𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 - jason grace

07. MAIA'S FRIENDS ARE POSSESSED

IT WAS A LITTLE SHOCKING to see Piper on deck with a Pegasus and a knocked out Percy and Jason. While Frank and Hazel tended to Blackjack, Annabeth and Leo helped get Piper and the boys to the sickbay.

"At this rate, we're going to run out of ambrosia," Coach Hedge grumbled as he tended their wounds. "How come I never get invited on these violent trips?"

Cassie pushed her way into the room and very politely asked Coach Hedge to move aside so she could work on them.

Maia stood at the doorway, silently observing, not sure if she should go in or not.

She didn't want to be rude — she genuinely hoped the boys were okay, they meant a lot to her. But, at the same time, she wasn't so sure Jason wanted to see her. And, even more than that, she didn't want to make everyone else feel awkward. The tension between her and Jason right now wasn't fun, Maia knew that much.

"Leo," Piper said, "are we ready to sail?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Set course for Atlanta. I'll explain later."

"But...okay." He hurried off.

Annabeth didn't argue with Piper either. She was too busy examining the horseshoe-shaped dent on the back of Percy's head.

"What hit him?" she demanded.

"Blackjack," Piper said.

"What?"

Piper tried to explain while Cassie and Coach Hedge tended to the boys (it seemed the daughter of Apollo was unable to fully shake off the satyr, but at least she was still somewhat in control). They both groaned and opened their eyes.

Within a few minutes, Jason and Percy were sitting up in their berths and able to talk in complete sentences. Both had fuzzy memories of what had happened. When Piper described their duel on the highway, Jason winced.

"Knocked out twice in two days," he muttered. "Some demigod." He glanced sheepishly at Percy. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to blast you."

Maia frowned at that. She wasn't sure what they'd been thinking when everything went down, but based on... previous events, Jason held some resentment toward Percy—for a very stupid reason, but still, it was there.

Percy's shirt was peppered with burn holes. His hair was even more disheveled than normal. Despite that, he managed a weak laugh. "Not the first time. Your big sister got me good once at camp."

"Yeah, but...I could have killed you."

"Or I could have killed you," Percy said.

Jason shrugged. "If there'd been an ocean in Kansas, maybe."

"I don't need an ocean—"

Were they seriously fighting over this?

"Boys," Annabeth interrupted, "I'm sure you both would've been wonderful at killing each other. But right now, you need some rest."

"Food first," Percy said. "Please? And we really need to talk. Bacchus said some things that don't—"

"Bacchus?" Annabeth raised her hand. "Okay, fine. We need to talk. Mess hall. Ten minutes. I'll tell the others. And please, Percy...change your clothes. You smell like you've been run over by an electric horse."

Leo gave the helm to Coach Hedge again, after making the satyr promise he would not steer them to the nearest military base "for fun."

The rest of the crew, including Percy, made their way out of the sickbay, leaving Maia and Jason to be the only ones in the room. Well, Maia wasn't even really in the room, still standing by the doorway. They weren't really looking at each other, not completely, anyways. Subtle glances were being thrown in each other's way, but that was it.