Third person

Waking up was not fun for the injured hero.

As soon as he regained consciousness agony lanced up his side. His chest was in fire, his leg never felt worse and breathing felt like being stabbed. It was hell.

The pain was so overwhelming when he first came to that he almost blacked out again, but he managed to beat it, almost wished he hadn't though. Slowly, he opened his eyes and was almost blinded by the lilght.

"Close the blinds!" That was Annabeth's voice. He breathed through the pain as his body shifted slightly. "Percy? Can you hear me?" He opened his eyes again.

Deep breaths. Pain. Keep going.

"H-h-hi." He breathed out.

The pain that simple syllabel caused was paralyzing, but it was worth it for the smile on her face.

"Hey Seaweed Brain, got hurt pretty good didn't you." He would've laughed if the pain wasn't killing him. He opened his mauth, even doing that hurt. "No. No speaking Seaweed Brain. Strictly forbidden, doctor's orders." He frowned slightly. "Do you remember what happened Percy?" Her eyes went soft, sympathy shining from their granite depths. He frowned, trying to remember.

He'd been attacked, he'd been resting on the wall in the playground, trying to overcome the pain, and the jocks had attacked him.

He almost blacked out again remembering the pain that had come next.

It must have shown on his face."Hey, hey. It' ok now Perce. They're gone and they won't be coming back to yur school until your comfortable with it, in fact they never will if you press charges. They've been excluded, possibly expelled depending on how you are and how you feel and, if you press charges, ail time. They wont be coming near you."
"And even if they do come back to school they will have years worth of isolation to dealwith." Percy hadn't realised the Coach was in the room. "What they did to you..." The coack trailed off, shaking his head, disgusted.

Percy was about to try toreply, or at least show recognition when his breath caught.

His throat closed up.

He started choking.

Suffocating.

He couldn't breath!
He felt hands on him, something being pushed onto his face. The agony flared up again as his chest worked too hard.

"It's ok Percy." He felt the cold thing being secured onto his face. "Breath in, then out, slowly. This is an oxygen mask. It'll help." He complied and the pain receeded slightly as the machine did most of his lung's work for him. "See, it's ok." She sounded like she was reasuring herself. "Look Percy, I'm not going to lie;this is bad. They reopened your wounds and made your lungs worse. You souldnt have any...life long breathing problems, but pernament phantom pains and aches are no longer just a possability, the pain (as you've probably noticed) is going to be a lot worse and you'll have to be back in a wheel chair. I'm sorry Percy." The hero felt tears trailing down his face but tried to smile for her anyway.

"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner Percy." It was the coach again. "I'm sorry that happened to you, especially at school. Don't worry though, you wont have to see those boys again unless you want to." Percy tried to smile at him too.

Just then a doctor walked in."Hello there Percy. I'd say it's nice to see you again but I kinda wished I'd never have to." It was the same doctor he'd had when he'd first come in after the terrorist attack. "I'm sure Anabeth here has caught you up to speed, soI just have to fill you in on the specifics." The man's face grew troubled. "I'm not goign to lie to you, it's going to be hard, but I think you'll get through it and the bottom line is that you're going to survive. I'm not entirely sure how you did it, but you 'll be given back your old wheelchair, the one you used briefly before you were goven your crutches, and you'll be on it for at least as long as you thought you'd be on your crutches for before. Sorry lad. Then when we think your ready it wil be crutches, then a leg brace, then on your own and some rehab. Undertood, blink once for yes."
Percy blinked.

"Ok then. As you know, painkillers aren't working." He took a deep, rattling breath. "We are so, so sorry about that, lad. We've tried every possible combination, but they all just seem to get fried out. If Ididn't hve prior experience with you as my patient, I'd be surpried that you're not going into shock and worse from the pain right now. But talking about it isn't going to help you. Anyway, that's the plan, and we'll be getting you back to school as soon as possible, a familiar environment where you get fresh air is beneficial, although you'll be taking it easy. Half lessons, no fast movements and breaks whenever you feel you need them And you're allowed to go home at any time if it gets too bad, or back here if you feel you need it." The doctor looked the hero in the eye. "Don't down play your pain if it's too bad, you will be given a break. Don't hide it when it hurts. Please, lad." The man sighed. "Blink once if you understand.

He blinked.

"Ok, last order of buisness, as you can feel now, doing anything is probably agaony." An exaggerated blink. The doctor chuckled sllightly,"I'm sad to say it will be like that for a couple of days, but after that it should get marginally better, we'll practice with sitting up, then moving your arms around then the wheelchair, then off to school with you. Ok, lad?" He blinked.

The doctor looked sad for a moment. "Youre a very brave lad. A nurse will come in to help you later, just rest as much as you can ok." He blinked and the doctor left with the coach close behing, looking extremely upset. Percy blocked out the pain and dread for the months to come as Annabeth came back into his field of vision.

she kissed his forhead lightly.

"It'll be ok Percy." He was crying. "We'll get through this just like everything else, together."