Finals...they really, really suck, don't they? But mine are finally over, so I can rest easy now. Hopefully I can manage to finish this story over the summer.
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
I skidded to a stop in front of Percy, slamming down painfully onto bony knees. One hand shook as it reached out to him, while the other covered my mouth, muffling my choked sobs.
"Oh gods," I repeated over and over again in a shaky whisper.
I didn't know what to do. I had only the barest knowledge of first aid, and all of that flew out the window the moment I was confronted with this situation. My eyes scanned the crowd frantically, searching for someone to help. But everyone remained frozen in place, completely and utterly shocked. A few minutes ago they were all either celebrating their victory or complaining about their loss. By now a hush had made its way over the room, only broken every know and then by a whisper.
Turning my attention back to Percy, my hand finally inched close enough to make contact with his shoulder, fingers grazing the metal of his armor. At my touch, his head rose slowly, eyes meeting mine.
My heart rate quickened even more when I saw the look on his face. His mouth hung open a little, breath coming in quick, short gasps. His eyes had widened considerably out of shock over the sudden pain and unexpected injury.
When our eyes locked, he let out the tiniest whimper.
Oh gods.
My heart hammered solidly against my ribs. I felt like screaming. I knew I need to do something, anything.
But I couldn't move. Everything was starting to devolve into tunnel vision. Any sounds from the background faded away, replaced by the rapid pace of our intermingled breathing.
Out of nowhere, Jason appeared next to us, unaware of what exactly had happened. He must have heard my shouting and run right over.
Upon seeing Percy, his eyes doubled in size. He cursed loudly, once again shouting for a medic before kneeling down next to the two of us. Going into autopilot mode, he pried Percy's hands away from the shaft of the weapon, making sure not to disturb the wound.
"Percy, everything is going to be alright. Just try not to move," he said slowly, trying to get a hold of Percy's attention, who barely managed to nod in between shuddering gasps for air.
In the midst of trying to steady Percy's trembling form, Jason turned his gaze to me.
"Nico. Hey, Nico," he called out forcefully, snapping the fingers of his free hand in my face to bring me out of my daze. "You need to calm him down, okay? It's really important."
Taking a moment to collect myself, I nodded, swallowing hard. I needed to do something.
Everything after that was a blur. I focused all my attention on trying to calm Percy down. I carded my fingers through his hair, brushing it out of his face. I clasped his hands tightly in mine, peppering them with kisses. The entire time I was whispering to him, weaving in little bits of Italian.
I love you. Everything's going to be alright, I promise. I love you. I love you. I love you.
I was so focused on him that I only hazily remember the renewed chorus of shouts as the medics finally arrived. They began working around me with well-practiced hands, cutting away at his armor straps and shirt and carefully packing gauze at the base of the wound. There was a sharp snap as they broke off the end of the long pilum, leaving maybe a foot of the shaft sticking out.
With a collective grunt from the small group, he was carefully lifted and lowered onto the stretcher, his hands finally pried away from mine. I stumbled forward, wanting to follow them, but Jason held me back.
I watched as they whisked him away at as brisk a pace as his delicate position would allow. The crowd parted momentarily in their path before swallowing them up again. Warriors milled around, dispersing into little groups where they conversed quietly amongst themselves.
I was left standing there, dumbfounded and trembling. I brought a hand up brush the disheveled hair from my face, only to be surprised by the wetness streaking down my cheeks. When did I start crying?
I took a series of panicked breaths and tried to still my shaking hands. The shock of the entire situation was starting to fade as the scarily calm group carrying Percy disappeared. The shock was soon replaced by crushing anxiety and fear.
My mind dredged up the memories of the last time this happened to someone, almost a year ago. I shuddered as the image of Gwen filled my mind, spear jutting from her side, blood spilling out rapidly onto the plywood floor.
She died that night, of the same injury that Percy had suffered what seemed like moments ago. The only thing that'd saved her were the open Doors of Death, and now…there wasn't that luxury.
I needed to follow him. I needed to be there if…if…
Tearing myself from Jason's grasp, I ran after Percy. I wove my way through the still dispersing crowd, ignoring the voices shouting after me.
I don't know how long I ran. I don't even know how I managed to remember where the field infirmary was or how I managed to get there without making too many wrong turns. All I know if that it took me entirely to long to get there.
I came to a stop in front of the long, low building near the barracks. My chest heaved with each strangled breath; my lung felt like they were going to explode. I felt like I was going to pass out. I slid down the wall, head in my hands, fingers tangled in my hair.
Not long after I arrived, Jason and Annabeth swan into my vision, wearing twin looks of worry. MY gaze rose to meet theirs.
"What happened?" he asked in a tone much more demanding than he probably meant. My face immediately crumpled, and I rubbed my eyes angrily with the heels of my hands in an attempt to stave off the flow of tears.
Annabeth shot Jason a glare and inched closer toward me, kneeling down and tentatively placing a hand on my arm.
"D-did you see how happened?" she asked in a kinder voice, her own eyes full of concern.
