Hello Readers!
The next chapter is up. I'm not gonna say much about it and spoil the suspense.
Thanks to the new people who followed and older one's for keeping up with my unscheduled updates. I have made this one longer than usual.Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think of it in the reviews.
Happy reading!
Annabeth blinked her eyes open, struggling with the sudden brightness. The walls of her room stood white and so were her bed covers. The room was fairly large for an average hospital room. It had wooden flooring. There was a white couch pushed to the wall on her right behind which there must have been a huge window which was covered with white blinds. There were two more chairs beside that and a side table with a lamp on it.
Why was she in here? What had happened?
She lifted her right hand that had an IV running up to the bottle that hung beside her. She raised her hand to her face and winced as she touched the bandage on her forehead. Her left hand was in a cast.
Her throat burned due to dryness. She looked around, wincing as she tried to turn her head towards her left searching for someone to quench her thirst. She tried to speak only to croak. Just on cue, she heard a soft clack of door, opening then closing and a nurse entered with a tray in hands.
She looked at Annabeth and beamed. "You are awake!"
Annabeth gestured for drinking.
"Oh yes. You must be thirsty. Let me get you ice chips." The nurse brought a white bowl to her, spooned some ice chips and brought it to her mouth. Annabeth gulped down three spoons quickly and sighed as her throat felt better and she gained her voice back.
"Thank you."
The nurse smiled at her and said, "I am Cheryl. You were in an accident and have been here for two days. You were very lucky to survive with the few injuries. Two broken ribs, a fractured hand and a few lacerations. Your friend left in the morning. She said she would be back by noon, so she must be here soon."
Annabeth's eyes widened with the revelation. She had been out for two days? She had two projects due in a week and three more the next. Her boss wouldn't be happy about the clogging of work so near the deadline.
Every time when such situations arose, she had been her saviour. But now Claudia would have a tough time gearing up others in the office when the game maker was missing to make the winning goal.
"I'll be leaving dear. Just press the button beside your bed if you need anything." The nurse said, pulling Annabeth out of her thoughts.
Annabeth nodded and gave Cheryl a smile as she left, leaving Annabeth alone to her thoughts.
The last vivid memory she had was of being in a party with Piper. She sat at the bar when that annoying man had come and started flirting with her. She remembered getting up to leave after chugging down her drink but after that her mind had a fogged up memory.
What had happened exactly?
The nurse said she had been in an accident. Annabeth focused and pushed hard, trying to declutter her memories.
Now she could recollect, though just in bits and pieces what had happened. The truck, crash, blast. She hoped Argus was fine. Her heart weighed heavy as she thought of people in the second car. She genuinely hoped they had somehow miraculously survived it but she knew it was not possible.
Annabeth knew what death of a person could do to his near and dear ones. She had been a victim not once but twice. No. Not those reminiscences again.
Annabeth closed her eyes in panic, trying to block her mind that was reaching out to the deepest buried memories of hers instead of what she was searching for. She didn't need all the past pain to resurface again. That was the last thing she needed.
Thankfully, she heard the clank of door knob and entered her best friend Piper looking effortlessly beautiful.
Piper's flawless bronze skin glowed in the warm yellow lights of her room. Her chocolate brown hair was down in waves like usual and fell just past her shoulders. She wasn't dressed in anything special, just blue skinny jeans and a plain white shirt. Still she looked gorgeous. She might be an action movie actress but she still was a red carpet person.
Her kaleidoscopic shone with glee as she looked at a fully conscious Annabeth.
"Annabeth! You are finally awake." Piper threw her hands around her best friend engulfing her in a tight hug. Perhaps too tight for a patient with two broken ribs.
"Ouch Piper. Easy." Annabeth exclaimed wincingly.
"Oh. Sorry. But you scared me to death. And I am just so glad you are fine and awake."
"Yeah. Me too. But what had happened exactly?"
Piper's smile faltered a little as she spoke carefully, "You don't remember anything?"
"Not really. Just tid-bits here and there. The last clear thing is a drunk guy at the party hitting on me and annoying. Then it is all a blur. A crash and a car burning. Is Argus all right?"
Piper nodded at her and replied, "He is okay. He was in surgery but he is okay now. He woke up yesterday night and I visited him."
"Thank goodness. But what had happened at the party? And the other car?"
Piper looked worried as she pondered if she should tell the truth. She should but was it necessary now?
