A/N: Hey, guys! It feels like it's been such a long time since I last updated, and I'm sorry for that. I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving. I think this chapter is a little longer than the others, so there's that. The plot advances much more in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series, or any of the characters in it. All rights go to Rick Riordan. There are a few original characters, and I have created some of the events. If you recognize it, I don't own it.
Warning: Punches fly, kinda-sort of detailed description of injury (it's really not that bad, but just in case), and an allusion to mild language.
Will had been at Camp Half-Blood for three weeks. During those weeks he had learned many things. The first of those things being that his siblings were often dramatic and loud. But that was okay. He loved them anyway, and had quickly been accepted into his new family. He had spent the afternoons of his days at camp practicing (and failing at) archery with Michael and Lee, canoeing with Cyrus, attempting to play an instrument with his sisters, and watching all of his siblings excel at the things they did. He felt a little left out, but Lee assured him that it took a while to discover your talents. He even told Will that it had taken him months to be able to heal people like he did. Will wished he could visit the infirmary, but Lee told him only Apollo campers who were at least ten were allowed to help out, or even observe, unless they were injured themselves.
Another thing Will learned was what to expect from each cabin. The Athena Cabin was, of course, the smart, innovative cabin. According to Michael, if you wanted to win Capture the Flag, you better be on the Athena Cabin's team. Malcolm Pace from the Athena Cabin tutored Will in Ancient Greek, which Will was surprised at how quickly he was able to pick it up, and mythology, which Will learned was not actual mythology because it was the truth. It was both astonishing and frightening. Will didn't particularly like Malcolm, but he had to admit that he was very smart, and he taught well, despite being about a year older than Will.
The Aphrodite Cabin was full of people who all seemed to be irresistibly attractive. One boy in particular always caught Will's eye: Kenneth Lebeau. He was two years Will's senior, and he was quite the sight to behold. Will never let it show, but he thought that Kenneth's forest green eyes and mahogany colored hair were truly beautiful. Will had never talked to Kenneth, but he talked to Silena a lot. She said she liked to check in on him, just to make sure he was doing alright. Will had certainly gotten closer to Silena since their tour of camp. Silena was a nice person to talk to. She was always willing to give advice and help people out. Her heart was kind, and she made everyone feel special.
The Ares Cabin was a force to be reckoned with. Michael had been right when he said not to pick a fight with Clarisse LaRue. Lee often stumbled into the Apollo Cabin complaining about all the injuries she had caused other campers. Some of them sounded horrifying. Will did not want to get on her bad side. He had heard stories. Terrible stories.
The Dionysus kids were known for their parties. Whenever someone in their cabin or a head counselor had their birthday, the Dionysus Cabin threw them a wild party. Will found this out when the Demeter head counselor, a boy named Landon Mandler, was ambushed in the dining pavilion with balloons and confetti on his birthday. Will had never met people more excitable than the Dionysus Cabin.
Children of Hephaestus were, Will found, extremely touchy about their inventions. Brooke had been examining a shield Jake Mason, who was Will's age, had made. Jake didn't take his eyes off of her as she looked at it, seemingly convinced that if he looked away, the shield would break.
Hermes was, in every sense of the word, a trickster. And that quality was passed down to every one of his kids. Connor and Travis Stoll terrorized the camp every week, each prank more chaotic and panic-inspiring than the last. It was a rare day that Will didn't see someone with neon orange hair or confetti splattered camp t-shirts. As Michael had promised, Connor and Travis stayed far away from the Apollo Cabin. Michael said it had something to do with rhyming couplets.
The Demeter kids were a gentle bunch, but when it came to the environment, they could be downright scary. Will witnessed a few Demeter girls yell at a few Hermes kids for littering, and...well, let's just say Will made sure all of his trash ended up in the trashcan, and that he recycled anything that could be recycled.
Will liked to spend time waving to the naiads and talking to the satyrs and nymphs. They were very interesting, and they always had time to talk to him. He felt very accepted among them. They didn't judge him or talk to him like he was inferior to them. In fact, they always seemed pleased when he visited.
