The architecture conference was simply amazing, to say the least. After half an hour in I stopped reading Percy's updates as everything seemed fine and I gave my whole attention to the conference. I could trust Percy.

Near the end of the conference I got many nasty glares as my phone kept buzzing, so I sighed and reluctantly placed it on silent.

Once the conference was over I made my way back to my car, a smile unable to leave my face. My mind was buzzing with all the knowledge I'd just received and I was already planning new building ideas, glad I had a project to try them out on.

Once I arrived in my parked car I remembered my phone and pulled it out of my bag. After turning it back on, a row of texts flooding the screen, all from Percy. He followed my instructions.

The smile on my face quickly disappeared as I read the texts.

<Percy> hey, wise girl. Everything is going great here expect Alice is all red and has a slight rash? Is that normal for little kids??

<Percy> I called thalia no answer

<Percy> r u reading my texts? Annabeth I need you!!

<Percy> I'm taking Alice to the hospital, the one you wrote about

<Percy> meet me at the hospital, Chase!!

Followed by the texts were several missed called and I kicked myself for turning my phone on silent. I quickly started the car and started driving to the aforementioned hospital, feeling like the world was spinning.

When I rushed into the hospital I had a brief interaction with the workers at the front desk before rushing into the ER waiting room where I scanned the room for anyone I recognized.

The room had boring, beige walls and scummy white tiling that needed a good cleaning. Several squeaky chairs lined the room and were inhabited with people of all different injuries.

Then I located Percy, who was sat near the help desk. His arms were folded across his chest and a look of worry nearly as frantic as mine was on his face.

"Percy, where's Alice?!" I asked as I rushed over to him.

He stood up next to me. "The doctor said she's going to be alright, he's just running some additional tests on her and guaranteeing that she'll be okay. She had an allergic reaction."

"An allergic reaction?! To what?" I asked as my eyes widened. "What did you feed her, Percy?!"

"Carrots!" he admitted. "She was getting hungry and carrots were on the list of approved snacks!"

"Carrots?" I repeated, clearly dumbfounded. "That can't be it, I've fed her carrots before!"

Percy shrugged. "I told the doctor that she didn't have a known allergy to carrots, but he said she must've developed it recently. That can happen, apparently."

I released a shaky breathe and nodded. I slowly lowered myself into the nearest empty plastic chair, my face in my hands. "This is all my fault...."

Percy shook his head as he sat down next to me. He wrapped an arm around me. "No, Annabeth. In no way is this your fault. You didn't know, in fact there's no possible way you would've known. And she's going to be okay."

"But if you hadn't taken her here—"

"I did, though," Percy said firmly. "You left Alice with a responsible babysitter, and she's fine. You are a good mother, and this isn't your fault."

I nodded hesitantly before wiping the tears off of my face. I peered at Percy, who grimaced at me. "I'm sorry, it's just this kinda thing has never happened before. I've never let anyone besides Thalia babysit her before. How did you even know to come here?"

"She was all red," Percy explained, "and she had a bit of a rash. We were halfway through Finding Nemo and I could tell she was having a hard time breathing.

"I brought her here, based on your thankfully extensive notes. I called you, Thalia, all the emergency numbers you had listed, but no one answered, so I brought her here. Rather be safe than sorry, right?"

"Thank you," I whispered as I dabbed the tears on my face again. "I don't know what I would've done without you and your quick thinking..."

"You would've fine, because you're capable," Percy decided. "In fact, you're more than capable."

I released a shaky laugh. "T-thank you, but I'm not so sure about that. After all, I'm the nervous wreck."

Percy chuckled. "Oh my god, you should've seen me when I first came here. I was violent, idiotic, and even more nervous than you are now. Partially because I was afraid of what you and Thalia would do to me."

"Yeah, that's true," I said, a half-smile appearing on my face. Then I peered up at the ticking clock and sighed. "What's taking them so long? Are they keeping her overnight?"

"Nah, I don't think so," Percy explained with a frown. "They didn't say that."

Worry grew inside me again as I peered all around the room, trying to distract myself, but it was no use. I was freaked out. "W-what if there's something wrong with h-her and that's why they're k-keeping her?"

Percy shook his head. "That's not why, Annabeth, I'm sure of it."

"You don't know, you're not a doctor," I snapped, harsher than I meant to.

"Well, actually, you don't know this but I went back and got my medical license," Percy replied snarkily.

A laugh escaped my lips. "I'm sorry I snapped, I'm just really nervous..."

Percy nodded. "I know."

Then he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me closer to him. I was pressed against his chest, practically shivering from fear. The gesture was more comforting than romantic. It was familiar, it felt right.

Several minutes passed and neither of us moved out of that position. Percy seemed to take the sign that I didn't move away as a sign that I enjoyed his embrace, which was true. I was too nervous and scared to be thinking of professionalism at a time like this.

Every time the doors leading from the clinic and into the waiting room swung open we would both perk our heads up to search for Alice, but we were having little success.

Then the doors swung open again and Alice and a nurse walked out towards us. I instantly stood up and subconsciously pushed Percy away as I rushed over to her.

"Mr. Jackson, your daughter," the nurse said as she made her way over to us. "I assume this is the mother?"

Percy laughed awkwardly, but I was too busy embracing Alice to notice. "Uh, yeah, that's her mother, but I'm not her father. Just....just a friend."

The nurse shrugged, her night shift too busy to care. Then she started reading off of her clipboard, nodding along as she read. "So, doctor says stay away from carrots. If she ever comes into contact with one again bring her here or invest in an auto injector. It's a small allergy, though, so nothing life threatening and don't freak out. She's fine to take home."

I nodded and then turned all my attention back to Alice. "Are you okay? I bet that was scary..."

Alice nodded weakly as she burrowed into my chest. "I wanna finish Nemo..."

I chuckled as I picked her up and carried her in my arms towards the exit door. "Okay, then we should get you home. Thanks for everything, Percy."

"Of course," Percy said with a nod as he followed us out the hospital door into the dim parking garage vaguely lit with lampposts.

"Where are you going?" Alice asked with some rejuvenated energy she must've recently acquired. "The movie's not done, you'll miss the ending! The best part."

I peered up at Percy, who had stopped in his tracks, and smirked. "Like she said, the movie's not over, Percy. I guess you have to come over and finish it."

"Well, I suppose I must have to."