ALEXANDER

Amethyst gulped. "Uh, stealing, er, who said anything about that?"

Kai shook his head while Geneva and Rose rolled their eyes. "Yeah, couldn't be us."

"What kind of people would do that?" I added nervously, shivering in my boots. "I mean, we were definitely planning on not stealing anything, you know, like good kids!"

I'd say we built up a pretty good defense for ourselves, right?

But Epione was having none of it. "Do you really think I was born yesterday? Get out, or I'm going to have to do something you won't like."

"Look, we're all injured and we need help," Timmy pleaded. "We're kind of on an important quest to save the world, so it would be nice of you to help us out."

"You do realize how ridiculous this sounds, right?" Epione asked, annoyed. "A bunch of kids on a quest to save the world? Yeah, right!"

Geneva crossed her arms. "I know it doesn't sound very believable, but it's true. You're a healing goddess, isn't it your job to help people?"

Epione sighed. "I used to have that mindset, but ever since Zeus punished Asclepius and prevented him and I from just doing our jobs, I've kind of lost my passion for helping people. Now, please get out. I don't want to hurt you"

"But how'd that get in the way of you helping people?" Geneva asked, ignoring Epione's threats.

"Think about it like this," Epione said after a deep breath. "The gods, the people that you look up to and admire, give you a role to play in keeping order in Olympus. For my husband and I, that was being able to help people as doctors. For centuries, we were praised for our work and expected to keep doing our job, to keep it up. But the second that our work got in the way of what the Olympians and Zeus wanted, we were told to stop what we were doing, even if that was what we were told to do from the very beginning. It's hard to keep loving what you're doing when you're so controlled by those that are above you."

It was sad what happened to Epione and Asclepius, and served to prove just how problematic the Olympians were. It's crazy just how many situations like Epione's have occurred, like how so many campers have left and/or betrayed the Olympians after hearing the sheer amount of travesties and problems they've started.

For me, I have never stood for or backed what the Olympians have done, but I wouldn't actively betray Camp Half-Blood. The sacred duties that Chiron and Mr. D abided by were that they would help campers for as long as they needed and that they would assist the Olympians no matter the situation.

"I'm really sorry to hear that," Rose said. "You and Asclepius didn't deserve to be punished the way you did, but by not pursuing and continuing your job as a doctor and someone who helps people, you're just letting the gods have more control over you. Why don't you continue doing what you love instead of submitting to the Olympian's code?"

Epione stood quietly. "I suppose you're right. It's been hard with the restrictions and all, but I guess that shouldn't prevent me from at least helping you guys. It's a bit of a risk for me to do this, but I do owe you a favor since you managed to get rid of most of the monsters in the building. I've been having a lot of trouble with them since Asclepius and the kids left on their trip."

"Thanks," Timmy said gratefully. "We won't let your help go to waste."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Follow me to the infirmary. Let's make this quick."

Epione beckoned for us to follow her as we came up the stairs and onto the third floor. We entered a long hallway filled with multiple offices and stretchers off to the side that were dusty and reeked of alcohol wipes. At the back of the hallway was a singular, rectangle shaped window that stretched out across the back wall and allowed for a full viewing of the forest near the Asclepion. She took a right into two large doors and opened them to lead us right into an infirmary.

It was a large room, about the size of two classrooms. There were multiple blue-sheeted beds lined up to the both sides of the room along with small tables accompanying them. Each table had its own set of medical supplies and was covered by a large blue curtain along with the bed to give privacy to whatever patient was there.

Epione had us gather around one of the many beds in the infirmary and asked, "Which one of you would like to go first?"

We all looked at each other, wondering who would make the first offer. All of us were decently injured and I'm sure when the services of a health goddess were available it wasn't a case of none of us wanting to go.

"Well don't everyone go at once," Epione said sarcastically.

Rose stepped up and put her hand up, hesitantly saying, "I'll go first."

She sat on the bed as Epione put on her gloves and examined Rose's wounds.

"You seem to be in decent shape, though you have some cuts and bruises that need to get patched up," Epione observed.

