I floated around in darkness for a long time, pondering my options. I know what you're thinking. Oh, Asha! You're being so stupid! Why don't you just go back to the world? You have so much fun there!

Well, you know what? I wasn't exactly looking forward to waking up with a hole in my throat, my leg broken, and my arms spewing blood. So back off.

I sighed and buried my head in my knees, at war with myself.

•••

Jack's POV

I stared at the boy in front of me. He was about my age, with short black hair and brown eyes. He was examining Asha's arm now, washing it out and wrapping it in bandages.

We had already offered her as much ambrosia and nectar as we could risk. It had stopped the bleeding, but none of the wounds had healed.

I bet you're wondering how we came across the boy that was helping us. Well, since I don't have to keep calling him "the boy who's helping us" why don't I tell you his name?

Meet Blake Parker. Son of Apollo (though his appearance is rather different). Yes, I am well aware that I am a son of Apollo. But if I tried to patch up Asha, she would probably have to get her arm chopped off because it got infected, and please, don't get me started with the rest of her.

I can shoot arrows, but I've never been able to heal...ever.

Anyway, back to how I came across Blake.

After Asha got hurt, she passed out...obviously. I didn't like that, so I started raging and destroying every monster in my path. Soon, I had killed them all. And I knelt over Asha and...

Well Blake will say I was crying, but I was actually...er...I mean...

I WASN'T CRYING!

I got poked in the eye by a monster, that was all.

So...

Back to my story. All of the sudden, this kid, which is Blake, ran out of the bushes with bandages and some sort of mortal cleaning supplies and stitches. He knelt down beside Asha and looked up at me, his eyes solemn. "Ambrosia and nectar." He had hissed.

"Yeah, because I knew I was going to get kidnapped so I just happened to remember my pack of ambrosia and nectar." I had said sarcastically. Blake shot me a frustrated look before slipping back into the bushes. He emerged a moment later with ambrosia and nectar. "Er...do I know you?" I had questioned. "Blake," Blake grunted his name, not even looking up at me.

"You know she's a second generation," I pointed out before Blake could tip the entire canteen down her throat. "Don't give her too much."

Blake had then shot me a very nasty glare. Obviously, this kid didn't like to be told what to do.

So naturally, I was going to tell him what to do.

Blake had tipped the nectar into Asha's mouth. Some of the blood stopped flowing, but there was obviously still a lot to do. Once Blake had given her as much ambrosia as he could, he began cleaning out her wounds.

In hindsight, it was probably stupid to trust a random stranger that charged out of the bushes. But I was desperate. I mean...I didn't want to lose my only traveling companion, right? Besides, I'm not going to let someone die. Not on my watch.

"So..." I muttered, watching Blake shove his needle into Asha's throat, so he could close the wound. I winced and Blake glanced up at me, as if he could sense my discomfort. "Don't talk. It's a waste of my time, and yours." He snapped at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Awfully pushy, aren't you?"

Blake let out an exasperated sigh. Pausing in his work, he grabbed Asha's wrist. I felt a sort of fire spring up in my chest, but I choked it down, trying to ignore it. He held it for a moment, focusing, before looking up at me, his eyes troubled.

"What?" I asked sharply. Blake set down Asha's wrist gently, but he didn't pick up the needle. I stared at Blake, then at Asha. As I looked more closely, I realized that her chest was no longer moving.

My knees started shaking. I sunk down and gently opened one of Asha's eyes. They were blank, empty, and...dead.

Just like her.

I closed my eyes, hot tears flowing down my cheeks. I didn't understand why I was crying. Maybe it was because people would probably blame me for her death. Everyone would hate me, especially Bianca.

"We have to keep trying!" I said desperately, looking up at Blake's hopeless face. "STOP SITTING THERE AND GET GOING!" My voice was rising now, displaying my desperation. I wiped the tears off of my cheeks with my hands. Blake glared at me and grabbed the needle. I relaxed until I realize that he was pulling it out. "NO!" I screamed. "YOU HAVE TO TRY! YOU HAVE TO!"

Blake opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, Asha gasped and her eyes flew open.

•••

Asha's POV

Have you ever woken up with a needle in your throat? No? Well, aren't you lucky.

Do you know how flipping terrifying it is to open your eyes and see some kid that you don't know holding a needle that's lodged in your throat? I had no idea what was happening, I had no idea who was standing above me, and I really didn't know where I was.

In fact, my only comfort was Jack. That's not a good thing. At all.

"Don't move!" The boy ordered as I lifted my head slightly. I felt him run the needle through again and I shivered. "What the Hades is happening?" I snapped, my voice hoarse.

Jack grinned at me, looking relieved. "We're fixing you up." He explained. "You see, Blake here happened to find you when you passed out. Now he's helping."

I looked more closely at Jack and realized that his cheeks were wet as his eyes were red and puffy.

"Are you okay, Jack?" I asked, confused.

Jack smirked. "Of course I am, idiot."

He grabbed my hand and held it tightly. I didn't pull away, not because I didn't want to, but because I realized that Jack's hand was wet and sticky.

He had been crying for me.