~* How Then Might Our Course Have Changed . . .

"Let me get this straight, so you get to go in the cage but I have to stay here on the boat, where I can't see anything, while you have all the fun?"

"That sounds about right."

"Jerk," Percy scoffed, crossing his arms and resolving not to sulk. He sat on top of the bait cooler, desensitized to the stench of rotten fish as he watched, decidedly unimpressed, as his father readied the seal-shaped camera decoy. The little research vessel beneath their feet skidded across the choppy waters of the Pacific Ocean but neither father nor son was unbalanced by the jerky motions, far too used to such abuse to be much affected.

"Brat," Poseidon carelessly teased back, equally unimpressed with his son's attitude, as he lethargically leaned into the rocking of the boat. "You mother made me promise to keep you out of the water."

"But I'd be in the cage—"

"And where will the cage be, Perseus?" Poseidon asked indulgently, not looking up.

Percy paused, scowling at the end of the boat where the shark cage could be found, securely tied down, the sun reflecting painfully bright off its polished bars.

"But I'd be in the cage—" Percy vainly repeated, his voice dangerously close to a whine, not that the boy would admit it. Poseidon looked up, amused, but designed to keep Percy in suspense as he finished tying the camera off.

"I'm old enough," Percy tried to reason, which got a full-bellied laugh from his father.

"You're twelve," Poseidon said, as if Percy needed reminding.

"That's basically an adult—"

"Basically an adult you say? Hm, who am I going to claim on my taxes now?" Poseidon chuckled, as if that made any sense. "Pelos! I'm throwing the decoy out!"

And with that cry, Poseidon wound his arm back and threw the seal camera, rope attached, out to sea. The decoy spiral gracelessly through the air, kind of like a dying bird actually, before splashing down.

"Sonar shows at least six large bodies two hundred meters down," came Pelos' voice from below the deck.

"Excellent, that'll be our Great Whites," Poseidon guessed with a wide grin, clapping Percy on the shoulder as he walked towards the bow of the boat.

Percy made a face at his father's back. He hopped off the cooler as Poseidon shouted science mumbo jumbo at his two fellow scientists, Pelo, a member from the aquarium back in New York, and Canace, the local Seal Island expert. Percy ignored them for now, they weren't doing anything remotely interesting at the moment, and peered curiously over the helm of the boat, one hand shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun off the ocean. Seal Island rose out of the sea to the right of the boat, little black specks flipping and flying around the rocks. They were seals, Percy knew, even if he couldn't make out their happy, whiskered faces.

"Stay away from the dive gate!" Poseidon shouted, snapping his fingers over his shoulder but not turning around. "Back up front with you!"

Percy took a step back, reluctantly letting his fingers slip away from the railing of the boat, making another face at his father's unsuspecting back. Canace caught the expression; she grinned but bent low over her clipboard instead of ratting him out. Percy appreciated that, he always liked Canace.

"It's peak breeding season for the seals, so we should see some sharks," Canace shouted over the roar of the motor, one hand coming up in a vain attempt to tame the wayward locks the wind tore from her pony-tail.

As if in response to the scientist's words, a blur of movement caught Percy's eye and he whirled around just in time to see a white belly slam back into the water.

"A breach!" Percy cried in disbelief, dashing back to the helm of the boat in excitement. "Dad, did you see that? I just missed it! Dad—!"

"What did I say about staying away from the back gate?" Poseidon asked, striding towards him but he was grinning broadly. He grabbed Percy by the shoulder, giving a friendly squeeze as he tugged the boy away from the railing.

"And I did," his father agreed, laughing deeply as he leaned over Percy's shoulder to squint out at the rough waves. "But don't worry, we should see plenty more of that."

"Maybe!" Canace shouted, frantically fidgeting with the monitors. "Pelos! Did you get that?"

"Hold on, hold on, dammit, we just deployed it—"

"Dammit Pelos, don't tell me you missed it."

