After a quick, and possibly tearful- though he would never admit it- goodbye with Hazel, Frank, Reyna, and the other Roman demigods, which might have included quite a few promises of visits, letters, and iris messages- the kids from Camp Jupiter considered it a wonderful discovery and begged the CHB campers to make the most out of it- Nico and Will made their way to the infirmary.
"I don't mean to pry," Will began lightly, "but what was that thing with Percy and Annabeth?"
"None of your business, Solace."
Will chucked, as if that was the exact response he had been expecting. "He just looked so shocked when you walked away. Honestly, I wasn't even sure if anything could surprise Percy at this point."
"Yeah." Nico responded with a slight sigh. "He did."
"Just another mystery to add to your growing pile, 'Ghost King.'"
When they finally reached the infirmary, Nico didn't know what to expect. He'd only been inside once, on his camp tour four years earlier. He'd refused any medical attention since his sister's death. He was healthy... enough, and he just didn't see the point.
From the outside, the infirmary looked like any other cabin, but as soon as Nico stepped inside he felt like he was in a real hospital. Not that he'd ever been in one of those either. But it certainly didn't reflect the aesthetic of Westover Hall's hospital wing.
Somehow there were four floors in the building, the first for the emergencies, and the actual act of healing, almost an ICU; the second for recovery and rest; the third as a sort of resting place for the infirmary's workers; the fourth an apothecary, with plenty of nectar and ambrosia, as well as herbs, and mortal medicines.
The infirmary wasn't full, but it wasn't desolate either, and it was filled with noises of equipment and unhurried conversation; all of which abruptly stopped when Nico and Will entered the first floor. Every head in the infirmary swiveled to the door as the silence spread, even the workers not hiding their confused stares. Will ignored all of this, gripping Nico's shoulder and moving him through the crowd- until the whispers started, when he turned around and fixed every person in the room with a glare so intense it could rival Nico's, then turned back and guided Nico further as if nothing had happened.
"Will, seriously, I don't need to be here. I feel fine, and healthy, and all I'm doing is scaring the people who need actual medical attention," Nico grimaced.
Without even sparing him a glance, Will said, "You're bleeding through your shirt."
Nico looked down at the shoulder that Will was not tightly clutching, and, to his surprise, he was indeed bleeding through his shirt. His bandages must've ripped at some point on the walk.
Will finally ushered Nico up one set of stairs, away from the first floor, filled with beds, curtains, and healers, and onto the second floor, which looked exactly like he imagined a recovery floor of any ordinary hospital would look. Instead of beds with curtains, there were rooms with numbers, and a child of Hecate bent over a clipboard, which was resting on a check in desk.
"Mia! Hi. You're in early."
Without looking up from her writing, Mia said, "Yeah, well, we've all gotta start at some point. These files aren't gonna sort themselves out." She had a strong southern accent, more prominent than Will's, and her words were punctuated by the smacking of the gum she was chewing.
She finally looked up to send a pointed glare towards Will, despite the smile threatening to break through her expression, before she saw Nico, and her face darkened, slightly.
Ignoring him, she turned back to Will. "I prepped room 5 like you asked. New sheets, new pillows, full cabinets. Mike has been let out of room 3 with carefully worded instructions, and a warning to not go anywhere near purple bees. I mean, honestly. Oh, and Lou Ellen was looking for you. Gossip or something. Not sure. Anyway, it seemed like she wanted you to know." Looking down at her paper she scowled, flung her hand at the document, turning it into a cockroach, before going back to furiously scribbling on her clipboard,
YOU ARE READING
How Icarus Fell From the Sun (a Solangelo fanfic)
FanfictionNico felt like Icarus. Fly too close to the sun, and your wings will melt. Fly too close to the sea, your wings will grow heavy. Nico had already flown too close to the sea. He had allowed his infatuation with Percy to rule his life, his decisions...
