Percy stumbled with his crutch. He quickly righted his stance as he continued to do his daily lap through the hallway.
"You're okay?" His father asked wheeling his IV bag full of saline behind him.
Percy nodded. It has been a full two weeks since the car crash and Percy was back on the crutch trying to get used to the new prosthetic. The new prosthetic latched on to the new metal pipe sticking from his stump.
"Slow down, Percy. Let Triton and Amphitrite catch up." Poseidon instructed stopping to glance at the pair behind them.
Amphitrite wheeled Triton's IV bag while Triton walked slowly with a walker. A nurse accompanied them making sure neither of them fell and cause further harm. Percy slowed down to wait for the others to catch up.
"Just a couple of more feet, then you get to lay back down." The nurse encouraged.
Percy continued to hobble back to their room once Triton got caught up. Percy crawled back into bed as his father placed the IV pole back by his bed.
Percy fumbled with the lever that released the prosthetic from the metal pipe attached to his stump. After being free from the prosthetic he set it by his bed.
"This will get easier in time. The more we get you two moving the sooner you'll get to go home." The nurse advised after making sure they were settled.
Percy leaned back in his bed exhausted. It was a short lap but he was already exhausted. It reminded him of his hospital stay in California and sometimes he confuses the two as both experiences are too similar.
His father often asked Percy if he knew what state he is in. If it wasn't for Amphitrite and Triton being here, he wasn't sure if he could differentiate which state he is in, or what month it is.
Poseidon flipped through the channels on the television trying to find something to suffice as background noise.
Percy watched as his father flipped through the channels while having the doctors words replay in his mind. The doctors said they should be released by the end of the week as they were becoming more stable and independent.
Percy felt it to be too good to be true. He spent three months in the hospital in California from his first car crash. To spend only two weeks for another car crash seemed too little of time for it to be real.
Reflecting back on everything, Percy knew he's recovering faster than he was in California. He wasn't walking two weeks after the accident in California as he is now. It gave him hope that he wouldn't spend as much time bedridden in the hospital.
Percy eyes landed on the television. His father stopped it on a channel that was Playing Finding Nemo. Percy was too exhausted to try to make any commentary on his father's choices.
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Both Poseidon and Amphitrite were not in his hospital room as they were both getting some rest at home and to freshen up.
They haven't even been gone for fifteen minutes before there was a knock at the door.
Percy frowned. The doctors just came in to check on them when their parents were here, it shouldn't be any medical staff. It's the middle of the day during the work week, so it shouldn't be any visitors either.
The door opened and Thalia peaked her head through the door before coming in followed by Jason, Piper, Grover, Annabeth, and Leo. They began to crowed over Percy's bed.
"Shouldn't you be in school?" Percy asked the group.
"We wanted to visit, and it's hard to do so after school when everyone is visiting." Thalia answered.
"So you all skipped?"
"Well yeah, that's how we are here. We're skipping fifth hour and probably are lunch hour too." Jason said.
"How did you convince Annabeth to skip?"
Annabeth face turned red and she looked towards the floor avoiding Percy's question.
Thalia smirked, but saved her friend from further embarrassment, "She lost a bet."
"What bet?"
Annabeth cleared her throat, "It doesn't matter. Do you know all the details of the accident?"
Percy frowned, "I'm not sure. All I know is that my grandfather plowed into the car which resulted in him dying. Luke had been tailing us and was there to finish the job from what I presume?"
Thalia nodded, "Yes that's what happened. Do you know what happened to Luke?"
"My father didn't clarify when I asked. I remember somebody tackling Luke after he dropped the knife."
Jason shifted from his left foot to his right, "It was Ethan."
"Ethan Nakamura?"
The whole group nodded.
"Why? I thought they are friends?"
Jason shrugged, "I'm not sure what happened between them. Ethan put Luke in the hospital after he beat the shit out of him."
"Language!" Annabeth scolded.
Thalia snorted, "You have a better word, Annie?"
"Clobber. You could of also use the phrase 'beat the daylights out of him'."
Piper scrunched her brow, "Clobber? I haven't heard that word in a long time."
"That's because no one uses that word, or at least not in the modern world."
"What are you talking about Thalia? Of course the word clobber is still used. Do you not pay attention in English Class?" Annabeth asked.
"And what do we learn in English? Nothing in the modern world! All we read is old books, which is my point why the word isn't used in modern times."
Annabeth rolled her eyes, "You really need to get off your phone if you really think the word clobber isn't used any more. You really haven't heard it being use as 'he/she/it got clobbered'?"
"I heard it used that way before."
"No one asked you Grover." Thalia crossed her arms.
Grover deflated as Percy held his hand up to try to get things in his mind sorted. "Hold up. So you're saying that Ethan is the one who saved me?"
Thalia scoffed, "Yes, get with it kelp head! I thought we made that point clear three minutes ago."
"Sorry. I have a concussed brain for the third time this year." Percy said in his upmost deadpan voice.
"Right. I Forgot about that." Thalia scratched her neck looking somewhat remorseful.
"To answer your question, yes he was. We were kind of hoping you had further answers to the whole thing as we are also confused, though it seems like you also don't know. It probably will remain a mystery to the end of time." Jason sighed.
Percy shrugged, "I don't have anything to tell you. Everything that happened in those few minutes are a blur."
The room went quiet for a few seconds before Leo cleared his throat. "I see you got a new prosthetic. Do you want me to make adjustments to it as I had done with the last?"
