Nightingale

Anchor

Percy

-

When I opened my eyes, my body ached with pain. I winced and tried to move, but a hand lightly held me down by my shoulder. I looked up and Susan was sitting beside me.

"Hey, Percy." She smiled. She removed her hand and sighed. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't know." I admitted. I looked down and noticed that I wasn't wearing a shirt. My torso was covered in bandages, leaving my old scars slightly exposed. I saw a blanket next to me and
picked it up. "How long have I been out?" I asked Susan as I covered myself up.

"A few days. You were in pretty bad shape when you got here."

The last thing I remembered was when I apparated out of the castle. Peter and Caspian must've been able to get us all out of there safely.

Suddenly, Peter ran into the room. He looked worried, but, when he saw me, he look relieved.

He sighed. "Are you okay?"

I stayed silent.

Susan cleared her throat. "Percy, you need new bandages. I'll go get them, okay?"

When she left, Peter sat down next to me.

I couldn't look at him. I felt humiliated. I hated to admit it, but he was right from the very beginning. If it weren't for me, they wouldn't have gone back to the castle in the first place.

But I was so certain... I had never felt more confident of anything like that in a while. I thought for sure I'd be able to at least kill a few Telmarines.

I remembered that I was doing fine. I was actually feeling pretty normal. I wasn't overwhelming myself, I knew my limit. It wasn't until I killed one Telmarine that was closest to me at the time. They were coming at me one after the next, but I just kept swinging. I was feeling like myself again. I remembered hearing someone yell in anger after I had killed them, and they hit the back of my head twice. I blacked out the second time they hit me. I later learned that, apparently, I had killed some of the general's best archers. Of course I did.

So, in my defense, it wasn't actually my fault. Physically, I was fine. I just killed the wrong guys.

I tried sitting up, but the pain made moving nearly unbearable.

"Here, let me help you." Peter put his hand on my back and held his other hand in mine. I accepted it and he slowly pulled me up. I quickly let go of his hand.

"I hate to say this..." Peter said. "But I told you so."

I scoffed. "Hey, I was fine. I just killed the wrong Telmarines. You were there when that General said so, right? So, technically..." I trailed off.

He sighed. "It still would've been safer if you didn't go."

"Well, too late for that now, isn't it?"

"Well, you have to admit, I was right."

"I don't have to. Because you weren't. I'm still confident with my decision. And I'd do it again."

I couldn't admit that he was right, not out loud. Especially to him.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Percy, will you stop being so stubborn?"

"How about you stop thinking you know what's best for me."

"I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"Why? You don't know the first thing about me."

"You were the one who told me the first thing about yourself, remember?"

"Because you asked! Gods, that doesn't give you the right to hover over me!"