Percy's POV
Going over a few 'test results' with some almost random strangers that I just met yesterday was not exactly my level of comfortableness. I mean, from what I know of Annabeth's parents, they're pretty nice, I just have no idea what is gonna be on those results. Plus, I'm pretty sure the Chase's aren't idiots, so they'll be able to tell what happened. They already saw the scars everywhere, and if I'm correct, are wondering about how I got them. Even if they don't know yet, (which is highly unlikely,) they'll have to find out sooner or later because knowing Annabeth, she'll either make me tell them, or she'll tell them herself. Either way I was dreading it.
Ten o'clock came way too early for my liking.
Mr and Mrs. Chase, along with Bobby and Matthew, walked in on Annabeth and I when we were in the middle of having an intense conversation about the make-up homework I'd have to complete, (courtesy of Annabeth.) I was glad they interrupted though. Just thinking about all the homework I would have to catch up on made my brain hurt.
I pressed the NURSE button a couple times as the Chase's gathered around and started talking. In a matter of two minutes Isobel came back in.
"Hello Mr and Mrs. Chase. I suspect you're here to pick the kids up?" Isobel greeted them cheerfully.
"Yes we are," Mrs. Chase smiled.
"Great. Before you do that, there are a few things we need to go over, if you don't mind. Go ahead and take a seat." Isobel pulled up another chair and helped herself to it.
Mrs. Chase sat on the couch with Bobby and Matthew in hand. Mr. Chase remained by Annabeth.
"So," Isobel began. "First things first, Percy is doing really well. We took something like a test. You know, things like drawing blood, vital checks, blood pressure. All of those came back pretty good, although there are some things I'm very concerned about." Oh no. Did she just say concerned? Shit! They're gonna find out, aren't they?!
I gave a worried glance over at Annabeth. She caught it and gave a nervous thumbs up. I turned my attention back to the nurse.
"From previous inspections, I'm noticing a lot of faint scars going along down your back, sides, shoulders, basically anywhere on your torso. Can you explain what those are from?" Isobel asked, looking at me. I felt everybody turn their heads. I glanced at Annabeth out of the corner of my eye. She looked like she was freaking out, but nowhere near as close to me.
I racked my brain for any excuse I could find. "Um... most of them are probably from when I was a kid. I used to fall down on my bike a lot, and get scraped up and it-it uh... would leave a few scars." That's the best you could come up with? Jesus Percy. I knew you were dumb, but you've been making excuses your whole life! Get with the program!
Isobel didn't look too convinced,although she seemed to think it over. She didn't seem to mind anymore, thankfully. "Okay. That... makes sense," She didn't sound so sure of herself. "Uh, moving on. I noticed before that you were very very skinny. When we drew the blood, we could tell you were lacking a lot of key nutrients. Very malnourished," She turned to Mr. Chase and pointed her pen at him. "It's my understanding that Percy's staying with you?" Mr. Chase nodded. "How long again?" Isobel asked.
Mr. Chase looked over at Annabeth. She gave a reassuring nod. "At least for two to three weeks," He answered.
"Okay. That's good. While he's there, I want you to make sure he's eating properly. For a sixteen year old, his weight combined matches to a recorded twelve to thirteen year old. He needs meats, fruits, grains, basically any kind of protein and nutrients. Okay?" She asked. Mr. Chase nodded.
"Alright. And lastly, we still have the issues with the broken bones left. They're fairly easy to take care of. Each month we'll be having Percy come in to have his injuries inspected, and that's that. I've prescribed pain meds for you to take every night to help soothe the pain in your ankle. As for the ribs, they shouldn't bother you too bad, as long as you remember to wrap your midsection in those cloths every night. I'm giving you a set of three bandage rolls for you to use over the weekend. All you have to do is wash them when you're ready to use them."
"I have a question," Mrs. Chase piped up.
"Yeah?" Isobel urged.
"What are the bandages for exactly? I mean, he doesn't have any cuts or anything, so why does he need them?"
"Oh, that's just so it keeps a firmer grip on your ribs. It's just a precautionary measure we take to make sure the patient doesn't bend down farther than they're supposed to, otherwise that'll cause extreme pain in the ribs, and possibly another one to snap. So, we wrap the bandages around their midsection tightly just so they can't damage them any more," Isobel answered. Mrs. Chase nodded in understanding.
