just take me back to the start --- [private]

Subject: just take me back to the start --- [private] Sun May 01, 2016 3:37 pm

just take me back to the start --- [private] PJIjFj8

Faye McJean
| Faye had mixed feelings regarding the infirmary. She was a horrible nurse; she lacked the patience and kind touch required of those who looked after the injured. Kindness did not come hard for the girl, she just hated seeing people in pain and knowing that their survival was not probable. No, the daughter of Athena was not meant to be a nurse. But she did know how to ask questions, and right now she had a lot of them to ask. How did these people get to camp? What brought them here? Were they sick, or otherwise affected by the attack?

While she did not have answers, she knew that one boy might be in need of some. Faye did not know who he was, or how he got here, but she knew he needed to be her first interviewee. That day had been stressful for all involved, but it had been five days. She heard word those injured on the hill were doing much better now. Not knowing how much better 'better' was, Faye decided she needed to pay that boy a visit.

She brushed past medics, heading towards the cot where the boy was. The medics probably assumed Faye had developed an infatuation with the boy (which she had not) because of how often she visited the infirmary and asked of his condition. Inhaling, the demigod took a seat near his cot. "Hi, my name is Faye McJean," she began. "Ease into the pressing questions," the girl reminded herself."How are you feeling?"

Confined to this godforsaken bed, Nick had done everything that could be done. He counted the beds (21), the cots (40), and the cracks on the ceiling (67 'main' cracks with 231 shorter 'branches'). He knew when the preschooler on that bed in the corner took her meds (starting at 7am then every four hours thereafter). Give it a few more days and Nick felt sure he could start working as an assistant ('change Peter's bandages at 6am then at 6pm, got it').

For kids manning a makeshift hospital, they sure took their jobs seriously. Nick still had mixed feelings towards these medics, though they diligently performed procedures expected of older, trained professionals. With these teenagers staying around the clock, Nick found it difficult to sneak out. Being one of the victims on the hill made it a lot worse - he didn't know for sure but he felt like he was being watched like a hawk. Especially when this girl came to visit.

Visitors. He never had any unless you counted Simon, who was one of the medics. Most of the others had someone, he even recalled one boy being escorted out by who seemed to be his girlfriend. Lucky guy.

Sitting up a little straighter, Nick stared at the girl as she sat down. Why did it feel like a cop coming to interrogate him? Perhaps it was the way she carried herself, coming off as a no-nonsense girl who got what she wants when she wanted it. He half-expected her to whip out a notepad or a recorder. At her question, a sly smile played on his cut lips.

"Lousy," he deadpanned. A short pause, then - "What brings you here, Faye McJean?"

Faye McJean
| Camp Half Blood's infirmary probably seemed to be a horrible place to die for the average teenager. The walls were not even solid - they were made from a kind of canvas material. She remembered being skeptical of it at first glance, and as she studied the boy in front of her, she decided he was probably feeling the same thing. Faye had guesses to his parent, but it was difficult to tell from first glances. Kids of the big three were easy - you could just feel their energy radiating like a heat source. She wasn't so sure about him - something about his easy smirk and sarcasm screamed Hermes, but in Camp Half Blood anything was possible.

She laughed at his response to her question, her face lighting up into a display of almost crooked teeth. "I probably could've guessed - it's like a prison in here," Faye admitted with a half-hearted shrug. Her immediate answer to his question was not pleasant. How did you come here? What happened to you? Who sent you? The temptation to lie (she could pretend to be on the camp's welcoming committee) was great, but Faye didn't want to twist her morals, even for this. "I wanted to get to know you, I suppose," she replied, glancing out at the injured - most of them having come from the hill that day. "I want to figure out what happened, and I think you can help me."

Turning her grey eyes back to him, she asked, "Your name's Nick, right?"

Prison. Probably the last thing he would describe this but well, now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen the outside world in days. Suddenly he envied Faye McJean with her injury-less self, whose biggest problem was figuring out whatever happened in the first place. He followed her gaze to the others resting on similar cots, and he could almost see the huge question mark hovering above them, the lingering question Faye and everyone else was thinking - what happened?

