The Infirmary

Nico's P.O.V.

Voices swirled around him- taunting at his weakness.

You'll never be able to keep them all safe.

No, you never will. They will die at your hand.

Nico opened his eyes. He felt frail. Going to stand up, he realized he was chained down. He was here again.

Shaking, Nico tugged again at the chains. They burned with each pull, but he didn't care. He couldn't do this again. He wouldn't do this again. Nico kept trying to escape, and it felt as though he was on fire. The voices got louder and louder.

He realized he was crying.

Everything hurt. After Nico had escaped, he didn't think he'd have to feel like pain again. He was burning from the inside - his blood boiling in his veins. Each heartbeat was labored, as it desperately tried to keep up. Nico could feel his organs failing. His skin blistering. His nose began to bleed.

Nico screamed in agony. He thought this was over.

Don't you understand? It will never be over for you.

Nico woke up to a shocked Apollo kid standing over him, a defibrillator in hand. Kayla stood on the other side of him, eyes wide. Nico lurched, and both moved in just enough time for the defibrillator paddles to get out of the way and for a trashcan to be put into Nico's face.

As he wavered in and out of reality, Nico could feel himself being laid back and taken care of. It felt as if ice was being applied on his arms. Lights were shown into his eyes.

A spoon was gently being brought to his mouth with blue eyes pleading behind it. Someone carefully brushing and putting his hair up. Changing his socks to something fuzzy. Wiping his face with a cool cloth. A gentle hand touched his face. Those blue eyes looked into his.

Suddenly, everything slowly came into focus. First the walls became clear, then the pain Nico was in, and then the warm presence that sat besides him. Will was sitting next to him, his hair ruffles and his forehead creased. Nico blinked. "Hey, I thought you were being treated too."

Will's eyes lit up - right before dimming again. "Yeah, I was 2 days ago." Nico felt his heart drop. "How are you doing? Are you feeling better? Do your arms hurt? Can I get anything for you?" Will seemed to ask this frantically, standing up and adjusting his clothes to look less wrinkled.

"I want to clean up please," Nico responded, as he began to slowly move towards the end of his bed. Will nodded his head before moving just slightly out of the way.

"Okay you can do that. But I think you might need someone to spot you? Maybe a walker would be good or maybe we take it slower? You weren't very well and-" Will cut off his thought as Nico glared at him. He had decided he was going to do this himself. And that was what he was going to do.

Pushing himself off the side of the bed, Nico stood triumphantly. That was until the room around him went out of focus and he felt himself collapsing.

Nico felt arms catch him as his whole body went limp. He then felt himself being placed back on the bed he had just gotten off of, but this time with his feet elevated. Nico waited for the room to come into focus again. Will stood next to him, his arms crossed.

"Okay let's do it my way now."

Carefully, Nico and Will worked their way towards the bathroom - which wasn't that far away, but it seemed like miles. Will brought in a chair. Nico gave him a questioning look.

"If you need me, let me know. And if you start to feel faint again, sit down, please," Will stated, before shutting the door.

Nico looked into the mirror. Blisters sat all over his skin, bruises surrounded his eyes, and his veins were completely red. He could see every vein in his face. Looking down at his hands, he saw that where his cuticles should be there were only scabs. Where he remembered the chains being, there were bandages. He gently moved one slightly, wincing when he realized the skin underneath was raw.

It's never over for you, Nico.

Nico closed his eyes, leaning over the sink and wishing that they would go away.

No we're here. And we're closer than you can imagine.

Quickly, Nico went to go clean up. However it didn't go fast. His gums bled with every touch. When he washed his face his nose began to bleed as well. Sitting down defeated in the chair, Nico called for Will.

The door swung open, Will quickly coming to Nico's side. "Oh no," Will muttered as his pace faltered, "Hold on let me get a couple things. Stay right there." Will left for a second before coming back with gauze - and a lot of it. "Okay. This goes in your mouth for your gums," Will instructed, while Nico begrudgingly put the gauze in his mouth. "And this is for your nose."

After Nico had stopped bleeding, Will carefully helped him back up and to his bed.

"I want to go back to my cabin." Nico watched as Will's eyes grew wide.

"You can't do that. You're really sick, Nico. If you're not here you could die." Will's voice seemed to shake. Will himself seemed to shake.

"Please, I want to go back to my cabin," Nico began to feel himself tear up. This was not what he wanted to do. He did not want to cry. "I want to go home."

Will's face softened. "I know you do. I know. But you can't. You need to be able to be monitored if something happens again."

Tears began to fall down Nico's face. "I want to go home." Nico felt a soft hand hold his and heard a quiet sigh.

"Okay. We'll see what we can do."