Tratie

Travis

If you are seeing spots and have a headache, does that mean you have been looking at the computer for too long?

Asking for a friend of course.

Travis

Oh fuck.

Katie.

I spur my horse down, willing it to go little faster, or else she's gone.

I have to get there before she hits the tree line.

She's getting closer.

20 meters.

15 meters.

10 meters.

5 meters.

2 meters.

I grab her hand seconds before she falls into the trees.

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

Selena yells at me, "You take her back to camp, we'll try and rescue her horse.

I fly back, holding an unconscious Katie in front of me.

That rock came so fast. Out of nowhere.

I should have seen it coming sooner. I could have done more then yell watch out.

I almost lost her.

When we land, she whispers a name. "Sage?"

I think that's the horse she was riding. She's been riding that horse since she first came here.

"I don't know Katie. I don't know."

She's clearly delirious. "I hope she's fine. Death keeps taking people from me, you know that? I hate Luke. I trusted him, he was a friend, and Kronos took him. But Luke was foolish enough to follow him. He and his stupid monsters took Lee, and they are probably going to take Sage too."

She starts sobbing "I'm surprised they haven't taken you yet either.  Everyone I love keeps getting stolen from me. Miranda's probably gonna die too, you know that?"

She starts straight out bawling, tears sliding down her cheeks like rain, and I pull her closer.

"I don't want to lose you Travis. I tried to stop feeling, so the pain wouldn't hurt anymore. But if I lose you or Miranda, I don't think I could take it anymore."

We arrive at the sick room, and Apollo kids immediately rush out.

They grab her, but she clings onto me like a baby.

"Please don't let them take me. Please!" She starts blubbering, holding on desperately.

Everything in me is telling me to hold on, that I can't let her go, they'll hurt her.

But I stand still.

They finally manage to pull her off, and she starts screaming and pathetically waving her arms.

"Stop it! stop it!" she breaks down in tears and is finally subdued with a needle filled with liquid sleeping pills.

She's brought into a room with a bed.

An Apollo kid, Will I think, stands next to me.

"What happened?"

"We were on a scouting mission when we were spotted. Her pegasus was hit, along with her, and they fell. "

He nods, and heads into the sick room or whatever you call that area.

I trust that they'll take care of Katie. The Demeter cabin and Apollo cabin have been close since Lee's death.

I sigh and head back into my cabin.

***

After eating breakfast, I head towards Katie's current room. She's still in a coma. They said Katie is probably going to wake up in a couple of days, but even then I'll have to wait to see her.

But everyday I come, watering the flowers in a pot next to her bed, grabbing a book to read to her while she sleeps. Reading gives me an excuse to spend more time with her.
I was currently reading her a book she told me she loved, A Little in Love. It was a book about Eponine, from the musical Les Miserables. I
personally did not understand why she like this sappy stuff.

But, as I spoke Eponine's last words, I started I tear up. Stupid emotions.

Then someone squeezed my hand and hoarsely whispered "It's ok. I cry at that part too."

I jumped up, looking at Katie who weakly smiled at me.

Then she fell back asleep.

I yelled that Katie was awake, and several campers came put to check on her.
They did a bunch of fancy medical stuff I didn't understand, then looked at me like I was crazy.

"Are you sure she spoke to you?" Will asked me gently.

I looked at him indignantly. "You think I made it up?"

"You're tired and you really miss her. You were getting emotional at part of a book, and it probably provoked your emotions. Go get some rest Travis. We'll check on her."

I shook my head at them. "I know what I saw." I said as I walked out the door.

***

Could I have made it all up? It seemed real. It felt real.
To help clear my head, I put in my earbuds and listened to Katie's favorite band, the plain white tees. (A/N this is my favorite band, but that's beside the point. This will get brought up later)

Their song, a serious mistake, plays in my ears as I hum along.
"Oh I've sinned won't you teach me a lesson. I deserve nothing less, than the worst you can do, father please make me more like you."

I hear a laugh and jerk my head up, hitting my head on the top bunk.

I rub it and glare at whoever interrupted me, only to stare into the laughing face of Will Solace through an iris message.

He calms himself down enough to say "Katie is awake."

I start to put on my shoes, but he stops me and says "But she's not receiving visitors until tomorrow. You'll have to wait."

I sigh and collapse dramatically onto my bed.

He smiles at me sadly and is about to end the message when I realize he's not telling me everything.

"Will? What else is there?"

He scratches the back of his head. "Uhhhh well........ Katie asked specifically not to see you."

My jaw drops open. She doesn't want to see me?

"She's probably just embarrassed. A lot of patients don't want to see their rescuers, it's not uncommon."

My head is still reeling. She doesn't want to see me.

She doesn't want to see me.

She doesn't want me.

Sorry this took so long. I got halfway through that chapter a couple weeks ago and then I threw up. Long embarrassing story, I'd rather not share it. But because of all the encouraging comments to update, I decided to finish it. Thank you guys, your comments mean a lot to me!