"Anyways, you need to keep the bruised area as clean as possible. It's still very raw and unprotected, so it's absolutely necessary that you put rubbing alcohol on the area every night just so it keeps it clean. What with the bandages, it can make you sweat around your back and sides more so, and that can seep in through the pours on the back, possibly where the bruise is, and cause it to become infected. You don't want to know what happens after that," Isobel explained. I hoped that at that last part she was kidding, cause I wasn't laughing.
"And, as far as the healing process goes, I think if you just stayed in bed as much as possible, then that would be best. As little physical activity as possible will help heal your ribs and ankle a lot faster, so just remember to take it easy and lie down as often as you can. Alrighty?" Isobel asked me. I nodded.
"Well... I think that's everything. Any questions?" Isobel asked, scanning the room.
Nobody said anything.
"Alright. Without further adue, we'll get Percy changed and you guys will be free to go. Just remember to pick up the pain meds on your way out, okay?" Isobel said, getting up from her chair. I may or may not have given a silent sigh of relief.
"Yep," Annabeth said.
"If you guys could wait outside the room for a minute. I'll send Percy out, and you guys can be on your way." Isobel walked over to the counter with all the supplies on it and started putting them away in the cupboards.
The Chase' s got up and walked out the door, Annabeth giving me a look of excitement before she left.
Isobel came back over to my bed. "Alright Percy. Your change of clothes is right through that door. There's a bathroom in there as well. Go ahead and get changed, and if you need any help, just holler," she smiled.
I nodded.
Isobel handed me my crutches, which were leaning up against the wall not too far from my bed.
"Thanks," I mumbled. I lifted my wrapped leg up so it wouldn't hit the ground, and I braced myself and stood on my other leg, the crutches helping me maintain my balance. Isobel was standing there protectively, arms outstretched as if I might fall, ready to catch me.
I took the first couple steps, a mixture of feelings going through my body. First was the pain. My ribs flared up, resulting in jolting stabs of sharp pain. Being able to stretch out my body with these few malfunctions was something j was not used to yet, and neither was my ribcage. The second feeling was heaviness. Each time I took a step, I felt like I was sinking lower and lower. My ankle felt like it weighed a ton. The cast that I had made when I first broke my ankle felt such lightweight. Now, this cast felt like a bowling ball compared to the other one. And lastly, the third feeling I felt was relief. It felt so good knowing that I could finally get up and walk. Being stuck in a bed for over a night really makes an ADHD kid go nuts. I could finally move (even it kinda hurt when I did so,) and that's just a really good feeling to have. Stretching out your legs, arms, back; it all felt so good.
I quickly overcame my stiffness and made my way to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I turned on the light and brightness overcame the room.
On the counter by the sink, I saw that the nurses had left me a pair of jeans, and a regular grey t-shirt, a change of socks, and no shoes. I guess since I would only be wearing one shoe for the next six weeks, they didn't think it necessary to provide me with the right amount of soles.
With very much difficulty, I managed to slip into the jeans, which fit quite nicely. With a few sharp pangs here and there, I managed to slip into the shirt. No troubles slipping into the shoe, (although, I did lose my balance a couple times.)
I grabbed my crutches, which were leaning against the counter, and I hobbled out of the bathroom.
The Chase's were waiting outside, like asked. Mrs. Chase was sitting in one of the chairs, either Bobby or Matthew on her lap (I couldn't tell.)
Mr. Chase was sitting in the other chair, one of the twins on his lap. From what I could see when I walked out, they were having a pretty intense conversation.
And Annabeth was standing, leaning against the wall across from the door. She was nervouosly picking at her nail, but when she saw me come out, she looked relieved and stepped closer. I gave her a small smile, which she returned.
Isobel closed the door behind her.
''Alrighty folks! Looks like we're good to go! You can just go down this hall, to the lobby and check out. Make sure to ask for the prescription on your way out. I hope you heal fast Percy. Oh! And remember to come back every month for a checkup! We'll send you a thing in the mail. And remember to take it easy, alright?" Isobel was talking a little too fast for my brain to process, so I just played along and nodded, and occasionally said, "I know."
