Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are expressed within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do NOT read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave me suggestions! Enjoy!

Will's POV

It had been an incredibly tense day at camp, with search parties scouring the camp for traces of Miranda. But she was missing. Just like the other demigods.

Lou Ellen had suggested they all take a break from the fear and confusion by having a campfire. He had finally convinced Nico that he would enjoy it. So here they were, making smores. Nico was, shockingly, scowling.

"Um, guys?" Kayla said, looking out to the forest.

Will looked around quickly. The forest was off-limits at the moment so Will thought it was a lost camper returning. Approaching instead as a small girl carrying the weight of a teenaged boy. Will stood; Nico followed quickly. The duo coming from the woods stepped into the light of the fire.

The teenager grinned. "Oh, hi! I'm Apollo!"

His eyes rolled up in his head. But, Will had seen it coming. He sprang forward and grabbed the teenager before he hit the ground.

"Someone go tell Chiron," Will demanded. "And get me a stretcher!" There was a flurry of movement, but Will was focused on his patient. His eyes sought the young girl who had brought him in. "Is this really Apollo?"

The girl shrugged. "That's what he's claiming."

"What happened to him?" Will asked the girl. "Who are you?"

"My name is Meg and I am a demigod. Apollo has no powers. He was beaten up by thugs and went hysterical out in the woods. He only got out because I was there."

"No powers? That's not good. I guess we finally figured out his punishment." Nico commented.

Will felt for his... father's pulse. It was weak. His skin was hot.

He looked up to see Kayla kneeling down on Apollo's other side. "We need to get him to the infirmary."

"No." Kayla rejected his idea. "There will be too many..." she glanced around at the campers. "...prying eyes. Bring him to our cabin. Cabin Seven. Austin can go set up a cot for him."

"But, all my supplies..." Will trailed as Austin headed to their cabin. He wouldn't be able to heal his father without supplies.

"I will go get what you need," Nico promised. He turned to go to the infirmary as the stretcher Will had requested arrived.

"Thank you," Will said to both Nico and the camper who had brought him the stretcher.

Will carefully moved Apollo onto the stretcher. He gained eye contact with Kayla. "On three we lift him: one, two, three."

He grunted with effort as he grabbed one end of the stretcher. How had this happened? Why had this happened? His father disappeared for months only to appear at Camp Half-Blood disguised as a teenager with a young demigod in tow. Maybe Apollo had something to do with the disappearances. Or maybe Apollo had been sent to them to help recover those who had been lost.

They crossed the commons to their cabin. Austin opened the door when he had seen them approaching. They transferred Apollo to the cot that Austin had put out in the middle of the room.

"What's wrong with him?" Kayla asked.

Will started examining his father. His skin was burning up. Will felt around his father's head. No bumps, but his nose looked broken. He moved to the torso. A couple of ribs had been broken as well. What surprised Will the most was the fact that the body was leaking blood, not ichor.

"His nose is definitely broken. A couple of ribs are as well. He has a high fever and Meg said that he went hysterical when he was in the woods. His mind is in turmoil."

Kayla nodded. "What do we do?"

Will was saved from answering by the door opening. He turned and found Nico approaching, his hands full of medical supplies. He crossed the room and dropped it on a nearby table.

"I grabbed everything I could carry. Bandages, a bottle of nectar, ambrosia, a needle and thread, a hypodermic needle, IV bags, blood bags-"

Will started sorting through the supplies. "This is all great, thank you, Nico."

"Lou Ellen is following me with the oxygen mask and heart monitor," Nico explained.

Just then, Lou Ellen opened the door. Will rushed over, grabbing the supplies. He took the stickers and attached them to Apollo's chest. The machine started beeping a steady, but weak, pulse.

"How is he?" Nico asked.

"Not good, right now. But we are going to try to give him nectar." Will grabbed the bottle of nectar.

He strode across the room back to his father. He put the bottle to his lips and slightly tipped it back. Apollo's lips started steaming. The heart monitor started beeping like crazy. Will's eyes widened in shock and he immediately removed the bottle.

