long.

I don't own Percy Jackson or Lithium by Evanescence.

Chapter 13 – Lithium

watch?v=95Im4jkdtSE

Nico slept for ten hours, and Bianca had finished all four movies and was dozing when he sat straight up in bed.

"Nico?" Bianca said sleepily. "What's up?"

Nico threw off the blanket and stood up. "We have to go to the hospital."

Bianca sat up, wide awake and worried. "What's wrong?" she asked, getting out of bed to put on her shoes.

"Thalia."

Bianca visibly relaxed with both shoes on and one untied. "Nico, Thalia will be there when it's not 9:30 at night."

"Fine." Nico held out his hand. "Give me the keys, I'll drive myself."

"Visiting hours are over anyway."

Nico didn't move.

Bianca hesitated. She knew the nurses wouldn't care, they knew Nico and how much he cared about Thalia, they'd let him in. And she didn't want to take him, he needed more sleep and food, but she knew if she didn't he would drive himself, even if she didn't give him the keys he would hotwire the car (which Thalia had helpfully taught him to do). And Nico was in no state to be driving.

She picked up the keys off the table and headed for the door, ignoring her untied shoelaces.

The ride to Castaldo Memorial Mental Hospital was quiet. When they got there Nico jumped out of the car and strode over to the doors. The nurses didn't try to stop him, as they'd expected, and when Bianca caught up with him he was standing outside Thalia's room watching the doctors swarm around her through the glass. The doctors were holding her down while she writhed against them.

Nico went to open the door, but Bianca grabbed him before he could. "They know what they're doing, Nico."

One of the doctors saw them waiting outside, saw the desperate look in Nico's eyes, and crossed over to poke her head out. "Are you Nico?" she asked. He nodded, and she opened the door wider and gestured for him to come in.

He crossed to the bed and took Thalia's hand. "Thalia," he said quietly.

She looked up at him and stopped struggling. The doctors backed away and almost all of them left, except for one who checked her IVs and monitors and another who smiled and began asking Thalia questions, how was she feeling, did her head hurt, was she feeling nauseous, until Nico cleared his throat and fixed the young nurse with his death glare. She left, mumbling about coming back later. The other doctor followed.

Thalia closed her eyes and sighed, then opened them again. Nico smoothed her hair back. He pulled a chair up and sat down, and continued stroking her hair.

"I thought you weren't going to wake up," he said quietly.

She smiled. "You were the one who told me to."

His hand froze. "That was real?" he asked in a harsh whisper. "I thought that was a dream."

"It was real."

His hand tightened in her hair. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "So…the kiss…"

"Was real, too," she finished for him.

He wrapped his arms around her, begin careful of her IVs. He felt his t-shirt getting wet, and tightened his grip. Her arms slid around his neck. She was so thin.

He pulled back. "You've lost a lot of weight," he said.

She laughed, wiping her eyes. "I've been living off mashed up food for a week. You give it a shot and we'll see how good you look, Mister."

He laughed. "You look beautiful anyway, babe."

She smiled again, and he realized how much he'd missed her smile. He ran his thumb along her bottom lip. She darted her tongue out to wet her lips. He leaned forward and kissed her softly.

When he pulled back her eyes were closed. She hummed softly. He chuckled. She opened her eyes and glared. He laughed harder. "It's cute," he said. Her glare intensified until she cracked a smile.

After a moment she asked, "What did the doctor say?"

Nico stopped smiling and looked at his hands. "They, uh," he glanced up and saw that Bianca was gone, "They said…after Luke…after he…" Nico waved his hand around and Thalia nodded. "They said you have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

Thalia turned her head to look at the ceiling and breathed out through her mouth. "Will it go away?" she asked quietly.

He didn't want to tell her. He wanted to tell her that she was going to be okay, that she wasn't broken. But he couldn't.

He shook his head. "No."

"I thought people got Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when they went to war."

"I looked it up. Anyone can get it if they go through something traumatic. A lot of veterans get it 'cause they see their friend die or a bunch of people get blown up or something."

Thalia hummed again.

"The doctors…they told me something else, too," Nico said. Thalia looked at him questioningly. He was staring at her arms.

"Oh. That," she said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nico sounded like he was going to cry. She didn't want to see that.

"You didn't need to know."

"That you were cutting yourself?" He grabbed her arm and pointed to the set of scars that spelled his name. "What about this, Thalia?"

She tore her arm away and stayed silent.

"Thalia…"His voice broke, but she didn't look at him. She didn't want him to cry for her. "I just don't want you to get hurt. Especially if you're hurting yourself."

She didn't say anything.

"Why?"

She looked at him. "Why what?"

"Why do you do it?"

She closed her eyes. Everything was getting harder again. That's what had caused her breakdown before. She clenched her fists.

