Chapter 4

"I don't care that Perry-"

"Percy,"

"Peter-"

"Percy,"

"Whatever! I don't care that the wimp was having nightmares! I was generous enough to allow a week of sleeping in the same cabin! I can not allow it anymore! It is against the rules!" Mr.D was NOT happy. It was bad enough that Percy's night was plagued with nightmares-not nearly bad as usual thanks to Annabeth being there- but now the two of them are getting yelled at for being the emotional support the both of them so desperately need. Annabeth looked over at Chiron for support, but he just gave her a sad smile.

"As much as I hate to agree with Mr.D," Chiron said, earning a glare followed by a grumble from the Camp Director. "It IS ancient rules that you may only stay in a cabin if you are a child of that god." 

 "But Chiron!" Annabeth tried arguing. It was hopeless really. Trying to argue with an ancient being and a drunk dude that was supposedly a god who was stubborn and grouchy to no end. Percy just sat there slouching in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. Annabeth looked over to her boyfriend for support but saw that he was no longer paying attention. "Percy! Aren't you even going to TRY to help me?" Percy was still staring off into space. "Percy?" Annabeth asked, getting a little worried for her boyfriend by now. Still no response from the son of Poseidon. Annabeth gently shook his shoulder and he gave little to no recognition of even feeling it. Annabeth was seriously getting worried now.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled while shaking his shoulder with more force now. Then something that Will had said about her and Percy's PTSD came to mind.

******************************Flashback************************************

Percy was still in the infirmary. He had just fallen asleep after being knocked out with a high dose of meds. It was the only thing that would work. They had tried Piper with her charm speak, Annabeth tried to coax him to go to sleep, and will had tried a lower dose but to no avail. He inserted the medicine into Percy's IV drip and finally, he was out for the night. They all just hoped that he would actually get some rest.

"I'm worried about him, Will. I think more happened to him emotionally down there than what he wants to tell me." Annabeth and Will were standing in the doorway of Percy's room as they both Anxiously watched the son of Poseidon.

"I know Annabeth, me too, but I'm nowhere near as qualified in Psychiatrists as I am in, well, trauma mainly, and not emotional trauma." 

 "I know but... I don't know Will. He just seems," Annabeth heaved a sigh. "jumpier? freaked out? Anxious? It just seems worse than when were ACTUALLY there." Annabeth shivered at the thought of That place.

"I know Annabeth, you've told me numerous times. All I can tell you is, he is going to need a lot of love and support. You too." Will Paused for a second then turned to the daughter of Athena. "How are you?" The one little quest was all Annabeth could take before she broke down, collapsing into the surprised but accepting arms of the young son of Apollo. All Will said was, "Shhhhh, he'll be okay, you'll be okay. You'll both be okay." over and over again. After a while, Annabeth pulled away from the son of Apollo and hastily wiped at her eyes as she stood up from her seated position on the ground. How did I get there? She asked herself but she just shrugged. Crap, Will's been talking this whole time.

"Did you get any of that?" Will asked as patiently as possible. 

 "Sorry, what?" Annabeth asked, confused. What was he talking about again? Uhhhh....

"Sorry, no. What did you say?" 

 "I said, with PTSD, some people get caught up in the moment, they think that they are actually IN the moment that they are having a flashback of. Sometimes they'll go into paralysis, other times they'll just kind of stare off into space, but other times if it's bad enough, they may get...ummm...." Will paused, not wanting to scare the daughter of Athena.

 "They may get what will?" Annabeth was freaking out. Clearly whatever he wanted to tell her was NOT good. Annabeth gulped at the look on his face. 

 "They may get violent," Will said looking down at his feet. 

 "Will, Percy would never hurt me nor anyone else, memory or not." 

 "Annabeth, how bad did it get down there? How bad did HE get down there? If he is that kind of PTSD patient, he won't have even known he did anything until after."

Annabeth pushed back the flood of memories that threatened to spill. "Is there a way to bring him out of the memories? Like instead of him going through the whole thing?" 

 "Yes actually. Sometimes just talking to him and small physical contact such as a shoulder shake should bring him out of it. If it's a bad one though, you'll have to do something to get his attention. In the past, when someone was in a really bad memory, or trance if you will. If you did something such as a slap to the face, it will almost always do the trick." Annabeth stored all of that in her brain. Definitely going to be useful. Annabeth was going over what Will had just said when something stopped her.

"Wait, you said "almost always", what happens if it doesn't?" Will stayed silent for a moment before answering. 

 "Then you'll just have to let him ride it out." 

 "Oh," was all she said before heading back into the room. Before Annabeth sat back in her normal seat beside Percy's bed, she turned around to look at the son of Apollo who had just turned away. "Hey, Will?" She called. 

 "Hmm? Yeah?" 

 "I thought you said you weren't that qualified as a Psychiatrist." 

 "books my dear Annabeth. Lots and lots of books." and with that, the son of Apollo turned away.

****************End of Flashback*************

"Sorry Seaweed brain." Was all the daughter 0f Athena said as she slapped the son of Poseidon across the face. Hard.

"Ahhh!!!!" Percy yelled as he was pulled from the trance-like state he was just in. He looked at Annabeth incredulously. While holding his cheek, Percy looked up at his girlfriend. "Uhhhh, OWWW!!!! What the Hades was that for?!"

"I'm sorry! Will said that if you couldn't come of memory on your own then to use force! I freaked out!" Percy looked down in shame for yelling at his girlfriend.

"Sorry," Percy muttered, still not meeting the Daughter of Athena's eyes. 

 "For what Seaweed Brain?" 

 "For yelling, for asking you to stay last night, for worrying you yesterday, for going into a trance. Just...Everything." He still wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Hey, It's not your fault, none of it is. I get it, I promise." Annabeth took the Raven-haired boy's hands and helped him to his feet then turned to the adults who were watching them with wide eyes. "May we be excused?" Annabeth asked, still gripping her boyfriend's hand.

"Oh, I suppose. Back to your normal schedules Annabel and Peter." 

As the couple walked out Percy called over his shoulder, "It's Annabeth and Percy!"

"WHATEVER!!!!"

TADAAAA jeez that was a long one. Over 1200 words! I hope you all enjoyed! Please don't judge me if I got any information about PTSD wrong. All of my information that I know about it is mainly based on other fanfictions that I have read on here. As well as Grey's Anatomy. Yes, yes, I know. How dare I. Oh well, what can you do? Anyways, I'm going to go to bed now because it is currently 6 minutes until 3 A.M.

Please don't forget to comment and vote!

I hope you have an amazing second, an amazing minute, an amazing hour, an amazing day, an amazing week, an amazing year, an amazing Decade, and an amazing life.

Morgan

P.S- I added some more time frames, you are strong and can make it, never forget that. As River Song says, "you are loved by so many, but by no one more than me." I hope you all have an amazing-enter time of day that you read this here-!

goodbye, my lovelies!