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Will held back a whine as he pressed his hand hard against his side, feeling the blood seep through his fingers anyway. He squeezed his eyes shut, tilting his head back until it was resting on the tree behind him.
He would keep moving soon. He needed to, he wasn’t going to very well stay here until the monster found him again. Just a few more moments, just long enough to catch his breath, that was all he needed.
Will steeled himself, keeping one hand on his wound while the other pushed himself up off the ground. Will’s legs crumped immediately and he cried out, the pain overcoming every other one of his senses.
He rocked forward, curling into himself, but the pain didn’t abate.
There was a whistling in the trees and Will forced himself to look up, certain that the monster who had done this to him had come to finish the job. Instead, there was a young Dryad, her eyes wide, the bouquet of flowers she had been gathering dropping from her hands.
“Go,” Will whispered. “You have to go.”
“Are you okay, Mister?” She asked, coming closer.
“You need to go,” Will said. “You have to go, please, you need to get somewhere safe.”
“The woods is always safe.” She said.
Will shook his head, a hot tear rolling down his face.
“Do you need help, Mister?”
“No.” Will said. “I’m fine.”
He tried to stand but Will rocked forward instead, the pain ripping through him. Will’s vision pulsed and the young Dryad came rushing over, hands hovering just above him as if she didn’t know what to do.
“Please…” He whispered. “You have to go.”
“I’m going to help you.” She declared.
Sweet sweet stupid child. Will reached out, gritting his teeth, and cupped the girls cheek.
“If you stay here,” Will said. “He will kill you. Please, just go.”
“But what about you?”
“I’ll be fine.” He lied easily.
When Will pulled his hand away from her, he hated that he left a hand print of blood on her face.
At last the little dryad disappeared into the trees, leaving Will alone. He took in a deep shaking breath, holding pressure as best he could as he prepared to stand up again. Will forced his body to move, unable to hold back a sob as his wound pulled.
The first step forward was more of a stumble and Will barely caught himself on the tree he had been resting against. Will breathed hard, pushing off of it. His legs held for a step, then another, adrenaline doing its best to override the pain, the very same adrenaline that was draining out of him with every drop of blood.
He just needed to get a little further, surely he was getting close to the camp boundary. As soon as he got to it, he’d be able to pass out but until that point he had to keep moving.
Will’s foot caught on a stick and he jolted forward, landing hard on his knees. Pain turned everything white and it was like the entire world was spinning around him. Will was forced to close his eyes, breathing through rising nausea, but even that did little to keep him from feeling like he was going to be sick.
The monster would come soon, he was certain of it. Will had to keep moving. Keep moving, get to camp, then he would be safe. He would be home. He would be surrounded by those who loved him, those he loved, and he wouldn’t be kneeling all alone in the middle of the woods covered in his own blood.
One step at a time. He just had to do this one step at a time.
Once more, Will rose. He gritted his teeth, pressing hard up against his side. One step at a time. Just a little further. Think of anything but the pain, think of anything but the monster hunting him down. Think of anything but the little dryad girl who might still be in danger.
Think about Nico.
Think about what it was like to hold his hand, what it was like to hear him laugh. What it was like for Nico to nestle in close to him, sleeping easily, because Will made him feel safe. Despite every horror Nico had suffered through in his life, Will made him feel safe and Nico made Will in turn feel loved.
Think about all the memories they had already made together, the memories they were going to make in their shared future.
Will whimpered, the pain making every step agony, but he kept going.
Think about Mom.
Think about how warm her hugs were, how her eyes would light up brighter than the sun every time he came home to her even if the visits could never last long enough. Think about her telling him about his Father, telling him that as long as the Sun rose each day, he would never really be alone.
Will needed to call her. No, more than that. Will needed to visit her and stay with her for as long as it was safe to because he completely adored his Mom and her silly songs and her bright smile and just every single detail about her.
The pain was impossibly getting worse. There were silent tears streaming down his face but he kept moving anyway because there was no way in hell he was going to let himself die here. There were too many people that meant too much to him for him to just leave them like that.
