We Olympians (A Percy Jackson AU) || BOOK 1

Chapter 41 || Percy

Percy gasped as the blade shifted in the stab wound. The blade was covered in green slime, meaning it was poisoned. He could already feel his vision starting to blur. But he had to save Annabeth. He could almost feel her dying and he cursed. Why hadn't he locked the door? Why hadn't he gone in when he could've? Rushing into the infirmary, he found the medics swarming everywhere.

"Percy!" he heard a shout before the ground slapped his face.

His eyes were still open and he saw Annabeth being lifted onto a stretcher. Someone turned him over and he realized that person was Will.

"Percy, keep your eyes open!" he shouted. "Don't you dare close them, Jackson! Don't you dare!"

Some less-injured demigods were crowding around Percy. Percy felt his eyelids grow heavy and he longed to close them so badly.

"Annabeth..." was all he said before his eyes closed.

He was surrounded by black as he sank.

Da-thump, da-thump, da-thump, da-thump... da-thump... da... thump...

His heartbeat was a rhythmic anthem in the background as if it was a theme.

Da... thump... Da... Th... ump...

It was growing slower and slower as Percy sank deeper and deeper. The sounds of screaming and yelling were dimmed as he let out a sigh. But the moment he let out the sigh, he felt panicked when he couldn't draw another breath.

D... a... th... um... p...

Percy wanted to scream when he saw white approaching below him. But in the white, he saw a face. Not just any face. Annabeth's face. Those gray eyes. But the moment Percy touched the white with his fingertips, he saw the image ripple and distort. It wasn't real.

D... a... Flat line.

But Percy didn't have a choice. Even if he wanted to go into the whiteness, he knew he would leave too much behind.

I can die next week or the week after, but not now. Not when Luke could still be out there to destroy my friends, my mom, and Annabeth. Annabeth... I'm going back to her.

Percy began to fight. He pulled his arms above him and he kicked with all his might.

D... A quiet beat of hope.

Annabeth... I'll get to see Annabeth... Percy thought to himself as he climbed higher. The tendrils of black grabbed at him but he fought nonetheless. Higher and higher he went. 

D... a... th... um... p...

A full heartbeat.

Da... th... ump...

Faster.

Da... thump...

Percy felt pain jolt through his body and he sank backwards.

D... a... th... um... p...

No. Annabeth was waiting for him. He had to go. He had to. She didn't push Luke away for nothing. She was a true Olympian. The love of his life, no matter how much time he spent away from her.

Da... thump...

Percy soared upwards.

Da-thump... da-thump...

He ignored the pain as he climbed higher and higher to where he could see a peachy tone.

Da-thump, da-thump, da-thump...

As he met the surface it was like he fell back into his own body as he gasped. His eyes snapped open and he found himself on the floor with tons of medics and people around him.

"Annabeth..." he gasped before he felt someone shift him onto a stretcher.

He was lifted into the air and he scanned the crowd. The injured patients. When he spotted his wise girl asleep on a cot, bandaged up perfectly, finally at peace, he gave a sloppy grin before the world rolled.

"Percy!"

A slap to the face and bright, electric blue eyes. Percy's eyes snapped open again and he stared in alarm to see Thalia's face. It was stained with tears, which just made Percy confused.

"Stay awake, you Kelp Head!" she yelled.

But Percy just felt so... tired.

"STAY AWAKE!"

He let out a scream as his body seemed to heat up and he wriggled around involuntarily. Gasping, he realized that Thalia had just electrocuted him. He had no idea why, but he grinned at his cousin's newfound power. Thalia took one look at his face and sighed.

"Why is my cousin an idiot?"

Percy tried to speak but almost screamed when his whole body yowled in protest. Thalia's eyes flashed with alarm and she slapped him again. He stared at her before he felt someone squeezing him. No, it was not a mistake that he said that. Someone was literally squeezing his stab wound.

"Take the poison extractor out!" Will barked to another medic, who threw him the medical tool.

Next, sucking. Yes. Someone was sucking Percy's insides. Not someone. It was the little medical device Will called a... what? A poised exterminator? Anyways, Percy could see blood rising into the machine and immediately felt lightheaded. Something stuck into his arm and he saw that there was a bag full of blood being put into him to keep him from bleeding out. 

Green, pus-like goop was mixed in the blood as it flowed from the "poised exterminator" to a bucket next to it. All Percy could think was: Ew. The moment Will checked the little dial on the device, he yelled to the rest of the medics.

"CLEAR!"

They removed the weird little sucky thing and began to wash out the wound with water. Thalia started saying things.

"It's okay, Kelp Head. It'll all be over soon."

"Uhm... it doesn't hurt him," Will said awkwardly. "He's the son of Poseidon."

"Oh... right," Thalia replied sheepishly, looking away.

Then, the stitches came. Percy would've let out a scream like he did the last time, but all he did was clench his jaw. Ointment was slathered on and finally, the white bandages Percy knew and loved were wrapped around his torso.

"Alright, take the sedative!" Will yelled. "And place him on an IV!"

As the sedative was injected and the IV was placed, all Percy could think were stupid questions.

So was he being placed on the number four?

Was he being placed on poison ivy? Percy had his experiences with that and having a nasty rash wasn't on Percy's to-do list, especially after that camping trip he took with Annabeth.

Annabeth... She was pretty like ivy. It was the whole reason Percy tried to touch the poisonous plant. But that was a mistake. Was this a mistake? Did IV mean mistake in some weird language and he didn't understand? Did coyotes know how to read? Did fish talk to him or was that his imagination?

Darkness at last.