The Boss of Me

5: The Coffee

Percy POV

"I'm scared. I don't like needles," Tyson cried. He was hyperventilating in his seat at the hospital. I tried my best to comfort him.

The nurse was waiting patiently for him. to settle.

I held Tyson's hand and made him face me. His dark eyes blistered with worry and fear as he stared into my face. I hated that this was the situation that we were in. Tyson has a big fear of needles. He didn't even like getting flu shots.

"Come on, buddy. It's going to be okay. You won't even feel it after a while," I expressed as I rubbed his arm.

"I don't want to. I'm scared."

"Hey. We all get scared sometimes, and that's okay. You have to do this. It's very important for you. I'll be right here, Tyson, holding your hand. I'm not going to let go until you're done."

Tyson nodded miserably. The nurse came over and smiled delicately. Hestia didn't come today because she was caring for Estelle. We thought that it would be better if Estelle wasn't in the hospital.

Then, the nurse washed Tyson's arm with a sterile wipe. She had a large needle, and she carefully injected it into Tyson's arm. He winced and buried his face into my chest. I clutched him tightly. The nurse quickly connected the chemo bag to the needle and then started the machine that pumps the chemicals into Tyson's body.

We spent all week explaining everything o Tyson. It must've been overwhelming, but we wanted him to know what was coming.

The symptoms of chemotherapy can be severe, and he should be prepared.

Tyson was going to get through this. I have all the faith in the world, and I was trying to be optimistic. So far, life hasn't been great for me. There had to be a limit to pain, right? Eventually, the gods would get tired of torturing me, right?

I held Tyson against my body for the rest of the chemo session.

His skin paled considerably, and he felt cold as well. My little brother was suffering, and I couldn't do anything but hold him. And, I did.

I wasn't strong enough to carry Tyson back to the car. As I mentioned, Tyson is big for his age. After the chemo session, he got sleepy. The nurse said that this was a normal reaction after the first round. He was going to be weak, sleepy, and/or nauseous.

He slept in the wheelchair as I opened the door.

I helped bis groggy self into the car. I kept a plastic bag on his lap for fear that he would get sick. He didn't say anything for the past hour. He was too tired.

I picked up some ice cream before going home.

Hestia rushed towards the door to receive us. Our small apartment made it easier for the both of us to carry Tyson towards the couch.

Estelle was playing with some dolls on the floor. She looked at Tyson with concern, so I told her that our brother is fine. Hestia sat next to Tyson and brushed his hair while he slept. It still surprised me that the little boy was snoring already.

Usually, kids don't snore that much.

"How was he, Percy?" Hestia asked gently.

"As expected. he was scared, but I managed to get him through it. This is only the first of many, and I think that he'll get used to it."

Hestia nodded. "Oh, if you need to go, I can watch them now."

"It's fine, Aunt Hestia. The company said that we can finish HR and financial stuff over the phone. I'll stay here."