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ANNABETH
I didn’t feel when it happened.
A monster was on the deck of the Argo, and for once, I had no idea what it was, no one did. None of us could get close, whenever we tried spikes would fly out of it from all sides, fast enough to impale us. Jason was down, hit in the head by a piece of wood the monster threw. No one had gotten close to getting a scratch on the monster.
I looked over at Percy, and I could tell he was struggling being away from the water. He was never comfortable when the ship was flying and well... things have been different since Tartarus. He caught my eye and nodded. Years of fighting with him let me know what he meant with one more. I readied my sword.
The monster was approaching Jason, ready to finish him off, but Percy stepped between them.
“Hey, Spiky!”
I took Percys distraction as my opening. I sprinted towards the monster, jumping on its back. It roared, and I plunged the my sword into its back as spikes launched in every direction. I fell as the monster vaporized under me.
Percy turned around and knelt at Jason’s side, who was starting to stir. I stumbled as I pushed myself off of the ground. A dull throbbing was coming from my stomach. I looked down, a spike from the monster was sticking out of my side. My hands her shaking as I pulled it out and dropped it on the floor.
My ears were ringing. I needed to call for help, but I couldn’t get enough air to shout.
The rest of the seven were gathered around Jason, who was on his feet now, leaning on Percy. I clutched my side, wincing as pain flared up my body. I was starting to lose feeling in my fingers and toes.
“Percy,” I whispered.
As the others began to disperse, Leo looked eyes with me from across the ship. I couldn’t tell if it was the boat swaying or if it was me. Suddenly he was my side. Leo said something but I couldn’t make out the words. I fell to my knees.
There was shouting. Percy was running towards me, and then the world went dark.
PERCY
“You really need to stop getting knocked out, bro.”
Jason laughed as I pulled him to his feet. He slung an arm around my shoulder, putting his weight on me. Piper rushed up to him and put a piece of ambrosia in his mouth.
“It’s a miracle you haven’t gotten brain damage,” Piper said.
“Are were sure he hasn’t?” Leo asked.
Piper punched him in the arm, but Jason just rolled his eyes.
“Come on,” Piper said, “let’s get you down to the med bay.”
Piper slung Jason’s other arm around her shoulder, and we slowly made their way to the stairs. Jason gripped about how he didn’t need help, but Piper just shushed him.
“HELP!” Leo shouted, stopping me in my tracks, “Annabeth was hit!”
I turned, and my heart stopped. Annabeth was on her knees, swaying, a red stain growing from her stomach.
“Annabeth!” I immediately dropped Jason, causing Piper to yelp, but I didn’t care. Annabeth was the only thing in my eyes. I tore across the deck. It wasn’t fast enough though. I watched as Annabeth’s eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed into Leo’s waiting arms. Too late, I made it to Annabeth’s side as Leo lowered her onto the ground. I cradled her head and shaking her shoulders lightly.
“Shit, shit, shit, Annabeth, come on, open your eyes,” I murmured, trying to keep the desperation from my voice, in case she could hear. “I’m right here, just hold on.”
Leo rolled her shirt up her stomach next to me, gasping at what he saw. “Percy, this doesn’t look too good.”
I looked down at the wound, reluctant to take his eyes off of Annabeth’s face. A small hole was slowly oozing blood out of her side, but that was the least of their worries. Whatever that monster was, it had been venomous. Surrounding to wound, Annabeth’s skin was tinged green.
Piper and Hazel dropped to the floor next to me, pushing Leo away. Hazel had a towel in hand and began to put pressure on the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Piper shoved a bottle of nectar into my hands before grabbing Annabeth’s wrist and trying to find her pulse.
I lifted Annabeth’s head, trying not to notice how her skin was covered in sweat, how it was tinted grey just like when we were at the edge of Tartarus. I held the bottle to her lips, slowly pouring the golden drink in, by my hands were shaking. I tried to focus, but the only thought running through my mind was “I can’t lose her.”
“I can’t find a pulse!” Piper said.
She started to do CPR, but it wasn’t working. The green stain on her skin had spread all the way up towards her heart, and it was getting darker. My whole body was shaking now. Tears were pouring out of my eyes, although I hadn’t noticed when I had started crying. Annabeth was the only good thing left. She didn’t deserve this. She has saved me so many times in ways she could never know... gods, where was I when she needed me?
“Please, Annabeth, be okay, open your eyes!” At this point I could barely get out the words.
All of a sudden, an idea struck, maybe a stroke of genius, probably just desperation. I said I would never do it again but... anything to keep her alive. I pushed Piper away from Annabeth and placed my hand firmly on her stomach. I felt the tug in my gut, and imagined the poison leaving Annabeth’s body. Slowly, her skin lost the green tint, until it returned to its normal tan. I lifted my hand, pulling away with it a ball of thick, dark green liquid.
Annabeth suddenly gasped, struggling to get in air. Hazel pulled her up into a sitting position, grabbing the bottle of nectar to force her drink some more.
I threw the ball of poison over the edge of the Argo and held Annabeth’s other side, rubbing her back.
Her eyes fluttered open. They were glazed over, but still the same stormy grey eyes that I had been looking into since I was 12.
“Hey Seaweed brain.”
I smiled and held her tight, never wanting to let go.