Percabeth's Child: Children of Olympus Book #1

Chapter Nine: We Go to the Emergency Room

"Can we please just take her to the infirmary, hospital, whatever?"

"Yes, I suppose we should. You will explain everything to me there." He scooped up Annabeth and started to gallop away when Percy called out to him.

"Um... could I have a ride?"

Chiron sighed but replied, "Fine." Percy knew that Chiron didn't enjoy giving people rides. He wasn't exactly a circus pony, and he didn't want to be thought of as one. Percy understood that, but this situation was a bit different.

Percy climbed awkwardly onto the centaur's back and they galloped away. A few people did look curiously as a centaur loped down the street with a guy on his back and a passed out woman in his arms. Oh well.

Chiron ducked under the door to the hospital after Percy dismounted and carried Annabeth inside. The person standing behind the desk in the lobby took one look at the trio and directed them towards emergency care. Will Solace, son of Apollo, was one of the best doctors there, and he took the serious, immediate needs. His eyes widened when he saw Annabeth, Percy and Chiron there, but he began checking her over immediately nonetheless.

Chiron stayed in the room as Percy explained what had happened to him and Will.

"She took in a god's power?" Will asked quietly. Percy nodded uneasily.

"Do you... Do you know anything about it?" He asked. Will shook his head sadly.

"I'm not sure if something like this has ever happened here. She doesn't seem like she's going to die, so I all I know to do is keep her here so we can control her fever until we figure out a way to help her."

"Like, remove the power from her body?" Percy checked.

"Yep."

Percy didn't know what to do. Annabeth had only managed to get Eirene's power out of her by coaxing her, talking to her. That wasn't an option with Annabeth at the moment.

***

After a lot of persuasion from Chiron, Percy finally gave in and agreed to leave Annabeth's side to go home and rest. Chiron had stayed with Percy as he sat in the chair text to Annabeth's bed, talking to her quietly when he wasn't discussing solutions with Chiron. Unfortunately, they didn't come up with anything much.

Percy wasn't looking forward to confronting the others. They didn't even know he was home yet, and he really didn't want to retell the story of the day's events again. Still, he placed his hand on the front door to unlock (it was a special feature a child of Hecate had added to the house) and slowly opened it up.

"Percy!" Piper cried as soon as he stepped inside. It was around 5:00 by then, and Percy wasn't surprised that his friends were worried.

"Where's Annabeth?" Jason asked tensely as he came to join Piper.

"She's... well, she's alive," Percy replied. Jason knit his eyebrows together in concern.

"What does that mean?"

"I'll explain over dinner. I'm starving."

After setting the table with their special plates and cups (the ones that could produce any food imaginable) the seven sat down and Percy told his story once again.

"Is she okay?" Hazel asked, worry dripping from her voice. Percy shrugged. He wished he could tell Hazel that she was okay, that she just had to rest or something. But he knew that wasn't the truth.

Then another thought came to his mind. The baby. Would he/she be okay? Could the little thing survive the godly power that had taken over Annabeth's body? Percy hoped so. He had to admit he was looking forward to a little baby, but he knew it would more than break Annabeth's heart if it didn't survive. Assuming she did.

No, he couldn't think like that. He had to stay strong, so he could find a way to extract the power from her body and save both her and the baby.

***

Days turned into weeks as Percy searched endlessly, trying to find something, anything that might take the power out of Annabeth. He thought of the Golden Fleece, which supposedly had the power to revive anything; however, he didn't think it could do what Percy needed it to do this time. He consulted Rachel, the Oracle, but she didn't have a prophecy for him. He had lengthy discussions with Apollo's sons and daughters, but they weren't able to tell him anything useful. He spent more time in the library, talked to Chiron and Annabeth's half-brothers and sisters, even prayed to his dad. But what could the Sea God do to fix a medical problem that wasn't really a medical problem? It didn't make any sense.

When he wasn't searching desperately for an answer, Percy was at Annabeth's bedside in the hospital. Will told him that while she wasn't getting any worse, she didn't seem to be getting any better or closer to waking up, either. The only thing that gave Percy hope was her growing stomach, signaling that the baby was still able to live and grow inside of her.

Percy knew that Annabeth would wake up eventually. When the Olympians turned them into gods, Annabeth would be able to handle a goddess's power. But he really didn't want to rely on the gods again. They had saved him too many times, and while he was thankful for it, he wanted to be the one who saved Annabeth. Plus, he wanted her back before then. He didn't know if he could wait four more months to kiss her, hold her, just talk to her again.

He couldn't imagine that this had never been done before. Wether he liked it or not, nearly every quest he had ever gone on had already been done thousands of years ago by Hercules or Jason or Theseus. And even more importantly, he had always had Annabeth by his side to offer up a solution.

His friends tried to help him, but unlike Percy, they had careers and lives to go on with (Chiron had gotten Clarisse la Rue to substitute for him in teaching sword lessons because of the current situation). Still, he was glad that he had them there.

Percy hadn't even been straight with his mom since he told her how they were offered the chance to become gods. He answered her emails like he usually did, telling her that his job was going great and Annabeth was enjoying redesigning Olympus. He filled her in on little things like newly claimed campers and his friends' careers so that she didn't become suspicious. He hoped Annabeth's parents weren't trying to contact her.

***So, another chapter! I'll be the first to admit that it wasn't my best, but it was sort of just a filler after they took Annabeth to the hospital and all.

Anyways, I'm sort of having writer's block here. I'm not someone who plans their books in advance, and I'm honestly not sure how Annabeth should be cured. If you have any suggestions, please PRIVATE message me. Just be aware that I may not use your suggestion because, after all, this is my book.

In the meantime, I have another chapter planned that shouldn't be too boring. It will be in Thalia's POV. ;)

Please vote & comment! It really inspires me to write. :D

Thanks,

Evelyn

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