I woke up abruptly in an unfamiliar bed. I didn't know what it was that brought me back to consciousness so quickly but I gasped and my eyes flew open as I sat up. Maybe it was all the talking that crashed down on my ears or the bright light that glared down at me, the room was full of people. Either way, I was awake and pain brutally hit me in the chest. I doubled over, panting and struggling to get enough air into my lungs as I gripped my shirt tightly. I was covered in a cold sweat and I shivered.
"Percy! Percy are you ok?" Annabeth asked, rushing to my side.
"It hurts, shit it hurts," I whispered, clawing at my heart where it hurt the most.
To be honest my entire body ached from the fall I took earlier. My legs up to just below my knees were covered in casts and I gingerly moved one. To my relief there was no pain in at least that part of me. The rest however ached and I could feel the bruises all along my back.
"I know it does Percy. You broke a lot and one of your ribs punctured your lung," she explained.
"Yeah we almost lost you twice," Jason said, making his way over.
"Tell them to shut up please," I choked out, all the talking was making my head throb painfully.
Immediately, Jason shoved everyone out of the room and it was finally quiet. I relaxed a bit but still kept a firm grip on my shirt. I was aware of the thickness I felt under my shirt where a bandage was wrapped firmly around me.
With each beat of my heart, pain shot through my chest like shards of glass and it still hurt to breathe in and out.
"Percy?" Annabeth asked, "What's wrong?"
"I'm so cold," I muttered as I shivered violently.
She draped a blanket over me and I nodded my thanks even though it didn't make much of a difference.
"What happened?" Jason asked.
"H-he pushed me..." I choked out, "I-I fell over the cliff..."
"We know that much already," a voice said. I looked up to see Chiron in the doorway, his horse half concealed in his wheelchair.
He paused there for a moment, studying me with those eyes of his. Eyes that have seen many things seemed to stare into my soul. He rolled his wheelchair over to my bedside and took out a stethoscope.
"Lie down," he instructed.
I lay down on the soft bed as he gently put the stethoscope to my chest, listening to my heartbeat and my breathing. I was so cold that the stethoscope felt warm against my skin. I uttered a little cough despite my desperate attempt not to.
"It's alright, cough," he said gently.
I coughed and it racked my frail body. My weak lungs ached from the sudden movement and I rasped. I breathy groan escaped my lips.
"Both your breathing and heart rate are irregular," he said, his eyebrows knit together with worry.
He lifted my shirt and Annabeth and Jason gasped.
"He should NOT be that colour," Annabeth whispered.
I was too tired to lift my head and ask what was going on so I just lay there and listened.
"Poison..." Chiron breathed.
"It's spreading; the poison it's spreading isn't it?" Jason asked, turning his gaze to Chiron.
"Unfortunately you're right Jason. This isn't any ordinary poison either," Chiron said with a sad sigh.
"Please tell me there's an antidote?" Annabeth begged.
"There are only two ways that can remove the poison," Chiron started, "The simpler of the two is for him to become a god but convincing Zeus of such a thing is going to be extremely difficult."
"What's the other cure?" Jason asked.
"Well, in order to obtain this poison you first must have an antidote. Whoever poisoned Percy must have it," Chiron explained.
"Chiron, do you even know what kind of poison this is?" Annabeth asked.
He turned solemnly towards her, "Annabeth this is strong enough to weaken any god. The symptoms will disappear but they'll relapse twice as hard. With a dose this large I'd say he only has a week at the most left until-"
"I die."