The Cold Sea

Meanwhile his sister was waking up, stretching her arms from being curled up in the chair. “Oh you’re awake...” Bailey grumbled to herself. As soon as she stood and stretched her back. She barely caught heard of Aleshia’s demand, nodding along. “Yeah, we’re all putting you on bed rest.” She agreed.

He was shaky, and felt dizzy and sick to his stomach. Despite the fact that he usually had decent luck, he had maaaaybe concealed the beginnings of a sickness, (it had been floating around camp, he had been bound to get it sooner or later, although he blamed his sister since she had had it a week ago and they shared a cabin) but the fates must’ve decided to give him all the bad luck at once. He had hid it in order to continue on with camp duties and so his sister and Jodie wouldn’t be more worried about him, although he had doubts about keeping it from their knowledge now. “Y—Yes ma’am...” He nodded to the Apollo girl, letting go of one side of the curtains. He didn’t realize how off balance he was, and immediately grasped for the edge of the cot, his sister managing to step in the way instead.

There was a stumble at first, “Oh my god, Alex!” Despite Bailey being almost a foot shorter than him, she still took him onto her shoulders and held him up. His hand let go of the other curtain, breathing somewhat heavily for what little amount of work he was doing. His sister yanked up his shirt (which was a size too big) quickly, “He didn’t rip his stitches again...” Bay pursed her lips.

“Again..?” Alex faintly murmured, confusion flittering over his facial features. Faint questions flittered around his head with that word, because he could only remember one other time that he was real close to ripping them, but ‘again’ meant he had ripped them at least once. But... he hadn’t. Or at the very least didn’t think he did. His skin felt cold despite him burning up. Bailey helped him back into bed, trying to be as gentle as possible yet he still felt a shooting pain go up his side once again. He winced, panting. “What do you mean again..?” He asked, trying to crane his head to look at the three girls before him. “What happened? Why am I here?” He was trying not to panic. “I went to bed after the camp bonfire, so.. so what happened after that?” 

He obviously was missing a chunk of time, but he couldn’t remember how nor why. Alexander didn’t usually panic, he was incredibly self-sufficient and even when obviously injured he put on a hard but secure front. To see him in such a state helped his sister figure out what was going on inside his head.

“Oh my gods..” Bailey shook her head, sighing. She’d pieced all the information together from a bunch of different demigods, figuring out what he said to Jodie and choosing not to bring it up when she talked to the redhead about what had happened and Bay eventually grumbled about how she would have to ‘help his stupid ass’ because ‘he was too careless’. “I thought you two said he didn’t hit his head that hard!” She shot the two a frustrated look and brought her hands up to say something, but decided against it, instead saying, “Well then, I’m going to get some more nectar because obviously something is infected if he can barely stand and his skin is burning up. I hope you two fill him in, because he doesn’t need to learn it from the other campers.” She wiped the perspiration off his forehead with her long-sleeved shirt, giving him an encouraging look before she walked out to go find some medicine.

His memory was going in and out like a radio that was only playing bits and pieces of a song because the station was too far away. It was him eating breakfast while Jodie rolled her eyes as he laughed, him watching the younger campers train, him staring up at Jodie and the sky swirling around her head — her red tussles being pulled by gravity to him. But they were only split second shots. “Jodie..?” He asked, trying to pull himself up into a sitting position. It hurt for him to say the next thing, but in his mind she still didn’t know about his feelings towards her. “You’re my...” He swallowed, putting out the words as normally as he could. Usually she wouldn’t notice him finding it so hard to say, or how his eyes lost their glimmer and the smile wouldn’t reach them. “Best friend.. you always know what happens, so can you tell me now?”

He winced again at the sudden pain in his side. “Fuck..” He hissed. “Oh my gods, g-guys, I think I’m gonna be sick..” He blanched, another feeling of a knife being twisted around combined with the sudden onset of nausea, caused him to groan. “Just, just please... please can either of you tell me anything...?” He choked slightly, flashing a worried look to them. “Shit I’m gonna—“ He gagged, leaning against the headboard of the cot trying to keep his breathing steady.

It took Alex a few more minutes to get there, haphazardly parking his rental car outside in the fire lane and sprinting up to the second floor. He didn’t care if it was necessarily illegal, and they’d be out within a few minutes, but anything was better than waiting another second. By the time he was opening the door with the spare key Bailey gave him, and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his sisters kitchen. The last time he’d stopped her from working, there had been a buildup of dirty dishes in the sink. This time there weren’t any at all. It made him nervous, and he automatically knew that she hadn’t been eating at all. By the time he entered her bedroom, heart pounding and out of breath, tie swinging on his neck he was relieved by what he saw. 

