Loverboy (PERCABETH AU)

Chapter 38

Annabeth POV

The screech of the ambulance sirens was almost unbearable. My heart thudded painfully in my chest as I followed the stretcher, my hands gripping the railing tighter than I realized. Percy... he was on the stretcher, blood and sweat streaked across his face, his chest rising and falling beneath the thin blanket the paramedics had wrapped around him.

I fumbled for my phone with shaking hands, dialing Jason first. "Jason... it's bad... Percy... he's hurt," I stammered, my voice trembling.

"I'm on my way," Jason said immediately, his calm voice doing little to soothe my panic.

I called Piper next, my heart racing faster with every ring. "Piper... it's Percy. He's... he's in the ambulance, he's hurt—really hurt."

"I'm coming," she said without hesitation. "We'll be there."

Finally, I called Reyna, who had become my neighbor and friend. "R-Reyna... Percy got hurt... ambulance... hospital..." I trailed off, my words breaking into frantic gasps.

Reyna didn't hesitate. "I'll meet you there. Let's move."

With the three of them en route, I could finally focus on keeping my legs moving. The hospital loomed ahead, stark and sterile in the fading afternoon light, and I felt a pang of helplessness twisting in my chest.

Once we arrived, Jason and Piper immediately started coordinating, making sure we knew which floor and which room. I stayed close to Percy, gripping his hand lightly and watching the paramedics wheel him away for treatment.

I fumbled with my phone, fingers trembling as I dialed the only people I knew could help. "Helen... Fredrick... it's Annabeth," I said, my voice cracking. "Percy... he got hurt. He's in the hospital... in San Francisco. You have to come. Please."

There was a pause on the other end before Helen's voice came, sharp and full of worry. "Annabeth... how bad is it?"

"He... he's hurt pretty badly," I admitted, swallowing hard. "Please... just come. I need you here."

"We're on it," Fredrick replied firmly. "Pack your things, Annabeth. We'll be on the next flight."

I felt my chest tighten with relief and lingering panic. "Okay... okay. We'll meet you at the airport."

I quickly turned to Jason, Piper, and Reyna, explaining that my parents would be flying out from New York. "They'll be here soon," I said, trying to steady my voice. "We just have to get Percy stabilized until then."

Minutes later, the hum of planes and the bustling chaos of the airport surrounded us. My parents arrived in record time, rushing through security, their faces pale with worry. I stayed close to them, gripping Helen's hand while Fredrick checked in with airport staff to confirm the fastest way to get to San Francisco.

Jason, Piper, and Reyna kept up with me, their quiet presence grounding me as we watched the plane take off, carrying the two people who had always been my safety net straight toward the city where Percy lay in a hospital bed.

Even as we waited, I couldn't shake the gnawing fear in my chest, the sharp worry clawing at every thought. Percy... my heart wouldn't let me think of anything else. And now, with my parents on their way, there was a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, he'd be okay.

A few days had passed since the chaos at the mall, and Percy was finally back in his apartment, resting on the bed with a mix of bandages and bruises that painted the story of the fight. His arm was propped up carefully, and a cast had been added where it had taken the worst hits, but the worst of the injuries were behind him.

I sat beside him on the edge of the bed, my fingers absently tracing the edge of the blanket. He looked... tired, but lighter somehow—like the tension that had clung to him the day we first arrived in California had loosened. He wasn't sad anymore, not like before. There was a spark of hope in his eyes, and I couldn't deny it made my chest ache a little.

"I swear," Percy murmured, his voice hoarse but teasing, "if I hear one more lecture about being careful, I might actually strangle someone."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at my lips. "You've got a long way to go before you're out of the woods, Seaweed Brain," I said, my voice playful but gentle.

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I know. And don't worry... I'm listening."

The room was quiet for a while, the soft hum of the city drifting in through the window. Outside, the sounds of life carried on as usual, but in here, it felt like a bubble where only the two of us existed for a moment.

Neither of us had told my parents—or Percy's—exactly what had happened that day. Percy hadn't wanted them to worry, and my parents... well, they still didn't know who had been involved in the whole incident. They thought it was a simple accident, a mishap that had somehow landed Percy in the hospital. And for now, that was fine.

I shifted closer, resting my hand lightly on his arm. "You're lucky," I said softly, more to myself than to him. "That it wasn't worse. And... that you're still stubborn enough to make it out okay."

Percy gave me a small, tired smile, eyes glinting faintly with humor. "Lucky... or maybe just persistent. Maybe a little of both."

I stayed quiet, letting the moment stretch. Despite everything—the heartbreak, the chaos, the distance—there was a strange peace here, a sense that even after all the storm, some things could still feel right.

And for now, that was enough.