She grabbed several bandages and alcohol wipes, cleaning up the blood on Rose's body and applying bandages to all her cuts. Epione then made her bite down on an ambrosia square and sent Rose on her way. Timmy and I went next, and she quickly examined the two of us, not finding much wrong. She patched up a few of our wounds, applied some nectar, and finally had us bite down on an ambrosia square just as Rose did, albeit a small bite.

Probably for the best, since ambrosia squares had to be very carefully managed, especially with the discrepancy in our injury severity. The last time I had too much ambrosia, I ended up clogging one of the toilets and could barely walk without my stomach rumbling.

For Amethyst, Epione wiped away the blood on her forehead with a wet towel and applied warm water and soap to the wound. She then used Vaseline with a cotton swab and put gauze on her forehead to cover the wound. As she did with Rose, Timmy and I, she gave Amethyst an ambrosia square.

Geneva came next, her case being a lot more difficult than the rest of us. She had sustained a bloody gash on her stomach, which would be a bit tricky to treat compared to the rest of our injuries.

Epione had Geneva lie down on the bed and raised her shirt up to her midriff, exposing the wound she had attained. Epione first washed the wound and cleansed it, cleaning up the blood. She applied nectar to the gash and began stitching up the wound, finishing the procedure in just a few minutes, which was far faster than most normal doctors could do. I would know, I had my fair share of stitching incidents when I was younger.

Finally, it was Kai's turn. And in just one look, Epione made a 'tsk' sound with her mouth. "Wow. How did this even happen?"

"Arai," Kai grunted. "Lots and lots of Arai."

Epione began working, first pulling Kai's long pants up to his knees and examining the damage he had taken to his left one in particular. She laid nectar all around and underneath his kneecap, making sure to treat the bruise. For his rib injury, she laid her palms gently on his side and closed her eyes. Bits of frost dripped off her fingertips and when she removed her palms, the area around Kai's rib was a ghastly white. She used another towel to wipe the blood off his forehead and arms. She dabbed some nectar carefully around his black eye, ensuring that none of the nectar got into his eyeball. Lastly, as standard procedure, she gave Kai a full ambrosia square to eat.

"Well, are you guys good now?" Epione asked.

I nodded. "Yup. I feel like a new man."

"Great. Well it's time for you guys to move along now. Good luck on your world saving quest," Epione said, putting away the medical supplies. "I have some things to tend to."

We gave her our thanks before turning around and walking toward the staircase we had come from, following behind Epione who had made her way down to the second floor. As we were about to head down the staircase, I heard a strange sound from outside the hospital, like a sort of whirring sound.

"Hey, do you guys hear that-"

In the blink of an eye, the large window behind us shattered to pieces, shards of glass being sent across the third floor. Groups of GHOST members hopped out of helicopters and into the infirmary. They all carried weapons, and one of them, Aldric from back in Providence, shouted, "Seize the demigods!"

We all looked at each other in shock, Kai shaking his head in disbelief. "Why do these guys always try to meddle in our business?" he asked, annoyed. "This is like the fourth time they've tried ambushing us! Don't they have another world-saving group of demigods to terrorize?"

We quickly jumped into action, each of us splitting into groups of two to handle the mob of members.

Timmy and I first faced off a group of five GHOST members. A blonde haired teen swung at me with a celestial bronze axe, going for an overhead strike. I whipped out my shields and covered my head, blocking the attack before morphing one of my two shields into a sword and slashing at the attacker's chest. The teen had enough time to pull back his axe and was able to narrowly sidestep my swing, going for another swing with his axe, this time at my legs, exerting an immense amount of force. I jumped over his swing and took advantage of the amount of energy he had put into the attack, delivering a kick to his torso. He fell back and groaned, defeated.

I then turned around to face opponent number two, a brown haired girl running at me with two imperial gold swords in hand. She swung at my chest with one of her swords, but I was able to sidestep and grabbed her arm. From there, keeping grasp of her arm, I twisted around in a 180 and threw her forward, making her collide into one of her GHOST mates and landing them both on the floor.

