I stared down at Percy, who was tossing around in her troubled sleep.
Luke sighed. "Dammit. This must have been his backup plan!"
"What do you mean?" Poseidon questioned, dipping a rag in some water before sitting it on Percy's forehead.
"He probably knows her mental state. He doesn't have to use a weapon to kill her. He just needs something that could kill her."
I bit my lip and gently took Percy's hand. It was burning hot.
"This isn't good. She's way too warm." I mumbled.
"Yah think?!" Luke raised an eyebrow. "I just took her temperature and...if it gets much higher..."
"I wish I could have Apollo check her condition, but the other demigods need him more." Poseidon said, sitting on the bed.
Percy tossed again. But this time I was slammed away from her, as was Luke.
But Poseidon sat unaffected.
"Really?"
He looked at me, sea green eyes troubled. "She gets her powers from me. I've been sensing them for a while now but I thought it might have been her body trying to fight the poison."
"So what are you thinking now?" Luke inquired.
The sea god paused before answering. "She's been internalizing it. Forcing her powers to remain within the confines of her body."
"Meaning?" I raised an eyebrow.
He sighed. "That burst was what escaped. And it was just a small sliver. Imagine what that's doing to her body, having to contain it all."
Oh man. Percy.
"Could it kill her?"
"I don't know." Poseidon shook his head before removing his hat. "But, it's possible. The sea doesn't like to be restrained. That applies to both herself and her powers. That's why I can't just cut her off from them. It wants to go to her."
Well there goes that idea.
"What can we do?" I asked. "There has to be something."
"The only thing that I could think of is cutting her off from her sources of power. So water. Which she could die from dehydration if we do that." Luke sighed. "This is bad."
Percy groaned. But thankfully there was no burst of power.
But I don't think I should say thankfully.
Considering the fact no energy burst means that she's internalizing it, hurting herself to protect us.
Her control has to be insane to be able to be doing this in her state.
Poseidon took the rag off of her forehead and frowned. "It's getting worse."
He dipped it in the water again and laid it back on her head.
"It's too high to try breaking it. I think the best bet is..." Poseidon trailed off.
"What?" Luke and I questioned.
I'm not exactly an expert at breaking fevers.
Colonial times remember?
A lot of people died because of fevers.
He sighed. "Out. Both of you."
"Um. Why?" Luke decided to ask.
Meanwhile I was already one foot out the door.
But I paused.
"Just out."
"Okay. Okay." Luke raised his hands in surrender before pushing me out onto the porch.
The infirmary is full. So Will had us bring her to her cabin.
"So...how long have you been dating?" Luke rocked on his heels.
"Dude, my girlfriend, your adopted sister, is possibly dying. And that's what you ask?"
He shrugged. "Keeps my mind off of it.
Can't really judge him for that.
The door opened. "You guys can come in if you want. But Jack...I have an idea."
We walked back in.
And I'm pretty sure I know why Poseidon had us leave.
Percy's shirt and shorts were sitting neatly folded on another bed.
And Percy was laying underneath just a sheet.
"You seriously undressed her?" I asked.
"She needs to cool down. And quick. So...Jack? Can you freeze over the blanket or something?"
I nodded. "But couldn't she get frostbite or something?"
Now frostbite I know about.
"She can survive subzero temperatures. It can get pretty cold at the bottom of the sea."
I breathed out in relief. Okay. So I'm gonna try this.
And hope I don't hurt her.
I placed my hand on her stomach and used my powers to start freezing the blanket.
The frost spread quickly, and it even covered Percy.
"There." I sighed. I looked down at Percy, should I?
Or should I not?
Eh. I'm gonna do it.
Poseidon can murder me if he wants.
But that would be really overprotective.
I leaned down and pressed a kiss to Percy's cheek.
"Please get better. Please."
There was a knock at the door, cutting off any potential response from Poseidon or Luke.
And the latter opened the door. Revealing Sandy.
"Hey Sandy. What's going on?"
He formed an arrow pointing to Percy then one to me then Luke.
What?
"Sandy, explanation would be nice." I raised an eyebrow.
He frowned. But more like a kids these days frown.
He just swirled a little dreamsand around before pointing back at Percy.
Well.
Time for the thousand guesses game.
"I think he wants you guys to go into whatever dream Percy is having." Poseidon commented.
Sandy nodded.
"Like that one time?"
He nodded again.
"Well...Percy would kill us." Luke started. "But her powers will kill us if she doesn't."
"So... should we?" I looked at her dad.
"I think you should. Maybe if you can find her in her dream, maybe you can give her more reasons to live...and then maybe she'll wake up."
Okay...
"We need to be prepared. Who knows what kinda dream she's in. For all we know her powers could be from her reactions in her dream." Luke rationed.
"Yeah. But honestly, it can't be worse than what either of us has been through before right?" I said grabbing my shepherd's crook.
"Hopefully..." Luke breathed out.
I looked at Sandy. "Let's do this."
Well.
Saw Black Panther.
It was good.
Loved the second end credit scene.
And I went running yesterday, you know trying to get back into shape for tennis.
Well. I am sorta in shape.
So yeah.
*Hides cookie dough* I'm getting ready for tennis.
So
See yah.