Percy craned his neck up to peer up at Poseidon as the pair devolved into a loud bickering. His father winked, callous hands a warm weight on Percy's shoulders.

"Pretty cool even from up here on the boat isn't it?" Poseidon asked with an irritatingly smug and sly grin.

Even though he loathed to give Poseidon the satisfaction, Percy couldn't help giving a reluctant, "Pretty cool."

"Atta boy," Poseidon laughed, giving him a shake. Shouting sounded from the control room and the boat gave a sudden jerk.

"Oh, hold on there," Poseidon sighed, fingers digging into Percy's shoulders to keep the boy upright. "Alright, I guess I should head back there and break that up."

Percy snorted, rolling his eyes, "You mean pick a side."

"Same difference," Poseidon lightly dismissed, striding towards the commotion. "Stay away from the diving gate!"

Percy rolled his eyes again, not interested in the petty squabbles of the scientists. He eagerly scanned the horizon instead, finding the seal decoy bobbing along in the wake of the boat. He couldn't believe he missed the first shark breach. Well, he certainly wouldn't miss the next one. He fixed his eyes on the decoy, resolving not to take his eyes off it. He was so busy watching the decoy bob up and down, eyes firmly fixed on the fake prey, that he did almost miss it. There, in the distance, a couple leagues from the boat: a Great White breached.

"Dad!" Percy yelled as the massive fish lifted clean out of the water and for one heart-stopping moment lay suspended parallel to the ocean, a seal trapped in its steel jaw. Percy watched in delight as the sea giant majestically twisted in the air before splashing back down.

"Dad, did you see that, did you see that—" Percy called, rushing to the end of the boat, one foot on the bottom rail to heave himself up, desperate to keep track of the shark even though it already sunk back below the surface.

It happened fast.

One moment he was leaning over the railing, eyes wide in delight then . . . then he was falling, the dive gate swinging forward under his weight, the rusted and old lock shattering, and the ocean was getting closer, closer, closer.

Percy gasped, lungs filling with bitter, salty water—what? What was happening? He was upside down, no he was sideways, he was—he was—

Then he was upright, intermittently hacking the water out of his lungs and desperately taking in gulps of air. Salt stung his eyes as he blinked stupidly. He bobbed uncomfortably, head briefly dipping below the water before he remembered to kick. He kicked, his head breaking the surface and blinked stupidly across the choppy rolls of blue that rocked across his face.

The boat was cruising away, a couple feet, tens of feet, further. Percy blinked.

Then he shouted, "Dad!"

A quick breath.

"Dad!"

Percy turned his head, his breath coming quickly. He was in the ocean, oh god, he was in the ocean, he fell, he fell overboard, oh god.

"Dad!" Percy shouted again, heart pounding against his ribs.

Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic, don't panic, he thought in panic. Waves lapped against his face and the image of the breaching shark flashed through Percy mind, like a slow motion replay; the shark's head bursting above the water, jaws slowly clamping down on the doomed seal, body still rising higher and higher.

"Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic," Percy repeated to himself, desperate.

Don't look like a seal, his mind unhelpfully supplied as he took a couple strokes forward, eyes glued on the boat.

They must have realized something was wrong; the boat was banking a hard right, the old motor desperately trying to make a U-turn. The boat wasn't as far away as Percy's panicked mind originally thought. He could clearly see Poseidon on deck, his tan face taunt with obvious panic. He was shouting, making violent, quick gestures. He had one foot up on the boat railing, Canace's hand firmly wrapped around his arm. Restraining him, Percy realized. Because of course Poseidon would think jumping into the water would help.

Percy kicked and swam, making a beeline for the boat with as little splashing as possible. Poseidon reached an arm out, but they were too far away for it to be of any use.

"Don't splash!" His father's voice was strained. "Hurry, just a little bit father, come on Percy."

"Poseidon—" Canace warned sharply as Poseidon lurched forward as if to dive in. "No, you'll make a splash."

"Come on Percy, come on."

