Chapter 35 - Totally "Normal" Daddy-Daughter Bonding

I woke up on a bed, in a room that felt familiar. It wasn't my bunk at Camp Half-Blood, I could tell that right away. I blinked several times and turned my head. On the light sea green wall were new photos - my half-brothers and I at a science museum, my dad and I at the Legion of Honor, my mortal family and I wearing silly New Year's Eve hats. I was in my bed at my dad's house. I tried to sit up but the room spun around me. I managed to grab the headboard and willed myself not to pass out. I no longer cared whether I was laying or sitting - I just didn't want to pass out again.

"You're awake!" I heard someone yelp. Then large hands gently grabbed me and helped me sit back. It was my dad. He arranged the pillows behind me so I could sit up slightly, but I was mostly laying back. "I was so worried, Annabeth! It's Friday night, you've been out most of the day. You lost a lot of blood -"

"How'd I get here?" I muttered.

"Uh, a very large dog - I mean, larger-than-the-car kind of large - came bounding up to the house with you on it's back. Your stepmom was the only one home. She called me and I ran straight over. We weren't sure if we were supposed to take you to the hospital, or how to explain the ah…. Arrow in your leg. And the one in your side. So I, uh, called Mrs. Jackson -"

"Wait, you know Percy's mom?" My thoughts were all foggy from the blood loss, but that one stood out.

"Um, yes….. I got in touch with her through Chiron. After Mount Tam. The first time, I mean. I…. I wanted to do better. At this parenting a demigod thing. And I thought maybe she could help teach me, get me more used to this."

Silence stretched on. I didn't know my dad had been trying that hard. I don't think he'd ever done something so nice for me.

"That's….. Really nice, Dad." I managed.

"I…. I wasn't sure if you'd approve, or be mad, or -"

"I can't believe you are trying that hard." There was a moment of stunned silence.

"I meant it, Annabeth. I'm trying to find my role in your life. I…. I want to be there for you more." More silence as I processed that.

"So….. what did Percy's mom say?"

"Right! Oh, um, she said to look through your backpack. She said you had special demigod food that helps -" My dad pressed my nectar canteen and a crumbled ambrosia square into my hands. "She said to give you some of this and try to stop the bleeding. But not to give you too much or you'd, ah -" He swallowed hard. "Explode." He finished.

"Spontaneously combust, but yeah."

His face paled.

I looked at the bottle of nectar and ambrosia square, trying to figure out how much of each he'd given me. "You didn't eat any of that, did you? Or the boys? It's godly food and would kill you."

My dad shook his head, looking me over carefully. "You, ah, aren't feeling like you are about to explode, are you?"

I shook my head. "No, I think we're safe." I muttered.

I saw his shoulders relax. "I wasn't sure what to do about the arrows, so, ah…."

I looked down. An arrow went straight through the muscle on my right leg, protruding out the other side. My dad had wrapped towels tightly around both sides to stop the blood loss and propped pillows on either side to keep my leg in place. I looked at him.

"Nice work. Uh, did the boys -"

He shook his head. "I brought you straight up here before they got home. We just told them you wanted to surprise them but got sick."

I nodded. I looked back at the arrow in my thigh. Blood still oozed around it, but there was no sign of poison. I took a sip of the nectar and braced myself for what I was about to do. I grasped the arrowhead in one hand and the base in the other, then broke off the tip. Then I yanked the arrow back out of my thigh and placed it on the bed. My dad looked like he was ready to puke, and honestly, I was shocked he hadn't so far. I rewrapped my leg so the wound was better covered and then laid back on the pillows. It was strange, after all my work with Will, it was like I was able to compartmentalize myself. Treat myself as two people - Doctor Annabeth and Patient Annabeth. While Patient Annabeth was dizzy and ready to pass out again, Doctor Annabeth was cool and calm, ready to work. I liked that. I figured that was a good sign I'd be ready to help on our quest.

"Ah…. you seem…. Rather…."

"Used to that?" I managed, with a small smile. "Yeah. It wasn't poisoned, thank the gods. Should heal up pretty fast."

"Oh…. uh….. I guess you learn first aid at Camp?"

I nodded. "We all learn the basics. Will Solace, he's like our main healer, he's teaching me more. Just in case."