"Shit!" He cursed, dropping the nectar. "He's not even a demigod! He's mortal!"

His heart was failing. His vitals were bottoming out. He turned Apollo over on his side, putting his fingers down his throat. Apollo involuntarily vomited, expelling the nectar from his system. Will turned him back onto his back.

His heart was flatlining. They didn't have a defibrillator in the cabin. He would have to do CPR. He climbed on top of the cot, legs on either side of his father. He started compressions. 1-2-3. He blew air into his lungs. 1-2-3. He blew air in again. 1-2-3. Apollo breathed in, his heart stabilizing. Will groaned in relief. He had almost killed his father.

He carefully climbed down from the cot, Kayla stabilizing him. "You did it, Will."

Will nodded, numbly. He didn't know what to do. Apollo had a few broken ribs and a nose, but his fever was still spiking. He didn't know what was wrong with him, and he definitely didn't know how to heal him. He grabbed an IV and hung it on a pole. He was prodding Apollo's thin arm, looking for a vein, but he couldn't see to find one.

"You're shaking." Nico pointed out. Will looked at his hand to find that he was, in fact, shaking. Shaking and needles were not good combinations.

"Will, stop. You are going to hurt him if you keep shaking with that needle." Kayla admonished lightly, taking the IV from him and expertly inserting it into Apollo's arm.

Will looked at Nico with haunted eyes. "I almost killed him."

"But you didn't." Nico reminded. "You just saved his life."

Will heard him, but the words didn't process. He put his head into his hands. "I almost killed Apollo, a god. Oh my gods, I almost killed my father."

Nico put his hand on Will's shoulder. "It's not your fault; you didn't know. The important thing is that you saved him. He's going to be okay."

Will looked into Nico's eyes. They were sincere. He believed what he was saying. "Nico-"

"Will," Nico's voice pleaded. "I watched Apollo's life force in the Underworld. If you hadn't done what you did, he would have died."

"But the nectar-" Will started.

"You had to try something. That's what you thought of first. I know this is really hard to process, but you need to focus. He is not in the clear yet. You need to heal him."

Will took a deep breath. He tried to shake away his fear. He had a job to do; he had a duty. He closed his eyes, focusing on shutting down his emotions. He would have time to deal with his emotions later. He let his adrenaline take over. His eyes slid open. He had a job to do.

He moved back over to Apollo. His heart rate had steadied, but he was still running a high fever. That was most likely due to the fact that Will had accidentally given him nectar. His nose and ribs were still broken.

Will's hands lit up. He started moving them over his father's chest and nose. He focused on mending the broken bones. His energy drained, but he continued to heal his father. His hands lost their glow and he stumbled back. Nico moved forward to catch him, but Will waved him off. He gently prodded Apollo's ribs again. They felt as if they were still broken.

"It- it didn't work." Will was startled. That had been happening more often than not recently. He had failed to save Nico when it mattered most. And now he was failing to save his own father. His hand scrunched into a fist.

Kayla spoke up. "He's not healed, but he's also not on the brink anymore."

"But I haven't fixed him." Will clarified. His hands were curled up into fists. "I don't know how to fix him! He's mortal. He had blood, not ichor. I don't understand what's wrong."

"I don't think we are going to understand until he wakes up," Kayla said. "So, all there is left to do is wait."

"But-"

"No," Kayla said in her no-nonsense tone. "You have already depleted your energy; you aren't trying anything else. You just have to give Apollo time to heal. If he isn't better by morning, we will try something else. Agreed?"

Will sat down on his bed. He considered his father. He looked around the room at Kayla, Austin, and Nico, all waiting for his command. He nodded.

Dawn was breaking. Will could feel himself becoming heavy with exhaustion, but he refused to allow himself to sleep. Instead, he focused on the self-deprecating thoughts and the insecurities he felt with his own healing abilities. He had almost killed his father.

