The Parenthood Drabbles

Bike

Bike

In the style of Thalia Grace and Jupiter

Thalia limped back to the front door and managed to open it.

"Mom," she called limping through the threshold and grimacing. Her eyes were close to tears.

Mom walked out of her office holding Jason in her arms, Zeus standing at a distance, behind her.

"Thalia what did you do!" Mother exclaimed. She shoved Jason in Zeus' arms and came to examine her knee.

"I flipped my bike on the driveway and now there's a rock in my knee and it's bleeding everywhere," she complained. "It burns."

"Thalia Marie, what do I always tell you about that driveway? You'd kill yourself on it if you had a lick of sense less- your bike is for going to school. Oh god, now there's blood everywhere..." her mother fussed.

Zeus walked up and put Jason back in Mom's arms. He knelt in front of Thalia and after a second he slipped an arm under hers to help her walk.

"Come on, it's not as bad as it looks- promise." He said.

He sat her down on the bathroom counter and her knee stretched out over a sink.

"It's not very deep," he said rubbing her back and reaching into the medicine cabinet with his spare hand.

"What are you going to do?" Thalia asked, somewhat terrified.

"Take the rock out and disinfect your cut," he said.

"Is it going to hurt?"

"Probably a little bit, but leaving the rock in would be worst. May I?"

Thalia nodded. She wanted help.

Zeus used Mom's tweezers to take the rock out. Thalia squeezed his hand while he did because it hurt a lot, but he made it quick. He showed her how big it was and told her that she'd toughed through a big one.

He explained that the liquid he'd pour on the kleenex and clean her knee with, the antiseptic, would sting, but it'd make sure that she didn't get an infection which would hurt twelve times more. She tried not to make a sound while he did it, because he'd explained how important it was an she believed him. Zeus rubbed her back which made her feel a lot better. He put the bandage on top and plopped her off the counter and on the floor.

"It'll hurt a bit to walk, but you're going to be fine." He said lifting her back down.

"Thank you Dad," Thalia said. She froze. That was the first time she'd called him Dad.

He smiled slightly, messed up her hair and went to go take Jason again.

•

Years later it nearly disgusted Thalia how a man who wasn't even technically her real father had been more tender, more caring, and more of a parent to her than the woman who'd raised her.