Hello!
So this chapter is a little slower moving than I originally intended but I like the direction it took so I went with it. I am hoping to have things start moving forward from here pretty quickly and, now that I am back in the swing of things with school, I should hopefully have more regular updates for you all. Stay tuned!
The next several hours were some of the longest of my life as we waited for Logan to wake up. Annabeth and I stood vigil over our sleeping sons, praying to any god who would listen that everything would be okay, that he would open his eyes, that he'd be able to walk, that we could go home and at the end of the summer he would join us with his siblings like normal. For a long time, nothing at all happened.
Chiron stopped by briefly and told us that he was on his way to debrief the gods on Olympus. He asked us if we'd learned anything further from Nicky about the quest. We told him what we knew. The Centaur took the news about Persephone's rescue and Bob's sacrifice in stride and inquired about an update on the boys before he left. He nodded sadly at the news that there'd been no change with Logan and promised to check back in the morning.
My half-sister brought Carly in at one point, despite the late hour. Both boys were still out cold and she looked between them in concern as we explained what had happened. She took the news with surprising grace and I found myself shocked at the maturity of my little girl, even while, knowing how much she favored her mother, it shouldn't have been all that surprising.
Our daughter was quiet for a moment, considering it all as she looked between us. Then her gaze fell on Annabeth and remained there and I swore in that moment she saw right through the façade of strength her mother had valiantly put forth since arriving. Carly moved forward and threw her arms around her without warning. "He'll be okay," she said with quiet confidence, "I know he will. Logan can do anything!" Annabeth froze for half a second before she hugged our daughter tightly. At her words, one of the tears she'd been so stubbornly holding back during the whole conversation escaped and traced its way down her cheek. Watching them, I had fight hard against my own tears. To Carly, Logan was invincible, her oldest brother who led the way for all of them, but I hoped against hope that she was right all the same.
Carly stayed with us until Molly came for her right before curfew, at which point the nine-year old reluctantly agreed to go with her for the night as long as we agreed to get her the second anything happened. Annabeth and I took up residence in the rickety chairs between the beds until the daughter of Apollo from earlier returned and stopped just inside the curtain. "You can take those beds," she offered, gesturing to the ones across from Logan and Nicholas, "I doubt we'll be needing them before the morning." They'd make for far from comfortable sleeping arrangements but I doubted either of us actually planned to get much sleep anyway.
"Thank you," I answered.
She nodded and glanced toward Logan before addressing us again. "No change?" We shook our heads in answer.
"Okay." She glanced toward Logan's again. "I, um, need to check his bandages. Did you want…"
"It's fine," Annabeth said quickly, her voice barely more than a whisper. The camper nodded but hesitated another second before moving toward her patient. We watched in silence as she drew the thin blanket away to reveal the thick bandage wrapping Logan's bare chest. My heart took up residence in the general vicinity of my throat when she cut through the fabric and carefully pulled it away to reveal the huge, packed hole, nine inches across, at the base of his sternum. Annabeth released a tiny breath beside me and I reached for her hand. She gripped mine hard in reply.
We watched in silence as the camper cleaned the wound with Nectar and redressed it. "This is looking a lot better," she commented. If that was better, I decided as she opened Logan's eyes one at a time and shined a light into them, I definitely didn't want to know what it looked like before. Annabeth had grown very still beside me. "He's looking pretty good otherwise," she went on, concluding her examination, "His pupils are responsive and there's no sign of infection anywhere so he should be waking up at any time."
"So why hasn't he?" I asked because I knew Annabeth was dying to know even more than I was and I wasn't sure she would have been able to ask herself right then."
The daughter of Apollo sighed. "His body's been through a lot," she answered simply, "Sleep is its way of healing and coping with it all. There's no real way of knowing how long it will take but he'll wake up when he's ready. We just have to wait it out."
I nodded. Annabeth stood up abruptly then, preventing me from saying anything more. She glanced at the teenager and then met my questioning eyes. "Stay with the boys," she said, "I just… need a minute." She left then and moved briskly for the door.
