I CAN EXPLAIN! BUT FIRST THE UPDATE!

Will didn't sleep much that night. Flashes of what he'd do to the scientist if he ever had the chance plagued him. The image of the lab test saying Akiko was normal covered the inside of his eyelids any time he closed them. He tried meditating and when that failed he briefly thought about punching the wall. A violent streak would not be becoming of the young medic and it certainly wouldn't gain him any favor in the eyes of the mutants. He mentally corrected himself: I don't know if they're all mutants.

He finally got a little sleep but soon after the conch horn signaling time for breakfast blew. He sighed.

"Ready?" he asked Akiko. The girl bobbed her head and they began their trek to breakfast. They ate, and Will found Emma and convinced the young not-exactly-a-mutant girl to stay with her while he got some medical exams done.

He needed to blow off some steam first. He went down to the range and again imagined the targets as the faceless monsters responsible for this suffering. When he finished he walked to the infirmary, gathered his supplies than retrieved Emma and Akiko. He could really use Emma's help and well Akiko had yet to really be on her own. And considering how long the little girl had been inside a cage, he wasn't sure she could handle being outside alone.

Will decided he couldn't put off an exam of the demigod mutants he knew existed any longer. It had already been months, if it wasn't done soon and there was some important thing the young demigods very lives could be at risk.

He exhaled. He was not looking forward to examining Nyx. Just Nyx? His mind prodded. No no. He meant all three of them. He really wasn't looking forward to examining any of the kids they'd rescued at all. But for some reason he really didn't want to examine Nyx. He'd been on his mind lately. The young bat-demigod boy who was always falling asleep at the wrong times. He knew that in any other circumstance that would be called narcolepsy, but he didn't think that applied in this case. Will couldn't figure out why, but Nyx had been on his mind for a while. Pity. It was pity. He felt sorry for him. At least that's what he kept telling the voice in his head. The one that said it was something else, something more.

He sent Emma to retrieve Nyx and his little flock. Or was it a herd? Whatever a group of bats were called! He didn't know. He was a demigod medic not a veterinarian. And a medic with no actual degree in medicine, for that matter. He kept sighing. He didn't know if he wanted to do this or not. He had to, though.

Emma returned along with Nyx, Scale, and Hoot.

"I need to do an exam on you."

The three mutants looked ready to bolt. "It won't hurt, I promise and you can have a cookie while I do it."

Their questioning glances made Will realize something. These demigods, some of his own, had never experienced the bliss that is a cholate chip cookie.

He grabbed some and handed them to them. "That's a cookie. They're really good. It's a treat parents usually give their kids. I keep forgetting…"

"Forgetting what?" Scale barked. "That even though are parents are all-powerful gods we've spent almost our entire lives in cages. Think we're weaker than the rest of the demigods, I guess."

"No. That's not what I meant at all, Scale. Just try the cookie."

Scale looked at Will, well it was more of a glower than a look and shook his head. "We don't want your posion."

Will sighed. "It's not poison."

The mutant demigod didn't believe him. "Fine. Fine. But I do have to do this exam. I'm sorry." Will was regretting not just getting sedatives for the mutants. Scale turned on his heels as if ready to bolt. It's not like there was nowhere to run. His two friends were ready to run with him if they needed to.

"Please don't" Will begged. Scale glared at the medic. "I promise I won't hurt you."

Scale scoffed, of course that was a lie. The scientist always lied. It always hurt.

"You can tell me if you need me to stop. For any reason. Just please sit down?"

Scale sighed angrily and threw himself down on the bench. " Thank-you."

Nyx was standing near one of the pavilion's support columns. The young bat-kid looked frightened.

"Nyx," Will said calmly, "You can watch_" Will cut himself off midsentence. He was going to say that Nyx could watch what he did to Scale for proof that Will wouldn't hurt them but Nyx couldn't exactly see that proof. Will wondered if glasses could help or even completely fix that but he knew he'd never get anywhere near the traumatized mutant with the type of equipment he'd need in order to find that out. Until Nyx was less afraid of things that reminded him of the science lab he was raised in, his vision would remain awful. "I promise I won't hurt you or your friends. Okay?"

Will could tell none of the mutants believed him but Scale was the one willing to suffer before either of his friends would.

Will turned his attention back to scale and reached for his box. Scales eyes followed his every move. Will moved slowly and intentionally. He knew he was dealing with a teenager that had been a caged animal for nearly 16 years. And unfortuantly for Will, this caged child could breathe fire. And he wasn't certain if Scale was venomous or not but he didn't want to find out the hard way if he was.

Will decided just testing his vitals and drawing his blood would have to suffice unless he saw a real problem he needed to adress.

He managed to get through the vitals decently though he did have to step out to adress a mild burn on his arm when he tried to use the stethescope and forgot to warn Scale of what he was planning on doing. The last and hardest task was to take a little of the mutant demigod's blood. Will heaved a sigh of dread. He was not looking forward to finding out how Scale would react to a blood draw on himself. This was the kid that had tackled him for trying to draw blood from somone he didn't even know all that well! Though, Will wasn't sure if they'd ever met at the science lab or not.

"Scale, I'm going to take a little bit of blood. It'll give me a way to see if there's anything really wrong with your body that I need to adress. Please let me take your blood?" Will was careful to avoid any words that he knew would illicit a negative response such as: needle, test, or examine. It wasn't quite enough. After he burned a literal hole in the picinic table he was sitting at he just barely allowed Will to take the blood. Before Will had even finished pulling the needle out of Scale's arm, Scale yanked his arm out of Will's hand and started breathing heavily. He glanced to his left then to his right then turned on his heel and began running for the clearing he and his friends took respite in.

It was their one safe place and Scale couldn't handle any more of how he was feeling. He wanted to fight back but he was just too tired from all the enrgy it took or him to allow Will to do what he asked of him.

Will sighed and slammed himself down onto the picnic bench. He had a feling he was going to be doing these intake physicals for the rest of his life. Longer, actually considering demigods didn't often make it past their 20s.

Eventually they found Scale and calmed him down. It took a grueling six weeks to complete all the physicals. Will was exhausted by the end of it and the kids that he'd brought back to camp from Death Valley had a mixed bag of reactions to him. Some thanked him for his help, like Kal who was having a lot fewer problems with his bones hurting and aching now that he was getting the proper ligthing and diet for what he was. Some avoidided him like the plauge or activly acted as if the hated him. One girl they had rescued was angry that he had taken her from the only home she'd ever know. He'd named her Disney remebereing the mortal movies he watched as a child having a penchant for charecters calling places that were bad for them home.

Will didn't mind that some of the mutants didn't like him but he really wished they trusted im more so he could help them more.

A/N: Promised explantation: I spent a week in a psych ward[suicide attempt] and then immeideatly was out of town for 3 weeks. and then again for another week. Beofre that just wasn't feeling up to writing. I'm back now and a lot better. Also lovely to see the guest reviewer that told me this sotry was crap/inplauisble was the person to ask me to update. Howdy, Matt. It's a pleasure. Now reviews are welcome and I love CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. And ideas/suggestions.

Carpe Diem et Cape Naux.