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Will Solace, child of Apollo, arguably one of the best and most skilled healers at Camp Half-Blood, new friend of a child of Hades, knew exactly what was going on.
Octavian, the very person who declared war on his camp, was in the middle of a psychotic breakdown.
Will Solace did not deal with psychotic breakdowns often, but he knew what to do. Don’t yell, don’t try and grab the patient, and try to soothe them and calm them down with words.
Unfortunately, his companion wasn’t a healer.
Every time Nico yelled, Octavian flinched. Will didn’t miss it. Every time Nico tried to pull Octavian away from the onager, the augur hissed at him and pulled away. Will didn’t miss the pain in his eyes.
As much as he appreciated Nico’s attempt at “help”, he was just making things worse. The only way to get the augur away from that onager and to the infirmary was to simply talk to him. If Will just had a small opening between Nico and Octavian yelling at each other, then maybe he could-
The smell of burning skin hit him like a brick. Will almost gagged. Octavian had filled the onager’s load with some sort of fire, which was melting the gold that the augur was wearing almost everywhere. What was worse was that neither Nico nor Octavian seemed to notice. Will flinched at the gold melting on Octavian’s wrists and arms. That would be too advanced for even Will to heal.
Octavian was rambling about how he would be remembered as the savior of Rome. Why not the savior of Rome? Why only remembered?
“Octavian, listen to me-“ Will desperately tried to talk him down. Octavian spat something to his face before he could get to finish. Nico yelled something back and the two started arguing among themselves again. Will tried to gently grab the augur’s hand. Surprisingly, Octavian didn’t pull away immediately and actually held Will’s hand for a second, squeezing it tightly- a seek for comfort. Then he seemed to remember that he was holding hands with a Greek and pulled away.
Will didn’t miss the tear tracks on his face. It gave him some hope that he could actually do something. He stopped Nico before he could start yelling again and analyzed the augur’s eyes. Along with the insanity of someone pushed to the brink in his eyes, Will saw fear. Those eyes, a small part of them, held a teenager who had simply wanted to protect his home. Octavian knows he had gone too far, feels it, understands it.
But he can’t stop. He can’t and he won’t. If he backed down now, accepted Solace’s pleading, what would he be seen as? By his people? By the Greeks? By those who had expected this and wanted this?
However, Will Solace was a healer, and a healer was not one to back down. He could be just as stubborn as his patient if he wished. Nico put a hand on his shoulder and told him his death couldn’t be prevented.
No. Will would prevent this. He would get Octavian to that infirmary if it was the last thing he did (and, considering they were in the middle of a war, it just might be). He walked closer to the onager, ignoring Nico’s yell, and looked the augur in the eyes. They hadn’t changed; they were still insane and hurt and pleading. Will gently took the augur’s hands in his again, hoping to give some comfort. Octavian squeezed back.
“Octavian?” He asked gently. The teen jumped slightly and he looked at the medic, eyes focusing on him for the first time. “Yes. Yes, that’s good. Focus on me and my voice, alright?” He praised, as if he were talking to a young camper. “Now, Octavian, I need you to listen very carefully. Right now, you aren’t well. I can see that. Right now, you’re sick and your robes are caught on the onager’s load. I need you to stay still so I can remove them, alright?” It seemed like an impossible thing to ask, especially since Octavian was shaking as if he had a fever, but the augur nodded jerkily. Will found where the fabric was caught- snagged on one of the many wood beams of the onager- and carefully cut it away once it wouldn’t budge by pulling. One of the many benefits of being a healer; always having a pocket knife handy. The second he informed Octavian that it was done, the augur fell forward, trying to scramble away from the onager as if it were the plague. Will immediately went to catch him. He succeeded and pulled him towards his chest. Octavian didn’t resist. “Octavian?” He tried to catch his attention again. The augur’s eyes flicked toward Will in terror. “Would you come with me, please?” The augur pulled away for a second to look up at the child of Apollo.
“Where?” His voice was grated and broken, hoarse from fear and overuse. Will winced and pulled him back, careful of his wrists and arms and chest and- gods, he was so fragile . He rubbed his back gently, just between the shoulder blades
“Just to clean you up. Can you stand?” With a nod, he shakily stood up and had to lean on Will for support.
Will had succeeded.