Solangelo: The Infirmary

Grief, Truth and Old Memories

Everyone was sent to their cabins after hours of talking. Calypso was sent to the big house to stay and to talk with Chiron. Apparently they met each other a few times before the first Titan war.
"How weird is that? I mean, they met each other millenniums ago, and now they get to chat in the 21 century?" Leo asked Nico.
Will and Katie were both banned from taking the night shift in the infirmary since they both had taken almost all of them in the past week or so. Nico, Will, Katie and Leo were all disappointed about this.
Calypso was extremely confused as to why two guys were dating, and Nico suddenly felt self conscious around her. Leo tried to explain to her that there were people all over the world that liked the same-sex as themselves, but she still seemed iffy on the subject.
"She'll warm up to it, dude. They didn't have that kinda thing before she was trapped on an island for centuries." Leo reassured him. It didn't help much though. Nico liked having people around him, and one of his worst fears would be that he would lose his friends because of his sexual orientation. It was obvious that Leo loved calypso with all his heart, and if she didn't like Nico, would Leo stick around?
"Sooooo, tell me again why you're trapped in here?" Leo asked as they watched the snoozing Apollo camper who was supposed to be on the night shift, but passed out on one of the beds.
"Will was worried about my health. You know, the whole, "fading into the shadows from to much shadow traveling" thing." Nico said.
"Well, I'm glad you didn't. It would suck coming back from the dead to see my bro only to find out he's one with the shadows." Leo smiled elfish-ly at Nico.
"I almost did you know. Like, after the war. Only a couple days ago, actually." Nico said. Leo looked slightly horrified.
"I trust Solace with your life while I'm gone and he lets you do your voodoo Hades magic?! I'm going to kill that boy. I mean, what kind of doctor is he?" Leo fumed. Nico had never realized how much Leo cared for Him. A strange and fuzzy feeling flowed in Nico's stomach. It felt like a happy emotion, and slightly set Nico off. But he did something he had never done before, he welcomed the feeling and continued with the conversation.
"A doctor with a lot of orders." Leo looked at him confusedly. "Don't ask. anyways, if you really want to know, me and Will... Had a disagreement, I guess? It was late at night and Katie was taking the night shift and she hugged me, but Will saw. I think he was there to see me, and when he saw me hugging Katie, he left the infirmary in a rush. I chased after him, but I ran into the harpies. I kinda sent them all to the Underworld. Then I almost faded into the shadows..."
"You idiot! What were you thinking?" Leo joked.
"That I had to find Will, and nothing else mattered at the time." Nico stated with full honesty.
"Awwwwee, my little Nico's fallen hard for Solace!" Leo cooed.
"Shut up, Valdez."
"Never, Di Angelo."
*****
Nico and Leo fell asleep shorty after that. Well, Leo did. Nico tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. His worries about Calypso and Leo haunted him all night long, along with the powerful emotions of missing Will. Nico wanted him beside him, knowing that Will would understand his fears, and that Will could help Nico fall asleep. Even though Nico could protect himself, he still felt twice as safe with Will than anyone else. It was a weird feeling, to care so deeply for someone else. To need someone so badly. Nico had spent years on his own, and got along just fine, not missing anyone, except Bianca.
Her name still ached in his head when he thought of her. He loved her so much, and she died before she even knew who her godly parent was. She obviously found out in the Underworld, but still. Nico missed Bianca almost like he missed Will. Which didn't make sense. Bianca was dead, and Will was in his cabin, which is a 30 second walk from the infirmary. It made sense to miss Bianca this much, but why Will? He would see him in a few hours for god's sake!
"Ugh! Why do I miss him so much?" Nico said to himself out loud.
"Are you talking about Will?" A male voice asked from where the Apollo camper had past out.
Nico sat up and asked wearily, "Since when did you wake up?"
"Don't know. But can I give you my educated guess as a Doctor as to why you miss Will so much? Even when you're going to see him In a few hours, and even though he's only a quick walk away?"
"Umm, okay... I guess."
"It's because you love him. You love him more than you have ever loved anyone else. You love him more than yourself. He might as well be your other half, a part of you long ago lost. And now you've found him, and you aren't ever going to let him go."
"Why are you such an expert, what-ever-your-name-is?" Nico sassed, still processing his words.
"I'm Robert, and I know the feeling. I met my other half, my one and only. And a piece of advice? Don't ever let them go, and if you do, make sure you're there to protect them with your life. I lost her in the second Titan war, I wasn't there to protect her. Everyone would grieve the loss of Will; everyone likes him, it's hard not to! But if he were to die, you would die with him, because you are the only one who truly loves him more than anyone else does, and he feels the exact same way as you do."
"Uh..." Nico couldn't answer. But Robert spared him from answering.
"Get to sleep, Nico. It's going to be busy in here tomorrow." Nico was suddenly to tired to ask what Robert meant as he faded to sleep. But in the back of his mind, Nico was wondering, was Robert predicting the future? What was he saying about Will getting hurt?