You and me both, lady. You and me both.

He nodded once. "Mhmm. That's me."

Normally, Nick would have stopped there. He didn't talk much, not unless he knew who he was talking to, but given the sudden turn of events he thought he'd make an exception. A kind-of exception.

Giving her an almost imperceptible shake of his head, Nick shrugged. "Can't help you there, Faye McJean. Everything's just cloudy."

Well, that probably cut the conversation real quick.

Faye McJean
| The infirmary was not particularly busy at the current time. Medics walked around, fixing cots and restocking shelves, but nothing major was happening. Faye decided she may have to use this fact to her advantage. She was experienced when it came to identifying injuries, and unless he was bleeding internally, he seemed okay. "Okay, cool, wouldn't want to call you by the wrong name," the demigod commented. " 'Okay, cool?' " she chastised herself. Great questioning technique, McJean.

She pressed her lips together as Nick spoke. Everyone she had talked to thus far seemed to have cloudy memories surrounding the entire event. It was probably linked to the teenagers being in and out of consciousness the past few days, but Faye assumed it went deeper than that. "Oh." She sighed, her shoulders shrugging forward as she quickly contemplated what to do next. Answering questions did not seem to be the demigod's forte.

"Have you gotten a tour or anything?" Faye asked, her tone transitioning into a brighter shade. "I think they were going to let you go soon anyways - I could give you one, if you wanted?" Half of it was a lie, but she mentally dismissed it. In the long run, this would probably be beneficial for the both of them.

'Oh.' Disappointment wrapped around the single word. Nick didn't have to see the slight sag in her shoulders to tell, but he still saw and he felt like his guts got pumped with ice. He focused on the sheets instead. Assumed a nonchalant mask he had been so used to donning that it already came as a second nature.

You're too soft, he remembered Chad saying. Chad, who he last saw in the jaws of a giant black dog, thrown around like a rag doll. And Steve, still clutching a bundle of guns he had no chance to use because a lance pierced through his chest and sent him toppling to the ground. Nick closed his eyes.

"Sorry." For lying.

Not everything was cloudy. The ones that weren't were the those he wanted to keep to himself. Besides, what truth did he want to tell Faye - oh me and my friends were looting a gun store when we got jumped? Yeah right.

When her tone changed into a happier one, Nick turned back to her, his gaze guarded. Then he cast a short sweeping glance at the same old surroundings that would no doubt be embedded into his brain forever. He slightly relaxed. A small smile crept over his lips. "A tour... yeah, I'd like that."

Faye McJean
| Giving tours was almost an art form. A tour guide needed patience, enthusiasm, knowledge and the ability to walk backwards. Faye only had one of those qualities, but she figured Nick wouldn't get a tour from anyone else this week, so she would have to suffice. "It's alright, you've had an interesting last few days," the demigod replied with a shrug. If she had woken up in a pool of her own blood, she would not want to talk about her past either, especially if she couldn't remember it.

Faye rose from her seat, telling Nick, "I'll be right back." She power walked over to the infirmary's current supervisor, telling the boy that she was taking her new friend for a walk. She informed him they would be back, but they wouldn't be, if the demigod had her way. "Do you need crutches or anything? Otherwise we should get going."

She walked out of the building first, taking in a breath of the fresh air. Faye loved the color of the grass in the springtime - it was so green. "This is the Commons Area," the teenager informed him, motioning across the six buildings. "We have an Arts and Crafts Shack, an Armory, a Camp Store, an Amphitheater, and - my personal favorite - the Library. You've probably seen enough of the Infirmary."

"When you're not training you might spend a lot of time around here, depending on what you're into."

