Nico left dinner half an hour early. Percy had made sure he'd eaten enough and then left him alone. Chiron allowed Percy to sit with him since being the only children of the big three, it got pretty lonely. Jason also sat with them but had gone to visit Camp Jupiter for a while.
As the boy dressed in black neared his Cabin, he heard a voice. A very quiet voice which didn't seem to belong to anyone. "Oi, loner. Don't you belong in the Underworld. That's where your only friend is. Or did they abandon you as well. Where's your sister? Oh, wait, she's dead." Nico felt tears form. "Go cry to your mom. Oh, wait, she's also dead. You've got no one. You don't belong here. Just die and go back to Hades." Before he did something he would regret, Nico ran towards his lonesome Cabin, not hiding himself in the shadows any more.
At that very moment, Will Solace, from the Apollo Cabin, happened to be passing by. There'd been no patients to tend to in the Infirmary and he need fresh air once in a while. Will watched as Nico kicked open his Cabin door and slammed it shut. Inching closer, he leaned into an open window, hearing the boy inside softly cry and sing.
"Have you heard the news that I'm dead. No one ever had much nice to say, I think they never liked me anyway. Oh take me from my hospital bed. Wouldn't it be grand, ain't exactly what I planned. Wouldn't it be great if I, were, dead." Will stood paralysed. Whispering, he uttered to words. "Oh Nico..."
The next week, Will couldn't hold it in any more. Nico was physically and mentally worse than ever and his doctor instincts were kicking in. After following the younger boy back to his dismal Cabin, he pushed open the door. On the floor sat Nico, counting, as red droplets fell to the floor. "Nico di Angelo stop right now!" Twisting his body, Nico faced Will. His face was teeming with pearly white tears and his eyes were darker than ever. His face held that hollow look of someone who had given up. He didn't reply either. He just carried on counting and slicing the knife across his red wrist.
Will rushed forward, knocking the knife. Nico cried out and made a wild grab for it. "No. Nico, stop. STOP!" Will had trouble restraining the boy. "What have you done." He pulled out his hidden First Aid box, Will cleaned the wounds and wrapped a soft bandage around them. "I had to Will. It was my only escape. Who cares if the only son of Hades dies. I can't carry on like this." Nico spoke in a distressed voice. Will carried him to his bed before setting him down. "Bianca died when I was ten, my mum died when I was eight and Hades doesn't care for me. Not much anyway. I lived in the Underworld for years, my only 'friends' being the dead and only out of respect. In the times when I was born, homosexual people weren't accepted. I lived in fear of someone finding out. Bianca was the one person to look after me and truly love me. I'm a loner and a nobody. I don't deserve to live." Fresh tears rolled down Nico's cheeks. "Shut up. Would I be in here if I didn't care? Percy cares. And no one will care if you're homosexual. Bianca is probably proud you've made it this far." Will said it all in a matter-of-fact voice, to prove a point. "You're a human. Or, at least half human. Considering you're the child of a God." Finally Nico looked up at Will and gave him a small smile. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep, curled up next to Will Solace. His saviour.