Under the Same Roof (Solangelo)

[6] Will

"How much longer?" I asked Hazel, it was about three am and we had just left Ohio and entered Lower Michigan. I never understood why there were two Michigans. Lower and Upper? Why not just make them two separate states? Or just have Michigan as Michigan? Oh well, there was no time to complain.

"At least six hours," Hazel informed me. "But we're ten minutes from a town."

"Great," I took up Nico's sarcasm, someone had to while he was sick. Actually, I had a good feeling he could be just as sassy when sick. "Does this happen often?" I asked, trying to understand more as Nico curled in closer to me.

Percy shrugged, he was next to me in the back now as the seating had basically shifted to the left in a triangle. Annabeth in Percy's seat.

"It happened a ton when he was staying with me, but I guess we figured it went away when he moved out. Or wasn't as common."

"What is it anyway?"

"It's a side effect of sleeping without his CPAP, that he should've been using," Annabeth supplied. "His brain doesn't get enough oxygen, but it's not so drastic that he wakes up. Instead, his body tries to find out what's wrong and in the process," Annabeth turned and gestured to the ball of Nico who was cuddled in my lap. "He has a fever and is sick. It'll only last a day at most, and the worst of it is right now."

"Ah," I said, which was short for WHAT??? "So he'll be alright, though?"

"Oh yeah, it's not uncommon," Hazel told me, switching lanes to exit the highway.

I looked down at Nico. His face wasn't necessarily slack but it wasn't tense either. I could feel the heat coming off of him like when you stand near a campfire. The intensity of it surprised me and made me more worried. He was really burning up, but the others seemed pretty casual about it. I suppose he'd dealt with this for years and they were just used to it. I still didn't understand how someone could just get used to this though.

What Nico said about my life being perfect, it hurt. But seeing him with probably a 103.5 fever hurt more. Maybe if I hadn't left summer camp he'd never develop such bad health conditions. Or at least he'd have someone with him. I tried to imagine what it was like the first time this happened, how scary it must've been. Nico wasn't a coward. He was pretty brave, but more so, he was courageous.

I felt like I'd missed out on so much of his life and was now just reentering as an imposter. Pretending I'd actually been there with him all that time, when I hadn't. Hazel parked the truck and I knew now wasn't the time for a pity party.

"Here," Hazel opened the door to my right, where King had taken Nico's seat as the Sophomore had shifted so I was basically cradling him like a baby. Not that I mined at all. Besides, I now had leg space, King had a seat and Nico wasn't as cold. He still had goosebumps pricked on his arms, but not as prominent now.

King jumped out of the truck so I could get out and Annabeth also hopped out to unlock the RV's door.

I hadn't been inside our camper till now and I realized how nice it was. A bunk bed on one end and a queen-sized bed on the other. There were two bench tables, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

"Set him on the bed, I'll grab the medication," Hazel sighed like she was not looking forward to this but I complied and carried him in then set him down carefully.

He seemed awake, but his eyes were still closed. His breathing was getting a bit too jagged for my liking. Again, how could anyone just put up with this?

Miserable was the only word I could use to describe what he must've felt like.

Drowning in sweat, barely able to breathe, sick to his stomach, and a high fever.