She wondered what they news had about them that night. Annabeth had no doubt that there would be a piece run on them, the two innocent teenagers injured in a lockdown turned kidnapping. Ad as scary as it had been, Annabeth knew she would be willing to brave the reporters in order to have one of these days again.
A few days later, Annabeth and Percy were fooling around like usual, with Annabeth limping around in her crutches and Percy chasing her. Currently, they exploring the places in the hospital that they hadn't been to yet. They were passing by a sitting room area outside the operations rooms when Percy heard the blaring of a TV station, and more importantly, a news station.
"Annabeth, do you hear that?" He said.
She turned around and saw him stopped. "Hear what, seaweed brain?" She said, utilizing the nickname she hade come up for him after another day of just chatting about nothing and everything.
"A news station on the TV. Want to see what we have been missing during our imprisonment?" He said, a grin spreading across his face.
"I don't know Percy, you know that we aren't supposed to be watching TV, and we could get in big trouble with our parents." She said, hesitating.
"Oh come on, what's the worst that we will see? Yet another tax cut by the government?"
"I don't know" Annabeth said, still hesitating. "But, I guess it would be good to see what's been going on in the world."
"Great" Percy said, wheeling into the room. He saw that for a rare moment, there weren't many people in the room, just one or two people who didn't look tired or very stressed. There was a small table with refreshments to one side. And two the other, there was a small TV broadcasting the news. He wheeled himself up next to a chair that had a perfect view of TV.
Annabeth came up behind him and sat down in the chair, laying her crutches beside her. The got comfy and then turned towards the TV, and listened to whatever story was. To their shock, the announcer was saying, "Now, more converge on the two teens that were injured in a school lockdown in downtown Manhattan about two weeks ago. Our on site reporter, Kayla Smith is at the hospital with more information." The scene cut to a background that Percy knew all to well. It was the hospital they were watching the channel in.
'Thank you Amanda. Well here I am at Lenox Hill Hospital, where the two teenagers are currently being treated for their injuries. They were held hostage shortly after a real lockdown was initiated after a drill one ended. They were held hostage for approximately three to four hours, before negotiations were able to get the pair out. Then, police stormed the building and arrested four men, all of which are affiliated with a worldwide mafia and drug cartel. The reasons for the situation are currently unknown.
Until a few days ago, we had no word on the status of the two teenagers and how they were doing. It was leaked to the press yesterday that the two teenagers were named Annabeth Chase, and Perseus Jackson. Three days ago tough, we were able to catch a glimpse of the teenagers as they went on an outing." A picture of the two appeared on the TV. Both of their heads were bend down, out of sight, and you could only see their hands if you were really looking for it.
"The two seemed well, but both were in wheelchairs. We have had no new information since. Though we have been told that there may be a press conference at a later date. Back to you Amanda." Then, the TV turned to commercials. Before Annabeth could say a word, Percy wheeled himself out of the room, fuming.
How could they? What right did they have to invade their privacy and tell people their names? What right did they have to practically stalk them? They weren't some play toy, they were people. And then the press conference, why didn't they know about that? Were their parents just going to come up one morning and go, "OK guys, lets go spill our guts to the press."
He found the nearest empty sitting area and wheeled himself to the window. He sat fuming for a while, before he heard the distinctive mark of crutches walking down the hall. Then, Annabeth was sitting next to him rubbing his shoulder.
"It's not alright for them to do that. I get that. Believe me, I understand why you are mad. But there is nothing we can do to stop them. We just have to make sure to keep to ourselves." She sounded like she was pushing down her own anger, which made Percy feel slightly better.
"But what about this press conference? Why didn't we know?" He asked, slightly calmer.
"That, I don't know. I am just as mad as you. But, what can we do about that?" Annabeth said, the anger in her voice becoming clearer.
They sat like that and thought for a few minutes before Annabeth said, "Why don't we just ask our parents? They have been truthful about everything but this. Maybe they had a good reason for hiding this from us." The more she said, the better the idea seemed.
"OK. But how are your feet? Do you think you can walk back there?" They had learned over the past day or two that after a while, Annabeth would get to tired to walk, and they would have to sit still for a while. The solution they had come up with was for Annabeth to sit on Percy's lap and he would push them around. It was slightly awkward the first time, but worked fine now.
"I don't think so." She said, bending down to rub her feet. She groaned and then said, "Yep, no walking for me for a while. Can I hitch a ride?"
"Of course milady." He said, maneuvering his wheelchair so she could slide into his lap. She slid onto him, grabbed her crutches, and out them in her lap.
"Off we go!" She said, pointing her finger in the direction of the elevator. Percy pushed them down the hall, until they came to the elevator. Annabeth pushed the up button, and they waited for the elevator. When it opened for them, there were a couple other people in there, namely a fancy looking man in an expensive looking business suit. Suit man gave them a weird look when he saw how they were sitting.
Percy pushed them into the elevator and Annabeth said, "Fourth floor please." As the elevator started its assent, Percy would swear that he had never heard more awkward elevator music, and that was saying something. Finally, after what seemed like a century, the elevator arrived at the fourth floor.
As they wheeled out, Percy couldn't resist saying, "Adios, Amigos," Right as the elevator closed.
As soon the elevator left, Annabeth collapsed in a fit of giggles. "Why did you say that? Did you see the look on that mans face?" She said in between laughs.
Percy, holding in his own laughs said, "I just thought that we really got to know each other in that elevator, ya know? I felt like we connected." Annabeth just nodded, as she slowly calmed down.
Percy wheeled them down the hall until they reached Annabeth's room, where they knew that both families were having lunch that day. The closer they got to the elevator, the quieter Annabeth's giggles got, until they quieted down completely. Percy's face slowly became more serious, until they were right outside the door, ready to ask their parents a very important question.
"Ready?" He asked, sounding eerily similar to what he had said outside the door of their first PT session. Annabeth nodded, and pushed open the door as Percy wheeled them in.
Sitting in a circle of chairs they had collected from both rooms, Fred, Helen, Pons, and Sally were seated, eating sandwiches and talking and laughing. Fed looked up at the duo when they walked in. "Oh, here you two are. Want a sandwich?" He asked, but his smile dropped a little when he saw how serious the two looked. "Are you guys ok?"
Annabeth slipped out of Percy's lap and onto the bed, and Percy wheeled up beside her. "We need to talk." She said.
Ok Guys I know that it is a little shorter than usual, But I have a good reason. In about a week or so, I am going up north from NC to MI, and visiting family for like, a week. I wont be able to update since they don't have good WiFi, and I only see these people once or twice a year. So, I will give you another update sunday or monday to make up for it, before resuming updates when I get back. School for me also starts on the 26th, so updates will be slower then.
Also, before people say that Percy and Annabeth to some extent overreacted, please remember that they are trying to recover from a traumatizing event. I think you would be mad if people mad if people started talking about it like it was the latest movie by Brad Pitt.
And also, I am looking for a beta! If you would like to beta this, Please PM me.
Adios!