Puke: Left to Wither Alone

2: Annabeth

2: Annabeth

Annabeth jerked up from bed.

She rubbed her eyes, which were still blurry from sleep. Sitting up, she searched the shadowy cabin, cool morning air prickling down her arms and neck.

Something wasn't right.

Getting out of bed, she swiftly dressed, looking anxiously at the clock. It ominously read '5:30', the sky just beginning to lighten through the cabin's thin curtains.

She put on a sweatshirt, shivering at the temperature difference. The hairs on her arms stood on end, her whole body feeling somewhat jerky. There was this feeling of imminent doom she couldn't quite place. A feeling that something required her immediate attention.

She left the cabin, and for the first time wondered: where was she going to go?

Markedly confused, Annabeth resolved to reenter the cabin and work on some of her architectural designs. There was no clear course of action as to evade her nerves, and she was too wound up to go back to bed.

The morning passed without much more incident, and she bumped into Grover on the way to breakfast.

"Hi Grover! How are you doing?"

He began, reevaluated, and mumbled, "Uh- good."

"You know, you can always tell me if something's going on, Grover," she tentatively said.

"Well.. um... this is going to sound really weird but," he stopped and ran a hand through his curly hair. "I- I woke up and my whole left arm was throbbing with pain. Like, really bad pain. And at first I was thinking I probably banged it in my sleep or something, right? But then it got worse."

"Does it still hurt?" She added, concern spotting her vision.

"That's the weird thing. Every time it seems to get better, it throbs again with a new, sharp, stabbing pain. And I...." He trailed off.

No one knew what to say, and they walked in silence to the pavilion. Searching the campers faces, she noticed something. Or more accurately, she noticed the absence of something- the absence of someone.

"Grover." Annabeth asserted, realizing with horror what might be happening. "The empathy link-" Her voice broke. "Percy."

Grover's eyes widened and glancing around the room, he croaked, "Percy isn't- he isn't here."

Looking him in the eye, Annabeth knew what to do. She turned immediately, not waiting for anyone, and made a beeline for cabin three.

She all but knocked down the door in her impatient haste, Grover soon materializing behind her.

Together, they entered the cabin, and were frozen in shock at the scene in front of them.

Percy lay not fully on his bed, sheets on the floor. His unwashed hair was standing up in every direction, and he shifted slightly as they entered the small room. As Annabeth took in his appearance, she took a double take at his left arm, which was dripping in his own blood.

Percy pulled his forearm over his face, revealing a tapestry of red marks- red scars. He groaned, not quite acclimated to the morning light. Annabeth, realizing his discomfort, silently approached him. "Percy. Percy. Wake up."

"Ughhhh." He sat up, agonizingly slow.

Grover was the first to take the leap. "What is all this?"

Percy, seemingly just realizing the gravity of the situation at hand, glanced between Annabeth and Grover like a cornered animal. Never had Annabeth seen such pain in his wide green eyes, and she walked to sit beside him on the springy cot.

"You know Percy, it's ok to be sad," she sighed. "You can always talk to us if you need any help."

"It's- It's okay- I- I'm okay." Percy stuttered, his eyes glassy. "You really don't need to worry about- about me."

Grover sat beside them, the cot creaking beneath his weight. "Really, you can drop the facade, man. I mean, the Battle of Manhattan, we lost a lot of people. It's not weak to cry, Percy."

Percy looked down at his lap, and Annabeth put her arm around his shoulders, her own eyes growing tearful at the reminder. "We just need you to know that a lot of people care about you, Percy."

Percy broke, his body racking in ugly sobs. Annabeth's own vision blurry due to the silent tears beginning to stream down her face, thinking about the pain he was going through. She embraced him, Grover soon following suit, while Percy blubbered, voice breaking, "My- my- fault- he's- he's- gone- Lu-"

Annabeth and Grover rushed to comfort him, muttering that it wasn't his fault, that it was ok, and that there were people who loved him regardless of his distress.

But nothing much could be done, Percy's rationale appearing to dissolve into hysteria, voice rising as he sobbed, "He- he- loves-" He shifted, looking longingly at Riptide, which lay on the stained carpet at his feet. "He- he- loved me."

Annabeth, shirt soiled with both Percy's tears and her own, looked over at Grover, who was similarly disgruntled. She thought of Percy, who she cared for more than she cared to admit. She thought of the unspoken grief Percy had been hiding from her for so long. But most of all, it was Luke who centered in her unfinished thoughts. Luke is- had been, the one constant in her life. She had always thought it would always be them, ever since she was eight years old. That it would always be Luke and Annabeth, against the world.

But she couldn't dwell upon her own pain. The thoughts of what if circling her head similarly to the way they did about Percy. Instead, she focused her energy on the person in front of her. The person who was grieving more than she would ever be able to see.

And so Annabeth, with Grover at her side, would always be there for him, one of her now oldest friends. She loved, she loved him. Annabeth would do anything to help him through this, whether it was as his friend, or as something she wouldn't- couldn't think about just yet.

Breakfast finished, the trio sitting faithfully together, speaking of nothing until they learned how to smile again. Grief cast shadows on their new dawn, and just as they were gearing up to begin their day, a knock sounded on the door.

Curious and extremely unprepared, Annabeth approached the door and softly opened it, only to be greeted by Chiron's voice.

"Hi Annabeth! Can you get Percy- Is he in there? I need you all at the Big House. Something happened and... it'll probably be best to explain when the whole group is there. Come quickly".

He galloped swiftly away, not allowing Annabeth time enough to respond. And so, she clicked the door shut and faced the bemused boys, ready to face the next challenge.