End of the Line

#12 - No More Secrets

Chapter 12 - No More Secrets
published: Wednesday, 13 February 2019

Hazel stumbled backwards and nearly passed out from sheer exhaustion. Her eyelids had never felt so heavy, nor had her muscles ever felt that sore.

"She's bleeding out!" Percy started shouting. He set Annabeth down on the deck, his eyes flashing with panic. "We need to do something!"

Piper knelt down next to them. She seemed to have come out of her shock. "Uh, right." She shook her head and groaned in frustration. "I know this. Okay, okay, we need to apply pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding. Leo get the first aid kit, Jason get water. I need a cloth!"

Leo and Jason stumbled down the steps to get everything Piper needed.

Piper shakily took out Katoptris from her belt loop and cut a slit through Annabeth shirt to open it up to see the wound.

Percy nearly cried out.

Her ribs were pressing against her skin, and her hip bones were visible above the waistband of her jeans.

"Why..." Percy's voice cracked and he fell silent.

"Look, that's-that's another problem," Piper managed. "We need to save her life first."

Percy absently shrugged off his ragged shirt and bunched it up into a ball. He couldn't stop the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Any excuse to take off your shirt," Leo tried to lighten the mood as he walked back up, but he halted in his tracks as he saw the state Annabeth was it. Jason stopped at his side in horror.

"She didn't eat much," Frank murmured as he recalled their days aboard the Argo II.

"Guys, focus!" Piper yelled.

Percy blinked. He pressed his shirt onto part of Annabeth's wound, while Jason applied pressure to the other side with a cloth.

Hazel force-fed Annabeth ambrosia as Piper quickly threaded a sterilised needle with thread.

"Okay, remove," Piper ordered, and Percy and Jason retreated.

Frank dabbed Annabeth's wound with antiseptic from the kit before pouring nectar into the cut.

The bleeding instantly decreased once the godly food had been ingested, but the laceration was still deep.

Percy watched with a racing heart as Piper stitched the wound shut and wrapped bandages all around Annabeth's torso.

She fell back with exhaustion, breathing heavily as she took a breath of relief.

Annabeth was breathing normally and remained unconscious, but the bleeding had stopped and the wound was closed.

"She should take nectar when she wakes up," Piper said tiredly. She closed the first aid kit. "I'll patch the rest of you up in the infirmary."

Jason reached out for her shoulder. "Piper, you look exhausted. Take a break. You just saved Annabeth's life."

"I'll do the rest," Percy promised her. He grabbed the kit and packets of ambrosia. "Just eat whatever you guys need without exploding."

Leo suddenly laughed. "I just," he chuckled. "I can't believe you're actually here."

The others started to laugh with him as they drank in the fact that they were all alive, with Percy and Piper back.

"I missed you, you idiot," Hazel said softly as she gave Percy a kiss on the cheek. Jason, Leo and Frank gave Percy a hug.