I was being shaken awake by Kayla in the middle of the night. Bleary eyed and slow moving I got up from my bunk and followed her. The chill air hit my skin and cleared my head as she was explaining that two new campers arrive and they were hurt. One of them badly. The infirmary was buzzing around as I walked in. Getting things ready I found the girl first, maybe 10 years old. She had slash marks all up and down her torso and legs. The boy was a year older and her brother. Luckily he only had a few scratches on his leg and a broken nose. Austin was able to take care of him as I worked over the sister. Once she was stable I made sure she had machines hooked up for monitoring, she is going to be touch and go for a while from blood loss and possible infection.
Four hours later I was finally able to take a break, so I snuck out for some air behind the infirmary in the wood line. Looking for my secret tree I found it and felt around the notch in the right branch. Pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter I placed one in my mouth and lit up. I know, I know it's totally a cliche to be the doctor with the secret habit that will kill you. With my healing powers I'm actually not effected like everyone else but I don't want to be a bad example so I hide it. It's more like I like the ritual of it. The pull of the smoke to the back of my throat, the relaxing sensation of the release of smoke. I would tell anyone to never pick up this habit, it's bad for you! I'm just a hypocrite, a secret hypocrite.
That was until I saw movement in the treeline, a certain someone had shadow traveled and caught me.
"Ohhh bad doctor!"
"Yeah well, I've had a rough day and it hasn't even started yet."
"I heard." Nico took the cigarette out of my hand and brought it to his lips. Inhaling deeply he blew perfect smoke rings out all around me. He looked like a very talented dragon. Was it just the love thing or did he just make everything look cool and sexy?
"You smoke?"
"From time to time. When I was little everyone did. Had my first one at 8. That's just what grown ups did."
"Yeah I guess your right."
"So tell me what's going on."
Passing the cylinder back and fourth between us I caught him up on the last four hours.
"Well, they are both children of Apollo weirdly enough. Didn't know my dad every stayed with anyone long enough for two kids but I guess their mom was a really talented poet. Their names are Lyric and Stanza. Stanza is the one who is critical. They were attacked outside the boarder by gorgons, I think she has some poison in her system because I can't seem to keep her stable for more than an hour. "
"Wow. Well I'm sure if anyone can do it it's you."
"You are entirely to sweet. Well I've got to get back in there but if she levels out I'll be by, will you make me dinner?"
"Let me guess, manicotti?"
"If you wouldn't mind? "
"Ok I'll make it because your cute but you will need to bring dessert."
"Like wha..." he pulled me by my beltloops and kissed me, cloves and orange blossoms filled my nose. The smell of my boyfriend was intoxicating, with just a hint of black currents on his tongue.
"Oh, that kind of dessert. After the day I've had so far I will bring dessert."
"Good boy" he purred against my lips. With a final kiss he left me to my work.
Nicos POV
I had gone back to my cabin for most of the day. After picking up some ingredients for dinner tonight I decided to clean a little instead of camp activities. Annabeth and Piper stopped by to keep me company as well as avoid classes. Standing at the kitchen island prepping my food the girls sat on barstools staring at me in awe.
"Wow I didn't know you cooked?"
"Yes smarty pants I cook. I like to cook. Makes me feel balanced. Like yoga."
"Is that why you are wearing yoga pants?"
"Hey! You bought these for me beauty queen! They are comfortable and I'm in my house with no one to see me but you two. "
"They are cute on you. So... you and Will have been really affectionate in public lately.. anything you want to tell us?"
I blushed, damn it they figured it out.
"I don't kiss and tell."
"Bullshit! Spill! He deflowered you didn't he!?"
"Oh my gods Piper! Deflowered! Really!"
"I don't think I have a flower the way you have a flower but yes we had sex."
Both girls pounded their fists on the table and hooted and hollered.
"Oh my gods what was it like?"
"It was... oh it was perfect. Well almost. I had a nightmare and I may have stabbed him in my sleep."
"You stabbed him!"
"Yes, but luckily he can heal himself. Well we just both kind of got swept up in the emotions and the adrenaline from it all and we just kind of fell into one another. "
"Did it hurt?"
"Yes, but not a lot. It's gotten easier since."
"Oh my gods how often do you two..."
"Like... twice a day?" I winced at the admission.
"You lucky dog! I ever get it that often."
"Well ever since we can't seem to stop. It's just so... good. Like I've never dreamed I would feel so close to anyone. I hate people touching me but when it's Will it's like a drug that I need!"
