Round two of the competition! This week the prompt is about taking the character you love most and couldn't imagine getting hurt... and killing them. Enjoy?
Then sun peeked through the curtains, splashing yellow light all across Cabin 3, including over the sleeping Percy. When the light hit his eyes, he groaned and rolled onto his back. Couldn't he just stay asleep for five more minutes?
As he sat up and stretched his legs out in front of him, an unpleasant flutter went through his stomach. Immediately, he knew it was going to be a bad day. The last time he woke up with that feeling, Leo had eaten a bad burrito on the Argo II. That was not a fun day for the crew.
Shrugging of the feeling, he pulled on his clothes and left the cabin. On his way to the dining pavilion, he greeted a couple passing campers, not spotting a certain daughter of Athena.
After getting his food and giving sacrifices, he took a seat at the Poseidon table. After the war with Gaia, the area had become much more crowded. Tables were added and others were pushed closer together, so now his table wasn't as isolated.
As he took his first bite of toast, he felt a familiar pair of lips press against his cheek. "Morning, Seaweed Brain," she greeted, sitting across from him.
They ate together, as usual, talking about the day they were going to spend together. He eased into the conversation. Her smile was so contagious, so beautiful. His feeling must had been wrong. Today was going to be great. It had to be, since it was with Annabeth.
When everyone was seated at their tables, Chiron stamped his foot on the concrete. "Good morning, heroes. Connor, I hope that is your own wallet you're looking through." Connor grinned guiltily, handing it over to a frustrated daughter of Hecate. "The arts and crafts are out of bounds today due to recent... damages. I'm sure you'll all respect these boundaries. That is all."
Percy shrugged, turning back around to go practice. He really needed to work on his latest manoeuvre. But before he could, a voice called out, "Percy, please join me in the big house. You too, Annabeth."
This was when he knew his feeling had been right. Something was wrong.
When he took a seat on the old, printed couch, Chiron studied him for a minute. Annabeth was beside him, looking at him with the look. The look that asked, "what did you do?"
He thought over the last few days. He didn't remember doing anything wrong. In fact, he cleaned his cabin yesterday. That was rare. "Chiron, whatever it was, I swear it wasn't me! I haven't caused any trouble since-"
"Percy, you didn't do anything. It's about your mother. She was rushed to hospital this morning after a sudden heart attack."
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When he got to the hospital room, his mum was asleep on the bed. Her curly brown hair stuck to her forehead with sweat. Machines whirred around her, helping her breathe. She looked sickly, with a white face and prominent veins.
Paul was sitting across the room, and he explained the situation.
She had been cooking, as usual, when she felt her chest tighten. As stubborn as ever, she had let it go before realises how serious the situation was. By the time they got the the hospital, it had elevated to a serious risk. She was currently on life sustaining support, and they were waiting for the doctor to tell them more.
Percy took a deep sigh, sitting next to his mum. He couldn't believe he had missed this. His mother could have died instantly, and he wouldn't have been able to save her.