"S-some guy, first cohort I think. I-it was an accident, he…he got distracted and it just…,happened" I wheezed, searching for words in my fuzzy mind.
"Are you alright?" Jason asked in an adjusted tone that matched Annabeth's.
Logically I knew he was probably referring to my bodily health, which at this point was starting to fail me.
"I-I'm fine," I lied, trying to catch my breath. "I just…just need to…I need to…"
"What you need to do first is calm down a little," she interjected. "You can't let Percy see you like this, it'll only freak him out and he needs to stay calm too. So just focus on your breathing, okaY? I know you know what to do."
I nodded weakly and took in a steady stream of air.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Breathe out. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Breath in. Repeat.
Finally I managed to get myself under control. I wiped my face with the hem of my shirt in an effort to mop up the last of my tears. I stood up, taking one more deep breath before nodding to Annabeth and Jason.
I lead the two down the long aisle at a brisk pace, frantically searching the curtained off sections for Percy. We finally found him near the back, in a large makeshift room filled with medics.
I don't know what I expected to find. Maybe he would be all fixed up; maybe the children of Apollo would've worked their magic by now. He could very well be sitting at the edge of the bed, smile on his face. He would get up and kiss me on the cheek like nothing was wrong, and we would walk back to the apartment, just like every other night.
That's not what I got. Not even close.
He was still lying there on a tall metal table in the same position he'd been on the stretcher, the pilum still lodged stubbornly in his side. The tables around him were littered with blood soaked gauze, stainless steel tools, and bottles of unicorn draught. One of the medics was sat in the corner, her own red blood slowing being pumped
Upon catching sight of me, one of the medics stepped aside, opening a space for me near his face. Annabeth followed quickly behind me, while Jason hung back and pulled one of the medics aside.
The panic began to creep back in when I saw his face.
It was paler than I'd ever seen it, coated with a thin sheen of sweat. His brows were knit together despite his closed eyes. It looked like, somehow, he wasn't entirely unconscious yet.
Tentatively, I reached a hand out to brush away his messy hair. At my touch, his eyes fluttered open. I hadn't seen him like this since…since Tartarus. His heavy-lidded eyes were clouded with fear, pain, and confusion.
"Neeks…" he slurred., leaning into my touch.
"Shh, shh.. Y-you don't need to say anything," I whispered, dragging the pad of my thumb across his cheekbone. I resumed the same ministrations I'd been obsessed with previously: brushing my fingers through his hair, gripping his hands in mine.
Jason tapped me gently on the shoulder, trying to rouse me from my stupor. He jutted his thumb towards the empty room behind the curtain, grim look on his face.
Reluctantly letting go of Percy hand, I joined Jason and Annabeth.
"I, uh, just got done talking to the…the medics," he began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "T-they said he's already lost a a lot of blood but that's not really their concern right now. The pilum…well, they said it might be blocking some of the blood flow. So when they take it out…h-he might bleed a lot more. And, well…if that happens…"
It took a few seconds, but it finally dawned on me what he meant. If they pulled the pilum out, he might start bleeding even more than he already was. And…and it might be too much for his body to handle. He might…he might…
Annabeth went rigid next to me, having made her own realization.
This might be it.
But…but he can't die, not now. He's survived two wars and countless battles against the most horrible monsters imaginable. He's stronger than this. He can't possibly be felled by an accidental blow in a run of the mill war game.
And everything was just starting to be okay. I was out and proud to call him my boyfriend. I had to approval of his mother and stepfather. I was comfortable enough with him to take the next step towards intimacy. I was even imaging some theoretical future where we lived in New Rome together.
I was happy, honest to gods happy. And it might be over.
It might be over…
"They've got plenty of unicorn draught on reserve, and Apollo's kids are all universal blood donors so…so he should still pull through. But just in case…"
Steeling myself, I marched stiffly back to his bedside. That wasn't going to happen. Everything was going to be okay. He was going to be okay…he had to be.
I took my place in front of his face while Annabeth situated herself near the top of his head.
He winced when one of the medics touched the spear.
"It's going to be okay, amore. It'll be over in no time," I said softly, using one hand to grip his and the other to stroke his cheek
"He's right Seaweed Brain," Annabeth interjected, grey eyes glassy with unshed tears. "You'll be up and running by tomorrow. W-we'll all go out to lunch to celebrate the 5th cohorts win, huh?"
He nodded weakly in response, pained grimace crossing his face.
"Ready?" asked the gloved son of Apollo, whose hands were poised over the spear. Around him stood a group at full attention, hands occupied with either gauze and medicine.
I nodded, going in for one more lingering kiss before they went to work. Percy squeezed his eyes closed in tense anticipation. He gripped my hand with as much force as he could manage.
"3, 2, 1….and go!" sounded the countdown.
The next few minutes seemed to drag on forever. I watched in horror as the scene unfolded behind me.
The damned spear was pulled from his side with a squelch, releasing a tide of blood.
