#yes Cady is a daughter of Apollo why do you ask

[aswallowssong]

Sicktember #3: Campus Crud

The HOO AU College AU is back at it again folks, ft. everyone's favorite Boy Toys. @starstwinkleplanetsshine let's name this AU lol

This is so stupid.

“This is so stupid!”

“You’re going to make your throat worse, stop it,” Cadence scolded, giving one Leo Valdez a look that said, if you don’t cut it out, I might kill you.

“But–”

“No, no buts, Leo. Seriously, can’t you just rest? Look at Jason and Percy? Are either one of them making me want to rip my hair out?”

In Leo’s defense, Jason and Percy had gone down before he had, and were in a pile of limbs on the floor, both listlessly watching what Cadence thought was a rerun of RuPaul’s Drag Race. As she looked, she realized that at one point she’d given both boys a damp washcloth for the fevers they were running, but now Jason didn’t have one, and Percy had two.

“Percy–”

“I already know what you’re gonna say, Cades, and he gave it to me. I didn’t steal it.”

She frowned. “I wasn’t–”

“You were. Shh, Ru is talking.”

Cadence rolled her eyes, turning back to Leo. Leo was looking at her like he’d been betrayed.

“Okay, one of them is making me want to rip my hair out.”

“Mhm.”

“Please lay down and stop talking.”

Leo looked like he wanted to revolt, but he played nice, laying back down on the couch and snuggling under the ugly orange blanket he loved so much.

Cadence took a breath. Most of their friends had been down with what Ros, a friend of theirs that was a Sophomore, called “Campus Crud.” Leo’s half-brother, Evan, had already had it, and so had she, so they’d said that it was basically inevitable.

Cadence would have preferred to call it “The Most Annoying Thing To Happen This Semester.” And that was saying a lot, considering they’d seemed to miss it first semester. They weren’t as lucky now, in mid-January, when everyone was bringing germs back from home, or holiday, or wherever they might have been for New Year’s.

She wished Angie was there. It would have been nice to have another set of hands, but it hadn’t taken too long to figure out that as soon as someone was sick, she might as well have been in the wind. Cadence didn’t understand it at all, but then again, her dad was a doctor, her two older brothers were in medical school, and she’d already been accepted into the nursing program, as soon as her Gen Eds were out of the way. For her, illness was a natural part of life.

A natural part of life that was currently driving her insane.

“Hey, Cady?”

She had no idea when the Jackson twins, Jason, and Leo had started calling her that, but it was still weird to hear it from someone that wasn’t at least partly related to her.

“Yeah, Perce?”

“I’m cold.”

“No,” she said simply, “you’re not. Your body is too warm, so it feels more cold around you.”

There was a pause, and she peered over the couch to see him looking at her with an absolutely pathetic pout. “But I’m cold.”

She closed her eyes for a second, knowing that if they were open, there’d be nothing to stop her from rolling them.

He’s sick. Be kind.

“I know,” she said, almost surprised by how calm her voice was. How even. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea to give you another blanket if we want your body temperature to cool down.”

“What happened to ‘sweat it out?’ I feel like my dad used to say that.”

“People did used to say that,” Cadence said simply, losing the fight, and rolling her eyes. “But it’s a myth.”

“I like myths.”

“Me too,” Jason croaked. He’d been hit first, and was still very much in the deep end of the nasty cold making its rounds.

“I like myths,” Leo agreed, poking out from his bright orange cocoon. “Especially if they let me be warm.”

“No one is feeling warm,” Cadence said, taking a deep breath to even herself back out. “You can’t sweat out the cold virus that’s making you sick. That’s not how it works. The fever is an effect of your immune system working properly to fight the virus. You’re going to feel cold. You’ll start feeling better when your white blood cells win and your fever breaks.”

“What about the fact that all my muscles feel like they’re made of pain?” Percy said, Jason and Leo humming in agreement, and Cadence pinched at her nose bridge.

“Haven’t any of you been sick before? Actually, don’t answer that. I’ve literally done this with all three of you already this year. Why are we even having this conversation?”