There was a moment of silence in the Infirmary as the daughter of Apollo and I watched her go. "I'm sorry," the blonde half-blood said then, her voice gentle, compassionate despite the awkwardness. "I can't imagine how hard this must be. I wish there was more I could do."
"You're doing plenty," I assured her quickly. "Thanks…" I trailed off awkwardly.
"Charlie," she supplied quickly, "Well, Charlotte actually but everyone calls me Charlie." She looked immediately embarrassed and tried to hide it. I vaguely wondered if she wasn't as nonplussed about her patient's renown as she let on.
"Charlie," I repeated.
She smiled halfheartedly and then walked toward Nicky, who still slept fitfully. Every few minutes he would jerk slightly and settle down again. I hated the thought that he was likely having nightmares but I knew it was inevitable and he needed sleep. She laid a hand on his shoulder and he relaxed slightly. She checked his casted arm and then, with a glance toward the exit, said, "So, I know it's none of my business but if you want to go after her, I'll be here. I can keep an eye on them."
I looked up at her and then between my sleeping sons, at war with myself. On one hand, I didn't want to leave their sides even for a second, but on the other, I knew there was nothing I could do here, while I could go after my wife. For the moment, she needed me more than the boys did.
"Don't you need to get to your cabin?" I asked.
She shook her head. "We have a rotation of half-bloods in charge of night shift in the infirmary. For the next two hours, this is my cabin."
"Oh," I said dumbly. I supposed that made sense. "Well, in that case I think I should take you up on that offer." I moved to stand. "Thank you."
She smiled. "I'd warn you to look out for the harpies who probably won't care that you aren't campers anymore, but I'm guessing you've dealt with a lot worse."
I gave a humorless laugh. "You'd be right unfortunately. I'll be right back."
"Take your time," she said easily, retreating to a chair in the middle of the long room and settling in with a book as I headed for the door.
Even an hour after curfew, with everyone inside and asleep for the night, Camp Half-Blood was far from a quiet place. As I crossed the dark area, setting a path toward the canoe lake and searching for signs of Annabeth—and also the harpies Charlie had mentioned, the familiar sounds of camp at night reached my peeled ears. Summer wind rustled nearby trees, nocturnal monsters shuffled around in the woods, and the waves of the Long Island Sound lapped the shore of the fireworks beach in the distance. With fireflies lighting up the warm night every few feet, it made for a peaceful scene and, under other circumstances, I might have really enjoyed it.
It became clear pretty quickly that I had very little clue as to where Annabeth might have gone after finding no sign of her at the lake, the cabins, or Thalia's tree. I rounded the side of the Big House, debating the merits of continuing my search in the dark or simply returning to the Infirmary to wait her out, when I ran into Chiron clomping quietly up the front steps. I briefly wondered if the Centaur ever found time to sleep. He saw me in the dim light of the Big House's front light and stopped. "Is everything okay, Percy?" he asked quietly. He amended quickly when I didn't immediately respond, "I'm sorry. I suppose very little about the current situation could be okay."
"No, I guess not," I replied.
"I'm so sorry, my boy."
I shrugged. "It's not your fault."
"That never does seem to make it any easier," he said wistfully, meeting my eyes. "I know you may not want it right now, but I'm afraid I have more bad news for you. It can wait until morning though, if you'd prefer."
I shook my head. "Just tell me."
He nodded. "I just returned from Olympus. While I was there, I asked Hades to look into the possibility that Hyperion and Iapetus had returned to Tartarus. We needed to know what we're still facing here." He paused before going on and in that moment I knew exactly what he was about to say. "Unfortunately, he was able to confirm that the essences of both Titans are once again scattered throughout the Great Pit. I'm sorry, Percy."
I'd known what was coming but the words still felt like a punch to the gut. It took several seconds before I was able to speak. Bob was gone, back in the depths of Tartarus once again. But at least he'd accomplished his goal in taking his evil brother with him and saving my sons. I shook my head. "I didn't really expect anything different," I admitted, "I… Thank you."