Will was sitting on the docks waving to the naiads when he heard someone call his name.
"Will?"
Will turned around and saw Henry standing behind him. Excitement filled him. He hadn't seen much of Henry since he got to camp. It was nice to see such a familiar face again. He stood up and walked over to the satyr. "Hey, Henry!"
Henry gave him a small smile. "Come with me, Will. Your mother's on the phone with Chiron. She wants to talk to you."
Will's heart soared. He knew his mother would call him! He couldn't wait to tell her all about what happened at camp, about his siblings, and about his dad.
As Henry led him toward the Big House, he said, "You're allowed to tell her about camp, Will, but only because she already knows Apollo is a god."
That stopped Will in his tracks. What? "She knew?" he asked incredulously.
Henry nodded, keeping his pace, so that Will had to scramble to keep up. "Yeah. I know it seems cruel to keep something like that from you, but it was for your safety. If you had known you were a demigod sooner than you did, your scent would have been stronger and more monsters would have been able to track you down."
The thought of monsters attacking him brought a memory to the front of Will's mind. "Henry," he began. "What did that anemoi mean when it said…" Will gulped. "When it said that I would be a burden? That I...that I wasn't worth saving?" Will's voice broke on the last statement.
Henry took a while to respond. When he did, he didn't look at Will. "I don't know why it said that. But you have to remember, Will, that monsters will say anything to try to lower your guard. Don't take what one monster said to heart. Besides, everyone is worth saving. That you can take to heart."
Will did take it to heart. But he also subconsciously took what the anemoi said to heart.
They arrived at the Big House. "Chiron is just inside," Henry told him. Will climbed the steps to the porch and walked through the front door, eager to hear from his mother.
Chiron was waiting for him in one of the upstairs rooms. Chiron was, Will had found out his first week, a centaur. The bottom half of his body was that of a white stallion, and the upper half resembled a college professor. Chiron was wiser than anyone Will had ever met, and he supposed that that was because of how long he had lived, but if his lessons with Malcolm had taught him anything, it was that the gods were not wise, and they had lived for thousands of years, too. Chiron had a kind glint in his brown eyes, and that softened his intimidating appearance. He had strong arms from centuries of being an archer. He had a brown beard and brown hair that was neatly trimmed. Chiron was a very kind and overall amazing teacher.
"Hello, Will," He greeted, wheeling over to Will. Pointing at a desktop computer at the far end of the room, he said, "Your mother is on the other end. Just press the call button, and she'll pick it up."
Will grinned. "Thanks, Chiron!" As the centaur left, Will sat down at the computer. Excitement filling his very being, he pressed the green call button on the screen. After a few rings, his mama's face appeared on the screen.
"Mama!" He beamed at her image.
"Will!" His mother's smile seemed a little...off. Her eyes were unfocused and she kept giggling.
Shaking off his misgivings, Will told her, "I miss you! Guess what? I have brothers and sisters! There's a lava wall, a pegasus stable, a lake, and-"
"Naomi!" A voice from his mother's side of the connection called out. "Naomi, come and get another shot!"
Will frowned. Was Mama sick? Why did she need a shot?
Naomi Solace giggled. "I've gotta go, Will," she slurred. Then she yelled over her shoulder, "I'm coming, Dillon!" And before Will could say anything, the screen went black.
Will's heart sank like a stone. He had been waiting for a chance to make this call for weeks. His mother hadn't told him anything about how she was doing, she didn't ask him how he was, she didn't even say that she missed him or that she loved him before she left. With regret Will realised he hadn't been able to tell her that he loved her, either.
Will got out of the chair and opened the door to the room. He walked down the old stairs slowly, purposefully avoiding coming into any contact with Chiron. He didn't really want to answer why his conversation with his mama had ended so quickly. Walking across the grass toward the Apollo Cabin, he ran into Charles Beckendorf.
"Hi, Will," Beckendorf greeted him.
"Hey, Beckendorf," he muttered sullenly.
The blacksmith frowned. Kneeling in front of Will so that he was forced to stop, he asked, "What's wrong? I thought you were calling you mom in the Big House."
