Chapter 21
Meeting Will Solace
Paul's POV
Being sick is not the greatest feeling in the world, okay? It is terrible, especially when you've got to teach a class of 20-something loud teenage kids. I already missed a day of school and now I'm in the Hospital clinic to get a flu shot. Have I ever mentioned that I have a thing against needles? Well I do. Anyway, Percy was sitting besides me trying to make my headache worse, not on purpose of course.
He keeps talking to me, trying to get my head off the needle subject (which he brought up) and trying to be a reassuring person…It wasn't working very well. The best I could do was ignore him as much as I could. Finally, someone walked in to the waiting area.
"Paul…Blowfish?"
I stood up as I sighed. "Blofis." I corrected.
"Oh…okay, right this way."
Percy and I followed him inside and he told me to sit down on the bed-like cot and I did. He got out two small vials and a needle. I shivered.
"Okay, so, I'm Will Solace," he said. "And before you ask, yes, I am too young to be a doctor or nurse or whatever. Anyway, I'm just a volunteer, they let me do this after they "taught" me."
"Aren't you like, 17?"
He nodded.
Percy chuckled. "Don't worry Paul, you're in good hands. Trust me." Will rolled his eyes. "This guy has saved more people than I can count, one of them being me."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Paul, Will, Will, Paul." Percy said. "Will is a son of Apollo, god of medicine."
"Oh, that's much more reassuring."
"Be glad Percy's a friend and not an enemy." Will said as he walked out the room. "I'll be back, I gotta go do something real quick."
And so we waited. Percy and I talked, played tic-tac-toe, rock-paper-scissors until I felt it.
"Ow." I yelped and looked at my right arm. "What was that for?"
Will smiled apologetically. "Sorry but I could tell you don't like needles. It's easier to get the shot when you don't know it's coming."
Percy laughed. I glared at him. "Why don't you give Percy one?"
Percy laughed even harder and Will chuckled.
"Well, 99% of the demigod population is immune to most mortal diseases once they reach teenage." Then he thought about it. "But there still is a chance that he'll could get it."
Percy's face turned serious and he started inching towards the door. Will grabbed his wrist and started pulling him to the bed-like cot. Percy grabbed on to the nearest thing he could find (which was the corner of a desk) and held on for dear life.
"No." He said. "I rather get sick. I've had a bad experience with needles when I was a kid and…just…no…get that thing away from me! PAUL! Help me! Oh my gods! IT'S GIGANTIC! Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods, help! I want my mom! HELP! MOM! MAMA! MOMMY! MUUUM! MOOOM! OW!"
"There, that's much better." Will said. "You are such a whiner, Perce, calm down. A needle isn't the end of the world. That stage has passed already...twice."
Percy glared at Will and snatched the blue band-aid out of Will's hand as he stormed out. I thanked Will and followed Percy out the clinic.
That is how I met Will Solace.