Chiron nodded solemnly. There was silence for a second and I wondered if the Centaur was refraining from saying something that might give me false hope. During his centuries as a trainer of demigods, he'd seen his fair share of tragedies, and while he'd never once been cruel, he was always honest. Finally he sighed. "I've seen you and Annabeth do some amazing things, Percy. Beyond what I ever could have imagined. Your family will get through this."
I nodded. "Thanks, Chiron."
He reached out a hand and gripped my shoulder encouragingly. "Get some rest, Percy."
"I'll try," I said quickly. "I just…" I trailed off with a sigh. "Annabeth left a little bit ago. She needed a few minutes. I came out here to go after her but I'm thinking now she might just get mad at me for leaving the boys alone…"
Chiron gave a knowing smile. "She very well might," he agreed, which did not help a whole lot. "But if I've learned anything about Annabeth in all the years I've known her—and you know this as well as I do—she isn't as strong as she often pretends to be." I nodded. That, I did know. "Your sons need you, but so does she," he said. "Your boys are well taken care of."
I nodded again and met his gaze. "Have you seen her?"
The Centaur gave another small smile. "I haven't, but I would recommend checking the beach first." It was too late to check it first but I decided that was as good an idea as any. I thanked Chiron and wished him a good night before taking off in that direction.
The fireworks beach was on the very edge of camp, far from any of the light sources that remained on after curfew. Even with the time my eyes had to adapt to the dark on the walk over, it was a wonder I could see anything at all in the moon's meager light. But I could, just enough to navigate the uneven ground and locate Annabeth's silhouette seated on a log that had at some point been laid in the sand to serve as a bench. I made my way over, impressed once again with Chiron's sense of perception. I'd decided that focusing on anything but what had happened during the last hours of the boys' quest was preferable to reality.
She didn't react as I drew near and sat down beside her on the tree trunk. "Hey," I said quietly. I couldn't see well enough in the dimness to tell if she'd been crying, but her voice betrayed the truth when she spoke.
"I thought you were staying with the boys." Uh oh.
"Charlie's with them," I answered, "They're in good hands."
"Who's Charlie?" The fact that she had to ask made me feel better about not remembering the girl's name either. Maybe she just hadn't mentioned it.
"The Apollo camper in the infirmary." Her answering silence meant either fury or resignation. I couldn't tell which in the dark but I sincerely hoped for the latter. I didn't think I could handle Annabeth being mad at me on top of everything else right now. Normally, going after her wouldn't have been a big deal, but between my wife and my mom, if I'd learned anything in life, it was that maternal instincts were powerful things. When I couldn't take it anymore, I asked, "Are you okay?"
"What do you think?" she asked tiredly. Resignation then. I sighed and reached for her hand. She allowed me to take it and, after a second, gripped mine in return. "You know," she said then, "I spent so much time here when Hera took you, I think I conditioned myself into coming here whenever I'm upset. How many years has it been and I didn't even think about it. I just wound up here." I didn't reply. I didn't know what I was supposed to say. A few more seconds of silence passed between us and she took a ragged breath.
"Talk to me, babe," I said into the quiet.
She shook her head in the dimness. "What do you want me to say?" she asked and, after another moment, whispered, "Did you see that wound?"
I took a deep breath, fighting to keep from picturing it again. "Yeah, I did."
"He's our baby boy," she said.
I squeezed her hand, trying to ignore the tightening in my chest. "I know."
"And I can't do anything—" Her voice broke.
I scooted closer and pulled her to me in one swift motion. "I know," I said around the lump in my throat, resting my cheek on her hair. I hugged her tightly as she broke down. "Gods, I know."
"What if he doesn't wake up?" she eventually asked into my chest.
"He will," I told her.
"You don't know that."
"I have to believe it, Annabeth. I'll go crazy."