"I was," Will told him miserably. "But someone named Dillon told her to get another shot, and she told me that she had to go. We'd only been talking for a few seconds before she hung up. She didn't even tell me she was sick!"
Beckendorf seemed to be thinking about something. Slowly, he asked Will, "Was your mom acting strange during the video call?"
Will nodded. "Yeah, she kept giggling and smiling, but her eyes were kinda unfocused. Why? Do you know what kind of sickness she had?"
"Yeah, I do," Beckendorf said, his eyes dark. "She was drunk."
Will blinked. "What's that mean?"
Beckendorf seemed uncharacteristically angry. "It means she consumed so much alcohol that she couldn't think straight, or function properly." Seeming to reach a decision, Beckendorf told Will, "Go tell Lee she was drunk. He might have more information for you." Then he started to walk back to his cabin, muttering things like Drunk while she video calls her seven-year-old child and Probably not even fit to be a mom, drinking with a guy so soon after her only child left.
Will walked off to do just that. He found Lee polishing his longbow in the archery range. Lee smiled when he saw Will coming toward him. "Hey, Will. What's up?"
Will recounted what had happened with his mother, and then told him what Beckendorf had said. Lee's mouth was pressed into a thin line when Will was finished speaking. "Will…" Lee trailed off. Then his brother took a deep breath and continued. "Your mom wasn't sick. That Dillon guy wasn't talking about a vaccine shot. He was talking about an alcohol shot. Y'know- wine, beer, that kind of thing. Will...your mom is pretty famous in country music, and when people get famous, they tend to make bad decisions. I think your mom took your leaving as an opportunity to...be free. Not from you," Lee added quickly. "Just from responsibility. It doesn't make her any less of a good person as long as it doesn't become a problem. Beckendorf has a cousin on his mom's side who had a drinking problem- that's probably why he's so upset about this. A few drinks aren't going to do a person too much harm, as long as someone who hasn't had anything to drink is with them. Even if they've only had one shot, it's no longer safe. I'm sure your mom knows that, though."
Will was still feeling a little uneasy about the whole situation, but he decided that Lee was probably right. "Okay,"
Lee stood up and stretched. He walked over to a shed and put his longbow away. Will waited for him to reach him, and when he did, they both headed back to the Apollo Cabin together.
"Wait, you want me to do what?" Michael asked, disbelieving.
Will's first Capture the Flag game was about to start. On the Blue Team was Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. On the Red Team was Athena, Ares, Dionysus, and Demeter. Lee, although a strategist, was sitting this game out so he could act as medic. He was currently instructing his cabin and telling them their roles in the game. The plan was to spread out defenses in multiple circles around the flag. The smallest circle would be right around the flag, and the next tightest one would be roughly fifty yards away, and so on. Lee told Fae, Cyrus, and Alec that they were to work with the Aphrodite Cabin and some of the Hermes kids on defense along the outermost ring. If the other team managed to get past them (which they probably would, Lee told them), then they would run into traps set by the Hephaestus Cabin next. If they managed to get past those, they would run into another ring of defense, this one including Brooke, Edmund, Beckendorf, Jake Mason, some other Hephaestus kids, and Connor and Travis Stoll. Lee said that they would have a much harder time getting through that line. And if they did, another system of traps was waiting for them. After that system, there was one last system of traps, this one the hardest to get past. Then, there was the last ring of defense. In this ring was Luke, Camille, Ally, and the rest of the Hermes kids. For some reason that was inconceivable to Will, Lee wanted him and Michael to sneak into enemy territory and get their flag. Michael in particular couldn't believe that part of the plan.
"No way," he told Lee. "Put me and Will in Luke's place and have him go off and steal the flag! Will and I won't make it in enemy territory alone. Especially Will. He's only seven!"
"And you're 'only ten,'" Lee told him, putting air quotes around the last two words. "But you've gained enough experience to make yourself a valuable ally. Will is fast. He can race back across the border in no time, and his age will make people underestimate him. He can slip past people- he can be the key to winning this. You just have to find the flag and get him in a position where he has some kind of head start. Defend him while he runs. Besides, we have a backup plan. If you guys aren't back by the time we've captured all the opposing campers, we'll send Luke, Beckendorf, and the Stolls to help you out. We literally cannot lose. We really outdid ourselves this time." Lee grinned, obviously pleased with his plan.
