Why Us? [Percy Jackson]

Part 10

CHAPTER 10

Percy P.O.V

Percy watched as his parents and Annabeth filed into the room one at a time until they were all gathered around his bed.

"Hey guys," Percy croaked out, and that seemed to be the last straw.

Instantly, both women burst into tears and his father sunk into the chair next to his bed, rubbing his face with his hands and watching Percy from behind his spread fingers. Paul remained standing next to Sally, rubbing her back in comfort, but he too looked upset. Percy didn't know what to do. Did he really look bad enough that even Poseidon had no choice but to show emotion? Percy tried to console his family,

"Hey, come on guy. I don't look that bad do I?" Percy flashed them all one of his lopsided grins he was famous for. What Percy didn't know was that he really did look awful. His face blended in with the white, sterile room and his eyes were bloodshot. He was starting to develop dark rings around his eyes, known as racoon eyes, a sure sign of the fracture he had received to his skull. His face was slightly sunken in from his lack of nourishment; he had been living off an IV drip for four days now, and to top it all off, his usual messy, uncontrollable hair was flattened down against his forehead and skull. He did not look good.

Sally and Annabeth stifled their tears slowly until they were just silent jewels rolling down their soft cheeks. Poseidon sighed and ran his hand through his hair a few time while Paul tried to hold back the tears the were welling in his eyes, making his vision cloudy.

Percy switched his gaze gaze around between the four of them, tapping his leg as he let out a shaky breath,

"Tough crowd," He let out a breathy laugh before turning towards Poseidon, "Hey dad. Haven't seen you in a while, how's it been?"

Before Percy could register what was happening, Poseidon had reached over and pulled Percy into a tight embrace, murmuring into his ear,

"I love you son. You know that right. I've always loved you, always. You are precious to me son, I've always been watching over you, a-a-and I've always wanted to see you and-and help you, but Zeus, he-he ... and... well... and I'm never, never, going to let him stop me from helping you, ever again. Do you he me son? I love you Percy. I always have,"

With that said, Poseidon removed himself from his favourite son, wiping hastily at his eyes as he did so. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small crushed cube of ambrosia.

"I snatched this from Olympus just before I left. I thought it could help speed up your healing, son," Poseidon smiled warmly at Percy, the tanned crinkles by his eyes coming back into focus. Percy smiled at his dad as he took the godly food,

"Thanks dad,"

Not having eaten in quite some time, Percy quickly shoved the ambrosia into his mouth, and soon it had escaped from the world of the living and into the dark abyss that was Perseus Jackson's stomach. Percy closed his eyes in delight at the artificial taste of his mother's homemade cookies.

Then, like a small child would throw a glass vase at a wall during a tantrum, Percy's peace was shattered.

Percy started to feel both very cold and very hot at the same time. He started to violently shiver and broke out into a relentless sweat. His brain started to pound sharply against his skull as his eyelids drooped heavily.

"What's going on?" Annabeth's voice was an octave higher than usual, "What's happening to him? Percy!"

Percy felt a heavy, calloused hand against his forehead; it did nothing to help his headache and Percy found himself groaning at the added pressure.

"He's burning up!" Percy could just make out Poseidon's form hovering over his head. A glowing halo moved into his line of vision,

"B-But that wasn't nearly enough ambrosia to heal him, let alone make him burn up!" That voice was feminine. Percy liked that voice. It reminded him of strawberry fields and owls and, oddly, a beautiful grey. Percy frowned in thought as his teeth began to click together like a jack-hammer. He felt a smaller, softer hand push his sweaty fringe away from hi forehead. It brought a sudden, small relief to his hot face as the cool air hit it. Percy liked this golden halo, she was like his guardian angel.

"Angel..." Percy mumbled to the golden halo.

"Okay Percy, just hold on for me, alright?"

Percy wanted to listen to his angel, he really did, but his eyelids were just too heavy and his headache too strong, and so, as his guardian angel softly ran her hands through his sweaty hair and muttered soft words to him, he allowed the darkness to consume him, the last thing he saw being the golden halo of his guardian angel.

A/N

Hey guys! So 2 updates in 3 days! That's got to be my new record! xD

Please vote and comment, I'm not really sure if people are actually enjoying the story or not. So please either leave me a comment about the story, or give me a vote, or, if you really want to make my day, you could do both! xD

Anyway, thanks for reading