Jake was already dressed, and had already half dressed his younger sister. He was currently trying to pull one of her oversized t-shirt’s over her head, and she was giggling profusely while whining at the same time. “Jaaaake...” Her voice drawled with a laugh, throwing her head to the side as it popped through the hole. As he fit the rest of the shirt over her head, she leaned forward to rest her cheek on his shoulder, looking towards the door to see her brothers mouth hanging loosely open at her. Her mouth cracked open in a lazy smile, fingers drawing circles in Jakes back. She had her t shirt, a sports bra, and some underwear on, just needing some pants and she could go. “Big brooooo... are you coming with us?” 

He shook his head from the sight, clearing his throat at the... domestic sight before him. His sisters hair was still a tangled mess, but she looked pale, sickly, and small. He cleared his throat, pulling his authoritative voice. “Jake. We need to go now. My car is parked and ready to go. Get her legs dressed and her hair combed and I’ll grab an overnight bag with some clothes.” He reached into her closet, pulling a duffel bag from the rack above. “She’s staying with me in my hotel room until she’s better. Being here is just going to entice her with work.” He sighed, running his hands through his hair. How was he going to cook or really take care of her? He only had his secretary book him one bed. 

“Or.. or I guess at your apartment. Just — either way she is not staying here.” He shook his head, pulling some loose clothes into the bag. He stopped to greet his sister, placing a hand on her cheek. “Bailey..” he smiled lightly and she gave him a tired smile back. “Why did you let yourself get so bad?” She expelled a wet cough, and he flashed Jake a worried look. “Just stay awake for a litte longer alright?” He felt bad lying to her, but he knew the next statement would be good for her to try and keep herself awake. “We, we need you to get your work done before it’s deadline, so—so stay awake.” He stopped by Jake for a moment, muttering only to him. “You’ve got one minute, so do I. Then we’re leaving.” 

A minute later they were out the door, duffel bag and keys in Alex’s left hand, and Bailey’s arm draped around his other shoulder, her other shoulder draped around Jakes. She groaned, stumbling and dragging herself forward, complaining that she was dizzy. They were barley getting down the stairs when Alex stopped. “One of us is just going to have to carry her.” He loostened his tie, feeling her burning skin afterward. “Are you going to do it or am I going to have to?” 

“Alexander.” Bailey sighed. Even sick she could still put him in his place. “Stop fighting... you’re making my head ache you dipshit.” Her nose scrunched in frustration. “Stop talking to my husband like you’re still trying to intimidate him.” She said it with such ease that her brother was frozen with bewilderment. He mumbled an apology before saying that they had to go, blinking quickly to hide the pink on his cheeks, partially from embarrassment and partially from frustration. 

They made it down the stairs and through the car ride to the hospital without any qualms. Alex drove, and the two sat in the back with Bailey’s head resting on his lap. She was getting more and more tired, her eyes would fall and then it would take her a minute and a lot of coaxing to get them back open again. She was exhausted and so so feverish. Three minutes before they arrived she had closed her eyes and started mumbling about something about coding. Her hands fell from their position on her stomach, and her head rolled towards his stomach.

But then that gratefulness grew into fear. The harshness of his tone, the way his hands flew about until they reached harshly on his hair, the way his emotions switched so much that she couldn’t keep up. He was saying that he loved her, and wanted to be with her, but the tone of his voice implied he was angry with her. She bowed her head, pressing her fingers further into her palm. It drew more blood, dripping down between her thighs but somewhat hidden between her arms. She was too afraid to meet his eyes, too nervous, too shaken. 

Tyler watch from afar wearily. This could be good for her, having to face the real word, but stressing her out too much could send her spiraling out of control; the warming snow outside could turn into another blizzard. He watched as ice grew over her hands and the bottom of her hair, but let out his breath when it didn’t go any farther. Her hair faded from a honey brown to a silvery white at the ends, and the next time she chose to look up her eyes instead were a silver blue.

Any more stress to her and he’d step in. Her lips quivered and her eyelashes fluttered, the corner of her eyes wet with tears that had frozen halfway down her face. He had always hated it when she lost her composure, to she learned to compartmentalize her emotions, stuff them down her throat and swallow them. How could she have forgotten such an important lesson? Inside, her heart was still racing, her breathing still ragged, but she held her steely gaze with his, the emotion in them dead and gone. 