After that farewell, the Chase family and I slowly made our way down the hall.
I felt bad. We were walking so slow because of me. Mrs. Chase insisted on keeping the same pace with me. It was like having to learn how to use crutches all over again, now that you have to learn how to keep your midsection in sync with your legs so pain doesn't flare up with every step.
But, the family didn't seem to mind. Annabeth stood behind me, occasionally putting her hands out as if to catch me when I stumble slightly. Mr. Chase keeps looking back every few minutes to make sure I'm doing alright. And Mrs. Chase keeps on telling the twins not to go too far ahead so we wouldn't have to catch up with them later.
Luckily, there was an elevator, which I didn't know before. It was good to finally be able to take an actual working elevator up and down the stairs, unlike my stupid apartment building.
By the time we got out of the elevator, I was exhausted already. Walking is hard!... I have never said a much sadder sentence than that one... wow.
We were now inside the main lobby. Two ladies sat at the front desk. They both looked old, and the one in the front looked WAY friendlier than the one in the back.
"Wait here, kids," Mrs. Chase said as she stepped forward.
"Come on, let's go sit down," Mr. Chase heaved as he kicked up the twins.
Annabeth and I made our way to the chairs lining around the sides of the wall. I managed to sit down without any big eruptions of pain in my sides, or leg.
"So," Mr. Chase piped up, grabbing on to Matthew's waist as he attempted to run around. He set him on the chair next to him. "Do you need anything from your house that we could pick up? I mean, on our way to the house we could stop by your place and grab some st-"
"No, no, no! That's okay, Dad. Um... we don't have to go to Percy's place. It's fine," Annabeth interrupted. She glanced back at me. I gave her a look that sent the message, Thank you! And also, you idiot! Now he'll be suspicious!
Annabeth seemed to catch on and shrugged, then sent me a look that replied, Hey, I'm tryin' my best here! Lay off!
Mr. Chase cocked his head in confusion. "Shouldn't it be up to Percy?" He looked at me.
Luckily, (for once,) I had an answer. "Um... I don't really have a lot of things that I need back home anyways. I-It'd be worthless to stop."
Mr. Chase still looked unconvinced, but he seemed to consider this. "Well... I guess if you say you don't need anything-"
Annabeth shot up from her seat. "Oh, look! Mom got the meds! Well... lets go!" Annabeth said with rushed enthusiasm. She was talking through the gritted teeth that formed her forced smile.
I looked over and saw that Mrs. Chase was walking back towards us with a small plastic bag in her hand. She walked up to Annabeth and handed the bag to her. "Here, hold on to this."
Mr. Chase started getting up, so I did too. It was a bit more of a struggle than standing up, but I managed with the help of my crutches.
"Ready to go?" Mrs. Chase asked cheerfully.
"Yup," I replied, forcing a smile. I wanted to come out excited to them about staying with them, but the truth was, I was still really nervous. Despite the little talk Annabeth and I had earlier, I couldn't help but think about what Gabe would do when he found me.
With one kid per adult, the parents led us out of the hospital, leaving me and Annabeth walking behind them.
When we were outside, bright, warm sunlight hit every inch of my body. I know I was in there for not even two days, but it still felt really good to be outside again. Even though the sun was out, I could see dark storm clouds rolling in in the distance, towards us.
Annabeth leaned in closer to me. "That was close. I can't keep doing this, Percy. You have to tell them," she whispered.
"I know... I just... not today," was all I replied. Annabeth pursed her lips slightly.
"If you don't tell them, I will."
"No!" I said a little louder than I would have liked. I quickly lowered my voice before the Chase's would turn around. "You can't tell them until I'm ready. Please, Annabeth. It'll happen," I promised.
She looked annoyed. She looked down at the sidewalk. "It better," she grumbled.
We walked a little bit longer through the parking lot. Luckily, there weren't a lot of cars driving everywhere, looking for an empty parking space. Only a few people here and there.
We turned on a curb and walked down the aisle of cars a little ways. We stopped at a dark blue van.
Mrs. Chase turned to Annabeth and I.
