Chapter 7: I diagnose you with big dead

A thread being cut.

That's one way Will like to describe this ability of his.

A thread being cut. A life being snuffed.

Someone is about to die.

Before Connor started wailing, Will heard it loud and clear amidst the chitter-chatter as he tends to Percy's wounds. It didn't mean he was ready to hear that god awful shrieking. And it didn't mean Will was ready to watch what was an otherwise healthy demigod albeit with fainting issues sleeping peacefully on the bed wake up and deteriorate into a mess.

He's there beside the bed the millisecond the screaming started, ignoring Jason's panicked yelling and pushing him aside.

Will senses Travis's lookalike — His name is Connor, Jason insists — body flares up in pain in multiple areas, nerves firing rapidly and the brain responding accordingly. It's not possible. It shouldn't be possible, but Connor's body temperature is dropping. One thousandth a second, yeah, but still steadily dropping despite being in room temperature for hours with zero exposure to any cold sources.

Will has no idea what's causing all this. Was it a poison? Airborne? No, they would all be suffering then. Was it something Connor ate? But he's been passed out for all of the battle. He can't think of any poison that has such a long time until activation.

Whatever it is, it's stopping. Connor's temperature is rising back to normal. There's lucidity coming back to his eyes. They're locking onto Jason and Will can see recognition in those blue eyes and a hint of relief and joy. Still as a precaution, he places one hand on the chest, and the other hand digging through his pockets for nectar, and sings a hymn.

The world drones out as he focuses, but he can still hear Jason's panicked yelling, Percy and Annabeth looking alarmed, about three more Romans he doesn't know the name of standing around with this unsure look on their face, a whole lot more people peeking through the windows.

And Travis, the only person bold and idiotic enough to enter what is clearly an emergency, walking in with a big ol' grin and a Taco Bell bag in his hand. "I brought tacos — Woah, what is happening?"

Everything got worse.

Connor rolls onto his stomach towards the voice. At first, there's confusion on Connor's face. Then recognition. Then realization. His jaw opens. "Tra—"

Connor is vomiting.

The only plus side is that Connor had the mind to vomit over the bed. The extremely bad side is that his body temperature is dropping a degree every other second and Connor's trembling, muscles trying and failing to generate heat to reach back to normal body temperature. It's not working though and shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

This is not what he wanted to do after finally winning another war.

"Percy, go get blankets from the closet. Annabeth, get the warm compresses — the dry one. Jason, turn off the AC. Travis, go get Chiron. The rest of you, get—"

Connor is gasping. Something's off about his blood circulation. It's not flowing. His heart isn't pumping.

Cardiac arrest, his mind supplies.

Begin CPR.

He lifts Connor by the arms, shouting for Jason to get his legs, and remove him from the bed, lowering him onto the solid ground.

And as he checks the pulse, confirming there's no beat, Connor isn't breathing, he's actually unconscious and (holy shit what is happening?!?). Will interlocks his hands and presses the heel over the heart. 2 inches compressions. A rate of 100 compressions per minute. Press to the beat of 'Staying Alive'. He is pretty sure that is correct. Will takes a deep breath and barks out his orders, calm.

"He's experiencing cardiac arrest. I'm going to begin CPR. Percy, get the resuscitator bag from the first aid kit. Annabeth, get the AED from beside the fire extinguisher. Travis, go get Chiron now."

Author's notes:

I have about a gazillion ideas for fanfics and none of them will ever be accomplished if I bounce back and forth between fics like this lol. So I, for sure, will finish this first because it is the closest to being done. I only hope I don't get writer's block.

Also, I am used to posting long chapters. Like at least 7k with each update and now? Posting these short, itty bitty, little chapters? Much more manageable when it comes to proofreading. I like it. Is it annoying if they're this short tho? (。‿。) ;;