Time heals

Nico POV

Three days hadn't sounded so awful when I'd agreed to it. I'd gone through much worse, especially recently. A short infirmary stay was nothing compared to giants or werewolves or sleeping titans. It should have been tolerable at least, and relaxing at most. I even thought I might enjoy myself considering...

Anyway, that's what I'd thought before I factored in just how much of a bossy control freak the son of Apollo, Will Solace actually was.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" Will asked as he came into my infirmary room after I'd settled in. It was after the Romans had left so I'd had time to say my goodbyes to Reyna, my sister and my other friends.

The infirmary room Will led me to looked pretty standard, except it was a private room since I was going to be there for an 'extended stay'. Ugh.

I stifled a yawn. "Mmm hmm," I replied to Will, climbing into the bed and covering myself up as much as I could with the sheet. It wasn't like I was that self conscious; I was just aware of how bright the room was with the curtains open and sun pouring into the room. No need for Will to find me even more disgusting than he already did.

I was so busy making sure no inch of my body was visible that I hadn't realised Will had stopped at the foot of my bed and was looking down at me with his hands on his hips. "Nico?"

I jumped when he said my name. I wasn't used to being addressed directly. People usually skirted around me, hoping I'd get the hint and save them the trouble of telling me to go away. Someone outright calling my name, wanting my attention, actually giving me theirs... it was all new. It didn't help that when I looked up, Will was staring right into my eyes. I wasn't used to that either. Not without the other person flinching.

"Yes?" My voice sounded croaky and dry. All in all, an improvement to what it had been the past couple of weeks, but that didn't stop me being self conscious about that too now.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" Will repeated himself, this time in a more pressing tone.

Gods, he was annoying.

"I am not," he said indignantly.

Oops, I'd said that out loud. My sleep deprivation wasn't helping me.

"I meant..." I started, then thought better of it. "Actually, yes. Yes, you are. You're annoying. You're ruining my sleep by asking me about my sleep." I didn't mention that it was the middle of the day so I shouldn't have been sleeping anyway.

Will didn't look convinced. Crap. "How much sleep did you get last night?" he asked for a third time.

He obviously knew. Why else would he be asking?

"Not much," I replied vaguely.

"How much?" he pressed.

I sighed dramatically. "Fine! None. I don't sleep."

Will nodded like he'd already known. "Thought as much."

I rolled my eyes. "Why did you even ask then?"

He clicked a pen open and started scribbling notes on a clipboard. "Just making sure. Plus, it's nice to know I can get the truth out of you if I have the patience, which trust me," he said, "is not easy."

"Why don't you go and care for some easier patients then?" I snapped, getting frustrated. The lamp on the bedside table flickered and the room seemed to get darker. I don't know why this son of Apollo irritated me this much, or why I'd wanted to come here in the first place, but I was too tired to try and figure it out.

Will didn't even seem fazed with my outburst. He was still scribbling away, either not noticing the darkness radiating off of me or not caring. He must not have noticed. If he had, there's no way he'd still be in here.