❝no light above and there's no hope below, and i don't know which way's home ❞
At the end of the hallway stood an oak door almost completely covered with a bronze plaque:
ASCLEPIUS
MD, DMD, DME, DC, DVS, FAAN, so on and so forth.
The list went on forever, and Hina had to look away before her brain gave out.
Piper knocked. "Dr Asclepius?"
The door flew open. An older man smiled warmly at the demigods, with crinkles lining his eyes. He had neatly trimmed salt and pepper hair paired with a short beard. He wore a white lab coat over a business suit and a stethoscope around his neck – your stereotypical doctor outfit, minus the polished black staff he held in his hands, lined with a live green python.
Hina was not excited to see another snake, especially when it was staring her down with the intensity of laser beam.
"Hello!" Asclepius greeted.
"Doctor." Piper smiled so sweetly, it would have given a small kid a cavity. "We'd be so grateful for your help. We need the physician's cure."
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.
Hina wasn't sure what to expect, maybe some kind of torture chamber, but to her dismay it was worse: a regular doctor's office- a big maple desk, bookshelves stuffed with medical books, a small plastic model of the body's organs.
Immediately, she was nervous. Hina's fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt, her eyes bouncing around the room to avoid looking at any one area for too long.
Beside her, Leo adjusted his grip on Hina's hand, "Are you scared of the doctor's?" he whispered, the ghost of a smile dancing across his face.
"Don't laugh. I just don't like doctors, they always poked and prodded me as a kid when they didn't know what was wrong with me."
"Won't let him poke or prod you, Ina," Leo promised.
Asclepius took the big comfy doctor's chair and laid his staff and serpent across his desk. "Please, sit!"
Jason and Piper took the two chairs in front of the desk, leaving Leo and Hina standing. She was okay with that if it meant being farther away from the doctor.
"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."
Hina shook her head. The last thing she wanted was Dr. Valdez chasing her down with a scalpel.
Jason shuddered. "Leo with a scalpel? Don't encourage him."
"Plan C, if demigod and bank robber don't work."
The doctor god chuckled. "Now, what seems to be the trouble?" He sat forward and peered at 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."
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 Jason. "Keep the prescription for future reference, but these lenses should work. Try them on."
"Wait," Leo said. "Jason is short-sighted?"
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."
Piper smiled. "You look very distinguished."
"You look like Grandpa Jason, again," Hina decided.
"I don't know, man," Leo said. "I'd go for contacts – glowing orange ones with cat's-eye pupils. Those would be cool."
"Glasses are fine," 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. "Now, you, sister..." he turned to face Hina, and she was thankful Leo was holding onto her to prevent her from running away. "Nasty scar, but nothing some vitamin B can't repair if wanted. And perhaps some tenderness in the ribs? Hmmm, quite a brush with death you've had, but nothing you can't handle."
Hina opened and closed her mouth, unsure how to reply.
"I'd suggest ice and limit strain on your lungs. And you.." He faced Leo.
"Oh, my." The doctor's expression turned grim. The friendly twinkle disappeared from his eyes. "Oh, I see ..."
Asclepius seemed to send Leo a silent apology.
Hina heart filled cement, whatever Leo was hiding was serious.
"What?" Jason's new glasses flashed. "What's wrong with Leo?"
"We came for the physician's cure. Can you help us? I've got some Pylosian mint here and a very nice yellow daisy." Leo set the ingredients on the desk, carefully 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."
Hina approached the desk. "But-"
"Seriously, guys," Leo said, "I'm fine, except for the fact that Gaea's destroying the world tomorrow. Let's focus."
She wasn't finished arguing, but Hina stayed quiet.
"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."
At least someone is rooting for Apollo, Hina thought bitterly.
"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?"
Leo stifled a laugh. "Your snake's name is Spike?"
Spike looked at him balefully. He hissed, revealing a crown of spikes around his neck like a basilisk's.
Leo's laugh fell silent. "My bad," he said. "Of course your name is Spike."
"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 rustled through the room, lifting Piper's hair from her shoulders. Angry voices wailed. Hina could feel the powerful emotions of the makhai coursing all around them. Momentarily, Hina considered pinning Leo against the table until he told her the truth.
Then, Spike unhinged his jaw and swallowed the makhai in one bite. To follow, he downed the daisy and the vial of Pylosian mint, his neck ballooning with the items.
"Won't the poison hurt him?" Jason asked.
"No, no," Asclepius said. "Wait and see."
A moment later, Spike belched, spitting out a new vial- a tiny glass test tube with a cork stopper. Inside, bright red liquid shone in the dark.
"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, Spike relaxed on his scepter, his head resting on the table.
"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 Piper 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 and Hina could hear her heart hammering against her chest.
"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 ..." Jason 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."
Hina wasn't sure what that meant, but the demigods took their leave.
As they passed through the waiting room, Hygeia was sitting in the pews, dumping acid over herself while singing a nursery rhyme.
Back on the Argo II, they gathered in the mess hall to fill everyone in on their trip.
Hina was folding a napkin into tiny cranes to occupy her thoughts. Every time she remembered the way Asclepius looked at Leo, her eyes welled up with tears.
"I don't like it," Jason said. "The way Asclepius looked at Leo –"
"Aw, he just sensed my excitement." Leo tried to smile, but Hina heard the nervous beat he drummed along the table. "You know, I'm dying to get away from all this with Ina."
"That is so sweet," Piper said. "But I'm not sure that's it."
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," Jason pointed out. "There's only one dose."
"We're all going to make it," Hina insisted, her eyes still fixed on her napkin origami.
