Camp Half Blood: One "Salty" Adventure

Chapter 10

Rose's POV:

I woke up to the sound of someone's voice, softly calling out my name. "Rose? Hey, Rose. Wake up." I opened my eyes slowly, rubbing the sleep out of them. I looked to my side to see the boy with the bandanna I had previously seen the day before.

"Yeah?" I said, groggily getting up. I looked at him to see that he was motioning for me to walk over. I sighed and got up, walking over to him.

"It's time for your first treatment." He said blankly. I rose my eyebrow, confused.

"Treatment? For what? Is it like the injection you gave me yesterday?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No, that was a preparatory injection yesterday. This one's the treatment." He said digging in his pocket for something. He finally pulled out a key and opened my cell door. I took as step back, letting him enter. He pulled his bandanna down hesitantly and smiled shyly at me.

"So now you want to show me your face?" He let out a small laugh.

"No, I just... I don't need it now." He said blushing. I nodded slightly and smiled sadly... lately all of my smiles felt sad...

"Alright, go ahead. Do what you have to do." He turned his head to the side and then pulled a syringe out of his sweatshirt pocket. It looked different from the other one. It was all silver, preventing me from seeing the liquid it withheld. He moved hesitantly towards me, being careful with each step as to not scare me like he had before. He put a hand on my face and turned my head to the side. He then moved my hair so that he had a clear shot at my neck. He gave me a questioning look as if to ask if it was alright. I slightly nodded and then shut my eyes. I felt the cold needle touch my skin, and then, eventually, I felt the liquid enter my body, traveling through my veins. When it was over, the boy moved my hair back and removed his hand. I looked down and then walked over to the mattress and sat down. He turned around and walked to the door, but stopped before he made it there. He turned back to me and began speaking.

"I'm not supposed to really... talk to you... but I wanted to ask, why are you so willing? Like... for letting me do this to you." I shrugged and held my knees in my hands.

"I don't know... I guess it's not worth fighting it because I'll just be hurt in the end... I guess you could say I have nothing to lose." He looked at his feet to my reply and let out a sigh.

"Well... thanks. I don't want to... uh..." he trailed off and shook his head, leaving my cell and locking the door behind him. Myra was fast asleep. He then opened Myra's cell door and stepped in. I saw what he was trying to do. He was trying to inject her with the syringe while she was sleeping rather than dealing with her while she was awake. Smart, but stupid. Once Myra felt that needle, she would be up instantly. And... I was right. Her eyes immediately sprung open and she was trying to fight. She looked like she tried to use her powers, but something happened. I was immediately at the bars of my cell, scared for Myra. She screamed and I could see her eyes slightly roll back as she seemed to go numb. But, she still tried to fight him. "Myra! Myra, stop! You're hurting yourself!" He yelled at her, but she could only whimper in response. He put his hands on both her shoulders to keep her still and to calm her down. "Easy, Myra. Close your eyes. It's okay. You're... You're safe." Myra, in response, stayed still and calmed down. But she was still violently shaking. "Gods... okay. Deep breaths now." She closed her eyes and started to breath slowly. I could hear her deep breaths from where I stood. "This will only hurt for a second." He said as he put the needle to her neck and injected it quickly, pulling it away afterward. "There, done." He spoke softly. She opened her eyes, but I could see she was still crying because tears stained her cheeks.

"W-What the hell d-do you think you're doing here? I-I'll fight you." She growled at him. He didn't reply and, instead, helped her to sit up.

"You didn't eat anything last night. I'm going to get you food now, okay? Don't move. You need rest after that." He ordered and left the cell, closing her door with a loud clang. Then he left the area completely.

"Myra?" I called out, concerned. She was just sitting there, wrapped in the blanket the boy had brought her. He brought one for me too, but I hadn't used it since I didn't know it was there in the first place. "Myra?! Are you alright?" I raised my voice with more concern since she hadn't replied to me the first time. She mumbled something I couldn't make out. I rested my head on the bars. "Gods, Myra... why do you have to be so stubborn..."

About a half an hour later, the boy came back over to Myra's cell with someone else. The new boy looked like he was around Myra and I's age. He had short, dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes that that reminded me of Ben. I only just saw them when he glanced over at me. Besides a black bandanna, he also wore a matching black shirt and hood. "Myra, this is Damian. He's here to help you." The boy who had injected me earlier explained to Myra. Damian stayed quiet. Damian was holding two trays of food, he handed one to the boy and kept the other one in his hand, walking over to Myra and placing it down beside her. I could hear Myra whimper in pain and I became concerned, yet again.

"We got soup. It'll help." He spoke flatly to Myra as he picked up the bowl off of the tray. "Will says you don't trust him and you're too weak to feed yourself right now, so you're stuck with me for the time being."

"So your names Will?" I asked curious. He smiled.

"Yeah..." he trailed off, sliding my tray of food under the opening.

"Alright..." I said annoyed as I picked up the bowl of soup and started eating it. Will stood next to my cell and watched me as I did. After a few seconds of silence, Damian glared over to Will. "I tried it your way. Can we do it my way now?" He snapped.

"Fine. Just don't overdo it." He started watching Myra instead, and I became more comfortable. I watched Damian and Myra, curious to see what he planned to do.

"Thank the gods..." I heard Damian mumble as he set the bowl down on the tray and turned to face Myra. Myra tried to shift away from him, but there wasn't enough room for her to do so. Damian put his right hand on her forehead and Myra began to struggle but then calmed down, slouching. She seemed to begin to doze off, but he shook her awake. "You good, Myra? Awake enough to eat?" He asked slowly. She, shakily, nodded her head and Damian began to feed her the soup. He did this until she ate the entire thing. I was glad she was eating something because I knew she was starving. Will and Damian spoke to each other for a minute through the bars before Damian came back over to Myra's side I couldn't make out what they said because they were speaking too quietly. "Do you need anything else, Myra?" He asked. She nodded her head and then Damian gestured for her to tell him what she wanted.

"I-I...I want my B-Badger..." She slurred out and then yawned. I let out a sad laugh and shook my head, looking down. She soon fell asleep as Damian laid her down on the mattress and then stepped out and locked her cell door. Will came over to me with a confused expression.

"Uh... what's her... Badger?" I let out another laugh and smiled to myself.

"That's her boyfriend. Sh-she misses him a lot. She'll be alright though, don't worry about her." He ran a hand through his hair. Before he could reply, Damian did.

"Well I'm not doing it, Will. That's a lot of work." He said as he walked away, closing the door, disappearing from my sight. I smiled.

"I can't get her-" I cut him off.

"I know, Will." He nodded and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"Sorry..." He said as he picked up the empty tray and bowl from the place I had slid it back under.

"You should be." I said turning my back to him, walking over to my mattress. I laid down and crossed my arms, closing my eyes. He didn't reply, but he didn't leave. He stood there, and I could feel his gaze on me. I refused to look at him as I waited for him to make his decision. Stay or leave? Your choice, Will. I heard him sigh softly and then I heard his retreating footsteps and a door close more lightly than usual. I rolled my eyes and retreated to my mind... the darkest place I could be, yet the calmest place I could be.