WHEN ALEX WAKES UP, HER BODY FALLS INTO PANIC. Her eyes flick around, trying to take in everything in the room, hoping to understand where she is. She's in a room. It's bright. It looks like some kind of medical room. But not a hospital. It looks like the room a nurse works in at a school. Her eyes then snap to a blonde boy who walks into the room, holding a glass. The boy who picked her up when they stumbled onto the porch.
He's tall. Around Alex's age, probably a year older. He has soft blue eyes and handsome features. He's very pretty for a 15 year old boy. He wears black joggers and an orange shirt with the words 'Camp Half Blood' written in black letters. He has a scar on his throat, like someone once held a knife to it and pushed too hard. Around his neck are 2 thin leather necklaces. One has 5 clay beads on it, each with different designs. The other one hangs a lower, a gold key on it.
"Where am I?" Alex asks. Her voice is dry and shaky. She's scared. Terrified even. She's woken up in a random room, without her brother, after having the worst nightmare ever. Why isn't she at the cabin in Montauk? Where's Percy? And her mom?
"Camp half blood." He responds softly.
"Where's my brother? And my mom? And Grover?" Words fall past her lips as she sits up. The boy rushes forward, helping her like he's afraid she's going to collapse.
"Your brother is next door. He's okay, so are you. Grover is in a debrief, he'll stop by soon. And your mother... she wasn't with you when you arrived."
"So that wasn't a nightmare. That actually happened. We fought that- that thing?" She turns to him. He just nods.
"And you killed it. Not many people could have done that."
"How long was I asleep for?"
He glances down at his watch. It's a silver frame with a white watch face and black leather band. It's the type of watch that all the businessmen in New York wear. She's sure it's expensive. "Only 2 hours. It's just past 7."
"Can I see Percy?"
He nods, "Of course. But drink this first. It'll make you feel better, stronger."
"What is it?" She asks, taking the glass from his hand.
"Medicine." He says, "It'll help you heal faster."
Only then does she realise the intense pain throughout her body. She wishes she could go back to the ignorant panic. At least then she felt numb. She takes a small sip of the glass, relaxing at the taste. She usually hates the taste of medicine but this one tastes like the blue gummy sharks that her mom always brought home from the candy shop for her.
The boy watches as she takes a sip before stepping back. "Finish that and then I'll take you to see your brother, okay? I'm going to go let Chiron know you're awake."
"Who's Chiron?"
"He's the activity director."
Alex simply nods, taking another sip. Before he leaves, he turns his head, "I'm Griffin, by the way."
"Alex."
"Nice to meet you."
Alex manages a smile.
———
IT DOESN'T TAKE GRIFFIN LONG TO RETURN AND BY THEN, ALEX HAS FINISHED HER DRINK. Despite having the concerning colour of piss, it tasted quite good. Griffin takes the glass from her hand, placing it on the table before giving her a hand up. She internally screams at the pain through her entire body. Her head is pounding, her hands are cut to oblivion, there's a huge scrape down the outside of her thigh and there are a bunch of wounds up her arms.
