Melody had been stabbed. Plain and simple, Clarisse had stabbed her during a sparring match. Percy and Nico had carried her to the infirmary, where she had fallen unconscious. Will and the other medics ran around madly getting her fixed up and somewhere in the madness, Percy was gone. So Nico was left to care for his cousin, which in all honesty wasn't bad at all, because everyone knew he considered her his sister. He watched over her diligently as she slept. She tossed and turned for a while before waking to Nico's hand on her cheek.
Eyes closed she whispered, "Hi Neeks."
Taken aback, he asked, "How'd you know it was me?"
"Your hands are colder than everyone else's." She replied simply.
"Do you categorize everyone's hands or something?" He quipped.
"No, but some are really easy to recognize."
"How so?"
She opened her eyes to answer.
"Well, yours are cold, Beckendorf's are warm, Percy's smell like salt, Annabeth's are smooth. You know. Simple things."
"Ah."
"Are you okay?" She asked him.
He threw his head back and laughed. A beautiful sound, but hearing it was few and far between for the scarce group allowed to hear it.
"You get stabbed by Clarisse and you're asking if I'm alright?"
"You worry a lot."
"True. But no, I'm fine."
"How's Percy?"
"I'm actually not sure. He left when Will and his siblings were fixing you up. Just kinda disappeared."
The conversation was halted by hearing a heated discussion in the infirmary doorway.
"I just want to talk to her!"
"For the Gods' sakes Clarisse, you're the reason she's here!"
"Solace, if you don't let me through I swear you aren't gonna be a medic, you'll be a patient!"
"Clarisse!" Nico shouted, getting up from beside his cousin and striding to the doorway, practically ripping his Stygian iron sword out of its sheath at his side and leveling it at her, "What the Hades are you doing here?!"
"I didn't mean to stab Jackson! Look at my sword, it shouldn't have even done anything!"
Nico recognized the hilt of the sword that had gone through his cousin's abdomen, but Clarisse was right, it was a blunt tipped training sword, it shouldn't have been able to turn Melody into a shish kebab, especially considering she was wearing leather armor.
"I'll explain the situation to Melody, Clarisse. This is strange."
Clarisse nodded and Will sent her on her way. Following Nico back to Melody's bedside, where the daughter of Poseidon now lay sleeping again, Will sat down next to him and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"How are you feeling babe?" He asked, wrapping an arm around his boyfriend.
"Not good Will. How did Melody get so injured by this?" He held up the sword in frustration. "I would have sworn she was dying, Will. Dying. Will, I'm scared for her."
"It's gonna be okay babe. She'll be fine."
Nico leaned on the son of Apollo and held Melody's hand in his. Suddenly Melody sat bolt upright in bed and her eyes got wide.
"Mel?" Nico asked, "Are you okay?"
She turned her face towards him and he shuddered at the eerie grin she had as she stood. When she finally spoke, the words and voice were nothing like her.
"Poseidon's daughter shall never wake
The Sea God's son we shall take
And then shall his children meet their fate
Unless a child of death can their lives save
From each child's ruthless cage
One in the mind and one under the waves."
Then she collapsed.
