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Apollo hasn't stopped working in over 36 hours, he could tell that his sister at least was getting better since she came to his infirmary, but that didn't mean much. There weren't many ways that she could get worse than she was, that first sight of her flesh burning still caused him nausea every time he thought too hard about it.
Her healing was slow but steady, little by little he could feel her power getting stronger for his relief.
Apollo was just finishing changing Athena's bandages again when the doors to his infirmary opened, letting the war god and the love goddess inside.
Aphrodite gave him a small smile despite the obvious worry on her face, she always wore her emotions on her sleeves, and made her way over to their sister. Ares made his way to one of his chairs on the side of the room and sat down huffing with annoyance, though it didn't take a genius to see beyond his mask and see the worry on his face.
"So you two finally showed up? I was starting to wonder if you would be the last ones to show up" Apollo said, not missing a beat finishing Athena's bandages and covering her with a blanket, she didn't need more people staring at her battered body.
"Cut the jest, Apollo, how is she?" Aphrodite said cut and dry
"She's healing, Father sure did a number on her" Her body was almost entirely covered in bandages and scars, both from regular burns and the ones made where Zeus lightning bolt had hit her.
"That's an understatement" Ares grumbled, glaring daggers at him.
"Yeah..." He let his hands through his sister's burned hair, she was always so careful with it when she was out of the battlefield "Anyway, although it's a nice sentiment, as I said the last three times someone came to see our dear sister she's still sleeping and she's going to be like this for a while"
If he didn't know any better, Apollo would think his sister was trying to annoy him, because as soon as he stopped talking Athena opened her eyes.
"Athena? Sister, are you hearing me?" Her eyes were glassy and her pupils dilated, but she was looking at his face.
In a second, both Ares and Aphrodite were next to him, Athena was up way earlier than he respected, the brews alone that he gave to heal her should've knocked her out, but he had forgotten how stubborn his sister could be.
"ATHENA, ARE YOU HEARING ME?" Ares said loudly, earning a slap on the arm from his lover
"Don't shout Ares! Are you okay sweetie?" She said softly, rubbing small comforting circles on Athena's shoulder.
Something was wrong, she was turning her head around as if looking at them but not seeing.
"Father?" She called with such a frail voice that if they weren't so close to her, they would not have heard. They flinched at her words, Ares and Aphrodite taking a step back.
"F'ather I'm sorry f-father please, please don't leave I didn't mean- I didn't mean to" She was barely making any sense, her words slurring into another, so different from the eloquent speech that they knew so well.
"Athena it's me, your brother, Apollo" He said trying to keep his cool despite his sister's cries "Your safe father's not here you're safe"
Though it seemed that was the wrong choice, he saw her face contort itself as she let a low wail as tears ran free from her eyes.
Apollo froze for a second, he had never seen his sister cry before.
"Please, Father, I didn't mean to, I'm sorry, father please" She was babbling trying to plead with their father that was nowhere to be found.
For a second, he looked at Ares and Aphrodite, seeing them both completely at a loss, none of them had ever seen Athena like that.
And in one instance, Apollo made a decision that would soothe his sister's fear and would haunt his nightmares.
"I'm here Athena, father's here" He said deepening his voice in his best impression of Zeus, while cradling her scarred cheeks in his hands.
"F-father?" For a moment he thought he had made the wrong choice at the broken sound of Athena's voice, but like magic, he saw her melt in his touch seeking more "I'm sorry Father I'm sorry, I was wrong I'm sorry" She repeated herself over and over, her voice stumbling between the sobs that were just getting stronger.
He held her closer to him, his heart torn between an unprecedented sadness and fury.
"Don't cry d-daughter of mine, you're forgiven" He felt sick, he shouldn't have to need to pretend to be their father "All is forgiving I swear"
"R-really?" She looked at him with her grey eyes, they usually invoked such power, but now he just felt pity. He nodded, whipping her tears away with his thumbs
"Yes, just rest Thena, please" He could feel her getting tense up again, so he swallowed his guilt "Father will be here, all is going to be okay"
"I'm scared Dad" She seemed so frail like this, he never thought Athena had ever looked so much like a child that she never was, Apollo wanted to punch someone "you won't leave? Please?"
"I will never leave you, when you wake up I'll be right here"
"You swear?" He nodded, feeling his eyes fill with water.
And just as fast as Athena woke up she went back to sleep, peacefully, if it weren't for the tear marks on her face no one would ever know.
Suddenly, Apollo remembered he wasn't alone in his infirmary.
Aphrodite was still crying, holding to her lover like her life depended on that. Ares was harder to decipher, his face stuck somewhere between rage, sadness and pity.
"Don't ever tell Athena what happens when she wakes up, understood?" He said coldly, looking at the two of them "I think we're way past visitation hours for today"