Camp Half Blood: One "Salty" Adventure

Chapter 11

Will's POV:

Another day, another injection. I'm starting to dread doing this even more. At least I get to feed them first... instead of just going in and stabbing them with a needle. I was able to get some eggs today for them and, although it's not much, it's more than usual. I unlock the door to the cells they're staying in and swing it open with my foot. Once I walk in, I hear the door slam behind me. I hope I didn't startle them... maybe, if I'm lucky, they're already awake. I don't know why I care so much... this is different than with the first prisoners Olthen took...

I walk over to Myra's cell first and slide the food under. She glares at me, just sitting there on her mattress. But I see something in her, some caring, scared feeling she's hiding deep within her. She looks at the food then back to me with a questioning look. I pull my bandanna down and smile kindly. "It's not poison, just eggs." She refuses to talk to me and turns away as I roll my eyes at her and turn to Rose's cell. I look forward to seeing her because she doesn't treat me the same way as Myra does. She's actually rather pleasant. Maybe after all of this is over, and they're both on Olthen's team, we'll have a little time to get to know each other?... I slide the food under to Rose's cell and she doesn't move a muscle. I can't even see her breathing, as a matter of fact. I quickly become worried and call out to her. "Rose? Hey, are you alright? I have your food here." Nothing. If this is a trick, it's a nasty one. "Rose, come on." I say a bit louder to get her attention. Nothing again. I, instead, unlock her cell door, my hands beginning to shake as I do. Once I step in, I walk over to where her body is lying on the mattress. I kneel next to her and shake her lightly. "Hey, Rose? You okay?" I ask. I turn her over and her eyes begin to flutter open, but shut again. I touch her forehead with the back of my hand and then her cheeks. They're heated up, meaning she definitely has a fever. But, when I grabbed her arms to try and move her to a sitting position, she's freezing. Once I do, she puts her hand lightly on my shoulder and her head drops forward. "Rose, hey hey. No don't close your eyes." I hold her chin with my forefinger and thumb to have her eyes meet mine. She can barely keep herself conscious. "Damn it, come on. We gotta get you something." I pick her up bridal style and carry her since I'm guessing she won't be able to walk on her own seeing as she's not in the most ideal state right now.

"Hey, Hey! Where are you going with her! Don't touch her! Rose!" Myra screams at me. She's immediately at the cage door holding onto the bars and trying to grab at me to get to Rose.

"She's sick, Myra! I need to help her! Trust me, she has a fever and she can barely stay conscious." Myra looks at me with a shocked expression, but refuses to back away.

"If you hurt her, it'll be the last thing you ever do, Bandanna Boy." I ignored her empty threat and walked down the hall and out the door. I go as fast as I can to the small room next to my, even smaller, bedroom. This is where I keep all of my herbs and other equipment. Hopefully, I'll be able to whip something up fast in order to make that high temperature of hers that she's withholding, subside. I lie Rose on the table I use to mix my ingredients on if the time comes for me to do so. Usually, I don't use the table since I can just grow the correct plant hybrid. So I have a small area of soil in the corner for me to plant. I rush over and focus my energy on the correct hybrid and take about 5 minutes to come up with something. The second I perfect it, I rush over to Rose and have her open her eyes for me. She struggles, but does so, slightly, anyways.

