Chapter Two: Nico's POV

Nico was not in the mood for the literal ball of sunshine that was beside him at the moment. Standing at the head of the bed that was in the infirmary. Which Nico couldn't remember why he agreed to this. Not at all. It was probably just the blinding hair, that's all.

"I still don't know why I need to be here," Nico said as Will wrote something down on a chart. His eyes flicked to Nico's, if only for a second, then were back to his chart.

"Because yesterday you tried to pick up a glass of water and your hand went right through it. You're not completely healed."

"OK. Fine. But why can't I recover in my own cabin?" Will stopped for a moment, then grinned and gave his full attention to his patient.

"Because here is the only place I can keep an eye on you. Fully." Nico rolled his eyes, but his heart was fluttering around in his chest.

"You let me go to the party last night."

"And that was because I was there for you. Next to you. Making sure nothing went wrong. Now stop arguing and at least try to sleep?" And Will walked away, closing the curtain behind him and leaving Nico cold without the absence of his metaphorical sunshine.

Damn Will's pills. The ones that made him try to stay awake, and Will's giggles as he saw Nico try to fight their effects. It was a battle Nico was bound to loose, and soon he was drifting off into the shadows of his mind. Nico usually liked shadows, and dreams were something that he could control. Not with those pills. They made his body, even his dream body, sluggish and out of control. Nico saw Tartarus, and Gaea. He saw Cupid, taunting him. He saw his sister die and he saw the disappointed faces of the 5 people around him, when he and his sister had to tell them they felt Leo die. The last one was the worst. It was like he was personally letting down the very first friends that he had let himself have. He saw himself alone in is cabin, crying at the fact that someone that hadn't deserved to die. He had died. Someone brave. In a weird kind of way Leo had reminded Nico of his sister. Brave. Short. Spunky. Funny.

And then someone was shaking Nico awake. 'Will?' Nico groggily thought, but when he opened his eyes it was Piper. There was not a sound in the infirmary. It must be the middle of this night. When Piper spoke, her voice was hoarse and tired, but she didn't look it. Even now she looked beautiful.

"Nico?" She whispered. "Are.. are you awake?" Nico sat up, painfully, and glad for the dark. He could feel his wet cheeks. He nodded.

"Um. I hate to ask this, because I know you already explained it but. Did you feel Leo die? I mean. Are you positive?" Nico looked up at her. She was pleading with him, and this was not a feeling Nico was used to.

"Yes. I am sure. He died. But, as I told you before, I felt somthing-" She cut him off by putting her hand over his mouth. Nico recoiled. He didnt't like to be touched.

"Sorry. But. I can't hear any more. I can't handle any more maybes. My whole life, this whole quest, and everything is maybe. I can't hope anymore. I can't think options anymore. If Leo is dead. I have to accept that. I can't let myself go through another maybe." She muttered on and on to herself. Nico was about to say something, what he didn't yet know, but then a blonde head was there.

"Piper, would you mind explaining to me why in HADES you are in my patient's room in the middle of the night?" Will said in an angry whisper. Piper quickly sat up, muttered an apology and hurried out. Will looked at Nico for a moment, and then softened.

"Get some sleep. Please?" And for once, with the thought of that beautiful hair in his mind, it wasn't hard to fight off the nightmares.