Sorry for not updating. School and basketball have been kicking my butt.
Anyways... all rights to Rick Riordan
"Aagh!" Percy screams. "Aagh!" He grabs his arm and shuts his eyes in pain mixed with surprise.
"Oh no, Percy, we're sorry!" Hazel apologizes.
"Are you okay?" Jason asks. Percy pries his eyes open and removes his hand from his arm.
"Yeah, yeah I'm good." They all look at him suspiciously, "I'm okay, and really glad to see you guys."
"We're glad to see you too." Nico says. Leo, Piper, Jason, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, Nico, and Will all surround the injured boy and wrap him in a hug, careful not to hurt him. Annabeth stays by him, once everyone disperses, to kiss him and punch him hard in his uninjured shoulder.
"Ow!" Percy exclaims.
"You deserve it!" She hisses at him. He moves to the bead and takes a seat, everyone in the cabin follows suit. The son of Poseidon stares at everyone staring at him and decides that since he's at camp, he's fine to take off his sling and knee brace. He moves to unhook his sling but is quickly stopped by Leo.
"Woah, what're you doing?!" He stops.
"My arm hurts, I'm taking off my sling." Percy explains.
"That's not a good idea." Hazel protests. "You could hurt yourself." Percy feels all eyes on him and somehow it just keeps growing more intense.
"It's fine, I just need to stretch my arm." He resists. Jason stands up next to him and helps him take off his sling even though he doesn't want the help. Once Percy's arm is free, he stretches it and winces in pain before Percy leans over to undo his brace. "Uh uh, nope, no." Piper says to everyone's surprise.
"Pipes, come on," Percy protests again.
"No, just because you're at camp, away from actual doctors, that doesn't mean you're allowed to hurt yourself further." Piper states.
"I'm not. The doctors said I was allowed to stretch my knee once in a while. So technically, I'm not breaking any rules." Percy sasses. He continues to unstrap his brace with a determined look in his eyes.
"Percy…" Annabeth says, trying to get him to stop, "Piper's right-"
"No, I need this. I need this." Percy winces, "I've been stuck in a bed and in the hospital for a week. I can't walk without limping, I can't move my left wrist, I can't use my right arm, and even breathing hurts because of my stupid broken ribs. My point is, coming to camp, for me, is supposed to be somewhat freeing. Don't get me wrong, my mom and Paul have been great but they're smothering me and I just got here and you guys are too." He takes a breath and sighs, "I just, I just need to feel like I'm at least a little bit in control."
"Perce," Annabeth says, "we're just trying to help you. We don't want you to hurt yourself again." Percy is falling apart in front of his friends and he knows it, and he hates it.
"Hey, Percy, look at me." Jason commands, Percy looks at him with a defeated look, but his guard is still very much up. He grabs one of Percy's shoulders. "You are okay. You need help right now; you know that and we know that. It's okay to ask for help." Jason lectures, "You're not alone and we don't want you to feel like you are. All of us want to help, you just have to let us." He finishes. Now their eyes are all glued to Percy and he is burning up in embarrassment. He knows his friends are only trying to help, but it just feels like they're smothering him.
"I know, I'm sorry. It-it's just," Percy starts, "I-I don't like being this vulnerable or feeling this helpless. You guys have better things to do than sit here and take care of me." He buries his head in his hands and doesn't look up when someone starts rubbing his back.
"It's okay, we don't have to talk about it, you don't even have to like it, but we're going to help you whether you like it or not." Annabeth finally speaks. Percy nods which ultimately hurts his stitched up head. He grimaces before he feels someone loosen and undo his knee brace.
Now his knee is free but he can feel it pulsing intensely, making the pain ten times worse. The boy's eyes start to water and he's unable to stop the tears from falling. As silent tears roll down his face, he thanks whoever it was that took off his brace.
"You're welcome." Frank's voice rings through the room. The dinner bell rings and startles them all out of their quiet state. Percy doesn't have the energy to pull his head up so he waits for someone to say something.
"Percy, are you ready to go to dinner?" Nico asks, ready for Percy to get up and respond. Everybody holds their breath while Percy sniffles and wipes his face with his free before he looks up.
"Um, I'm actually not hungry." Percy states, his stomach is in knots and his body is overheating. "Could you um, could you tell Chiron that I'm not coming. I'm just, I'm just really tired." They all look at him in suspicion.
"Perce, why don't you at least try to eat a little something." Annabeth suggests.
"I'm really not hungry." Percy persists.
"Are you sure?" Hazel asks.
