SolAngelo short story (post-war)

Chapter 5- Comfort

Nico was woken from his light slumber by a gentle hand on his shoulder. The curtains were completely closed around his bed and Will had a small plate of food with a little brown bottle.

“I still need to do your physical examination before you drop off completely,” Will smirked at the boy.

Nico sat up and stretched his arms and back.

“I need you to take off your shirt again Nico,” Will said seeing the son of Hades’ expectant look.

Nico huffed but pulled the shirt over his head nevertheless.

The dark haired boy’s frame was a skeletal as ever but his skin seemed to have less of a transparent tinge to it. The scars on Nico’s upper arms were now shiny pink thanks to the healing paste too.

“Looking much better di Angelo,” Will commented.

“Hardly,” Nico grumbled.

“Look Nico, it’s going to be a month or so before you start looking noticeably better, but this is a start. The sooner your body is in better condition the sooner you’ll be able to start doing underworld-y things again.”

Nico nodded reluctantly.

Jason dropped by yet again just as Nico was finishing his food- Will was in the office again.

The son of Zeus dropped into the chair besides Nico’s bed and casually stole a baby tomato of the younger boy’s plate.

“Feeling better?” he casually asked.

“Somewhat,” Nico was reluctant to admit. Jason was another person Nico failed to understand because of the casual, normal way he treated him. But the blunt yet friendly way Jason addressed matters had put Nico in a bad mood on more than one occasion.

“Good to hear it. Are you getting on well with a certain son of Apollo,” he teased lightly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nico stated evenly.

Jason looked over at Nico looking sly and smug at the same time.

“Don’t give me that Nico. I saw the way you stared at him when he was doing his medical magic on you.”

Nico internally scolded himself. Had he really been that obvious?

“He was just...” Nico was stuck for words. He couldn’t exactly tell Jason it was a mental examination. He probably thought Nico was mentally unstable enough as it was.

“Relax Nico. I’m not here to judge,” Jason laughed lightly.

Nico turned away from him and shoved another small mouthful of food in his mouth. Since the incident yesterday evening Will was making Nico eat little and often which was frustrating since the food still remained tasteless and overall un-enjoyable to the son of Hades.

Will came around the curtain shortly after Jason had left. Nico was sat back against the pillows, his plate to the side had only the skin of the baked potato he’d had with salad left on it.

Will told him- again- that he needed to eat everything he was given if he wanted to heal quicker.

“Food’s already horrible since it doesn’t taste like anything,” Nico tried to reason, “and the texture only makes it worse.”

Nico thought grumpily that he sounded like a whiny child but Will seemed to understand.

“I’ve got this relaxant remedy to try and help you sleep,” Will commented with a yawn.