Chapter 33: She Lives

"I guess I will, I did promise Lin that I would tell them through the group chat if something happened," Cass said as Stephan nodded and I smiled

"Just as long as Sammy gets some rest," I began, "she must be very exhausted considering how long she must've stayed here."

"Then I'll text the cast-only group chat then Maria separately as if Sammy hadn't noticed Annabeth isn't in her head anymore," she said just as footsteps came running toward the door. "Samantha Valdez what are you doing here," she asked just as the footsteps stopped.

"I left the house as soon as Renée left me in the room," Sammy's voice began, "I snuck out of the back patio to at least get some fresh air but after I couldn't talk to Annabeth," she explained letting the end of explanation hang in the air. "Can I see her," she asked as I chuckled

"Yes, you can see me but you have to promise to go straight back to Renée's house," I said as Stephan looked at me

"I think I'm going to like you dating my sister," he said just as Sammy peaked her head through the door and I chuckled

"Zoë," Sammy cheered as she ran to my bedside, "I knew you'd come back," she said then stopped. "When did you get the prosthetics," she asked me as she looked at my leg and arm

"Lord Chaos gave Zoë her limbs back saying that she's going to need them later on," Nico explained as he stood motionless in the corner. "I'm going to try talking to the gods to see if she can be teleported to camp so she can heal quicker."

Suddenly a nurse appeared at the doorway, "It's good to see you alive Miss Jackson," she said then looked at Nico. "She can be teleported to camp, we'll say that she was transferred to another medical facility," she added as he nodded

"There would be a timeframe where she couldn't go to school," Sammy began as she turned around. "How long would that be," she asked as the nurse thought for a minute

"She would be bedridden for the rest of this month and would probably go through physical therapy from the hospital for a full month," the nurse answered. "So, about a month and a half would probably be how long she needs to be out of school for it to be believable," she answered as something was put into my mouth and I tasted my biological mother's alfredo.

I then turned my head to look at the nurse, "Could you get me a glass of water before I leave," I asked as she nodded before disappearing

"What are you doing," Nico asked as Sammy arched an eyebrow

"Chaos returned my limbs to me for a reason," I began as the nurse returned, "I'm using whatever means is necessary so I can heal quicker. I'm not asking you to throw me into the river just for some water every so often, I'll jump into the river when I can walk," I explained as Nico's and Cass's shoulders sagged. "B," I began looking at her as I took the glass of water, "tell the demigod cast where I'm going, I guess you should add that Sammy's here since she'll probably teleport to camp with me," Cass nodded before leaving the room with her phone in her hand

Sammy chuckled as I took a drink willing the water to go throughout my body and fix anything internally, "Could you also heal yourself when someone is bathing you," she asked as I looked at her with my one eye

"Yeah," I began as the pain eased in my chest, arm, head, and leg, "I would need to do that for the outer injuries since I believe it'd be easier to heal them that way.

"So, we throw you into the river with Percy, Bianca, and Thalia to make sure you don't drown," Nico suggested with a smirk as I pushed myself up. "Or you can walk there," he said after I shot a glare at him. "I'm going to talk to one of the nurses to see who's coming or if I need to shadow-travel you two."

"I can teleport you two to the infirmary while keeping Zoë stable but she'd need to be standing for it," a voice said from the doorway. I looked and my heart almost stopped when I saw the man. He looked like the man from the video but taller, no scar on his face, a little tanner, more muscular and every bit of him seemed to glow even in a dull hospital

"Thank you, Apollo," Nico muttered as Sammy approached me, "Zoë what in my father's name are you doing?"

I started to sit up and take my arm out of the hospital sling along with my leg, "The god of healing says I need to stand for this teleportation did he not," I asked him as Sammy glared at me. "Once we get to the infirmary, I'm pretty sure you won't be the only one getting me in a bed," I said, "now can you help me stand? You and I both know that I can't stand on one leg," I said as I pushed myself to the edge of the bed. "It is a pleasure to meet you Apollo," I said as I nodded to the god, "is there a way to tell me what healed with the nectar and the water?"

The god of healing nodded, "Your ribs and head have healed completely," he began, "even though your head was bleeding it was only a small fracture on the skull. You can move your arm and leg but I suggest that you keep it stationary until you can move it without any pain," he answered as I nodded

"That means I can take this off," I began as I raised my arm to the wrap around my head. "I'd like to see with both eyes if that's possible," I said as the god chuckled

"Yeah," he began, "I can remove that for you," he said with a wave of his hand, "you are so much like your father at some points."