My dad gave me a weak smile. "When you're this badly injured, I don't think it's a 'just in case' anymore."

I gave him a small smile in return. "Where's Mrs. O'Leary? The, ah, giant dog."

"She's outside, asleep. She spent the evening playing with the boys, who seem to think she's a rather rambunctious poodle."

I grinned at the thought and my dad grinned back. "They both seem to be really enjoying having a dog." He continued.

"You should get another one. I know you've missed having a dog around."

My dad groaned. "I thought I'd only have the boys pestering me for a dog, not you too!"

I gave a small laugh, and winced. I peaked down my shirt. It was a fresh shirt, I noted. One of the t-shirts I had left here before. I had a bandage wrapped loosely around me - snug enough to help but not so tight as to aggravate the arrow, or to affect my breathing. The cut down my middle seemed to have stopped bleeding. The arrow still stuck in my side - not deep enough to kill me, but far enough in that I wasn't about to try to touch it. I groaned.

"I hate getting injured." I muttered. "It means I can't do as much back at home while I wait to heal."

My dad blinked at me. "Annabeth, at this point, I'd, ah…. Well, I've sent several prayers to the gods and goddesses I know thanking them that you didn't die. I'd recommend you do the same."

I realized he was right. "Yeah. Ok. That's a fair point." We sat in silence for another few moments. I don't know what my dad was thinking, but I was replaying the fight. I was lucky. I had gotten incredibly lucky. My fatal flaw had nearly proved fatal.

"Your stepmom is rather, um, angry." My dad said, breaking the silence.

"Why? Cause I brought a hellhound home?"

He chuckled. "No. That doesn't seem to bother her as much. She also appears to think it's a poodle. She, ah…. Told me, what she said to you. Over the winter break. About it maybe being time to stop searching. She thinks if you'd followed her advice, you'd be safe."

I looked at him sharply. "And you agree?"

He looked at me carefully. "I suppose I agree that perhaps you'd be safe. Perhaps, if you'd stayed quiet and at Camp, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. But….. from what you've told me, none of us are safe if Gaea rises. And…. well, I suppose I don't feel like it's my place to tell you what to do. I understand your motivation for going, for continuing to look for Percy. I think it's admirable. I think he'd likely do the same for you, and I like that you have found someone in your life that treats you properly."

A lump formed in my throat.

He wouldn't meet my eyes. "I'm terrified to lose you, Annabeth. Every day, I worry. I wake with nightmares of what might happen to you. I see through the Mist, I see how many monsters there are. And you….. You choose to go into places like this."

I nodded, grimly. "Yeah. I do. So people like you, and Matthew and Bobby, and even my stepmom can have a normal life. That's my job."

The look he gave was full of such pain and sadness, I had to look away. "But you didn't choose it. Any of it."

The words were so quiet, so much an echo of what I had thought throughout my life. But the reality was, I had chosen my actions. I hadn't chosen to be a demigod, I hadn't chosen to be thrust into this world. But I was the only one responsible for what happened today. I was the one that chose to search the Wolf House. I was the one that came, with no armor, no backup, because I was too prideful to think clearly. I had chosen to look for Percy, I had chosen not to let anyone know where I was going. I had even chosen to be one of Hera's seven demigods of the prophecy - no one had forced me.

I looked at my dad and let out a little sigh. "Yes and no. When I was little, no, I chose none of this. But, uh, in December….. Well, the prophecy didn't say who the Seven demigods are that are supposed to go on this next world-destroying quest. It didn't even give a hint of their lineage or anything. Some quests do. But this time…. Nothing. But….. I chose it. I chose it this time, Dad. Because if Hera chose Percy as one of the Seven, well, I'm not letting him go without me."

Silence stretched between us. My dad's hands shook. "You… you chose this?"

I nodded, grimly.

He looked more terrified than I had ever seen him. "You….. you know what you're going to face, and you…."

I nodded again.

Gently he reached out and stroked my face. "Annabeth…. I'm….. I'm not going to pretend to understand what all that entails. But….. I want you to know… you're the bravest person I'll ever know."

I smiled at him weakly. I was tiring after only minutes awake. I looked at my dad.