“I’m sorry s-” She cut herself off before she said any more. Sir. That was what she was going to say, but she stopped herself before she went that far. “I’m sorry.” She repeated, turning her hands upwards so the inside of her arms were seen. She bowed her head, the melting ice mixing in with the blood that had been trapped underneath. “Please forgive me.” She pleaded. “Please... Please love me.” She was fighting with herself, one part of her wanted this, for things to just go back to the way they were, but the other was telling her to be careful, that he deserved better.  

Her green eyes could be seen behind half-lidded eyes, opened ever so slightly as she looked up at him. At the angle she was at - staring up at his sculpted body and the towel hanging lowly on his hips - her mouth went agape. “Ohh...” She whined. “Stay right there... Stay right there where I can see you.” She was practically giving him heart eyes as she looked at him. Her body ached and she felt freezing and was shivering, but she was so out of it, so tired and delirious, that what she said next well - let’s just say she wasn’t in the right mind.

“I mean... We’re on vacation - no. We’re on our honeymoon...” She began to pull at her towel weakly. “Help me... Help me get this off.” Her body ached and her eyes begged to close, but she felt like she needed it off to match his practically naked frame. It’s annoying, god it’s so annoying! She thought frustratedly, realizing that she could barely move without her body aching and that she didn’t have enough strength to pull it off. She was tired and she was losing her (already small) patience. Tears were brimming in her eyes with her growing frustration, and she was probably going to burst into tears if she couldn’t get the stupid thing off!

It was almost like she was having a meltdown, just like a little kid. Too frustrated and weak to do it, but her emotions were running so high and she was so lethargic that nothing helped the fact that she wanted to cry. Alex spoke on the other line. “Look as much as I really don’t want to, I can help get my sister dressed, but uh, no offense Jake but I really don’t want to see you naked.” He chuckled lightly. “So I know you really don’t want to, but with the way I hear her talking right now, it’s not going to hurt her if you have to take your eyes off of her for a minute or two. Or even if you have to set the phone down.”

He let out an agonizing yell, curling his fingers against the hard ground with one of his hands, and into the shirt of whomever belonged to the voice talking to him with the other (to which he later figured out what he had done and that that person was Aleshia, and he apologized profusely). Ice spread under his hand, but quickly turned to slush, displaying how weak he was. His blood pressure and heart rate were dropping quickly and he could feel the air leave his lungs in a whoosh.

He pulled at the fabric of their shirt, the other hand whipping up to grasp at his chest. Oh my god if I’m gonna die then I have to say it I have to say it I have to — “Jodie —“ He gasped. “I love you... I love you!” He didn’t know if he was even speaking to her, he didn’t know who was there, so he tried his best, he was trying, because he was about to be submerged in unconsciousness. He was going to lose and he was going to pass out and by the gods if his fate was to die here and now (he wasn’t, but in the moment he sure felt like it) then he wouldn’t let his feelings be buried with him.

“Tell her...” He was fading. The nectar and saline they’d forced down his throat was warming the pit of his stomach and making the pain began to disappear, but not the fact that he felt as though he could barely breathe. “By the gods... swear to me... tell her I love her...” Although everyone around him had heard it, even the little kids still standing by; not that the whole camp hadn’t known by now by the way he acted around her. His eyes rolled back into his head, his limbs went limp, and he was finally freed of all his pain. At least until he woke up he was.

The next time he woke it was nighttime, around six hours later with his sister sleeping in the chair next to the cot he was laying on. He cracked a smile, a laugh bubbling through his lips at the sight and sound of her light snoring.

He felt giddy and his body felt like it was tingling to which he concluded that they’d probably hopped him up on lots of nectar and pain killers. He was laughing until he was suddenly crying, feeling his hands curl around the sheets when he realized that he couldn’t remember how he got there. In fact, he didn’t know how much time had passed. The last thing he remembered was going to bed, so was it still the same day? Or was it different? How much time passed? He couldn’t tell. But he knew he was lightheaded and he felt like he was floating on air (it had been from his head slamming against the ground so hard when he went down), and he reached behind his head, feeling a knot of swelling. When had that happened?

His heart rate sped up, anxiety running over him. He groaned, pushing on the back of his hands to sit up. That’s when he felt the pain in his abdomen start to ficker back to life. They’d restitched it, and heavily bandaged it to the point where his whole torso, from the middle of his ribs down to the tops of his hips were covered and restricted in it. His thoughts slowed down, but his anxiousness sped up. What happened? He struggled to push himself off the cot, realizing once more someone had changed his clothes into generic camp clothes that they give everyone - for him, loose basketball shorts and a bright orange camp t-shirt.

