Being poisoned is not fun. Okay, that's probably the most obvious statement you will ever hear (except if someone says that puppies are cute).

I don't know how I had managed to run all the way back to the dining pavilion, but as I finally started the feel the effects of the poison I began to think that it hadn't been worth it. There had been so many monsters out there...

I gripped my chair as the world spun around me. I swayed slightly and felt a pair of hands rest firmly on my shoulders. "You're going to be okay." A voice told me. It sounded strangely muffled.

"Chiron!" This was Asha's voice...right? Of course. I'm sure I can recognize my twin sister's voice.

"Infirmary. Now." The other voice hissed.

Suddenly I went weightless. A pair of hands was wrapped around my waist. They set me gently on a bumpy seat and then I was flying, the wind making my hair lash in all directions.

Everything was blurred. The edges of my vision were fuzzy. I tried to stay awake, but the darkness was stronger...much stronger. Pain shot through my gut and made me sick.

I couldn't help myself. I wanted so badly to get away from the pain and sickness that I was feeling. I closed my eyes and sunk into the peaceful darkness.

•••

Opening my eyes was like trying to pry open one of those twisty jars that won't unscrew. It was a pain in the butt.

"Bianca? Bianca! ASHA I THINK SHE'S AWAKE!" A very familiar voice yelled. I groaned and sat up, rubbing my eyes.

"Wha...TOMMY!" I stared at the boy sitting on the edge of my bed. He had brown shaggy hair and bright green eyes. He jumped off my bed when he heard me scream his name.

"Sorry, snippy." Tommy said, his eyes shining devilishly. I scowled at him. "You are such an idiot." I hissed.

Tommy made the boo-boo lip at me. "I was just checking on you." He whined. I rolled my eyes.

"Actually, more like staring at you." A voice murmured off to my right. I turned and propped myself onto my shoulder, facing Asha. She grinned at me.

Tommy stared at the both of us. "What...I mean...how...GAH! STARING IS A STRONG WORD, OKAY!?"

Asha nodded. "Strong enough to describe the situation I witnessed." She turned to me, a devious gleam in her eye. "I think he happens to have a little something for you, Bianca." She purred.

Okay. I get it. Payback time. Well, it takes two to play a game, and I was so ready for it.

"At least he's not like Jack, waiting ever so quietly by your door for you in the morning..." I said smoothly, keeping a sickly smile on my face.

Asha narrowed her eyes playfully at me. "Oh, Jack is just a little more open...I'm sure Tommy does the same thing." She retorted.

Tommy coughed loudly. "Escu' me?" (Yes that is exactly how he said it). "But I don't stalk people. That is just wrong..."
"Isn't it?" I asked. Tommy stared at me. "Isn't that what I just-"

Asha cleared her throat. "Before we overload your tiny brain," She said to Tommy, "shall we continue welcoming Bianca back to consciousness?"

Tommy nodded, not even catching the insult that Asha had included in her statement.

"Wait a minute," he began suddenly, "you just insulted me!"

"Yeah, no freaking dip Sherlock." I snorted. Tommy glared at me. "I know when I'm not welcomed." He told us, walking toward the curtain that surrounded my bed.

"Apparently you don't, otherwise you would have left fifteen minutes ago." I replied. Tommy shot me a disgusted look before disappearing on the other side of the curtain.

I turned to Asha, concern gripping my heart as I thought about more pressing matters. "How is everyone? Did the monsters get in?"

Asha shook her head. "We drove 'em out, though Emily and Isaac got poisoned. No big deal though, Chiron caught them before it spread too far."

I sighed in relief. "Lucky for me, it didn't spread too far." I said, rubbing the cut on my stomach absentmindedly.

Asha winced. "Yeah...lucky..."

I stared at her, suddenly getting a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I could tell by the look on her face that something wasn't right.

"Asha, what happened?" I whispered. Asha looked at me sadly. "The poison wasn't stopped early enough, Bianca. It's still inside of you, and Chiron didn't have the supplies to get it out. He managed to slow it down, but..."

"Did he try nectar and ambrosia?" I checked. Yes, it was a stupid question, but in my defense I was being told that I still had poison in my body. How would you react? 'Cause I don't exactly think you would skip over to your best friend and ask her to throw a party for you.

"Yes, he used both. It was powerful poison, Bianca, and it was flowing through you so quickly..."

I was getting more and more scared by the minute. It wasn't fair. I had just come to Camp Half-Blood! "I'm not going to die, am I?"

Asha looked away, a tear rolled down her cheek. "We don't know. All we can do is wait and watch. Chiron went out to get more supplies. He really hopes that he can fix you, but he can't guarantee anything. He said you might feel some side effects."

My chest tightened. I couldn't accept this. I wasn't going to be weakened by a freaking scratch! So what if it was poisoned? Monsters had no right to take away my freedom!

Holy crud I sound like an English patriot. GIVE ME LIBERTY, OR GIVE ME DEATH!

Okay I'm done being weird. On with the story!

"Do mom and dad know?" I asked. Asha nodded. "I contacted them through an Iris Message. They're on their way."

As if on cue, my mother and father ran into my little area. "Bianca," my father whispered. He leaned down and wrapped his strong arms around me. I pushed him away, got to my feet, and gave him a proper hug.

My mother gently pulled my father away. I think I'll save some breath, and just call them Nico and Erica.

Or, as they're more commonly known, Erico.

Erica gave me a firm squeeze, and then held me at arms length away, her eyes shining with tears. "You're all scratched up." She whispered. I nodded.

As Erica and Nico backed away from me I was hit with a wave of nausea. I swayed on my feet. Asha caught me as I dropped.

"Bianca!" Erica screamed, her voice echoing strangely in my head.

"I can't stand this," Nico murmured. He stared at Erica. "I can't be separated from my own daughter."

"You have to be," Erica whispered, her voice trembling. "But-"

Erica interrupted Nico with a firm kiss. I seemed to watch my father melt into a puddle before he quietly agreed to let me stay.

Pain pierced my stomach. I gasped and fell into blackness yet again.