"Yeah, yeah go." Percy commands.
"Fine, we'll be back." Jason reassures. Percy nods and they all flood out of his cabin. Will stays behind for a second and Nico gets curious.
"Go Nico, I just have to talk to Percy real quick." Will then moves to the bed next to Percy as Nico walks out the door and shuts it behind him.
"Will?" Percy questions.
Will lays his hands on Percy's shoulders. He closes his eyes and uses his powers to determine what's actually bothering Percy. Will stands there with his eyes shut for only about 30 seconds before he looks at Percy with his concerned doctor look.
"What?" Percy asks, knowing exactly what he's thinking. Will presses the back of his hand against Percy's forehead and pulls it away with a worried expression.
"You're burning up." Will says, "How are you feeling?" Percy looks up at him with a fake smile.
"Fine, just tired." Will stares him down with his: I already know what's wrong so there's no point in lying about it and if you lie I'm gonna know and be disappointed stare, "I'm hot and I feel like I'm going to throw up and everything hurts. My head is pounding and it's hurting and pulling at my stitches or something, my arm is killing me and now it hurts even more to breathe, and my knee feels like it's going to give out from under me and I'm not even standing." Percy confesses as he breaks down into tears. He's crying into his hands from pain and pressure. "I thought getting out of my bed and leaving the house would be easier."
"Perce, I'm gonna run and get Chiron, stay here." Will commands, then hurriedly runs out the door. Once he gets to the pavilion, he stops running and silently moves to Chiron. Annabeth catches a glimpse of him and her worry suddenly spikes.
"Will?" Chiron questions once he sees him heading towards him. "Where were you? You're late."
"Chiron, I need you to come down to the cabins. Like right now." The son of Apollo says before turning around and walking out of the pavilion, with Chiron trailing him closely. Once they're out of sight, they both start running down the hill towards the Poseidon cabin.
They burst through the door, scaring Percy. "Aagh! Aagh!" He yelps. Percy is deathly pale and he's sweating and shivering at the same time. Chiron trots toward Percy's side and picks him up bridal style. "Aagh!" Percy gasps in pain.
"Will, infirmary, now!" Chiron directs. Will grabs Percy's knee brace and sling, then runs out of the cabin, up the hill, to the infirmary. Just as they run past the pavilion, it explodes in words of concern and shouts of worry. They enter the infirmary and Chiron quickly sets Percy on one of the first beds while Will sets his brace and sling on the table next to it.
"Will, what happened?!" Chiron quickly questions as Percy groans and writhes in pain.
"I think his wounds are infected again. He has a fever and he's in a crap ton of pain." Will explains while he starts hooking Percy up to the monitors and an IV. They can hear Mr.D trying to wrangle a bunch of apprehensive campers, and by the sounds of it, he's struggling.
Percy is fighting to manage the agony of his infected wounds and Chiron quickly takes notice. The camp father figure attempts to calm Percy down but soon resorts to commanding Will to knock his patient out.
He does so with ease and you can very clearly see the injured boy's body relax and his eyes roll back into his head.
(Line Break)
Outside at dinner, the campers, mostly Annabeth, are charging the god trying to get to the infirmary.
"Everybody sit down!" Mr.D shouts. Jason and Leo grab Annabeth by her arms and pull her back to Jason's table. "Everybody stay here, I'll go see what's going on. Jasper, you're in charge." The god directs to the camp, putting the son of Zeus in control.
Annabeth turns to Jason, "Let me go see him." She demands.
"Annabeth, you know I can't let you do that."
"Jace, please." Annabeth demands.
"No, Will can't fix him with you watching his every move." Jason explains.
"Then he should start learning how to work under pressure, I'll help him start." Annabeth jumps from her seat and has to be caught by Jason.
(Line Break)
"Woah, Chiron what the Hades?!" Mr.D exclaims, looking at the unconscious boy on the table. "What happened to Peter Johnson?"
"Percy Jackson!" Will and Chiron correct. Will is finished cutting off Percy's shirt, for the second time in two weeks, and he's cutting off his bandages.
"He has a fever and his wounds are…" Chiron looks to Will for an answer.
"Severely infected." Will finishes.
"And he's in intense pain because we can't give him any ambrosia or nectar." Chiron says.
"No ambrosia?! No nectar?! He's a demigod for Hephaestus's sake!" Mr.D shouts in surprise.
"He's being treated by mortal doctors, we can't give him anything!"
"What do I tell the campers?" Mr. D asks.
"I don't know! Just keep them out!" Chiron says. Dionysus leaves the building and runs back to the pavilion.