She remembered camp. So far away it felt like a different life — a different reality. It felt like a whole other universe when she was free to speak her mind. Those days they’d sit at the dock, or in the strawberry fields, or just lay in her bed in such an empty cabin; where his fingers would flutter through her hair and hers in his and they’d feel safe and content and like no one could hard them. 

She remembered the days where all it would take was one ice cold death glare from her to another camper, and if they weren’t willing to challenge her she’d be the winner. Not now, not where the only thing she thought about was staying inside and protected in his arms, wishing not to look anyone’s way. Nine months. Over nine months. Almost close to an entire year had she been gone. She could only imagine the small new kids who didn’t even know who she was, who needed her help. Who she wanted to protect. Her birthday had passed in those days, another year older. Their two year anniversary passed too, she could only imagine them blowing out imaginary candles and having lakeside dinner. But right then when she got back, she only wanted to shrink farther into her shell.

Although some of her memories had changed with Jake, making her more open to him and loving to him, it didn’t erase the other things that he did. It didn’t erase her constant fear that he would come and take her in a moment. It didn’t erase the fact that he hadn’t come to rescue her for so long. It didn’t erase the words he said to her over and over and over again, nailing them into her brain so that she truly believed she was worthless and the reason Jake hadn’t came was because she was, and because it was so nice without her. She wished she could forget, but she and her mind had grown into bad habits.

The thing was was that her mind was telling her to push Jake away. That the Athena boy would just get hurt and he didn’t deserve that and she was just a recipie for disaster. “No..” She whispered, eyes watering that she so badly wanted to rub away, but she didn’t want to move his hand from cupping her cheek. “I’m so conflicted...” What? “I want to love you... I want to kiss you and hold you and hug you and stay in your arms forever but but —“ Why are these words falling out of my mouth? Why do I have no control on what I’m saying? “But I only bring you pain. I’ve brought you pain and more pain and I’m only bad luck and you deserve more than that and by the gods Jake I just want to see you happy and if that means a life without me —“

She was spilling, going off into a tangent as she could barely even recognize or control that she was speaking and that these noises were hers. “I was trying to protect you I just want you to be happy and safe and - and..” Her hands were trembling atop his thighs, her slowly pulling back. “B-But I want to be happy and love you and hold you and kiss you and I want you to keep me safe and I just want to go back to the way things were but they’ll never because you don’t deserve me gods you deserve better and Jake I don’t know what to do I don’t know what to do oh my gods I don’t know what to do —“ Her anxiety was building, and it was plain to see that she was struggling. Her hands clasped together, her nails on her right hand digging into her palm on the left, crescent moons drawing blood. It was a way to cope, the way she’d used during those months, although not a very good one.

Alex answered immediately, especially coming from his sisters phone, who hadn't answered his calls the last three days. He gave her two days, knowing that sometimes she was too busy, but after that the more worried he had gotten; so worried that he'd booked a flight to fly out and visit. From Italy. He was exhausted and worried and he would try and call again and again and again every few hours. (More like every hour but he was worried, you know?)

He'd sent someone to pick up his bags and bring him to his hotel, and as soon as he got his rental car he'd tried calling again, calling while they were in the bath. "Bailey?!" His voice shook with relief, and he almost was about ready to cry. "I've been calling you for the last three days! Three! Days!" He sighed. "I've been worried sick, and yes I don't care if you think it's excessive but I'm on my way to your apartment right now."

Meanwhile, Bailey was whining, struggling to get Jakes hands off her skin. In her mind, she was ice and he was burning heat, touching her, lighting her skin aflame. In reality it was that opposite, she was burning and although he seemed so drastically different, he was only at a normal temperature. But her words seemed off as she said them. In fact she seemed - delirious. "Stop nagging... Ja-Jake we're on va-vacation.. the whole p-point of being on th-the beach..." Yeah, she definitely was delirious. "Is to-to relax.." It was most likely due to the mix of her fever, dehydration, and malnutrition.

As soon as Jake started talking, Alexander immediately got worried. He cursed aloud. "Fuck, I knew something was wrong." He shook his head. "Thank you for going to get her." He paused, sighing. "Just, get yourselves dressed and I should be there in less than five minutes. And try to keep her awake. I know sleep deprivation, and if she falls asleep she's going to be out for who knows how long." His fingers tapped against the steering wheel, and he could hear faint mumbling in the background.

