Shattered Ghost King

Chapter 10 – Implications of Affection

After a full week of night shifts, William was tired, very tired. He was use to the 12 hour days, but he was staying late to speak with Nico and he found it hard to sleep during the day. Still, Dr. Quintus had to force him to take a day off as he went from night shift back to day shift. William was all for staying on nights, since that meant more time with Nico. Dr. Quintus reasoned that it was better to have someone familiar with Nico on both shifts, especial when it came to working with other doctors. Now that Nico could see and speak he was sure that he could communicate with Nico enough for the baselines and treatments. William grudgingly acquiesced and took the next 24 hours off, but he couldn't stay away from Nico that long.

He went to see Nico after his last night shift at 7:00 and brought him a surprise. After positioning a bolster so he could sitting up comfortably and positioning his glasses, he brought out a covered tray on a stand. He lifted the lid with a flourish to reveal a small bowl of thin oatmeal and hot tea.

Nico's lips parted in surprise, "I get to eat again?"

William signaled as he grinned /yes, you get the deluxe extra fancy unflavored oatmeal/ the nurse brought a spoonful to his open eager mouth.

Nico could now talk with his mouth full as he signaled with his toes /you have no idea how good even plain oatmeal is when you haven't eaten for what, 18 days/

William turned back to face him, smiled and signaled back /yes, exactly 18 days/

Nico said, "Shut-up and shovel Will."

William happily went back to feeding him. Anything that made Nico smile was special. It startled him how much he was drawn to this patient from the very start. As he told stories from his past William felt himself synchronizing with the raven haired man. They had so much in common, not that he could tell Nico what he suspected about what he hid. He heard it in the tidbits about his parents and his closeness with Bianca that echoed his with Lee. He felt he could pin point when Nico skipped ahead two years. More than that he felt an affinity with the younger man. This had morphed into something that stirred a longing in his heart for closeness. Something he had been avoiding for years.

He found himself ogling Nico's rose colored lips and glimpses of his pink tongue as he opened his mouth to envelope the spoon. The blonde had to close his eyes, and he thought, damn his mouth is so alluring. But I have to get my head out of the god damn gutter. Over the past week he had just about accepted that he like Nico far too much, but he cringed at his inappropriate reaction to just seeing the inside of his mouth. He was a patient and he would not let himself succumb to his desires. He struggled to keep himself reserved and distant, although his heart beat erratically. I will give him space to heal no matter what. He grit his teeth together and sucked in a breath.

Nico had made study of Will over the few day he had his sight back. He was so beautiful with his strong handsome features, startling blue eyes, and tanned skin tone. Will studied him closely too, and occasionally he imaged he saw a hint of longing in his eyes. It made his breath catch every time, but he suppressed the urge to think it was real. Often he looked like he was grimacing, as he did right now. He probably just wished he didn't always have to wait on me. That took the edge off the pleasure of eating again.

Nico woke from an uneasy sleep to a soft female hand patting his chest. Now that he could speak, he could scream again and that meant nightmares disturbed everyone. Will had all the nurses trained to wake him and that meant he could remember more of his dreams and they, unlike his waking life, reverberated with sound.

This dream had been about Percy. He had never died and had come to visit him in the hospital. He could hear again. He been shocked and happy to see the sea green eyed man. Nico told him he missed him and had tried to kiss him. Percy had just pushed him away and gave him a cold hard disdainfully glower. He said "You were a mistake." Nico had started to argue. Percy went on to say, "I regret that I ever started up with you. Every minute was an insult to Annabeth's memory." And he walked away. That was when Nico began to cry, "No! Don't go…" Then he woke up.

Nico grimly took stock of his time with Percy. I had always accepted that Percy would never feel about me as he had about Annabeth. Still I thought it had meant something to the man. He had kept coming back to me and after he had held me. It seemed like more than just sex. He seemed to at least like me and seek comfort from me, but now I doubt even that much. Yet here I am again falling for another man who I could never satisfy. He felt tears run down his face and he couldn't decide if it was for Percy, or for Will, or for the fact his love had never and would never be returned.