"You should be resting Annabeth. We'll talk about it later."
Annabeth noticed Piper trying to dodge the question and insisted on knowing what had happened that fateful night.
"Piper. Come on. Tell me. I know it wasn't anything good. But I deserve to know." Annabeth stated sternly.
Piper stared at her best friend's bruised face. Even in such a condition, Annabeth's eyes held the concrete and strong flare. She knew she couldn't keep Annabeth in dark for long and gave in. She sighed as she narrated all the happenings of that night to her best friend.
Annabeth felt guilty. The accident was partly if not entirely her fault. She glanced down at her fingers in her lap, fidgeting.
Piper placed a comforting hand on her hands and spoke softly, "I know what you are thinking. But Annabeth this was in no way your fault."
"But, it was me who swirled the steering wheel. Maybe that was what had caused the girl in the other car to lose control and...' Before she could complete, Piper cut her off
"No. Annabeth. I talked to Argus. He told me it was after that. It was the truck driver's fault who came on the wrong side. You might have interrupted Argus while driving but he told me the situation was in cobtrol. Besides you were drugged. You are a rational thinker. You can't blame yourself for something you didn't do."
Annabeth knew Piper was right. Yet she couldn't help but feel responsible for what had happened.
"The girl in the other car. Who was she?"
"Calypso Titan. She was Atlas Titan's daughter. Her car's fuel tank burst and she was badly burnt. So much that it was unrecognisable. Her funeral is day after tomorrow. The truck driver is already under trial."
Annabeth knew Atlas Titan. Everyone did. The great business tycoon had grown from the crime ridden streets of Crotona to own the most luxurious mansion in the Upper east side of Manhattan. Infamous for his criminal connections during his journey up the ladder and even now, he was a feared personality.
"Does he... know what happened with me that night?" Annabeth asked worriedly. She didn't need to be on the wrong list of him. She had a messed up life that seemed to just fall into place, but now this again.
"Annabeth. No one blames you. It was the truck driver's recklessness that caused it. You were in the other car in the crash when his daughter died. You are just as much a victim as his daughter was. Everyone knows it as a fact."
Annabeth nodded.
"I want to go to her funeral if possible." Annabeth said.
"You don't need to. And you are in no position to. Look at yourself Annabeth. You are in a hospital not a hotel."
"I'll be fine by then. Please Piper. It would make me feel better."
Piper looked into her best friend's grey hopeful eyes. Damn that girl could pull off the puppy dog look quite well. Fortunately she didn't like using it.
"Okay. Fine. Dad and I were going. You can come along."
"Thank you" Annabeth gave a grateful smile.
"By the way. Dad sends his 'best wishes and hopes you get well soon'"
Annabeth smiled at that. Tristan McLean. Piper's famous actor dad had always been welcoming and good to her. It had grown when Annabeth helped him and Piper reconcile.
Annabeth and Piper talked for a while and then Piper left so Annabeth could rest. Annabeth slept, anticipating what was to come ahead.
Annabeth refused to use a wheelchair as her doctor had suggested. She could walk fine enough and hated the idea of being aided for an activity as simple as that when she planned on returning to work tomorrow.
Still it wasn't very comfortable moving and the soft couches for guests at the Titan's Mansion didn't help either.
"That's Atlas Titan." Piper told her, gesturing with her eyes towards a huge man. He had dark slicked-back hair, pale blue almost grey eyes, strong jawline and muscular build. His expression was less pained and more vengeful. He wore a black suit and stood talking with a few visitors at a distance from them.
"Doesn't look nefarious, does he?" Piper whispered to Annabeth.
"He isn't a wanted fugitive Pipes. He is a disguised felon."
"Hm.. Quite charming." Piper giggled and winked.
Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"Let's go meet him." Tristan said getting up as he saw the visitors talking to Atlas excuse themselves.
Piper helped Annabeth up and they walked to greet the man.
"Good Morning ." Tristan greeted him causing Atlas to turn back, acknowledge him and shake hands.
"We are very sorry about your loss." Tristan said to Atlas who just nodded as he seemed surprised seeing what he did; Annabeth.
At the lack of a response and an awkward silence falling upon,Tristan continued.
"Let me introduce to you, my daughter Piper and her friend Annabeth Chase."
That seemed to have caught his attention as jerked his head towards Tristan.
" Uh... She was the girl in the other car." His face showed a sign of recognition as his lips parted in an 'oh' and he shook her unfractured hand.
