The Player's Proposal

25b: The Last Breath

Percy POV

"PERCY, YOU NEED TO COME TO THE HOSPITAL NOW. IT'S AN EMERGENCY..."

My heart pounded crazily in my chest. The activity around me froze, and the music washed away. My gaze fixated on the wall in shock.

"Nurse, Hestia, what's going on?" I asked frantically.

"Just come to the hospital, Percy. Drive safe though. I'll be waiting for you. We can't afford to waste any time," Hestia expressed.

I could hear the excessive hospital noise in the background, but I couldn't decipher what was going on. Nurse Hestia seemed frazzled, which never happened. My lungs sank into my stomach as despair and stress coursed through my veins.

Before I could shout into the phone, Hestia hung up. Dam it.

I shoved the phone into my pocket while running towards the stairs. I didn't care that I was pushing people over in the process. I only had one goal in mind: get to the hospital as fast as I can. My mother was in danger.

I was at the base of the stairs when someone grabbed my arm. I whirled around to find Annabeth watching me with a closed expression.

"Is everything okay, Seaweed Brain?" she asked. Her eyes searched my own. I felt like she could see inside of me. She could see all my demons.

I pulled out of her gentle grasp.

"I have to go, Wise Girl. I can't talk right now," I blurted out.

Her confused face was the last thing I saw before I bolted up the stairs. I pushed myself through the crowd. My heart hammered in my chest as I ran to my car. I gripped my wheel for a few seconds and centered my breathing.

Just because I was in a hurry doesn't give me an excuse to drive recklessly. I calmed my mind before pulling out of Silena's street.

I drove quickly (past the speed limit for sure), but I stayed safe.

I arrived at the hospital in exactly 17 minutes. Normally, it would take a half-hour to get to the hospital from Silena's house. My vision was clouding near the end. All the stress and worry were pumping water into my eyes.

Please, gods, let her be okay. Please, I begged.

My legs carried me into the hospital and up the eight flights of stairs. I didn't have the patience to wait for an elevator or converse with the lobby hosts.

At one point, I slipped on the stairs and went tumbling down a few steps. That didn't stop me at all. I groaned while picking myself up. I ignored the flare in my chest and kept pushing.

The oncology floor was lined with white walls. The patient rooms were pale as well. Only the doors were a wooden brown color.

My heart pounded and my chest huffed as I walked towards my mother's room. It was near the end of the hallway.

I watched the various staff personnel entering and exiting her room.

For a second, I froze. The hallway was empty because the entire floor's medical staff seemed to be working on my mother. Something is seriously wrong.

I swallowed the knot in my throat while walking closer. Each stride felt like I was treading through quicksand. Every step became harder. I wiped the sweat off my forehead as I approached Nurse Hestia, who was guarding the door.

"Please, tell me what's going on?" I begged.

Nurse Hestia immediately wrapped her arms around my shoulders. However, I didn't have any more patience, especially with everyone else running around.