Calling all Demigods! discussion

Madeline was sobbing. "Help me," she whispered. "It hurts."

Diona's mind was racing. "Somebody get me a freaken counselor!" She said. ((Caspar doesn't count, he's inactive))
Jack ran off to the nearest cabin.

"I'll help you," Hayley whispered. "I promise. I'll stop the hurt." She tried to help Madeline up, but was only so strong. "Help me, Diona," she pleaded, struggling to get Madeline to her feet. "We need to take her to the Infirmary, now. It's closer than her cabin."

Madeline screamed again as another wave of pain hit her. "Stop, Hayley," she cried. "It hurts more...."

Diona helped.

Carter ran in. "Madeline?" He asked. "May I?" He asked Hayley. "I can get her there faster." He said.
Jack followed, panting.

Hayley immediately stopped and lowered her to the ground, ears ringing from the scream. "No, don't touch her," she told Carter. "We need to help her here. Moving her might kill her."

Carter nodded, he took a bottle out of his pocket. "Ambrosia." He abbreviated, handing it to Hayley. "I have it for emergencies." He said.

Diona's eyes went wide. "What are we going to do?!" She said. She took over the crowd gathering. "You, get me water, you get me cloth." She ordered.

Madeline cried. Cried like a baby. She recoiled away from Hayley.

Diona rested a cloth with cool water on her forehead. "Does that hurt?" She asked. "Or feel better?"

"Hurt," Madelin gasped, shaking it off.

Diona took it off. She nodded. She put her finger lightly on her arm. "Lemme guess, that hurts?" She asked.

Hayley took it in her trembling hands, heart racing in her chest. She wanted to tell him what was going on, but knew Caspar wouldn't want it. As she debated she felt someone brush her arm and looked up to see the calm, yet concerned face of Holly. Holly winced at Madeline and touched her forehead, pulling back at the fever. "I-I don't know what wrong," Hayley stammered, half lying. "I would know the sickness, b-but I don't. I-Its foreign." Holly simply nodded and watched as treatments failed.

Madeline recoiled at Diona's touched and merely nodded ever-so-slightly. She brokei into a fit of coughing, sending more pain waves up her spine.

Diona felt troubled. "Pressure. Her skin is sensitive to pressure. Ever so much, even the air is hurting her. Give her the Ambrosia now." She said.

Hayley's hands shook so badly she couldn't do it. Holly took the bottle in her hands and uncapped it. She tilted Madeline's head back with tenders hands and slowly trickled the nectar into her mouth.

"No," Madeline whispered, shutting her eyes. "Don't."

Diona didn't realize it but she was holding her breath.

Holly didn't stop, despite the girl's objections. "Hold on," she murmured. "It'll be better soon." Hopefully.
Hayley watched silently, eyes flashing with fear and concern.

"Please. Stop," Madeline rasped again.

Diona's eyes flashed emotions all at one time. Her memory flashed in front of her. Especially of her mom. Carter stood there hopelessy, then looked at his hands. He cringed. Then he glared at the crowd. "Why aren't one of you getting Chiron?!" He yelled.

Holly flinched internally, making her frown. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "Just hold on." Her heart ached to see her pain. She swallowed hard, looking to Diona once and then back to Madeline.

Diona felt something wet on her cheek. Warm and salty. Wait, am I crying She thought. A single tear dripped down her face.

Madeline coughed and spluttered. H*** doesn't look so bad after all, she thought bitterly.

Carter bit his tonguge. "I SAID GO GET CHIRON YOU IDIOTS!" HE yelled to the crowd.

Holly pulled the now empty bottle back from the girl's lips and set it down. She bit her lip, brow furrowed in deep thought. "Diona, go get Chiron. Please, now," she pleaded.
Hayley swallowed hard, not taking her gaze away from Madeline.

Madeline coughed again. "Help..." She chuckled, looking slightly crazed once more. Help? Who could help? Who could possibly help?

Diona raced to Chiron. ((Should we wait for her?))

((Can you do it?))
Diona came back with Chiron.

((Oi... I fail... >.< I haven't even started the 2nd book... which I need to... since I have it now...))

Madeline writhered.

((I'll RP Chiron.))

Chiron's dark brown eyes darted around the crowd, alert. "Everybody, back away from Madeline!" he said, authority making up for the lack of volume in his voice. "Now, someone tell me, what's going on?"

Caspar opened his mouth, then closed it again. He glared at Hayley and Diona. Grasping the little girl by the hand, he pulled her close. "What makes you think Dad'll let a seven year old girl go on a quest? You've got to be at least twelve." He hissed in her ear, willing her to understand.

Madeline cringed again as the others moved away. Vibrations amplified by the sickness had caused her more waves of agony.

((I ARE BACK.))

Holly stood up and backed away from Madeline, making her gaze level with Chiron. "I heard her screams, she's in pain. I-I don't know what's wrong, but it's getting worse. Every time someone touches her it hurts her, terribly. She's also got a high fever," she reported shakily, a cold sweat breaking on her forehead. Hayley stood and backed away, not looking at Caspar. "Hayley was with her," Holly continued. Hayley swallowed and looked up at the sound of her name, heart thudding in her chest.