“Well, when Jason was really sick, he was basically incoherent,” Leo pointed out. Jason tried to throw a water bottle at him, but it missed wide.

“Good one, Jay,” she said dryly, and Percy gave a congested chuckle.

“Well, Percy showed up at their doorstep and threw up on Cady’s shoes,” Jason said, and Percy reached out and slapped his arm, betrayal on his face. 

“Hey!”

“Boys–”

“At least I didn’t give myself food poisoning!”

“Ay! The caf gave me food poisoning, sonso, don’t put that on me!”

“Boys!” Cadence yelled, and all three winced, Jason going as far as covering his ears a little. She knew all three of them had wicked headaches, and it was sort of a low blow to yell, but she didn’t need them riling each other up.

She lowered her voice again. “I was just trying to make a point that none of these things I’m saying should be surprising to you three. You’re going to be cold, and achy, and feel bad, because you’re sick. And I’m trying to make this as painless as possible, but I’m also trying to do what I think is best, based on everything I know. I’m also eighteen, and I’m very tired, so just…” she gestured to the screen of Leo’s computer, where they’d been streaming old shows, mostly legally. “Watch RuPaul.”

The boys were all staring at her with varying levels of embarrassment, directly based on how sick they were really feeling. Jason was mostly listless, while Leo looked truly embarrassed, and Percy at least had the gumption to look sheepish.

“Sorry Cady,” they chorused, and she rubbed her temples, exasperated, but she couldn’t stay mad for long. She loved the boys, even when they made her want to freak out.

She sighed. “I forgive you guys.” 

The three of them turned back to the screen, and just as RuPaul announced which queens would have to Lip-Sync for their Lives, her phone rang. The boys booed her, and she rolled her eyes, again, stepping into the hallway.

She let it vibrate another time, taking in the quiet of Leo and Percy’s dorm outside of their room. No boys whining. Noone coughing or sniffling. No RuPaul’s voice through Leo’s shitty speakers. Not, of course, that she had anything against RuPaul. She would have sat down to watch with them happily if she wasn’t about to rip her hair out.

When Cadence felt like she could breathe again, she answered Angie’s call.

“Hello?”

“Cady! How are– are you okay? You sound… defeated?”

Cadence sighed, slumping with her back against the wall. She tilted her head back so it could rest on the wall as well, and closed her eyes. 

“I’m… trying not to be. It’s not usually all three of them, you know? And it’s easier to take care of my own siblings when they’re sick, because I’m their big sister.”

And I’m not doing it alone.

“You’re basically their big sister, aren’t you the oldest?”

“Yeah, which is insane. I’m not nineteen until February. You guys are babies.”

Cadence heard Angie shifting on the other line, presumably laying in her bed, watching something insane or listening to music as loud as it could go. “Whatever. Back to the defeat, if they’re being assholes, tell them that.”

“No,” Cadence said quickly, sliding down to sit, her knees tucked to her chest. “No, they’re not. They’re being whiney, sick, eighteen year old boys. I’ve got one of those back home, too, it’s not like they’re being unreasonable or anything. It’s just easier with one. Or two. Or if they weren’t trying to razz one another.”

“Do I need to come over there?” Angie was obviously trying to keep hesitance and worry out of her voice, but it didn’t quite sell the way she’d obviously wanted it to. 

Cadence couldn’t ask her to come over and be freaked out the entire time, especially when there was a strong chance she’d get sick, too. She was worried about herself at this point, and even though she had a pretty rock-solid system, it wouldn’t have surprised her if she ended up sick by the end of the week, what with the “Campus Crud,” or whatever, running rampant.

“No, that’s okay. Would you mind making a run to the store for me, though? There’s a gold amex in my wallet, you can use that.”

“There’s a gold amex in your wallet?!”

“Mhm,” Cadence said simply, now distracted by trying to think through what she needed Angie to get. “Make sure you have your license on you, because if I have you get cold medicine, they card for that.”

