What If Three Days Meant Forever?

My Knight Gets Wounded

Nico POV

I woke up this morning to the sound of my blaring alarm. Groaning, I reached to turn it off, my hand searching for it until I fell off my bed with a yelp.

I've now been lying on the floor of my cabin for maybe three minutes, not having the mental capacity to stand and turn off the alarm. Maybe it'll eventually lull me back to sleep, I think longingly to myself. Seconds later, the sound of footsteps enter my cabin and the alarm goes off.

"Nico? I heard a- oh gods!" I hear Will say. He leans down to my level and flips me over so I'm on my back. Seeing that my eyes are open, he visibly relaxes. "Gods, you scared me." he says.

"What are you doing in my cabin, Solace?" I demand groggily.

"What do you mean your cabin? We're in the infirmary." He replies, extending his hand to help me up. I accept it and take a look around to realize we are indeed in the infirmary, not to mention, I don't own an alarm clock.

How did I get here? I remember falling asleep on my bed.

"I carried you here." Will says nonchalantly with a light blush as he sits down on the cot. I follow his actions, feeling my own cheeks heat up as well. I want so badly to be angry at him but for some reason, I can't find it in myself to muster the feeling. "See, you would remember all of these things if you weren't so stupid and careless using your Underworld-y magic."

Okay.

I take it back.

Anger is actually quite easy to muster around him.

"You're just lucky you have someone as thoughtful, caring, and as good of a doctor as me to help nurse you back to health. I'll be your knight and shining armor for the next couple days."

I hardly even hear him as the thought floods into my mind, this is the second time that I have been in Will's arms, causing my cheeks to heat up immensely.

As much as I want life to be like a love story where we melt into each other's arms, sharing an "unforgettable kiss", this is reality. And the sad truth is that I'm not spontaneous like that. Spontaneity is so random, which I suppose is the point, but it's so much better to plan things out.

It gives you time to muster your courage.

"Well, thanks for carrying me, I guess." I give in an ungrateful tone to which he rolls his eyes in response. "I really wanted to be in your arms again my prince." I stiffen. I watch as Will's eyes seem to narrow at my words, almost an amused glint to them.

I'd meant it to sound a lot more sarcastic than it had, but it sounded truthful.

"You mean that?" I notice the bit of hopefulness in his voice mixed with humor. Hopeful? But for what? That I'm being serious?

"D'you want me to mean that?" I reply sarcastically. He smirks and crosses his arms over his chest, eyes never leaving mine.

"Well, sur-"

"WILLIAM!" A female voice cries out while banging on the door, "We need you with patient fourteen! Sword through the stomach! Heartbeat is getting slower so come on!"

Will instantly stands up. "Um, I'm sorry." He says hastily, trying to keep a calm demeanor. "I'll be back. Promise on the river Styx and all that." He smirks, throwing my words from a couple days ago back at me. With that, he rushes out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

And now I'm alone.

I want to go back to sleep, but I can't help but think of what Will would've said before Kayla had interrupted. Does Aphrodite hate me so much that she's causing these interruptions?

I sit waiting for maybe half an hour before feeling a slight buzz vibrate through my body.

Someone has passed.

Another fifteen minutes passes before Will walks back into the room with his head down.

"Are you alright?" I ask hesitantly.

"Well, um-" His voice cracks and a sort of dry sob comes out but he covers it with a rather forced sounding laugh. Without thinking, I get up and pull him into a hug. That's all it takes for him to break down into a fit of almost controlled sounding sobs. I rub my hand up and down his back while whispering encouragements here and there. Things like "it's okay" and "deep breaths." Strangely enough, I don't feel as uncomfortable as I normal would when comforting people with emotional things.

The only other person I've helped is Reyna after the ghosts in San Juan. I think back to Bryce Lawrence in South Carolina and almost get angry thinking about the little creep and become a little more strung out as I remember what I'd done to him.

Suddenly, images of Bryce sinking into the ground, pleading for his life enter my mind, including what I'd said to him. You're already dead. The way his voice changed into a low chattering haunted me for the next few days as well as his indistinctive face. A part of me had felt proud that I'd been able to do something like that. The rest of me felt guilty for feeling proud. I shooed away the bad thoughts.

Will needs me right now.

I hug the son of Apollo tighter as we lean back to sit on the cot.

"She's gone. I-I-I let her down. Now she's gone! I-I should've worked harder for her and maybe she would still be here and-and-and-" he begins to sob again.

"Shhhh. There was nothing you could've done. She's in Elysium now." That technically isn't true. It's more likely she's in line waiting her turn for the judges, but I'm not about to say that to Will. "Maybe she'll go for rebirth. Give it another go." I say, all while rubbing his back. He looks up at me, seemingly analyzing my face.

He then pokes a place on my cheek. "I never noticed you had freckles." He says. I chuckle, pulling his hand down from my face.

"I've always had them, Will".

"Maybe more people would notice if you weren't so pale." He says. Back into doctor mode I see.

I roll my eyes and pull his head into my chest, hugging him.

"I don't ever want to see you upset, Solace. You're too bright to be unhappy."

I feel him smile into my chest before saying, "Alright, angel. I won't be sad anymore. You have my word."

I figure his voice must be super muffled by my shirt, because it sounded like he called me "angel". I push the thought out of my mind and do something I hope will be unnoticeable.

I kiss the top of his head.