The Call of the Void

Will gets an extra shadow

I sat at the bench for breakfast, picking at my bran muffin. It was a quiet, dewy morning, only the birds chirping, sending jolts of nutty flavor on my tongue with each call. 

I was the first one up, I guess that nap had done more good than I realized. 

I took a bite of the lucky charms I'd gotten too, remembering my mom. I tried to focus on the good memories of her, and not the bad. Right as I began to drink the cereal milk from the bowl, I recognized someone from the corner of my eye. 

"Hey, Nico. Wanna sit next to me?" I asked. "It seems pretty lonely at the Hades table." 

"Oh, no. I'm just here to pick breakfast up for Hazel." He picked up a paper bag and started filling it up with tongs, before turning to leave. 

"Well now hold on shadow boy, you've gotta eat too. Doctor's orders." 

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "You're not my doctor anymore." 

"No. But I'm still a doctor." 

"You're fourteen." 

"I'll be fifteen in a few weeks." I noted. "Just get yourself some breakfast already, I'm worried about you." 

He rolled his eyes again before nabbing a granola bar and a cup of coffee, and then one of the pre-prepared bagged breakfasts. I looked around at the sleepy teenagers just starting to shuffle in, before looking back at the boy who sat next to me. "... When's your birthday, then?" He asked. 

"Hmm?" I asked, before lifting the bowl up and drinking the rest of the cereal milk. 

"Well, you said you'd be turning fifteen soon, so... When's your birthday?" 

I swallowed and took a swig of water so I could appreciate his voice. Bittersweet like coffee or dark chocolate. "Um... August 25th." 

He pulled out a pen from his pocket, and wrote the date on his wrist. "Thanks." 

I watched him methodically open the wrapper and eat the granola bar in little pinches. "... If you were planning on celebrating it with me, I wouldn't bother. I'll probably still be at the infirmary this year." 

He took a sip of his coffee before responding. "What makes you think that?" 

"Well, my schedule's been packed ever since the earth's been put to sleep again, and considering how many of my patients are long term, I doubt that'll change any time soon. I mean, I'm already behind schedule." 

"What are you talking about?" He asked. "The day's barely even started." 

"Well, yeah, but I've got twelve patients lined up today, and it'll take a good thirty minutes to get to the infirmary from here." 

He took another drink of coffee, his eyes calculating and distant. "... I could shadow-travel you over there." 

"No, you're still on the mend. No more underworld stuff for... A long time, ok?" I looked down at his coffee cup. "And what did I just say about caffeine?" 

He huffed. "It's decaf." 

"It better be." I scolded. "You've got tachycardia." 

He stared at me blankly. "Tacky what?" 

I sighed. "Tachycardia, it's when your heart beats too fast. Luckily, yours is pretty mild, but I'm trying to help you keep it that way." I pushed my glass of water to him. "Besides, you seem dehydrated." 

His face became a little bit pink, and he scooted his coffee towards me, letting me switch drinks with him. "... Thanks for caring about me, you big nerd."