Below the Tide

Chapter Fifteen

I don't own the characters

When a week had passed Percy was ecstatic. Finally! She wasn't stuck to the godsdam  hospital bed any more! Kaldur helped her out of the bed.

"Kaldur, I'm pretty sure I can walk without your help," Percy said and rolled her eyes.

"And I don't, if you really want to, go ahead," Kaldur said and smiled.

"Okay, let me go," Percy said.

Kaldur did exactly as she asked for, but even before she could take a step her knees bent under her and she fell to the floor.

"Owwwwww," Percy said, laying on the ground.

"What did I say?" Kaldur asked.

"Yeah, you were right," Percy said. "Now, can you help me up?"

Kaldur did as she asked, but instead of just helping her stand he carried her bridal style. Percy's face went beet red. "Put me down!"

Kaldur raised me eyebrow. "No."

"Why couldn't I stand?"

"You have not  used your legs for a month, they are very weak right now," Kaldur answered.

"Oooooh, right," Percy said. "How long till I'll be able to use them again?"

"I do not know, but you will be like this for a while," Kaldur said and Percy groaned.

Then he opened the door and walked out of it, Percy still in his arms. He walked into the living room where everyone else was waiting. Kaldur smiled and set her down in one of the couches, before sitting down beside her. He played with her hair, but no one saw.

Percy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Aren't you happy? You're finally out of the hospital bed!" Megan said.

"Yeah, but I can't walk, at least not right now," Percy said.

"You can't?" Megan asked.

"I haven't walked in a month," Percy stated.

"Hello Megan! Right, you couldn't walk in the hospital bed!"

"Duh," Percy said, "I hate this."

"Percy-"

"Wally, it's been a month-"

"It's all my fault-"

"No it isn't-"

"But it is-"

That's when Artemis shut the speedster up by smacking the back of his head. Wally was surprised by the hit and fell onto the floor.

"Artemis," Percy laughed. "As much as I love this, we don't need anymore hospitalized teammates."

"Right," Artemis said, sarcastically. "We wouldn't want my more hospitalized teammates."

Apparently Wally was like super tired, because he fell asleep right there on the floor.

"Did he just fall asleep?" Connor asked.

Robin nudged Wally with his foot. "Yup, he's asleep."

Artemis' eyes lit up with an idea. She ran out of the living room and then returned with a bunch of markers. Robin smirked and grabbed one of them. He turned Wally over, so he was facing the ceiling. Robin started by drawing a mustache on his face.

"A mustache? Cliché much?" Artemis asked.

Kaldur practically read Percy's thoughts and carried her over to Wally, laying her down on the floor. Artemis smirked and gave Percy and yellow and a red marker. Percy took the markers and her sea-green eyes sparkled with mischief.

Then she proceeded to draw mustard and ketchup bottles everywhere. On his face, his neck, his arms and his legs.

Artemis smiled and started to draw a Harry Potter scar on his forehead.

-

When the drawing was finished Wally was practically covered in marked. The team left Wally to lay there as they went to their rooms anticipated for the time that Wally would wake up.

Percy, as she was unable to walk at the moment, had to be carried to her room. Kaldur later her down on her bed and sat beside her.

Percy sat up and leaned against Kaldur's shoulder. Eventually she fell asleep, her breathing even and calm. Kaldur smiled down at her. She fell off of his shoulder and her head landed in his lap. Kaldur patiently sat there as she slept. Her breaths the only sound in the room.

Sadly, the nap didn't last very long. Why? Nightmares. It started with the sweating, and the shaking. Kaldur tried to wake her, but the screams quickly escaped her mouth.

"Percy, wake up!" He said in a steady tone.

He shook her shoulders, "Percy!"

Percy only screamed louder. Tears running down her cheeks.

"Percy! Wake up!" Kaldur yelled, his voice not as steady. "Please!"

Kaldur poured water on her face, but it didn't work. That's when he really panicked. Yeah, this wasn't the first time he had dealt with Percy's nightmares, but water would always wake her up, end her nightmares.

Kaldur's eyes stung and tears started to roll off of his cheeks too. Kaldur frantically looking for something that might end her nightmares. Just then yelling was heard form the living room and Percy sat up with a last scream.

"OH MY- WHY? WHO? I SWEAR, ROBIN, WAS IT YOU? OR PERCY? OR ARTEMIS? OR ALL THREE OF YOU? OH, PERCY! KETCHUP AND MUSTARD!!!! I WILL GET YOU FOR THIS!!!!"

Percy started laughing and Kaldur was immediately relieved.

"Oh, my gods, Percy. You scared me," Kaldur said.

"Kaldur...  are you crying?" Percy asked, and wiped away her own tears.

"I may have," Kaldur said and wiped away the tears.

As if the nightmares rushed back to her her eyes grew watery and Kaldur ran to her, hugging her. She cried onto his shoulder and he comforted her.

Memories flashed in front of him, memories of all the times that he'd comforted her and ones of when she'd comforted him.

Her grip on him tightened and she only cried harder.

"Hey, it's okay," Kaldur muttered. "It's okay."

"No, no it's not! They're all gone and it's all my fault!"

"Percy, it's not your fault," Kaldur promised.

"How do you know that?" She cried.

"I know it because I know you, and you would do everything you could to save them," Kaldur said. "And since they are not present, I know that no one could've saved them."

Percy just nodded and continued to cry.