Money Isn't Everything

Nurse Taby and Smiley Simon

Hi everyone, look who it is. Me! I'm not dead. I don't know why I bother apologising anymore I never update when I should but I'm sorry anyway. I don't have an excuse. None at all.

Anyway, I've been writing this story for more than two years which, wow. I like to think my writing has improved majorly in this time because it was so so bad at the beginning. Anyone who made it this far thank you so much for not giving up after the awful writing of the first few chapters. Seriously. I don't know why I wrote this is in first person present tense. This is the only story I still write in first person or present tense.

Anyway, this is the last proper chapter of this story! Yes indeed, two years of this torture and it's nearly over. The next chapter shall be the Epilogue and probably really long and fluffy. I feel like this story has been lacking fluff and just plot in general.

This chapter is not beta read, this chapter is terrible and might be terribly out of character and for that I am sorry. My excuse is my PJO and HOO books are all in storage in a different country and I haven't reread them in at least six months.

Hazel POV

I wake up to find that Smiley Simon had fallen asleep during our story time, probably soon after I had. He's snoring softly, and First Light has fallen to the ground next to him. It's my last night in the hospital if everything goes alright. I was meant to leave a week ago but for some reason that didn't work out, they didn't tell me why. It'll be nice to wear proper clothes again, and sleep on a proper bed, but I'm definitely going to miss Smiley Simon.

For the first time nice I came to the hospital it's quiet, the few machines I'm still linked up to are beeping quietly and Simon's snoring, but there's no screaming or running or crying. I lean over to glimpse Simon's watch. It's 02:30 AM. It's probably the earliest I've been awake in a while. I should probably wake Simon. He does have an actual job to do that doesn't involve just looking after me.

"Sleepy Simon," I whisper, poking him, but he doesn't stir. I try again, but he just shuffles away from me and ends up kicking the book across the room.

I slump back against my pillows, giggling. Smiley Simon is always hard to wake up, and he was really tried yesterday. He snorts once more and knocks his glasses off his face before settling back into a deep sleep.

Someone knocks softly on the door and I look up it. It's Taby, one of the nicest nurses. She picks up the book and Simons glasses with a smile, laughing softly, and sets them on the bedside table.

"What are we gonna do with him, huh Hazel?" she says, shaking her head and chuckling.

I giggle harder, "He sleeps like a very clumsy log."

She laughs harder, "A clumsy log? That's one way to put it, sweetie."

I grin at her, giggles finally subsiding, "Or a clumsy hibernating bear."

Taby shakes her head fondly, "That might be more accurate. Think we should wake him? His shift is over."

"I don't know, can we?" I ask stifling a new round of giggles in my hand, "He's hard to wake up."

Taby chuckles, "I think I'll just let him sleep then. He doesn't have anywhere to be now anyway. He can guard you on your last night here. Speaking of which, how are you feeling Miss Hazel?"

I smile at her, there's been lots of smiling today, "I'm good, I think all the sleep is making me very awake."

"Yeah, your sleep schedule is probably a bit messed up right now," she shakes her head, "but, that also means you're feeling much better. Dr Atlas is going to give you a check up in the morning, then your new foster parents can sign your discharge papers if he gives the all clear."

I nod, all the nurses have been over this with me again and again. I think they want to make sure I understand that I might not be able to leave yet. Maybe they're just nervous. They've all been super nice, and they seem to like me. The pity from the beginning quickly faded, especially with Smiley Simon around.

Taby sighs and adjusts my blanket, "I'm going to miss you, little miss sunshine."

"Can I come visit?" I ask hopefully, "Or can you come visit me? And can Smiley Simon come?"

Taby laughs softly, "You can come visit whenever you want, we'll be glad to see you. Just not in this bed again. As for Simon, I think he has a special surprise for you."

I sit up straighter in my bed, "Really? What kind of surprise? What is it? Can you tell me? Please?"

She raises her eyebrows in amusement, "If I told you it would ruin the surprise, and then Dr Reader would be sad. He'll tell you in the morning. Hopefully you'll like it very much sweetie."

I pout, but it just makes her laugh, "You should try to get some more sleep, Hazel. Tomorrow will be a busy day, okay?"

"Okay," I sigh, still pouting. Percy and Thalia always told us things, we didn't do surprises.

She ruffles my hair and kisses my forehead, "Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite. See you in the morning, sweetie."

"Night Nurse Taby," I whisper as I slowly slip back into sleep, despite not being that tired.

Simon wakes me in the morning with a smile on his face, "Morning Happy Hazel."

I yawn, "Good morning Smiley Simon."

"Hazel," he says, and his voice is the most serious I've ever heard it, "I've been meaning to talk to you about something for a while now."

"Is this the surprise?" I ask, suddenly much more awake in my excitement, "Nurse Taby said you might have a surprise for me in the morning."

"Yeah, Hazel it is, but I don't know whether or not you'll like it," Simon sighs and runs his hand through his hair, "Me and Taby have been talking and we've contacted the social workers and everything, but the final say is absolutely up to you."

My heart is pounding, because I think I know exactly what he's going to say and it's the kind of thing I've longed for but never let myself really wish for. It would hurt too much to not have it after wishing. I love Smiley Simon and Nurse Taby because they're so nice. So genuinely nice.

"Me and Taby would like to adopt you," he says finally after a few minutes of hesitant silence, "But we'll still love you if you'd rather go with Thalia and the rest of your family."

"Will Nico be able to come too," I ask, because I love Smiley Simon, but Nico is my big brother and the first few days without him were some of the worst of my life.

Smiley Simon starts, "Of course, we'd never leave Nico and we'll make sure you can see the rest of them as often as you want Happy Hazel. We want you to always be Happy Hazel. We want you to be warm and safe and happy."

I grin, feeling childish hope settle in my chest, "Smiley Simon, I'd really really like you and Nurse Taby to be my mom and dad."

He grins wider than I've seen him yet, and he looks pretty ridiculous. So ridiculous I can't help the laughter that spills out. He just looks really funny. An especially smiley Smiley Simon.

"Agh, Hazel," he says, shaking his head, "Don't laugh at me. I can't help being happy, you're the sweetest little devil I've ever met and you just called me dad."