𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜

A Few Answers and Almost Dying, Fun

FOR A MINUTE, JASON AND THALIA FACED EACH OTHER, STUNNED. Then Thalia rushed forward and hugged him.

"My gods! She told me you were dead!" She gripped Jason's face and seemed to be examining everything about it. "Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip—you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!"

Leo laughed. "Seriously?"

Hedge nodded like he approved of Jason's taste. "Staplers —excellent source of iron."

"Sounds like a fun story to tell," I said.

"W-wait," Jason stammered. "Who told you I was dead? What happened?"

At the cave entrance, one of the white wolves barked. Thalia looked back at the wolf and nodded, but she kept her hands on Jason's face, like she was afraid he might vanish. "My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. Let's sit."

I sat down and shivered. Leo noticed, and sat next to me, putting an arm around my waist. I snuggled into his warmth.

Piper did better than that. She collapsed. She would've cracked her head on the cave floor if Hedge hadn't caught her.

Thalia rushed over. "What's wrong with her? Ah—never mind. I see. Hypothermia. Ankle." She frowned at the satyr. "Don't you know nature healing?"

Hedge scoffed. "Why do you think she looks this good? Can't you smell the Gatorade?"

Thalia looked over at me, with a bit of an accusatory glare, like Why did you let the goat be a doctor?

I raised my hands up in surrender for a moment. "Hey, it was done before I woke up, and we don't have much on us. You know I suck at healing, Thals." I pouted.

Thalia sighed. "I know, how about this, you two," she pointed to Leo and I, "and the satyr, take this girl to Phoebe at the entrance. Phoebe's an excellent healer, maybe you can learn a bit about helping heal hypothermia, Ody."

I nodded.

"It's cold out there!" Hedge said. "I'll freeze my horns off."

"Come on, Hedge," Leo said, getting up off the ground, and offering me a hand to help me up. "These two need time to talk."

"Humph. Fine," the satyr muttered. "Didn't even get to brain anybody."

Hedge carried Piper toward the entrance, me trailing not too far behind. Leo was about to follow when Jason called, "Actually, man, could you, um, stick around?" I saw something in Jason's eyes I didn't expect: Jason was asking for support. He wanted somebody else there. He was scared. Leo grinned. "Sticking around is my specialty."

I followed Hedge out to the tent that Phoebe had set up.

"Hey Kody," she greeted me. "I know you suck at healing, but could you help me?"

"Sure." I shrugged.

"Okay, I'm gonna heal Piper's foot, I need you to give her some nectar, it's over there." Phoebe pointed to a pile of medical equipment on the ground. "Gleeson, make some hot cocoa for the three of you, the stuff to make it is also over on the ground."

Hedge and I walked over to the pile. "Oh! Thermos cups, can I—"

"No," I said. "Don't waste their cups, you can eat the one that your hot cocoa is served in, no more than that."

Hedge huffed. "Fine, but only because your logic is understandable." he started warming up some milk.

"Please tell me there's lactose free milk," I said, walking over to Phoebe and Piper with the nectar, and having Piper drink a little bit.