"Thank you, Holly."
Chiron narrowed his eyes at Hayley. "What happened exactly, Hayley?"

Caspar knelt down by the ailing girl, bringing a finger down close to her forehead. Summoning all his mind-strength, he allowed the girl's mind to essentially get drunk to lessen the pain. "Caspar--" Chiron said, a warning ringing in his voice, but he stopped as he realized that it was the most efficient pain killer. Caspar stood, his normally grinning mouth a grim slash of determination, his eyes glaring daggers at Hayley.

Madeline coughed again. The pain seemed be lessening, though not completely. She vaguely wondered what was happening before slowly drifting off to sleep.

Holly nodded and took another step back, into the crowd, Her eyes moved to Madeline and flicked from Diona to Hayley and back all over again, brows furrowed with massive concern and confusion.
Hayley bit her lip for a moment, feeling Caspar's glare burn into her. It made her feel weaker and almost hurt her. "Me and Diona were talking," she began, past the lump in her throat. She decided to skip the prophecy, for now. "And then we heard a scream. Both of us ran toward the noise and saw Madeline, on the floor, screaming." The fresh memory made her grimace visibly, but she continued on. "Jack left and brought Carter back to help,but no one could get Madeline to the Infirmary without hurting her." She took a deep breath, face now drained of color. "Then Carter gave Holly ambrosia nectar, to give to Madeline, and she did. Then the crowding started and you came..." She trailed quietly.

Chiron nodded, his face a mask of calmness. "Thank you, Hayley. She's been struck by that Hunter illness," he said with a barely audible sigh. "Caspar. Go to the attic. I give you permission to contact the Oracle."

Caspar blanched. "Uh... sir... well..."

Chiron snapped his fingers in exasperation. "Fool! You did it already." It was a statement, not a question.

Caspar nodded, his chin held high. "Here it is." He gave Chiron the slip of parchment, snapping his eyes lose from Hayley.

Giving Caspar a stern glance, Chiron read the parchment out loudly, for all to hear. "Well."
There was a pause.
"We will have decided the three halfbloods to go on the quest by sundown tomorrow," he rumbled. "Hayley. Fetch your siblings and carry Madeline to the infirmary. Hopefully this blight against the Hunters will end, with the three heros' help."
With that, he trotted away, the prophecy clutched in his large fist.

Caspar looked after the centaur. "He didn't even mention the eternal sleep," he spat out, fists clenched at his sides, the line of his jaw pronounced more than usual.

Hayley stood still for a moment, silent.
"Go on, Hayley." Holly's soft, reassuring murmur did little to calm her. "Do what Chiron says."
Hayley nodded and, with the help of the other Apollo children, began to take Madeline to the Infirmary.
Holly stared after the direction Chiron had gone, then her eyes flicked back to Caspar. She bit her lip, shifting uneasily. "Caspar...?" Her voice came out cautious, as if she was scared as to what he would reply.

"What?" Caspar shot out. "Don't tell me you want to go and get yourself killed, too." His voice was bitter, and when he looked down at Holly, his eyes were tinged with violet through his shaggy hair.

Holly felt herself flinch away, gaze snapping back to the ground. "I...I just wanted to..." She paused staking a small step back from him. "To see if you were okay, but now that sounds like an extremely ridiculous question."

Caspar sighed and he stepped forward, his arm reaching out to grasp Holly's reassuringly. "I'm sorry," he said, all traces of the purple fire disappearing from his eyes. "It's just... it seems ridiculous that so many people want to throw their lives at stake. Two of whom I care about."

Holly moved her eyes slowly back up to look at him. "I know it seems ridiculous," she murmured patiently, expression sympathetic. She put her hand tenderly on his cheek. "It'll be okay. I'll try and convince Hayley to drop it. I'll help you with this," she promised.

Caspar didn't say anything for a while, but his eyes, which just moments before had been frigid, warmed to such a degree that he felt ovewhelmed. "Nice to know I've got someone on my side for once," he said in a hoarse whisper.

Holly smiled weakly and after a moment, pulled her hand away. "Will you be okay, for now? It's starting to get late again. The harpies might come soon."

Caspar sighed, his eyes roaming over the rapidly darkening horizon. "I'll be fine," he promised. He jutted his chin up at Holly in a silent goodbye and turned away, heading to cabin number twelve.

((i've gotta go. RPAT!))

((K, bye.))

Holly stared after him for a moment before letting out a soft sigh and turning for the Athena cabin.

Diona ran. she had to get out of there. She knew she did.

Aismi walked in

Hayley, attempting calmness, stumbled into the Mess Hall. Her eyes were wild and frantic, sneakers damp and sandy, hair messy and frizzled. Her gaze swept around the hall, searching for her companion.

Madeline shuffled after Hayley. "Slow down," she panted. Gods, this isn't good...

"Sorry, sorry," Hayley apologized quickly, taking a few seconds to catch her breath. "Are you..alright?" she asked breathlessly.