The Glory That Is Rome (a Percy Jackson AU)

Healing a Broken Heart

    Will felt like a fraud — a complete failure. He looked in the mirror and he couldn't recognize himself. His tanned skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes felt foreign to him. Was he the same person who used to stitch up stuffed animals while playing physician?

    "Call yourself a physician?" he said to himself. "You let the emperor die. You let Heracles die. You destroyed the Roman empire."

     Will tried to convince himself that it wasn't true. Usually, he was cool, calm, and collected even under pressure. He had seen many deaths and though each of them hurt him, the deaths of Zeus and Heracles felt different because the stability of the empire was held in their hands. 

    Will remembered running to Heracles's room, hoping against hope that the servant had somehow been wrong. As soon as he had seen Heracles, Will knew he was dead, but that didn't stop him from running forward and checking his pulse. That's how he found the marks on the strong man's throat.

    When he had pointed them out, Hera had fainted at the news. Gleeson Hedge had looked around the room and told the Praetorian Guard to find Geryon. When Heracles's tutor was found, brought into the room by a tall, muscular man with a baby face and black hair, he had admitted to murdering Zeus's heir.

   "Why?" Gleeson had asked.

   "I wanted to cause chaos," Geryon had answered. "I'm a slave. My life was stolen by Rome. I want Rome to suffer like I suffered."

    Geryon's wish had come true. It was a week since Zeus and Heracles had died and the Senate was squabbling over who should be the next emperor. Fighting had broken out two days ago and the Senate descended into complete chaos. Several candidates had been considered for emperor, but none of them had been seriously considered until Odysseus's name was mentioned.

     When Odysseus gave a speech outlining his foreign and domestic policy plans, the Senate had broken out. Thersites cried that Odysseus was a foreigner by ancestry and should not be trusted. Then, a group of men, led by Ajax and Antinous, attacked Odysseus. The man was murdered on the Senate floor and in the wake of his murder, he drew sympathy instead of only scorn.

     The Senate had not met since then and Will feared that the end of the Roman empire was drawing near. It's all my fault, he thought. Why didn't I try harder? I should have saved them?

   In the midst of his tormented thoughts, Will heard a knock at his door. He stood up and opened it to see Nico. The slight man looked at Will with a mixture of pity and something else that Will could not discern. He had never seen Nico's face look so soft, though, and he suddenly felt awkward.

   "Do you need anything?" Will asked.

    Nico noticed the hoarseness of his voice and his wet eyes. He put an arm around Will's shoulders. 

   "My father told me what happened," he said. "Don't blame yourself."

   "But I should of—" Will protested.

   "No," Nico said firmly. "It's not your fault. You did all you could. You have helped me heal my broken heart and now I must do the same for you."

   Will let the sobs in his chest take control. He buried his head in Nico's toga. Nico stayed with Will until he fell asleep, murmuring gentle words and rubbing his back.