Authors Note: I wasn't sure if, towards the end of Blood of Olympus, Will saying Nico owed him three days of rest meant Nico had to rest or Nico had to help Will in the infirmary, but I went ahead and made it Nico needing some sleep otherwise he would sink into a pile of black gunk.

I do not own any Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus characters

Percy glanced around the infirmary. Daylight spilled through the windows, seeming to gravitate towards the Apollo kids rushing back and forth.

It's been six days since Gaea was put to sleep, meaning Nico had rested in the infirmary for his three days, abiding by the doctors orders. The kid was still out cold, and Percy figured that's how he's been since they last spoke.

Percy squeezed Annabeth's hand. She met his gaze and smiled, her stormy-gray eyes glinting.

Only a few demigods were still in the infirmary like Mark, Ares' son, and Jake Mason, Hephaestus' son, yet the Apollo kids worked feverishly, all of them taking orders from Will Solace.

Will glanced up from bandaging Jake's arm and flashed a broad smile.

"Percy! Annabeth! How can I help you?" he asked, tugging the gloves off his hands and tossing them in the trash bin. As he came closer, Percy spotted bags under his eyes and the smile seemed somewhat forced. The poor guy probably hadn't had much sleep since Gaea was put back where she came from.

Percy's voice caught in his throat. "Well, um... uh-"

"We were wondering when Nico would be waking up," Annabeth finished for him. Percy glanced at Hades' son. He snoozed on one of the beds, his face peaceful and the sunlight casting shadows over him. He looked like just a normal kid, not some child of death and wealth and blah-blah-blah. He didn't look like someone who would sink into a glob of black stuff (shadows?) either. Just Nico. Will frowned.

"The medicine I gave him should be wearing off by now, and I really don't want to wake him..."

Percy agreed. Waking the child of death was basically asking to get your head stuck under a tombstone. Maybe. Nico changed since Percy had last spoken with him. He seemed more at ease with himself, like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

And he also admitted that he used to have a crush on Percy. That probably took some guts, and Percy was really beginning to admire him. He was taking some serious control of his life.

"However," Will continued, "it has been three days and Nico should probably start moving around. I'll wake him."

He ambled up to Nico and shook him. Percy held his breath. Then he realized he was holding his breath, and was tempted to smack himself upside the head. What's the worst that could happen? He's just the son of the god of death! It's not like he's gonna flip out and raise some zombies or something.

Nico snored away.

Will creased his eyebrows and shook him a little more violently. He got no reaction.

"He sleeps like a rock," Percy commented helpfully.

"I noticed." Will crossed his arms and leaned over Nico.

"WAKE UP!"

Nico snored in protest. Will shook his head.

"Try some resurrection ritual," Percy offered, grinning. Annabeth elbowed him in the gut and he let out an oof!

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain. Will knows what he's doing."

"Uh, it looks like he doesn't. Nico's still out."

"He knows more than you do, so shut your trap."

Will didn't seem to hear them. "NICO DI ANGELO! I DEMAND THAT YOU WAKE UP RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

Nico shot up, colliding heads with Will, who tumbled backwards and fell to the floor, yelping and clutching his nose. Nico groaned and fell back, moaning about his head.

Percy burst out laughing, clutching his side. Annabeth covered her mouth, her eyes wide (Percy wasn't about to admit how cute that was), then she rushed to Will's side and held out a hand. Pinching his nose with one hand and gripping Annabeth's hand in the other, he stumbled back to his feet, his eyes wide.

"Nosebleed," he wheezed, his eyes crossed. "Be back in two!" He rushed off, stopping at the door. Percy ambled over to open it for him, swallowing his laughter.

"Careful with those," he advised. "I woke up Gaea and began the almost end of the world with one of those bad boys."

Will raised an eyebrow, then nodded his head in thanks as he rushed to more medical supplies. The other demigods watched Will dart away, then glanced at Nico, their eyes glinting and their laughter choked back. Kayla, Will's half sister, dashed towards Nico with a bag of ice and pressed it to his forehead. Nico took it, bleary-eyed as he glanced around.

"Wha-" He blinked, and Kayla offered him a kind smile.

"You okay, there? You kinda conked heads with Will, there," she said. Her smile widened. Nico frowned at her.

"Where is..." Nico stopped himself, quickly taking another look around the room. Percy presented a nervous grin. Nico nodded at him, adjusting the ice he pressed to his head.

"Would you like some ambrosia?" Kayla asked, offering a small cube of the medicine. Nico shook his head.

"How long has it been?" he drawled. Percy snickered.

"Dude, you are so drugged up right now."

Nico met his gaze with cold intensity, and Percy wished he could snatch his words back and shove them down his throat.

Nico smiled. "Well, that explains why there's three of you."

Percy internally breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, yeah. That's it."

Nico's eyes narrowed and opened his mouth as if to reply, but his gaze shifted past Percy and the words died in his mouth.

"Good afternoon, Death Boy," Will said, pulling on more gloves and lacking any sign of the nosebleed he had only moments before. "It would seem that you've risen from the Underworld finally."

"Don't call me Death Boy," Nico hissed. Will grinned at him, undeterred.

"Don't worry, my hands are sanitized. And I wear gloves."

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"He got a nosebleed," Annabeth explained.

"From what?"

