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E L E V E N

Written 10th of October

Kelsey's POV

*~*

Would you find it weird if you were riding an elevator with a 12 year who looks like they were dying because they are very pale and they have blood and a suspicious substance oozing out of a cut on their leg, no? ok just me then because that's how i felt after the Chimera fight going down the elevator to find Percy and my friends; it didn't help that i was getting weird looks from the family in the elevator.

When i came out of the elevator reporters swarmed the family and i slid past limping away.

I heard a news lady was talking for the camera: "Probably not a terrorist attack, we're told, but it's still very early in the investigation. The damage, as you can see, is very serious. We're trying to get to some of the survivors, to question them about eyewitness reports of someone falling from the Arch."

Survivors. I felt a surge of relief. I hoped Annabeth and Grover were okay.... and Percy.

I tried to push through the crowd to see what was going on inside the police line.

"... an adolescent boy," another reporter was saying. "Channel Five has learned that surveillance cameras show an adolescent boy going wild on the observation deck, somehow setting off this freak explosion. Hard to believe, John, but that's what we're hearing. Oh wait a minute, i am getting some more information, apparently after the boy jumped off around a minute later a lady followed. Again, no confirmed fatalities..... "

I backed away, trying to keep my head down. I had to go a long way around the police perimeter. Uniformed officers and news reporters were everywhere.

I'd lost hope of ever finding Annabeth, Grover and Percy so i limped over to a tree and sat under it. I looked at my wound properly this time and only just realised how serious it was.

I remember when i first came to camp half blood a few years ago someone mentioned a rare gift that children of Ares could control/manipulate blood and use it to heal or pollute ones blood. Would i be able to heal myself? Worth a shot

I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of my heavy breathing and my heart beating. My leg still felt like someone just cut my leg off and poisoned it but it was reducing, kind of. I focused even harder when a familiar voice yelled "KELSEY!" in my ear and i stood up so fast i tumbled over again, i looked around and saw Percy, Annabeth and Grover looking at me.

"Oh i found you" i said

"More like we found you, what happened?"

I told them how after Percy jumped i pushed Echidna off then took the elevator down.

"Awesome, so where do we go now?" Grover said after eating a tin can

"Santa Monica" Percy replied

Annabeth retied her hair "Lets go"

I stood up but quickly stumbled back down 

"You ok?" Percy asked and i just sighed. I showed them my wound from the Chimera on my leg, the poison was travelling up my leg, i had only delayed it a little.

"Kelsey! Why didn't you tell us" Annabeth warned

"I-I'm fine" I stood up shakily

"No you are not, does anyone have any nectar? ambrosia?"

Grover shook his head "All our bags and supplies were on the bus and we can't just buy ambrosia from the snack bar"

Percy stared at me then looked like he had an idea "Kelsey, come with me" I limped over to him and followed him to the water. He closed his eyes and touched the water then suddenly the water was wrapping around my leg and healing me.

He opened his eyes and i looked at him surprised "h-how?"

"Son of Poseidon remember"

"Whatever, let's go seaweed brain"

Somehow, we made it back to the Amtrak station without getting spotted. We got on board the train just before it pulled out for Denver. 

I looked over at Percy sitting next to me "Um Percy, i never said sorry, for healing me, i might've... i"

"Hey, you saved me first, if you weren't there with me to fight Echidna i would've died"

"What did you think i was gonna do, leave you to die?"

"Kind of" He said quietly

I sighed "Percy, i don't hate you"

And with that the train trundled west as darkness fell, police lights still pulsing against the St. Louis skyline behind us.