"Mr.D let me go see him!" Annabeth demands.
"No Annie. Everyone stay out of the infirmary, go back to your cabins and don't come out until I say otherwise. Go!" Everyone flees the dining hall and Mr.D follows them to make sure they all obeyed the rules.
(Line Break)
"How's he looking, Will?"
"Not good. His fever's only gotten higher and somehow his ACL is torn more, the stitches in his head are breaking, and he tore some skin on his hands from clenching his fist." Will states.
"Do you need help? Do I need to go get someone?" Chiron asks, concerned for the well-being of both boys.
"No, I'll be fine." Will insists. Chiron backs up and Will lays his hands on Percy's side then on his shoulder. A yellow light radiates from them as the son of Apollo uses his powers to heal his friend. Five minutes go by before Will opens his eyes and takes his hands away, satisfied with his work. "Okay, his infection should be cleared out now." The healer says. "I'll stitch up his head and his hand. Chiron, can you put his brace back on his knee?"
"Yeah." The centaur responds. They both get back to work and Will finishes suturing just as Chiron turns around and catches his mid fall.
"Okay Will, time for bed." He says as he lays the passed out boy on the next bed over. He returns to Percy and concludes his treatment by gently wrapping his head in gauze and bandaging his cut hand. Chiron makes his way down to the cabins and finds the seven and Nico in Jason's cabin.
"What happened?" Piper asks.
"His wounds got infected again so he had a high fever, his stitches in his head started to tear open, and his ACL tore more." Chiron explains.
"Can we see him?" Frank asks.
"Where's Will?" Nico notices.
"Yes you can." He answers, then moves to the latest question, "He's passed out in the infirmary with Percy." He then notices that absolute concern flashes across their faces. "He's okay, he just over exerted himself. Come on." All of them follow suit behind the centaur and move toward the med bay.
The campers and activity director walk into the building to see Percy standing by the sink, leaning against it. "You, better have a really good reason for being up." Annabeth chastises. Percy jolts and turns to look at them.
"Ow, you guys scared me. What're you doing?"
"Checking on you." Frank says.
"I'm good." Percy states. "I was thirsty so I got up to get water. And I was cold so I got up because Will told me I had a shirt in here from a few weeks ago when I broke my fingers- OH I was not supposed to say that!" Percy stops himself.
"You what?!" Everyone exclaims.
"Go back to that bed, lay down, and tell us what happened." Piper uses her charmspeak, Percy couldn't help but listen and he moves backward toward the bed and sits down.
"Okay, one stop using your charmspeak, it's mean. And two, I'm not laying down. It makes me feel weird and awkward when I have to look up at all of you and you have to look down at me when I'm taller than most of you." Percy sasses.
"At least sit back with both of your legs on the bed." Hazel compromises.
"Fine, but I still don't like it." Percy says, he uses his casted arm to push himself further onto the bed then grabs his brace by the velcro strap and lifts it onto the bed.
Once he's lying painfully on his back on top of the mountain of pillows, he starts explaining what happened.
"So, a few weeks ago I was playing basketball with Jason, Leo, and Frank, and you know how I like to dive on the ground for the ball right? Yeah, I did that multiple times and the first time I did it, I landed on the ball wrong and couldn't really breathe right after that. And then I did it again and it got worse and right after that me and Jason went up and I came down with Jason on top of me and my fingers bent weird and crumbled in on themselves. And yeah, then I left, made a terrible excuse and I wasn't going to go the the infirmary for any of it but then I ran into Austin during supper and he told me I had to see Will or else he was gonna tell Chiron and um, yeah so I went to see Will and I didn't tell him about the breathing thing but he somehow figured it out and I cracked one of my ribs and sprained the other one, and broke broke three of my fingers and one of my knuckles. Then Will used his powers and reduced them all to bad sprains." Percy longly explains.
"Wait, hold up, backtrack. So before any of this happened, you broke your knuckle, one rib, almost another, and three fingers! And didn't bother to tell anyone?!" Leo exclaims in disbelief.
"Um…" Percy hesitates.
"And it's all my fault." Jason whispers.
"No, Jason it would've happened anyway. My weight alone would've crushed them anyways from the way they were bent." Percy reassures.
"Not just that, the jump balls were me too."
"No, I would've gone after it anyways." Percy says.
"Still… why didn't you tell me?" Jason asks.
"Because I was okay, if I told you, you would've drowned in guilt and I couldn't live with that."
Nico storms over to Will and shakes him awake.