"Talking"

#Signing#

¤Writing¤

Text

Chapter 9

Walter looked up when his phone vibrated in his pocket, he looked and saw that it was a text from Artemis.

Hi Walter!

I am texting you to tell you that I am not able to attend lessons this week as I am sick.

How is Ralph's new teacher?

Better?

Artemis

Walter read the text and sigh softly, he felt that it was not really any reason for him to go to lessons this week if Artemis wasn't there, he was so far ahead now that Benjamin the teacher would ask him to help the new students and he, to be fair, didn't have the patience for it, which he had told Benjamin who had just nodded and said that not everyone could teach and it was nothing to feel bad about.

Hi Artemis,

Ralph said that the new teacher is way better and has him on a faster lesson plan, how did you do it?

How sick are you?

Walter

Walter turn once again his attention back at the book he was reading, but he couldn't really focus on what he was reading. He kept looking at his phone waiting for Artemis to text back. He had just looked at the phone for the umpteenth time when nature called he had to leave the desk.

When he come back he notice that his coffee had gone cold so as he saw that Artemis had yet to reply so he walk to the kitchen to make some more and when he was there he also made himself a sandwich as it was soon lunch time.

I have my ways, I just talked to the head of language department and he fired the bitch, we later found out that should only could the alphabet nothing else. So Benjamin took over until they get a new teacher.

And they found one that on paper looked good, I am glad that he was at least better than the bitch.

I just have a stomach bug, must have pick it up from one of my little cousins, I was at my aunt's home for Sunday dinner this weekend, big mistake. Five of her ten kids had stomach flu. Should have known I would get it too.

So what do you want to do next time? We have been to different shops now, would you like to go somewhere else?

Artemis

Walter read the text, he smiled a bit at the sad smiley. He had to think for a moment about where he wanted to go the next time he and Artemis was out. They had been at different shops now for a few times and it all often gone well, a few times had people either stared at them or one time made fun of their signing, but with Artemis there it had all ended well, Walter had to laugh silently when he thought back to the time a few teenagers had made fun of them, Artemis had turn to him and sign to ignore the monkeys, and as the sign for monkey was rather mimic the classic monkey had the teens frown and walked off not founding it as fun anymore.

Ten kids! That is a lot of kids.

Drink a lot of fluids and rest, and it will be over soon.

Paige had ask if the whole team could come with and practice interpretation. So may to a store or something like that.

Walter

It didn't take too long before the phone vibrated again.

I know, they do have a T.V so it can't be that… they just like big families I think. I could never have that many kids, I would lose at least one of them!

Yes Doctor Walter, I am at the moment drinking a big mug with peppermint tea which is good for stomach bugs, it is not my first time. For some reason my cousins always as some bug going around and for some reason my aunt never tell anyone about it until it is too late…

Yes it would be a good idea to do that soon, what about next weekend so I have some time to recover, and we can go to the mall, I need to go there either way.

Artemis

Walter smile again, Artemis always made him laugh with her jokes. He drank the last of his coffee and went to get some more before he replied.

Good to know, I would use leashes on the kids to not loss them.

Stomach bugs are never fun, just keep resting and drink lots of tea and other fluids.

The mall sounds good, I think I will ask the team when they get here.

Speaking of families, Ralph is doing a family history thing, he has taken a DNA test at school and is now talking about having us in Scorpion do the same to see if we are related somehow. I don't think we are as I am from Ireland.

But the other thought it was fun so we did it.

Walter

Walter eat his sandwich and waited for the reply, he found that Artemis had the same sense of humour as he had, they had been text a bit since the shopping trip a few weeks before, it was fun to talk to her as she could understand what he was going through better than his friends as she too was deaf and had been there often too, mostly it just felt nice to have someone to vent to about the hearing people that acted like idiot around him, and sometime even how annoying his friends was. Walter had notice that it help him talking to Artemis about it, he had not said anything about how he got deaf or the nightmares he still had as that was a bit too personal, in return had Artemis talked to him about her idiot students and other people that worked at the university.

When he was done with the sandwich and had read book he had been reading he looked at his phone and saw that Artemis had yet reply figuring that she was resting.

It didn't take long for Walter to grow bored and as he had not seen his sister for well since he got out from the hospital, he decided to do just that, he had been texting her nearly every day and he know that Sly had been going over to help her learn sign language so that the two siblings could once again speak.

Walter felt a bit silly knocking on his sister's door, he hope he had not knocked too hard.

Waiting…

He knocked again, waited and this time the door open and a mildly annoyed Megan looked at him, the annoyed look was soon gone when she saw that it was her brother standing out there instead she hugged him tightly.

#Walter, happy see you,# she sign slowly and a bit awkwardly as she had not been signing for long but Walter understood her.

#I am happy to see you too,# he sign back slowly so that his sister could understand him

After trying for a few moment the siblings got into a rhythm in their signing.

#So Sly has told me about a new friend,# Megan sign

#Yeah her name is Artemis,# Walter said with a smile #She has been teaching me about being deaf.#

#Walter and Artemis sitting in a tree# Megan signed grinning

#She is just a friend.# Walter said trying to not blush

Megan laughed at her brother who was blushing.

#So what have Artemis taught you about being deaf?# She asked

And so Walter told her about his and Artemis lessons on going to the stores and how to act when someone was mean to him about his deafness.

Megan smiled.

#Mom called today by the way,# she said #She asked how you were, I didn't know what to say, have you told them about you know…# she pointed at his ears

Walter shook his head, he had not talked to his parents about the fact that he was deaf now, he didn't know if he wanted to talk to them about it or not so he had just left it.

#Walt you have to talk to them,# his sister said #They need to know.#

Walter frown and shook his head again before he told her that he was not ready to talk to their parents just yet.

Megan had to accept it and promise that she wouldn't tell them either.

Walter stayed a little while longer but he could see that his sister was starting to grow tired so he said his goodbye and promise to visit soon again and maybe bring Artemis with him next time but only maybe.

When Walter was back at the HQ he for the first time since he was left looked at his phone and saw that Artemis had reply to him, he open the text.

Leashes are a good idea, I will have to write it down for the future, haha.

Yes I hate having stomach bug. But after resting most of today I am feeling a bit better still no class for me this week

When you have ask them just send the info to me and we will set up a time and where to meet.

Oh family researching is fun, I have done a bit of that, and a cousin of mine works for a large company that have to do with DNA testing for stuff like that. I as it happened have some roots in the green island too my great-great grandfather on my mother's side was from there.

So you have to tell me the results could be fun to know.

Artemis

Walter smiled and sat down to reply.

I always have good ideas :P

I will send you as soon as they are back and I have asked them, but I think it will be okay.

The odds that someone in USA having Irish roots are large as it was so many who got from Ireland so I would not be surprise if that was the case but I would found it unlikely that we in the team are closely related, but it will be interesting to see the results too.

I will tell you.

Walter

Walter and Artemis texted each other a few more time before Artemis said a goodnight as she was still not feeling all too well.

A/N:Well that was that another chapter done, I hope you like it. Like I said before I may have some problems with faves and reviews I hope not just a small heads up.