Dancing in the Dark- Percabeth Dance AU

:Part 4:

Percy waited in the lobby of the emergency room. The slight ticking of the clock. The families in the lobby whispering in hushed voices. The sounds of his feet pacing against the floor. The noises seemed much louder than they were. They all paranoid him as he waited for news on Annabeth. When the ambulance came Percy rode with her to the emergency room, except since he wasn't family they wouldn't let him beyond the doors of the white lobby. His pacing and breath quickened as the clock struck 11 PM. He had school the following morning but didn't care. When Annabeth's dad arrived he quickly rushed over to Percy. Percy explained everything from the movie night to the walk and then the skateboard.  

They sat together waiting for about another 20 minutes when a doctor stepped out of the door. 

"You guys are with...Annabeth Chase?" 

"I'm her father." 

Percy looked to her dad who was pale and worried, similar to Percy. 

"You're her boyfriend?" The doctor asked pointing his pen at Percy. 

He freaked out internally for a second but then just laughed. 

"Uh no, but I am her friend." 

"Ahhh okay, gotcha. I'll give you guys a quick rundown." The doctor looked down at his clipboard and flipped through pages, "She's got 3 torn ligaments, a fractured bone, and a torn ACL. We had to have emergency surgery." 

"Wait a second. All this is from getting knocked over by a skateboard????" Percy was confused, how could a piece of wood on wheels do that much damage?

"Her ligaments were starting to tear, she fractured it by hitting the concrete and must've torn her ACL by the way she fell. Does she do sports or anything?" 

"Dance," Percy answered immediately. "Can we see her?" He asked. The doctor nodded yes and led them to Annabeth's room. 

She had an iv in her arm and she had her eyes closed. Her leg was wrapped and was being elevated by a couple of pillows. Percy sat on the small hospital bed next to her. Her dad was outside still talking with some doctors.

Annabeth grumbled and started to blink her eyes open. The doctors had given her a shot so she would be asleep for the surgery, some pain reducer thing too. They both just looked at each other for a second too long. Percy blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, quickly pulling his eyes away from her's.

When the doctor came in she wasn't expecting the news she would receive. 

"Well Annabeth for full recovery, I'd say about 9 to 11 months. With enough physical therapy and just the right amount of hope we can get you back on it in 8." 

Annabeth freaked out "IM SORRY WHAT???? 9 MONTHS???!!!! I have an audition for a ballet school in 2 months! I need to be okay but then!"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. How many hours a day were you training?" The doctors asked. Annabeth thought to herself. 

"4 or 6. Depends on the day." She shrugged. 

"That's what caused your slightly torn ligaments. The fracture and torn ACL were from falling." 

Annabeth knew that if she could get up and march right out she would. She wasn't going to give in. Rachel wasn't going to win like this. She wasn't going to lose it all like this. Her entire career was ruined. She could audition next year but it just wouldn't be the same. She needed it all to happen right now, well technically in two months. Her entire plan since she was a kid just tumbled down the drain. 

"No, no, no! I refuse! I don't quit! I am going to dance in 2 months! I am going to that audition! Help me out here Percy." She looked at him but Percy only looked at her sympathetically.

"Beth I don't think that's possible." 

She grumbled and crossed her arms. The doctor left the room to go speak with her dad about her recovery. Percy stayed in the room with her in silence. He looked into her grey stormy eyes, the same ones that almost caused him to kiss her. 

~~~~

Percy sat anxiously in class tapping his pen on his desk. He was in a daydream. It was kinda fuzzy. All he knew was that it was about Annabeth. He left the emergency room around 12:30 to head home. His mom picked him up. She tried to ask Percy about what happened but Percy kinda just went off about how he is going to kill Octavian. His mom helped calm him down though, mother of the year award ya know. 

While his teacher went on about the history of something he watched the door, waiting for Annabeth to walk in. Secretly he pulled out his phone to text her. 

P: Hey you c'mon to school?

A: Yeah. Be there in 15

P: I can help with your books if you want 

A: I can handle it

P: You sure?

"Percy. Percy. PERCY!" He hadn't even realized that his teacher was calling his name until she pulled the one out of his hands. 

"Well, class looks like Mr.Jackson is talking with Miss Chase at the moment." Mrs.Dodds said and then slammed his phone down back on his desk. 

He got extra homework, not fun. 

During the passing period, he waited by the doors for Annabeth. She had a knee brace on and had crutches. Percy walked up next to her. 

"You okay-?"

"Don't wanna talk about it. All I know is that I will be at the audition in two months." She was incredibly fast on her crutches which surprised Percy. 

He got worried when Annabeth said what she said. She just couldn't admit it. Somehow he needed to get through that noggin on hers. He carried her books for her despite her persistence. At lunch, he even got her usual food. No one talked about Annabeth's knee except for the fact Thalia was very upset with Octavian. He did not just get to beat up her brother and then hurt Annabeth. Her phone on the table buzzed and she went to look at it. The tiny paper airplane in the corner of her Instagram had a notification

rachel.elizabethdare: So sorry about your knee! :((( See you next year!

Annabeth threw her phone back onto the table and everyone stopped talking at their table. She got up quickly and used her crutches to get out of the cafeteria. She was furious. Everything just like that. She was gonna come back, and she wanna gonna come back stronger than ever. 

Percy followed her and jumped in front of her before she could get any further. He stopped her as she was grumbling things to herself, looking at the ground.

"Hey, c'mon! Look on the bright side! At least they found out about your torn ligaments before they got worse!" He tried to sound as optimistic as possible. She raised her head to look at him. She was mad, angry, upset, any synonym of furious you could think of. Her eyes filled with lightning storms. 

They kinda scared Percy sometimes when they got all angry like that.

"I don't need your pity." She said. 

"It's not pitty because I care about you!" He said loudly, not loud enough for it to be a yell but loud.

"WELL MAYBE STOP CARING! OKAY! STOP THINKING YOU CAN ALWAYS SAVE ME, I CAN HANDLE MYSELF!" 

Percy dropped his mouth open and Annabeth realized what she had just said. 

"Oh my god...Percy, I-" She started to apologize. 

"It's okay. You're just going through some stuff right now." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. Annabeth realized whenever he did that something was wrong, she felt even worse that it was her fault. 

"Can you uh drive me home today?" She asked. Percy nodded. On certain days his mom would let him borrow the car. 

"Yeah don't worry about it." He smiled.