As punishment, he had stayed awake all night to keep an eye out on Apollo. Soon after they had started waiting, Nico had eventually stepped out to go see what was happening with the rest of the camp. He talked to Meg and Chiron and gave Will, Kayla, and Austin the rundown. He had eventually gone back to his cabin after failing to get Will to talk. Kayla and Austin had stayed up until around two in the morning before crashing. They were now walking around camp, checking on everything.

Apollo's condition had improved greatly. His ribs had started to mend as well as his nose on their own. A groan startled Will from his thoughts. Apollo had been muttering and twitching all night, but he appeared to be waking up. Will stood from the bed to go to his father's side. He grabbed a rolling chair. He sat with his father as he woke. He was shivering and sweating as his eyes flew open.

"Easy," Will said, resting his hand on his father's shoulder. "Don't try to sit up."

His father tried to sit up. He looked around the room before latching onto the flowers on the windowsill.

"Those flowers..." his voice was hoarse. "Those are from Delos, my scared island."

That meant that Apollo had retained some of his memories. "Yep. They only grow in and around Cabin Seven- your cabin. Do you know who I am?"

Apollo studied his face. He had done it before when Will was younger. When he had come to his house in Texas. Protecting him from his mother's drinking. A look of recognition sparked on his face. "You're Will Solace. My, ah... erm-"

"Yeah," Will agreed. "It's awkward."

Suddenly, he listed sideways.

"Whoa, there." Will steadied him. "I tried to heal you, but honestly, I don't know what's wrong. You've got blood, not ichor. You've recovering quickly from your injuries, but your vital signs are completely human."

Apollo shuddered. "Don't remind me."

"Yeah, well..." Will put his hands on his father's forehead and frowned in concentration. His hands were shaking slightly, and he hoped that his father, the best healer of all time, wouldn't notice. "I didn't know any of that until I tried to give you nectar. Your lips started steaming. I almost killed you."

"Ah..." his tongue darted out across his lips. "I guess Meg forgot to tell you about my condition."

"I guess she did." He took Apollo's wrist and checked the pulse. It was steady. "You seem to be about my age, fifteen or so. Your heart rate is back to normal. Ribs are mending. Nose is swollen, but not broken."

"And I have acne," Apollo lamented. "And flab!"

Will tilted his head. "You're mortal, and that's what you're worried about?"

"You're right. I'm powerless. Weaker even than you puny demigods!"

"Gee, thanks..." Will stopped himself from saying dad.

The whole situation was quite amusing. His own father was his age and concerned about what all teenagers were concerned about. Appearances and acne. His mouth started twitching.

"Are- are you amused?" Apollo demanded.

Will shrugged. "Well, it's either find this funny or freak out. My dad, the god Apollo, is a fifteen-year-old-"

"Sixteen," he corrected. "Let's say sixteen."

"A sixteen-year-old mortal, lying in a cot in my cabin, and with all my healing art- which I got from you- I still can't figure out how to fix you." Will felt helpless. He had failed in healing too many times. And now he couldn't heal his father?

"There is no fixing this," Apollo said miserably. "I am cast out of Olympus. My fate is tied to a girl named Meg. It could not be worse!"

Will laughed. He had liked the girl. "Meg seems cool. She's already poked Connor Stoll in the eyes and kicked Sherman Yang in the crotch."

"She did what?" Apollo looked shocked.

"She'll get along just fine here. She's waiting for you outside- along with most of the campers." Will remembered what that meant. "Just so you're prepared, they're asking a lot of questions. Everyone is wondering if your arrival, your mortal situation, has anything to do with what's been going on at Camp."

He frowned. "What had been going on at camp?"

The cabin door opened, interrupting Will. Austin and Kayla walked in. They had been inseparable ever since Will and Nico had returned from the Underworld. Will had found himself entering a room and them stopping conversations one too many times recently.

"Austin," Apollo recalled. "And Kayla, isn't it?"

The two looked at each other. The same glances they had been sharing all week.

"So, it's really you," Kayla said.

