Chapter 3

Sally lifted her head from Paul's shoulder at the sharp rap on the door. The couple shared a glance, before Sally stood, and walked carefully over to the door, and opening it. Her eyes went wide, and she gasped.

"Percy, Annabeth, Grover!" She cried, ushering the three teens into the house, shooing Paul off the couch and pushing the demigods and satyr down in her husband's place. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," Annabeth said slowly, looking to Percy for permission, before going on. "Percy hasn't been sleeping well ever since he came to camp because of nightmares, and we thought maybe staying here for a few nights would help."

Sally frowned, taking in her only son's rough appearance.

"Is he sick?" she asked, placing a hand on his forehead. "He used to have nightmares if his fever was too high."

"We didn't check," Annabeth admitted sheepishly. "We didn't think about that."

Sally smiled, patting Annabeth on the shoulder, as she bustled into the kitchen to grab the thermometer.

"It's alright dear," Sally said, as she returned, and forced the device in Percy's mouth, ordering him to keep it there, until it beeped. "I understand."

Annabeth nodded, and the apartment was silent, until the thermometer beeped. Sally reached over, and took it from Percy, clicking her tongue quietly.

"One hundred and five," she laughed quietly. "I suppose if he were mortal I should be worried with how high that is."

"Why aren't you?" Grover asked, looking over at his best friend who looked ready to pass out at any minute.

"Well," Sally began slowly, sitting down on one of the armchairs. "Poseidon approached me a few months after leaving me after I told him I was pregnant, and he explained that because Percy's his son, Percy can withstand a higher temperature than most mortals can."

"I didn't know that," Percy muttered, struggling to keep his eyes open. Sally rolled her eyes, smiling at her son.

"That's because if I had told you, you would've have done something stupid to try and see how far you could push yourself."

Percy shrugged, but didn't bother to deny it. Annabeth laughed, just as Paul walked in.

"Is it alright if I come back in?" Paul asked, grinning slightly. A few months before, Poseidon had come by, and granted Paul the ability to see through the Mist. Needless to say, the first time Paul saw Percy's sword, he nearly passed out.

"It was alright for you to come back in when they got here," Sally said, laughing. "There was no need to leave."

Paul shrugged. "Oh well. So what's going on, why are they here? Not that I mind!"

Percy gave a quiet laugh, which quickly ended in a loud, harsh coughing fit that sent him to the floor, where he curled up in a ball, until the fit subsided. He was sure he'd passed out a for a few seconds, because when he opeed his eyes, he was on his back, and Sally had a cold washcloth on his forehead, his head in her lap.

"What happened?" he asked, wincing when his voice grated against his throat. Sally hushed him.

"You started coughing, and then…" she cut herself off, but before Percy could ask why, Annabeth finished softly.

"You couldn't breath, Percy," she said quietly. "Your lips turned blue, and you passed out."

"Why?" Percy asked breathlessly. Annabeth shook his head.

"Maybe you're sick," she offered. "Grover had to go and throw up, he was so worried for you."

Percy gave a small smile, but didn't try to say anything, for fear of ripping up his throat more.

"Maybe you should try and rest," Sally offered. Percy's eyes went wide, and he shook his head.

"No!" he cried, pushing himself into a seated position faster than he should have. He groaned loudly as the world spun, and he would have collapsed back down, had Paul not moved fast enough to catch him.

"Here," Sally said, passing Paul the thermometer. "I want to make sure his fever didn't get any higher."

The small apartment was filled with tense silence, until the thermometer beeped for the second time that day, and Paul pulled it out of Percy's mouth, reading the numbers silently to himself, before looking up at his wife

"How high is too high for him?" he asked. Sally had to force herself to stay calm, as she answered.

"It shouldn't get above 115, and if it does, he needs an ice bath."

Paul looked down at Percy calmly, before looking back up at Sally.

"Do we have enough ice?"

Sally's eyes went wide, and she let out a cry of horror, before quickly getting to her feet, and asking Annabeth to get Grover so he could help. Paul looked down at his stepson, when Percy groaned.

"Where's mom?" he asked, his words slurring.

"Your fever's too high," Paul explained, readjusting Percy so that the teen rested limply against the older man's chest. "Your mom and Annabeth are getting an ice bath ready."

"Why?" Percy asked, his fever preventing him from back the connection.

"We need to get your fever down, and fast."

"I'm tired," Percy muttered, eyes drifting closed. He had nearly lost consciousness, when Paul shook him.

"Sorry kiddo," Paul said, genuinely sorry. "But I can't let you sleep. Your fever's too high."

Percy nodded against Paul's collar bone, but didn't say anything else. He lifted his weary head a few seconds later, when Annabeth walked in the room.

"Bathtub's ready," she said quietly, walking over to kneel next to her boyfriend. "We should get his clothes off, just so he doesn't get colder than he needs to be."

Paul nodded, and together he and Annabeth maneuvered Percy's limp body enough to strip him of his sweat soaked clothes. The fact that Percy didn't object to Annabeth taking off his pants proved just how dangerously high his fever was. When Paul placed a hand on the waistband of Percy's boxers, Annabeth grabbed his wrist, blushing slightly.

