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Blackjack landed, stumbling, on the roof of Annabeth's apartment building. She slid off the steed's sweaty back and tried to gently lower Percy's unconscious body down beside her, resulting in both of them lying in a heap on the hot asphalt.
Annabeth grunted, crawling out from under him. Then hooking her arms under his shoulders, she slowly dragged his limp body painstakingly across the roof, down two flights of the emergency stairs, then down her hallway. Her lungs burning, her shoulders on fire, sweat in her eyes, she just prayed that she wouldn't encounter any of her dad's neighbors.
She struggled at last through the apartment door, fumbling with the key for far longer than she liked, before collapsing in the living room. She took a few precious seconds to catch her breath and wipe the sweat off her brow then she called out tentatively for her father. When there was no answer she wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed. A grownup in this situation might make her feel a little better. Then again, a human man who barely understood her life to begin with would probably be more of a hindrance than a help.
Annabeth took a deep breath then grabbed Percy by the wrists and dragged him across the floor and into the bathroom. Then she used the last of her strength to lift him over the lip of the bathtub. He landed in a crumpled heap in the bottom of the tub, still not moving, barely breathing. She shoved the stopper down and hurriedly turned the faucet on.
Annabeth checked the temperature then turned and ran to the kitchen to grab a drink of water. Dragging a boy twice her size that far had nearly killed her, and she was parched. As she was guzzling down the last remaining drops in the glass, she heard the front door shut. Then footsteps across the floor.
"Annabeth, did you leave the water running?" Her dad was calling out from the other room. Annabeth ran out of the kitchen.
"Dad, wait!" She skidded on the hardwood as she turned the corner. “Dad!” She slammed into the door frame of the bathroom, hand outstretched.
"No!"
Her dad pulled back the shower curtain and blanched.
"Annabeth Chase, why is there a body in our bathtub?!"
"I can explain," Annabeth said quickly.
Could she? Could she really?
Mr. Chase looked pale and horrified and overall very, very confused. "This...is a friend of yours?"
"Yes." Annabeth suppressed a sob that suddenly jumped up her throat unbidden. He was so much more than that to her. This wasn't just her friend. This was...Percy.
"Then we need to get him to a hospital!" Mr. Chase reached into the bathtub with a splash, gathering Percy into his arms.
"No, dad, wait!" Annabeth grabbed him, tugging at his sleeve.
"Are you crazy?! He looks awful. What happened?!"
"Please, this is the only way. I know it doesn't make any sense, but please, this is the only thing that can help him!"
Annabeth was crying now, pleading with her father to just trust her. Mr. Chase sagged back on his heels, staring at her, perplexed, exasperated. Then he slowly lowered Percy back into the bathtub.
"You're sure, baby?"
Annabeth nodded, inhaling shakily.
"Okay..."Mr. Chase smiled gently at his daughter. "Okay, what can I do? What do you need?"
Annabeth took another deep, shaky breath. "Please just give us a minute."
Mr. Chase hesitated, then nodded and headed out of the room.
"Oh, and dad? Could you please go to the roof and check on the Pegasus? I think he needs some water and carrots."
Mr. Chase stared at her, dumbfounded. Then he slowly nodded again, dazed, and shut the door behind him.
Annabeth spun back around to check on Percy. The tub was nearly full so she shut the water off and sat on the edge, staring down at him anxiously. He was still unconscious, still so pale and broken looking. Blood seeped from one ear, staining the water, and Annabeth tried not to look at it. She scooped some water into her hands and splashed it onto his face, his hair, anything that wasn't already wet. Then she sank to the floor, and wrapped her arms around her knees, leaning against the toilet bowl.
She studied Percy's chest, terrified of what she'd see. It was still moving though, still rising and falling, barely. He was still breathing, faint, shuddering breaths that made the water ripple ever so slightly in front of his face.
After a while there was a faint knock on the door and Mr. Chase poked his head back in. "The, uh, the horse—the Pegasus, it, uh, it flew away. It seems to be feeling better."
"Good," Annabeth said listlessly, her eyes not leaving Percy.
"How's your friend?" Mr. Chase asked softly.
She took a deep breath. "I'm not sure. I—I thought this would work. It should work..."
Mr. Chase came over and knelt by the edge of the tub. He reached down and felt Percy's forehead then pressed two fingers to his damp neck and checked his pulse.
"He seems better. And his pulse is strong."
Annabeth sat up straighter then scrambled up and knelt beside her father. Percy was less pale now and his breathing seemed more even. Was this actually working? It had felt like a shot in the dark. She'd acted with certainty, insisted to her father that she knew what she was doing. But the truth? She'd had no idea if this would work. And she'd had no idea what she would do if it hadn't.
At that moment Percy groaned and shifted. His face dunked below the water and he resurfaced sputtering, his sea blue eyes blinking in confusion. Annabeth let out a shuddering laughing, sobbing noise and flung her arms around his neck, half falling into the bathtub with him. Percy brought his arms up to catch her, looking over her shoulder at Mr. Chase, bewildered.
"Annabeth’s...dad, I presume?"
The man nodded, still dumbfounded at the entire day's events.
"Not really how I pictured our first meeting," Percy said sheepishly. "Also...where am I and what happened?"
"Welcome to our humble...bathroom," Mr. Chase said with a shrug. "I'll give you two some privacy." He stood to leave the room. "Oh, but Annabeth? I'm leaving the door open."
"Dad!" Annabeth flushed a bright pink as she pulled away from Percy at last. "Oh, dad, wait! Please call his mom for me."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to her father. He nodded, smiling and walked away.
Annabeth stared intently at Percy, running her hands over his arms and sides as he sat in the bathtub, dripping and confused. His bruises were fading and the color was coming back into his face quickly now. He looked a thousand times better than he had an hour ago when he had been dying in her arms.
"Again...what happened exactly?"
"It's a long story. But you're okay now."
Percy side-eyed a rubber duck, then turned back to her with a smile. "Thanks to you, I guess."
Annabeth almost blushed and looked away. "Let's get you out of there."
She stood up and grabbed his arm, helping him to his feet. He wobbled a bit then steadied and leaned on her as he stepped out of the tub.
"Should have added bubble bath," he smirked, rolling his shoulders stiffly. “I could really use a spa day.”
Annabeth rolled her eyes and knelt to rummage under the sink. "Let me get you a towel."
She stood back up, turning to see Percy completely dry. He shrugged, a bit smug. "Perk of Poseidon."
“Right.” Annabeth dropped the towel onto the counter and stood awkwardly in front of him.
“So did I win the fight?” Percy asked eagerly.
“You woke up in my bathtub, covered in blood. What do you think?”
“Ah. Well good thing you were there I guess.”
Annabeth turned away to avoid Percy’s piercing gaze. The way he stared at her sometimes…so sincere, so steady. It disarmed her.
“Are you hungry?” she asked, already walking out of the room. “I can probably get my dad to make us something.”
“Starving.” He walked out beside her, bumping her shoulder lightly as he passed. “Thanks for the save, Wise Girl. That was good thinking, as usual.”
Annabeth watched him walk ahead of her into the kitchen, feeling lots of different things.
“Still coulda used some bubble bath though,” Percy called over his shoulder.