Torturous Betrayal

Chapter 19

Nico's POV

It felt odd being away again. Away from the infirmary. Away from camp. Away from the people at camp. Not that I'd met a lot of them, due to my unreasonably long stay in the infirmary. What was even weirder, though, was the fact that, yes, I was away, but I wasn't alone. Not this time. Also new, I had an actual reason for not being at camp, besides wanting to prove that I didn't need anyone or anything. I was on mission, Thalia, Grover, and I were going to save Percy and we were going to have to do it fast. I wondered if this is what it felt like when the 7 had been looking for me. Knowing that you didn't have much time, but needing to try anyway.

I'd been surprised when Thalia had first come into the infirmary to visit, for more than one reason.

A) She was supposed to be with the rest of the Hunters. I doubt Artemis gives them many vacations.

B) No one but Jason had come to visit thus far. Unless you counted Will, which I didn't . Because it was his job.

At first I'd assumed that she was here to celebrate the victory. But as soon as I saw her face, brow furrowed, lips pressed into a stern line, I knew something was up. She told Will that she had to talk to me alone, which made Will suspicious and me nervous. Eventually, after a long glare from Thalia, Will left, closing the door behind him. Once she was sure that no one was eavesdropping she pulled a chair next to my bed, took a breath, and started talking. She told me that Percy had been accused of being a traitor and that the gods had sent him away. I'd asked if she knew where they'd sent him and she shook her head.

"When have we ever gotten that lucky Nico?" Thalia asked, the bitterness in her voice evident and un-surprising. What was surprising was what she asked next.

"Do you want to come with us? Grover and I," she said, "To go get him, bring him back. It's okay if you say no, but I had to ask." she finished. At first I didn't really understand what she was asking me. That she was asking for help, for my help. It was beyond weird, the thought of someone wanting the Child of the Dead to go on a rescue mission.

"Why are you asking me?" I asked, still trying to wrap what she asked around my head.

"Because you know Percy," she replied like it was obvious, "And because I figured if anyone would understand what it was like, needing to be rescued, it was you." On a normal occasion I might've gotten defense about the whole 'needing to be rescued' bit, except that she was right. I did know. I knew what it was like to be in an unfamiliar place, knowing that you were probably going to die before anyone got to you. It was a fate that nobody deserved. But even if I understood, that still didn't explain why she would ask me.

"Everyone here knows Percy," I said. He was like Camp Half-Blood's unofficial mascot.

"Have you been out of the infirmary at all since you got back?" I shake my head. I'd only left to go to the bathroom and even then I'd been escorted there and the back. You might say that Will was a bit of the hovering type.

"Well since you don't know let me enlighten you," she cleared her throat in an over dramatized manner. Can you sarcastically clear your throat? I feel like that shouldn't actually be possible. There's only sarcasm the world can take from one person and Thalia was nearing her limit fast. Did she get extra because of her dad? Cause I know for a fact that that's where she got her dramatic flare from. Gah, I hate ADHD, I need to be paying attention.

"...away I came to camp to have a little talk with Annabeth. She had no idea about what had happened. She didn't even recognize his name. It was like he'd been totally erased from her memory," she shifted in her seat uneasily, "So I went to talk to Grover, to see if he knew anything and he told me that everyone he'd talked to had similar reactions. Nobody knows who Percy is anymore. I don't know how it's possible, that they don't know him, but they don't and we don't have time to figure out why." Her hands are clenched into fist and she is staring right at me, waiting for my response.

"I'm coming with you." She loosed a breath, looking relieved, "But," her snaps back up at me, "You have to get me out of here first. Even under normal circumstances Will wouldn't let me out, and he'll probably put you in here too if you tell him you want to take me on a rescue mission for someone he doesn't even remember." She stares at me for a long moment, before she stands and tells me to be ready by 11:00, claiming that she'll take care of the rest. She leaves so quickly and without a goodbye that, for a moment, I wonder if I imagined the entire thing.

Those thoughts are quelled as soon as Will walks back into the room, his question obvious in his light blue eyes. Gods, he needed to work on his poker face. It was always so easy to see what he was thinking, it was like reading a book. His expression was always so open and unguarded. It was mind-boggling that someone could live life like that and still be so happy and cheerful all the time.

I shook my head, snapping me from my reverie. Seriously the longer I was in this stupid infirmary the worse my attention span got. Will had said something and I'd been so deep in thought that I hadn't even responded. He was looking at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.

That had all been 3 days ago.