Michael stared at his brother for a few moments before finally giving in. "If we lose, you're excusing me and Will from kitchen and bathroom duties. And the pegasus stables."
"Done," Lee agreed, demonstrating just how confident he was that the Blue Team would win this.
Looking like he deeply regretted it, Michael turned to Will. "Alright, bro, let's go. We have a flag to find."
"I feel like we've been going in circles," Will whispered to Michael. "Are you sure you know how to navigate this forest?"
"No," Michael admitted. "But every road leads to where you're going, right?"
"I hope so," Will muttered.
They kept walking, taking care not to step on too many leaves or twigs. Then, through the green foliage, Will saw a flash of red. He stopped abruptly and grabbed Michael's sleeve. "There!" he hissed.
Michael followed his gaze, clenching his jaw when he saw the flag. "We need to get just a little bit closer," he said. "But we can't let the enemy see us." Michael's eyes scanned their surroundings. Finally, Michael whispered to Will, "The trees. I'm going to climb one and start shooting arrows into the defensive line. When I signal to you, run and climb that rock, grab the flag and run back across the border. Do you remember which way it is?" Will shook his head. Michael continued. "It's that way," he pointed to his left. "Just keep running that way and you'll get there. Hopefully everyone else is holding up. I'll try to run after you, but I'll probably be captured. Just remember: No matter what happens, keep running. Got it, Will?"
Will nodded, his jaw clenched in determination. "I'm ready,"
Michael smiled and ruffled his hair. "You got this, bro." And with that he started scaling the tree nearest to them. Will crouched down, ready to sprint at a moment's notice. Michael perched himself in one of the branches that was shrouded from the opposite team's viewpoint. Then Michael shot a sonic arrow. A horrible screeching sound filled the air, and when the arrow landed, it emitted a sound wave that knocked several of the enemy off their feet. Lee had told Will about sonic arrows before. They could kill less powerful monsters instantly, but they only stunned more powerful monsters and demigods. And stunned they were. Everyone lay blinking, disoriented, on the forest floor. Will didn't even need a signal; he ran into the opposing team's base, easily climbed the small rock mound, grabbed the red flag, jumped off the rocks, and took off sprinting toward Blue Team territory. He could hear Michael shouting encouragement behind him, and also shouts of indignation when the Red Team realized they were no longer guarding a flag. Will ran faster than he ever had in his life, adrenaline giving him enough energy to keep going. The sound of arrows zipping through the air was fading as Will got farther away. To make sure he was going in the right direction, Will fixed his eyes on a certain landmark as he ran, not taking his eyes off of it until he reached it. When he did reach it, he looked directly in front of him again, found another landmark, and repeated the process. Soon he saw the creek, his destination on the other side. Gripping the flag tighter, Will pushed himself to go even faster. Then he saw a few Ares and Athena campers, ready to take the flag from him.
Will was running straight towards them. He was so close to victory, and now he wouldn't get it.
Then he saw familiar faces on the other side of the creek. Beckendorf, Luke, Connor, and Travis had come to the rescue. They quickly assessed the situation and charged right in. The Stoll brothers had some crazy contraption with them that tangled the enemy's swords, rendering them useless. Beckendorf was fighting with a sword and shield that were both created by him, making them extra durable and resilient. Luke, of course, was a whirlwind. He slashed down the Red Team before they could even begin to defend themselves. The way Luke Castellan fought seemed almost feral, but it was also awing. But Will couldn't stand and watch. He wove between swords and spears until he finally made it to the bank of the creek. He splashed across to the other side, holding up the flag triumphantly.
"WOOHOO!" Travis yelled.
"IN YOUR FACES!" Connor called to the Ares campers, which was probably not the best of ideas.
