Death's Son (And All Its Perks)

Chapter 7

As Nico sat next to his sister on the deck of the Argo II, he could barely keep his head up as he tried to get his thoughts together. He knew he had been in the jar, but couldn't remember it. He knew he had been in Tartarus, and couldn't forget it.

"Nico..." Hazel spoon fed him ambrosia. "If you want to talk..."

She didn't finish her thought, and he didn't answer. Absolutely no energy remained in his body, so all he did was sit there. Sit there and listen to Anubis' nagging voice in his brain.

Nico, I'm getting your memories.

Nico...please talk to me.

I couldn't reach you down there, it was Greek.

....Nico, are you alright?

Nico couldn't answer him if he wanted to. He was too weak to do anything but stare at nothing. The pain of his foot didn't even bother him anymore. In fact, he didn't even notice it.

"Nico...please answer me...are you okay?" Hazel's voice broke as she set the ambrosia aside. "We saved you. You're okay now...why won't you talk? What happened?"

Nico didn't answer. How would she ever understand what he had gone through? How could she forgive him for doing that to himself, for putting her through the pain of anxiety and worry? Would she even want to forgive him?

If you don't answer her, I will. Anubis warned.

When Nico didn't answer or think back, Anubis took that as an opportunity. Before Nico realized what was going on, Anubis' voice and accent escaped his mouth. "I'm fine, Hazel. Don't worry so much."

She froze. "N-Nico?"

Nico couldn't find it in himself to care, so Anubis continued. "I'm fine. It just hurts...my foot, you know? I think I broke it."

"W-We'll fix it..." her eyes watered in confusion as she looked at the other demigods who were gathered not too far away. She spoke louder, her voice shaking. "Percy, can you bring something to fix his foot?"

The son of Poseidon nodded, walking off quickly.

"Nico...do you want to talk about it?" Hazel asked softly, reaching out and holding his hand.

Anubis averted Nico's eyes. "Not now..."

"Yeah,...of course..." Hazel brought his foot to her lap, looking at it. "What's this wrapped with?"

"My shirt," Anubis answered as Percy came back.

Percy immediately frowned, glancing at Nico up at down. "Hey...you sound..."

"Tired." Hazel cut in, taking the supplies from Percy. "How far are we from Annabeth?"

"Leo said like ten minutes," Percy replied, not taking his eyes off Nico.

Hazel started to fix his foot, frowning in concern.

"I have an extra shirt if you want it," Percy said quietly, eyeing Nico's bare torso in confusion. "Where'd yours go?"

"I fixed my foot with it," Anubis replied. He had all of Nico's memories but didn't particularly like them.

"Your foot doesn't look fixed...but okay." Percy hovered next to them. "Should I stay and help?"

"I don't know..." Hazel looked desperate as she began to properly splint his foot. "We don't have an actual medic to check him and just look at him."

"I'm fine," Anubis repeated.

"You're hurt." Hazel didn't call him Nico anymore. She was afraid to, honestly. Hearing and seeing him like that...he was nowhere near who he used to be. He wasn't the Nico she knew.

And that ruined something for them they'd never get back.

Nico, she's close to crying. Please take over and help her. Anubis' voice was once again in his mind and not outside it.

Nico took a minute before responding. Why do you care?

She's your sister.

So?

That means she's my sister, too.

Nico froze before getting slightly angry. Hazel was his half-sister, not Anubis'. The Egyptian god wouldn't take anything else from him. So for the first time in awhile, he reached out and held Hazel's hand. "H-Hazel..."

She smiled softly when she heard his regular voice, but that only brought more questions. When she glanced at Percy, he was frowning deeply and looked in thought. Spending time with Annabeth must have rubbed off on him.

"It hurts but I'm okay," Nico admitted.

"I can't do anything else for your foot..."

"My foot doesn't hurt," Nico replied. "That's not what hurts."

Percy coughed slightly. "Your foot isn't hurting at all?"

Nico shook his head. "When it first happened it hurt but now it's just....not there? I don't feel it. I guess I just got used to it."

Percy frowned sadly but Hazel hid any emotions. She didn't want to make Nico feel any worse. So she busied herself with putting cream on bruises and putting bandages on cuts.

"We're almost there," Nico mumbled. "I can feel...I can feel it."

"Feel what?" Hazel asked, keeping her voice calm and low.

"Tar-..." his voice broke.

Percy froze. "You can feel that place, by Annabeth?"

He nodded.

"How can you feel it?"

Nico glanced down, his eyes watering as he his voice came out shaky and unstable. "It's something you can't forget."