She just shook her head against me, face buried in my shirt. "They don't deserve this."
"Neither did we," I murmured, "I don't think anyone ever does."
She took a deep breath and then sat up, looking out at the dark water again. "I can't believe it. Everything we went through and the Titans still figured out a way to get back again."
"I know," I repeated softly. There was nothing else to say.
"Percy, that boy died. He was fifteen. Logan's probably paralyzed and Nicky's going to have to live with seeing it all happen for the rest of his life… It isn't fair."
"I know."
"Everyone we lost during the Titan and Giant wars, at least we were fighting beside them, risking our own lives just as much. We all bled together. Now, we're supposed to just sit back and watch while our kids go and fight the same battles we were supposed to have already won." She turned to me in the dim moonlight. "When does it end?" she whispered. I shook my head helplessly. I had no answer for her. And I'd have been lying if I said the exact same thoughts hadn't been replaying themselves in my own mind since we'd arrived. "What are we supposed to do?" she asked after a painful moment. "If he can't walk?"
"I don't know," I admitted.
We sat together in silence for several minutes then, gathering the nerve to go back. Though I knew it wasn't, I still found myself hoping this was all a horrible nightmare and any minute I would wake up in a cold sweat to find everything okay again. It didn't happen.
Charlie was right where I'd left her when we returned, sitting in her chair, immersed in her book. She glanced up when we entered and gave a tiny, humorless smile in greeting before looking down again. We neared the boys' beds and peeked inside the curtain, first at Logan, who showed no change, and then over at Nicky—I started slightly to find him awake and then felt immediately guilty that no one had been here when he woke up. "Hey, champ," I sighed lightly as Annabeth passed by and moved to his bedside.
"You should sleep," she told him gently, smoothing his hair.
"Can't," he answered and looked between us. "Where did you go?" There was no accusation in his tone.
She glanced briefly across at me before looking back. "We needed some air," she told him, "We thought you'd stay asleep."
He nodded a little, but didn't speak right away. When he finally did, he changed the subject. "Logan's still the same." He didn't really say it like a question.
Annabeth sighed. "Yes."
He swallowed hard. "What if… What if he doesn't wake up?" He bit his lip.
She took a deep breath and met my eyes again. Then she sat down next to him on the small bed and wrapped her arms around him. "He will," she answered him just like I had her, and hugged him close. He let her hold him and leaned into her as a single tear traced its way down his face.
I looked on, feeling helpless as Nicky clung to her. After a moment, I noticed the figure waiting outside the curtain. Deciding the twelve-year old was in more than capable hands, I stepped out to meet the daughter of Apollo.
"Sorry," she said quietly, "I hope I'm not interrupting…"
I shook my head. "It's fine. Did you need something?"
"I just wanted to let you know that one of my brothers is coming in to take over for me in a few minutes. Is there anything you guys need before I go?"
"No, I think we're okay," I told her, "But thanks."
Charlie nodded. "I have archery in the morning, but I'll be back after that."
I nodded. "Have a good night."
"Thank you. You too."
"We'll try."
"Right," she said with only a little awkwardness before turning and walking away to await her relief for the night. I watched her go for a second before glancing back toward my family. Annabeth still held Nicky to her, having shifted into a more confortable position, half reclined in the bed with him now. He'd relaxed against her some and seemed content not to move. I hoped he'd be able to sleep some more. Gods knew he needed it. Annabeth met my eyes and gave the tiniest of nods in answer to my silent question. She'd be okay.
Mentally settling in for the long night, I moved to the empty chair beside Logan's bed but did not sit down right away. I stopped next to him and found myself frozen, thrust back into unpleasant memories from years earlier, when Annabeth had been the one in bed and I'd spent every moment possible by her side, juggling two young boys and a newborn on my own and praying she'd wake up. She'd beat the odds and recovered. I hoped that meant our son could too.
I sighed, ignoring the pang in my heart, and sat down beside the bed to take up that watch once again.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