Lee ran onto the battlefield. "Will, you did it!" Lee grabbed Will around the knees and hoisted him onto his shoulder. Michael ran over to them and started cheering. Soon the entire Blue Team was surrounding them, cheering for Will, Michael, and Lee, and Will swore it was the best day of his life. Everything in that moment felt so right; Michael Yew and Lee Fletcher were the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Months had passed since Will's first Capture the Flag game. He, Lee, and Michael had become an inseparable trio. They did everything together- archery (which Will was horrible at), campfires (Will and Michael sang, but they sounded awful), canoeing (Will left Michael and Lee in the dust during races), climbing the lava wall (Michael seriously had a gift), and running along the beach. Life was better than it had ever been for Will. Sure, he appeared to have no talent for archery, his voice and skill for instruments could be improved, and he certainly couldn't recite Shakespeare. But he could do an excellent ultrasonic whistle, and he could curse people to speak only in rhyming couplets (discovering that one hadn't been pretty. Drew Tanaka now despised him. His siblings, however, thought it was the best thing since Adele's latest album). Will often felt like he was useless, but his siblings all made it clear that they loved him for who he was, and no ability or lack thereof would change that. They were the family Will had always craved.
The family he had known wasn't nearly as good as the one he had at Camp Half-Blood. Naomi Solace had always been busy as an alt-country singer, and spending time with her son never really made her priority list. Will had always been lonely in Tennessee. Even Will had to admit that his mother wasn't the nicest person, but she was his mother, and he wanted to make her proud any way that he could. Will had thought that by proving he was a good demigod, his mother would finally see his worth. He couldn't wait for Christmas to roll around so that he could see her again.
Will was walking along the fireworks beach when Andrew Jenkins and his cronies approached him. Andrew was Will's age, and he was known for being a jerk around camp. Andrew had stringy black hair, dull blue eyes, and a tall, broad stature.
"Well, if it isn't the newest Apollo spawn," Andrew sneered, blocking Will's path. "You know, you really shouldn't be in the Apollo Cabin. That's a place for archers and musicians. Compared to your siblings, Solace, you're pretty useless. Why don't you join a useless cabin, too? Maybe the Aphrodite Cabin?"
Will had dealt with bullies in Tennessee, and he was so far unimpressed with Andrew. Sure, what he said hurt, but Will could shake that stuff off fairly easily. Besides, it was obvious Andrew just wanted a reaction out of him. "Uh, would you like to tell Silena that the Aphrodite Cabin is useless? Because I think she'd be able to prove you wrong easily."
Andrew's face scrunched up into a scowl. "This isn't about the Aphrodite Cabin, you worthless wretch. What we want to know is why you're a demigod. You can't do anything. At all. You can't fight with any weapon, sing, play any instrument, and you don't have any demigod powers. You're completely, utterly worthless. Why are you a demigod, freak?"
Okay, that stung. The words ripped through Will's heart, tearing into his feeling of self-worth and leaving it scarred. "My father is Apollo," Will managed to keep his eyes from watering. "That makes me a demigod. Your father is Ares; that makes you a demigod. There's nothing else to it. You don't need powers or special talents to be a demigod. One of your parents just has to be a god."
"To be a demigod worth saving you do," Andrew shot at him.
He's not worth saving. The anemoi's words came back to him. Then he thought of what Luke had said: Everyone is worth saving.
From that moment on, that became Will's mantra. He never let himself forget those words. He repeated them out loud to Andrew, "Everyone is worth saving,"
Andrew snorted. "That's not true. Why save someone who only ever puts other people in danger? That's what bad fighters do. They go on the battlefield and try to fight, but end up putting other people in danger because they have to be saved. You'll end up getting someone killed, ba-"
"Hey!"
Will turned to see Michael, standing just a few feet away, an outraged expression on his face. "Who in Hades do you think you are?" he demanded.
Andrew blinked. "I'm just saying what everyone is thinking-"
"No, you're not!" Michael nearly exploded. "I'm not thinking that, and I can name twenty people off the top of my head that don't think that. Don't say you speak for the people when you don't know what the people think. Now get out of here and leave my brother alone."
