Chapter 3: Will Solace - Anger
[I found Will in the infirmary, alone. He sat in a chair, back turned to me and tossing a roll of gauze in his hands when I approached him. He jumped a mile high in the sky when I tapped his shoulder. His usual smile came forth but it dropped when I asked him about the war. For a brief second, his eyes turned cold and detached then he was back. He forced a smile and gestured to the chair across from him.]
It's not something that I like to talk about.
[Will gave a light chuckle.]
It's something that I'd like to never think about actually.
I was here before Percy. Just a little bit before. Maybe a week or two. And I'm not gonna lie. When I first met Luke, I thought he was the greatest. He was nice and understanding. He gave me a sleeping bag and toiletries, cleared me a space on the floor, and even stopped me from stepping right into a prank from the Stolls. He made sure I was as comfortable as I can be and helped me make friends with the rest of the Hermes Cabin. I knew everybody's name by the end of the day. Then when I was claimed and moved to Apollo's cabin, Luke threw a small party.
Lee Fletcher was the counselor of Apollo cabin at that time. You probably don't know him. Tall dude, really friendly, easiest person to talk too, had a voice like an angel and a knack for every instrument there is. He was actually the lead lyre player and singer back then for the campfire songs.
[His eyes moved to the window.]
I'll admit I did not take the threat as seriously as I could in the beginning.
Luke left, so what? He's angry about the way the gods treated us, who wasn't back then? It wasn't that big of a deal to me. But Michael, Lee, all of the older campers were more concerned. It wasn't until the incident with Thalia's Pine that I became more worried.
It was like a wake-up slap. Everyone was on high alert. We were all scared because Luke nearly took away the only place we ever felt safe in. And we had no idea what he has planned or what he's capable of.
But even with that danger looming over us, camp still felt like camp, you know? We still sang campfire songs. We still play capture-the-flag. The Hermes Cabin was still being a total bother. The Ares kids were still picking on people. It felt like nothing changed and if you try hard enough, you could even forget the crisis we were in.
[Will shook his head and smiled but it lacked the usual spirit.]
I guess Lee, the head counselors, were the reason why. It's hard to dwell about the war when you have no time to just sit and think. They made sure we were busy from sunrise to curfew. Every second of the day, there was always something to do. "Free time" sort of became "cabin time" where we do whatever we want together as a cabin.
I know Athena cabin spent their free time in the arts and crafts building. Ares spend theirs watching old war documentaries and De...Demeter cabin started a vegetable garden and apple orchard. I think Hermes cabin spent their time playing cards or board games. We spent ours just chilling in our cabin and playing instruments or writing poems.
But looking back, it was obvious they were preparing us. Training increased, we had more in-depth lessons about the Greek tales and the monsters. No one really joked around in those classes.
[Will grew more quiet and I had to strain to hear him.]
They all tried so hard. Lee...Lee never stopped smiling. He was always so cheerful and optimistic, always telling us everything will work out in the end. I remember how he used to sing lullabies to us before bed. How he used to give the best hugs. His stupid, corny jokes. The Sunday nights music lessons. His laughs...
[Then Will looked up at me.]
Then the Battle of the Labyrinth happened and Lee died.
Together, we made Lee's burial shroud and Michael lighted it, the flames licking at the twinkling night sky. I remember looking up and wondering if Lee was already up there with the stars. Pollux was beside me. His head was buried in his hands and looped around his arm was Castor's, his brother, bead necklace. He was mumbling something but I couldn't understand what he was saying. I wanted to comfort him but what could I say?
All you could hear that night was the fires roaring and sobbing.
It was...depressing. That day and the days following after.
We stopped having late-night sing-a-alongs, free time was now spent shooting arrows in the range, there was no happy atmosphere.
Michael tried to fill the void Lee left. But
[Will chuckled.]
If you ever met Michael, you know he isn't exactly the nurturing type. His temper could match Zeus on his best days. He was a crude, hot-tempered, very sharp-tongued counselor. If you told him Clarisse made fun of your hair, Michael would dye his blue, green, pink, whatever he could get his hands on and prance around the camp. If you tell him an Aphrodite kid made fun of your clothes, he would dress in the most ridiculous outfit he could and march around for maybe a week or two. He was always defending us, like an older, overprotective brother.
I remember this one time Kayla complained to Michael that the Stoll brothers won't stop pranking her. Michael declared a prank war on them. He lost, horribly. He ended up in the infirmary four sometimes five times a day. Bruised and battered, but always up the next day and ready to go.
[Will smiled softly. He toyed with the box of band aids in his hands.]
