DIVINE » l. valdez

someone call a medic, wait...

did you ever wonder what it's like on the underside?

With the racers gone, Chiron took to worriedly pacing in front of the hole in the meadow as it silently patched itself. 

Harley was shaking with excitement, the voices of demigods fading into the distance as they searched for golden apples. 

Hina took the opportunity to approach Harley before he could hide from her. "Harley!"

The eight year old reluctantly turned to face Hina, his face falling. "I don't want to talk, Ina." His eyes were broken, tears already welling.

She gently placed a hand on Harley's shoulder, kneeling to hug him. "I'm sorry Harley. I just don't want you to get hurt, but I guess all I did was hurt you more."

Hina took a deep breath, releasing her grip on the kid. "If you want to find Leo, I believe in you. But I also want you to know, if he's gone-"

Harley frowned, a quiet sob escaping his lips.

"If he's gone," Hina continued, biting her lip as she considered her words carefully. "he's gonna be real mad that you're not living your life to the fullest. Promise me, keep living for him too, don't just search for him."

Her voice broke and Hina sunk to the ground. Tears ran down her face, Harley latching onto her arm crying too.

The sound of hooves caught Hina's attention, and she looked up, seeing Chiron approaching, his face apologetic. 

"You must heed your own advice too, Hina," Chiron said, concern lacing his words. "You are a shell of who you once were."

Hina's mouth opened and closed repeatedly but Chiron had retreated, returning to await the racers. 

Harley gave Hina a final hug, running to follow the centaur, eager to occupy his mind. 

Slowly, Hina rose, her body aching. Her head was spinning, trying to comprehend Chiron's words. Maybe he was right, Leo would hate to see so removed from life. But, she still felt guilt gnawing at her stomach: she should have been in his place.

A scream interrupted her thoughts and two campers stumbled towards meadow from the strawberry fields. Damien and Chiara were both covered in blood and yelling as they approached. 

Hina blinked blankly for a second before she sprinted over to them, first aid kit in hand. 

They were the first team back, emptyhanded except for a broken sword between the two of them. 

Blood was dripping from a large gash on Chiara's head, a lump already growing. Damien rushed forward, his eyes frantic. 

"Help her!" he demanded, ignoring the wounds covering his own body. 

Hina nodded numbly, her brain going into autopilot. She cleaned the wound and bandaged it before feeding Chiara a square of ambrosia. After a few other cuts were addressed, Hina set a chair up for Chiara to calm down with her concussion. 

By the time Hina had helped Damien with his own minor wounds, three more teams had emerged littered with a plethora of injuries. 

Her breathing became shallow as she took in the scene. Hina could only see chaos in her mind. Her vision blurred, as her hands shook violently. 

Voices shouted at her, everyone needing medical attention. 

Damien seemed to sense Hina's distress, his actions uncharacteristically kind. The son of Nemesis shouted at the nearest camper, asking what they needed.