“Archie, there you are, I feared you’d gotten eaten by one of the Harpies.” Chiron galloped up to me.

I shook my head, I went back to not feeling like talking.

“Well that's good. How are you feeling after you’ve arrived?” Chiron asked.

I didn’t really know how to say I felt like I needed to go to the infirmary, I still felt sore and felt a bit of pain all over. I shook my head, that means no, and no is typically referred to as being negative, so he might interpret it as me not feeling well.

“Why shake your head? It doesn't make a lot of sense to say no to an open ended question. I do know you can talk too, you did earlier.”

His words kinda just made me feel worse, not physically, but emotionally. Like… I’ve just realized I am real not that long ago after feeling the tears on my skin. I took a deep breath, smelling the dewy grass, trying to will my mouth to work-to open, but it just wouldn’t. I wished I’d learned sign language instead of Japanese when I had the choice for early high school credit in 7th grade.

Chiron paused for a moment, “Is something wrong?”

I nodded.

“What’s wrong then?" Chiron asked, noticed my silence, then asked a new question, “Do you know sign language? I don’t but I know a few campers who do.”

I just looked him in the eyes after I shook my head, I didn’t wanna talk and I didn’t know what motion or thing would tell him what was wrong. Why did I learn Japanese so I could watch my anime without subtitles so my parents wouldn’t know what's being said? I should have learned sign language so I could sign when I didn’t wanna talk.

“Should we go to the infirmary?” Chiron offered.

I nodded at his question, it made me a bit happy that he understood after a moment.

“Alright then. Follow me.” He nodded with a small smile.

He moved a bit slow so I could keep up with my walking speed, I wasn’t a fast walker, but when I ran I ran what felt like faster than the wind. I guess it was a bit of a weird mix but thats how I worked.

Anyway, he walked me to the infirmary and talked to another camper, he had blonde hair and looked a tad older than me. He had to be an Apollo kid since he was working in the infirmary.

After Chiron explained what happened to the Apollo kid, he left and left me in the infirmary with the Apollo kid. It was just us since it appeared no one else really worked here in the infirmary and that no one else seemed to be hurt so just us two.

“Okay, so Chiron said you don’t really seem willing to talk, but something is wrong- oh yeah. My name’s Will. He said yours is Archie right?”

WILL? Holy shit! Thats the kid who healed annabeth in book 5, and also the kid dating Nico! I felt instant trust to him… I don’t know why but it felt like I could just trust him. I nodded, keeping my mental chaos calmer, since he didn’t seem really into diving into his personal life with me needing confirmation of my headcanons. I mean… I don’t need it, I want it. But still.