Athena's Warning

Athena's Warning Chapter Ten

My eyes widened as soon as I opened the door to the infirmary - nymphs and demigods bustled around, some tending to scratches, others helping saturs. There were a few beds with curtains drawn around them. Farther down the room were a group of more comfortable cots, more spaced apart with some curtains scattered around random beds. 

"Hey, Malcolm," A camper with a distinct resemblance to Will Solace nodded at me in greeting.

"Hello, Nick. Know where Andrew it?"

"Sure, fifth bed on the right. He's doing fine, but I think he might miss a good chunk of fall semester. The sword seems to have been impregnated with some poison..."

I bit my lip. From the time I had entered the Athena cabin to the present, Andrew had been my big brother (I mean, he technically already is, but it was like I had known him growing up... you know what I mean). He had taken me under his wing, and helped me sttle into camp quickly - faster than I would've done by myself.

"Andrew...!" I caught sight of him and gasped. He was lying down on the cot, his face pale and twitching every so often in pain. His whole middle was wrapped in bandages and his fingers seemed to play a quick, restless tatoo on the cot. a tall glass of what appeared to be apple juice stood on the tiny nightstand next to him. Andrew stared vacantly up at the ceiling, but I could tell that his mind was whirling. 

I knelt next to his bed on the left side.

"Are you okay?" I whispered. Andrew turned to me, humor lighting up his eyes.

"Sheesh, Addie, You act like im dying! It's onyl a side wound!"

"Andrew, the poison..."

"...is nothing." He said firmly. "Stop overreacting!" He tried to sit up, but grimaced.

"Mmhmm"

"Hey, Malcolm!" Andrew turned his head to the right to see him, "Ugh, I want to sit up."

"I don't think so. You better try to heal quickly - you can't leave camp until you're fully recovered. A monster -" Malcolm said, sitting down on the bed. 

"I know!" My gods, you're all acting as if I"m some imbecile." Andrew interrupted, raking his fingers through his short hair. 

"You are," Malcolm and I said in unison.

A nymph hurried over, "He has to drink his nectar!" She fussed over his bandages until he yelped out in pain after she patted his side. 

Malcolm and I helped him drink the nectar, until Andrew pulled away.

"Can't drink too much - might burst into flames. It's a drink for gods, so it's much more powerful." He explained. 

Soon, Malcolm and I left, needing to get back to our daily activities, but not before we heard Andrew's complaints about how badly he fought and how stupid the whole situation was.

~.><.~

After almost being shot in the head by Anders' stray arrow upon entering the arena, we started to discuss our situation. How a perfect day (well, as perfect as it could get, factoring in the teasing from all the other students in our school) turned into a disasterous day in which we almost got killed several times. I told him how being in the camp all seemed like a weird dream, and was, quite frankly, a little tramatizing. He told me how he wished that he could just go back to his mother and pretend that none of this ever happened. Then Todd came in, reeking of Macy's cosmetics section, in which he explained that he had just been doused by the Aphrodites because he wandered too close to their cabin. 

"Well, just go wash it off!" I said, puzzled at why he hadn't thought of that. 

Todd looked at me in a mixture of pity, exasperation, and a tad bit of humor, "this is Aphrodite perfume. It lasts forever... not literally, " he added hastily as Andrew pulled a freaked out face, "Aphrodite isn't powerless, you know." Todd then winced, "Sorry!" he called up to the ceiling.

"Um, can the gods actually hear you?" I said doubtfully. 

"Of course! Geez, where have you been the last day or so?"

I picked up a bow and quiver full of arrows, "Oh, er, okay." I say slightly alarmed with his answer. I think back to everything I've said about the Greek gods in my past experiences. Oops.

~.><.~

Training with Todd went quite well, Anders left before we started, claiming that he was going on border patrol with Clarisse so she could explain tactics to him. I say he went to escape the perfume fumes. 

By the time we finished, Todd was satisfied and I reeked of Aphrodite's armor. Since it was almost time for dinner, Todd told me to go back to the cabin and 'freshen up' (aka change out of my sweaty clothes and get rid of the Aphrodite in my pores.) while he fetched an aspirin from the Apollo campers.

As soon as I got into the cabin, Gabrielle and Annabeth helped me stuff the clothes into a plastic bag, tie if off, and thrust it into a deserted corner. I changed, and we marched to the outdorr mess hall, which I could smell barbeque.

 "Mmmm, that awakens my appeitite." I inhale the tantalizing (Tantalus!) aroma.

"Hmmm?" Annabeth was buys looking over heads to find Percy. I just shook my head in response. Then, suddenly, I gagged as my nostrils were clogged up with eau de Aphrodite. 

"Todd" Annabeth's eyes watered. The smell had increased by ten times. 

"I...washed off... a bit." He said sheepishly.  The smell must intensify everytime the victim tries to wash. Matthew and Malcolm walked right into the three foot range of the stench and recoiled, gagging also. 

"Another one of the Stolls' concotions?" Anne held her breath and walked past after saying so.

"Aphrodite." I confirmed and left Todd and reproachful Annabeth to discuss - in Todd's case, be told off.