"Right, so where were we?"
Nico coughed. "Uh, I think you were admitting me into the infirmary."
Will nodded like this solved the world's problems. "Come on, Death Boy. Time for you to meet your new best friend- a hospital bed!"
"Don't call me Death Boy," Nico grumbled, but he followed Will into the infirmary anyway.
For all the death-defying stunts Nico pulled, he should have been very familiar with the inside of the camp's infirmary. But since the thought of Apollo's children looking after him and touching him constantly was revolting, he tended to shy away from medical treatment. So why he agreed to Will taking care of him, he had no idea.
Will led him into a far corner of the room. They passed dozens of demigods- Greek and Roman, who had been injured in the war against Gaea. Will sighed.
"The casualties weren't as big as they could have been, but it's certainly more than we would've liked. Like I said before, I've been stuck here for two days taking care of them. The Romans that are still here..." he shook his head. "They're too injured to go back to Camp Jupiter right away. They should be fine in a week or so, but if it wasn't for that stupid Octavian..." Will's hands clenched into fists. Nico noticed a vein beginning to bulge from his forearm. Not that that was important or anything. And it also wasn't important that the skeletal butterflies were back in Nico's stomach when he saw rage in Will's blue eyes.
"Hey," Nico said softly. "It's over now. He's... gone."
Will glanced over at Nico and sent the butterflies fluttering again. "You don't think," he hesitated. "You don't think the judges will send us to punishment for letting Octavian... you know..."
Nico took a deep breath. This was the conversation he had been dreading. He'd thought about it nonstop since it happened but to actually talk about it... that was even scarier than facing the judges of the Underworld.
"Some deaths cannot be prevented," Nico said carefully. Those words had been following him since his latest meeting with Hades. Now that they were out, Nico suddenly felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. Apparently Will felt it too as he unfurled his wrists and softened his gaze.
"Maybe you're right," Will mumbled. "Being the child of death, you probably know what you're talking about."
Nico almost smiled. "Thanks."
The two finally reached the far end of the room. Will dramatically flicked back a curtain to reveal a white bed, complete with sheets.
"Here we are!" Will exclaimed proudly. He might have been presenting an Oscar award for the way he was showcasing the bed to Nico. "This will be your home for the next few days, so make yourself comfortable.
"Sorry it's so... you know, white and cheery. We try not to give our patients the sense of death when they're on their death bed," Will said, sizing up Nico's usual black garb and floppy black hair.
Nico immediately felt that electric shock course through his body. He felt his cheeks blush and turned away so Will wouldn't see.
What was this? Nico di Angelo didn't blush. He didn't show weakness to the emotion of love. He had given that up when Bianca died. He was strong. He was unshakable. He was.... totally infatuated with this boy of Apollo.
Nico cleared his throat. "So, Doctor Sunshine," he smoothed out the sheets before sitting down on the bed. "What's my diagnosis?
Will rolled his eyes but didn't say anything about the nickname. "You are hereby subject to three days of rest and absolutely no death tricks. Now, lay down."
