Chapter Text
A regular beeping filled the infirmary.
A young lady, blonde hair contrasting with her dark skin, lay in the bed, connected to the monitors. An ageing man in a wheelchair waited at her bedside, rolling an oversized coin in his hands.
The lady woke with a jolt, going from lying down to seated upright between moments.
“Annabeth? Oh, thank the gods, you’re awake…” the old man trailed off, watching Annabeth as she looked about the room erratically, not really seeing where she was.
“What? Thalia? Luke!”
She collapsed back into the bed, staring at the ceiling. Her mouth moved, forming unspoken words.
“Annabeth, my dear girl, relax,” the man gasped her arm, while he raised the back of the bed with his other hand, “You’re safe here, you’re in the Big House.”
“Chiron? How-? How did I get here?”
“You were found unconscious after your last mission. I had you transferred here from the hospital once the doctors said you were stable. Annabeth, that was over two weeks ago. What happened, child?”
“Two weeks? Oh no…”
“Annabeth, dear girl, please, talk to me.”
“It was Luke, Chiron. Luke betrayed us.”
“Luke? But-?”
“I saw him Chiron. He and Thalia went ahead, when I caught up with them-“
She paused to look the old man in the eye, “Luke was pulling his sword out of Thalia. He looked at me, his helmet was off, his armour- it was wrong. He said… something, and then the world went dark. Next thing, I’m here.”
Chiron kept hold of Annabeth’s hand, “Dear girl, I cannot imagine…”
“Don’t!” Annabeth pulled her hand away from him, “Just don’t, Chiron. I know you mean well, but don’t say anything. Please.”
“As you wish. I… I think I must consult the Archives and the Grid-net.”
Chiron placed the oversized coin on the bed next the Annabeth and rolled his wheelchair towards the door. He paused at the threshold, sighed, and left the room.
Annabeth picked up the coin. She ran her hand over the etched letter Alpha, then flipped it over. She looked at the owl engraving, a grove carved through it. Her hand dropped as she turned her head away from it to gaze at the ceiling.
The Owl Power Coin rolled from her hand, off the bed to the floor.