But she was rescued, she was at camp, she was in her own bed, and she was laying in the arms of him. That was when she had begun to get shy. The thing about Bailey was that rarely was she shy. When anyone would first meet her, she was either sarcastic and somewhat hard, not wanting to say too much or get into a relationship or she was bubbly and outgoing. (It all honestly depended on the mood she was in that day or what was going on in her life.) Though the only times she ever gotten shy - truly, bashfully shy, was twice (now three times) in her life. The first was when she was eleven, she'd had the biggest crush on this boy in a few of her classes, stuttering when she talked to him, blushing at the two or three words he'd say a day to her.

The second time was when her and Jake had started getting closer. They'd met on a day with her sarcastic quips and inability to actually want to form a relationship. But he'd persisted, and she'd finally given in - to friends - she remembered saying. Not to anything more. But then he began to make her laugh, to smile more than normal. He'd joke with her and soon enough they became friends, extremely close friends. Then she'd started to get the feelings she had right then. The butterflies in her stomach, the biting of her lip, the want to say something he'd like or appreciate, the want to do something for him, to just make him happy. One day they'd kissed each other after sitting on the dock by themselves, and the rest was history.

She flushed, cheeks going pink as her eyelashes fluttered. Oh he said it would be a greater reality... She sighed to herself, practically swooning. Her hand slowly splayed against his chest, biting the corner of her lip with a shy smile. "I can't believe it's you, really you. With me. Here." Her eyes watered with tears, but this time they were happy, grateful. The changing of that memory, the one that had plagued her for over two hundred nights, had completely switched around her perception of today. All of the rest of those experience were still in her memory, and she would show how they affected her in the future, but for now, she seemed much better then she had been before. No matter that, they had a small bit of distance between them, even though she could feel the heat emanating from him.

Suddenly she threw herself into his arms, burying her face into his chest. She inhaled, taking in his scent; his warmth. Her hands grasped at his shirt, trembling. She stayed there for a few moments (that were far too short for her liking), but suddenly realized something, scrambling backwards and sitting up. Her hands were shaking and she was blushing. She was even stuttering. "O-Oh! I - I'm so sorry I - agh, I rushed in, and I didn't ask and.." She looked down, fumbling with her shirt above the covers (she did fiddle with anything she could find when she was nervous), even though she'd much rather be underneath in his arms.

She was shy, just like she had been when they'd first started dating, unknowing if she kiss him, hug him, even hold his hand. She always asked, or gave him a look of asking of permission, or he'd just do it himself (she liked that better, feeling like it was the best sense of confirmation). She grew into it of course, and eventually was able to kiss him on her own, hold his hand whenever she wanted, and even jump onto his back without him looking. Tyler was currently dozed off in the couch in the other room, so they basically were alone. Jake had to have known by now what Bay had wanted, she was just waiting for him to act upon it.

The girl had completely popped his stitches, and blood was pouring out so quickly that his body couldn’t even react quickly enough to try and save itself. Normally as a defense mechanism his body would frost itself over, but he was too weak. Even his pulse was weak, starting to fade at about the same rate as his consciousness. Him and his sister would get so cold that their body temperature would start dropping - that being the equivalent of a fever; but this time he was burning up, skin hot and clammy. This was abnormal - at least for him it was. To be this hot showed how weak his body was and how susceptible he was to infection. He was feverish, shaking and sweating.

There was so much blood that the bandage was about as wet as a rag with it, causing it to lose the stickiness and fall off. Part of the open wound had pressed into the dirt and he grimaced. He could see her thinking, watching her brain go a mile in a minute and fit all the pieces together. Just as he figured out what she was planning to do, he croaked out a protest. He did not want to experience any more pain. “Wait — nooughhhh.” He screamed - bloody murder screamed when she pressed her sweatshirt into his side, choking out a strangled cry.

His hands scrambled to scrape hers off, but the pain was making him dizzy, black creeping in at the corners of his eyes. “Shit…” He felt breathless, and after that his voice became blubbered and he was barely understandable, barely coherent. “I - I’m going t-to ruin your sweatshirt..” He listened to her go on about not falling asleep, but it was beginning to prove difficult. “I can’t, I can’t..” He wheezed. No attempts to charm her, or sarcastic, teasing quips from him were in sight. 

