Last chapter with Nico's perspective of what DeLaynie tells.
DeLaynie's POV
Hades left an hour after coming with Nico. Dad ordered a pizza, as it was pizza night. Nico went to explore while we did that. I just played with my cat Pudgie. Pudgie was my pet therapy cat, and had the responsibility of coming with me everywhere.
I needed her for when I had anxiety problems. She always just made me laugh or licked my face, keeping me out of my head. It always worked. I think Pudgie is part of the reason Dad was able to get permission to foster Nico in the first place.
Anyway, Dad got the door when the pizza arrived, and called us to eat in the living room. It was the room next to the main hall, so we often chilled in there. Dad put the pizza on the living room table, and started dishing out slices. I licked my lips. Pizza was my supreme favorite food. I grabbed a slice. Nico however, just sat down in front of a slice of pizza while Dad turned on Tintin.
I knew he had been malnourished when he was checked in to Aunt Amanda's hospital, so Nico's lack of willingness to eat was not something we wanted. Dad then noticed. He gently shoved the pizza in Nico's direction. Nico tried to push it away, but Dad gently placed his hand on Nico's shoulder.
"Nico, you need to eat, ok? If you don't like pizza, you can just say it. I'm not going to force you to eat something you don't enjoy." Dad said.
"I'm not hungry. I like pizza, I'm just not hungry." Nico said, looking at him.
"Eat up though. I don't want to force it, but you're severely underweight. Now take at least three bites, or I may have to put it in your mouth for you."
Nico ate after Dad said that. I'd had that treatment myself while I was paralyzed, so I knew how being fed felt. I finished my pizza, and focused on the show. When I was about to ask Dad where the cookies from earlier were, I saw Nico digging in like a wolf. Dad just smiled and ate some pizza himself.
After forty five minutes, Dad announced it was bath time. I dragged Nico upstairs to get ready for a bath. Dad usually draws baths for me because I needed medication placed in the tub due to a skin injury, and stayed near the bathroom door in case I fell asleep in my bath. I lead Nico to his room, telling him to undress. I did so myself.
As I undressed, I checked out my back scars. The white lines from when a teacher hit me with a belt were still there. It hurt to remember how I got them, so I tried not to think about it. Pudgie came in and purred, laying on her back so I could see her belly. I pet my therapy cat and smiled. Dad came to Nico's door. I peeked.
Nico was then lead to the main bathroom. Thankfully, he was wearing a black bathrobe. There were a few bathrooms scattered about, but the main one was my personal favourite. Dad came and got me soon after he lead Nico in.
I went with Dad after tossing on my bathrobe. It was brown, my favourite color. I went on upstairs. Dad and I often used that time to just be together. Usually, Dad would just listen to the stories I made up in my head. I did that a lot, as my train of focus often derailed. He said I should consider being a children's book author.
We arrived at the main bathroom quickly. The main bathroom was big, and had six bathtubs forming a neat rectangle. The water often came from the ceiling, and there was a rack of warm towels and bath bombs and stuff like that between each bathtub. The window was big, and often turned to look like bricks to anyone outside if anyone was in the bathroom naked. It also had those folding wall thingies by the bathtubs. Pajamas for me and my foster brother were hung along the towel racks. Nico was in the bathtub on the far left. He seemed surprised when I came in.
"What?" I asked Nico.
"I didn't know you were coming in here for a bath." Nico said.
"I usually take them in here, as it's easier for dad to pull me out if I fall asleep due to my bath bomb meds, as they do have side effects."
I went over to the one I usually bathed in and slipped behind the fold up wall thingy. I peeled my bathrobe off. I climbed into the tub. Nico seemed weirded out. Dad offered to move the fold up wall thingy closer to him, but he said he'd just try to ignore it.
I felt the medicine in the tub working it's magic, making the soreness of skin growing over a scar from a third degree burn that had gone untreated for months go away. It was on my back, so applying meds was kinda tricky. Nico seemed to be just watching the view of the ocean through the window. Sometimes while here, it felt like I was in a bathhouse. Those are places you go when you need a bath, but plumbing at your home doesn't work. A very fancy bathhouse.
I smiled, and Dad checked on Nico. Nico was leaning back, and I could see a smile on his face. He may never admit it, but I knew he was loving every second of this. Dad told him to lean more toward the washing sink on the back of the tub. Dad usually let me know when to wash my hair, and turned on the shower head so I could do it. He was doing the same for Nico. Nico did as he was told. I did the same and we both washed our hair.
After we were done with washing our hair, I felt kinda sleepy. Dad came over to check on me, and pulled me out of the tub. He helped me get a towel to dry off and get dressed before leading me back to my room. If I didn't have help, I was more likely to walk into a wall due to being overwhelmed by supreme sleepiness. He brushed my hair while I laid there, trying not to fall asleep. I lost the battle. I drifted off to dream land.
I saw Nico in my dreams however. Nico was watching the view, and seemed like he was about to get out. Dad came in that moment, and Nico put on pajamas. Nico got went with Dad downstairs to bed. Dad had grabbed Nico his meds, so once Nico was in his room, Dad made him sit down.
"What is it?" Nico asked as he sat down on the bed.
"Time for your anti nightmare meds, Nico." Dad said as he pulled some of the bottles contents out. "Now, open."
