Three Worlds Clash

Chapter Eight

Annabeth Chase's POV

Voices floated in and out of my dreams.

"Really Will, I'm fine, just let me go so I can help fix the border."

"Chiron, we need to figure this out"

"Connor, put down the smoke bomb, this is an infirmary!"

The last one dragged me out of my semi-sleep. I opened my eyes, and panicked because I had forgotten where I was for a second. 

Then I remembered.

Hellhounds. Tam and Nico. Being forced to stay in the infirmary overnight because of some stupid bruise. I sat up in my cot. Connor was still there, talking to his twin brother Travis, who had also been forced to stay overnight. I glanced at the cot to my left, where Nico was still sleeping.

He had gotten so pale from his last stunt with the shadows, parts of him had turned translucent. Tam was no better, with his already injured leg. Linh was sleeping in the chair next to his cot across the room. I had a feeling she had been there all night. 

I spotted Percy talking with Sophie in a low voice next to a bandage wrapping station. They had seemed to have volunteered to wrap bandages but had instead gotten caught up in their conversation. 

I sat up higher in bed, ignoring the pain in my lower back from being slammed by a hellhound into a thick tree trunk. I grumbled another curse, making Percy turn his head toward the sound. He grinned and told Sophie he'd be right back before heading over to my cot.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

He bent down and gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"Pretty good. I feel like an old granny, but otherwise good."

Percy smiled and ran his thumb along a small scratch on my cheek. 

"How's Nico and the others doing?"

Percy glanced at Nico's cot, where he was still sleeping soundly.

"Will says he'll be okay in a few days. Tam's going to need to use crutches for a month or two. Everyone else, mostly minor cuts and bruises. Kiara got a broken arm."

He gestured to the Hectate girl who was now helping Sophie wrap bandages. HE sighed and sank onto the plastic chair next to my cot. 

"Great way to welcome our new sibs, am I right?"

"Tell me about it. I've never seen that many Hellhounds at once. Why do you think there were so many?"

"Honestly, I don't know. It might have been the arrival of so many new kids."

He shrugged again.

"I can contact Frank and Hazel, see if they know. Maybe Reyna?"

I nodded.

"I'll ask Jason. And we should ask Chiron, and Tam or Nico when they come around."

"Yeah."

We fell silent. Will came over from checking out another patient. He had dark circles under his eyes, and he looked like he needed a serious nap.

"Hey Annabeth, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Will, you know I could have spent the night in my cabin."

"Well, you're clear to go now, but take it easy. You bruised a few ribs."

"Cool, add that to my list of medical injuries. What's next, break my nose?"

Percy laughed as he helped me out of my cot.

"I think my sarcasm is rubbing off on you."

He offered to carry me to the door, but I held up my hand.

"Annabeth says no."

Will scoffed.

"I can't believe Nico, saying that! Where did he hear that anyway? Mr, 'Here, I'll just almost die again, and then say no! He owes me another week of bed rest." 

Will kept muttering to himself as Percy led me out the infirmary door. Percy shook his head, hiding a smile.

"Will has it for Nico, I can tell. Since I'm, 'Not his type,' and Will is, I should approve of their relationship."

"Since when do you care that Nico liked you?"

"I dunno."

I kissed him to snap him out of it.

It worked.

"Okay, okay, sorry. But seriously, I--"

"Stop, Percy."

"Yes ma'am."

We walked in comfortable silence until we ran into Chiron pacing outside the Athena cabin.

"Chiron, what's wrong?"

Percy asked, putting a hand on my shoulder to steady me because I almost fell over.

"Annabeth, nice to see you out of bed. How are the others?"

"They're all going to be fine, Chiron, but you're stalling. What's wrong?"

"Well, my demigod friends, the Hellhounds we saw aren't the last of what's to come, I'm afraid. It appears that someone has rounded up monsters to use them as weapons against camp Half Blood. Someone very, very dangerous."