"From conkin' noggins!" Kayla said, beaming as she finished wrapping Jake's arm. He thanked her and briskly walked out.

"Oh, s-sorry."

Will shrugged and approached Nico in two strides, whipping out some eye examining thing, an opthal-something-some. The lights in the room immediately darkened, as if bending to someones will or like the instrument just soaked it in.

"What do you need the ophthalmoscope for?" Annabeth asked, and Percy threw his hands up.

Will grabbed Nico's head and shined the light in Nico's eye, yet 'Death Boy' yanked back, banging his head on the wall behind him. Will winced.

"I need to see if Nico has damage to the optic nerve," Will muttered, giving Annabeth a sideways glance. "I heard that shadow travel affects your retina's sensitivity to light."

"Uh, English, please?" Percy muttered. Will barely even looked at him.

He glared at Nico. "Did that burn your eyeball or were you being dramatic?" he demanded. Nico shook his head.

"Try surprised. You don't go around shoving stuff in people's faces."

Will held his hands up. "Fine." He waggled the ophthalmoscope. "May I?"

Nico grunted, then gave a short nod and dropped the ice pack to his side. A purple bruise was forming on his forehead, yet Will ignored it for the moment. He shined the light in Nico's eye.

"Can you look to the left for me?" Will asked. Nico obliged, and continued to do so as Will went through the whole procedure. Percy sighed and raised his eyebrows at Annabeth. She wrapped her arms around and planted a light kiss on his lips.

"Bad timing?" she asked. "Because I think you're just being impatient." Her eyes twinkled and she pulled away. Percy creased his eyebrows. It was definitely bad timing on their part. He was tempted to ask if they should wait outside until the whole check-up thing was over.

He didn't have to. Jason stuck his head through the doorway, his glasses lopsided. "Hey, Percy, you got an Iris message from Rachel."

Percy's eyes slid towards Annabeth, who made a show of staring back at Percy expectantly. "Uh, can I see what's up?" he asked, cringing. Annabeth smiled.

"Sure. Just hurry, alright?"

"I will." He gave her a light kiss and hurried after Jason.

"... so basically Ella's been spouting out prophecies like no tomorrow and everyone is starting to go crazy."

"That's... that really sucks."

Rachel gave Percy a lopsided grin. "Yeah, well at least we're starting to figure stuff out."

"Have you gotten your powers back yet?"

She shook her head. "Nah. But it's cool. How are things there?"

"Settling down. It's pretty quiet. We haven't had, like, any attacks on us."

"Ooh. Bonus."

"Yeah."

"Any sign of..."

Rachel didn't say his name, and she bit her lip. Percy shook his head.

"Hazel said she felt his death."

"I'm sure Leo's fine. He'll show up eventually."

Percy nodded, looking away. Hazel actually felt Leo's death, which wasn't reassuring, and Jason said Nico did, too, but neither of them seemed positive about it. However, Percy didn't want to risk getting his hopes up on some slim possibility.

"I've got to go," Percy said, breaking the short silence. "Let's talk again soon, okay?"

"Of course! And good luck."

"Yeah, you too."

Rachel's image disappeared, and Percy let out a deep breath. Things weren't exactly settling down, but Rachel didn't have Reyna's metallic dogs to call out his bluff.

More demigods were arriving to Camp-Half Blood, whether they were completely new to the Greek (and Roman, but whatever) gods, or they just now decided to join the camp. The Hermes cabin was filled to bursting, yet it probably wouldn't be like that for long, and there was the whole "building more cabins for more gods and goddesses" thing with Jason going on. So the camp was pretty much anything but quiet.

Percy sighed. Annabeth was waiting for him back in the infirmary, and he promised he would hurry. He knew better than to keep her waiting.

When he shoved open the door, he caught Nico's eye and smiled.

"So, you feeling better?"

Nico shrugged and stood up, stretching. He still pressed the ice to his forehead and seemed a little out-of it.

"Remember what I told you," Will said, crossing his arms. "Don't work yourself too hard, and try to avoid Underworld-y activity. Understood?" He raised his eyebrows, watching Nico. Hades' son let out a deep breath and nodded.

"Can he do capture the flag?" Percy asked. "I mean, it's tomorrow, so he should be good by then, right?"

"For now, I say I think he'll be eligible to play, but I won't know for sure until tomorrow."

Percy smiled. "Great! Hey, Nico, you wanna hang out with us for a little bit? We can practice stabbing Ares kids."

Mark's head shot up. "Hey, I heard that."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It was a joke."

Nico shook his head. "No, but thanks. I've got things to do."

"You need any help?"

"Unless you're interested in burial rites, then no."

"I could help with that," Percy said, his voice faltering. Honestly, that wasn't exactly his thing. But he felt like he should talk with Nico some more.

"You can, but you shouldn't. I'll see you later, Percy." Nico brushed past him, leaning slightly on the door as he pushed it open.

Annabeth grabbed his hand. "Don't try too hard," she said softly. "He's fine. Unless something's bothering you, then let him do his own thing. It's not like he hates you."

Percy looked past her, then nodded. "Alright, Wise Girl."

"You wanna head to the beach?"

He grinned and offered her an arm. She took it, smiling.

"You wanna call it a date?" he asked. Her eyes sparkled.

"I'd love to."