The water was warm as it lapped against the side of Percy's face, trying to push him back as he kicked forward, eyes fixed on Poseidon's taunt face. Oh, Sally was going to be so angry with him, she would never let Percy go out with Poseidon again. The thought flitted quickly across Percy's mind, replaced by the fractured thoughts that there were sharks in the water, that he was small and wearing black and probably looked like a damn seal, and that Poseidon was still out of reach. The sun seemed to reflect off Poseidon's wide eyes, shades of green fracturing and shining like cracked emerald. Pelos shouted something, Poseidon's head half turned only to snap back. The look on his face froze Percy's breath, his arm pausing midstroke.

"Percy!"

His father's scream wasn't human. Percy didn't have time to be afraid, to wonder at that terrible voice because then . . . then Percy was in the air.

Was it Poseidon's scream echoing in his ears or his own confused, startled gasp? He could see the sky, nothing but the blue, blue sky, stretching on and on, closer and closer . . . and then, like a shooting star, he crashed back down to earth. The world was still blue, only darker. And silent. He laid suspended, frozen. Nothing moved. There was no sound. Something tugged at his upper body; a latent part of his brain vainly tried to spark alarm into his listless body. He couldn't imagine why, although he felt he should. The tugging brought him upward—and the silent bubble broke.

"Percy? Percy!"

A wet, very human hand slapped against his face. Percy blinked, staring uncomprehendingly at Poseidon. How did he get there so fast?

"Percy," Poseidon gasped, his voice strangled. "I've got you, I've got you."

Obviously.

Poseidon kept repeating it though, paddling backward with one hand and dragging Percy through the choppy waters.

Hm.

So it was Poseidon tugging at him. Well. That was good.

The boat idled towards them. Canace crouched on her knees, whiter than the foam on the sea, both hands held out towards them from her perch at the stern. Pelos threw himself down next to her, a red box clenched in his arms.

"Dad?"

"I've got you, I've got you, I've got you—a little further—" Poseidon's voice wasn't right.

Canace could reach them now, her hard fingers dug into Percy's shoulders then Pelos lurched forward and together they pulled him back aboard the boat. Percy gasped, trying to sit up. Something was wrong, something was wrong with him. Percy coughed then Poseidon was leaning over him, looking every bit a ghost.

"Oh God, oh God," Poseidon gasped, which seemed to confirm Percy's suspicions.

Poseidon wasn't looking at his face.

"Tourniquet, tourniquet, give me a—" his father frantically demanded and Pelos thrust something into Poseidon's hands.

"Shh, shh, shh, look at me, look at me Percy," Canace desperately instructed as Percy tried to see what Poseidon was doing. The biologist took his face in trembling hands, moving to cradle his head on her lap.

"Hey sweetie, hey, look at me okay? Just look at me."

She brushed wet hair away from his eyes, forcing a shaking smile as she leaned over him, her pale face filling his vision. Pelos talked frantically in the background;

"No, no, Seal Island, yes, yes just off the island. No it—yes a Great White. He's—he's—he's twelve. Oh God. Leg, the—we have a tourniquet, we need—above the wound yes—yes, yes. I don't think, no, no it didn't break the artery, it couldn't have, god there's so much blood. What if it did—Okay. Okay. Okay. Blood type? I don't—Poseidon what—"

"Oh negative."

"Oh negative, oh negative—"

"When, Pelos, when—"

"Twenty? Twenty minutes?"

Poseidon swore colorfully.

"Okay, okay—" Pelos was still babbling "Poseidon, Poseidon I need you to concentrate, they're going to try and walk us through—"

"Switch places with me, Poseidon," Canace demanded, head suddenly snapping up. "Comfort your son, I'll help Pelos."

Percy thought he could hear Poseidon's heavy breathing. "No, no, I need—I need—"

"Need someone thinking clearly, which you can't. Get up here and comfort your son, I'll do that. Pelos, what do I do? Poseidon! Now! Move!"

