Solangelo 3

NICO

Somehow we've found the slightest bit of luck. Despite it being nearly a week since the fire, we figure out that we're only a couple hours drive from camp. We drive without stopping.
When we get to camp, it's late afternoon. Annabeth drives as close to the boarder as we can, before leaving the car running as we both rush out and into camp.
'Hey!' Annabeth shouts to someone passing by, 'where's Percy?'
'Annabeth, Nico...I...we thought you were dead. He's in the infirmary.' She says as we continue running down.
'Percy!' She calls out before we're even inside, 'Percy!'
He's sitting on the bed I usually use, staring out the window. He doesn't register Annabeth's voice.
'Hey. Hey.' She says, gently, crouching down in front of him, stroking his cheek, 'seaweed brain, I'm okay.'
He looks down at her, finally, and it all clicks. The focus comes back to his eyes, he lets out a soft gasp.
'Annabeth.' He says, 'oh my...' He falls to his knees and clutches her tightly. He starts crying there and then, 'is Nico..?'
She looks over to me and he follows her eyes. He leaps up and practically tackles me into a hug. He's sobbing, clutching me tighter than I thought possible.
'Where's Jason?' He asks, finally letting go and looking to the door, 'He needs to find Piper.'
We're both quiet, and a dull silence falls over the infirmary.
'Where's Jason?' Percy asks again. Annabeth looks away, tears running down her cheeks.
'He's...' I say, trying to force myself to say it, but the words get lodged in my throat. I physically can't speak. I steady myself on the bed.
'Oh Gods.' Percy says, sitting on his bed. He continues crying, silently. He holds Annabeth, and I watch, knowing they won't break apart for hours yet.
I turn to Kayla, who's on duty, my face unable to hide my hope.
'Is he...here?' I ask, already knowing that if he were, he would have found me by now.
She shakes her head, her cheeks trembling, 'was he in the fire?' She asks, her voice breaking, 'is he...? Did he...?' She doesn't finish her questions, just covers her mouth with her hand, as if not finishing them will stop me giving her the answer she doesn't want to hear.
'He was in the fire, but he left the same way me and Annabeth did.' I say, 'he's alive. I think. I can't...I can't tell anymore. Not since Hades disowned me. I can't tell if he's...'
I trail off, looking away and blinking to stop tears coming to my eyes again. She steps forward quickly and hugs me tightly. I find it comes quite naturally. I hold her tightly back. It's comforting, to know someone cares as much as I do.
'I'm glad you're back.' She says once she pulls away, hiccuping between words, 'it's been...my cabin's been really...'
'I know.' I say, carefully, 'I'll start looking for him straight away. I promise I'll find him.' She nods, unable to trust herself to speak. 'He'll be okay.' I say, 'I promise.'