Panic invaded the previously calm room. There was a lot of blood, more than they'd hoped for. Medics ran around, frantically grabbing at supplies. They packed in gauze, doused the area with unicorn draught, tried anything and everything to stop it before it was too late. A few of their lips moved in silent prayer. One of them was stationed at Percy's neck, keeping track of his pulse.
The entire ordeal passed in a tense silence, the only sounds coming from the clatter of metal instruments and the occasional command from the head medic.
Eventually the flow of blood began to slow. The tenseness in Percy's body ebbed away; his face went slack and calm.
"All signs of bleeding gone. Pulse present. Breathing steady."
Hurriedly, they hung the bag of blood and stuck Percy with an IV, finally able to replace the blood he'd been losing.
"Patient is stable," the head medic finally said, satisfied grin on his face.
I let out a breathy laugh. He was okay. He was going to be okay.
Some of the medics switched places; their crimson-stained gloves snapped as they were taken off and tossed in the garbage. Armed with sutures, two slightly older women came over and settled down to repair any damage the unicorn draught hadn't fixed.
I kissed his forehead one last time before whirling around to capture Annabeth in a hug. She stumbled back a bit before returning it whole heartedly. She was right to be surprised, I suppose. Under most circumstances, I'd never dream of doing something like that. I hated touching other people, and I certainly never hugged them. But in the moment, it felt right.
"C'mon, we should give them some space," Jason said, hand resting on my shoulder again.
"But I wa-," I began, an incredulous look on my face, before being cut off.
"I'm not going to stop you from sleeping in here because we all know it'd be pointless to try. But I think you should at least go back to your apartment and take a shower, maybe get a change of clothes," he tried to reason.
I spared Percy a glance, frown on my face. After everything that'd just happened, I wasn't about to leave him. I needed to stay, to make sure he really was alright. I needed to be there, to hold his hand and wait for him to wake up.
As if reading my mind, Jason tried to assuage those fears.
"They already said he was stable; that's not going to change. All they have to do now is suture some things and bandage him. And it's not like he's going to wake up during any of that either. He's totally exhausted."
I begrudgingly agreed, and followed Jason and Annabeth outside, only to be greeted with the sight of a nervous looking Piper, Leo, and Frank. They looked at me expectantly for an update on Percy's condition.
"He's, uh, going to be alright," I managed to rasp out, unable to keep the exhaustion out of voice.
A chorus of "Oh thank gods" and relieved sighs followed suit. Piper ran over to hug Jason, and Leo just grinned. I couldn't help but notice that Hazel hadn't joined Frank. How typical of her. It's not like she'd traveled from Berkley to Alaska with him less than a year ago. It's not like they crossed an ocean together. It's not like he almost died.
I gave them all a quick nod before heading off. I had to glance at Frank, still surprised that he'd showed up. But I really wasn't in the mood to talk.
The silent trek to the apartment was pretty uneventful, save for the newly realized fact that I was completely and utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. In the panicked frenzy surrounding Percy, I'd forgotten about every ounce of physical pain or exhaustion.
It took all my willpower not to collapse in bed once I got back to the apartment. But I reminded myself that Percy was still in the infirmary, and that I needed to get back to him as soon as possible. I wasn't going to go a night without sleeping next to him. I shuffled over to the dresser, grabbing a pair of my own jeans. I hesitated in grabbing one of my shirts, instead grabbing one of Percy's favorite hoodies. I brought the fabric up to my nose and inhaled the familiar, comforting smell of his deodorant, the vaguely salty smell of the sea.
I dragged myself into the bathroom, stripping out of my grimy, sweaty clothes. I gave my body a once over, unsurprised by the amount of bruises I'd collected during the game. People may not be aiming to injure, but it definitely happened more often than not.
My left forearm was particularly bad, having taken the vibrations from the blows to my shield. A large red patch had blossomed across my upper right arm, probably the result of being slapped with the flat on someone's blade. And my knees were a mess too, achy and blue-tinged from falling down hard in front of Percy. When I looked at myself in the mirror, everything was puffy and red. My cheeks were dotted with little scratch marks.
One stinging shower and a change of clothes later I was ready to head back to the infirmary. Somehow this trip seemed even longer, and by the end of it I was practically dragging my feet. But eventually I came across the now familiar medical ward.
I stepped in, trying my best to be quiet so I didn't disturb any of the other patients. I stalked down the hallway. I finally found his room near the back.
Thankfully he'd been moved to a real bed, making him look more relaxed and natural. White blankets were pulled up to his snuggly wrapped chest. An IV drip of unicorn draught and a bag of blood flowed into a vein in his forearm.
I collapsed in a heap on the chair someone had nicely set out for me. Taking his hand, I had to marvel at how much better he looked even after such a short amount of time. His skin was warm and dry, most of his color had returned. His face was peaceful, not longer bearing the hallmarks of fear and pain.
With his presence providing all the comfort I needed, I leaned my head on the edge of the bed. My eyes drooped closed, and I fell into a much deserved sleep.
Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think in a comment!
Also, I recently posted my reaction of the Trials of Apollo, so if you're interested in what I thought of Rick's latest effort, give it a look.