“I– okay but we’re talking about that at some point!”

“Sure,” Cadence said. “I’ll text you a list in a few minutes. None of them have had much of an appetite, but they need to eat something, so maybe I’ll have you grab some soup I can put in the microwave.”

“Microwave soup,” Angie said sagely. “Good for the Campus Crud.”

Cadence laughed, surprising herself. The whole thing was ridiculous. The boys, her position of caretaker, Angie’s fear of illness, and the fact that she was hiding in the hallway. But, as Angie said that, Cadence knew that was exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to microwave soup, and give medicine, and damp cloths for fevers. 

She wanted to take care of her friends while they were sick, because she loved them, and that was showing them that love the best way she knew how. 

“Can you also maybe get me a sandwich or something? Cadence found herself saying, straightening and squaring her shoulders. “I’m starving.”

“Anything for our nurse. I’ll leave now.”

“Thanks, Angie.”

“Sure, Cady. Thank you. Love you.”

Cadence smiled, turning the knob of the door to let herself back into the fray. Ru told someone to sashay away, and all three boys erupted into raspy shouts, sniffles, and grumbles of protest.

“Love you too.”

[starstwinkleplanetsshine]

Daughter of the Sea

Chapter Eleven: Tears and Tea (Read on AO3 here)

The next day was filled with tending to the wounded, which was almost everybody, and continuing clean-up. Around noon I saw Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Chiron walk into the trees of the woods, their faces tense. I didn’t dare follow. Instead, I made my way to the Big House infirmary where the campers with the most severe wounds were being treated, but I didn’t go there for me. 

I saw who I was looking for almost immediately, bustling about giving orders to the other Apollo kids on what they were to do. Cadence’s face was pale, her eyes red and puffy, and her braid looked like it was a day old. She looked like she was about to fall over from exhaustion, and I wondered if she had gotten any sleep. 

She caught my eyes the moment I crossed into the room, and she was at my side in an instant. 

“Are you hurt? Do you need something? Nectar? Ambrosia? Bandages?” She was already rummaging in the medical belt around her waist when I grabbed her wrist, stopping her busy hands. 

“I’m fine, Cadence. I’m actually here for you.” 

I had never seen her look confused before. “Me?” 

“Did you sleep at all last night?” 

The dark-haired girl pulled on her braid and shifted her feet. “Well, no, but there was so much to do.” 

I nodded, taking her hand. “I think you need a break.” 

Cadence shook her head violently. “No, I’m fine.” 

“No, you’re not.” I began to pull her gently out of the room, telling the other healers that she would be right back. None of them protested. 

“Angie, come on, I have work to do.” 

“Are your siblings capable or not?” Cadence was silent for a moment, wrestling with the question. When she spoke again, her voice was small. 

“Yes.” 

“Right. You need some tea.” 

I pulled her to the living room, which was thankfully vacant and put a small kettle over the fire. There was always tea and mugs in the Big House. Cadence was quiet, and neither of us spoke until the tea was steeping and we were sitting next to each other on one of the couches. 

“How are you doing?” I asked, bracing myself. She turned to me, her eyes full of tears, the cup in her hands shaking. 

“I can’t believe he’s gone.” I knew who she meant—Lee Fletcher, the former counselor of the Apollo cabin. He had been an incredibly gifted archer, a talented musician, and an even better leader and person. The whole camp felt dimmer without him. 

“I’m so sorry, Cadence.” 

“Cady.” 

I looked at her confused. “What?” 

“You can call me Cady.” She wiped some tears that were falling down her cheeks. “All my friends do.” 

I managed a weak smile at her. 

“I’m so sorry, Cady.” 

It took about three seconds for her to collapse completely, nearly dropping the full cup of tea. She fell forward into me, and I held her for a long time, letting her weep into my shoulder. Not only did she lose a brother, but now she was one of the leaders of her cabin, a responsibility I couldn’t quite wrap my head around. To grieve and have the weight of your siblings on your shoulders—I could only imagine the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling. 