Andrew opened his mouth to argue, but instead closed it, clenched his fist, and punched Will in the nose.
Pain exploded across Will's face. Through it he managed to think, Wow, the nose really is the most painful bone to break. All those nerves. He opened his eyes to see Michael had pinned Andrew to the ground and had landed a punch of his own. Luckily for Andrew, his nose wasn't broken. But he did have a black eye.
Michael leered down at Andrew. "Shut up. You're the one who will get someone else killed, trying to make them feel worthless and unwanted."
"He is unwanted! I don't want some dumb, incapable demigod with a stupid southern accent to be anywhere near me!" It was a low blow, but it hurt nonetheless.
"Then don't go near him!" Michael roared. He got off of Andrew, kicked sand at him, and then turned to Will. "C'mon, bro. Let's get you to the infirmary."
Will followed behind Michael, clutching his bleeding nose. Michael pushed open the door to the infirmary and shouted, "Hey, Lee!"
Lee appeared quickly from among the supply closets along the back wall. "What do you want, Michael? I'm working!" Then he saw Will from behind Michael, blood dripping down his face, and rushed over to them. "Oh my gods, Will, what happened?!" Without waiting for a response, Lee lifted him up and carried him to a bed. He set Will down gently and then examined his nose. "How much does it hurt?" Lee asked.
Will raised an eyebrow at him. "A lot. Your nose is the most painful bone in your body to break because of all the nerves."
Lee looked impressed. "So you know you broke it?"
"Well, yeah," Will said. "The break is right here." He grabbed Lee's hand and lifted it to where the bone had snapped.
"He's right," Lee said to Michael. "It's definitely broken, and that's where the break is. How'd you know where it was?" Lee asked Will.
Why was Lee asking him all these dumb questions? "Because when I ran my fingers over my nose, that's where the bump was, and when I touched it, the pain intensified. I knew that it wasn't just a bump because I heard it crack when Andrew punched me."
"Andrew punched you? Why?" Lee demanded.
At the same time, Michael laughed. "You sound like a doctor. You can tell Andrew that your father is the god of medicine and you're going to be a medic."
"Woah, woah," Lee said. "Despite Will's obvious knowledge for it, he can't be a medic yet. He's too young. There are rules, you know."
A scream sounded from outside. Shoving a piece of ambrosia into Will's hands, Lee yelled, "Eat it!" before rushing off to find out what had happened.
Will popped the ambrosia into his mouth. Immediately, the taste of blackberry cobbler flooded his tongue. While he relished the taste of his favorite dessert, Will felt the bone mend itself. It was a very odd sensation- his nose felt warm, but it also kind of itched. He rubbed his nose once the warm feeling died away. He felt no pain, but it still felt a little sore. He looked at the entrance of the infirmary, and just as he did, Luke and Silena came inside, supporting an unconscious Malcolm Pace between them. Lee was close behind them, yelling at some of the volunteers in the infirmary to get a bed for the son of Athena. Annabeth Chase, Clarisse LaRue, Jake Mason, and some of the other Athena campers ran in after Lee.
Will watched as Malcolm was placed on a gurney. "Get me nectar," Lee instructed. Someone ran to fetch it for him. When they returned, Lee took the nectar from them and poured some into Malcolm's mouth. It didn't do much for him. He was a sickly pale color, and there were several deep gashes along his chest, arms, and legs. Scratches lined his face. But the thing that called the most attention to itself was the long spike protruding from his left shoulder. The skin around it was grey, and green liquid could be seen seeping into his veins. All the nectar did was heal the scratches and stop some of the blood from flowing from the wounds on the rest of his body. He was still bleeding, just not as heavily.
"What happened to Malcolm?" Annabeth asked, her bottom lip quivering slightly. Her grey eyes were wide with shock and worry. Will would be worried, too, if it had been his brother. Heck, he was worried right now, and he didn't even like Malcolm all that much.
Luke answered her. "A manticore and a hellhound were trying to get into camp. Malcolm went outside the border and tried to fight them off. If Silena and I hadn't shown up, he would have been killed."
Lee looked furious. "Where's Lila? She's the head counselor. She should be watching her siblings."