Percy reached around the side of his hospital bed and grabbed his prosthetic and handed it to Leo, giving him permission without saying a word.
"Wait a minute. Adjustments? As in the adjustments of your prosthetic being a weapon? Were you the one who modified it?" Jason asked Leo in awe.
"Yep. Good news is that the prosthetic is a similar model, made out of the same material. I'll be able to complete it in the same time period as I was able to do the last one. The Stolls are back, so it shouldn't be an issue once you get back to school."
"The Stolls? What do they have to do with anything?" Annabeth asked.
Leo snorted, "They're always involved in some form or another. In this case they're a distraction."
The whole group nodded at Leo's statement agreeing that the Stoll brothers are somehow connected to everything in school.
Leo gave the prosthetic back to Percy and he put it back by the side of his bed.
The room fell back into silence but was shortly interrupted by the growling of Grover's stomach.
Grover's head began to flush red all the way down towards his Adam's apple, "Does the cafeteria have enchiladas?"
Percy held his laughter back, "I think they have tacos."
Jason clapped Grover's shoulder, "Let's go grab lunch in the cafeteria and bring it back up here."
"Do you want anything Percy?" Thalia asked.
Percy shook his head no, and the group minus Annabeth began to file out of the room. Piper stopped before the door and turned around, "Are you coming Annabeth?"
Annabeth shook her head, "Go ahead. I already packed my lunch."
Piper left the room leaving Percy and Annabeth semi-alone.
"So..." Percy trailed off, trying to stave the awkward silence.
Annabeth raised a brow, "So?"
Percy shrugged, "Do you think I will have a thousand math problems when I get back for homework?"
"Knowing Miss. Dodds, probably. Though you can use the concussion excuse again."
"I could, but it will just add on to the work I will have to complete once I get better."
"Maybe you can get a note excusing you for the rest of the semester? I think Apollo can write it for you."
"Are you suggesting I lie in order to get out of school work? And you're skipping class? Are you okay? Did you get a concussion as well?"
"I wouldn't call it a complete lie. After all, three concussions received in a short time isn't a forgiving matter. Embellishing an injury isn't unfathomable when it comes to an unforgiving educator."
"What happened to the girl who got mad about putting health before grades?"
Annabeth flinched at the reminder of her behavior during the first semester. "You can say she has grown. Perhaps gained an understanding of a perspective that didn't cross the barriers she put up in her mind."
Percy furrowed his brow, "Talking in third person is very hard to follow with a concussion."
Annabeth paused, "Right. What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for my previous mindset. It was wrong for me to have put your health below the project. I now see my errors and I will try to find a way to make it up to you."
"Make it up for me?"
Annabeth's body gave an involuntary twitch and her face flushed red. Before Percy could ask if she was okay, she leaned forward and kissed his left cheek.
Percy's face turned red in shock. This must be a drug induced dream, as this was very out of Annabeth's character.
"Would you two get a room?"
Both Percy and Annabeth jumped as they forgot that they weren't totally alone. Percy had thought Triton was asleep as he hasn't made any noises for the last thirty minutes. Apparently he was wrong.
"I'll go check to see if the others got their food okay." Annabeth offered speed walking out of the room.
"Were you awake the whole time?"
"Yes."
"You better not tell dad about any of that."
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"We're home." Poseidon turned the keys in the ignition shutting the vehicle off. Poseidon turned around in his seat to look at both him and Triton.
"Since the both of you are still not one hundred percent, we're going to do this one at a time. I'll help Percy out first and bring you up to your room, and I'll come back and do the same for Triton."
Poseidon turned to Amphitrite who is in the passenger seat, "Can you start by preparing their medication?"
Amphitrite nodded and got out of the car and took the bag full of their prescriptions inside.
Poseidon got out of the car and opened his door and lend out his hand, "Grab your crutch, and we will take it slow."
Percy positioned his crutch into the correct place and he stood up with the help of his father.
Percy hobbled on his crutch and prosthetic with his father trailing closely behind in case he falls.
Percy eyes the stairs distastefully that lead up to his bedroom. "One step at a time." His father encouraged.
After a slow five minutes of climbing the stairs he finally made it to his room. Mrs. O'Leary got off his bed and came to greet Percy. It's as if she knew he is injured as she didn't jump up on him.
"Alright lets get you laying down. Are you okay with the dog being in here?"
His father led him to sit down on his bed and helped to release his prosthetic. Percy nodded, "Yes, she can stay in here."
"Alrighty then. Amphitrite will come up in a few minutes to bring in your medication. I'm going to go get Triton. In the meantime I'll leave your door slightly opened so I'll be able to hear you if you need anything." His father said before leaving his room.
Percy laid down on his queen mattress. He let out a sigh of relief as he is glad to be back home. He patted the bed giving permission for Mrs. O'Leary to jump up and lay with him.
Mrs. O'Leary jumped and settled down next to him and laid her head on his chest. He patted her head with his good hand.
He felt strangely light. All of the burden he has been holding for months has been lifted from his shoulders . He no longer felt alone as he felt since May. His grandfather and Luke are no longer in the picture to cause further chaos.
It could be the heavy medication that he is on, but he couldn't help but feel giddy. He lifted his good hand from Mrs. O'Leary's head and placed it on the spot of his left cheek.
Perhaps everything is going to be alright.
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The next chapter is an Epilogue and the story will be complete.