Ooh, look, a chapter! It's maaagggiiiicccc. Nah, pre-written, but might as well be the same thing. Anyway, here's the next chapter. You guys okay wth no chapter names? I figured that was fine, but eh. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, I read and love all of your reviews. They make me so happy, and feedback/constructive criticism is much appreciated. Reminder to thank my editor ell13, she helped a lot with this chapter, more than usual anyway.
I just spent like an hour and a half editing this, so I hope you guys enjoy, and stay awesome!
-ROC6
Percy could clearly remember the images. The burning air and acid ground and tortured sounds. He could remember watching her wither away before his eyes, calling for him as he tried desperately to save her. But she was blind and cursed and he couldn't help her. He could do nothing to help her. The dreams always hurt more than the actual event, it was the smothering of hope, the realization of failure, that really got him.
He remembered yesterday. He must have been dreaming, but it felt so real. He'd thought he'd heard Annabeth's voice, as though she were on the other side of the wall, but that couldn't be. He doubted that the doctors in the institution could be so cruel to put them so close together, yet so far apart. Was she thinking of him? Percy wondered. But he knew she was. He hoped she was alright, there was nothing he could do. Nothing she could do. But he remembered how desperate she was last time they had been kept apart. And more importantly, he worried about how she'd handle Tartarus. Neither of them had recovered, and he didn't know how she'd handle being alone. (He tried not to think about how he'd handle it.)
"Percy!" a female voice yelled in an exasperated tone.
He blinked, looking around as he was pulled, yet again, from his musings. He was in an office of sorts, sitting in a chair in front of a desk. On the other side of the desk was a woman, the doctor. The woman was professional, but not unapproachable, and there was a mirthful glow in her gaze. She had kind brown eyes, and brown hair pulled into a bun that was likely once neat, but her hair had long since started trying to escape. She wore a pale blue shirt with a gray suit jacket on top. There was some kind of label on the desk, but to him it looked like Bh. Dekar upon first glance, and he didn't bother trying to decipher it.
The nurses had woken him up this morning and marched him down sterile halls for a meeting with the doctor, a psychiatrist. He'd objected, demanded to see Annabeth. They'd only laughed, and forced him into the worn, cushy chair across from the doctor. At which point he'd promptly tuned out.
The lady noticed that she had his attention, then recited as though she'd already said it to him, holding in what seemed to be a chuckle, "Hello Percy, I am Dr. Baker, as you can probably tell from the name tag."
"Where's Annabeth?"
"Somewhere safe. Percy, you can't see Annabeth right now, it's crucial to your recovery, so please stop asking. So, Percy. Tell me a little bit about yourself."
"No. Take me to Annabeth."
"Percy-"
"Doctor, there's nothing you can do for me. Please take me to Annabeth and we'll kindly check out, thank you."
The lady, Dr. Baker pursed her lips, "I doubt that Percy-"
He shook his head, and it occurred to him he might just be acting like an oversized toddler, but whatever, "You can't help me, so show me Annabeth and let me leave."
"Percy-"
"No."
The doctor sighed, her brow slightly knit, "Please, I just want you to tell me a little bit about yourself."
"If I tell you about myself do I get to leave?"
Dr. Baker hesitated, seemingly weighing the question in her mind, "Possibly."
"Alright. My name's Percy, I live in New York and I like the color blue."
The doctor sighed again, "I need more than that. Tell me about your life."
Percy scowled, "I live in New York. Are we done yet? Can I see Annabeth now?"
With a resigned expression, the doctor shook her head slightly, "No-"
"Then I'm not telling you anything."
The doctor frowned, a hint of regret coloring her gaze as she called softly, but with a steady undertone, "Judith!"
A nurse clad in light yellow scrubs entered the room. She grasped a needle in one hand.
He turned to the doctor, who was perched primly at her desk with her hands clasped in front of her, asking incredulously, "You're going to drug me?"
Suddenly, two hands were holding him down, and Percy acted on instinct, elbowing his attacker in what seemed like their face, earning a crunch in response. He then leaped to his feet, kicking the nurse, who seemed to be harboring a broken nose, in the side of the knee. She was down for the count.
