All Her Life

Chapter 29 - AWAKE

"She what?" Percy whispered.

"She swallowed 30 sleeping pills, Mr Jackson. It's not the first time she's made an attempt. I thought that the dispenser given to her would prevent this, but clearly not." The nurse said in a gentle voice.

Percy was numb to everything but pain. Annabeth had been dying. He knew what she'd done, but he couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. He just wanted Annabeth to be okay. Seeing her lying in her bed, bloody and bruised, cut up and laying limp. He didn't know that that kind of terror was possible.

Seeing her on her bed, limp, barely moving... That made his heart stop. He already knew he loved her, but in that moment he knew that what he felt wasn't just teenage love story kind of love. It was true, complete, purposeful. He loved her with everything in his body, mind, heart, and soul. She was everything to him, and... She wasn't even able to open her eyes. Now, in the hospital, Percy was sitting in the waiting room, staring at the floor. The nurse said that they had to do something to remove the medicine, but he didn't ask what. He was scared to find out. He just wanted to see her.

"You think that she tried to commit suicide?" Percy mumbled into his hands, staring at the floor.

"I'm almost certain of it. It's hard to accidentally take 30 sleeping pills when you're alone behind a locked door."

"Her door wasn't locked..." Percy shook his head. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe that she'd been hurting so much that she felt she had to end it.

"The security cameras in her bedroom showed her locking the bathroom door." A police officer said. "I have a few questions to ask you, Mr Jackson."

Percy nodded, not looking up. "Ask away."

"What were you doing in Miss Chase's apartment?"

"I'd just gotten back from a trip out of the city with my mom. I wanted to see Annabeth, check on her, make sure she was okay. She'd given me the number of her dad's butler so I could ask him to let me in when I wanted to see her."

"Alright. What state did Annabeth appear to be in when you found her?"

"She uh... She looked like she was asleep, but she opened her eyes and looked at me for a little bit, before going limp... "

"Alright... Is that all?"

"I uh... I think so... It's all I remember... I mean, I saw bruises on her arms,they looked kind of like... Like someone grabbed her and wouldn't let go, I guess... They weren't there before... When I video called her the night before." The officer nodded in response before standing up and walking away. Percy sighed, leaning his elbows on his knees, staring at the wall. For all Percy knew, she could be dead. She could be hopelessly lost while the doctors struggled to bring her back, but there was always the possibility that... That they couldn't bring her back. There was a possibility that he had lost her forever, and that she was gone for good. Percy wanted to break something, hit something, hurt someone. Probably himself... Maybe Mark. Frederick if he was still... Alive.

"Gods, what did he do to her?" Percy's voice cracked, and he dropped his head, eyes closed, pain flourishing in his chest. She was likely dead... Gone... Never there for him to take care of again... He didn't want to lose her. Percy looked up as footsteps got closer, seeing Piper.

"Is she okay?" Her eyes were worried.

"I don't know." Percy whispered. Piper glanced behind her, and Percy saw a group of people, girls from the softball team. He stood up, immediately ready to get security, but they all sat down. Percy shared a look with Piper, and she pulled him away from the group.