Taken Away (Percabeth)

Chapter 23

A/N: This chapter makes my heart break. Just a sad song to make it worse. I suggest listening to it towards the end of the chapter..... >:)

Annabeth

Useless. That's all I feel. I couldn't help Percy. I couldn't take the pain away. I couldn't save him from the bite. I can't save him from the poison spreading to his heart. The rest of the seven visited occasionally, but had to go back to help others. It's been a day since the battle. Campers are packing and helping the wounded get back to Camp. But Percy isn't ready to get up. We are trying our best to help the healing, but it's getting worse. The poison is spreading, and coughs of blood is becoming more continuous. All I could do was sit next to Percy, holding his hand. I was useless, and that's what I hated.

"What's going on in your mind, Wise Girl?" Percy squeezed my hand to reassure me he was there.

"Nothing," I mumbled. I stared out to the machines, and tried not to look into Percy's eyes.

"Annabeth, I know you don't like feeling useless. I know you too well to know what you are thinking. But it isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. Please," Percy placed his hand on my cheek and made me look at him in the eyes.

"I know, but I'm just..." Tears swelled in my eyes, while Percy wiped the tears away.

"Hey, it's okay. I'll be okay. Before you know it, we'll be at New Rome." Percy smiled.

After the Giant war, Percy and I decided to stay at camp for one more year before going to New Rome. We would have college together, then soon become a family. But now I was terrified that none of those things would happen. Percy started coughing out blood, and I quickly got ambrosia. I made Percy swallow it down, but the coughs didn't stop. I went to go get some water, praying to Poseidon that it will work. I grabbed a cup and filled it with water, then ran to Percy's side. I made him drink down the water, and the coughs stopped.

"Thank the gods," I muttered. But when Percy was swallowing down the cup, I noticed green veins popping out of his skin, on his throat. It was a trail, leading from his throat and down. My hands were trembling.

"Percy.." I cried out, and Percy put down the cup.

"Yea?" He asked. He was looking at me worriedly, then placed his head back onto a pillow.

"Percy can you flip over so you're on your back? I'll place pillows so that your back won't hurt too much." I asked, but Percy didn't listen.

"What for?" He asked.

"Just to check..." Now I was suspicious.

"Fine." He grumbled and gently flipped himself over. He had no shirt on, so he grabbed another pillow to cover his chest. He was hiding something.

"Percy." I raised an eyebrow.

"Annabeth, there's nothing." Percy glanced towards the door, while Will came into the room. He was looking at Percy weirdly.

"Why are you on your back? That won't help your back heal." Will quickly grabbed the pillows away from Percy's chest.

"No!" Percy face palmed while Will and I gasped.

There were green veins bulging from his skin, and trails of them lead to his heart. The ones from his throat lead down to a centimeter away from his heart.  There were other trails leading from his sides, also heading towards his heart.

"Percy!" I chocked back a sob, terrified from the gruesome view in front of me.

"Look, I didn't want to worry you and," Percy looked at his chest, "I didn't think it would get worse."