"We have to keep our options open," Piper 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 halfheartedly. "I nominate you."
Piper blinked. "But ... Annabeth is wiser. Hina is an actual medic. Hazel can move faster on Arion. Frank can turn into animals –"
"But you've got heart." Annabeth squeezed her friend's hand. "Leo's right. When the time comes, you'll know what to do."
"Yeah," Jason agreed. "I have a feeling you're the best choice, Pipes. You're going to be there with us at the end, whatever happens, storm or fire."
Leo picked up the vial. "Is everyone in agreement?"
No one spoke up.
Leo made a big show of wrapping the vial in a cloth from his tool belt before presenting it 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, Jason and Piper tried to hunt Leo down about what happened with Asclepius, but Hina knew he was going to avoid them for as long as possible.
"I've got to work on the engine," Leo had said, disappearing into the engine room.
Not in the mood for games, Hina trudged below the ship alone, in search of him. "Leo!"
Buford the wonder table had heard Hina and was currently blocking her from entering the engine room. She kicked her feet at the table angrily, the wooden structure unfazed by the force.
"One second!" he yelled back.
"Put some clothes on!" Buford's hologram shrieked in Hina's face, making the blonde retreat farther away.
"Okay, you can let her in, Buford," Leo instructed, the table finally letting Hina pass.
She rushed into the engine room before Buford could change his mind. Leo was reclined in the corner of the room leaning against a metal pipe. How it was comfortable, Hina had no clue.
He studied her sadly, like he was taking her in for the last time.
Hina opened her mouth to speak, but Leo raised his hand. "Please, no questions, Ina," his voice was fragile, threatening to break any second.
Without thinking, she crept towards Leo and sunk to the floor across from him. "You promised me you'd always come back, remember that."
"I know."
He had tears in his eyes, and Hina could feel her own threatening to spill across her cheeks. Wordlessly, Leo opened his arms to Hina and she complied, sitting beside him and resting her head on his chest- the same way she had woken up with him on the bus.
No one knew what the morning held and Hina was terrified.
Coping with loss was something Hina always struggled with. After her mom died, she was a mess for years, being bounced around between a handful of counselors. Then, when Harry was gone, Hina never really recovered.
She couldn't stand the thought of surviving the war if her friends didn't. That was her curse, not the countdown over her head, but the inability to heal the most painful wounds: the holes left in the hearts of the living.
"I love you, Leo Valdez," Hina whispered, closing her eyes and letting the scent of his shirt fill her head.
"I love you, too, Ina. Never forget."
Leo's words sent alarm bells through her body, but she didn't want to press her luck by asking. It was a miracle he had even let her in. Instead, Hina wrapped his arms around her, soaking in one last peaceful memory before the horrors of she'd face tomorrow.
"Festus was laughing at me, because I couldn't focus with you beside me."
"What?" Hina asked, peering up at Leo.
"Weeks ago, you asked me what Festus was laughing at. He was laughing at me, because I kept looking at you instead of what I was doing. You looked so happy talking with Festus," he rambled.
Hina placed a delicate kiss on his jaw. They stayed in silence until Hina finally drifted to sleep.
Naturally, her usually peaceful dreams decided it was a good time to shake things up.
Hina was back in the cavern with the Fates, the blue string slowly floating to the ground. Her body was on the brink of giving up, the scrapes and bruises feeling fresh in her skin.
When she tried to move, her feet stayed still- tendrils of earth snaking up her legs.
Atropos stomped her foot on top of a string, her footstep echoing through the cavern. "Unfortunately, this one is not yours, Hina Ito, it belongs to someone else."
The walls around them peeled away revealing a battlefield. Fighting was happening all around them, but Hina wasn't focused on that. Her eyes were locked on a familiar white shirt and dark curls soaring through the air in a ball of fire: Leo.
Her vision blurred, leaving only a watery picture of the scene in her eyes.
"What happened to our deal?" Hina demanded. "We agreed, my life for his."
Atropos shook her head. "It is not that simple. Fate is complicated, and he has his own destiny."
"Stop playing games! I want answers!" Hina demanded, tears brimming her eyes.
Clotho and Lachesis appeared before Hina, knitting needles clutched like weapons. "You have strength inside you have not come close to accessing. Yet you waste it; a pawn to the gods. The gods have tried to control the world for too long. Think of Daphne, think of yourself, victims to Apollo. Make a stand, daughter of Apollo. Remember to tread lightly on this earth."
Hina shot up, her eyes searching through the dark rapidly. Her heart thundered in her chest.
This is what Leo was hiding, somehow, he knew he would die in their battle against Gaea. Yet, she didn't understand, why not tell the crew? They had the physician's cure, they could save him.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Hina studied Leo closely. "What are you doing?" she whispered, brushing a curl from his face.
If he was keeping secrets, then she would too. Hina rose, retreating to her cabin to plan her rescue mission.
The sun hadn't rose yet, and Hina wasn't sure how much time she had. She got to work quickly, trying to piece together what was going to happen.
If Leo was flying through the sky, there had to be some way he had gotten so high up. The only two members of the Argo II that could fly weren't there, so Leo had to have been using something mechanical.
Hina drummed her hands along her desk. She needed a plan, and if she hovered around Leo during the battle he would know something was up.
In the darkness of her room, the eyes of the metal Festus sculpture grabbed Hina's attention. She gasped, running to the figure.
"Festus, why are you helping him?" she whispered, her hands hovering over the sculpture.
happy holidays! chapters will start to get a little shorter to make reading easier for you all. i hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week <3