Percy glanced incredulously at the doctor again as three more nurses flooded the cramped office, two men and a woman. Percy jumped at the first man, punching him square in the jaw, then locked in a kick to the second man's leg. The first man was coming at him again when he felt hands grabbing his arm as he pulled back for another punch, and almost immediately something entered his arm. A needle.
He swore, cursing himself for having forgotten the third nurse as she grinned triumphantly. The first nurse that had been summoned, Judith, injected something into his arm, and a simultaneous sensation of cold and warmth filled it. The liquid was cold, but as it plowed through his veins it left behind a sensation of warmth. A cozy feeling, almost like he was snuggled in bed. Come to think of it, that sounded like a really good idea. Bed. Oh, what he wouldn't give to just sleep right now.
He snapped his eyes open, sending a glare at the doctor. She was unable to suppress her flinch, and he internally counted it as a win. Percy rushed to collect himself as the weight of the drowsiness continuously tried to overcome him.
"Alright Percy, we're going to try this again. Tell me. How did you meet Annabeth?" the doctor queried, a smile on her face but a hint of regret lit her eyes.
Her smile was so nice... No, he wasn't going to listen, "I just want to sleep. Can I see Annabeth now?"
"May I," she corrected absently, "But no. The sooner you answer my questions, the sooner you can sleep."
"Alright," Percy finally replied. He knew that while he couldn't say too much, he had to give her something or he was never getting out of here, "I woke up and she said 'You drool in your sleep.'"
"That's nice," her soothing voice replied, "Where were you, Percy?"
"Um, New York."
"Do you remember where in New York?"
"No," he lied.
"But she was there when you woke up, yes?"
"Yeah, she was." By now his words were slurring, the urge to sleep was getting stronger. He forced his eyes from drooping. This wasn't right. He shouldn't be this tired. He tried to fight it, scowling as the drug tried to force its way through his system.
"Do you know why?" Dr. Baker asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I had fallen asleep somewhere," Percy fibbed again. Sleep. The word sounded so good now. He just wanted...sleep. No. He blinked a few times, trying to force his way through the drug's effects and to awaken his senses. He could handle a little drowsiness.
"Okay," the doctor scribbled down something on her clipboard, "Is Annabeth your girlfriend?"
Percy smiled guardedly, wearily, thinking about Annabeth. Being with Annabeth, kissing Annabeth, hugging Annabeth, dousing Annabeth with water, "Yeah."
"Describe your favorite memory," Dr. Baker said flatly.
His favorite memory? Every memory was a favorite if it had Annabeth. Well, unless it was in Tartarus. Or when she was kidnapped by Dr. Thorn. Or when Luke had turned Titan. Or...ugh, nevermind, then.
"Um…" Percy hesitated. Pick one! his brain screamed, but he knew he had to be careful, "Well, there was this one time when we were watching fireworks during the summer."
"On July 4th?" Baker asked.
"Uh, yes," Percy said, "And we just kind of talked all night and it was really fun." The doctor nodded, and immediately bombarded him with more questions about his girlfriend as if the previous one hadn't mattered.
Finally, Percy was hit with something unexpected.
"Have you ever had any problems with Annabeth?" the doctor interrogated. Percy didn't quite understand the question. Of course they had problems. Everyone has problems. Couples can never be problem-less. He stared at the woman blankly for a moment, until realization crept into his nebulous mind. She meant problems. Serious issues. He kept his gaze carefully guarded.
Dr. Baker sighed, "Perhaps you've had an extremely heated argument? Has she ever treated you wrongly? Maybe there was a traumatizing experience you went through?" Percy warned himself not to think too much of Tartarus. If this doctor already thought him insane, then telling her about Tartarus would definitely not help his case.
So, he answered nonchalantly, his face a mask of emotions despite the sleep pulling at the edges, "Nope."
The doctor narrowed her brown eyes at him, but didn't say anything about it, "Alright, you're dismissed until tomorrow."
A pair of nurses came to escort him back to his room just as Dr. Baker murmured lowly, probably not expecting him to hear, "Whatever traumatic things you went through, I will find out. Nurse, start the medication felixfacile deiciuntur."