The Plea of Apollo || COMPLETED

NURSE NICO

Nico di Angelo had not exactly planned on helping his boyfriend in the infirmary after the hectic game of capture the flag. Since there had been no rules the Ares cabin hadn't held back, which meant more injured campers than usual.

"Please," Will whined when his siblings began gathering the wounded.

"No."

He pushed his lower lip out, putting his hand together and giving Nico puppy eyes. "Pretty please with McDonald's French fries on top?"

That peaked his interest. "You'll buy me McDonalds?"

"I guess so if that's what it takes to get you to help me. Anyway, we should hurry." Will took Nico's hand and began leading him towards the infirmary. "When we get there I want you to go into the storage room, grab bandages, and start cutting them into strips we can use to bind injuries with. Just go around asking anyone who isn't too hurt if you can help them; grab some antiseptic for them too, by the way. That way while you're taking care of them my siblings and I can take care of the more seriously injured."

Nico nodded. "Okay, Doctor Solace. You go do what you do best and I'll get to binding paper cuts."

Will grinned at him before running off. "Thank you, Nurse Nico."

The son of Hades huffed indignantly as his boyfriend ran over to a camper that was groaning loudly in the corner of the room. He did what Will had told him to do, although he felt out of place. Will and his siblings were bright, kind, and confident as they went from camper to camper asking what was wrong. When he was done cutting bandages, he began awkwardly doing the same.

"Um," he approached a sniffling seven year-old demigod. She was clutching a cut on her arm that was bleeding sluggishly, but was neither deep nor critical. Still, her eyes were red from crying as she looked up at the boy before her. "Do you want me to help you with that?"

The child screamed, backing away from him on the small cot. Nico blinked. A year ago he would have expected this reaction, but not anymore. His eyes fell to the floor, a pain in his chest causing his shoulders to drop sadly. He should have known he didn't belong in a place where a child that reeked death would cause people to be uncomfortable.

Just as he was about walk away, however, the girl suddenly grabbed his limp hand. His dark brown eyes rose to the girl curiously. She just screamed at him and now she was touching him?

"I'm sorry, mister." Her tiny voice told him she was sincere. "You looked all scary in black, and even though you just wanted to help, I... I made you sad. I'm so sorry!" Tears welled up in her eyes.

Nico kneeled down so that they were at eye level. He used one of the bandages to wipe her tears away before cleaning the cut with a sterile antiseptic-covered cloth he'd brought. "It's okay," he assured softly as he bound the girl's arm. "I know I scare people, although I didn't know it was because of my fashion sense. I'm the only son of Hades, you see, and usually people are scared because I can raise skeletons, talk to ghosts, and travel in shadows. Or people are just scared of my dad."

"Oh." She seemed shocked, but she didn't scream again. Nico figured she must have been a newer camper if she hadn't heard about him. "I... I don't think you're scary anymore, mister. I was mean to judge you before talking you; you're really nice."

He shook his head. Deep down he was touched, but he would never admit it. "Thank you. My name is Nico by the way, not Mister."

She looked at her now patched up arm before turning to him with a smile. "I'm Abby, a daughter of Apollo."

"Apollo?" Nico couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his face. "That means you know Will Solace, right?" She nodded. "He's my boyfriend."

Her eyes widened. "Oh! He said he was dating someone, because I told him he was really pretty and that he must have had an even prettier girlfriend. I was confused when he said he was dating someone was cuter than him, but..." A grin appeared on her face. "He's right! When you get past all that black you are really cute! I'm happy for you two!"

Nico gaped. What the actual Hades?

Before he could say anything, however, he was pulled into the shadows beneath the cot leaving Abby sitting there confused. A moment later, Nico was standing in front of his father with one hand full of bandages and the other with a bottle of antiseptic.

"Dad?" Nico said questioningly.

Hades stared at his son perplexedly. "What are you doing holding that stuff? Also, why do you smell like you've just been in a fight?"

He rolled his eyes. "We just finished a game of capture the flag."

"Did you win again?"

"Not this time. Wait— you found out about that?"

A glimpse of pride shown in the god's eyes for a moment. "Nico, a child of Hades has never won a game of capture the flag at that camp. Of course I knew; the moment the flag dawned my insignia I felt a tug to turn my attention to Camp Half-blood. Although you may not have won tonight, I'm sure I'll see my insignia again."

Nico was surprised, but also happy his dad had found out about it. "I'll try my best."

"Anyway," he looked over his son again. "I have a job for you. There is a ghost near Long Island that escaped the underworld during the chaos Gaea caused and he is terrorizing mortals on one of the beaches. Mortals think it's haunted because of him."

"I'll take care of him first thing tomorrow. I was actually in the middle of patching people up in the infirmary, since a lot of people got hurt, so I need to get back."

"Is this because your friend is a healer?" Hades actually smirked.

Nico looked away. "He persuaded me with food, actually."

"Sure he did. Go back to nursing foolish demigods back to health, son." He said with a flick of his hand. "Tell your friend that while I do not appreciate my son being reduced to a common nurse that I am grateful that he is helping you expand your horizons."

His face was red as he opened him mouth to speak. "I'm not a nurse!" Hades snapped his fingers though, making him disappear before he could say anything else.

"Persephone!" The god called as he stepped down from his throne and grabbed a scythe. He suddenly felt the need to get out, to use his powers for something entertaining. "I will be back soon. I am going to give my dear relative Apollo a haircut."