Chapter 20 - Things Get Worse (Somehow)

Piper and I reappeared on the surface several hundred feet from the temple and the hill. I laid down on the ground and rolled over, looking at the sky.

"I'm going to need a minute." I muttered to her.

Piper sat down next to me. "Yeah, whatever you need."

I laid there, looking at the sky, reminding myself that this was what was real. Not the stuff I had seen in the cave. But the visions felt so real, so recent. All of it, even the stuff from my childhood. I wasn't sure how long we were there when I sat up and looked at Piper.

"I hope you know how amazing you were back there."

She grinned at me. "Thanks, but I know that was a thousand times worse for you. I've had, like, seven months of demigod scariness. You've had, what, a decade? And the stuff you've been through…."

I nodded, slowly. "Yeah."

"Want to talk about any of it?" She asked me.

I smiled at her gratefully. "Yeah, but not right now. Not while it's so fresh, ok?"

She nodded and held out a hand. I took it and she helped me to my feet. "Let's get back to the ship."

I nodded and let her wrap an arm around my shoulders. After a while, we reached the Argo II. Piper sent me up first. As I reached the top of the deck I felt arms grab me and pull me in. Percy.

Leo and Jason helped Piper on board. I leaned into Percy and cried.

"What - what happened?" Percy demanded. I could tell I was shaking, this time with relief that all of that was over. Percy and I were safe. Everyone was safe and on board the ship. We were home, or as close as we had to it at the moment.

"We had to go to the temple of Fear and Panic. It, sort of, made us relive all the bad stuff in our lives." Piper explained.

The statement hung in the air.

"Gods." Frank muttered. "Annabeth -"

Leo whistled. "All of it?"

"Hey, let's give them some space." Jason said, sounding frightened. "Piper, how about the rest of us head to the mess hall so you can tell us what happened and we let these two have some time alone."

"Yeah, sure. Festus, Buford, you two are on guard duty ok? Uh, did we get the heartbeat of a chained god? Can we head to Delos?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, yeah we did." Piper said.

I heard footsteps as everyone went down the steps. Percy sat us both down and pulled me into his lap. He held me there, letting me cry. He stroked my back with one hand, the other hand holding me securely.

I wasn't sure how long we sat there, but eventually, I was able to calm down. The tears lessened to a trickle.

Percy looked me in the eyes, "I wish I could do something, protect you from that stuff, but…"

But it was all real. It had all happened. There was no denying it. I leaned my head against his chest. "I just don't want to be alone right now, ok?"

He gently kissed me on the forehead. "Then you won't be alone until you want to be. Come on."

He stood up and lifted me into his arms, though his arms shook with the effort. Both of us had lost strength in Tartarus, strength that would take time to come back, if it ever could. If our bodies hadn't permanently changed from the experience. He carried me down the stairs, only bonking my head once in the tight hallway, and set me down on my bed. He closed the door and laid down next to me. He held me there until I fell asleep.

I woke up to someone screaming my name. Percy and I both shot up. Footsteps pounded in the hall. Hazel burst into the room, saw us, and blushed -

"Oh! Sorry, uh -" She covered her eyes.

"It's fine, we weren't doing anything, just napping. What's the -"

"Jason collapsed. He was leaving the mess hall, and he just -"

I pushed past Hazel and ran from the room. I found the entry to the dining hall filled with my friends.

"Let me by." I ordered. Frank and Leo parted immediately. I saw Piper crying over Jason's body on the floor of the mess hall. I bent down and checked his pulse. Present, but faint.

I looked at Piper, "What happened?"

"N-nothing!" She stammered. "That's what's strange, we had finished the meeting and we were leaving the mess and he just -"

I nodded. Something was going on with Jason's wound, something bad. It still steamed. I looked back at Frank. "Take him to sick bay, please."

Frank nodded and stepped in, then scooped up Jason and carried him down the hall. I looked at Piper. "Take a breath, McLean. I'll need your help down there if you're up to it."

Piper took a shaky breath. I knew this morning had been no picnic for her either. Add to that her new fears about Jason, and well, she wasn't in a good state.

A voice said behind me, "How can I -"

"Make sure the ship is good, Leo. There's not enough room for everyone in sick bay."

Leo ran off. I helped Piper get up and we headed down to sick bay. I saw Jason's body lying there and could barely breathe. All the memories from this morning had brought my fear nice and close to the surface - just the little extra that Jason's state was giving me was enough to push me over the edge. I shoved it back. I needed to work. This time, a plan WAS what we needed. I went to the medicine cabinet and unlocked it. I yanked out several items and went back to Jason. I cleaned off his arm and started an IV, then attached his heart monitor.

"What can I -" Piper this time.

"Talk to him in charmspeak. Try to bring him back, ok?"

She nodded. Frank was in the corner, looking wide-eyed.

