Anthízo, Percy Jackson

IV. the reasons for her pain

KARINA WAS PISSED. she was pissed that she couldn't walk. she was pissed that percy hadn't come and seen her last night, after almost begging her to let him. she was pissed that she couldn't fall asleep— no matter how much she tried, or wanted to. she was just so upset at the world— and there was nothing she could do about because she can't even walk!

she stared at her ceiling for what seemed like hours— taking in the dull throb of her thigh, while she felt her eyes droop and tirelessly weight down as she felt the effects of her lack of sleep. she could hear the faint sound of machinery from the floor above her— her cabin being right below leo's 'workspace' as he calls it— though, it's really just the engine room.

she figured it was around seven or eight in the morning— but she felt no desire to get up. she couldn't. she knew that piper and frank had gone into the island of pylos to scout around after docking a quarter mile out to sea that morning. she'd overheard them talking earlier in the hallway— but it was mostly muffled due to the fact that karina's face was smushed into her pillow.

being bed-ridden should've felt like a gift to karina. after being on the move with little-to-no sleep for the past three weeks— she should've felt excited. but, right now she felt the complete opposite. her body had become accustomed to the constant moving— always on the run, waiting for the next strike. she always had eyes in the back of her head. scouting for incoming danger. and— as she laid in bed, she found it hard to relax, since that feeling was still functioning inside her.

"karina?" someone knocked on the door, and karina almost fell off her bed in surprise.

"y—yeah?" she quickly said, settling back under her blanket. "come in."

the door creaked open, and percy slowly trudged inside— a nervous, and slightly awkward smile on his face as he slouched in. he was wearing a normal pair of pajama pants, and a random, faded band t-shirt, but he posture looked tense, as if he were scared to show his face to karina.

she immediately noticed. "what the hell is wrong with you?" she asked blatantly, sitting up carefully in her bed with furrowed eyebrows.

percy kept his stare at the desk in front of him, trying to avoid showing the right side of his face. "what?" he laughed nervously. "nothing's wrong. why would you think that?"

"because you won't look me in the eyes," she replied, moving so that her legs were now dangling off the side of the bed instead of under her blankets.

percy scoffed. "i'm just admiring your artwork," he walked over to a set of pastel paints that were sat up against an easel in the corner— an unfinished painting of the garden of bacchus in camp jupiter propped against it. "you're really talented, rina."

despite her previous emotions, karina let out a small smile. "thank you," she said, and attempted to get up— knowing exactly what percy would do.

she groaned slightly as she put pressure on her right leg, and at the sound of that, percy immediately turned— and was at her side in under a second.

"karina!" percy chided, wrapping his arms around her waist. "you can't be walking— you know that."

despite the chiding that percy was giving her, his words went in one ear and out of the other as she made eye contact with his face— her expression turning into one of horror as she saw the faint lining of a bruise carving the outside of his right eye.

"percy!" karina explained, bringing her hands to his face, her finger tips tracing over the bruised skin delicately. "what happened? who did this?"