Percy Jackson One Shots and Short Stories

#54 - Stuck With U (Part II)

Chapter 54 - Stuck With U (Part II)
published: Monday, 18 May 2020

"Clear!" Will's yell jolted Annabeth out of her reverie. Shaking the haze from her mind, Annabeth waited with bated breath and fear as the defibrillator shocked Percy for a second time.

His heart still wasn't beating.

For a heart-stopping moment, Annabeth could hear the palpitations against her ribcage.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

Percy...

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Annabeth nearly collapsed from sheer relief as Percy's heart monitor showed a steady heart rate. The expression on Will's face was pure elation as he successfully revived the Hero of Olympus.

There were a couple of minutes where Annabeth just gazed at Percy. His hair was messy, but the nurses had changed him out of his clothes and into hospital scrubs. His eyelids stayed obstinately shut, and Annabeth desperately wished she could see his green eyes again.

You will, she reminded herself. He's not gone. Just sleeping.

He looked so peaceful. Annabeth had woken up to her husband for almost a year, and she still couldn't believe it. Every time she'd open her eyes, and he would blur into vision. And Annabeth would wonder what she'd ever done to deserve someone as amazing as Percy.

Her heartstrings tugged painfully as Annabeth realised that she'd nearly lost him. Time was precious, even when they thought they were safe from monsters.

"He's stabilised." Will materialised beside her, the colour returning to his face.

Annabeth gave him a weak smile. "Thank you. I'd give you a hug if we weren't in an infectious disease ward right now."

Will gestured to Percy's ward. "Do you, uh, want to see him?"

Annabeth glanced at him in surprise. "I-Am I allowed to do that?"

Will nodded. "He's on a ventilator," he explained. "That's life support. Percy looks like he'll make it through the night, but some other patients don't, so we usually allow one family member to visit."

Annabeth understood the undercurrent in his tone. Will clearly didn't want to frighten her, but Percy wasn't out of the woods yet. Every second mattered.

After making sure her mask was tight and shrugging on a light covering, Annabeth entered the ward hesitantly, glancing around at the other patients.

"No protective gear?" an elderly Chinese man on the bed next to Percy's croaked.

"Recovered," Annabeth said lightly, offering him a smile. "Are you feeling okay?"

"For now, yes," he said cheerfully. Annabeth was impressed by his upbeat spirits.

"I'm Annabeth," she introduced, gesturing to Percy. "This is my husband, Percy."

The man smiled good-naturedly. Annabeth expected that if she'd ever met her grandparents, this was what they'd be like.

"I'm Quentin," the man replied. "Your husband's a young guy."

"I guess the virus doesn't differentiate," Annabeth sighed. She wasn't sure why Percy had been so badly affected. Typically, anyone who was young and without any underlying health conditions was fine.

Well, she and Percy always had had the worst luck.

Quentin rolled over, and Annabeth was grateful for the privacy as she sat down at the foot of Percy's bed.