He morosely realized he would never hear any voices accept those of the dead in his head. How he dearly wished he could hear Will's voice, just once. He imagined him sounding like Gary Cooper and smiled sadly as he fell back into forgetful sleep. His next dream was better. It was Will as Gary Cooper in "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town." At thirteen he was his first crush, but this one did not cause him to cry out and was quite forgotten in the morning.

Next Nico woke to Jake's coarse hand on his chest. He inwardly groaned, this man was extremely irritating, but not in a good way like Leo.

Jake /Nice shades/

Nico /I can only see about an arm's length away/

Jake /so you've gotten a good look at William. He is handsome, huh/

Nico /Uh yeah, he's alright/ Why would he ask me something like that?

Jake /you are exactly William's type. So are you going to give him a go? /

Nico's mind raced as he gave a standard defensive reply /what are you talking about? / What the fuck is this about? He couldn't mean that, could he? Holy fuck! It sounds like he is fishing for my intentions. He might be jealous.

Jake /Oh nothing, I just wondered if you would call William your friend/

Nico /He is my only contact besides you, I'm bound to I think of him as a friend/ He was not going to give Jake a real answer. He wondered, is he warning me away?

Jake /Right, he has been a quick study on the Morse code. He was pretty worked up when he first asked me about codes/

Nico /Then I owe you for teaching him/ He grudgingly admitted. Maybe I should give him a chance.

Jake /You're not as much of a binder as I thought you'd be/

Nico growled slight as he replied /what is that supposed to mean? I've lost my hearing, most of my sight, use of my hands, and I can't walk. What don't I have to complain about? / He though, on second thought, I don't want to give this bloody clot a chance.

Jake /sorry, it was just the way they talked about you at the airbase. I figured you were one of those jerks who's only saving grace was a heroic streak, but you're not/

Nico had nothing left to say to this moron and went silent.

Jake /look really I'm sorry. I was impressed by what Leo and Piper had to say about you/

Bloody hell, he just won't stop talking. Nico declared pointedly with a hint of menace "I'm tired."

Jake /Okay, sure, do you need anything before I go? /

Nico answered through gritted teeth, "No!" With that Jake's hand was quickly withdrawn. He had heard the threat Nico could put in his voice.

Nico bubbled with anger. He came here to pump me for information, warn me away from Will, and then he insulted me. How could Will be friends with that loud mouthed clot? Then he was caught up short with a follow on thought, What if they are more than friends? No, not my sweet Will. This is so much worse. Will is queer, but with that jerk Jake. He felt his very small world explode and darkness engulf him. After an hour in despair he slipped gratefully into a morphine induced stupor.

Although off shift, William came in long enough to serve him a dinner of chicken soup that evening He could tell something was wrong. It was in the tone of his responses and set of his jaw. He wasn't smiling and had refused any attempt at conversation.

William /I will leave for today, but I will be back in the morning. I want to know what is going on. Remember you promised to always speak to me, even when you were mad at me/ Nico had stiffened at that, bulls-eye William thought, ruefully.

Nico grimaced. He thought it didn't show, but of anyone it would be the ever observant William that noticed. How can I tell him I'm mad at the company he keeps? How could I say I'm jealous and want him to like me instead? How can I say I think Jake is beneath his notice? Then he would know how I feel.

Before he left William looked at his chart to see what may have happened. He saw that Jake had visited, so he went to get the scoop from him.

Without preamble Jake said emphatically, "Your would be boyfriend is one creepy bastard."

William flared with anger immediately, it was you! You upset him. "What did you say to him? He has stopped taking to me!"

"Hey, I was just a little too surprised he wasn't a jerk and told him so." Jake said defensively.

That made William even angrier, "Are you stupid or something? You don't say that type of thing to a patient. Don't you have any bedside manners?"

"Of course I don't. I'm a patient, remember." Jake countered.

