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“Oh my gods, Nico, get in here.”
Will ushered Nico quickly into the infirmary when he saw the wound. Nico had been out on patrol and apparently had a run-in with a monster. He’s definitely had worse, but it didn’t mean the slice from his bicep to shoulder blade had to remain untreated.
“Sit,” Will instructed as he went to get some needed supplies. Most of his siblings had left to grab dinner, leaving the infirmary empty save the two of them.
Will came back to see Nico attempting to look over his shoulder at the injury, clearing wincing in pain as he did so. “Stop that,” he lightly smacked Nico’s other arm with his bandage roll. “You’re going to make it bleed more.”
“As if it ever stopped,” Nico rolled his eyes. His shoulder hurt, no doubt, but nothing ever stopped him from talking back to his doctor.
Will hovered over Nico’s left side, prodding his upper arm and looking through the hole the monster made in Nico’s shirt.
“Okay,” Will turned toward his supplies. “You need to take off your shirt. The injury doesn’t look too deep, but I can’t properly clean it if I can’t see it.”
When Will looked back, Nico hadn’t moved. If anything, he looked tense and far from removing his shirt. “Nico, did you hear me?”
“Do I have to?” Nico suddenly blurted. He seemed nervous, maybe even scared. Will was confused, but it wasn’t uncommon for patients to push back on the matter.
“Um, yes, you do. Like I said, it’s blocking the wound. It’s also pretty dirty and I don’t want the gash to get infected.” Logic was usually most helpful in Will’s experience.
However, Nico still hesitated, his hands gripping the bed.
Will softened his words. “If you’re uncomfortable, well, I promise I won’t touch you without permission or warning.”
Nico shook his head. “No, it’s… it’s not that…” He trailed off, nervously picking at the hem of his shirt. Nico knew what Will would see when he took his shirt off. He knew what his body looked like, and he hated it. All the pain and suffering he’s endured, tattooed across his torso. It’s not that Will didn’t know – Nico had been opening up more to him. But to be this open was another thing. He’d downplayed some of his past. His body would tell a different story.
“I could,” Will’s voice brought Nico out of his thoughts. “Well, I could cut through the shirt and just expose the shoulder part? If that’s easier for you.” Nico watched Will frown in thought as he stared at the injury. The concern in Will’s eyes had Nico looking away, self-consciously tugging his shirt down and tucking his hands in his lap. He knew he should just do as Will says, but…
Then it clicked for Will. It’s not the first time a patient hesitated like this. He had just needed time to narrow down the reasons as to why.
Will sat down next to Nico on the bed, pushing his worries about the wound back for a moment. It wasn’t fatal, and this seemed like a big part of Nico’s growth that deserved a little time.
“I’ve been working in the infirmary ever since I discovered I could heal.” Will let out a breath. Nico kept his eyes trained on his shoes.
“When I was really young, helping Michael fix up a demigod… it was the first time I had seen a bad scar.” Will felt Nico tense next to him and knew he got it right.
“It was scary. I cried, and Michael had to kick me out. But, I think I cried, not because it was ugly, but because I felt the pain that scar must’ve caused. For someone to scar that bad, so young… it scared me, yeah, but it also hurt me so much to think that anyone had to feel that much pain.” Will swallowed. “After that, I knew that I wanted, needed to be a healer. I didn’t want anyone to have those kinds of reminders of suffering on their body. Not if I could prevent it.”
Will smiled then, a sad, rueful one. “Of course, I learned that I couldn’t fix all scars. So many demigods come in already brandishing some. Michael told me not to ask about them. Sometimes, asking hurt more for people.” He sighed at his inability to do more. “So, I learned to take in the scars that were already there and focus on not allowing any more damage.”
He turned to Nico, and blue eyes met brown. “If… if that’s what you’re worried about, all I’m saying is… I know you’ve been through a lot, Nico. I wish I could fix everything, but I can’t. Let me fix up properly what I can. You don’t have to keep suffering like you used to. You’ve got me now.”
Nico stared at Will. He hadn’t expected that and was amazed that Will knew exactly what was bothering him. Will’s eyes were unwavering, filled with determination and hope, but also a warmth that Nico couldn’t quite describe. Will wanted to help him, in whatever capacity Nico allowed him to.
Somehow, Nico found new ways to trust Will every day.
Nico slowly lifted his hand and grabbed at his shirt, pulling it up as much as he could with his right hand. Will took this as a signal, brightening as he helped get the shirt all the way off so that Nico didn’t aggravate the wound more.
Will let out a small gasp once he took in Nico’s body. It was littered with scars, both big and small. Some were clearly faded, but others seemed relatively new. Will knew about some of the horrors that Nico had endured during the Second Giant War, but the marks they left behind were awful. Not to mention the Second Titan War, during which Will hadn’t even seen Nico in the infirmary, though he did see him in the midst of the battle. Will didn’t want to think about everything else Nico may have endured in his lifetime to warrant these scars.
While Nico expected the scrutiny, it didn’t keep out the flush that crept its way up his neck. He watched as Will gazed at his body, no doubt horrified at what he saw. Nico was nearly ready to leave when he noticed Will expression shift. Will nodded to himself before turning and grabbing his cleaning supplies once more. From then on, Will was focused only on the injury at hand, moving with experience to patch up the gash. Nico was both amazed and relieved that Will didn’t say a word about the scars, no matter how nasty some of them looked.
By the time Will was done, Nico had relaxed enough to feel the exhaustion in his body.
“Alright, it’s all done.” Will gathered up his supplies and set them on his medical cart. But instead of going to put them away, he sat down across from Nico and grabbed his hand.
“I just want to say,” Will began. “Thank you for being open with me. I know that probably wasn’t easy to do.” Nico was ready to object, but Will continued. “It’s okay. I get it. And if you ever want to talk about it, I’ll always be here for you.” He chuckled to himself as he let Nico’s hand go. Nico already missed its warmth. “Something else I learned as I kept working here is that, scars are kind of cool.” He gave Nico a crooked grin, who in turn cocked an eyebrow at the boy. “They are! Plus, to me, they’re a reminder. That we’re human. Sometimes, I think our powers and abilities make us forget that we’re not all-god. It’s our humanity that distinguishes us from the gods.”
That got deep much quicker than Nico’s mind could comprehend and properly respond to, but Will saved him the trouble. “Anyway, you’re probably tired. Sleep for now, we’ll get some food in you when you wake up.” Will helped ease Nico into the bed and pulled the blankets up around him.
“Get some rest, you badass warrior.” Nico snorted as Will winked at him. He had a lot to think about, but as Will walked away, he felt sleep tug at his eyes, and allowed himself to drift off into a peaceful sleep.