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This chapter is kind of a filler...sorry...these guys aren't exciting right now. Not really. XP

Enjoy!

Chapter 46

Leo

They had been walking for a long time. A very, very long time. They needed to get out and help Frank. He wasn't bleeding, but he wasn't moving and he was barely breathing.

Hazel seemed distraught about the whole thing. Almost hysterical. Leo was worried about her. He hated seeing her like this, and he hated knowing there was nothing he could do to help her until they reached the ship.

Piper had her knife out and she was working as their defense. She was a fairly strong girl, and a pretty good fighter. Leo and Hazel were carrying Frank like he was sitting on air.

Leo readjusted Frank's arm around shoulders tried not to think of how sweaty the underside of Frank's knee was, and just moved his fingers before leaning his head forward and checking on Hazel again.

She looked just as much focused as she did distraught, and that made Leo smile.

No matter what the situation, she was still the Hazel he knew.

"You guys okay up there?" Piper called from behind them.

"Oh, we're just peachy, Beauty Queen," Leo replied. "How are you doing back there, fighting all those monsters?"

"As soon as I start helping you guys, they're going to come out from everywhere, and we'll get killed, or worse, captured. So, you two can keep carrying Frank, and I'll keep protecting you. Okay, Fix-It Boy?" She replied.

"How about you two just switch off?" Hazel asked. She sounded tired. Too tired to feel anything but confusion and panic. "Piper, come take Leo's side of Frank and Leo will get out his hammer and his fire and protect us. After a little while, you two will switch again. I'll decide when. Got it?"

Leo was pretty happy with it. "Sure."

At least he felt like he was doing something more now.

After a difficult switch with lots of grumbling from both of them, Leo was finally at the back with his hammer ready and a fire ball out. He was worrying about Hazel, he really was. But…what could he do now? Besides get them safely to the ship, that is.

But was that really the best option?

Jason (and Nico, hopefully) were probably on their way to the Doors right now, and they were trying to head back to the ship?

No. They had to get there. They had to close the Doors and be there for Jason.

"Guys, I don't think going to the ship right now is the best idea," Leo said cautiously.

"What?" Hazel asked, and they stopped. "Why not? Frank needs help!"

"Jason needs help," Piper countered. She must have been thinking the same thing as him, because she seemed to be on his side for once.

"What do you mean?" Hazel asked.

Leo walked around the two of them so he could see their faces as they debated.

"We mean that Jason and Nico should be on their way to the Doors of Death right now. What if they get there with no back-up? Nico has a broken leg. He can't walk, how do you expect him to fight?" Piper asked.

Leo just nodded.

"Well, neither can Frank, and what happens if when we get there, Frank gets attacked? He can't defend himself right now!" Hazel protested.

"I think he's just unconscious, Hazel," Leo said. "We should wake him up and see if he's suffering from any real injuries."

"I heard a crunching sound. And a crack. When he hit the cave wall," Hazel whispered. "There's something broken in him. I know it."

"Then let's lay him down on the ground and see what it is," Piper coaxed.

Leo suddenly had the urge to help as they carefully placed Frank on the floor of the tunnel, face up.

Piper and Hazel started searching for injuries on Frank's quiet body as Leo continued to watch for any monsters that might come to attack them.

"That's definitely a broken rib," Piper commented.

"Oh my God," Hazel said.

"Switch," Leo called, and he ushered Piper away as he knelt down next to Hazel. "He hit his back on the wall, right?"

"I don't know, I wasn't…watching that part," Hazel sighed.

"We should flip him over and check anyway," Leo replied. "Just in case."

They carefully rolled him onto his stomach and started checking his back.

"His spine seems to be intact," Leo said as he felt for the small bones up and down Frank's back. "But I can feel the broken rib Piper was talking about from back here as well. It's a serious injury."

"Check his breathing," Hazel demanded.

They carefully rolled him back onto his back and Leo pressed his ear against Frank's lips.

He felt breath against his ear every two seconds. A steady breathing pattern.

"His breathing is fine. Steady. He's unconscious with a broken rib that didn't puncture his lungs or anything. I think he'll be fine if we don't get him to the ship," Leo sat back and turned to look at Hazel.

She nodded. "Okay. Fine. So, what should we do? Wake him up?"

"Believe it or not, we're not actually doctors," Piper said, shifting her weight to one leg and crossing her arms over her chest. "But I think if we wake him up he could walk with us. Maybe not fight so well, but walk with us."

"Yeah, okay," Hazel sighed. Leo felt better as he stood up and backed away. Hazel crawled over and started trying to wake him up.

Piper came to stand next to Leo. "You're better at the whole, 'friend zone' thing than I thought you were gonna be, Valdez."

Leo looked over at her. "What?"

"She loves Frank. Frank loves her. You love her. She chose Frank. You're still there for her when she needs you, because she's completely oblivious to the fact that you love her. And you're okay with that. She wants to be just friends with you. You're okay with that as long as you get to be near her. You saved her from falling to her death when we were fighting the Sky Pigs and she still thinks of you as only a friend, and you're completely okay with that. Because you still get to be near her. That's called 'friend zoning,' and you're better at it than I would be, that's for sure," Piper whispered.

"Look, Beauty Queen, I don't know what you've been seeing for the past…long time, I don't remember how long we've been doing this, but I'm not in love with her," Leo whispered. "She's one of my closest friends."

"Please, Fix-It, those words sounded hollow even to you," Piper replied, rolling her eyes. "You just want to help her. Which is sweet. But I think Frank sees it, too. So watch out, okay? He can become a bear, remember?"

Leo sighed. "Yeah. I know."

"It's not your fault though, I don't think. Maybe. Oh, Frank's waking up now," Piper looked back over at them, and Leo followed her gaze.

Frank was holding his broken rib and trying to sit up while Hazel helped him.

Piper gave him a stupid look. "You're being obvious again."

"Shut up, Beauty Queen," he muttered.

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