𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭" 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨

Scattered

||~Hazel~||
I watch Annabeth, sitting beside her as she gently brushes Percy's bangs out of his closed eyes. It's been about a week or two since Percy fell into this comatose state, and we're all worried for both him and Annabeth.
"Annabeth, maybe you should go take a nap, okay?" She looks at me, grey eyes slightly red around the corners, due to crying so much. "No. I- I have to be here. What if he wakes up and needs me? He needs me, Hazel. I can't leave him alone like this." She looks back down at Percy, holding his hand tightly.

He doesn't even twitch.

I sigh softly, "Annabeth, you need to sleep." I gently, yet firmly, tell her. "This," I gesture her dark circles beneath her eyes, "Isn't healthy. Do you know what Percy would want?"
She's quiet for a moment before she answers, "For me to get some sleep..." She reluctantly murmurs. "And?" Piper suggests.

"To eat."

"And?" Reyna prompts. We sent word to her and Thalia a few days ago, and she arrived this morning along with Thalia and the Hunters of Diana -- or Artemis.

"To drink water." She doesn't look at any of us other than Percy's unconscious form. I feel like the only thing keeping Annabeth from breaking is that his chest is still going up and down, a silent signal he's still alive and breathing.

Thalia sits beside Annabeth, "Annie, you need to quit it, alright? This is Percy we're talking about, he's as stubborn as a Minotaur, if not more. He'll wake up, okay?" Thalia says, placing her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "Please, just give it a break." Annabeth finally tears her gaze away from Percy, now looking at Thalia.
Her eyes water before tears begin falling down her cheeks. "He was struggling so much." She manages to say through soft sobs. "I didn't notice any of it, Thalia. If I had noticed, if I had been a better girlfriend, maybe he wouldn't be like this. Maybe he would be awake and running into the water like he used to when he wanted to go surfing," She covers her mouth, eyes squeezing shut as she cries, "He'd be teaching Leona and I how to surf, like he promised." Her voice breaks.

Thalia's brows furrow, and she frowns as she brings Annabeth into a hug, keeping her close. "It's okay, Annie. Let it out." She murmurs, "We're here for you."

Her shoulders quiver with every breath she takes as she cries and cries, babbling about what Percy would be doing right now if he wasn't in a coma. I gently rub her back while Piper holds her hand.

Together, we keep Annabeth company. Together, we try to fix her piece by piece.

But we all know, as we all share a look with each other, that only Percy could really help.

And he isn't here.

||~Thalia~||
I tuck Annabeth into bed as Reyna gently nudges a child of Athena to talk to her about not waking Annabeth. She's probably around five or six. "What's wrong with Ammabeth?" She asks, her big grey eyes full of worry. I look down at her, "Ammabeth is resting, okay? She's really tired and is worried about a special someone. I need you to come to me when she wakes up, alright kiddo?"

The girl's eyes look down as she frowns, "Is it Bercy?" I look at her, eyes slightly wide. "How did you-"

"Everyone knows." Malcom informs me. I look at him, "What?" He sighs, "Everyone knows about Percy being in a coma. We visit him daily. Especially the younger ones like Leona and Samuel." Reyna's face contorts into worry, "So, all of Camp knows? Does Lord Neptune -- er, Lord Poseidon know?" She asks.

Malcom shrugs, "I don't know. I don't think he does." I frown, "He should. What about Tyson?" The boy shakes his head, "We worry Tyson wouldn't handle it well. He's still young, you know. He doesn't handle bad things happening to Percy very well. Only people who know are Camp Half Blood and Apollo."

I make a soft 'oh' and look down at the girl named Leona. "Leona, right?" I say. She nods. "I need you to get me or Reyna," I gesture to Reyna, "When Ammabeth wakes up, okay?" Leona nods again, but grabs my sleeve when I get up. I look down at her, noting her grey eyes are slightly watering, "Bercy will be okay, right? He's gonna wake up and teach me how to do really amazing surfing like him?"
My heart tightens painfully at that, but I nod hesitantly. "Let's hope he'll wake up, okay? I can't guarantee it, kid." She sniffles and I bend back down, hugging her. "It's alright, okay?"

"No! I- It isn't!" She whimpers, "Bercy promised me he'd teach me how to surf and braid hair like him. H- He promised I'd meet his baby sister, Estelle, so we can play Mermaids together!" She thrashes in my arms, and I hold her while murmuring soft words to try to calm her.
"I- I want Bercy and Ammabeth to be okay!" She cries. Leona looks up at me, sniffling, "E- Ever since that big, stupid war with Gaea, they haven't been the same. Ammabeth is always awake at night and crying," She begins to ramble and cry about how different things are now. How she misses so many people who are dead. My heart clenches painfully, now worried for her own mental state.

Eventually, she cries herself to sleep in my arms. I pick her up gently, tucking her into her bed. "I want Percy and Annabeth to be okay too, kiddo." I whisper softly before looking back at Reyna. She looks at me before getting up from her chair, "Malcom, please get one of us if Annie wakes up, okay?"

Malcom nods, and I smile as we leave.

"Thalia?" 

I stop dead in my tracks, my mind freezing as it registers that voice.

Turning around, I stare at him, eyes widening.

"Luke?"