It struck Nick that Faye was not an ordinary camper. She seemed to hold a high position in this camp, considering that she seemed to direct the rescue back at the hill, and now it just took her a couple of minutes to convince the medic to let Nick go out for a while. She had that air of authority that screamed 'leader.' Whether this was good or bad for him, Nick had yet to find out. Until then, he would go along with this tour and well, truth be told, he appreciated her company. Now he would know what it felt like to hang out with someone who commanded respect rather than disgust.

He did not foresee the challenge in getting out of bed. His legs were jelly when they bore his weight. Clutching one of the tables tightly, he blanched at the suggestion of crutches. "I'm fine," he muttered. It took him a few seconds to get used to walking again, and once he stepped out of the darned building he actually heaved a sigh of relief.

A forest - that was the first thing he registered. It was like someone cleared a huge space in the forest and set up a camp. Nick had never been to a summer camp himself, but he supposed this wasn't the norm. For some reason he expected a lot of tents and kids decked out in full scout uniforms. Maybe a cookie factory somewhere that made those girl scout cookies delivered door to door. Instead of all those, Nick was met with other buildings that Faye described. His eyes lingered on the low building with smoke coming out of it.

"Armory?" he asked incredulously. "What is this place - a boot camp?"

But it wasn't just that - something else was amiss. Perhaps he would have realized it sooner if he weren't in such a bloody state when he was brought in. The grass was so green. The breeze was cool, much cooler than he last remembered. Some trees were bare of any leaves, some had shoots and small flowers that had yet to bloom.

It couldn't be. Time couldn't be wrong.

He rounded on Faye, face unreadable. "What date is it?"

Faye McJean
| Faye didn't offer help as Nick struggled to stand. A few summers ago she might have, but past Faye and current Faye were two very different people. She didn't want to see him struggle for a moment, so she looked away. "I'm sure you are," the teenager responded simply, her tone dry. People always tried to look tough, but really no one is. The demigod knew this well and continued to keep up the facade.

Campers mingled around the commons area, stopping to talk to running from one place to the next; even in times of confusion and disaster, Camp Half Blood still functioned (for the most part). Faye would give anything to be one of the younger campers, who only had to worry about which kind of noodle to use for their arts and crafts project. Ignorance truly was bliss.

She smiled at the nature of Nick's question. "Hephaestus, God of the Forges and Fire, has quite a few talented children. Most of them work there, making everything from weapons to cars." Boot camp? Kind of. "I think it's more like a haven, but we do train in combat and leadership," Faye answered, shrugging. Camp could be quite daunting at first glance."Because as you now know, not everything is friendly to people like us."

Her eyebrows raised at his next question. The date? "May 4th. May the fourth be with you," she joked, attempting a grin. Faye couldn't help but notice the tone of his voice. Was his last memory not of springtime? Had he been held captive over the course of several seasons? She kept her questions to herself, for now.

Right. Children of Hephaestus forging weapons and armor. Children of Apollo healing wounded kids. More children playing adults. Nick was beginning to question his sanity, Faye's sanity, and the sanity of whoever came up with this. Greek gods and whatever else this bullcrap entailed. Nick wasn't having any of it, and maybe it hinted when he pressed his lips in a grim line.

'Not everything is friendly to people like us.' This time, Nick barked a laugh. He had to give that one to Faye.

But the moment was once again short-lived when she revealed the date. That should have pulled another laugh from him, but Nick felt like he had been sucker punched on the gut. Blood drained out of his face, replaced by ice. Everywhere, he felt the cold.

Time wasn't wrong. Nick was in the wrong time, wrong place.

"What... year?" He almost didn't want to ask the question, but he kept his voice steady. Just to be sure.

Faye McJean
| Watching the transformation Nick's face took as she explained camp was rather painful. Faye had hoped someone had told him what he was, and how this place worked, but whoever it did a shitty job of it, if it was done at all. She couldn't help but become offended by the laugh that escaped his lips. Children of Athena were famous for being prideful, and Faye was the same. Only she did not have faith in her abilities, but what others perceived of her. She thought herself a serious, trustworthy person - she wanted others to view her in that light, anyway. Why wasn't he believing her?