"How are you now?" He enquired.
"Fine sir." Annabeth replied and continued. "I'm really sorry about what happened. "
Tristan nodded. "I had never thought she would leave me so early and abruptly."
Piper spoke, "It is very unfortunate. But she is at a better place now."
Just then came a man to Atlas' side and whispered in his ear something.
He was tall, must be about 5'11" as he towered about five inches over Annabeth even after she wore her three inch black heels.
His eyes were a beautiful shade of sea green which would have appeared much more beautiful with a joyous glint that they presently lacked. His jet black hair was messed up as though he just got out of bed. His puffy eyes suggested he had been crying.
Like Atlas, he wore a black suit too.
Atlas nodded at whatever he said and turned back to the people he had been talking to as the man waited beside him.
"The priest is here." Atlas said and looked at the man waiting.
"This is Perseus Jackson. Heir to the Atlantis Inc. He is.. was Calypso's boyfriend. Sorry I need to be excused." Then he turned to the man and said as he left, "Percy stay here."
The man nodded and just stood there with the three others. He looked grief-stricken.
Annabeth spoke up first.
"I am really sorry about what happened."
The man looked hard and long at her, maybe trying to gauge the sincerity in her words and nodded.
"It was so sudden. I just... It's...devastating."
"Yes. Very unfortunate. And due to no fault of hers. She had to be a victim of the truck driver's recklessness. It's sad. But she is at a better place now."
"It is so unfair. The truck driver's alive in jail and so is the drunk girl in the other car who caused it. But it had to take Calypso away." His voice was spiteful as his turned a shade darker out of anger.
Annabeth stood stunned. This man blamed her for the accident. He thought it was her fault.
All the night she had been in a dilemma, riding with guilt as she tried to decide if she was at fault or not. It took all the night for her to convince herself it was none of her fault.
But the one statement of the man pushed her down the same well again.
"It wasn't the girl's fault either. She was a victim as well. Just like your girlfriend." Piper defended. Percy's eyes turned a shade darker.
"It was. She was drunk and her driver was rushed by her. She was no innocent."
"You can't blame someone basing on your imagination. You don't know what happened with her." Piper argued while Annabeth just stood there with wide eyes staring at the man who seemed to hate her to the core.
"I can't believe it. Why are you defending her anyway?" Percy exclaimed exasperated.
"Because she is my friend. And a victim." Piper stated the obvious.
Percy's eyes travelled from Piper to the too stunned Annabeth who was yet to speak. His eyes widened and eyebrows scrunched up as he realised who she was.
"You? You were the girl in the other car. How dare you come here?" His voice raised with every words he spoke. His harshness startled Annabeth who took a step back in surprise, out of her daze now. The scene was getting bigger and people gathered around them.
"I..uh..I wanted to..." Annabeth stuttered, unable to counter the raging man in front of her.
"What? She is dead because of you. Because of your recklessness. Had you let your driver be a bit more careful, Calypso would be alive. You were drunk."
"What is happening here?" Atlas' stern voice came from the parting crowd as he walked to the front.
"You knew it was her. How could you let her come?" Percy said.
"Because she meant no bad. Percy you are creating a scene. Stop it." Atlas warned in a calm voice. "Sorry about that. Please everyone, the priest is in the garden." He said motioning the guests to head towards the door leading outside.
As the crowd dispersed, he turned to the guy again and said, "Percy Ms. Chase is not one to be blamed for what happened. And I don't want any nuisance in my daughter's funeral. I want her to rest in peace, and I think you do the same if you ever loved her."
Then he turned to Annabeth and apologised, "I'm sorry about him Ms. Chase. He is very upset about what happened."
He excused himself and headed to the garden, patting Percy and warning him with his stern eyes and who just nodded at him.
As soon as he left, Percy turned to Annabeth and said in a low, strong voice, "Don't dare to show your face again. I might kill you. And I think it would be better for you to leave now. Goodbye." And with that final note he left, glancing at Piper and her father.
"Let's leave Annabeth." Piper said as she dragged her out of the house. Annabeth couldn't decipher what was happening. Her body felt numb and her mind was a mush of thoughts. Of all, one thing that blared in her mind was 'She was guilty'.
So that's how Percy and Annabeth met guys! I hope you liked it. The plot is getting spicier. Let me know what you think of it!
See ya all next time!