By the time the Apollo kids had finally gotten there just about two thirds of Jodie’s hoodie was wet with his blood, even as much as it stemmed the bleeding. By that point he was definitely losing consciousness, forgetting about formalities and saying hi. Pain still echoed within his head, and all he could keep thinking was: Oh gods oh gods, close your eyes! Bile was rising in his throat as he watched the sky spin in circles. He hadn’t had the appetite to eat anything lately, so it wasn’t like there was much to throw up besides stomach acid.

Despite the heavy, searing pain in his abdomen, his reflexes kicked in. He shakily forced himself to sit up, leaning on his hand to hold most of his weight, the other hand grasping the forearm of someone else (who it was, he didn’t know; he’d grabbed the first person that was closest to him). He coughed, gagging and retching, letting bile hit the ground below, showing his stomach was vacant of anything tangible. He fell back to his original position, body shaking and head slamming against the hard ground once more. He needed to sleep. He just wanted to sleep.

His mouth tasted sour, his body was like dead weight, and all he could feel was pain from his chest down and nothing more. If he wasn’t going to pass out from the general fact that he wanted to, then he was going to pass out from the pain. It was so much, too much.

He hoped fate would let him get out of this for once, let him go to sleep.

It didn’t.

He was creasing his eyebrows back at the office. "Hello?" His voice rang through the receiver. "Yes this is her boss. And who are you?" He sounded judgey, and Bailey could only imagine him shooting death glares at her boyfriend through the phone. "Where is Bailey?" No formalness to it. Usually her professors and anyone older than her had a habit of calling her 'Ms. Rivers'.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she nodded slowly. Her loud cries had slowly faded to small coughs. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks and she could feel chills running through her body. She couldn't stop the involuntary trembling that ran through. She’d honestly felt like the one time she was eleven and fell into the frozen lake behind her school where she'd gotten hypothermia. She was trembling just as bad as she had back then, but he could feel the difference between then and now as she pressed her forehead against the outside of his bare abdomen. The towel still hung loosely on his hips, but she was more bewitched with the warmth of his skin. 

She herself felt freezing, so his heat was nice to her; but for him, for him she was burning. Straight up burning. "I - I finished the essays.... no... I finished two of the three m-man-manuscripts." Another rush of chills ran through her as she couldn't seem to differentiate what was work and what was school. The tears still continued to roll and she felt like she couldn't breathe, gasping every few seconds to try and get air into her lungs. Her chest felt tight and she could feel herself getting hazy. "B-But I didn't - I didn't finish my-my article."

Her mind was foggy and there were points where she forgot where she was for a millisecond. She slowly slumped against him, her head falling from his abdomen to his thigh. "Tell him... Tell him I'm so sorry.." She was fading and they both knew it. Although if she fell asleep he was never going to be able to drag her to the doctors and get her out of this apartment (and it was pretty clear that if she stayed in this apartment any longer she would be too tempted to work).

Surprisingly the conversation with her boss went quickly and efficiently after he'd heard the whole story. He surely wasn't happy about the whole predicament, but made sure to say that she just needed to get all of her work in to the office - whether it was done or not done - as soon as possible. He told him to take care of her, and that she’d saved enough vacation for three whole months (which could’ve been a shock to Jake because she had always told him she didn’t get much vacation often to get him off her back with work); but he'd put her down for a week and call her, and if she needed more time she was welcome.

By the time the conversation ended she was collapsed over his leg, arm hanging loosely as her skin seemed to burn through the fluffy blue towel. Her eyes were barely open in a half-lidded haze, staring at where his towel and skin met. She was sweating and her body was clammy. Due to the lack of sound in the room, her shallow breathing could be heard and the only thing that was keeping her awake was the pain shooting in her chest and the fact that she felt so close to throwing up.

Tears spilled, turning to ice as soon as they hit the air. Tyler had made sure to turn up the heat though, as high as he could because her coldness brought the temperature of the cabin down. "Will you lay with me..?" She murmured. "Lay with me before I wake..." Tyler checked outside: the wind was whipping and shaking the door, large snowflakes being whipped around and sticking to anything it could. It was a full blown blizzard out there. "Before I have to face him.." She tried to scoot herself to the side, feeling numb and her body felt like dead weight.

But by god was she small. So so incredibly small. At her five foot three stature she was already considered small from many people, but she'd still had a good set of muscle on her and still looked as intimidating as ever. But here, here she looked small and frail, like she'd been malnourished the whole time she was there. She was so skinny, too skinny. But Tyler said she hadn't had an appetite the couple days she'd been there, nothing at all.