"Maybe we should leave those on," she said, trying not to blush anymore than she already was. Paul laughed quietly, before lifting his stepson into his arms, and carrying him into the bathroom, where Sally was waiting nervously. When Paul entered, she spoke.

"Is he still awake?"

"Yeah," Paul answered, looking down at Percy whose eyes were open, and glazed with fever. Sally sighed.

"We're going to have to hold him in then," she shuddered. "He's not going to like it."

Paul nodded, looking back to Percy with pity in his eyes.

"Sorry about this Percy," he muttered, as he slowly placed his stepson in the icy bathwater. The result was instantaneous.

Percy's eyes flew open, and he cried out in fear, struggling against Paul, as he tried to get away from the cold bathwater. Annabeth stepped forward, and tried to help, but it seemed that all she did was scare him more.

After ten minutes, Percy went limp, eyes staring off to the side, but not quite seeing anything.

"Annabeth, can you get the thermometer from the living room?" Sally asked quietly, sitting on the ledge of the bathtub, and running a hand through Percy's hair. Annabeth nodded mutely, quickly rushing out to retrieve what Sally had asked for.

"99," Sally said quietly, placing the thermometer on the sink's ledge, and grabbing a towel. "We can get him out now."

Paul nodded, snaking one arm under Percy's back and knees, and lifting the nonresponsive teen out of the bath, setting him on the floor, and helping Sally dry him off.

"What can I do?" Annabeth asked quietly.

"Can you grab him something warm to wear?" Sally asked, keeping her gaze on her son, who had lost consciousness a few minutes before. "And a new pair of underwear."

Annabeth nodded, and headed towards Percy's room. She sighed, laughing quietly when she opened the door. The few times she'd been in Percy's room, it had always been a mess, with clothes strewn across the floor. But now, everything was away, and completely organized. Sally's doing most likely.

Annabeth ran a hand through her curly blonde hair, as she moved around Percy's room, grabbing him a pair of soft sweatpants, and a thick sweatshirt. Closing her eyes, she reached into his underwear drawer, pulling out a pair, and making her way back to the bathroom.

"Is he still awake?" Annabeth asked, as she and Sally turned their back so Paul could put Percy's boxers on. Sally shook her head, and wrapped an arm around Annabeth's shoulders.

"No, he passed out a few minutes after you left."

Annabeth sighed, as she and Sally turned around, when Paul asked for help. Annabeth ran a gentle hand over Percy's cheek, and he shuddered slightly, but remained unconscious.

"I don't understand," Annabeth said quietly, as she moved out of the way so that Sally could put Percy's sweatshirt on. "He didn't have a fever, and as soon as we get here, he gets a fever which spikes amazingly fast, and he starts coughing to the point he can't breath."

"It does seem strange," Sally mused quietly, as Paul lifted his limp, unconscious stepson into his arms, and carried the boy to his room.

Annabeth watched, as Paul gently set Percy on his bed, before covering him with the blanket, and tucking it around him so he'd stay warm.

"We should leave the door open," Annabeth suggested, as the three of them left the room. Sally nodded.

"I was going to," she said, smiling. "Just in case."

"Do we have any idea what started his nightmares?" Paul asked, as the three of them sat down at the kitchen table, and Grover finally returned. Annabeth shook her head.

"I didn't even know about them until today. But the way he told me...it was like he didn't want to."

"He seemed fine when he left," Sally said quietly. "You said they started at Camp?"

Annabeth nodded, running both hands over her face. "I don't know what could be causing them. I don't even know what they're about."

"No, but we know how they end!" Grover said, accepting the empty soda can from Sally.

"That's right," Annabeth said, nodding. Turning to Sally and Paul, the daughter of Athena explained. "Percy said that there's a voice in the drama that tells him it can save him, and all he needs to do is say the magic word. But Percy always wakes up after that."

"Is it a threat?" Sally asked fearfully. Annabeth shook her head.

"I don't know," she mused quietly. "I don't think someone would be willing to save him, if they were just going to hurt him again."

"But why even offer it, if there's a magic word that Percy doesn't even know?" Grover argued. Annabeth sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I don't know."

"Is it a man or a woman who's offering Percy safety?" Sally asked suddenly, handing Annabeth a mug of hot tea. Annabeth accepted it with a smile, as Grover answered the question.

"All he said was it's a voice that offers it. I don't know if he really pays attention to the gender."

"Does Poseidon know?" Sally asked, sitting next to Paul, and handing him a cup of coffee. Annabeth and Grover shrugged in unison.

"I don't know," Annabeth said. "He never told me if anyone else knew."

"We'll have to add that to our list of things to ask him about when he wakes up," Sally mused. The kitchen was silent, all four of its inhabitants locked in thought, until Paul broke the silence.

"So how long are you planning to stay?"

Annabeth sighed, wrapping her hands around her mug, and staring into the dark tea, as she shook her head.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I guess it just depends on how Percy feels."

"What are we going to do if he gets worse?" Grover asked, voicing the question that was on everybody's mind.

"We take him back to Camp," Annabeth said firmly. "We talk to Chiron, and have some of Apollo's kids check him out."

"And if they can't figure out what's wrong with him?" Sally asked nervously.

"Then we go to Apollo," Annabeth said. "But I won't let Percy suffer any longer than he has to."

I know it seems like Percy got worse then got better almost instantly, but I promise, there's a reason for it.