Percy Jackson Kidnapped

SAD

Leo listened fifteen minutes later as Percy tried to explain what happened. Katie sat on a stool, writing on a clipboard. Leo and Annabeth sat in chairs on either side of the bed, Annabeth holding Percy's hand the whole time. Leo felt...honored for Percy to want him to come in and listen. Hazel was better at this, Piper could calm him, Jason could actually help. What can Leo do? Nothing useful. But this made him feel wanted. As if Percy knew he had been feeling left out a lot, lonely, worried, and scared for him the past couple of months.

As Percy explained how he was nailed to a wall, Leo felt horrified. Why would one do that to another?

He glanced at the bandages, at the fingers with visible holes at the tip.

Leo tried to hear without getting angry. Silver tried to destroy his friend from the inside out. The scars, bruises, it all made Leo mad all over again.

"And..." Percy choked up, shaking. Leo slid his hand on top of Percy's mechanical forearm.

"Percy, you don't have to keep going."

Percy shook his head.

"No, I...I need to get it out. This is just a painful part of the story. So, they took a hammer and smashed the bones in my two calves, screwed my hands into a board. This is when you guys were trying to find me, rescue me. I was shoved in this bomb bag..."

Leo remembered the rescue, how he fought soldiers nonstop with his machines, only to get blasted back. Since he was by several barrels of gasoline, Leo would have been disintegrated if it weren't for being fireproof. He'd been the one to find Annabeth and Jason, both burned and unconscious. Leo shivered at the thought of when he assumed they were dead.

"Silver came in announcing how they were done and were good to slowly kill me. That's how I lost my eye and soon afterward, you all came."

The room was silent. Annabeth exchanged looks with Leo.

Leo stood.

"Annabeth, why don't we step out of the room so Katie can talk to him, figure out what to do without us here."

Leo gave Katie a pointed look, hoping she could read between the lines. Katie nodded.

"I agree. Percy, is that okay? It'll just be a few minutes."

"Yeah, I don't mind," Percy replied, shifting slightly.

Annabeth and Leo left the room, standing in the hallway.

"Thanks," she told him.

Leo nodded.

"Don't mention it. Taking it in?"
She shook her head.
"I knew it was bad, but that...the way they treated him like an animal it..."
Annabeth's eyes got teary as if she were doing all she could to not break down but failing.

Despite Annabeth's personality sometimes scaring him, Leo held out his arms. Without hesitating, Annabeth let him hug her close as she trembled in his arms.

"I don't know what to do, Leo. I don't know how to help him."
"You'll know." Leo soothed, thinking of all the times Percy cried on his shoulder, wondering how many times it would happen now that he was mentally destroyed.

"I don't know how I'll be able to stay strong for him," Annabeth said. "I'm scared it won't be enough for him."
Leo didn't know what to say, settling on staying silent. Annabeth seemed to realize it and hugged even tighter.

Chiron walked into the hall, noticing the two demigods. Approaching, he placed a hand on their shoulders.

"He's awake," Leo said. "He told us what happened."