Annabeth piped up. "Chiron wanted to talk with her. Lila said she might not be back until dinner. They left camp so they could investigate something."
Lee grunted, refocusing on Malcolm. "Silena, I need bandages."
She nodded, her dark hair bouncing. "On it."
Lee looked at the spike. "I can't believe he thought he could fight a manticore. There's no cure for manticore poison, and if I give him anymore nectar, he could burn up!" Lee's voice took on a tone of frustration. "The only way to save him is to draw the poison out of his system, and I don't have a way to do that."
Michael, who had been standing by Will observing the scene, spoke up. "Lee. I think you might have a way to do that. Or rather, I think Will might."
Lee's head snapped up. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"
Michael nodded. "There's no harm in trying."
Lee nodded slowly. "Fair point. Will, come here."
Will got off the bed and hurried over to Lee. Malcolm was steadily losing blood, and with manticore poison in his veins, he wouldn't last long. His face was already looking ashen, and his breaths were getting more laborious by the minute.
Lee grabbed Will's hands. "Will, I don't have much time to explain, but some children of Apollo can heal just about any injury. It's rare, and developing the gift takes a lot of work, but if there's a chance you have it, you might be able to save Malcolm's life. I don't have the gift, and no one else in the cabin does, but I've heard stories about it. Chiron knows of past children of Apollo who have been able to do it. Just...I don't know. Try to heal him. Imagine it happening."
Strangely enough, Will didn't feel panicked at all. His brother had just told him that he might be the only thing standing between a kid and death, but all Will felt was a strange calmness. Malcolm was dying, Will could tell. But he had more time than it looked like. He had maybe thirty minutes left if he wasn't treated, forty-five at most. But Will knew that Malcolm wasn't going to die. Not today. He had Will to treat him.
Confidently, Will looked at Luke. "Carefully, get a firm hold on the spike and pull it out of his shoulder. I can't do anything if it's still leaking poison into his veins."
Luke looked momentarily surprised, but he did as Will had instructed. Malcolm jerked a little on the gurney from the force, but he didn't cry out or scream. That wasn't necessarily a good sign. Will placed his hands over the puncture hole where the manticore spike had been. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Will felt some of his own health and strength leave him and enter Malcolm, flooding through the son of Athena's system, diluting the poison until it wasn't even there anymore. Washing it away, he supposed. Will heard gasps of surprise around him, but he didn't let it distract him. Malcolm was his patient, and patients came first.
Finally, Will opened his eyes and nearly gasped, too. Light was coming from his hands, flowing to Malcolm's wounds and healing them. Will removed his hands from Malcolm and took a staggering step backwards. He nearly fell down, but Luke and Lee both rushed forward to catch him. They helped Will sit down in a chair, and as they did that, Malcolm opened his eyes.
Groaning, the son of Athena sat up. "What happened? Did I kill the manticore and the hellhound?"
Lee entered what his siblings liked to call 'big brother mode.' His eye twitched as he looked at Malcolm. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?" he demanded. "You nearly died! What were you thinking, charging in there alone and trying to kill two powerful monsters? If Will hadn't healed you, you'd be dead right now!"
"Wait," Malcolm said. "Will healed me? But he's not even a medic!"
"He is now," Lee said. "That is, if he wants to be." Lee looked at Will. "What do you say, Will? Want to help me out in the infirmary from now on?"
Will smiled at his brother, exhausted and excited at the same time. "Could I really? I thought you said I was too young,"
Lee looked thoughtful. "I did, but I think we can bend the rules in this instance. This is your power, Will. I've gotta teach you all I know about healing and we need to work together to figure out how to develop this. You're obviously exhausted- we don't want you to try and heal someone, only to find out that you've gone over your limit. So, honestly, I think working in the infirmary is in your best interest. I'll talk to Chiron about it when he comes back." Lee smiled and ruffled Will's hair. "You're going places, kid."
A/N: Aaaaand that's chapter three! I hope you guys enjoyed. I'd like to thank everyone who favorited/followed/reviewed- it means the world to me. Thank you for reading!