Will trudged on, fully aware of with every passing moment there was more life giving blood leaving him.
Think about Kayla and Austin. His siblings, as annoying as they were endearing. Kayla was going to tease him about this, he knew she would, right after she would make sure that he got the best treatment for his injuries as possible because she was the Daughter of Apollo and the Children of Apollo heal people.
Think about how Austin had been trying to step up a bit, learning as much as he could so that Will could step back from the Infirmary a little more often, though they all doubted that he could because as much as Kayla and Austin loved helping people, Will most of all was the healer amongst them. He wasn’t very good with music, nor was he very good at archery, but he was good with helping people through illnesses and injuries and yet here he was struggling with just a little blood loss.
Will sank to his knees and gagged.
His other wrapped around him, hugging himself, as he gagged again. Blood poured from his mouth and for a long moment, Will just stared at it. The tears started falling harder, making his vision go fuzzy, and Will let off a pitiful whine.
The memories were helping to a point but the need for Will to get back to those he loved mattered more.
But he couldn’t just get there any faster, not with his life literally draining away from him until memories were all he had.
Think of Dad. Father. Apollo. Lester. He might not have always been there for Will, but he was trying so hard now. He was proud of Will, or at least he claimed to be. Apollo was proud of Will and that meant the world to Will because he had tried so hard to get that approval, even if he had never allowed himself to think as much.
More important than Apollo’s approval, were his visits. They would talk for hours about everything and nothing, like a Father and Son might. Apollo teased him about his archery and Will teased him right back about how the Son of the God of Medicine knew more about Medicine than he did. Will remembered what that first hug had felt like, like the sun itself was embracing him.
Think of Clarisse, and all of their late night conversations. She might be rough with everyone else around her, but Will knew the real Clarisse la Rue. His memories with her were just as precious as all the others. She had shown endless strength through endless heartbreak and Will wished nothing but the best for her, even if he also wished that she kept her cabin a bit less injured so often.
Will barely even felt his own legs anymore. They kept moving beneath him on their own accord, his mind drifting even as the pain stubbornly stayed.
But then his legs weren’t moving and he was on the ground again and he was curled up on his side, distantly aware that he had thrown up more blood. Will tried to rise but his body simply didn’t have the strength. The white on the edges of his vision no longer cleared when he blinked and Will knew if he closed his eyes right now, he could very well never open them again.
Will had lost too much blood. Camp was still too far away and the monster was still pursuing him and Will suddenly realised that he was going to die out here after all.
There was a rustling in the leaves and Will’s frustration overwhelmed his fear.
“Just get it over with!” Will snarled. “Stop fucking stalking me and just kill me already.”
Will’s breath left him as he saw a few feet away amongst the trees was not the monster who had done this to him, but instead was that little Dryad girl. Will’s heart sank because not only did that mean she was in danger again but it also meant that he had made very little progress through the forrest.
“I’m sorry,” Will tried, suddenly breathless. “I’m sorry… I’m… You, you need to go. You need to…”
He swallowed, the whiteness slowly spreading in his vision.
“Will!”
The voice was almost like Nico’s and Will found that the memory of someone so important to him might not be so bad to die to.
Nico was curled up on the chair, not letting his gaze shift from Will’s sleeping form for even one moment.
Every single time Nico blinked, memories of the day before would flash in front of him. A little Dryad girl coming into camp, shouting for help, the realisation dawning in Kayla’s face that the blond boy the Dryad was describing was Will. The sinking feeling in his own chest as he realised that Will was not only hurt, he was dying.
As soon as Nico had gotten close enough, he had felt that Will was slipping away a little more with every single passing moment and while Nico knew that death could be a beautiful thing, he wasn’t ready to lose Will. Not now, not ever.
Nico had rushed to Will’s side, nearly slipping in the blood, Shadow Traveling straight to the infirmary as soon as he was touching Will’s hand. Kayla and Austin had done all they could but the rest was going to be up to Will and even nearly a full day after having found him, Will was still unconscious and he was still incredibly weak and Nico was still scared as all hell that he was going to lose someone else.
