To all the guests who commented: Thanks! Also, to the guest who was talking about an Estelle one-shot, I think I wrote that in chapter 21. I could write another one, though.
Nico squished Wills' hand. 'What? I have to get vaccinated?' At Camp Jupiter!?' He asked, more panicked than surprised. 'Why?' Chiron smiled. Yet, he looked very tired - he had gone through about eighteen demigods who needed all weren't vaccinated yet, and they had all given the same answer. Tomorrow he had to tell another fifteen kids that they would get some medical attention, something that he was not looking forward to.
Will squished Nico's hand back. 'It is so you don't get ill, Nico. Remember when you got the measles a few weeks ago and you had to lay in bed for three weeks?' Nico pouted.
'Alright, I'll go.' Chiron almost let out a relieved sigh. Nico was the easiest demigod he had gotten to get a vaccination that day (Thanks to Doctor Will, of course). 'Great. Tomorrow afternoon, a bus will be ready. You and thirty-four other demigods will be driven to camp Jupiter, where they have a vaccination program set up in the hospital of New Rome.' Nico slowly nodded. 'Thanks, Chiron,' he said. Nico and Will walked out of the Big House, back to the Hades cabin.
Chiron sighed deeply. Finally, he was done. He stood up, put out the lights and walked up the stairs, to the small living room. He didn't see Argus anywhere (He was probably checking if the bus was safe and had enough fuel for the ten millionth time). Dionysus was sitting his head over the table in such a manner that Chiron decided that he did not need to talk to him. Yet, he did it anyway. 'Do you remember if Apollo also gave a reason why We had to tell all the campers to get vaccinated, and he didn't do it himself?'
Dionysus put his head up. 'Something about you having more authority and time.' Chiron rolled his eyes. 'Sounds like a pretty generic "I realise this is important but can you fix it" to me.' He filled a glass with water, and took a sip. 'Yet, at least he cares, right? There would be a lot of gods who would not have said anything. Or slammed their heads on the table when they have to write a report.' Chiron walked into the hallway with bedrooms before Dionysus could say anything back.
'Will, you are coming along, right?' Will nodded.
'Yes. I have to make sure everything goes right on the bus. Plus, they apparently need an extra doctor.' Nico let out a deep breath.
'Oh, good.' Will raised an eyebrow.
'Nico, are you scared of getting a small vaccination?'
Nico blushed a little. 'No? Of course not,' He mumbled. 'Yet, maybe Hazel is scared, so I thought that maybe she wanted to see someone she knew?' While Nico said it, he realised how flimsy it sounded. Yet, Will acted like he thought that was a totally logical argument. 'Sweet of you, Neeks. Yet, I believe Hazel is not very afraid of needles. Remember that one time when she had to get blood drawn? She was less afraid than you and Frank.' Nico didn't answer at all.
The next day, Chiron managed to get the other fifteen demigods to step inside the bus, and they left (Chiron immediately handed control to Dionysus and walked away to take a nap). Will and Nico sat in the front of the bus. Nico had a box with snacks - and none of them were very healthy, which annoyed Will so much that he just hobbled up and down the middle path of the bus the entire ride.
The busride went surprisingly good. So good, that Will wondered if Argus hadn't turned against the camp and told monsters to stay away - it just seemed to easy. Yet, nothing was wrong, and the huge group of demigods easily got into camp Jupiter. Some centurion Nico and Will didn't recognise was leading the entire mission, sending the patients over to one side, and the doctors to another.
Which meant that Nico and Will had to split up. 'Doctors to the right, and patients to the left!' The centurion said. Will let go of Nico's hand, but Nico grabbed his wrist. 'What are you doing?' Will gave him a weird look. 'I have to over there. I am a doctor, remember?' He shook his hand loose. Nico was to distraught to say anything. 'Hazel is right over there, Neeks,' Will remarked, while pointing at the girl, who was standing further in the line.
Nico tried to run over to her, but the centurion stopped him. 'What are you doing?' He asked. Nico started to feel a little sick. 'That-That's my Little sister! Uh... I, uh...' The centurion rolled his eyes. 'Just go.' Nico muttered something that might have been a 'thank you,' and ran over to Hazel. He grabbed her arm. 'Hazel! Hey, uh... I thought you might be scared!'
Hazel seemed a little startled, until she noticed that the person who grabbed her arm was her brother. 'I am not scared, Nico. Don't you remember that I also wasn't scared when I head to get my blood drawn?' Nico slowly nodded.
'Of course I remember that!' Hazel nodded slowly.
'Nico, are you scared?' She softly asked.
'Maybe,' Nico whispered back. Hazel chuckled.
'I'll hold your hand.' Nico gave her a weird look.
'That won't be necessary,' he answered (And, again, he realised it didn't sound very convincing). Hazel stroked his back. 'It's going to be fine, Nico.'
After ten minutes of waiting, all of the scared, ready-to-be-vaccinated kids were ushered to a building in New Rome. Another centurion told them to form a line. Nico shuffled behind Hazel. As the line got shorter and Nico came closer to the room where he would get a shot, he got more nervous. At some point, Hazel turned around.
'Nico, it really doesn't hurt. Shadow Travelling to Japan definitely is more painful, and you do that whenever you feel like eating Sushi.' Nico gave her a fake grin.
'Oh, good.' He realised his voice squeaked. 'Yet, I am fine, really.' Hazel got that concerned look in her eyes - the one she Always got when someone was very clearly afraid. She grabbed his hand. Nico didn't try to pull it out of her grip.
They reached the front of the line. Nico didn't feel so good. Hazel pulled him along, to the chair where Will was vaccinating people. He chuckled when he saw Nico. 'Come on, death prince, I'll...' Will was cut off by another doctor - one with huge muscles. It looked like he trained a lot, next to being a doctor. 'The girl was first. You should vaccinate her - I'll take the boy.' Nico felt like fainting.
Will put his hand on Nico's shoulder. 'I'd rather do it my way. Hazel probably prefers that, too.' Hazel almost nodded her head of. 'Sir, I truly believe that my brother is better of being vaccinated by him than by you.'
The doctor looked like he didn't understand it, but he went along anyway. Nico's hands were shaking while he sat in the chair, but he managed to hold his arm still while Will gave him a shot.
Nico and Hazel walked out of the hospital together (Camp Jupiter did not have an infirmary, but a real hospital). Nico was still shaking, while Hazel tried to comfort him. 'Come on, Nico, it is done. Now you can't get sick anymore!' Nico nodded.
'Yeah.'
Will carried Nico out of the bus. The son of Hades had fallen asleep halfway through the ride. Will didn't want to wake him up (Partly out of fear that Nico would not stop talking, or go to sleep that night). He was just tucking Nico into bed, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around. The great and radiant Apollo himself was standing in the room. 'Will!' he scream-whispered. 'Did everyone get vaccinated!?' Will nodded.
'Why do you not ask Chiron?' he whispered, in a normal way. Apollo patted him on the head.
'Because I wanted to ask my son.' Apollo turned around. The great, golden and shiny god appeared into the night, leaving Will and Nico inside the Hades cabin together.
