AT THE END of the hall stood a walnut door with a bronze plaque:
ASCLEPIUS
DC, FAAN, OMG, EMT, TTYL, ME, IOU, OD, PHARMD, BAMF, RN, PHD, INC., SMH
There may have been more acronyms in the list, but Eden's brain focused on the fun ones, and even then her brain had only absorbed, like, ten of them.
Piper knocked. "Dr Asclepius?"
The door flew open. The man inside had a kindly smile, crinkles around his eyes, short salt-and-pepper hair and a well-trimmed beard. He wore a white lab coat over a business suit and a stethoscope around his neck – your stereotypical doctor outfit, except for one thing: Asclepius held a polished black staff with a live green python coiled around it.
Eden wasn't happy to see another snake. The python regarded her with pale yellow eyes, and she had a feeling it was not set to idiot mode.
"Hello!" said Asclepius.
"Doctor." Piper's smile was so warm it would've melted a Boread. It surely melted Eden. "We'd be so grateful for your help. We need the physician's cure."
Piper's charmspeak washed over Eden irresistibly. She would've done anything to help her get that cure. She would've gone to medical school, got twelve doctorate degrees and bought a large green python on a stick.
Asclepius put his hand over his heart. "Oh, my dear, I would be delighted to help."
Piper's smile wavered. "You would? I mean, of course you would."
"Come in! Come in!" Asclepius ushered them into his office.
The guy was so nice that Eden figured his office would be full of torture devices, but it looked like . . . well, a doctor's office: a big maple desk, bookshelves stuffed with medical books, and some of those plastic organ models Eden loved to throw parts at Connor when she had the chance.
Life was simpler when he was here.
Asclepius took the big comfy doctor's chair and laid his staff and serpent across his desk. "Please, sit!"
Perfect Jason and Eden took the two chairs on the patients' side. Eden pulled Piper on her lap and debated putting her head on her back because she was tired.
"So." Asclepius leaned back. "I can't tell you how nice it is to actually talk with patients. The last few thousand years, the paperwork has got out of control. Rush, rush, rush. Fill in forms. Deal with red tape. Not to mention the giant alabaster guardian who kills everyone in the waiting room. It takes all the fun out of medicine!"
"Yeah," Leo said. "Hygeia is kind of a downer."
Asclepius grinned. "My real daughter Hygeia isn't like that, I assure you. She's quite nice. At any rate, you did well reprogramming the statue. You have a surgeon's hands."
Eden shuddered. "Leo with a scalpel? Don't encourage him. I'm much better with one."
The doctor god chuckled. "Now, what seems to be the trouble?" He sat forward and peered at Perfect Jason. "Hmm . . . Imperial gold sword wound, but that's healed nicely. No cancer, no heart problems. Watch that mole on your left foot, but I'm sure it's benign."
Perfect Jason blanched. "How did you –"
"Oh, of course!" Asclepius said. "You're a bit short-sighted! Simple fix."
He opened his drawer, whipped out a prescription pad and an eyeglasses case. He scribbled something on the pad, then handed the glasses and the scrip to Perfect Jason. "Keep the prescription for future reference, but these lenses should work. Try them on."
"Wait," Leo said. "Jason is short-sighted?"
Perfect Jason opened the case. "I – I have had a little trouble seeing stuff from a distance lately," he admitted. "I thought I was just tired." He tried on the glasses, which had thin frames of Imperial gold. "Wow. Yeah. That's better."
Leo smiled. "You look good."
"I don't know," Eden said. "I'd go for contacts — glowing orange ones with cat's-eye pupils. Those would be cooler."
"Glasses are fine," Perfect Jason decided. "Thanks, uh, Dr Asclepius, but that's not why we came."
"No?" Asclepius steepled his fingers. "Well, let's see then . . ." He turned to Piper. "You seem fine, my dear. Broken arm when you were six. Fell off a horse?"
Piper's jaw dropped. "How could you possibly know that?"
"Vegetarian diet," he continued. "No problem, just make sure you're getting enough iron and protein. Hmm . . . a little weak in the left shoulder. I assume you got hit with something heavy about a month ago?"
