Don't Fade Away: A Solangelo Fanfiction 2

Chapter 44: Jason's Funeral

Nico was actually asleep. Finally! He had been running on 3 hours of sleep each night, but finally he passed out. While he was sleeping, Will visited Rachel.

Will just sat with his back to the rock wall for a while.

"How is he?" Rachel asked finally.

"Not very good. He barely sleeps or eats. He doesn't like to talk that much, either. Not unless I talk to him first. He barely even gets out of his bed, and he spends most of the time crying or staring at the letter Jason sent him for his birthday or staring off into the distance. I've asked him if he actually wants me there, and he says that just me sitting there makes him feel better. I'm just trying to do my best."

She pulled her wild red curls into a ponytail. "Well, from what I've heard, those two had gotten close."

"Yeah."

"So, how are you doing?"

Will blinked. "What?"

"I said, how are you doing? Not just about everything with Jason, but about things in general. Helping Nico. Your dad. Things like that."

He just stared at her.

"William, when was the last time someone asked you how you were doing?"

Will shrugged. "Nico does."

"Someone besides him."

"My mom. Well, no one really asks besides them, I guess."

She sighed. "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be. This is about Nico."

"Listen. I'm not just talking about Jason dying. I'm talking about in general. And anyways, that isn't just about Nico. Not everything is about Nico. Just because you weren't as close to Jason, doesn't mean he still didn't touch your life. I'm sure that if Nico heard you say that, he wouldn't be very happy. He knows things are not just about him. You need to take care of yourself, as well. I understand that your job as a healer and taking care of others is one of the most important things to you, but you have to stop and take care of yourself sometimes, too. You're just as important as anyone else. You're so busy helping others that you don't help yourself."

Will fiddled with a pebble on the ground. "I know. It's not Nico's fault, though. He tries to tell me to talk about things and to take care of myself more, and I am doing better because of him, but he's always going through so much in his own life that he can't always monitor mine. Anyone would be like that. He even realizes it, and he gets upset at himself for it."

"Well, I'm a neutral party. You can tell me anything, and I promise not to tell anyone. I'm here to talk if you need it."

That's when Will broke down.

"I'm so so scared about my dad. I don't even know why! He abandoned me and the rest of my siblings! Even when there were only a few of us left, he never showed his face. He was never there. You know, I've never even met the godly version of my dad. When he strolled into Camp during winter, that was the first time I ever met him. Nico even met him before I did, years ago. That's really cool, but also sad. Imagine you tell some mortal that, with no context: 'Yeah, my boyfriend met my dad 4 years before I did.' It's just really stupid. Then he comes into Camp expecting help, like all the other gods. And you know what? I love him. For some stupid reason I love my dad, and I'm usually very willing to forgive someone for things, but I'm not willing to forgive the fact that he never even showed his face when most of his kids were dead. Yet I'm so worried about him, and I don't know what I'll do if he dies. What would even happen, anyway? What would the world be like without him? Would it be the same? Would....would me and my siblings still be here?"