His hands grappled loosely for a hold on the rocky terrain.

Shadows formed crooked smiles below him, beckoning for him to let go; to just give up.

It was so tempting, to just give up, to just surrender.

There was nothing left for him, not now, not ever.

His friends would move on, they wouldn't miss him.

Let go...

Stop fighting...

His last resolve sunk down into the recesses of his mind, and his grip went lax, sending him tumbling through the endless pit.

Nice of you to join us, prince of shadows.

We've been waiting fo-

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.

Nico woke up with a groan, slapping his alarm to the floor.

He checked the time, finding it to be 7:00am.

Godammit, who set his alarm this time? It was probably Jason, when he got his hands on that child of Zeus, so help him gods. He didn't even have to up till eight, what was the point?!

'That reminds me,' he thought, 'I need to clean up.'

Nico regarded his cabin with distaste, taking in the mud tracks, piles of books and some kind of puddle of poisonous goop. How did that even get in here?

He glanced over at Hazel's vacant bed sadly. She had left yesterday with Frank and Reyna, Nico's cabin felt more empty than ever. He rolled out of bed and sifted through his sparse collection of clothes, looking for something reasonably clean, all the while recalling last night's nightmare. They got worse every week, usually ending up with him falling through a black tunnel, as you do. Nico sniffed his black Ramones t-shirt cautiously.

'It wasn't that bad...'

He pulled his shirt on and grabbed the pair of black jeans he'd been wearing yesterday.

'Note to self, do laundry.'

Nico went around his cabin animatedly, picking up clothes and chucking them in a pile he'd clean later. He ignored the puddle of monster gunk, placing a chair over it; hiding it from plain sight. Satisfied that his cabin was not as bad as the Hermes cabin, he grabbed his iPod, watch, shoes and walked out the door. He put his earphones in, putting his iPod on shuffle, Twenty One Pilots blasted through his ears.

Few people were about, it was surprising to see the camp so quiet.

He could see a few Apollo kids on the volleyball courts, playing with some Demeter kids. The Stoll brothers were busy taping a way too conked out Clovis, to the Hypnos cabin door and five or so members of the Ares cabin were doing circuit runs around the Arena. Nico glanced at the infirmary nervously, half expecting Will to come out and chase him with a shot of some kind. He groaned when he realised he'd forgotten to go to the infirmary. He had promised to come yesterday after he had the 'talk' with Percy, but that thought got crushed when he all but face planted in his bed at 6:00 pm. Maybe he could avoid Will for the day and he'd forget about it? Probably not, with his luck. He'd end up hunted down by half the camp.

Nico walked passed the Zeus cabin and jogged towards the dining pavilion. He considered his plan for the day, try and hide out? Or go willingly...it was a no brainer. Like he would willingly walk into that disinfectant smelling, white box. He walked through the doors and nodded his head at the few people who had woken up early. Nico grabbed a piece of toast and a goblet, summoning some good ol' fashioned coffee. He sat down on his table and ate his toast, while flicking through his playlist. By the time he finished eating it was 7:40, he was almost sure Jason and Will would be up, them being the morning people they were. Sadly the coffee had not improved his mood, he was still grumpy and he still felt like Hell hound poop. Nico had a slim chance of getting out of the dining pavilion without being chucked over someone's shoulder.

Nico stood up quickly and stalked out the door, quietly. He was almost home free, when a familiar hand grabbed his shoulder.

"You in a rush, Nico?" Jason asked sternly, he was wearing his glasses, a camp half blood shirt and beige cargo shorts. Jason's hair stuck up at random angles, obviously he hadn't of brushed it that morning.

"No, I just forgot to grab something from my cabin," Nico replied weakly.

"So you weren't avoiding a certain someone?" Jason asked, smirking at Nico's awkwardness.

"Not at all..." Nico said subtly.

"Yeah that's not what that certain person told me. You see I was told you were supposed to be in the infirmary yesterday." Jason said.

"Really, I didn't know that," Nico mumbled.

"Well then, we can make a detour on the way to your cabin," Jason said steering Nico towards the infirmary.

Nico being at his height and weight, easily slunk out of Jason's grip and darted away.

"Di Angelo get back here!" Jason shouted, exasperated.

Nico ducked through the onslaught of grumpy morning campers, and reached his cabin. He was about to slip through the door, when someone caught him around the waist and threw them over their shoulder. Nico groaned as he was met with the familiar sight of Jason's grey Vans.

"Dammit Jason, let me go!" Nico shouted, trying to kick Jason in the face.

"Stop trying to kick me. You promised Will; he isn't too happy." Jason scolded, heading in the direction of the infirmary.

