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Just Another One of Those Things

Summary:

Percy struggles with chronic back pain

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Percy's lower back ached.

This was hardly an uncommon occurrence for him or for demigods in general. A lot of half-bloods struggled with chronic pain and/or chronic illnesses. It was just one of those things.

No one could pin down an exact reason- It wasn't uniform, it wasn't specific to any godly parents in particular (though it was more frequent in the Hephaestus cabin), and not all cases could even be written off as trauma-based.

They often joked that it was just the gods playing a sick game with their bodies.

Whatever the reason, Percy's back hurt, and the pain didn't die down no matter how he adjusted his posture.

Annabeth saw him squirming and raised an eyebrow. They were just sitting in one of the campground's forests together. Nothing was happening.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He sighed.

"Sorry" he apologized, feeling bad for worrying her. "My back is just hurting"

"Don't apologize" she told him gently. "Would lying down help?"

"Can I?"

"Of course" she allowed. He breathed a small sigh of relief as he lied down, feeling each vertebrae relax a bit as his weight was redistributed across his back.

He was still in pain- He always was, really- But it wasn't as bad as it had been moments prior, and he appreciated her support.

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