Chapter Eight:

Percy broke into the woods as soon as he got his hands on a torch. It was a reckless move, considering the fact that they were it was getting to be nighttime, and that they were in the middle of a monster infested forest. There was no doubt that Sam was in trouble if he wasn't back by now.

"Percy! Come back!" Chiron called, "You mustn't go in there on your own!" Just as Percy thought he was alone, he heard light footsteps behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, and Annabeth was looking back.

"You should've waited," She reprimanded.

"I don't think the monsters out here will wait on mauling Sam if they spot him." Percy shot back.

"Look, all I'm saying is…It's dangerous out here, and-"

"D' you think I don't know that, Annabeth? I need to find him-before it's too late."

There was a long pause, "Then let me come with you." Percy stopped in his tracks, and turned around.

"No," He said, and turned back in his original direction, "I lost him…I need to do this-alone." Annabeth said nothing, and instead, trudged back to the search party to call them off. Percy walked in the approximate direction the two of them had taken during the game. Once he was in the thicker part of the woods that only got harder. And it was eerie, not hearing much of anything, other than the sound of his heavy breath, the twigs snapping under his sneakers, the crackle of his torch. He was sure that the monsters were watching his every move, waiting for the right moment to pounce in on him. Percy grunted in surprise when his foot caught on something. Naturally, he couldn't get wet, but that didn't stop his torch. He fell right into a puddle, soaking it enough to blow it out. Percy grumbled a few curses under his breath, and managed to get back on his feet. He tossed the dead torch away, and continued on the best he could in the near-night. Just as he thought he was on a good path, he fell. Again. He looked around. He was sitting in a small crater, the crater where he had last seen Sam.

"Sam!" Percy screamed, "Where are you?" He clawed around in the dark, searching for evidence on Sam's location anyway possible, "SAM!" Over the edge of the crater, gleaming onto the trees, was a greenish light. Percy climbed out of the pit, and ran for the light. Percy heard the water from the creek gurgling, and found himself, back there. He had just made a huge half circle from further downstream. He finally found the source of the light: Sam's sword.

Percy leaned over and picked up the sword, which was battered and dripping with monster's blood, which was a tar consistency and color.

"Sam?" Percy called out.

There was a curdling sound, but it wasn't the stream, "-Percy-" More gurgling. Percy jumped across the creek, which still had the glowing Greek water floating at the top, "Percy…help-me."

"Sam, where are you?" Percy called out. But a few feet away, propped up against a tree, a pool of blood around him, was Sam.

"Percy-" Sam croaked. Percy ran over,

"Easy, there. Save your energy." Percy managed as calmly as possible.

"How bad is it?" Sam asked as Percy looked over his worst wound as best as he could in the dark.

"Um…I-I can't tell," Percy murmured, but continued hopefully, "But I'm sure you're fine! Don't worry about it." Percy unclipped Sam's belt that held his Batarangs and empty sheath. He returned his sword back to it's sheath, and then looped the belt over his shoulder. Percy put his arm around the back of Sam's neck, and the other tucked under the crook of Sam's shaking legs, "Up you go," Percy grunted as he lifted Sam up with ease. He stepped across the stream as fast as he could with the burden of carrying Sam and the dangerous creek water that was still live with the trap. Percy trudged through the woods in the direction of camp.

As Percy walked past the Red Team's base from earlier, he felt Sam's head dip back. He was falling asleep, or worse, losing consciousness.

"Sam-You need to stay awake." Percy said firmly. Sam shivered in his arms, and his head leaned back up slightly, "We're almost there, I promise. And then Chiron's gonna take care of you." The trees were beginning to thin, and he slowed down as they half-slid, half-walked down the slope at the edge of the woods. He sighed in relief when he saw he was back at camp. And that there was a light on in the Big House. He jogged across camp, and up the Big House's front steps. He was about to knock, but the door opened before his hand could even land on the screen door. Chiron, in his wheelchair form, looked out onto the porch,

His face paled, "Oh my…" He backed up to give them some room, "Come in. Now." Chiron wheeled his chair into one of the spare bedrooms and motioned for the bed, "Set him down there." Percy gently laid his brother down on the neat bed, "We'll need medical supplies from the Apollo cabin."

Percy continued to stare down at his delirious sibling,

"Go-NOW!" Chiron shouted, and Percy bolted out the door. He ran up to the Apollo cabin porch and pounded on the door. Someone came to the door almost immediately,

Half-awake, the camper stormed out onto the porch, "What in the Hades do you want-" He rubbed his eyes, "Oh…Percy, I-Wait a minute." A scowl appeared on his face, "What are you doing here?"

"We need some medical supplies." Percy cut him off.

"Why should I give medical supplies to you?" He retorted.

"Chiron sent me…My brother got hurt." He shot Percy a dirty look and reluctantly slipped back into the cabin.

"What are you doing, Zack?" A dazed camper said inside.

"Getting medical supplies for Percy." The guy named Zack mumbled.

"Percy? Why are you getting supplies for him? You do remember that he took our flag earlier, right?" Zack walked back out onto the porch and shoved a medical kit into his arms,

"There." He whirled around, marched back into the cabin, and slammed the door in Percy's face.

Percy wanted to say something to that Zack kid, but he needed to get back to Sam.

He ran back into the room his brother was staying in. Chiron grabbed the med kit from Percy's hands, set it down on the bed, and opened the red box. He tore open a pack of ambrosia squares,

"Percy, I need your help. Feed this to Sam while I take care of the wound." Chiron ordered, and handed Percy the ambrosia. Percy walked over to Sam's bedside, and gently opened Sam's quivering jaw. He slid a square into his mouth.

"Sam, you need to eat this." Percy ordered quietly, but firmly. Sam groaned slightly, and began to chew.

"Percy, hold him down." Chiron muttered gravely. Percy looked back at him, and saw Chiron grasping a bloodied spike lodged in Sam's stomach. He hadn't even noticed!

"What? Chiron-"

"Do as I say, child!" Percy grabbed both of Sam's shoulders, "Now, when I begin to pull this out, you need to force his shoulders down, or else he might cause more damage to himself. Do you understand, Perseus?"

"Y-yes." Percy trembled. Chiron slowly began to pull on the spike, and Percy pushed back on Sam before he could coil up in pain. After a few slow, scream-filled minutes, Chiron finally got to the end of the spike, and it was out of Sam. Sam wailed in pain.

"It's okay, Sam. Chiron's just gonna clean your wound up, and then you'll be fine." Chiron splashed some nectar onto the wound from a flask that was in the kit. He dressed the wound with gauze, and then wiped his brow with the back of his cleanest hand.

"He's okay, now, Percy. If anything happens, wake me. For now, I shall rest." He wheeled his chair out of the room, and disappeared into the dark house. Percy stayed awake for as long as he could, but drifted off in a chair before he even realized it…

A/N: 'Dat angst. So guess what? I went school shopping over the weekend and got this really cool T-Shirt. You want to know what it was? Huh, do ya'? A District 12 shirt…finally! I got an Avengers one, too. I posted this a little early, but I'm sure you guys won't mind. Did any of you get the Hunger Games on DVD? My aunt bought me the Blu-Ray version I think.

See you guys in a few weeks,

~Leaded-Pegasus