"Thalia?" she heard, as thought through a tunnel. Faintly she felt a hand on her shoulder, and her name again.

She focused on Nico's voice saying her name until her thoughts subsided and she opened her eyes, breathing heavily.

"Hey," Nico said, and she turned to look at him. His eyes were full of concern. "You okay?"

She swallowed and nodded, then sat up.

"Have you ever felt like you're…" she paused, searching for the right word, "drowning?"

The memory of their first kiss came to his mind, but he didn't think that was what she meant. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Like…everything is going on all around you and you're sort of…caught up in the middle of it, but at the same time you're just watching it all. And everything's moving so fast and you can't always figure out what the hell's going on. And you feel like everything is on top of you and you're suffocating."

Nico didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue.

"That's why. Everything gets so confusing, and then I pick up a razor or my pocket knife or something, and everything…just…stops." She had been staring at her lap, but now she looked up at Nico. Her eyes were clouded but shining.

Nico closed his eyes. "Did you…when you…"

"Were living with you?" He opened his eyes and nodded. "I never needed to."

He nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Nico."

He rubbed his face, trying to hide the few tears running down his cheeks.

She pulled his hands away from his face. He looked awful. He hadn't gotten enough sleep, he hadn't eaten, and he was still crying, a steady stream of tears. "Nico, I'm okay," she said. "You don't need to worry about me."

He laughed harshly, standing up and pulling his hands away. "You're lying in a hospital bed, Thalia, I don't think that counts as being fine." His voice was hard and had risen.

"Why are you yelling?" Thalia demanded.

"I'm not yelling! I'm just…" He turned away from her and put his hands in his hair. "I'm just frustrated."

"Why?" Thalia asked. "I'm sorry that I have different ways of dealing with stress than you do!"

"It's not that!" He turned back to look at her. "Actually, it is. Why didn't you just talk to someone? Why didn't you talk to me? I could have helped you. When you left, and you didn't answer my calls…"

"Shut up!" she interrupted him, clapping her hands over her ears and squeezing her eyes shut. She hated yelling. Her mother had yelled at her, when she was sober and remembered she had a daughter. Some of her foster parents had yelled at her, right before they hit her. Luke had yelled at her. "Stop," she said. It came out as a sob.

She was scared, Nico realized. It made him feel disgusting. He'd scared her.

He crossed to the bed and sat down next to her and took her wrists in his hands. "God, I'm sorry, Thalia." She relaxed her arms and opened her eyes, but he didn't let go of her wrists. "You scared me so bad."

"I think it's badly," she said with a small smile.

He didn't say anything, just wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, as if she would disappear if her let go. She was shaking slightly. She took a few deep breaths.

"Ms. Grace?" a doctor said from behind them, and Nico wanted to punch him. Didn't the man understand what was going on? Bastard.

"Ms. Grace, I need to ask you a few questions," the doctor, continued, stepping forward as they pulled away from each other.

Nico looked at Thalia. "I'll be back in a while. I have to find Bianca."

Thalia nodded and turned back to the doctor.

Nico decided that the doctor would probably be in tears when he came back.

"Thalia, you have to take it."

Thalia shook her head. "I don't like it."

"I know, but the doctors said you had to take it." He hated it, too, hated how lifeless it made her seem, but the alternative was worse. Maybe she wouldn't wake up next time.

"Screw the doctors."

Nico smirked. "I think you might find that uncomfortable. Especially that one with all the hair."

She glared at him, but he could see that she was trying not to laugh. "Fine," she snapped, and grabbed the pills out of his hand. After swallowing them with a glass of water she took the bottle of pills off the counter and stormed upstairs.

When she reached the bathroom she locked the door, opened the bottle, and poured the pills down the toilet.

Ah, Thalia. Just a warning, this story gets really depressing and might possibly disturb people in the next chapter. I'm not trying to get anyone to stop reading, but I feel like I should warn you.

Finals start tomorrow, you have no idea how much I am not looking forward to that. Actually you might. You probably do if you're in high school. A geometry exam and a French exam on the same day Monday. Fun.

I got my schedule for next year. Our school is weird, we have black days and white days that alternate. So on black days I start the day with Biology, and on white days I start the day with Trigonometry. And I have Algebra 2 on black days. And most of my classes are advanced. Curse my parents for making me smart. Sometimes I really hate it.

My birthday is two weeks from yesterday, I'm turning 15! I'm going to upload a new story on my birthday, it's a Thalico AU based on one of my favorite poems. And I have Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays off from work so I get my birthday and the 4th of July off. Which is awesome, I really don't want to work 4th of July at an amusement park.

Okay, enough about my life. I hope everyone has a great summer, I'll keep trying to upload but I'm not sure how well that will go.

Remember to check out my new story on July 2nd.

Review!