There was a scramble of movement. Pelos was still talking in broken fragments but Percy's head wasn't on Canace's lap anymore. He blinked and Poseidon was there in her place, gently lifting his head onto his father's lap instead.

"Dad?"

"I'm here, I'm here," Poseidon gasped and he reached down to take Percy's face in his hands.

Percy stared. Poseidon's hands were trembling but that wasn't what caught Percy's attention; they were bloodstained, every patch of skin colored red, streams running down his arms and dripping onto the deck.

"You're bleeding."

Poseidon's hands froze an inch from Percy's face. The legs that served as his pillow shook so violently Percy's vision blurred. Poseidon looked stricken.

"Oh." Percy realized, his voice detached. "It's my blood, isn't it? I'm bleeding."

Poseidon desperately tried to wipe his hands on his wetsuit, stammering fragments of reassurance all the while. The words slipped senselessly passed Percy; the blood smeared with the water on his father's suit, spreading but not washing away. Poseidon's bloodstained hands came to frame Percy's face, thumbs stroking Percy's cheeks.

"I was bit by a shark wasn't I?"

Poseidon gave a jerky nod.

"Yes." Poseidon swallowed hard, eyes flickering down to his colleagues.

The fingers on Percy's face tensed, digging into the skin. Canace and Pelos moved frantically around, anxiously calling to each other. Percy thought one of them might be on the phone. He tried to twist his head, to see what the damage was, what was going on. Poseidon's hands detained him, his father's wild eyes back on him.

"No," Poseidon said, his voice harsh. "No, look at me, Percy, look at me."

Percy didn't really want to, he wanted to see what was wrong. He felt funny, something wasn't right but . . . but it could be all that bad. He wasn't in pain. If he was hurt real bad, he'd feel it right? Poseidon looked bad, half-wild, so Percy tried to reassure him.

"It doesn't hurt."

"What?" Poseidon asked, his voice strangled.

"It doesn't hurt," Percy repeated. He paused, blinking. Talking was kind of hard. His words sounded a little funny. He took a deep breath. "I'm not in pain. I don't hurt."

His words seemed to have the opposite effect than he hoped.

"Canace!" Poseidon cried, leaning further over Percy as if sheltering him from his own words.

Canace called back, Pelos' voice overlapping. Too many people were speaking at once. Percy only caught snatches of the conversation.

"A helicopter . . . is coming?" Percy asked, his tongue oddly heavy.

"Yes," Poseidon gasped distractedly, pushing hair from Percy's eyes, fingers running across Percy's cheek, his jaw, back up to his forehead. "Yes, Percy a helicopter is coming. How long, Canace?"

"Oh," Percy said, mostly to himself because Poseidon was talking rapidly with Canace.

Poseidon's voice grew increasingly agitated. Percy didn't understand. He could feel the boat, bobbing up and down . . . up and down . . . up and . . . swaying back and forth . . . back and forth . . . back and . . . and. . . The sky over Poseidon's shoulder was blue. Like, really, really blue. Kind of dark. Was it growing late? Each breath weighed heavily in Percy's chest. He couldn't remember breathing being so difficult.

"Dad?" His voice was soft even to his own ears. He tried to clear his throat. "Dad?"

"Yes, Percy, I'm here, I'm here." Poseidon's entire attention snapped to Percy in an instant.

"I'm tired."

Poseidon's breath audibly caught.

"I need you stay awake," Poseidon said, his voice cracking and shaking and just so, so wrong. "Okay, buddy? I need you to stay awake." He slapped Percy's face, his entire body heaving and trembling.

Percy didn't want to upset him so he said, "Okay . . . until the helicopter gets here?"

"Yes, the hospital is sending a helicopter."

"Then . . . then I can sleep?"

Poseidon's mouth opened and closed, head shaking nonsensically. "Not yet Percy okay? Just—just not yet, please."

Percy blinked. He must have taken a long time because Poseidon was slapping his face again.

