Recovering (A Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Chapter Six

Jason

  Jason walked alongside Will to go take his shift in watching Percy. "Isn't there anything we can do?" Jason asked.
  "Do you have suggestions?" Will shot back.
  "I don't know. Pain meds," Jason replied sheepishly.
  "That would mess with the remaining poison and probably worsen the after effects."
  "Oh," Jason said in a small voice.

  Piper had come to Jason the other day near tears because Percy was in so much pain. Jason almost cried too.

  It killed all of them to see him suffering. Especially Annabeth. She couldn't stop stressing. 

  When the two arrived at the Big House, Hazel walked from Percy's room. She smiled at the duo. "Annabeth's in there. I would stay but I haven't eaten in a day," she spoke quietly. Jason nodded and clamped a hand on her shoulder.

  She smiled then walked towards the pavilion (A/N Thank you obsessivefangirl06 for giving me the correct name.) as Will and Jason entered Percy's room. Annabeth was talking to him; forcing him to keep his eyes open as his head lolled against his chest once more.

  He'd been seriously sleep deprived. Whenever he closed his eyes he was haunted. He also hadn't said a word in the two weeks he'd been up. Well, at least not that Jason heard. Annabeth claimed he'd spoken to her once. Nobody doubted that. He was too weak to open his mouth but if he could find the strength, he'd use it on Annabeth. They all knew that.

  "I was thinking about adding to your dad's temple," she was telling him softly. Not yet noticing the two blondes. Will cleared his throat. She turned around, gave a small smile, and turned her attention back to Percy.

  Will walked over to Percy, who didn't move a muscle. Jason couldn't see his eyes because his hair was covering the sea green. He was almost glad. He didn't want to see he pain.

  Soon, Annabeth sighed and looked up at Will from her usual spot beside Percy's bed. "Can't he take a nap? I'm not going anywhere and the air mask is right there," she said pointing to the ventilator.

  Will looked from her to Percy and back to her. "I... Suppose," he said warily. Annabeth gently lifted Percy's head as Will slipped on the mask. Annabeth kissed his forehead and was about to say something, but Percy was already asleep.

  Jason, who had taken a seat across Percy, grabbed Annabeth's hand as a brotherly comfort. She shot him a grateful look. "I'll come back in a hour," Will informed them. They nodded.

  Annabeth and Jason sat in silence besides the soft noises from the air mask. Percy's eyebrows scrunched together and Annabeth looked away, though she never slipped her hand from either of the boys.

Jason looked at her closely for a moment. "How are you doing?" He finally asked.

  She sighed and shut her eyes. "I'm holding up," she lied.
  "Your a horrible liar."
  "I know."
  "Tell me the truth."
  "I'm struggling," she admitted.
  "I expected that much. You want to talk about it?"  

  She paused for a moment. "I just hate to see him struggle. He's become a part of me in the last six years. It hurts when he suffers."
  "I know," Jason said lamely. Annabeth sighed.
  "That's what I'm afraid of. If you know then so does he. I have to be strong for him and if he sees me weak, he'll think he has to be strong. He'll push himself too much. Hurt himself more. I can't let that happen. He has to know, sometimes it's okay to crumble. Because there'll always be someone there to pick him up again."
  "You know Annabeth," Jason said after a moment, "You should take your own advice. Sometimes it's okay to crumble. You guys help each other. We'll help you too. If you both keep your emotions bottled up, you'll explode together and it'll cause even more damage."

  Annabeth stared at him, looking at a loss for words. Big accomplishment, he thought to himself, straightening his glasses.

  "You know Grace," she muttered, "your smarter than you look."
  "So I've been told," they smiled at each other and went back to listening to the steady breathing from Percy, waiting for him to wake up from whatever haunts him this time.

Disclaimer: I don't own any PJO or HoO character. They belong to Rick Riordan.