And her hair... her precious hair. Once a gleeful honey brown color, shiny and curly and long was now dull, pin straight, and hastily chopped just above her shoulders. It was uneven, making her look even messier. One of them needed to see if the Aphrodite children could give her a spa day (or at least gave her an even cut or some layers to balance it out). With her hair so short though it didn't hide the large bandages wrapped around her neck. The skin that had been consistently shocked was raw and bothered and the Apollo kids were trying to make sure it didn't leave a permanent mark.

Soon she fell asleep and the winds began to die down, but large snowflakes still fell like powder.

Every camper pretty much knew who could make such a storm this big when there had been nothing on the forecast. The past two weeks since she'd gotten there everyone tip-toed around her like she was some petulant child that would have a tantrum at any moment. In realilty though, she hadn't been "interacting in public" in roughly seven months. Since the last time she'd spoken to Jake. And after the events revealed tonight, it all made sense. At least to Tyler it had.

Before the sun was fully down and night was set, Tyler made sure to place a heating pad over her along with several other blankets and a hot press to her forehead. He told Jake to get some rest too, because they probably wouldn't be able to get out of the cabin until morning. Also that he would make sure to check on her every few hours himself.

Tyler wasn't entirely sure of Jakes condition right then, but he was sure that the boy needed some rest with all the events happening today. He made sure to write Alexander an iris message before it got too late. He had been out on a quest to find a new demigod up in Oregon and was supposed to be back within the next week. He had left shortly before they had received his sister and really hadn't wanted to leave but was the most qualified camper for the job.

By the time morning rolled around and the sun glistened along the sparkling snow, Tyler had realized that he was tired too. He'd stayed up all night, adding and removing blankets, refilling the cloth with hot water to press to her head, and hadn't quite gotten any sleep himself. It was still a bit cloudy outside, and near four in the morning the snow had been at least three feet tall, but now grass poked through and some places had more snow than others.

When Bailey had woke, the first thing she'd realized was that she was in her cabin and she was back at camp. The second thing she realized was this was the first time she hadn't woken up screaming or crying. The third thing she realized was that she was close to something warm, the haze of sleep still settling on her as she realized her last and final thing. She was sleeping, next to Jake. Jake. Jake "he-probably-hated-her" Jake.

He was enamored with her if he was being completely honest.

She was just... amazing. Smart, spunky, funny, sarcastic, competitive, resourceful (not to mention one of the most gorgeous girls he'd seen, slight apologies to the Aphrodite cabin); by the gods she was just so, dang adorable. As he stepped away and watched her open the lawn chair with relative ease his mouth went agape. He'd taken himself away from looking at the new campers to look at her which he found was going to be a mistake shortly after he spoke. He began to laugh, giving her a large grin. "I can't believe you got that open --"

A noise akin to a strangled wheeze left his mouth as one of the kids “weapons” came in contact with the side of his hurt abdomen. Luckily even before his accident the camp had made a rule that new campers when learning how to work a sword or dagger, (any other long distance weapons were taught to the kids by specialists on one on ones) were to use a wooden equivalent of the size, length, weight, and shape to practice so they didn't hurt anybody. More so they just left some bruises when swinging too hard but it was definitely better than reckless fresh wounds.

So even though he got hit with a wooden sword (which was freaking heavy by the way), it had hit right on his sore wound. Almost immediately black creeped in the edge of his vision and he couldn't quite hear himself but he was ninety nine percent sure that the noise he made next sounded like a groan mixed with him somehow choking on a breath of air. Instead of doubling over in pain (which was his immediate instinct and what he truly wanted to do), he managed to grasp onto Jodie's turning shoulders, hands shaking.

'Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods there's so much - much paaaain...' He could remember himself thinking. It hurt so bad that most of the noise died in his throat, only leaving him staring at Jodie through terrified, pain filled eyes. He could hear the new camper desperately saying she was sorry and he could remember what he would've said if he wasn’t so completely breathless and in pain. It would’ve been something along the lines of: "Chrissy this is the fourth time I've told you not to swing the sword like a piñata!"

"Hurts.." He croaked, his voice closely resembled a dying frog. "It hurts.." His arms and legs were shaking now, and he wasn't sure if he could stand much longer. He felt the overwhelming pain seep into his side. Or maybe that was just blood.* 

*Hint: it was both. 