I turned around once again, ready to help out Timmy, who was facing two GHOST members on his lonesome. I snuck behind one of the members he was facing and poked him with my sword jokingly. The guy turned around with confusion as I slammed my shield into his face and knocked him clean on the ground.

I looked at Timmy, but didn't have to do anything in the end as Timmy delivered a strong blow to the person's shoulder and knocked them out right afterward.

"Nice one, Timmy!" I yelled, giving him a high five.

Timmy gave me a brief thumbs up and smiled.

"Hello again, Timmy," Aldric greeted, popping up from out of nowhere. "So this is where you went."

"Aldric," Timmy growled.

"ALDRIC!" I exclaimed, imitating Timmy.

Aldric smirked. "Nice company you keep there."

Man, the audacity of this pubescent cheese stick.

"Yeah, what's it to you? At least he is company," Timmy spat.

Aldric rolled his eyes as he squared up to battle.

Timmy recklessly dashed at Aldric with his blade, Aldric hopping swiftly to the side of Timmy's attack. The GHOST general then brought out a long baton and struck Timmy's exposed rib, causing Timmy to groan in pain and crumble to the floor.

I changed one of my weapons into a bow and began leveling shots at Aldric. Aldric blocked my first three shots with these metal gauntlets strapped around his wrists with ease. My fourth shot was caught by Aldric and thrown to the side.

I grunted in frustration. Taking Aldric down would prove far tougher than it had on Palma. I needed to get in close and land at least one hit in on him. He may have been swift, but he certainly wasn't bulky. I reverted my bow back into a shield and changed my other weapon into a sword. I darted at Aldric, my shield in front of me and my sword in a jabbing position.

Aldric took out a grappling wire and threw it toward my legs, the coil wrapping around my legs and tripping me up. I recovered quickly and morphed my sword into a javelin, throwing it at Aldric's head. He swerved with his head under the javelin, the weapon now stuck in the wall behind him.

He took the opportunity to throw some strange metal ball between my legs, making me look down in confusion. Suddenly, I was being shocked with electricity and couldn't move. Pain ran up my legs and through my body as I crumpled to my knees in agony.

Aldric approached me, his baton ready to deliver the final blow that would knock me right out. Just as I was preparing myself to meet even more pain, Timmy rose up from the ground and tackled Aldric, as if he were some football player. Aldric skidded across the greasy surface of the third floor, landing right at Geneva's feet.

With absolutely no mercy, Geneva stomped Aldric on the stomach and sent the air out of him, his face turning a ghostly white.

"Revenge for Providence, aye?" Kai asked.

Geneva shrugged. "One could say."

Rose elbowed a GHOST member in the temple and swept their feet, defeating the last remaining GHOST member. "Looks like our work is done here. Let's head out."

We gathered our things and cautiously walked down the staircase, being careful not to run into any monsters or any remaining members we may have not defeated. We arrived on the first floor with no trouble and exited the hospital, taking in a deep breath of relief.

"Man, I should give this hospital a one star review," Kai said as we approached the ship.

I shook my head. "Nah, I'd say you give it a zero star review. Service was good, GHOSTs were not."

Kai blinked. "Sure, buddy. Knock yourself out."

"Wait, what?"

"I didn't mean it literally," Kai clarified.

"A zero star review, aye?" Epione asked, coming out from behind the bushes outside with a watering can.

I nervously looked around. "Uh, zero star review, whaaaaaaaaaaat?"

Epione rolled her eyes. "You guys really like going along with the fantasy that I was born yesterday, huh?"

"Sorry," Amethyst apologized. "Again, I can't thank you more for the help."

"No, I should thank you. If you hadn't come, I wouldn't have regained my passion for helping people. You also got rid of all those monsters and fended off those demigods, which is definitely a big plus, though I could do without all the glass and monster dust."

Rose chuckled. "Well, I'm glad we were of some help. Take care."

"You too."

With that, we walked away and entered the ship. After a long day of fighting, we were all fatigued and in need for a good rest, so we headed to our individual cabins and slept, the soothing running of the ship's engine easing me to sleep.