17. Sleep Deprivation

Percy hadn't slept in three days. He only had a total of ten hours the three before that. Percy currently sat cross-legged in the middle of his ruffled but unslept-in bed, head in his hands, fingers buried in his hair.

"When will Annabeth be back?" Paul whispered, hand on his wife's shoulder as they gazed in parallel concern at their son. They stood in the doorway of Percy's room, Sally cradling a coffee mug in one hand. She had made a cup of chamomile and lavender tea, although she knew Percy probably wouldn't drink it.

"I don't know," Sally said with a sigh. She gently removed Paul's hand from her shoulder, kissing his palm before releasing him and stepping into the darkened room.

"Hey honey," she whispered as she approached the hunched over figure of her son.

"Hm?" Percy lifted his head enough to blink up at his mother. Sally's heart clenched at the sight of her baby, his skin ashen and eyes dull. His eyelids faltered, dropping a fraction before lifting again, consciousness fighting against itself as he mustered a minute smile.

"Hi Mom," he whispered back, his inflection born of exhaustion.

"Oh baby," Sally tried to put on a brave face as she sat next to him. "Do you want to try some tea? It's supposed to help."

Percy stared at the cup for a long moment.

"Okay."

Sally waited, taking in the hard lines of her baby's face, the gray streak in his hair. Eventually, it occurred to him that he needed to reach out in order to drink the tea. He slowly pulled himself up, weaning his head off his hands. He considered, then left one hand under his chin to support himself and reached out with the other to accept the tea. Sally closed his fingers around the cup, helping Percy navigating the rim to his mouth so he could take a sip.

"It won't help."

"Maybe not," Sally agreed with a sigh. "Chamomile and lavender were created to ward off stress from work and school, not the depths of hell itself I suppose."

Percy cracked a grin at that, head lopping to the side as he surveyed his mother with adoration and affection. "Yeah, guess not."

He teetered and Sally hastily set the cup aside to catch Percy as he listed to the side. Percy collapsed against his mother, head finding the curve of her throat.

"Hm . . . sorry."

"It's okay, love," Sally assured him, cupping the back of his head and combing her fingers through his hair.

Percy grunted, moving as though to righten himself.

"It's okay, Percy, it's okay," Sally shushed, kissing the top of her son's head. She kept her lips pressed to the crown of his head.

"Hm . . . okay."

Percy stayed silent for a moment then squirmed a little to curl into his mother, leaning fully into her as though he were a child once more.

And really, Sally realized with a pang, he was. He was still a child. More importantly, he was her child.

"I've got you, baby," she whispered, gently rocking him back and forth. "I've got you."

Percy hummed, a half-conscious rumbling sound. Sally closed her eyes, feeling helpless and angry and so full of love for the boy in her arms that it almost hurt. Percy's breath ghosted against his mother's shoulder, evening out with every exhale.

When Paul came around to check back in on the pair, he found the mother-son duo sound asleep, Percy still curled into Sally and Sally's arms wrapped protectively around him.

A/n It was hard to put Deprivation out of my mind for this one but maybe not so hard in the end haha. Sleepy Percy is easy to write. Thank you all so much!

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