Her expression shifted from annoyance to concern as his face flushed white. "Nick..." Faye began, holding her hands out in case he would faint. She should've studied his medical charts more, or something. When he didn't faint, it was her turn to sound confused. "2016." Nick seemed modern; the demigod doubted he had fallen prey to the Lotus Casino. Some campers came into that place and were never really able to come out (in a mental sense). She didn't want this boy to be lost to time. Camp - Faye - desperately needed answers from him.

If Nick noticed the shift in Faye's emotions, he didn't let on. He turned away from her and counted on his fingers. Each month he mouthed was another sucker punch to the gut. When he finished counting, he just stared at the ten fingers he now held up. His hands trembled as they dropped back to his sides. Inhale. Exhale. How did breathing become so difficult?

When he turned back to Faye, he maintained a straight face even though his skin flushed white. Some tour. Before, Nick figured he would be asking about this camp, but he got more answers than he bargained for. Answers that led to even more questions, and the one he dared to ask was:

"How do you get to Phoenix Union from here?"

Poor Nick still thought he was close to Arizona.

Faye McJean
| Faye had willingly gone to camp, knowing she was different from others. She had looked forward to camp, and once she arrived, the demigod hadn't wanted to leave. Each camper had their own story about where they came from and how they came about camp. Some were escorted by satyrs, some had their parents drive them up, others had worse stories. The girl knew that Nick would be one of those worse stories. She wished she had learned more from him before letting him out into the real world. Was this too much for him?

"Phoenix Union?" she repeated slowly, letting the words roll off of her tongue. Phoenix Arizona? "Nick, we're on Long Island, by the sound. New York," Faye told him, scanning his face for emotion. His poker face was excellent, but she didn't care for it. Now wasn't the time to pretend you were okay.

Sometimes, when you were fighting to keep the emotions in, it only took a simple sentence to tip the scales, to unleash the whirlwind trapped inside. And after every stab of truth, this was the last straw. Nick's unreadable face contorted into one of confusion, shock, then pure rage.

"New York? Are you shitting me?" he demanded, loud enough to turn heads, but Nick didn't care. His whole body shook uncontrollably. His eyes darted around frantically, seeing everything wrong for the first time - the looming trees, the unwelcome buildings, the uneasy glances thrown his way... Everything was so damn wrong.

For some reason, he missed ten months in his life and ended up in a faraway state. The thought chilled him so much that he wouldn't be surprised if he turned into a block of ice by now. Nick's eyes squeezed shut and he took a deep breath, trying to calm down but he couldn't. In the end he clutched his head with both hands, raking his fingers through his long hair and tugging hard. Thoughts raced in and out of his head - the what's, the why's, the how's - and he forgot about Faye as he focused on how to get home.

This broke his own personal record though. Of all the holes he dug himself into, this was the deepest grave.

Faye McJean
| She began retreating shortly after speaking, predicting the information wouldn't sit well with Nick. Faye hated seeing people in pain like this - knowing there was only so much she could do for him. So much for her brilliant idea to get him out of the infirmary. Exhaling, she deadpanned, "I'm not shitting you." Campers were staring, but most kept on their way. No one really had time to watch a mental breakdown.

The demigod kept her eyes on Nick as he absorbed the gravity of the situation. There were no bright explosions, bursts of plant life, or icy frosts as a result of his emotions. Faye was a good five feet from him, watching him with a new found interest. Her mind buzzed with the powers of most demigods. Water, no. Light, no. Magic, no. Darkness, no. Charmspeak, no?

She sorted out what she knew: Nick was from Arizona, his last memory was from ten months ago, whoever took him from his home had a reason to bring him across the country. "Nick, I have no idea how you got here," Faye began, her voice soft. "But - but I am going to figure it out." The demigod couldn't even look at him. "I need to know what you last remember, though. I can't help you if you don't talk to me." Her grey orbs tried to lock with his.

"You can trust me."

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