"I'll let you know if I need you, but for now, stay here Frank. Just in case." I told him. He nodded, still looking nervous. I didn't have time to calm him. I opened Jason's mouth and poured in some nectar. I waited a minute, then two. Nothing changed. I listened to his heartbeat - still present, just faint. I looked at Piper.

"He's not doing well, but he also isn't fading. For now, I don't want to give him anything else. Let's watch him and wait. Frank, you can head out for now, thanks for bringing Jason down here."

He nodded. "Yeah, no problem. Let me know if I can do anything else."

I nodded. When he was gone I turned to Piper. "Keep trying with the charmspeak for another few minutes. Then, you need a nap."

She opened her mouth to protest so I continued, "I'm serious, Piper. The amount of fear you went through today, between the temple and now this, well, it isn't good for you, ok? You can nap in the other cot, I put clean sheets on it. You'll be close if anything happens. But you need rest if you're going to be any good to him."

Piper ground her teeth but nodded. I rested a hand on her shoulder. "I'll do everything I can, promise." I told her softly. She nodded and swiped the tears from her eyes.

"I just… I've come so close to losing him, so many times." I nodded. That was something I understood well.

"I get it." I assured her. "But running yourself ragged won't help him, I can tell you that from experience."

She gave me a watery smile and turned back to Jason. "Come back, Jason. Wake up."

Piper's charmspeak was so powerful I could feel myself waking up more. I turned back to the medicine cabinet, determined to have everything prepared just in case. I saw a shadow outside the door and went to see who it was. Percy.

"Is Jason -"

"Not dead." I assured him. "I'm not sure what happened. He was doing better, then suddenly, he isn't. His vitals are worse, and he looks…. Well, it's not good, ok?"

Percy nodded. "And you?"

I smiled at him, eternally grateful for his presence in my life. "As well as I could be." I assured him. "I like having a plan that I can follow again."

Percy gave me a shaky grin. "Anything I can do to help?"

I shook my head. "Not really. Protect the ship. Piper and I will probably be down here until Jason's better. So there's only the four of you to handle protecting us and getting us to Delos. We should probably stick to the water since Jason's…. Not able to fight."

Percy nodded and gave me a tight hug, then kissed me gently on the lips. "I'll come by to check on you, ok?"

I smiled at him. "I'd like that."

Then we parted ways. I went back into the sick bay to see Piper slumped over Jason. I shook my head and woke her enough to stick her into the other cot. Once she was asleep I took my stool by Jason and kept an eye on all his vital signs. And I prayed to every god I knew that he'd be ok.

Jason woke up just after dinner time. He was still weak, but he was awake. I tried to give him and Piper as much privacy as I could while still being nearby in case Jason needed me. Leo came down after dinner with plates of food for us. Piper and I sat in the hall to eat while Leo had some time with his friend.

"I'm so scared, Annabeth. What if he -"

I shook my head at her. "Don't say it until something actually happens. I learned that too. You know how many times I thought Percy was dead? Just… for now, we focus on making him comfortable and safe. His body has to do the rest."

She nodded, but I could tell her lip was quivering. "I don't know what I'd do if…." She let it hang in the air. I scooted across the floor so I could wrap my arm around her.

"I don't know either. But I think you should try to focus on something else, ok? Like…. School. What do you want to do for the fall? Go back to your dad's, or stay at Camp?"

Piper ate some more while she thought about it. "Not sure. I guess I'd want to stay with Jason. I'm not sure what his plan is - Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter."

Piper and I finished our meal, talking about her future with Jason as if it were a sure thing. When we were done we went back in to see our patient.

"Hey, Jason." I said.

"Hey." He managed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Bad. It feels like I'm being stabbed again and again." He must've seen the look on my face because he said, sadly, "That's not a good sign, is it?"

I shook my head and sat on the cot across from him. Leo was on the doctor's stool, spinning around on it.

"No. Jason, we'll do everything we can, but even then -"

He nodded. "I know. I want to thank you, for everything, just in case…."

I bit my lip and nodded. "For now, try not to think about it, ok? Just… keep hope."

Later that night I had sent Piper up on deck to get some air. I thought Jason was asleep as I was listening to his heartbeat.

"Annabeth." I jumped a little. "Sorry. Uh, can you do me a favor?"

"Anything, Jason."

"Look after Piper when I'm gone. She's going to need someone who's been through…." His voice trailed off.

"I know." I told him. "I'll do my best, I promise."

"That's good enough. Your best is pretty awesome." Jason informed me.

I smiled at him. He gave a weak cough, then muttered something to himself.

"Another favor, Annabeth?"

"Sure."

"Could you…. Write some letters for me?"

I nodded and pulled out another legal pad like the one I had been writing his vital signs on. It wasn't the best, but it would do.

He took a deep breath. "I want one to each person on the Argo II, and some of my friends back at Camp, and Reyna, and Nico, and Coach Hedge, and Thalia, and -"

"Ok!" I said with a laugh. "Let's get started then."

So, trying not to cry, I began to write Jason's last words to his loved ones.