"Di immortales I don't care about Will and his opinions!" Nico growled, the blood rushing to his head.

"Be nice," Jason reprimanded, nodding at passing campers as if it was a normal, everyday occurrence.

Nico didn't answer, but groaned as the familiar wood floor of the infirmary came into view; the God's strength disinfectant assaulting his nostrils. He could almost feel Will's angry gaze from his position.

"Thanks Jason, I'll deal with him now. You can see him later," Will said softly.

Jason set Nico down cautiously, giving him a last stern glare; promising to talk to him later.

Nico stared at Will weakly, a pink blush forming on his cheeks. Will was wearing a navy blue scrub shirt this time, grey cargo shorts and a pair of flip-flops. Nico was still adamant those weren't hospital protocol.

"What am I going to with you, huh?" Will asked rhetorically.

"Not lock me up in here?" Nico asked pleasingly.

"Very funny," Will grumbled, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards a door on the left.

The infirmary was larger than it looked on the outside, with wood oak floors, glowing white walls and large glass paned windows. Rows of mostly empty beds, covered in pale blue blankets lined the first part of the infirmary and were separated by yellow curtains. Nico tripped along after Will, as he was pulled through another door, and into a secluded part of the infirmary. It was much like the entrance, just smaller and quieter; there was only one person lying there. A girl who was sleeping, her legs were in white casts, propped up by pillows. She was dressed in a navy, infirmary gown, there were various leads and wires attached to her. Nico scowled at the heart monitor, he swore to Poseidon those things were abominations.

"That's Lacey, child of Hermes she had an incident with an Ares chariot," Will said pushing him down onto a bed, in the corner.

"I don't need to be here," Nico complained, as Will pulled out various things.

"Nico your skin is translucent dammit!" Will grumbled holding up clipboard like a trophy.

"I just need to sleep, not whatever you're planning on doing," Nico said, blushing when he realised that sounded weird.

"You need to be monitored; I can't do that if you're not in here," Will said, turning towards the blue cupboard in the corner.

Nico watched as Will sifted through the cupboard furiously until he pulled out a piece of cotton clothing. It was a dark blue, sickening hospital gown. It was pullover with a v-neck, but it still had annoying ties and looked way too breezy. It was the exact same thing as what the girl Lacey was wearing.

"No." Nico said adamantly.

"It's infirmary regulation, you have to." Will ordered, shoving the garment closer towards Nico.

"I am not wearing that thing from Tartarus." Nico stated firmly.

"I will dress you in it myself," Will warned.

Nico was sure in that moment, his face couldn't of gotten any redder.

"Fine," Nico mumbled taking the clothing, with a look of obvious distaste.

"I'll turn around so you can get dressed," Will said cheerily turning round to face the wall; tapping his foot impatiently.

Nico groaned, slowly pulling off his shirt and replacing it with the gown thing. He untied his shoes and shimmied out of his jeans. Leaving him in grey socks and a breezy, cotton gown.

'At least it was navy, not pink or something,' Nico thought weakly.

"You can turn around now," Nico said, grimacing.

Will stared at him blankly, before motioning for him to sit down on the bed.

"Now give me your wrist!" Will ordered, holding his hand out expectantly.

"What! Why?" Nico exclaimed.

"Your pulse," Will sighed in a 'duh' tone.

"Zeus' beard you're frustratingly stubborn," Nico mumbled.

Nico handed him his wrist, and watched mildly interested as Will took his pulse while scribbling notes down quickly. Will then went on to get Nico to untie the top part of his hospital gown and check his heartbeat awkwardly. Nico blushed furiously, when he realised how close Will's face was to his chest.

While Will was doing that, he also attached the leads of the heart monitor to Nico's chest, earning an annoyed scowl from Nico when the annoying beeping started. Will then went on to ask him about his allergies, and stab him ruthlessly with a needle till he found a vein in Nico's hand. Nico could just tell Will was enjoying stabbing him, he was one hundred percent sure Apollo kids knew how to inject needles. Nico watched disinterested as Will taped the needle down, connected an IV line to it and began to filter unknown liquid into his veins.

"Is this really necessary?" Nico asked pointing moodily to the needle overly taped to his hand.

"Yes." Will said adamantly, checking that everything was working.

"I'll escape, eventually. You can't keep me here!" Nico replied.

"You. Can. Try." Will drawled out slowly, in his southern accent.

Nico glared at him childishly, blinking furiously as he grew more tired.

'Seriously it was only the morning, I literally got up an hour ago!' Nico thought angrily. 'The bastard drugged me.'

"You drugged me didn't you?" Nico stated a fact.

"It's a side effect of the medicine..." Will said weakly, gathering up his equipment.

