The Hunters of Artemis

Chapter 38: I Wake up

Kat's POV

Now, this is super, super, extremely weird, but when I passed out, my whole body was unresponsive except for my hearing. I know. It's strange, and you probably don't believe me, but I could hear everything everyone was saying when they were near me. The last thing I heard was Liam -- after everyone went back to their seats I'm guessing -- asking me to wake up. 

Pfft. Like I didn't want to! Like I hadn't tried! (Many times.)

I wanted to sigh, but I could only hear. I knew I was breathing, I could feel that much, but not much else. Never before did I realize how much I liked being able to move. I suddenly felt so bad for paralyzed people because they would never be able to walk, run, or do anything fun.

If I could just open my eyes... If I could just see Liam...

A strange cool wind blew across my brow and I sleepily drew in a breath. Wait, I did what now? I decided to try something. Could I move my fingers? No... Could I move my wrist? No... Could I open my eyes? Yes! Somehow, I woke myself up. My mouth was still dry and heavy from disuse, but I could move it. My dagger wound was almost completely healed and I was just left with that sensation you get when you scrape your knee. It hurts, but it could be way worse. Trust me, I know. 

I blinked before attempting to sit up and failing. My muscles were still way out of it. I moaned and saw everyone whip around in their seats. Liam was the closest to me as he was in the seat in front of me. 

I started to smile, but again, my muscles were stiff and unmoving. I think all I managed was a slight grimace.

"Kat!" everyone screamed. I saw Apollo, who was flying us again, (okay, what god interferes this much with a quest? Like, seriously!), turn around and grin.

Liam twisted around the seat and crouched in front of me. "Kat! You're alive!"

"Mm burrck," I mumbled, trying to say: "I'm back."

Lyra was the next to reach me, then Robyn, Hannah, Atlanta and Olivia, with Noah arriving last. 

"Kat, what happened? Not to be mean or anything, but how are you alive?" asked Atlanta quickly. 

"Yeah, seriously. People don't come back from the dead," said Noah.

People began to crowd me and ask questions that I didn't know the answer to, or that I couldn't answer because I was paralyzed. They asked questions like, "How are you alive?" I don't know how Hades brought me back from the dead. "Why wouldn't you stay dead?" How could I and why would I? "Kat, what happened?" I'm kind of paralyzed right now, so I'll get back to you on that.

Soon, they got that I couldn't talk or move, and they just stayed and told me what happened afterwards: How they found Lycaon trying to escape the facility with some of his men and they weren't able to get him, how they found Jackson Lang and... well, killed him. 

I wanted to know what they did with Rhea's body. I mean, obviously they took me with them, but what about her? They didn't just... leave her, did they?

I blinked and I felt Robyn grab my hand. "Kat, can you move?" I blinked again. "Kat? Can you hear me?" I blinked rapidly, hoping that Robyn would understand that I could hear her, but that I couldn't respond. 

"Kat?" It was Liam. Now that I had given up my Hunterness, (Don't judge me. I can make up my own words when I wanna make up my own words), I could be with him. I wanted to tell him, but as I have said so many times now, I couldn't.

 I closed my eyes. Maybe if I sleep, I'll be able to move when I wake up. It's a little hard to sleep when seven people are yelling at you to stay awake. My eyes burst open and I opened my mouth and shouted, "Stop it!"

Then I gasped. I had said a legible sentence! This was huge! "Testing... testing," I said. Grinning, I said, "I'm... back!" I held a hand out slowly and it wrapped around Liam's. His eyes widened as I pulled him down so I could whisper into his ear. "Liam?"

"Yes?"

I smiled against his ear. "I have... a secret... that... I'll... tell you... once we... get to... where... are we going?"

"Camp Half-Blood. We're going to give Rhea a proper burial, even though she doesn't deserve it," he said bitterly.

"Where's.. her body?" I slowly moved my head to the side so I could look down the aisle, but didn't see anything. 

Robyn sniffled. "In the back. Liam wouldn't be in the same car as her body." I glared at him. He shrugged.

"She killed you."

I sighed, and winced. Sighing hurt, I found. "Just... bring her.. back up... She's already... suffering enough... Her... body... doesn't need... to do... the same... thing..." I said with finallity.

"What do you mean 'she's already suffering?'" accused Robyn. 

My eyes drifted downwards but I snapped them back up. They started to fall again and I groaned. "I would... answer all... of... your questions..., but I'm..." I yawned, "so tired. Coming... back from... the dead... really... drains your... energy..."

She looked chagrined and winced. "Sorry, Kat. I just... Sorry."

"You should sleep," said Hannah softly. I nodded slightly and closed my eyes and drifted into oblivion.