"Can you help me to the bathroom?"

"Oh, uh, yes. Definitely." He placed his hands under each of my armpits, clearly trying to find the place I was least injured to hold onto me. Before he lifted I stopped him.

"Wait, uh, I need something from my bag. Uh, there's a little pouch in there with an owl on it."

He let go and rummaged through the bag, pulling out the pouch and handing it to me.

"Tampons?" He asked.

"Drachmas." I corrected.

"Is that… Greek for tampons?"

I rolled my eyes at him. He grinned and helped me to the bathroom. I turned on the shower.

"Annabeth, you aren't in any state for -"

"Will Solace. Camp Half-Blood." I ordered the mist in the shower as I tossed in a drachma from the pouch. It shimmered, revealing Will's sleeping face. Darn time difference. I realized it was about midnight there.

"Will." I hissed. His eyes flew open.

"Wha- monster?"

"Annabeth. Not monster." I whispered. He looked around until he caught sight of the Iris-message.

"Annabeth!" He hissed. We were both trying to be quiet, not wake the others in the Apollo cabin. "Where'd you go? You went missing this morning, Chiron and Piper are really worried and - is that a cut on your forehead?"

"I made a series of stupid decisions. Got injured. I'm at my dad's place in California."

"Looking for Percy?" He said sympathetically.

"Yeah, then stumbled straight into a camp of evil centaurs."

"Wait, EVIL centaurs?"

"Yeah. Look, I need help. Arrow wounds, axe wounds."

I showed Will each wound and he nodded slowly.

"At least it isn't your shoulder." He said with a sly grin.

I shook my head in exasperation. "No, and I don't think any of them are poisoned. At least, they feel like normal wounds to me."

Will nodded. "When are you getting back to Camp?"

I looked at my dad. "Is it still Friday?"

"Yes, for a few more hours." He replied with a glance at his watch.

"Oh, uh, hi. Is that your dad?" Will asked.

"Yeah, this is my dad. Dad, this is Will."

My dad nodded, moving to appear more in the image. "Will…. The healer person?"

Will grinned. "That'd be me."

"Thank you for trying to help my daughter."

Will shrugged. "Any chance you can make her stop getting hurt?"

"No." My dad admitted.

Will grinned at him. "Yeah, I thought not."

"Will -" I said, exasperated. "Wounded over here."

"Right." He nodded. "For now, just keep them clean and dry. Use nectar to wash out the wounds like I showed you, but not all of them at once. You've got too many wounds - you'd burn up."

I nodded grimly.

"How much nectar and ambrosia have you had?" I told him and he looked thoughtful. Will looked at my dad. "She shouldn't have any more for at least twelve hours. Can you get her any pain meds?"

My dad looked uncomfortable. "I can get her Tylenol and over-the-counter stuff, but, ah, I wasn't sure I should bring her to the hospital given the, ah, arrows."

Will nodded, grimly. "Yeah, that's probably for the best. Annabeth, that one in your side doesn't look like it hit anything too bad."

I nodded. "I think just muscle. It's not in deep, but, ah, not sure I should try -"

"I would advise you not to try surgery on yourself." He commented dryly. "I'll handle it when you get back."

"She yanked the other one out of her thigh." My dad said, still sounding horrified.

"Yeah. She knows what she's doing with that. She tried to help Percy with archery a couple times - Annabeth's no stranger to arrow wounds."

At the mention of Percy's name I felt like a fist was squeezing my heart. Despite everything I had been through today, I was no closer. Really, I hadn't accomplished anything. Those centaurs would all come back to life, thanks to Gaea. Maybe they'd take the hint and leave the Wolf House alone. Maybe I'd made sure the way was clear for Percy to get there. Maybe. But I doubted it.

Will looked back at my dad. "Just keep her comfortable for now. A wounded Annabeth is an angry Annabeth. And any angry Annabeth is a scary Annabeth."

"I think she's plenty scary in normal times." My dad commented. I rolled my eyes at him.

Will grinned. "I like you, Mr. Chase."

The iris message blinked out. I sagged into my dad's arms. He looked at me.

"Can I, uh, carry you back to your room?"

"That'd be nice."

For the first time that I could remember, my dad carried me to bed and tucked me in.