So I wrote this for a friend who loves seeing Poseidon suffer haha! It started as a small idea and now I'm planning to extend it to multiple chapters. We'll see where it takes me! I love Sea Fam! And good Papa Poseidon!
When it came to his family, Poseidon took no chances. He would protect them no matter what. Even if it meant sacrificing his own sleep and well-being. He hadn't slept since the war began. He was a god, so technically it wouldn't affect him as much as it would if he were a human. Still, as days became weeks and weeks became months, the war took its toll on the sea god.
Even though he was in his palace, Poseidon could still feel the sea as a pulse of energy flowing through him. The tides moved in time to the rhythm of his own temper. One day he could be a destroyer, unleashing storms on whomever he felt deserved to feel his wrath. The next moment, he was a fierce protector, a softer version of himself, enjoying his children's laughter and his people's happiness.
The sea was the source of his power, and in return he vowed to protect it at the cost of his own life.
He watched in silence as his beloved wife and children slept peacefully. Despite the faint sounds of battle that lingered on the horizon. They were the reason he stood even when his legs were on the verge of giving out at any moment. His hand gripped the handle of his trident as his legs trembled with exhaustion.
He catches himself and stands upright once more, trying to find a comfortable position. He pulls his shoulders back and stretches slightly. He doesn't realize that he's being watched from a distance.
Kymopoleia moves quietly so as not to wake her family, who are still asleep. And gently tries to approach her father, who is standing in the doorway of her room. She tries to hold back her breath as she sees the large wound on the side of his stomach oozing with ichor.
She moves swiftly and gets closer to him, trying to get a closer look. The wound seems pretty deep and recent. The young goddess's brows furrowed trying to remember when her dad could have possibly gotten hurt like this.
As she approached him, she tried to not make too much sound so as to not startle him as he kept staring at his surroundings. His stare softened when he felt a small hand touching his forearm, although the grip he had on his trident didn't loosen.
His eyes met those of his youngest daughter. "Is everything okay little one?" He whispers, his voice seeming hoarser than usual.
"You're injured Dad." She replied pointing at the wound, the golden hue of the ichor had now bled into his tunic. He grimaced slightly in pain when he turned to look at it. But he tried to downplay the severity of it so as to not make her worry over him. The last thing he needed was to worry Kym after they had made amends a few weeks ago.
"It's nothing to worry about my little sea storm. I'll be fine.' He said. Not missing the way she didn't make any move to go back to bed.
He sighed. Looking back at her, his eyes pleading silently, "Please keep this to yourself, I don't need anyone to be worried about me or seeing me in this state."
"Why don't we get you checked by one of the healers?" She asked.
"Because," He replied as he held his trident even more tightly than he had prior. "If they find out that I'm weakened, Kronos will try to attack and destroy everything I've created, including you." He stared at her with fierce protectiveness.
She knew who "he" was, her father referred to Kronos this way, he never actually said his name nor talked about him much.
"Why would he try to kill us? We don't have as much power as you do anyway, we wouldn't be much of a threat to him."
Poseidon rubbed a hand over his face, he didn't have time to go into details nor did he want to tell his daughter that coming after his children would cause him the most harm and his father knew.
He let out a sigh. "He knows that hurting my children will hurt me more than any wound or damage done to Atlantis." He stops speaking and turns as he watches the rest of the family sleeping. "You and your siblings are my greatest weakness," he admitted.
"As long as I'm able to stand, I'll do anything to make sure you are safe."
Kym bit her lip, she felt conflicted. She understood what he meant, but she couldn't help but want to help him. At the same time, she understood the gravity of the situation but she wished Father would at least tell someone else.
"I promise not to tell, but could I at least attempt to see it?"
Poseidon hesitated for a few moments, he never thought he would have to rely on his daughter he vowed to protect for so long, "Alright". He finally replied with resignation.
Kymopoleia smiled as she pulled him towards the bathroom that was adjacent to his room where they wouldn't be disturbed. Once inside the dimly lightened underwater cave-like area, she pulled a chair out for him and urged him to sit before he might fall and injure himself further.
"Sit here and remove your tunic." She ordered him, deeply concerned as she took in the extent of her parent's sickly appearance.
Being as exhausted as he was, Poseidon didn't try to argue and complied at his youngest daughter, and so he followed her.
He gently removed the white tunic over his head, hissing in pain as he did, showing how much pain he was in.
Kymopoleia who was trying to fetch medical supplies turned at the sound. She had to keep herself from turning away. It looked bad.
