Solangelo 3

Part 5

PERCY

Nico gives me a brief explanation of what's gone down as we practice sword fighting. He warns me to take it easy though, because if I put him in the infirmary Will won't be happy with either of us. So we go slow.
'You remember anything else about the dream? I mean vision? I...What was it?' I ask, slightly confused.
'I have no idea.' He says, 'I don't know if I forgot what happened because I hit my head, or if I just don't remember.'
'You have anything like that before?'
'I mean...' he strikes and I duck, 'I used to black out when I had to carry...' I jab and he parries the blow, 'that bloody statue half way across the world.'
'Gods, don't remind me.' I say.
'But even then, it only involved Reyna because she was doing that power transfer thing.' He says, pausing once he figures I need a break, 'I have no idea how I even remembered what Will's sister looked like.'
'Weird.' Is all I can think of to say, 'speaking of Reyna though, she's coming down for the weekend to plan out another camp swap thing.'
The camp swap is something Jason devised, where anyone interested from either camp has a chance to spend a week at the other one, and see if they fit in better there. Or even if you just want a change of scenery. Jason usually plans it out, but he's with Piper at her dad's vineyard with a load of camp half blood kids and Dionysus, for reasons I don't fully understand.
'She is?' He asks, sitting beside me as I regain my breathe. I hate that I still haven't gone back to my original state, that I still have breathing problems. Nico's good at noticing when I need a break, but it's still so embarrassing.
'Yeah. I don't think it's meant to be a surprise.' I say, 'but if it is, act surprised.'
'Will do.' He says.
'Hey, maybe she'll have some explanation for your weird vision dream thing.' I say, passing him some water, 'drink.' I instruct, 'I don't want to see Will's bad side.'
'I don't blame you.' He says, taking the water, 'how's Annabeth?'
'Good, she says to say hi, and that she misses you.' I say.
'The feeling's mutual.'
'I'll tell her you said.'
'How come she didn't come down with you? Don't you have breaks at the same time?' He asks, standing up and pacing on his own. I often forget that I'm not the only one with ADHD; one of the main traits that shows itself in Nico is his inability to sit still, especially when he's got energy.
'We do.' I say, in answer to his question, 'She has just got a lot more work than me. She took on way, way more stuff, so she has to work twice as hard.'
'Well, I mean, doesn't Annabeth live for that sort of thing?' He asks, and I can't help but laugh.
'You know what, you're right. She complains about it, but she loves it.' I say.
'Still, it sucks she couldn't-' he cuts off suddenly, and I watch him freeze and drop suddenly.
'Nico?' I rush over to him and try to figure out what's wrong, but it's like a switch just flicked. He's completely out. I pick him up carefully, and rush out and across the camp to the infirmary.
'Percy?' I hear from my left, I look quickly, not stopping, and see Reyna, 'what the hell? What happened?'
She runs alongside me, knowing I have to get him straight to the infirmary.
'He just dropped, I don't know. We were just talking.' My talking is clipped, still out of breathe from the sword fighting.
'Here.' She says, opening the door for me as I rush into the building.
'Hey, we need help. Will!' I call out, and he looks up from his station and drops everything once he sees Nico.
'What happened?' He asks, checking up on Nico as I place him on the nearest bed.
'We were just talking, he dropped, I don't know, he was fine, I swear, I don't know what happened.' I say, Reyna places a hand on my shoulder as she realises how out of breathe I am, how worked up.
'Percy, sit.' She says, directing me to the bed beside Nico's.
'Will, come on, out.' Reve says, as he asses the situation, 'we got this.
'Reve, you can't seriously-' Will starts to complain, by Reve cuts him off.
'Could one of you take him outside, he gets too emotional working on Nico.' Reve explains, a calm voice, 'I've got this, we have enough people, Nico will be fine.'
'I'm not leaving him, this is serious.' Will argues.
'He'll be okay?' Reyna asks, looking at Nico. I can't imagine this is how she planned her arrival.
'Yes, but I need Will out so I can focus.' Reve says.
'I got it.' Reyna says, taking a last look at Nico before gracefully moving over to Will, twisting his arm behind his back and forcing him out. I'm sure there were kinder ways to remove him, but Reyna has always been far more about efficiency.
I stand, meaning to follow them, check up on them both before returning to Nico, when I double over in pain. My chest constricts, I cant breathe.
'Gods, okay.' I hear Reve talk to himself, 'dammit. Will! Will, we need you!'
I hear the doors bang open again, footsteps, noises, I can't focus. My vision blurs a bit. I drop to my knees.
'What's-' Will starts, then sees me, 'asthma attack. Got it.' I feel someone pick me up with some effort, move me away from Nico.
'Can't...' I say, between precarious breathes in. I try to reach out for something to hold onto, but end up knocking a table over, smashing a glass.
'Percy, focus on me. Focus on me.' I hear Will say, 'you're okay. This is just an asthma attack, I'm going to need you to breathe in when I say, okay?'
He doesn't wait for my approval, just puts an inhaler in my mouth then tells me when to breathe. I oblige to the best of my ability. He does so twice, then waits a while, and does it again. I begin to breathe a little better.
'There you go. You breathing okay now?' Will asks, passing me some water. I nod, completely exhausted, 'let's get you outside. Fresh air.'
He tries to lift me up, but struggles. Reyna steps in on my other side, and together they help me outside. I sit on the stairs of the infirmary, still just focused on breathing.
'I'm going to check on Nico.' Reyna says, knowing I don't want to be surrounded right now.
'Here.' Will says, placing the inhaler in my hands.
'I don't have asthma.' I say.
'It'll help. Tartarus can't have been good for your health. I'm not saying this is permanent, but just till you get back on your feet.' Will explains carefully, not wanting to trigger me.
'It was months ago. Why am I not better?' I ask.
'It'll take time. You were down there longer than any person has ever been. It's obvious you, Annabeth and Nico all took a hit mentally from being down there, but you can't neglect the physical side effects. The air was toxic, your body needs to heal, and that takes time.'
'Gods.' I say, leaning against the banisters, 'after the fight, I really, really thought that was it. I thought it would just be better. But it's still effecting me. And I'm so sick of it.'
'Nico's the same.' He says, 'fighting was such a part of your life for so long, it became second nature. Now you're unable to do something you used to do so easily. I get that it's hard, but you need to look after your body. Come in for checks more often. Use the inhaler. Kayla knows some really good exercises that could help you with your breathing. The healing isn't going to come easily, but if you accept that it needs to heal, we can help you.'
I nod, clutching the inhaler tightly, 'I just really wanted to believe I was getting better.'
'And you are.' He says, 'you're so much better than when you were at the beginning of summer. It's just a long process.'
'Yeah.' I say, 'yeah. Thank you.'
'You'll come for a check up tomorrow?' He asks.
'Yeah.' I say, 'maybe with Kayla? If you think she's the best one to help?'
'She's probably best with the area you need help in, yes. I'll make sure she's in tomorrow, and let her know you'll be stopping by.'
'Thank you.' I say, 'really. Thank you.'
'Of course. Anytime.'