Only Time Will Tell (Solangelo)

8

"Nico, can you reach down to touch your toes for me?"

"This is stupid, Solace."

Will looks up from his infirmary clipboard and sends me an annoyed glance. Apparently, I need another checkup before Will could let me leave this stupid place. Just like last time, Will shines a light into my eyes and ears, hits my knee with the small hammer (except he stood far away from me this time), and asks me if I hurt anywhere. Now, he is having me do all these other things.

To please him, I reach down to touch my toes. He directs me to walk around the room on my heels and tiptoes next, which is just as ridiculous as touching my toes. I take a couple steps in one direction on my heels, turn around, walk back towards Will on my tiptoes. Will finally looks pleased with me, writing a couple more things on the piece of paper in front of him.

"Everything seems to be in check," he smiles, throwing the clipboard off to the side. "Just remember, no-"

"-Underworld magic, got it." I say finishing off Will's sentence with a smirk. Will rolls his eyes, smiling as well. "I need to go find Chiron and ask him about redesigning my cabin. I'll see you at dinner?" My voice grows quiet when I ask Will about dinner. Will doesn't seem to notice my quietness, because instead, he has a really happy look on his face.

"Yes, I will see you at dinner." Just like that, Will runs out of the room, shouting for one of his siblings in a cheery way.

By the looks of it, lunch has started. Campers are walking in all directions towards the dining pavilion, some with their cabin and others with friends. I didn't even think to eat until my stomach rumbled.

A singular plate rests at the Hades table when I arrive. This makes me happy. It doesn't happen often that I get to sit by myself during my meals. Usually, Will will sit next to me or-

"Nico, how are you feeling?" Jason laughs, sitting down across from me at the table. Not even a second later, Percy, Piper, and Annabeth also join me at my table with their own plates. This is awful. All I wanted was a peaceful meal, but here I am with all of my friends at the Hades table.

"Good, I guess," I mumble to everyone at the table. They all smile down at me in a really creepy way. It might not seem creepy to most people, but it is definitely creepy to me.

Annabeth jumps a little in her seat. "Let's skip the small talk. While you've been in the infirmary, we have been discussing ways to find Leo."

"Annabeth!" Percy hisses, "I thought we decided to ease into the conversation, not start with that."

"Sorry," she blushes, "I'm just excited to see Frank and Hazel tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I raise my head up slightly to look at Annabeth, who nods her head to confirm. "I thought Percy said they would be here in one to two weeks?"

"I was one hundred percent sure that is what they told me over iris message," Percy exclaims, staring down at his hamburger.

Annabeth smacks her head with her hand, "I am one hundred percent sure they did not. Anyways, we know that Leo is stuck on Ogygia with Calypso, and we know that the two of them are trying to get back to Camp Half-Blood."

"Isn't that the island Percy . . ?"

Percy groans, "Yes, but can we not talk about that?"

I raise my eyebrow at him skeptically. Let's not bring that up again. I start to move my chicken nuggets around my plate, occasionally nibbling on the piece I've stabbed with my fork. Everyone starts talking like normally at the table, totally ignoring the conversation we had about Leo. Did people not care about him all of the sudden? If that is the case, that is very concerning. The group could very well be ignoring the sadness by covering it with happier thoughts. It makes sense that they would do that.