Daughter of Wine

Callida

Back on the surface, in the safety of the sunshine, my adrenaline wears off and waves of pain wash over me. I very unheroically collapse, which doesn't help with my injuries.

"Oh, gods." Annabeth crouches down, examining me as I grit my teeth. "You got full-on hammered into a wall."

"Yeah, I know." I manage.

"Piper, we need to get her back to the ship." Annabeth decides, though her voice is still shaky. "Eat this." She hands me an ambrosia square and looks up at Piper. "You think you can help me carry her?"

Piper frowns. "Sure, she's tiny. But how? We're on the other side of the city, and I don't have a mirror to signal Leo."

"I'm fine." I insist. "Just give me like, five minutes, and I'll be peachy."

"Um, no." Annabeth crosses her arms. "And I mean that. No. you're really hurt. We need to get you back to the ship."

"No, look, watch, I'm okay." I try to pull myself up using a part of the crumpled stone ruins, but my head pounds and I crumple over myself.

"Oh my god, stop that!" Piper scolds, propping me up against the stone.

"Okay." I admit. "I might need more than five minutes."

"Come on." Annabeth wraps one of my arms around her shoulders, and Piper takes my other arm. I feel super embarrassed, making my friends carry me, but as they slowly lift me, the world starts to spin.

"Is this how Hazel feels all the time?" I mumble, trying to blink away the motion of the buildings.

"You butter not hurl on me, Rivera." Piper grumbles.

"Wouldn't dream of it, McLean."

It feels like an endless walk back to the ship. There's no way it was this long earlier. But we make it back to the ship, and everyone rushes to help me up.

"What happened?" Leo asks, his eyes wide.

"Just demigod stuff." I manage a grin. "The usual."

"She has a concussion from being hammered into a wall." Annabeth tells him. "She needs some nectar, and to lay down for a while."

"I could use a nap." I admit, my eyes feeling heavy.

"No!" Annabeth taps my cheek. "No sleep until you're better."

"Why?" I pout.

"Because you might not wake up!"

"Oh." I suddenly feel very less tired. "Yeah, okay. No sleep."

"Come on. I'll take you to the sick bay." Leo lifts me up with ease, despite his scrawny build.

~

"Ah, the patient rises!" Leo greets me with a grin as I walk into the mess hall, Jason on my heels.

"Now will you tell us what happened?" Frank asks.

"How long was I in there?" I ask, rubbing the back of my head, which is still throbbing.

"A couple hours." Piper shrugs. "We figured we'd wait for you to explain everything."

"Are we on the way to Delos?" I ask, sitting in my usual spot.

"Sure thing!" Leo takes my hand, his warmth spreading up my arm. I grip his fingers tightly.

"Guys." Hazel insists. "Spill."

"Well, what do you want to hear about first?" I ask, leaning back in my seat. "The process of turning olives into olive oil, or the fight with the giant?"