"Hey, hey, hey buddy, hey Percy, look at me okay? Look at me buddy."

Percy looked at him. "I don't hurt."

"I know Percy, I know."

"I'm tired."

"I know Percy."

Percy's brow furrowed. Poseidon's face was mere inches from his own, demanding Percy's entire attention.

"You . . . tears," Percy murmured in confusion. He wanted to reach up and touch Poseidon's face, where tears were gathering in the corner of his eyes. His limbs wouldn't respond though so Percy just stared in useless confusion. "Dad?"

"It's okay Percy, I'm here. It's—you gotta stay awake for me okay bud? We-we start school—middle school—you start middle school in a couple weeks. Grover, your friend Grover will go to school with you this year. That's nice, that's important. You need—you need to do that. And your mother, your mom needs you. I—it's her weekend you know, she let me take you out this weekend, we need to get you back to her, right? Your mom, your mom she loves you so much, we love you so much, hey buddy stay awake, okay? Stay awake with me Percy, stay with me—"

"'M here Da'." Percy's voice sounded real funny now.

Maybe . . . maybe it was that bad. Maybe . . . maybe he should be worried. Panic tried to settle in his mind but couldn't quite take root, his body too exhausted to properly support the excitement.

"Percy, Percy—"

His eyes had closed again. Percy forced them open, staring up at Poseidon. He couldn't remember ever seeing Poseidon afraid before. His dad wasn't supposed to be afraid of anything. Percy wished he wouldn't look like that.

"How long?" Poseidon screamed, torn and raw and it would have been frightening if Percy could've mustered the effort to be alarmed. Nobody answered Poseidon.

Poseidon leaned back over Percy, cradling his head gently but firmly. Percy thought he might be rocking back and forth, but maybe that was the boat, maybe it was the sea. Percy couldn't tell. He could barely feel it. He was so tired now. Poseidon wouldn't let him close his eyes; he slapped Percy's face, talked and shouted and begged and Percy tried to listen, he did, he really did . . .

"Almost, almost—there, there do you see them?!"

"The helicopter's almost here, Percy, help's almost here," Poseidon gasped, fingers combing through Percy's hair, across his forehead, anywhere he seemed to be able to touch. "You're doing so good, buddy, okay? I'm so, so proud of—they're here, Percy, okay, help's right there, just one minute, just one minute more."

"I'm cold," Percy whispered and he thought that maybe he was scared now.

Tears ran freely down Poseidon's face, hands uselessly petting Percy's face.

"I know baby, I know, just a little longer okay? Just a longer for Dad, just a little longer, they're almost here, they're right there, just stay here with Daddy okay? Please oh god please—"

Something was threatening to drown out Poseidon's voice. Percy felt tears pricking his own eyes, only he couldn't seem to be able to cry, and he just wanted to hear his dad talk, just wanted to see his dad but Poseidon was pulling back, talking to someone—no, don't leave—

"Dad?"

Poseidon was leaning back over him, talking, words that didn't make any sense. Who was going to take him? No. No, he didn't want to go anywhere, he wanted to say with Poseidon. Why couldn't Poseidon—? Didn't they know that Percy needed Poseidon, he needed his dad—

"—love you, it's okay, it's gonna be okay, I love you—"

Then Poseidon was gone but other people, maybe other things, were there. He was moving, maybe, something was pressed against his face, but he couldn't feel it, he couldn't feel anything, he couldn't—

He lay suspended again, floating. Was he back in the water? No. No, Poseidon wouldn't let that happen. . .

Noise.

Lots of noise.

Or maybe no noise at all.

He could move his head now, although it took all his effort and might. He saw blue. Splashes and dances of blue. Someone moved his head back and he saw dark, shadowy blurs.

"Dad?"

Stat and oh neg, shock and hypovol-something. Stolen and borrowed words. Where was Poseidon?

"Dad?"

He couldn't see anything now. Nothing hurt.

"I'm scared."

. . .

. .

.

Dad?

A/n Sharks are not evil.