Austin frowned. "Meg told us you were beaten up by a couple of thugs. She said you had no powers and went hysterical out in the woods."

"Meg talks too much." Apollo dismissed.

"But you're mortal?" Kayla asked. "as in completely mortal? Does that mean I'm going to lose my archery skills? I can't even qualify for the Olympics until I'm 16!"

"And if I lose my music…" Austin shook his head. "No, man, that's wrong. My last video got, like, five hundred thousand views in a week. What am I supposed to do?"

Will loved his siblings, but he rolled his eyes. There were far more pressing matters to think about.

"My problem should not affect you. If Zeus went around retroactively yanking my divine power out of all my descendants, half the medical schools in the country would be empty. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would disappear overnight. The Tarot-card reading industry would collapse overnight!"

Austin visibly relaxed. "That's a relief."

Will brought attention back to the problem at hand. "Why don't you run to the Big House and tell Chiron that our patient is conscious. I'll bring him along in a minute. And see if you can disperse the crowd outside, okay? I don't want everybody rushing Apollo at once."

Kayla and Austin nodded before leaving. Will turned to his father, an apology on his lips.

"They're in shock. We all are. It will take some time to get used to... whatever this is." Will explained.

"You do not seem shocked," Apollo muttered.

Will laughed. Apparently, he was a much better actor and liar than he thought, able to fool his own father. "I'm terrified. But one thing you learned as head counselor: you have to keep it together for everyone else. Let's get you on your feet."

He wrapped his arm around Apollo's torso, but the god, former god, was trying to stand on his own. He fell twice before Will could finally get him up. He leaned on Will for support as they headed towards the door. Will pushed it open. Kayla and Austin had been successful in clearing the porch. Kayla was quite intimidating, especially when she had her bow on her back. The only person on the porch was Meg.

"You look yuck," Meg said, sticking her tongue out at Apollo. Will grinned at the young demigod's antics.

"And you, Meg, are as charming as ever." Apollo shot back.

The girl adjusted her glasses. "Thought you were going to die."

"Glad to disappoint you."

"Nah, you still owe me a year of service. We're bound, whether you like it or not!"

Apollo sighed. "I suppose I should thank you... how did you get us out of the woods?"

Her expression was guarded. "Dunno. Luck." She jabbed a thumb towards Will. "From what he's been telling me, it's a good thing we got out before nightfall."

"Why?" Apollo asked.

Will thought about all the disappearance. Thinking of Cecil sent a stab to his heart. "I should let Chiron explain. Come on."

They continued to walk across the commons. The camp was usually pretty empty over the winter, but even more so than usual. After all the disappearances, many demigods returned to their mortal parents. Or went back to schools all across the world.

Will looked up to see the Big House. Nico was waiting on the porch, leaned against one of the posts. He was wearing black jeans, a Ramones shirt, and his bomber jacket. His sword was at his side.

"I remember you," Apollo recalled. "Is it Nicholas, son of Hades?"

Will remembered back to the Underworld when Persephone had called him Nicholas; it felt like a lifetime ago.

"Nico di Angelo." He studied Apollo. "So, it's true. You're completely mortal. There's an aura of death around you- a thick possibility of death."

"Sounds like a weather forecast." Meg snorted.

Will put his hand on Nico's shoulder. "Nico, we need to talk about your people skills."

Nico scowled at him. "The only people I talk to are you and my friends. They don't have a problem. And I'm just stating the obvious. If this is Apollo, and he dies, we are all in trouble."

Will turned back to his father. Great boyfriend-meets-the-parent meeting. "I apologize for my boyfriend."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Could you not-"

"Would you prefer special guy?" Will teased. "Or significant other?"

"Significant annoyance in your case," Nico grumbled.

Will looked at Nico. "Oh, I'll get you for that."

"You guys fight a lot." Meg quipped, bringing the attention back on her. "I thought we were going to see a centaur."

"And here I am." The screen door opened, revealing Chiron. He looked over Will's father. "Apollo, it's good you are here. We need to talk about the disappearances."