William glared at him and took a few steading breaths. Being angry at Jake doesn't help anything, I need to calm down and find out what happened for Nico. "Yeah, sorry I snapped. You'd better tell me everything, so I can sort it out."

Jake relayed the altercation to William. He smiled to realize that Nico wasn't taken in by Jake's usual fishing. He had been. Still he couldn't quite figure out why Nico was so upset by the whole thing. If he was queer too, the hints shouldn't have offended him. Besides it just didn't feel like he'd cared that much what others thought about him. The conversation made him apprehensive, but he didn't know why. Could it be that Nico was disturbed at the idea 'giving him a go' as Jake put it? That made his stomach sink, but he pushed those feelings away. The primary problem was Nico was drawing away from him and he couldn't let that happen.

Jason had left Piper with two letters, in case he didn't return. One was for her and the other for Nico. She had at first thought that Nico would never get his, but now she was on her way to deliver it. It was a relief to know that Nico was talking again. Piper tried to mentally prepare for a severely injured Nico on the trip to the hospital. But Nico had been so strong, the one she was sure would save Jason, if the time came. It must have been over quickly.

After reading Jason's letter to him she could not help but cry. She now understood Nico a little better and lamented Percy's senseless cruelty. She now knew why Jason had, after a drunken night with Percy, called her out of the dorm at 2 am. He made her promise to always tell nothing but the absolute truth to each other, no matter how much it hurt. As she reminisced on that night she cried again. She couldn't understand it, she was not a crier but since Jason was gone…

Now she had to pull it together for Nico. He needed her to tell him what Jason had hidden from him under oath. She had always drawn strength from his stoic enduring example after so much loss. Now it was her turn to endure and to lend strength to Nico.

She lingered in the doorway as the nurse pointed to Nico's bed among the twenty others is the room. She saw William with him changing dressings and decided to wait here until he was done. As she studied William she felt a suspicion dawning. It was evident in the way he gently touched him, gazed at him fondly, and kept a hand on him at all times. She had a gift for seeing relationships and feelings. William was deeply committed to Nico.

She walked forward as William was cleaning away the old dressings and supplies. In many ways Nico was better than she expected but so much worse too. William gave her the overview of his injuries as Nico gazed at her from his sitting up position. He smiled and talked over William saying, "Hi Piper" loudly.

William smirked at the interruption and Piper gave him a wave. The nurse continued with his summary proudly saying he could now sit-up, talk, eat solid food, and he could see an arm's length away. She wondered, how he could be so proud of such little things? The extent to which this fiercely independent man had been reduced to needing help with the smallest of needs brought her up short. As William gesture for her to sit. She bit her lip to keep herself from showing how she felt. Smarten yourself up, it won't do to look sad. Jason needs to you do this for him.

As she sat down, she saw that Nico was forcing the smile on his face and she felt how worried William was. She noticed his hands trembled slightly as he showed her how the Morse code worked. She gasped at the sudden flash of intuition and turned it into a cough. William is in love with Nico. She tried to bore into Nico's smoke glass covered eyes and she barely caught a glint of his expressive stare. I need to talk to you alone, it said.

Piper continued to stare at Nico as she said, "William, I can handle speaking to him, alone. You understand right?"

William paused nervously nodding, "Yeah, sure. I'll be on the ward, just call my name and I'll be back in an instant." He signaled to Nico who made no reply, but watched warily as the nurse left.

Once he was gone Nico turned to Piper and nervously signaling /Piper, I – I need to talk to you about something. Make sure Will doesn't listen/

She smiled and signaled back /I'll get the privacy shade/ She brought over the portable screen making sure to position it to cover his feet and her hand on his chest.

