thickskinned,˚⟡˖ perseus jackson.

two, sour nectar.

THICKSKINNED.
' sour nectar. '
CHAPTER TWO.

UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, the Camp Medic caught me whilst I was trying to leave. The sad woman directed me back to the infirmary bed against my will, and told me off for even trying to leave. Her scolding took away my appetite, and I weakly sat against the headboard completely bored out of my mind.

A few hours had quickly found its way past. Thankfully, the Camp Medic finally put some trust in me and decided to leave me alone. It quickly lost its element of greatness and I sat alone in that empty room, quiet engulfing me.

As I began dozing to sleep out of boredom, a rustling sound abruptly shot me awake. My neck perked up and I traversed my attention to wherever the sound had come from. To my surprise, Grover stood there like a deer in headlights with a vial of nectar in his hand.

"Grover?" I whispered, massaging the back of my neck. In an attempt to crack it straight due to the uncomfortable position it had been in.

"Don't tell anyone, I'm just worried about him!" He raised his hands in surrender, which caused him to release the vial and drop it down onto the floor. He pouted as he looked down at the mess he had created.

"The newcomer." I nodded, sitting up straight. "You're worried?" Grover made his way over to me, and sat down on the stool beside my temporary bed.

"I knew he could handle more, he seems really powerful. Has anyone told you what's gone on?" He asked me, I think he noticed that I'd been left out of the loop based on my thoroughly confused expression.

Without me answering, he proceeded to continue. "Me and Chiron, we've had our eyes on him for a while." He cleared his throat. "He thinks i'm twelve, like him. And I felt bad about lying to him, but then Sally told him everything. And now Sally's gone." His voice cracked slightly as he shared that with me.

"I'm confused." I admit nervously. "Who's Sally?" I ask hesitantly, not wanting to upset Grover any more.

"His mom. She loved him a lot, and she told me that I have to protect him. And I was like, that's my job, So I will. But I said that with Thalia too, and I didn't do that. And it almost happened again, with the Minotaur." He covered his face with his hands, I knew that he still felt so guilty about Thalia. It made me feel terrifically bad for him.

"What happened with the Minotaur?" I asked, trying to get Grover to let his feelings out before getting too overwhelmed.

"Sally took his jacket and distracted the Minotaur with the demigod scent, and then the Minotaur killed her." He croaked out, water pooling in his eyes.

"That's horrible, Imagine losing your mom like that." I whispered, looking down at my lap.

"How do you think I feel? I'm at fault." He cleared his throat and sniffled, and I put my hand on his arm to comfort him whilst shaking my head.

"It's not your fault, Grover. And it wasn't your fault with Thalia. These things happen. Nobody blames you." I reassure him, and he just shakes his head in return.

"They should blame me. But they never do, Percy saved me instead. He killed the Minotaur!" Grover exclaimed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "He must've loved his mother so much to channel a power like that, Maybe his Godly parent helped him."