''Just wait a minute. I have to put the seats down. The twins' carseats'll get in the way." She turned her attention back to the van and swung the door back. She pulled a little red lever down at the bottom of the seats, and when she pulled it, the seats shot forward. Annabeth volunteered to jump in first. When she was sitting in the way back, she told me to hand her my crutches. I did so, balancing on my only good foot. I braced myself on the sides of the open door, and crawled in on my knee. Now, for this next part, I would like to say that there was no pain being inflicted on my ribs at all as I gracefully landed on the backseat before me. . . but, no. That did not happen whatsoever.
First of all, pain flared up immediately as I started crawling on my knee, up the little seat ramp, and down to the drop of the next row of seats. And as for, 'landing gracefully'. . . not even close. I more sorta . . . fell, into the crevice between the middle, and the back seats, which also didn't help the pain level very much.
Although, I did finally manage to sit in the chair like a regular human being. I was a little winded from my efforts, but I was so glad that I didn't have to do that again, until we get out . . . yay.
As I strapped on my seatbelt, Annabeth was giving me amused looks, and trying to stifle a laugh.
I looked over at her. "What?"
"You just . . . looked like you were struggling a bit there," she said, grinning like a maniac.
"Yeah, well. Whatever." I waved her off and grabbed onto my crutches which were resting on Annabeth's lap for me. Since they were both way too long to fit on just one person, we each shared a side, holding on the the ends of them so they wouldn't roll off.
As Mr. Chase worked on getting the twins settled in their carseats, I started thinking about living with the Chases's for two whole weeks, possibly more.
"You're nervous," Annabeth said quietly. I looked over at her. It's like this girl can look into my mind, or something. She's been seeming to know the exact things I'm thinking, even if I'm not even sure of what I'm thinking.
"No I'm not," I lied.
"You're also lying."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"No I'm not."
"Percy," she warned, her voice adding annoyance.
"Fine. I guess I'm a little nervous . . . but it's okay," I assured.
"Just remember our little talk, okay?" she asked. I nodded and looked out the window at the rolling storm clouds.
I heard the car doors slam shut twice, then Mrs. Chase's voice filled the car. I looked up and saw her peering through the rearview mirror. "Are we ready?" She asked.
Bobby and Matthew shouted with excitement, (as usual,) and Annabeth and I only nodded.
I heard the engine rev, and we swerved out of the parking lot.
The car ride wasn't that long. Possibly about twenty minutes. Somewhere along our journey, Annabeth turned to me, a big smile and excitement in her eyes.
"Won't this be awesome Percy? You get to stay with me for a while!" she exclaimed. I smiled at her genuine enthusiasm. "We can do homework together, we can read passages from my favorite book, War & Peace, you can help me look over the twins-"
"Annabeth, you're scaring him," Mr. Chase smirked playfully, looking at the mirror back at us.
"Whatever, Dad!" She laughed.
Mrs. Chase joined in. "Oh, you'll just love it here, Percy!" She exclaimed. "We'll have so much fun! We can play board games, have a movie night, go shopping-"
"Mom, you're not helping either," Annabeth smiled.
"Hey, I'm just trying to generate ideas here!" She shrugged, grinning.
The Chase's went on and on thinking up new ways to scare me off. But, I wasn't scared. In fact, I was attracted to this family. They made me feel so warm and welcome. They get along great with each other . . . they take care of each other. I realize that these couple weeks are going to go by super fast, so I might as well cherish the time I have with an actual family. Ever since my mom . . . I've never felt like I was connected to a real family. But, even in a car ride with these people who already accept me, I actually feel like I'm part of a family now.
Before I knew it, Mrs. Chase announced "We're here!"
I looked up and saw that we had just pulled up at the Chase's house, where I would be spending the next few weeks. Compared to my grungy old apartment with Gabe, this place seems like paradise.
Sorry it took me so long to upload this chapter. I forgot to mention in the one before that I was going to be away at a friends house, and then that trip turned into a camping trip overnight, so I figured I would finish this finally for you guys since I just got back. My sincerest apologies! Until the next chapter, (which I should have up hopefully very very soon,) this is DemigodUndercover, signing out!