Nico frowned /I know we have other things to talk about, but I have a problem and need your help. ….You know the cliché about soldiers in the hospital. Well I've fallen for my nurse. It is bloody embarrassing/

Piper smiled /He is cute. Why not fall for him? And he likes you, too/

Nico scowled /No he doesn't. I talked to Jake, his boyfriend! And he warned me off. Piper what am I going to do. I depend on him for everything. To be so close and yet so far away… hurts… terribly/

Piper /I met them together, remember. Take it from me Jake is not with Will/

Nico argued /Well he is now or he wants to be/

Piper /I tell you they have none of that tension between them. So, tell me exactly makes you think this? /

Nico explained the conversation with Jake. She looked thoughtful /what did Will say when you asked him about it? /

Nico /I couldn't ask Will about that/

Piper /Why not? All Jake gave were vague hints and they could mean anything. Jake is a meddler, but not in mean way. He is the type of person that tries to fix up friends and smooth over augments. I could take everything he said to be he was trying to give you a hint that Will likes you. You're getting none of his inflections through Morse code/

Nico deflated /that is not possible. Nobody ever really wanted me, not even him/

Piper /Percy did want you, a lot. You made things so much better for him. He never smiled unless you were together. That was strange with such a grump bastard as you/

Nico ignored her teasing and emphatically stated / He only ever loved Annabeth. I was just a fill in/

Piper / you are wrong. Remember how you tried to keep your distance early on and he kept coming to find you. Nico, it felt real to me/

Nico shut her down / It doesn't matter he is gone/

Piper turned the subject back to the main point /William is here and he is worried about you. Just ask if he has 'a girl' and, if he gets nervous, say 'or a boy'/

Nico panicked/ I can't do that/

Piper went in with her real goal /then just tell him you are queer and see what he says. After that he would surely share about himself/

Nico /How can you be so sure that he is… is like me? /

She smirked and winked /you know I can tell how people feel and that boy has it bad for you/

Nico snorted and looked down/I doubt it/

Piper lifted his chin and gave him a serious stare while signaling /trust me on this one. You may be the B-poh, but I'm the ruddy Venus, the goddess of love. I know what I am talking about/

Nico's face paled /What if he his freaked out by it. I can't afford to lose him as a nurse and as a friend/

Piper /not a chance. That man came all the way to the airbase to find out more about you. He will not turn you away for something so trivial/

Nico sighed and she knew she won

Piper /Promise the next time you are alone you will tell him/

Nico grimaced and nodded, "Alright"

Piper /Good, say, I was expecting someone much more impassive. What is with all the talking? /

Nico /it is all I have anymore. Who would have thought eleven days of no taking would turn me into a chatterbox/

Piper chuckled /Yeah, what are the chances/

Nico /It is really good to see you Piper, Thank you for coming/

Piper /I'm not done with you yet/

Nico look sheepish and his face fell /I- I'm sorry. I tried, to save him…. I wasn't hurt. I pulled him out of the A/C, he was burned badly, but alive. Then the A/C exploded/

Piper looked at his hands cocooned in bandages, /that was what happened to your hands? Oh Nico/ tears welled in her eyes.

Nico / I don't remember anymore, I guess that was when I got hurt. They found me unconscious in a tree. One last thing, on the way down, his last words were 'my agigau, tohidu'/

That was when Piper started cried. She dropped her head onto his chest and began sobbing. He lift his arms to cradle her as best he could without using his hands. His eyes swam with tears, too. William rushed over and rubbed circles onto her back.

After a while when Piper didn't stop, William pointed to the IV to signal that it was time for Morphine and Nico said, "understood." Slowly the scene faded as he float into forgetful sleep.

On terms: I have tried to use terms that would have common in the 1940s. So, instead of gay or I use the term queer that was common to that time period.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Slang Dictionary~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/C – Aircraft

Binder - Someone complaining

B-poh – Bastard Prince of Hell (Percy's nickname for Nico and my own invention)

Clot - idiot; dumbass

Ruddy – Like bloody only less so

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cherokee Dictionary~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Agigau - Beloved

Tohidu - Good peace (state of body, mind and spirit)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End Dictionary~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have finally finished my draft of the whole story. It will be 20 chapters and things are going to get heated as we learn more about Percy and Nico's past in the next few chapters. I will up the rating to Mature when needed and I'll add warnings at the being of each chapter that contains slash.

Thank you, as always, for reading, kudos, and comments,

Anne