"Ok, Rose. I made you something for the fever and all you have to do is eat it, alright? Can you do that for me?" She doesn't respond, but attempts to move her head in an agreeable fashion. I take the leave I picked off of the plant and rest it on her tongue. I help her to sit up slightly and grab a water bottle with my free hand to help her swallow it. Once she, slowly, chews it up, I put the water bottle to her lips tipping it slightly for her to get some. Finally, after all of this, she's swallowed it. "Ok good job Rose," I say as I lay her down again. "This should start working immediately. Hopefully in about 20 minutes that fever should have subsided. I'm not sure..." I say thinking to myself. Her overall condition could be worse. The fever could just be the beginning of something bad... I have to report this to Olthen. But I can't leave her on a preparatory table... "Hey Rose?" She flutters her eyes open half way. "I'm gonna take you to my bedroom for you to stay for a little while. I have to go talk to someone. But I'll be back ok?" She closes her eyes in response and let out a sigh. I smile to myself, picking her up again. I don't have a long walk since my bedroom is right next to this lab area. Once I get there, I open the door and lay her down on my bed. Immediately, I hear her light breaths, resting. Once I'm sure she's ok, I step out of my room and close the door, locking it behind me. I walk to where I know Olthen will be, where he always is at this time in the morning. The training area. More like a parking lot, but that was where he had all of his training sessions with the other demigods. I try to keep my pace slow, but I still break into a run at the thought of what could happen if I leave Rose alone for too long in that state. I finally reach the training area seeing Olthen is in the middle of teaching one of his "classes." "Olthen, I need to talk to you." He turned around, still holding a sword over his shoulder.

"What?" He says, obviously annoyed I ruined his session.

"In private, Olthen. It's urgent." I say already walking out of the area. I could hear a sigh and then footsteps coming after me.

"Fine. Hurry then." He said closing the door behind him and then standing directly in front of me, crossing his arms in an impatient manner. He didn't have the sword anymore, which means he probably left it in the training area on his way to talk to me. I was relieved he had... who knows what he would say to my... "news."

"It's about Rose." I said flatly.

"Prisoner 17? Is she responding to the treatment?" I flinched at him saying Prisoner instead of Rose... I've always hated that, no matter how many times I've heard him say it.

"I-I don't know, I think she's rejecting it? She has a fever and she can barely stay conscious." I said running a hand through my hair nervously.

"Heal her and we can retry it afterwards." He said rolling his eyes about to turn around to leave.

"Well yeah, but it's gonna take a little while..." I said stepping in front of him to stop him from leaving.

"We don't have time, Will. You need to heal her so we can start implementing the plan."

"Olthen, you don't understand. Listen, she's in my room right now an-" he cut me off.

"What?! What the hell did you just say? She's out of her cell?!" He yelled at me, shocked I would do such a thing.

"I just needed to get her to the Lab so I could get her fever down! And now she's resting in my room. She can't go back in that cell right now, it'll only make her worse and then you'll have to wait even longer to begin her treatments again. Just let her stay with me, and then, when she's better, treatments will begin again." He stared at me, contemplating my explanation. After a while of silence, he spoke up.

"Fine, but I want her out of your room as soon as possible. How's Prisoner 16 responding to the treatments?" He asked curiously.

"Pretty well, she's getting closer each day the treatments go on." I replied quickly, not really worrying about Myra.

"Good. How much longer?"

"I'd say about two and a half weeks." I said sliding my hands in my front pockets.

"So she's on track then. Did she have her treatment yet today?" He said as he rested his back on the wall next to the door, his arms still crossed in front of him.

"No not yet, I will after I tend to Rose." I replied, still standing there awkwardly.

"There's no way you're leaving Prisoner 17 alone in your room. She could get ahold of a weapon."

"Alright... I know Damian had good luck with Myra last time. Have him do it." I said remembering yesterday when he gave Myra the food. I hated his methods of getting people to do what he wanted them to. But, I mean... whatever works.

"Okay then. I'll give Damian his orders now. Go make sure Prisoner 17 isn't alone for too long and remember, don't get attached, Will." He said going back to his class as I turned away and left back to my bedroom to tend to Rose.

"I won't, Olthen."

I walk back to my room without another word and slowly unlock the door, opening it and stepping in. Rose is where I left her but she's more curled up now, hugging onto one of the two pillows on my bed. I smirk and shake my head. There's a small stool and desk in my room, so I take the stool and drag it next to the bed which is barely a foot away since this room is, basically, like a small walk-in closet. I know for a fact Rose won't be waking up any time soon, but I have an order. And that's to watch her. This dangerous Rose, filled with poison in her veins and in her heart. Yeah, sure she's out for blood. She could kill me any second... but then again, I could do the same to her.