Poseidon's vision was starting to falter dangerously as he felt himself get weaker. Technically he knew he couldn't die, but depending on the weapon that was used, he could potentially end up in what humans would consider a coma or lose too much ichor for his body to be able to regenerate itself.
He saw his daughter standing close to him, he could hear her asking if he was okay. But he had trouble responding.
"Father?" Kym asked as she very gently tried to keep him awake. Sweat started to form around his forehead and torso, and his face was becoming too pale. Kym tried the next best thing, she knelt in front of him and held his head with one hand so he wouldn't hurt himself if he passed out.
While she used the other to wet a washcloth she had gotten earlier, to bring dab ironically water on his hot forehead, praying that it would help him stay conscious.
It did. Poseidon's eyes were half opened, and it took him a lot of strength to mutter one last thing to his daughter. "
K-Kym go find the nectar on the shelf in my room, it will help with the bleeding." As to not scare her into panic, he tried to smile despite the uncomfortable sensations.
"Okay, I'll be back in two seconds, stay here, don't try to move." She said knowing he'll probably won't listen. And as soon as he saw her shadow leave the room, Poseidon tried to grab the wet washcloth she left on his thigh and he tried to clean the gash but it was very painful, and he thought he was going to pass out.
As a last resort, he tried to use his water abilities to grab a needle and thread to sew back the wound on his side together, but the wave was too weak to do it. He didn't want his daughter to see him like this. Except she had returned earlier than he expected.
"Papa, Can you hear me?" She urgently asked, holding a small vial of nectar.
He nodded weakly, unable to speak anymore. The young girl quickly tried to open the vial but her hands trembled too much. She took a deep breath and gently poured its contents into her semi-conscious dad's mouth.
"Please work, please, please please." She prayed silently as she examined the wound to see any type of progress. It wasn't actively bleeding ichor anymore, it looked infected and Poseidon was breathing hard now.
But he fought hard to stay awake as long as he could. "You're…Doing…Great." He tried to speak. His voice was barely audible but she understood what he tried to say.
His eyes tried to look at her but he couldn't focus, so he grabbed her hand in his, trying to comfort her. "I'm Okay little one."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away, as she tried to stay calm for his sake. "I'm here Papa." she rubbed her thumb over his now cold hand.
She knew she had to get more help, but he would be angry at her for telling someone. She simply couldn't provide enough for him in the state he was.
"I'm sorry Papa, but, I-I have to get someone to help you." Her voice was shaking now. "I'll be right back, hold on for a few seconds please." She reluctantly let go of his hand and ran over to the nest where she knew her mom was sleeping.
Her heart was pounding in her chest as she gently tried to wake Amphitrite up from her peaceful slumber. "Mom please wake up!" She shoves and shakes her mom's shoulder as until the Goddess starts awake. Amphitrite's maternal instincts kick in when she opens her eyes to see her young daughter crying.
"Kym, what's wrong sweetie?" She asks, trying to reassure her, so she can calmly explain.
Amphitrite is on her feet in an instant once Kym explains the situation to her. The sea nymph rushes to the bathroom without hesitation while Kym wakes up Triton next because as the Heir to their father, he needs to know when he is in danger.
"Kym? Is everything okay?"
Kym sniffles slightly, "Father has been wounded and now he's barely conscious, I-I didn't know what to do so I tried to help but it didn't work." She explains fast.
Triton doesn't waste much time before he rises from their nest. But before he makes his leave he takes the time to make sure his sister is also okay.
"Kym, look at me." He commands gently, taking her face in his hands, a reassuring gesture that helps her calm down.
"You didn't do anything wrong, okay?" Tears start to fall down her cheeks. She feels guilty for not helping their Dad before he got to this point but she's also scared that she betrayed his trust by telling everyone.
"Everything is going to be okay. I promise you." She nods, trying to wipe her tears away. Before he makes his leave he takes her into a gentle embrace. She has missed her older brother so much more than she realized.
Triton drags a gentle hand over his little sister's head, caressing her long colorful jellyfish hair.
"I'm going to find a healer while you stay with Mom okay? Can you do that for me?" She nods as they let go of their embrace. He holds her hands before giving her a smile of courage as the remaining members of their family awaken from the commotion.
As Kym returns to their father's side to assist their mother, Percy wakes up when he feels a gentle tug on his shoulder. "Percy, you have to wake up."
As his eyes try to flutter open he's met with his older sister's concerned glance, the urgency of the situation hits him. "Rhode? Is everything okay?"