When he said this my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, "Just please no songs or Haikus," I said as his face lit up

"But Guppy," he said with a pout, "I was going to write a song about you three ocean owlets."

As he was saying this the wrap disappeared and the other eye adjust to the darkness, "Just the nickname Guppy makes my head hurt," I groaned as I pinched my nose

You're not the only one, Annabeth said with a groan

Hey mom, I thought to her

Thanks for fighting the creator in stay, she began, I would've helped but something was keeping me from going over to you three.

I scrunched my nose in confusion, "What's wrong," Sammy said as I looked at her

"Mom just said that she would've helped me in fighting the creator so I could stay but she was being held back," I began as I thought through everything. "Now that I think about it," I began, "if it was something about the future wouldn't the Fates be involved instead of the creator?"

The god's glow seemed to have dimmed while Nico turned paler than I thought was possible, "You're right," Apollo began. "Chaos hasn't been seen in centuries, so long that I forgot what they look like set aside the gender."

I smirked, "I'll see if Malcolm could supply me some books from the Athena cabin once morning comes but as of now," I began as I stood on my left leg placing my right arm on Sammy's shoulder. "I have a camp infirmary to get to," I finished as she wrapped her arm around my waist

Apollo nodded before waving his hand once more, with a flash of light I was standing in the infirmary with Sammy. "How has your stomach not twisted during that," Sammy grumbled as she moved me to a bed that had a vase of flowers on the nightstand next to it

"I don't know," I began as I sat on the bed and looked at the bed next to me, it looked like I was still looking at my body as I looked at the sickly thin body of my mother. "I wish those eyes would open," I said as I watched the body, "I could use a good motherly hug right now," I added as a soft chuckle came from Annabeth

"Would a girlfriend hugging you do for now," Sammy asked as I returned my gaze to her before smirking

"Yes, it will," I answered as I propped myself against the cabin wall so she could hug me. I closed my eyes, savoring the moment, glad that I was still alive but I quickly reopened them when I felt her say something in my shoulder. "What's that," I asked her

"Could you will her conscience back into her body as you do with the mist-forms," she asked as she sat on the edge of the bed. "From what everyone has said about the bodies is that they're currently empty husks that not even a true love's kiss would wake them up."

I chuckled, "Maybe I can," I began as I looked back to Annabeth's bed, "I'll try it after I'm fully healed," I began then thought for a minute. "I don't want to take any chances with the weakened state I'm in," I added then looked at Sammy. "Go get some rest, I don't want Apollo campers yelling at you for sleeping in here when you don't have any injuries."

Sammy pouted then sighed, "All right," she began, "but I am coming here to see you first thing in the morning," she finished

"I'll hold you to that Valdez," I said with a smirk right before she kissed me

"See you in the morning, Jackson," she said before walking out of the room, I turned to see her walking to her cabin, knocking then disappearing inside. I then returned my gaze to the rest of the infirmary

Save for the occasional groans from the few injured campers it was silent as I looked at the three beds that held parents. One of them held the familiar Native American body of Piper who I talked to in the dimension between life and death. Next to her was a tanned male that I recognized as Will, I snorted as I remembered his threat in keeping myself healthy along with his husband. Then I turned my head to Annabeth's bed. Her usually tanned skin looked faded, almost dead, her hair was in her usual low ponytail as her hands were clasped around her waist. If she wasn't breathing as softly as she was someone would've considered her dead. I closed my eyes and felt the pull in my gut as I pictured her eyes opening to show them storm grey and calculating.

"Zoë," her voice said as I felt her brush a strand of hair out of my face, "It's going to be okay," she said as a tear rolled down my cheek

"But I'm scared," I said as I opened my eyes to see her bed empty just as arms wrapped around me. "I'm scared of losing everyone I have ever loved again."

"I understand," she said as I felt circles being rubbed into my back, "but sadly that kind of fear comes with this life."

I turned my body so I could cry into her stomach, "So there's no break from death for me," I asked as I continued to cry

"Unfortunately," Annabeth began with a sigh, "there isn't," she finished as I wrapped my arms around her waist.

Unlike the cool feeling that I had with her mist-form, she was warm

Like the mist-form, she was physical, out of my head

She was here