"That's so adorable! Damn you make it sound like poetry. "
"I know right like, I've never felt that way with Percy. It's always like a good feeling but the intimacy you talk about, well I'm not sure I've experienced that yet. "
"Yeah with Jason it's more like a fun activity for stress relief, not like.. not like that."
"That's it I'm having a talk with your boyfriends and see what they are doing wrong."
"Please do."
POP!
All the sudden we were scared out of our wits by the most beautiful thing we had ever seen. Tall and sleek like a statue carved out of teak wood. Black straight hair that hung to his shoulders. Topaz eyes that invited you in and a voice like honey that would convince you to do anything.
Thanatos.
The girls knelt while I nodded my head.
"Young prince I need your help."
"What's wrong, what's going on?"
"Your lover is trying to save the child in the infirmary. The girls spirit is trying to move on but I can't take her until her heart stops beating. He keeps reviving her and her spirit is growing uncomfortable. It's not his fault young prince, it's fate. Her string is short, she was never meant to live through this. The boy with her has a much longer life. I need you to pull him away so she can die."
Annabeth and Piper nodded goodbyes to me and bowed to Thanatos once more before leaving.
"Why are you telling me this? Why can't you just appear to him as you have me?"
"William is unreachable to anyone right now. You can pull him away no one else can. "
"Ok I'll do my best."
"I know young prince, say hi to him for me I haven't seen him since he was a child. Let him know I'm still watching over the family."
"What?"
"He will explain."
"Ok, I'll go get him. Thank you Lord Thanatos."
"Ciao."
With that he disappeared in a swirl of silver smoke. I thought of the darkest part of the infirmary and traveled there. There he was just working over a corpse, Austin and Kayla trying to pry him off of her to no avail. They both saw me and let go. Hugging him around his midriff I enveloped the shadows around us and back into cabin 13. Gaining understanding of what just happened he turned around and pushed me.
"What were you thinking! Nicolas I need to save her! Why would you do that!"
"Because Will, she wasn't coming back! Her spirit was growing uncomfortable! You should have called it!"
"You had no right!"
"I had every right! That's what I do here! I make the death calls William! Thanatos himself showed up here asking me to get you off of her so he could reap her."
Tears spilled over his eyes as he sunk to his knees. Blood covered the whole front of him, all over his hands and face. Blood of the sister he would never get to know. Kneeling down to him silent tears started to prick my own eyes seeing him so broken. Cupping his face I made him look at me.
"Baby, it was fate. Nothing could have saved her. You can't save everyone. Sometimes healing isn't enough. You did everything you could sweetie. I know it's hard but you have to know that."
"Thanatos was here?"
"Yes, he said you wouldn't let her go."
"I couldn't, I tried, I-I I failed."
"You didn't fail. Baby you didn't fail you did everything you could."
"I'm useless! What am I good for if i can't save her! "
"You are not useless! Baby it was just her time!"
"I tried! I tried so hard Nico I'm.. I'm so sorry!"
"Don't be sorry! Will honey it's ok, it's going to be ok. She died fighting, she was brave I'm sure she will go to Elysium. You did so good, so good. I know it hurts but I know more than anyone how sometimes it's just someone's time. "
Panic driven heaving gasps escaped him as grief overtook his body. I had never seen him look so defeated and small. I held him as his body racked with sobs and wails. My poor healer. My love.
As the sobs turned into croaking hiccups I drug him to the bathroom. Setting him on the closed toilet I ran a hot bath in my large black obsidian tub. Stripping off his clothes he washed off the blood in the shower before slipping into the basin. I flavored it with salts and potpourri oils.
"Are you going to join me?"
"Sure."
Stripping my clothes off I stepped into the almost to hot water. Putting my back to his stomach I leaned against him absorbing the warmth.
"I could really use the cigarette right now."
"Press the tile with the skull on it."
Will pressed the tile and out popped an ashtray and a pack of Black Djarums and a lighter.
"Is this why you smell like clove?"
"Yes."
"So you smoke?"
"Only when it's a stressful time or anxious."
"So you smoke."
"Yes."
I took the pack and brought out an all black cylinder. Placing to my lips I lit the end drawing the firewood flavor into my mouth. I licked my lips, tasting the sweetness of the flavored paper. Passing it to him I could feel him physically relax.
"Will, why did you call me Nicolas?"
"Cause that's your name."
"No, my name is Niccolo"
"Well damn. Sorry about that."
"It's no problem I thought it was funny, you almost made me laugh."
Passing the cigarette between us we just laid there washing off the stress of the day.
