Dreams (A PERCABETH AU)

Chapter 13- To Hell and Back Again

(A/N): WARNING: There is some rather bad language in the last scene of this chapter so...you've been warned.

Well, I'll let you get on and read now. You might need some tissues...sorry ;)

Annabeth POV

Thursday 7th April

The colour white was all I could see.

It was the kind of brilliant white that would make snow look creamy, the kind of white that sears into your retinas and makes you temporarily blind.

The first thing that came to mind was...am I dead?

I blinked, squinting into the light as I tried to focus my vision and bit by bit, objects began to form. I lay in a bed and peered around what looked like a hospital patient room. It was white—very white. The walls were white, the blankets were white, the machinery was all white...everything was just white.

I wondered if this was what heaven looked like.

Out the window to my far left, I could see that it was light out. The sun was shining, morning birds were singing and the lush green trees offset a beautiful blue sky. It seemed early but I didn't actually know what day it was. One thing I did know was that this was the local hospital and that meant... I wasn't in heaven. I wasn't dead.

I was alive.

What happened to me?

Then it all came flooding back to me; the crash, the theatre, the gun, the knife...Silena.

I almost gasped for air when I thought of her. Maybe I had dreamt it. Maybe she wasn't really...gone. With a gulp, I sat up in bed and winced as a searing pain appeared in my lower abdomen. I gripped my stomach, spluttering a little and taking a few raggedy gasps of air as I positioned myself upright. When I looked down, I could see a thick array of bandages wrapped around my waist.

I barely had time to collect my thoughts when the door opened and my mother rushed to my side with a concerned look on her face. "You're awake! Oh, my poor baby. Are you okay? Does it hurt? Are you in pain? Should I call a nurse? I'll call a nurse. Nurse!" She cried frantically but I placed a hand on her arm.

"Mom." I smiled softly. "I'm okay. Really, it's nothing."

She sighed and sank into the chair by my bedside. She seemed more distraught than I was and there was a weariness in her eyes that I'd never seen before. She was always the type of woman who looked riveting with life. The type that would give off a strong aura whenever she walked into the room. But it had all gone now.

"It's not nothing. I was so worried. Why didn't you tell me about this Rafael person, Annabeth? You should have called the police." She frowned.

"I know." I sighed. "I'm sorry."

She sighed heavily stroking my hair back. "Well...it's all over now. They are going on trial a few days from now. I hope they get locked away for good. It's expected they'll be in there for life. Apparently, the state's been after them for a while."

I gave her a half-hearted smile but really, I was worried about other things like Silena and Percy. I was just about to ask her when the door suddenly creaked and we both turned to see Bobbie and Matthew hovering out in the hallway. They both looked nervous and worried at the same time. I smiled at them reassuringly and my mother held out a hand to them. They slowly came over to the bed and Bobbie sat on my mother's knee as Matthew sat on the bed beside me.

"Annie...are you going to heaven?" Bobbie frowned a little confused but sad too.

"No." I smiled at him warmly, taking his hand in mine. "You can't get rid of me just yet." He grinned at that.