Request for @Echomist13. Sorry this is later than normal, but I hope you like it!
Nico's POV
It was a quiet night, with the snow softly coating the camp in a blanket of white. I flipped through my book as I laid on my bunk, the pages turning the only sound in the otherwise silent camp. I couldn't help but enjoy the quiet. It was rare I was alone, and it was rare there were nights as quiet as tonight. But some things can come unexpectedly, like the knock on my door in the middle of the night when I thought everyone else was asleep. I swung my legs down to the floor, wishing I had a pair of socks or some slippers to protect my feet from the cold floor. I pitied whoever was outside, knocking on my door. It was freezing out there, even colder than my small, unheated cabin. I threw open the door and Will was standing there, his face the color of the snow. He was shivering and even as he stood in front of me his eyelids were drooping and he was swaying, as if he was going to fall asleep right in front of me. "Will?" I gasped. "What are you doing? It has to be past midnight, shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Didn't feel good," he whispered. His voice was quiet and weak and he almost fell into my chest, his body sagging. I ran my fingers through his snow flecked hair and when my hand reached his forehead I was alarmed to find a fever burning underneath his skin. "I knew you'd be awake. I missed you."
"Let's get you inside, okay?" I said, wrapping my arm around his waist and lead him inside. I was regretful that my cabin wasn't warmer, that I had let my fire, the only source of heat die down hours ago. The cold didn't bother me as much as it did for some people but I could see Will violently shivering, despite the thick blanket draped around his shoulders. He stumbled over to my bed almost like he was drunk, collapsing onto it like he hadn't slept in days. I gently sat down next to him, brushing my hand against his cheek to confirm the fever I had felt earlier. "How long have you been sick?" I asked gently.
"Just woke up like this," Will said. "I'm freezing." I pulled my sheets up over him and placed the pillow underneath his head, making sure that he was as comfortable as he could possibly be.
"I'm going to go to the infirmary and see if I can find any medicine or a thermometer," I said.
"I'm coming with you," Will announced, standing up.
"No, you're not."
"No I'm not," Will agreed. He sat back down on the bed, staring up at me with wide blue eyes. "Have fun." I gave him a small kiss on the top of his head. It wasn't a big gesture, but it seemed to make Will happy.
"I will."
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I rummaged around in the infirmary, almost wishing I had brought Will with me, no matter how sick he was. I couldn't find a thing and in the dark everything was harder to see. After being in there for about ten minutes, getting more and more frustrated with each passing second I heard footsteps behind me and I whirled around to see Kayla standing in the doorway, squinting at me like she couldn't see a thing which, after a moment of thought seemed likely. "Nico?" she asked, coming closer, "What're you doing? It's like one in the morning."
"Will's sick," I explained quickly. "I came in here looking for medicine and a thermometer but I can't find anything."
"Will's sick?" she asked, snapping awake instantly. "Is he okay? What's wrong?"
"He doesn't seem too bad," I said. "He's not on the verge of death, if that's what you mean. I'm not really sure what's wrong with him. He's got a fever, I know that."
"Do you need my help?"
"I should be okay," I said. "It seems like something I can handle. But where are the thermometers? I've been looking for ten minutes and I haven't been able to find them."
"Right behind you, genius," Kayla said. Once she had found out she wasn't going to have to help with anything, she seemed to be going back to her state of tiredness. "If you couldn't see that, I'm not sure if I want you taking care of my brother."
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I got back to his cabin carrying a basket full of anything I had thought might be helpful. In the end I had grabbed every single bottle of medicine I could find, no matter if it was for coughing or throwing up. On top of the pile of bottles was a thermometer and a massive blanket, since I was sure that my sixty degree cabin wasn't nearly warm enough to make Will comfortable. When I pushed open the door I found Will sitting up on his bunk, and he turned to me with glassy eyes. "Are you feeling any better?" I asked, sitting down next to Will and placing the basket on the floor.
"No," Will said as I draped the massive blanket across him.
"I'm going to take your temperature, okay?" Will nodded and I slipped it into his mouth, pulling it out when the shrill beeping began. The 102.5 was worrying but Will didn't seem to need actual medical assistance so I was happy with my solution of looking at the medicine bottles in the light of his cabin and seeing which one would stick. "Does your stomach hurt?" I asked, turning a bottle over in my hands.
"No," Will said. He was leaning his head on my shoulder, watching him work.
"How about ibuprofen?" I suggested, pulling out a liquid ibuprofen bottle. "Basically all purpose medicine." I poured a cap full of the syrupy pink liquid and turned to Will only to see him wrinkle his nose, drawing away from me.
"That stuff is gross," he complained.
"This is the same stuff you gave me when I was in the infirmary," I sighed, not making a move to put down the cap.
"So? It's still gross."
"Hey, if I had to listen to you while I was in the infirmary, you have to listen to me when you're sick," I ordered. "Got it?" Will didn't make a move to agree. "I'll take your blanket away if you don't agree." This seemed to draw some emotion from Will and he scooted as far away from me as he could on the small bed which wasn't far.
"You wouldn't," he said, pulling the blanket over his chest.
"Don't try me," I responded, waving the medicine in front of his face. "Are you ready to take it?"
"Yeah," he sighed. He grabbed the cap from my hand, grimacing as it went down his throat. "That was disgusting."
"You'll thank me later," I said. I put the cap back on the bottle and dropped it into the basket. There was a dull noise as it hit the rest of the twenty or so bottles I had brought. "Is there anything else you need? Are you thirsty? Hungry?" As much as I had hated my stay in the infirmary Will had taken excellent care of me and tonight it was my turn to return the favor. I was prepared to sneak out to the kitchen and get Will whatever food he wanted but he shook his head, laying down with my pillow under his head.
"I'm just tired," he murmured. "Will you lay down with me?"
"Of course," I said. I was a little disappointed I wouldn't get to go on a heroic mission to get my boyfriend ice cream but this was the next best thing.
"Wait," he said, his head snapping up from his pillow. "Won't you get sick if you do this?"
"I'll be fine," I promised him. "I have a pretty good immune system."
"No you don't," he said.
"Fine. Maybe I don't. But you'll take care of me if I do get sick, right?"
"I'd be happy to," he said. He curled into my chest and soon I could hear soft snoring. Maybe Will was right, about how it was a bad idea to have him sleeping right next to me. But if Will was taking care of me, I guess I was okay with getting sick.
Hi guys! Again, I'm so sop sorry that was so late! It's been a little hectic considering I've been with my family nonstop because of thanksgiving and I couldn't get away and because I've been trying to wrap up nanowrimo, but I hope you liked this one!
Nina
