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Once they were aboard the Argo II, Leo set sail.
Piper rushed down to the sick bay, where Hazel and Frank were already caring for Jason. Percy and Annabeth ran up to Rory. She smiled weakly at them.
"What happened?" Annabeth asked.
Rory's voice trembled. "Jason got stabbed. Imperial gold. He was dying..."
"But he's back here now," Percy said. "We'll make sure he gets better."
Rory nodded, but she couldn't shake that feeling that everything was going to go wrong. She was back on the ship now. Jason was in good hands. They had gotten the information they needed. They succeeded. Then why didn't it feel like it? Why did Rory still hear a ticking in the back of her mind? Like a timebomb that's fuse had been lit. The clock was counting down the seconds, the flame getting closer, until all at once everything would blow up around Rory, leaving nothing but rubble and the memory of what used to be.
Annabeth brushed some hair out of her face. "Get changed. We'll debrief tonight."
Percy ducked down to kiss Rory, but she quickly turned her head so that his lips landed on her cheek.
He frowned. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," she said, her voice cracking. "Annabeth, will you help me take off my makeup?"
Annabeth looked shocked. "Yeah. Yeah, of course."
Without wasting another second, Rory hurried away, heading down the stairs to the lower deck. She didn't care how badly her ankle hurt with every step she took, she didn't stop. Behind her, she could hear Annabeth trying to catch up with her.
Rory flung open the door to her cabin. It hit the wall and she couldn't find it in her to care that it made an indent. Annabeth stepped in, her eyes widening at the chip in the paint as she closed the door.
Immediately, Rory crumpled to the floor and began to sob.
"Oh, Rory." Annabeth kneeled beside her and wrapped her arms around her. Rory buried her head in her shoulder. "Hey, you're okay," she soothed.
Rory couldn't even speak, she was crying too hard. Annabeth got her standing and gently guided her to sit on her bed. Rory flopped onto her back and covered her face with her arm. Her sobs made her whole body convulse, and in her current position, the noises she was making could be confused for pig snorts — only making her more embarrassed.
Annabeth rubbed her arms, trying desperately to get her to calm down.
"Rory, please. I need you to talk to me," she pleaded. "I can't help you unless you do."
"I'm useless," she cried.
"What? You are not useless," Annabeth said. "Is this about Jason?"
Rory shook her head. "No — I mean, kind of. But no. Just in general. I am completely and utterly useless!"