"A sandbag in Rome," Piper said. "That's amazing."
"Alternate ice and a hot pack if it bothers you," Asclepius advised. "You, Eden Fairchild," he looked back at her. "I've been watching you for years. You could be a doctor like me when you get a job."
Eden laughed, though it was very, very fake. "Thanks. I'll — uh — consider it."
"Let's see," he leaned in further, and Piper leaned back more into Eden. "Broken arm a few months ago, concussion a couple of years ago . . . ah, there's poison running in your system."
"Right," Eden grimaced. "That still exists. My, uh, brother, has it worse than me."
"A simple fix." He handed a bottle toward her. "Drink that yourself, and give that to him. Now, you . . ." He turned to Leo.
"Oh, my." The doctor's expression turned grim. The friendly twinkle disappeared from his eyes. "Oh, I see . . ."
The doctor's expression said, I am so, so sorry.
"What?" Perfect Jason's new glasses flashed. "What's wrong with Leo?"
"Hey, doc." Leo sent the god a look. "We came for the physician's cure. Can you help us? I've got some Pylosian mint here and a very nice yellow daisy." He set the ingredients on the desk, avoiding the snake's mouth.
"Hold it," Piper said. "Is there something wrong with Leo or not?"
Asclepius cleared his throat. "I . . . never mind. Forget I said anything. Now, you want the physician's cure."
Eden frowned. "But –"
"Seriously, guys," Leo said, "I'm fine, except for the fact that Gaia's destroying the world tomorrow. Let's focus."
They weren't happy about it, but Asclepius forged ahead. "So this daisy was picked by my father, Apollo?"
"Yep," Leo said. "He sends hugs and kisses."
Asclepius picked up the flower and sniffed it. "I do hope Dad comes through this war all right. Zeus can be . . . quite unreasonable. Now, the only missing ingredient is the heartbeat of the chained god."
"I have it," Piper said. "At least . . . I can summon the makhai."
"Excellent. Just a moment, dear." He looked at his python. "Spike, are you ready?"
Eden stifled a laugh. "Your snake's name is Spike?"
Spike looked at her balefully. He hissed, revealing a crown of spikes around his neck like a basilisk's.
Her laugh crawled back down her throat to die. "My bad," she said. "Of course your name is Spike. God, this reminds me of that poodle a few years ago."
"He's a little grumpy," Asclepius said. "People are always confusing my staff with the staff of Hermes, which has two snakes, obviously. Over the centuries, people have called Hermes's staff the symbol of medicine, when of course it should be my staff. Spike feels slighted. George and Martha get all the attention. Anyway . . ."
Asclepius set the daisy and poison in front of Spike. "Pylosian mint – certainty of death. The curse of Delos – anchoring that which cannot be anchored. Now the final ingredient: the heartbeat of the chained god – chaos, violence and fear of mortality." He turned to Piper. "My dear, you may release the makhai."
Piper closed her eyes.
Wind swirled through the room. Angry voices wailed. Eden felt a strange desire to smack Spike with her sword. She wanted to strangle the good doctor with her bare hands.
Then Spike unhinged his jaw and swallowed the angry wind. His neck ballooned as the spirits of battle went down his throat. He snapped up the daisy and the vial of Pylosian mint for dessert.
"Won't the poison hurt him?" Perfect Jason asked.
"No, no," Asclepius said. "Wait and see."
A moment later Spike belched out a new vial – a stoppered glass tube no bigger than Eden's finger. Dark red liquid glowed inside.
"The physician's cure." Asclepius picked up the vial and turned it in the light. His expression became serious, then bewildered. "Wait . . . why did I agree to make this?"
Piper placed her hand palm up on the desk. "Because we need it to save the world. It's very important. You're the only one who can help us."
Her charmspeak was so potent even Spike the snake relaxed. He curled around his staff and went to sleep. Asclepius's expression softened, like he was easing himself into a hot bath.
"Of course," the god said. "I forgot. But you must be careful. Hades hates it when I raise people from the dead. The last time I gave someone this potion, the Lord of the Underworld complained to Zeus, and I was killed by a lightning bolt. BOOM!"
