Catch Fire || P. Jackson

𝟏.𝟎𝟓

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐑 Lea to hide. No one visited the medics during dinner, no one was even out of the mess hall. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for life.

Despite the lack of demigod fishers, they all definitely could eat for life. Dinnertime was practically sacred to the Legion. It was unheard of for a Legionnaire to skip meals because they were the only true time of relaxation and enjoyment with no expectations.

So, when the door to the Valetudinarian softly creaked open, Lea almost jumped out of her skin. Curled in the private medic quarter in the back, Lea held her breath. If she was quiet enough whoever had entered would leave again. At least, she hoped as much.

But Lea was never very lucky.

"Lea?" A distinct Canadian accent reached her ears. She let out her breath and frowned. "I brought you some yoghurt."

While Lea wasn't a doctor, it didn't take a genius to figure out why Frank chose yoghurt for her.

She knew she didn't have to reply. She knew she would see his buzzed-cut head peaking around her doorway any second.

It didn't take more than ten seconds for the cheerful face of Frank Zhang to appear in her room. The private medic quarters were hidden in the back corner of the Valetudinarian. They housed a bookshelf spanning the length of the room containing every medical book imaginable. The opposite wall was covered in photos, not just of Lea but a collection of photos from every single past medic. A large, slightly disorganised desk was tucked into the corner beside a meticulously organised filing cabinet. Two large golden couches circled a fluffy golden fluffy rug as the room's focal point. Lastly, in the farthest corner sat a bed donning golden sheets. The bed in question also contained Lea.

"I'm not really hungry, Frank."

The Asian boy took this as his invitation to enter the room, holding his own dinner plate in his grasp. "I know, but maybe later it can fuel your late-night research."

Two jars of yoghurt were placed on her bedside table. Lea stared at it before sighing. "Thank you." She took a small spoonful of the creamy food and swallowed. Immediately, Frank's eyes began to shine. A contagious smile broke across his face as Lea took a second dip into the yoghurt.

"This is way nicer than my room, no fair." A messy mop of black hair poked through the doorway for a mere second before being yanked backwards with a pained cry. "What was that for? It was a compliment."

Frank lowered his head in embarrassment. A thick flush coated his cheeks. "Sorry. I didn't want to leave them in the mess hall. I'll go now."

"Wait!" Lea held out a hand, stopping Frank before he could disappear out of the door. "You can stay if you want."

"Really?"

"Yeah, just... don't let them touch anything." Her amber eyes glanced at the photos on the wall. The ones closest to her contained two blonde kids, one with long, wavy hair, and one with a cropped military haircut.

Frank nodded. "Got it. Hazel? You can come in."

Two more demigods stumbled through the doorway, clutching dinner bowls and drinks against their chests. Lea smiled uncomfortably while Percy gave the room a once over. He nodded approvable. "Seriously, who do I need to... be friends with to get a place like this?"

"It's not mine." Lea flushed. "It's reserved for the medic on duty: which just normally happens to be me."

"Seriously, Lea is here day and night unless she has something to do with the Senate. She takes everyone's shifts when we're in downtime."