The next morning, Emma woke before sunrise.
She stretched carefully, relieved that the scratches across her chest and ribs hurt much less than they had the day before.
"That's better."
She changed into her light blue scrubs, tied her hair back, slipped on her bracelet, and headed toward the infirmary.
The familiar smell of herbs and clean linens greeted her as she walked inside.
"Morning, Emma," Lee called.
"Morning."
Emma grabbed a clipboard and began making her usual rounds, checking bandages, replacing water pitchers, and writing notes for Will.
Everything was quiet...
Until the infirmary doors slammed open.
"Emma!"
She looked up.
Annabeth came rushing inside, supporting Percy, who was barely able to stand.
His face was pale.
"Get him on a cot!" Emma shouted.
Annabeth hurried over, and together they carefully laid Percy on one of the beds.
Emma immediately noticed the wound in his side.
It wasn't deep...
But the skin around it had turned an unhealthy greenish-purple.
Emma's eyes widened.
"It looks poisoned."
Will looked over from another patient.
"What?"
Emma was already opening one of the medicine cabinets.
She grabbed a jar labeled Poison Salve and hurried back.
"Annabeth, hold him still."
Annabeth nodded.
Emma carefully pulled Percy's shoe off so she could check for any other injuries before focusing on the stab wound.
She spread the salve around the edges of the wound.
Then she placed both hands gently over it.
Golden light flowed from her palms as she began singing a healing hymn to Apollo.
For a moment...
Nothing happened.
Then suddenly-
Emma gasped.
It felt as though fire shot through her hands.
She flinched but didn't pull away.
"What the-"
The poison pushed back against her healing magic.
Sweat formed on Emma's forehead.
She sang louder.
The golden light brightened.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
The poison began to retreat.
But it refused to disappear completely.
Emma finally pulled her hands away, breathing heavily.
The wound looked better.
But not fully healed.
She quickly wrapped it in clean bandages.
"That'll hold it for now."
Percy was still unconscious but his breathing had steadied.
Emma grabbed her clipboard and quickly wrote down everything she had observed.
Possible poison. Healing magic resisted. Poison partially neutralized. Continue observation.
She clipped the pen back in place and looked at Annabeth.
"What happened?"
Annabeth shook her head.
"I don't know."
"He went into the woods this morning."
"The next thing I knew..."
"We found him collapsing outside the mess hall."
Emma frowned.
"Did he say anything?"
Annabeth thought for a second.
"He only managed to say..."
"'Snake.'"
Emma's expression grew serious.
She nodded.
"I'll keep that in mind."
She gently pulled the privacy curtain closed around Percy's cot before stepping back into the main room.
"Will."
He looked up immediately.
"Yeah?"
Emma flexed her fingers, still feeling the lingering burn.
"...Is it supposed to hurt this much while healing someone?"
Will walked over, concern immediately crossing his face.
"Hurt?"
Emma nodded.
"It felt like my hands were on fire."
Will's expression turned serious.
He gently took one of her hands and examined it.
"The poison fought your healing."
Emma blinked.
"It can do that?"
Will nodded.
"Some monster poisons resist healing magic."
"They don't like being forced out."
Emma looked down at her hands.
"So that's why it burned."
"Exactly."
Will checked her palms carefully.
"The good news is, I don't think the poison transferred to you."
Emma let out a relieved breath.
"Good."
"I was wondering."
Will looked toward the closed curtain around Percy's cot.
"You slowed it down."
"That probably bought us time."
Emma frowned.
"But I couldn't get rid of all of it."
Will rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"You don't have to do everything by yourself."
"We'll figure this out together."
Emma nodded.
"First..."
She looked back toward Percy's cot.
"I want to find out exactly what poisoned him."
Annabeth stepped beside them, determination in her eyes.
"And once we know..."
"We'll figure out how to cure it."
The three of them exchanged determined looks.
For the first time that morning, the infirmary felt less like a place of recovery...
And more like the beginning of another mystery.
