Silence is Golden (Percy Jackson AU)

Chapter 9- Thalia

She didn't expect to wake up to the sound of a constant beeping. Or in a sterile hospital room with baby blue walls.

At least not again.

Thalia's eyes shot open. She was alone. Of course. Always alone. What happened? The party. The music. The beer. Castor. Castor happened that shitty son of a bitch. He spiked her drink.

How did she get here?

Why was she here?

"Watch the road! Luke! Watch the road!"

Her breathing sped up. The heart monitor next to her picked up. Not the flashback. Not the flashback.

"Thalia." She looked up, hearing her name like a flood of cold water. The flashback tore away, this was reality. This was now.

Standing in the door way, was a volunteer doctor. He had beach blond hair and a nice tan. He wore a volunteer clip, and had a clip board in his hand.

"Hey, your brother's here."

Thalia felt her heart freeze. That's not possible. She didn't have a brother. Well not anymore. Not after their last argument.

The volunteer moved away and showed someone else to enter. He was definitely not her brother. He had a dark out look, black jeans, black shirt, dark hair, a brown worn aviator jacket. Still they looked more alike than Thalia did to her real brother.

The boy posing to be her brother nodded to her as if saying go with it.

"Thalia!" The boy said, "You okay?"

There couldn't be one question that hurt more. That question. Thalia gripped the white metal railing in the hospital bed.

"Yeah." Thalia lied, monotone, "yeah, little bro."

The volunteer smiled brightly. Thalia force herself to remain calm. Smiling. That's all they ever do. Seven at the worst news. Even when the world's falling apart. The keep smiling.

"Great!" The blond boy cheered, "I leave you two alone then, and get the paper work ready."

If the boy noticed her scowl he didn't acknowledge it as he turned and left.

The other boy, looked nervous and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Who the Hell are you?" Thalia asked with a wolf glare. The boy huffed.

"Nico Di Angelo. And right now your gonna play Thalia Di Angelo." He sounded so confident, it set Thalia's teeth on edge.

"Why the Hell would I do that?"

"Because I'm the one paying your bills, right this second. And when a guy comes in carrying an unconscious girl I look extremely guilty unless the girls my sister."

"I didn't ask for you to pay my bills!" Thalia snapped, "and how do I know you aren't guilty? Aren't you one of Castor's little jackass friends?"

"Anyone ever tell you you've got a potty mouth?"

"That's not answering my question."

"No I'm not one of his friends, despite his drunken hallucinations." Nico rolled his eyes. "I actually pushed him over a staircase railing last night."

"What?"

"He was going to rape you, so I pushed him over the staircase railing. He landed on the DJ table. You should've seen the looks on everyone's faces."

Nico smiled faintly. Thalia looked straight ahead at the blue cracking wallpaper. She sucked in a breath.

"I need to get out of here." She said.