She had people looking to her to be strong, to know what to do. To show them what to do. My heart broke for her, and I thought of how absolutely lost I would be if I were in her shoes. I suddenly understood why she had been running herself ragged all night. If she sat down for even a moment, if she let herself feel the weight of it, she would fall apart—and she couldn’t let herself do that. 

“I know you wanna be there for your siblings right now,” I began gently, “but if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of them.” 

She cried harder into my T-shirt. 

“You need to let yourself rest.” She shook her head and I held her closer. “Well, you at least need to take a break.” 

She pulled away after a while, and her tears had slowed down. 

“Maybe I can try a break.” I smiled at her and handed her the cup of tea, and we sat there in silence as she drank it dry. 

I took her on a walk along the lake, stopping to say hi to the naiads as we passed them by. We were mostly quiet, but I got the sense Cadence liked that. We were far enough from the battlefield to almost forget what had happened the day before, and listening to the birdsong and watching the clouds roll by, you could almost imagine it was just another day at camp. 

As we were rounding the lake for the third time, Cady spoke. 

“Thanks for this, Angie.” She kept her eyes forward. 

“Of course. What are friends for?” She looked to me then, her eyes sparkling. I gave her another hug, and then we made our way back to the Big House. It was about time for dinner at that point, so I let Cady use my cabin to wash up. She said it would be too painful to go into her own, knowing Lee wouldn’t be there. 

I sat with Percy at dinner, and was so glad to not be alone at the Poseidon table anymore. We tried to talk about anything but the battle, but it was the one topic we kept coming back to. I watched as Cadence sat with the other Apollo kids, all of them sleep deprived and red-eyed, but glad to be with each other. They talked and some even laughed, and I could see that what they needed most was to be with each other. It would be a long road of healing for them, and for a lot of the campers, but they weren’t walking it alone. 

“You were amazing out there.” I said to Percy as we began to dig into our dessert, blue as always. 

He shrugged. “I just did what I had to do to protect Camp.” 

I shook my head. “The way that Chiron waited to see where you were would go, like you were the only reinforcements we needed. And then to watch you fight—I get why all the other kids look up to you.” 

He gave me a curious look, raising one eyebrow as he cocked his head. “What do you mean?” 

I almost laughed at him. “Everyone looks up to you, like you’re their leader.” 

He shook his head quickly. “I’m not—“ 

“When you were gone, I heard your name like five times a day. As if as long as you were okay, everyone believed they would be okay. And those two weeks you were missing? It was like all the hope got sucked out of camp.” 

He looked down at his food, his shoulders slumping slightly. He almost looked sad, and I didn’t understand why. 

“Yeah, Annabeth tells me that too. And Chiron says I'm a natural leader. But I never feel like one.” 

I looked at him like he was crazy, because that’s how he sounded. “Are you serious?” 

He cracked a smile and nodded. “I’m just…me.” 

“Well, you’re pretty great then.” 

He laughed and shook his head. “I wouldn’t say that.” 

“I would!” I nudged his shoulder with mine, and he laughed. 

“Careful, that kinda talk will go to my head.” He nudged me back. 

“I’ll reserve my praise, then.” I said before shoveling a piece of cake in my mouth. I got the feeling that no matter how much praise he got, though, that could never be the case. 

We talked and joked the rest of dinner, but the whole time there was a part of him that seemed distracted, almost weighed down. It wasn’t until we were walking to the campfire that I realized what it was—he was thinking about what I had said, and he was burdened by the responsibility of it. 

It was weird. I was both jealous of him and glad I wasn't in his shoes at the same time. I couldn’t imagine the pressure of having all eyes always on me, having campers look to you to show them the way and keep them safe. 

But there was no doubt, Percy was the heart of camp. I could tell by the atmosphere when everyone thought he was dead—like our heart stopped beating. I wondered what it would feel like to be in his position, and decided it was better him than me. Would it be nice to feel so important? Sure. But I wasn’t convinced it was worth all the weight that would be on your shoulders.