By the gods the Hecate kid couldn't get her form down for crap, but damn did she have some power. He finally gave in, he quite had to honestly, leaning over and crumbling in pain and pretty much dragging Jodie down with him as his hands were still tightly curled around the sides of her shoulders. They were so close though... almost face to face. By gods Alexander, snap out of it! He cleared his throat and looked up from looking at her lips to try and catch himself from completely passing out. The kids from his training session had all stopped by that moment, figuring out what had happened and becoming frantic and trying to tell every passerby about it. One decided to actually be smart and run to the infirmary (he learned later that Apollo had claimed the boy after that and Alex had smiled, gave him a fist bump and said: “Natural born healer. I like it kid.”)

He wasn't going to blame Jodie because of him being in total, absolute love with her. And he wasn't going to blame Chrissy because he had been the one who'd gotten too close. He blamed himself for not watching the kids. He decided to try and be a smartass. "Second time this week huh?" He suggested. “What a lucky man I am to be in your arms twice this week..” He winced as he quite barely shifted his weight. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he felt like the time he’d been up for twenty four hours and his body kept falling and his eyes would close randomly, wanting him to go to sleep. Just pain this time. Nothing truly life threatening, just unimaginable pain.

The music in his headphones blared as he ran in worn out shoes, felt the gravel beneath him. His arm hurt, it always did, so he didn’t worry about it. It was the same as any other day, almost everyone was in the park, gushing over their either new soul mate or the one they always had. 

Soul mate? The was such a crock of shit, well, maybe. Sometimes he would look at his arm and think how nice it would be. But that was always at the back of his mind. He yelped as he tripped over someone. 

“Jesus Christ!” He turned over his eyes having fallen upon a girl, who had probably been enjoying a picnic or some stupid nice day shit people did. She seemed more surprised than annoyed, which made Holden annoyed. “What?” A dainty finger pointed at his arm and hers, which were brushing against each others. 

But exactly the opposite of normal happened: she'd started to cry.

She was turned fully towards Jake now and she didn't even half to pull the corners of her towel to cover her up. "I don't want to.." She hiccuped. That was a first. She'd never actively admitted that she didn't want to do something, usually because it was abnormal for her not to want to do it. She just looked so, so tired. The circles under her eyes almost looked bruised and her hair was a mess because she hadn't combed through it yet. "I don't want to b-but it's s-so hard for me to say n-no... I - I can't ask for vaca-cation days a-and I can't ask for a-a raise and-and I can't ask f-for an extension.." Another first (well she hadn't in a very very long time) was her stuttering. She was acting so, meekly. Just how she did when she was a kid back in foster care.

She wasn't exactly wrong though when she said she couldn't do it. She could say no, she said it quite a bit, but she couldn't say no with work. In fact, there hadn't been a time that she recalled that she turned down something to work on. Tears rolled down her cheeks, her body trembling under her. She could feel her hands shaking above her knees, wanting to desperately stop.

She wanted him to do it. She wanted Jake to get on the phone and tell that sleazy, lazy bastard that she was taking a few sick days and no she wasn't going to do it so he needed to get someone else. In the two years of her working there during college she'd never taken a sick day or a vacation, even if she was sick or if she was going somewhere then she'd take her work with her and work out of office. If anything, the people who didn't want to do their work would slap it down on her desk and leave a sticky note with a smiley face saying thanks without even asking her directly. The worst part was, was that she took it. She took their lazy excuses of being "busy" and "stressed" even though she was the one that ended up busy and stressed and her coworkers just hung out in the confrence room and ate donuts. (That was another reason why she wouldn't let Jake visit her in the office even though he wanted to.)

She was cold, tired, and there were black spots dancing in her vision. But he was right. (Often she knew he was but Bailey was usually too stubborn to admit it.) She had almost drowned. If Jake hadn't been there to get her then, then - her eyelashes fluttered and she shook the possibility of him finding her corpse and having to call the police and - nope. She wasn't going to think about it right now, choking out a sob aloud at the mere possibility of how much anguish he would've experienced. And what an amazing legacy she would've left. She could see the headlines now: LOCAL COLLEGE STUDENT DROWNS IN A BATHTUB

It would probably sound like she was an idiot.

The stream of tears trickled down her flushed cheeks, breath hiccuping in time with the beating of her heart. All in all, plain to see, Bailey was a mess. "I-I c-can't do it.." She wailed, her eyes pleading. "I can't s-say n-no..." She so badly wanted him to do it, glancing over to her phone pressed down by him. She was sure her boss was getting angry by this point, as she usually never did this to him. Usually she responded right away.