Only 4'6" but had the spirit of a giant.
To be honest, I can't wait to see Michael and Lee again. I have so many stories to tell them.
I'm sure you heard of the reason why the Ares Cabin arrive later in the battle, right?
[I nodded. The box of band-aids in his hand crinkled. And even though he kept his tone even, the underlying bitterness could not go unnoticed.]
It was the dumbest reason ever. They were fighting over a chariot we had taken from Kronos while Ares Cabin had the army distracted. A chariot! We were in a time of war. Beckendorf just died. There was a spy among us and Michael and Clarisse were dueling it out over a dumb, ancient piece of garbage. And even after Michael came to his senses and gave the chariot to Clarisse, she still refused to fight. I just-it was-I-Argh!
We were fighting for our lives and home. Not just for our parents! If Olympus had fallen what would have happen to us? Kronus would have either killed or enslaved us all! How could she be so selfish, so self-centered, so narrow minded as to abandon us, the camp like that?
[Will rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed.]
I'm not mad at Clarisse. She already apologized. I just wonder how many deaths could have been avoided if they had been there with us from the start. Silena, Michael, Trixie, Henry, Clover.
[In a few seconds, he seemed to age a decade. His voice became bitter.]
When Michael was up at that bridge, waving and guiding Percy. I felt something. Maybe because dad is the God of Prophecy, but there was a tug in my gut.
When the bridge blew up, I knew we were searching for a dead body.
Percy either must have the same sense I did or didn't care about Michael because he spared no time dragging me onto a motorcycle and racing off to Annabeth. I wanted to help my siblings find his body but I guess as one of the few healers that would be a waste of time.
I'm not sure what the others describe me as when they tell their stories but I was a nervous wreck. So many people were getting hurt and there's only so much Ambrosia and Nectar on stock. And the bandages, gauzes, isopropyl alcohol, basically our first aid supplies were draining fast. I nearly killed myself trying to heal Annabeth. There was no choice but to steal from the stores so we don't bleed out on the streets.
And even though I'm sure that wasn't the case back then, I felt like everyone, everything was suffocating me.
"Will, Caleb is bleeding! It's not stopping! Can you patch him up?"
"Will, can you splint Max's arm?"
"Oh my gods, Jeanine twisted her ankle. Her bone is sticking out."
I wanted to help everyone but every second I turned to one patient, another one showed up that needed more help. By the second day, we were out of ambrosia and nectar, as well as mortal first aid supplies. I was drained spiritually. I probably couldn't even heal a paper cut.
When we all fall back to the Empire State Building, the situation wasn't any better. Everybody was hurt in some way or another.
There was so much chaos, so much disorder. It was crazy.
… I remember feeling suffocated and angry. So very angry. Angry that Michael's dead. Angry that Percy dragged me away from my brothers and sisters. Angry that I'm the new counselor. Angry that I'm out of supplies. Angry that my friends are dying when I could have saved them. Angry at Clarisse, at Luke, at Silena, at everybody for being so annoying and bothersome.
I was like a cup being overfilled with water and on the verge of tipping. And I took it all out at the wrong person.
["What did you do?" I asked timidly.]
I shouted at Travis. I screamed at him, called him as many insults as I could, even the crude ones going on through camp about the Hermes cabin that I promised I would never use, and told him he should have been the one to die rather than Lee, Michael.
There was a crowd of demigods surrounding us. They were all shocked as was I. I didn't know why I did it, honestly. Travis and Connor were my oldest friends. I would never hurt them intentionally. But that moment, I saw Travis's face, thought about Hermes, then Luke and next thing I know I'm up in his face.
["What did Travis do?" Will leaned back and looked at the ceiling. He sighed and curl a hand through his hair.]
Nothing.
When I was done, he pressed a bottle of water into my hand, said, "You look like shit," and left.
[Will played with the box of band-aid in his hand. "Did you ever apologize?"]
Tons. Every chance I get. He always told me to forget it. Other times he says I got the wrong Stoll but I know I was speaking with the right one.
I'm so ashamed of myself. I could never forgive what I did.
He and his brother are actually the reason why I accepted my role as head counselor.
["Why?" Will ignored me.]
Have you spoken with either brother yet?
[I shook my head.]
No matter what either of them might say, they were the best head counselor the camp have and will probably ever have.
["Really?" Will nodded.]
Had it been anyone else I'm not sure there would even be a Hermes Cabin left.
Chapter 4: Resentment
Author's Notes:
Thank you to ImALazyProcastinator for grammar checking this fic!