Nico raised an unbelieving eyebrow at him, huffing in annoyance as it became harder for him to form coherent thought.

"I'll leave you here to sleep, which should be easy for you. I'll be back at noon to give you lunch." Will said cheerily, walking out the door as Nico conked out.

"I'm not finished with you, Apollo spawn!" Nico shouted incoherently, before face planting into his pillow; into oblivion.

Nico came around with a pounding headache and someone cursing in Ancient Greek. Will had probably found the Lycaon scratches on his back.

'Whoops' He'd forgotten to mention that.

"Dammit Di Angelo are you trying to get yourself killed?" Will shouted frustrated, as he realised Nico was awake.

"No, I just forgot about them...kind of," Nico mumbled sleepily, glaring at the needle in his hand.

"Seriously! You forgot about them?" Will said pulling Nico up by his shoulders, so he could deal with the scratches.

"Yeah.. What's the time?" Nico asked, when Will poured peroxide on the scratches.

"12:05 why?" Will asked as he wrapped the bandage around Nico's back and torso.

"No reason, just wondering." Nico mumbled.

"You hungry? I forgot to grab your lunch." Will said sheepishly, standing up to pack his equipment away.

"Meh," Nico said.

Will took that as a yes and walked out of the room, coming back moments later with a sandwich and milk.

"You're not vegetarian right?" Will asked, pausing in front of him.

"Solace, I live off McDonald's, do you think I'd be vegetarian?" Nico deadpanned.

"No need to be a jerk," Will grumbled, handing him the sandwich and milk.

Nico poked his tongue at Will, before eating his food with gusto.

"I'll leave you to make out with the sandwich then," Will said chuckling. "Just leave the plate and stuff on the chair, Jason will be here in a few."

Nico grunted in affirmation and watched boredly, as Will walked briskly out the door. He wished he had a book, anything to pass the time. But no he was stuck in an eerily quiet ward, with a conked out Hermes kid, great.

Nico stared at the various posters lining the walls, saying cheesy things like:

"Be a man, wash your hands" and "Say yes to Apollo's 101 vitamins."

Nico glanced over at his folded pile of clothes in the corner, on the bedside table.

'Maybe I left my iPod in there?' He thought weakly.

Nico stretched over the side of the iron framed bed he was lying on. He leaned over awkwardly, trying not to yank the needle out of his hand. He gripped the edge of his jeans, and yanked them off the chair; bringing them onto the bed. Nico rifled through the pockets, grinning wildly when he came into contact with his iPod. Nico was about to plug his headphones in and turn on sleeping with sirens, when Jason walked through the door grinning.

"Hello Nico, you're looking cheery," Jason chucked, his hand shoved in his pockets.

Nico grunted in response, brooding at Jason.

"Where's Piper?" Nico asked quietly.

"Trying to teach the Aphrodite cabin basic self-defence." Jason said, sitting down beside Nico, on the yellow, plastic chair.

"Fun," Nico grumbled.

"So anything interesting happen in the infirmary?" Jason asked, fiddling with his wrist watch.

"I wouldn't know, Will drugged me," Nico grumbled, jostling the tube in his hand.

"Harsh, usually it's only Percy or me being knocked out," Jason chuckled. "That reminds me. Reyna wants us in Camp Jupiter on Sunday. We have an important senate meeting or something."

"People being knocked out reminds you of senate meetings?" Nico asked.

"You really don't want to know," Jason said, glancing round the large room with curiosity, "I grabbed you a few books from your cabin."

Nico took the offered books, pretending not to notice his sketch book down the bottom.

"Thanks," Nico said meaningly, placing the books beside his pillow.

"Cool. Look Nico, I want you to talk to Will please." Jason said seriously. "You need to stop this whole brooding cycle and talk to people."

Nico's gaze hardened. This talk had changed drastically.

'I make friends don't I?' Nico thought, 'I talk to people.'

"I'm not saying you don't talk to people, I'm just giving you advice. Will, he's really nice. You'd be good friends with him." Jason said, putting his hands up in surrender from Nico's glare.

"Seriously Will? He'd kill me with medical jargon!" Nico grumbled.

"Just think about it okay? I've got to get to sword practice, but I'll get Piper or Percy to talk to you later." Jason said standing up and stretching.

"I'll consider it," Nico grumbled, watching tiredly as Jason turned to leave.

"And be nice Nico, don't scare everybody away!" Jason chucked over his shoulder, walking out the door with a skip in his step.

'I hope he doesn't ask Percy,' Nico thought wearily. 'Just imagine that awkward conversation.'

Nico sifted through the books Jason had brought, before finally deciding on the first Harry Potter book.

'Might as well start the series now.'