For Us Demigods

Lucky Strike

Thomas mumbled a question to Nico, asking for his permission to lift up Alex's shirt, which of course, did Nico answer with an 'Are you stupid?'.

"Is that a yes 'Are you stupid?', or a no-"

"Yes!" Nico yelled. "Of course!"

"You Americans are weird." Thomas muttered.

"You Brits are weirder." Nico said. "And I'm Italian."

Thomas scoffed as his stitched up Alex's wounds the old fashioned way. Both Percy and Nico gave him a questioning look, but waited until Thomas finished anyway.

Thomas sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He placed his needle and thread on the table, before falling down crosses legged on the floor. Nico, Percy noticed, immediately looked away for some reason. Thomas took out his phone to check, and gave a little groan.

"My father can't come. Your father is coming." Thomas said looked over to Percy.

"Oh no." Nico muttered.

"What do you have against his father?" Thomas asked.

"It's not my father." Percy answered for Nico. "If Poseidon is coming, Athena is too."

"And those two don't mix." Nico sighed.

Within second of those word leaving Nico's mouth, Athena and Poseidon appeared in the room.

"Is Alex okay?" Poseidon asked as he strode over to her bed side.

"She will be." Thomas said.

"And are you okay, Perseus?" Athena asked.

"I'm okay Lady Athena. Thanks." He smiled as he glanced over to Poseidon. "I'm glad you're not worried about me." He said, staring at Poseidon flatly.

"Sorry." Poseidon apologized to his son. "But you've died. What could possibly be worse than that?"

"Gee dad, thanks." Percy said sarcastically.

"Oh come on Percy." Poseidon grinned. Percy replied with a half smile.

The room went to a comfortable silence as Athena say herself on the edge of Nico's bed, overlooking Percy. Nico sat at the foot of Alex's bed, as Thomas checked on Percy's wound.

"It's closing. But not fast enough." Thomas said, and he sighed. "Wait until you feel a bit tired, sleepy, or dizzy before drink the Nectar."

"Sure." Percy said as he tried to sneak another cube of ambrosia for him to eat.

"Perseus." Lady Athena warned. "You could burn. If you want your mother's cookies, I could ask her for you."

The statement stunned Percy to the core. She cares. Athena cares. She knows.

"I'm good." Percy coughed nervously. "Thanks."

The room fell silent once again, as they turned on the TV, to the lowest volume of course, and waited for the others to come home.

"Thomas." Poseidon called.

"Yes?" Thomas looked up from his phone.

"Why isn't her wound closing up?" Poseidon questioned, and he touched the skin surrounding Alex's wound. The wound was still fresh and red with blood drops surrounding it.

"Well. Deep wounds take days to heal." Thomas said calmly.

"Yes." Poseidon said. "On mortals." He added. "Ambrosia and nectar should take minutes."

"Well she's unconscious. I can't give her ambrosia." Thomas said.

"Well nectar then." Poseidon said. "You've got no excuse."