Will’s head tilted.
Nico leaned forward, hope rising that he was finally stirring. Will settled again instead, still incredibly pale despite the blood transfusion Kayla had administered.
“Will,” Nico whispered.
There was no reply, no sudden awakening to ease the pain in Nico’s heart. Will simply kept lying there, his soul so close to leaving him.
Nico reached out, gently holding Will’s hand.
“It’s going to be okay.” Nico told him. “Whatever happens, whatever you choose, it’s going to be okay.”
The words were like acid on Nico’s tongue but he did not take them back. Of course he wanted Will to fight, needed him to live, Nico needed Will period. But… If Will was only staying for Nico’s sake, then Nico could not force him to stay.
Nico felt Bianca’s arms wrap around him, the ghost of his mothers lips pressing against his forehead.
Nico knew death, but he knew Will too. Will was outright in everything he did, always the first to smile at the start of the day, always sarcastic until the moment a patient needed him to be soothing instead.
Will had helped so many people and yet now it was him on that bed and there was nothing more they could do for him except wait.
“I love you.” Nico said. “So much. But if you have to go,”
Nico forced back the burning in his eyes.
“Then you can go. Just promise you’ll wait for me, okay?”
Will’s breathing slowed.
Nico’s lip trembled and a single tear rolled down his cheek.
“Just get it over with.” Nico snapped. “If you’re going to die to, just do it because I don’t know how long I can pretend that I’m okay with it, because I’m not. I’m fucking not, Will Solace, because I love you and I don’t want you to die because we’re meant to grow old together, remember? You were going to have your own clinic and we were going to live together and you’re not supposed to die dammit.”
Nico was crying outright now but he couldn’t stop it.
Will’s chest rose. It fell. It rose. It fell.
The hand in Nico’s own curled.
“Will?”
Will’s eyes cracked open, but they were glassy and unfocused. Will readjusted, wincing in pain.
“Kayla!” Nico called.
Will’s hand curled fully around Nico’s now, squeezing as tightly as he could though it was still so weak.
“I’m right here,” Nico said. “Everything’s okay, just hold on a little longer.”
As soon as Kayla was there, her eyes widened in hope. She rushed to administer more pain medication as Will groaned, and for a moment his eyes slipped closed again.
Nico panicked, not wanting him to slip away again so soon, but Will’s eyes opened once more and he looked a little more aware of everything.
Nico leaned forward, keeping one hand still with Will’s while the other cupped his cheek. Tired eyes flicked to Nico, and it was a long moment before there was any recognition.
“Nico?” Will croaked.
Will swallowed roughly, readjusting again even with the new pain medication.
Kayla hovered close by, wiping tears from her face but not disturbing her brother.
“Are you real?” Will asked weakly. “Or just a memory...”
“I’m here. It’s really me. Everything’s going to be okay.” Nico promised.
Will’s eyes cleared a little more. He went to sit up but Kayla rushed forward, pinning his shoulders to the bed.
“Careful,” Kayla said. “You’ll pull your stitches.”
“Stitches.” Will echoed.
Then Will tried to rise again and it took both Kayla and Nico to keep him down.
“I have to save her,” Will said. “She’s just a little girl, she’s in danger, I have to-“
“Will,” Nico said firmly. “She’s safe. In fact, she’s the reason we found you.”
“She…” Will blinked slowly, sinking down into the mattress. “She saved me.”
“Yes.” Nico said. “But you need rest. You’ve been through a lot.”
While Nico no longer felt the tinge of death emanating from Will’s fragile body, he didn’t want it to come back suddenly because Will pushed himself too soon.
“I’ve got work to do.” Will said, even as his eyelids drooped. “Gotta… Gotta do some research…”
Nico rolled his eyes. He lent forward, pecking Will on forehead.
“Rest.” Nico said. “I’ll be right here with you the whole time.”
Will smiled and it was as warm as the sun and Nico found himself falling in love with him all over again.