"Father has been injured badly," Rhode explains, her voice trembling slightly but she tries to contain her emotion. Percy is quick to get out of the nest fast, so he can see his Dad.
The young boy looks around the huge room trying to catch a glimpse of his Dad, until his vision locks onto the dimly lit bathroom and he sees two shadow figures.
He starts to make his way towards them until a gentle hand on his shoulder stops him in his tracks. Startled, he turns around and sees his other sister Benthesykime.
"Percy, wait." She commands softly. Every fiber of his being tells him to rush to his side and see if he can help. But the hand on his shoulder stands firm, so he relents.
"I know you want to see him and I do too. But we should wait until Triton arrives with the healers."
His heart was pounding in his chest, it hadn't been very long since he had technically started to interact with Poseidon, but he was very much attached to his Dad. He had been so nice to him even though their relationship started later than he should have. He didn't want to miss out on any more moments they could have together.
"But I need to see him Benth." Percy pleaded, "What if he needs me?" He tries to go. But Benth and Rhode want to protect him knowing that their Dad wouldn't want Percy to see him like this.
Tears started to form in their baby brother's eyes. Both goddesses exchanged a concerned glance as Benth held the preteen close; she felt his silent tear soak her nightgown. It's okay Percy," she rubbed a gentle hand on his back, "You'll be able to see him soon, and once he feels better, you'll get to spend all the time you want with him."
Rhode joined in seeing her youngest brother's distress. "He's strong, he'll recover soon." She said, smiling at him from behind her sister's shoulder.
"But we need to be strong for him too until we can finally see him."
Percy nodded while rubbing the remaining tears from his eyes.
"Let's play a game while Father gets taken care of."
Percy sniffled but nodded. "Okay."
They took him back into the nest and tried to distract Percy from his fear while waiting patiently for the Healers to finally arrive.
….
As Kym walked back to the bathroom, she couldn't help but feel the weight of the promise she had made to her Dad come back to her. Would he be mad once he woke up? Would their relationship go back to the way it was, mere weeks ago?
She kept replaying the situation in her mind. The way he looked at her, the wound, the bags under his eyes, how she let go of his hand when he needed her most.
The young goddess approached the bathroom with heavy steps. The worry and guilt she felt were evident in her eyes.
Despite her mixed emotions, she didn't want to leave his side so she knelt beside her Mom who was muttering under her breath " Why would you hide so many scars from me?" as she examined Poseidon's unconscious body. "We can fight while you rest," Amphitrite added to her silent conversation
But that was a conversation they would have on another day after he did finally get the rest he so desperately needed.
"Mom, is he going to be okay?" She whispered as if he could hear what she was saying. Amphitrite smiled at her softly and nodded. "Yes, he will be. It's not the first time your Father has to sustain a wound after a battle."
Kym sighed in relief. She didn't know what caused the wound, but she was happy to know it would be okay even if technically, they couldn't die like this.
Triton arrived a few moments later, along with two merman Healers. He didn't show much emotion, but his demeanor showed how much he truly cared. Kym also saw that he had gotten his own trident which was strapped to his back, ready to defend his family like he had been taught.
Amphitrite and Kym stepped back as the Healers came to Poseidon's side, and they watched anxiously at the extent of the damage. Triton silently pulled his younger sister into his side, offering her comfort and protection amidst the chaos.
Amphitrite smiled at the gesture, proud that their Oldest was handling things so seamlessly.
"Thank you Triton, you reacted very well, I truly think your Father will be proud to see the way you handled yourself in such a difficult situation," Amphitrite said while Triton watched carefully.
"Thank you, Mother." He replied looking back at her. "My only hope is to become a respectful king for our people and a good brother for my siblings."
Kymopoleia and Amphitrite exchanged a smile. Triton was still young, but he was more than ready to take on more responsibilities as the Heir of the throne and they hoped that Poseidon would finally realize how ready he truly was.
As the mermen healers tended to Poseidon's wounds meticulously, they wrapped the most recent injury that had caused him to bleed so badly in a secure bandage. Kymopoleia stood by her family's side, her eyes fixed on her dad's unconscious body.
After they administered the potion, both healers stepped back while watching closely for any signs of movement.
It took what felt like an eternity for him to wake up.
Triton's breath tightened in his throat as he watched his father's eyelids twitch. Beside him, he felt Kym squeezing his hand in anticipation while Amphitrite had been silently praying he would wake up.
As Poseidon regained his consciousness, his form started to transform back into what it should look like. His pale complexion came back to a more tan color and the bags he had under his eyes started to disappear too. He would need a lot of rest for the scars and the wound to heal though.