Leo flinched. "You look pretty good for a dead guy."
"Oh, I got better. That was part of the compromise. You see, when Zeus killed me, my father Apollo got very upset. He couldn't take out his anger on Zeus directly; the king of the gods was much too powerful. So Apollo took revenge on the makers of lightning bolts instead. He killed some of the Elder Cyclopes. For that, Zeus punished Apollo . . . quite severely. Finally, to make peace, Zeus agreed to make me a god of medicine, with the understanding that I wouldn't bring anyone else back to life." Asclepius's eyes filled with uncertainty. "And yet here I am . . , giving you the cure."
"Because you realize how important this is," Piper said, "you're willing to make an exception."
"Yes . . ." Reluctantly, Asclepius handed Kaleidoscope the vial. "At any rate, the potion must be administered as soon as possible after death. It can be injected or poured into the mouth. And there is only enough for one person. Do you understand me?" He looked directly at Leo.
"We understand," Piper promised. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Asclepius? Your guardian is out of commission. You'd be really helpful aboard the Argo II."
Asclepius smiled wistfully. "The Argo . . . back when I was a demigod, I sailed on the original ship, you know. Ah, to be a carefree adventurer again!"
"Yeah . . ." Eden muttered. "Carefree."
"But, alas, I cannot. Zeus will already be quite angry with me for helping you. Besides, the guardian will reprogram itself soon. You should leave." Asclepius rose. "Best wishes, demigods. And, if you see my father again, please . . . give him my regrets."
Eden wasn't sure what that meant, but they took their leave.
As they passed through the waiting room, the statue of Hygeia was sitting on a bench, pouring acid on her face and singing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, while her golden snake gnawed at her foot. The peaceful scene was almost enough to lift Eden's spirits.
Back on the Argo II, they gathered in the mess hall and filled in the rest of the crew.
"I don't like it," Perfect Jason said. "The way Asclepius looked at Leo –"
"Aw, he's just admiring how hot I am," Leo grinned, leaning in to kiss Perfect Jason. Absolutely disgusting.
Percy frowned at the glowing red vial that sat in the middle of the table. "Any of us might die, right? So we just need to keep the potion handy."
"Assuming only one of us dies," Perfect Jason pointed out. "There's only one dose."
"We have to keep our options open," Kaleidoscope suggested. "We need, like, a designated medic to carry the potion – somebody who can react quickly and heal whoever gets killed."
"Good idea, Beauty Queen," Leo said. "I nominate you."
Piper blinked. "But . . . Annabeth is wiser. Hazel can move faster on Arion. Frank can turn into animals –"
"But you've got heart." Annabeth squeezed Kaleidoscope's hand. "Leo's right. When the time comes, you'll know what to do."
"Yeah," Eden agreed. "You're the best choice, Kaleidoscope. Come on, you expect me to not drop it?"
Piper rolled her eyes and kissed Eden's hand.
Leo picked up the vial. "Is everyone in agreement?"
No one objected.
Leo pulled a cloth from his tool belt and made a big show of wrapping up the physician's cure. Then he presented the package to Piper.
"Okay, then," he said. "Athens tomorrow morning, gang. Be ready to fight some giants."
"Yeah . . ." Frank murmured. "I know I'll sleep well."
After dinner broke up, Eden immediately went to Percy, shoving the bottle that Asclepius had given her into his arms. "Enjoy." She said to him, heading toward her room.
"What is it?" He called after her.
"A cure for the poison, duh," Eden rolled her eyes, before heading into her room.
She glanced at the sword on her wall. Tomorrow, she'd break out the power in that thing. And she'd have the power of immortality.
"Are you really going to use that thing?" Piper's voice flooded into her ears, and Eden turned toward her, sending her a smile.
"If it's to save your life, of course," Eden stepped forward to embrace her, sighing. "Do you want me to?"
"If your life's in danger," Kaleidoscope said softly. "Though that rarely happens. I still worry about you."
Eden nodded. "I know," she pulled away to kiss her. "Whatever happens, I will always love you, Piper. In the afterlife, and every life after that."
Piper kissed her again, whispering, "je t'aime," against her lips, and then Eden was in heaven.