Nico understood. Dad had also brought some tea in. Dad placed the meds in his hand, and kept a good eye on him and helped hold the tea mug as Nico began to drain the tea and his meds down his throat.
"Drain the cup. You know that's how your supposed to take it." Dad whispered.
The tea Nico was drinking was the kind that was supposed to help someone sleep. Nico finished the tea off. Then he looked like he was ready to pass out. Dad helped Nico get himself laying down so the drink would do it's job. Nico was quick to fall asleep.
Dad left the room, closing the door. Dad was was prepared to make him do his stuff by any means needed if it came down to it. My dreams faded after that.
Nico's POV
After Dad left, I went to explore. DeLaynie's room was nice. She was cuddling with a cat. I left so I could find the kitchen. Mr Kane was in there already. He had grabbed some cookies for dinner. I smiled. I didn't miss him sneaking one.
I heard to doorbell. I heard DeLaynie yell pizza about then. Amos went to get it. He told me to go to the main living room. So I did. He put the pizza on the table, and DeLaynie grabbed a few slices. I wasn't hungry so I sat in front of a slice.
Mr Kane shoved the slice in my direction. I tried to shove it away, but Mr Kane said I needed to eat. He convinced me by threatening to feed it to me himself. I did not want to be hand fed, so I dug in. Amanda said that she'd informed Mr Kane that I was probably going to refuse to do certain things, so she let me know in advance he was already planning to be as stubborn as humanly possible. DeLaynie dug into hers and we continued watching whatever it was we were watching.
After a little while, Mr Kane announced it to be bath time. DeLaynie dragged me up the stairs to get ready for a bath.
"Dad always runs baths. He usually lets me get undressed in my room, and then he comes to get me when the bath is ready. He said he wants you to do the same." DeLaynie explained.
As soon as I got to my room I figured I might as well. A black bathrobe was in the closet, along with some more clothes that they bought for me. I grabbed it as soon as I was out of my tightly whities. Mr Kane finally came and got me. I went with him. He asked me about my life at Camp Half-blood.
I told him everything. And then I remembered that the troglodytes were going to interrogate the entire camp about me when they realized I had disappeared. The troglodytes leader, Screech-Bling and I were good friends, so once he realized I disappeared, he was going to worry the Tartarus about me. I voiced my concerns, and Mr Kane was quick to say that he'd inform the guy in charge around here, Levidicus Rosewater, about the possibility.
I got to the bathroom shortly after that. And it made me think of a VIP bathhouse. It had six bathtubs, and one window as at the end of the room. There were shelves between each space. And there were those fold up walls also. I had been in a few bath houses in Japan during my running days. I couldn't help but think of them as I slipped my bathrobe off, and hopped in a tub that was filled with bubbles.
Mr Kane put a bath bomb in the tub opposite of mine. He went to get DeLaynie while I laid back and relaxed. I turned on the jets, and it was so warm. I heard the cat Pudgie coming in. She climbed up on my tub, and watched me. I felt kind of uncomfortable, until DeLaynie came in. She looked like a queen in her brown bathrobe. I may be a gay teen who looks goth, but I did like how nice she looked in her bathrobe. I froze up, mainly because I thought she'd take a bath in another room.
"What?" DeLaynie asked me.
"I didn't know you were coming in here for a bath."
"My baths are usually in here because I tend to fall asleep due to medication side effects."
That explained it. She got in the tub opposite of me, and I watched her sit. There was what looked like a scar from a burn on her back. I don't know how she got it, so I stayed quiet so I could ask Mr Kane later.
"Want me to move the fold up wall thingy closer to DeLaynie?" Mr Kane asked.
"Nah. I can ignore it." I said.
I turned to watch the ocean. Percy was going to freak when he found out my foster family was rich. I watched DeLaynie. She was leaning back, and looked much better. I leaned back, and enjoyed the view. Mr Kane checked on me.
"Time to wash your hair." He said.
"Okay." I said.
He had me lean back and turned on the shower head. He did the same with his daughter.
After we washed our hair, DeLaynie looked really tired. Mr Kane pulled her out. They got her dried off and dressed, and she went with him to bed. I climbed out myself, and got dressed. Mr Kane came in at that moment, and had me go to my room while he grabbed me my meds.
I took them as I was told once he got there. He also held the sleeping tea mug in case I dropped it. I drank the whole thing down. I felt extreme exhaustion making me fall over, and I fell asleep.
I saw Camp Half-blood in my dreams. Will was awake, and resting in an infirmary cot. I watched him, feeling terrible. His side was covered in bandages. Chiron the centaur came and checked on him. Will asked if they found me. Chiron shook his head.
"Nico, is nowhere to be found. I checked with Camp Jupiter, and New Athens. He isn't in either of those places." Chiron said.
Will frowned.
"I have to find him. He's missing because I tried to help. I'm going to find him, help or no help."
I frowned, and hoped he would give up. I was a danger to him. If I went near him, I'd just hurt him again.
Apollo came to check on Will about then.
"Will? Chiron? Any word on Nico?" Apollo asked.
"We cannot find him. Any chance you've seen him?"
"No. He must be hiding somewhere I do not see when I'm driving the sun chariot."
"The Underworld?"
"Possibly."
My dreams went white.
