When We Were 'Us'

We're Very Very Lucky- Percy POV

[A/N I'm sure you know what happened, I'm not gonna be graphic about it but there's some probably upsetting stuff at the beginning. I'll italicize it]

Metal screeching.

Cries of pain and terror.

Someone screaming. Screaming names. Screaming for help.

Tearing, ripping, crushing.

Pain, so much pain.

Someone shouting my name, sounding terrified.

It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts-

Movement.

Something near me.

A voice.

"Oh gods Jackson- I'm sorry- HEY HE'S OVER HERE! I found him!"

I forced my eyes open a little, trying to figure out where I was. I could tell I was on my back, and I could see a figure sitting over me, waving a hand and looking over his shoulder.

"CJ?"

"Jackson!" His head whipped around. "Oh thank gods, you're not dead."

"What happened?"

"You- I-" He shook his head and took a shuddery breath. "Some drunk guy came up the exit ramp- Freddie tried to steer us out of the way, because you turned around to tell me off-"

"Is he breathing?" I heard Freddie's voice nearby. 

"He's awake!" CJ yelled back. "Where is the paramedic?"

"They're over by the car, I'll get them."

I slowly propped myself up on one elbow, gingerly touching my head. I felt something wet, but didn't want to look at it.

"Did anyone die?"

CJ shook his head. "I don't think so. The other car was just the driver and he's okay. Shell-shocked, I think, but fine otherwise. Freddie's okay too- you got the most of it."

A couple people in uniforms ran over, one carrying a pretty big medkit. Freddie tailed them, looking worried.

"I'm fine-"

"Sit still and let us check you over, sir." One of the paramedics said, setting the box down. The other helped me up into a full sitting position.

"You're all lucky to be alive." She said as she checked the back of my head carefully. "A crash like that, we usually see one survivor out of six on average."

"How's the car?"

Freddie snorted weakly. "Haley, that's really not the important part here."

"It is too. Reyna's going to kill me." I winced as one of the paramedics prodded a cut. "That was a nice car."

"I think she'll be more concerned with the fact that you survived." Freddie dug out his phone. "Speaking of, I need to call Carmen."

CJ fidgeted nervously as the paramedics bandaged me up. I hoped to the gods that the bags in the back of the car were okay, because there was some ambrosia in one of our bags.

"I'm sorry." He finally said, staring at his hands. "I was being a brat, and we almost died because of it."

"Kid, you've just got to chill out, okay?"

He looked up, frowning at me.

"I get it, sometimes it sucks living like we do, but if you take it out on everyone else it causes you problems." I shifted a little so I wasn't sitting so uncomfortably. There was a rock digging into the side of my leg. "Trust me, I know how you feel, but I can tell you it won't help."

CJ snorted, crossing his arms. "Right. Percy Jackson, the outcast? Doubtful."

"Percy Jackson?" One of the paramedics perked up. "Weren't you the kid who had the gunfight with his kidnapper?"

I grunted. "Been a while since someone brought that up... yeah, I was."

"You're practically West Coast legend, dude!" The other paramedic exclaimed. "You were a crazy kid."

"Well it wasn't my fault." I shrugged. "I had to do something to get away from him, didn't I?"

"And stealing his gun was your first idea? Amazing." The male paramedic grinned, shaking his head. His teammate snapped her fingers at him and he hurriedly returned his attention to the worst of my injuries, a nasty ripped up patch on my left leg.

CJ had gone silent again. He got up after a few moments, chewing on one of his nails, and I was alone with the two paramedics who alternated between asking me questions about what happened when I was twelve and bandaging me up.

They finally cleared me to stand up at least, and Freddie walked over, pocketing his phone again.

"Carmen freaked, but that's to be expected. She's glad we're alive."

"I am too." I crossed my arms. "But we need to get moving."

"Percy-"

"Look, whatever the Council needs me for in New York is not going to wait for issues I have on the way. If they come out here for all of us it'll be a mess, we just need to keep moving."

[A/N I just like writing car crash stuff idk why]