His divinity gave him some of his vitality back without much effort.
They all knelt again so they could be close to him as he woke up.
"Papa you're awake!" Kymopoleia exclaimed relief in her voice.
Despite his injuries, Poseidon stubbornly attempted to sit up while Triton rushed to assist him. "Take it easy, Father," Triton cautioned. Poseidon gave him a grateful smile and said, "Thank you, my son. Your help is greatly appreciated."
Then he turned his attention to his youngest daughter, as she was assessing the rest of his wounds. She couldn't help but feel a bit scared of his reaction to her telling Amphitrite.
"You've taken such good care of me, my little sea storm." Kymopoleia tried to peek at her father's injuries but he couldn't help but chuckle at the anger on his wife's face.
"I'm fine, Amphi. Just a little worse for wear."
Amphitrite crossed her arms, a mixture of relief and exasperation evident on her face. "You are not 'fine', Poseidon." she scolded gently. He knew she meant business when she didn't use her usual pet names. "And why wouldn't you come to me when you got injured?"
He bit his lower lip. "Because I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you or our children while I was recovering."
"You will rest for at least a week, while Triton and I handle the rest."
He opened his mouth to protest, but quickly lost his will at the stern look Amphitrite gave him. He didn't want to worry her more than she already was, but then he also couldn't get his mind off the battles ahead and the damage Atlantis was surely going to come across.
His wife, seeing how conflicted he looked came over and placed a gentle hand on his arm, her anger softening.
"Let us take care of Atlantis. It won't be long until you can take back your duty. Triton and I will handle everything and we have our allies ready to help if we need them."
Poseidon sighed but gave in. "I'll rest then, but Triton I expect you to report to me every single day about what's going on at the front line."
Triton nodded and bowed his head in respect. "I will not disappoint you Father I promise."
Poseidon smiled proudly. "I know you won't, but I'm not ready to retire just yet."
They all let out a sigh of relief.
"We'll manage my lord, try to sleep for once, you need to take better care of yourself." She said while kissing his forehead. He smiled at her. "I will."
"We'll have to talk more about the injuries you hid from me all this time though." Her tone got serious again.
Poseidon nodded silently, he didn't try to argue since he knew she would get at the bottom of it either way.
"Let's get you back to our nest, where the others are waiting to see you." She said firmly leaving no room for argument.
The two Healers who had been watching the scene silently stepped forward to help their King. Except Triton intervened quickly before they could get to Poseidon's side.
" You can go, I'll handle it from here. Thank you both for your help."
The mermen bowed respectfully leaving the royal family after they handed Amphitrite the potion and medication Poseidon would need to take for the next few days.
Triton helped Poseidon to his feet, putting an arm around his shoulders. Thankfully he was almost as tall as he was so he could lean into him for support.
They started walking out of the bathroom, Poseidon swayed a little bit, still feeling the effects of the injuries and lack of sleep. Kymopoleia rushed to his side to try and offer him more support to which he responded with a grateful smile.
As they finally made their way to the nest, Percy threw himself into Poseidon's chest, wrapping his arms around him.
"Papa!"
Poseidon grimaced slightly at the pain the embrace caused, but he steadied himself wrapping his arms around his youngest son in a protective manner.
"I'm here now. I'm safe" He said while rocking him gently. His heart ached after seeing how much distress he put his family under.
After he was sure Percy was thoroughly comforted and knew he was fine, Benthesykime and Rhode hugged their Dad too, relieved to see him feel better. Kymopoleia watched silently as they embraced, the image of his ichor staining his shirt kept creeping into her mind. She still felt like she didn't do enough to help him.
Poseidon couldn't remove his feeling of concern as he watched Kymopoleia withdraw into herself, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground. He sensed the weight of her emotions pressing down on her, the burden of guilt and self-doubt.
They had made so much progress within their relationship the last few weeks, and now it seemed to go down the drain.
He made a mental note to address this later, knowing that he was the one to have caused her such pain. He would make sure to repair it.
During the time being, he merely smiled trying to convey his love and understanding as she settled into their nest, besides her mother. He would have to spend time with her during the restful week that awaited him.
Triton had taken his father's place to make sure he could finally get some rest. with the warm weight of Percy close to his non-injured side and with his family safe at his side, he finally let sleep overtake him.
Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you liked it, and I hope I didn't mess up the characters :'(
The next chapter will focus more on the ramifications of Poseidon's injury, and a new character makes an appearance!
Reviews are always appreciated :D