Heartbroken [Completed] [Wattys 2019]

6

*Nico

  I woke up with the sun rise and immediately got dressed and headed straight for the infirmary. On my way there, I met up with Will heading to the same place I was for the same person but for different reasons.

  "Will, is he gonna be okay?" I asked hesitantly.

  "As long as he didnt do anything he'll be fine this morning."

  "You can sense physical injury and sickness, right? So can you also sense mental illness?"

  "Unfortunately, no. Most of the time i can only sense that someone is hurt, not how badly. So, right now, I can tell you Percy is phyically hurt but I don't know to what extent so i can't say if he hurt himself more. But he's not dead."

  Well, he's still alive at least. "Thanks."

  We neared the doors and Will entered first though he walked around to collect the things he would need for Percy. Instead, I walked straight over to Percy who was very much awake and sitting up in bed though the blanket was covering him up to his shoulders.

  "Hey, Percy." He glanced up at me. At least today he's reacting. "How'd you sleep?" Even just asking this question I could tell he didn't. He hard dark bags under his eyes and his cheeks look sunken in. His lack of food and drink in the past week also added to it, making him look like a starved corpse.

  "Fine," was his reply, though I'm guessing he knew I could tell it was not.

  Will came over with the stuff he had gathered. Some bandages and other stuff.

  "Alrighty Percy, I'm just going to replace you bandages alright? Can i see your arms?" But Percy didn't move. "Percy?"

  "Can I do it?"

  "Umm sure I guess. I'll go get us some food and Nico can help you... Replace your own bandages. Ill be right back." And with that Will turned and left out the door.

  Percy picked up the new bandages and started to unwrap the old ones, keeping his forarms tilted away from me. I could tell every movement hurt him

  "Here let me do it." I offered and held out my hand for the bandages but he ignored me and kept going. "Percy i can see how much this hurting you. Let me help." He tried to go on for a couple more seconds before handing the bandages over in defeat.

  I gently took his arm and finished unwrapping the bandages. What i saw underneath made me want to start crying. As I peeled the bandages back, his arm started to ooze blood again but not from the cuts that had been healing. Nope, new cuts and a lot of them scattered across his forearms. A single year slipped down my cheek.

  I didn't say anything instead just wrapping his arms in new bandages. The whole time Percy is looking in the opposite direction, not at me or his arms. When I finished, blood was already seeping through.

  Just then, Will walked back in, his arms full of food. "I brought as much food as I could carry and I tried to get as much blue as possible." He stopped when he saw my face. Setting the food down he asked, "hey, Nico could you come over here for a sec to help with the food."

  I got up and walked over to the table where he was. "What happened?" He asked immediately as he started dividing the food onto plates. I started helping put out servings as well before i answered.

  "There's new cuts on his arms..." Will simply nodded.

  "I kind of expected it. I think it's best if i don't ask him about. He won't like the attention. I also think it's best if no one from camp tries to ask him about his mental health, including you. Just try to be there for him."

  "Of course," i picked up Percy's and my completed plates and brought them over to him. "Hey, Percy. I made breakfast." He took it from my hands and set it in his lap. I started eating my food and by the time I was finished, he still hadn't touched his. "You gonna eat, Perce?" He shook his head no. "Why?"

  "Not hungry."

  Will suddenly came over and joined the conversation, "yes you are. You havent eaten in over a week."

  "Im not hungry."

  Will wasnt taking it. "Gods help me Percy, eat this food or i will shove it down your throat."

  Percy looked dead in his eyes, "do it."

  Im not exactly sured what happened next but some of the food disappeared from Percy's plate after Will launched himself at him. Afterword, Will sat down, satisfied.

  "Alright, well i need to go give the welcome tour to a new Apollo kiddo, Nico can you chill with Percy?"

  "Sure."

  "See ya guys later."

  Me and Percy just sat in silence, me staring at him, him looking anywhere but at me. He suddenly spoke up.

  "I need to pee."

  i helped him find where the bathroom was, telling him I'd wait for him but he insisted he'd be fine. I told him then that I would meet him back at his bed. Of course I didn't actually leave. The boy just tried to kill himself, I'm not leaving him alone. After him being in the bathroom for a couple minutes, i started to hear what sounded like choking. It took me a moment to figure out that Percy was vomiting. Maybe he was sick maybe it was something else.

  I waited a little bit longer until the sound changed to water running, signifying Percy was washing his hands, then sprinted back to the bed where I told him i was. He met up with me a minute later.

  "All good, Percy?"

  "Yeah, sure." Alright, no your definately not okay, you just threw up all the food you've eaten in the past week.

  "Do you want to talk to anyone else? Cause i know jason and leo have been worried."

  "No."

  "Oh, okay."

  And we sat in silence, both of us distracted by our own thoughts. Mine consisted of Percy's attempted suicide and eating disorders.

A/N

Hey guys. Another chapter! I made it to #128 on #selfharmawareness. Neat, right?

What do you guys think so far? Should i make it more lighthearted? Percy with an eating disorder- good or bad? Please comment what i should do better!!

Remember to love yourself!!