I woke up in a cold sweat, clutching my abdomen like I'd been stabbed again. Light swelled within the cabin, illuminating the walls, the empty fountain in the centre of the room, the nicknacks that belonged to Matt, Ron, or other Hypnos demigods who hadn't stayed throughout the year. Fabia stood guard at the door, like always, but upon noticing I was awake crossed into the threshold.

"M'lady, Chiron wishes to see you." Where I thought she might go 'stab stab' towards anyone who wanted to talk to me while I was unconscious, she held a formal and obvious level of respect for Chiron. She helped me down the ladder as I bit my lip to hold in the pain. "He is overseeing the demigods in cabin six."

Ron was on the bottom bunk. He wasn't sleeping restlessly like when we'd come in, and I didn't have the heart to wake him when he was sleeping so soundly. Fabia handed me the crutch we had leaning gently against the bedpost, and helped me from the cozy cabin into the bright sunny outside.

Walking still hadn't gotten easier. With each step my abdomen felt like it had been freshly cut, my left arm pulsing in pain whenever my leg did. I figured it was because I was using it with the crutch, but before I woke up back at camp my arm never hurt unless I pressed on it. We made it to cabin six, a total library knockoff. It was grey building with white curtains pulled back to let light in, identified easily by the brass number six under the engraving of an owl. I moved inside with the help of Fabia, finding it as busy as the dining pavilion during dinner. When I was inside, she resumed position outside the door.

I noted a few Demeter kids mixed between the Athena campers, and a few other kids who I didn't know, but looked like they were being helpful. I spotted Tiana from support group eagerly assisting a boy with brown hair, smiling at what little success they'd accomplished. Simon and Chiron walked (er, and trotted) over. Simon looked at me happily, Chiron with a look of what could have been admiration or disdain, it was hard to tell. I liked to think of it as the former.

"Y/N, how are you feeling?" Chiron asked quickly, like my health was the most important thing right now.

"I can walk," I answered decidedly. I didn't want him to send me back to the Big House infirmary or anything. "Sort of. Anyway, you wanted to see me?"

Chiron nodded. "Yes, I did. Simon told me what happened, and I can assure you it is not your fault in the slightest. I've had heroes blame themselves before. It helps no one. Thanks to the sample you brought back, however, I believe we are almost done acquiring a cure."

My ears peaked. A cure. Perfect. If we had that done today, by tomorrow when we ambushed Tyler, we could send a second team to pour the antidote into the Lethe, and eliminate any other chance he had to distract Hades and start getting the souls to drink, forget, and stay in the Underworld where they belonged.

"After a lot of tests, and some guessing, we've figured out what's in the poison." Simon told me as he and Chiron led me to a corner of the room. The beds in the Athena cabin were pushed to one side of the room as if sleeping were somehow less important than learning from all the books they had in here. A desk that had been cleared away held two bowls, two vials, and three open books.

"This bowl has the sample of the Lethe." Simon pointed to the first one. The liquid inside seemed to measure roughly to a teaspoon of the murky liquid. Floating inside was a dead poppy. "We had to split it up very small, test different things to see what worked and what didn't, so we wouldn't use it all up. Anyway, we've determined that it's a mix of aconite, and Lernaean hydra venom."

Chiron mused, "How he got poison from a hydra and the aconite plant, I don't know. The venom from a hydra can only be obtained when it is in angered or threatened, and when it is alive. The aconite plant - rare indeed. I thought it had been extinct. With luck, we managed to research a cure."

"He says 'we' like he'd even given us a chance to research." Simon rolled his eyes. "We told him it was hydra venom, he listed two cures and told us where we could find each. The aconite stumped him for approximately long enough for me to pull a book from the shelf, but before I could open it, he told us how to cure that, too. Only thing we're having problems with now is the ratios."

He pulled open one of the vials, grabbed a dropper from a desk drawer (as if droppers were commonly needed in cabin six), and stuck it in the vial.

"Sweat of an Armenian boar paired with common nectar. Don't ask me why, but this is the cure for the hydra venom." Simon told me, pulling the dropper out with a honey-gold liquid. He placed three drops into the second, empty bowl. Chiron nodded in approval as he opened the second vial and began to do the same. Simon continued, "Aconite. An herbation perennial plant, whose leaves and roots are incredibly toxic. Cure?" He pulled the dropper out, this time placing six drops into the second bowl. "Liquid soil acquired only by the eldest member of cabin four, Demeter. I don't quite understand how Tiana got that, I don't know how you can get completely liquified soil, but I'm not complaining."

"However,"Chiron cut in, "when we put this solution in, the following occurs." He took it upon himself to take the second bowl from Simon's hands, and pour the contents into the bowl with the Lethe water. I limped forward on my crutch, winced, and looked down at the bowl.

The murky brown liquid began to bubble, with each 'pop' the poison ebbed away into oblivion. With it left the colour, leaving only milky white - the way the Lethe was supposed to look. But the bubbles didn't stop, and instead of the milky white water, the liquid turned pure black. Close, but not good enough.

"Any ratio we've tried similar to this one but not too far off doesn't react even remotely the same way." Simon said.

"None have come close to turning the sample white." Chiron added. "Alas, we are unsure of what to do. Perhaps you, a child of the Underworld's ruler, might have an idea?"

I tried to think of something, anything, but I had no clue. What could I do to help this? Yell at the water? It worked for the Acheron, yet I doubted I would have the same effect on the river of forgetfulness. I shook my head.

Chiron nodded. He'd been expecting this answer. "Simon also tells me of his plan to get you in contact with Matt?"

I nodded, eagerly. "Yes - Yes! It worked. It's weird, but I spoke to him in my dreams." I told them, taking a seat on the corner of the table for lack of being able to stand any longer. Chiron raised an eyebrow at me. I began to tell them what Matt said - about Tyler's plan and it going down Monday, tomorrow. I also slipped in our plan. Me surprising Tyler at the entrance to the Underworld, leading an army of the dead to fight and subdue him, and send people - dead or alive - into the Underworld to cure the Lethe.

I heard Fabia shuffle out of the way at the door to cabin six, and turned around to see Ron come in sleepily. He caught sight of me and hurried over. "Did you get in touch with Matt? Are they hurting him?" He asked quickly, running scrawny hands over his forehead.

"He said they locked him up mostly alone. They give him food and water, and it's important to them that he get's enough sleep. He didn't say anything about them hurting him." I told him reassuringly.

"He wouldn't." A chill ran up my spine. Outside the door, ducking under Fabia's spear to cross inside (Chiron raised a hand at her that made her grumpily turn away. I guess he had as much rein over her as I did), Caleb sauntered into the room. Crap, I thought. I didn't tell Simon about Caleb being a traitor. "Matteo doesn't tell people when he's been hurt. He's the type of guy who listens to your problems and won't indulge in his own. I'd know; I'm the camp psychiatrist."

I balled my hands into a fist, the left one tight against the wooden crutch handle. "You're the camp traitor." I spat. Conversation and discussion about what could be missing in the cure halted from everyone inside cabin six.

Chiron trotted to my side. "Y/N, that is a very serious accusation to make."

"He's working with Tyler." I replied dangerously low. Caleb played dumb, looking confused.

"Y/N, are you dizzy? Headache? You might have a concussion..." He offered.

I turned to Chiron. "Francine, a daughter of Apollo who died a few weeks ago. When I thought I was schizophrenic, I saw someone who told me her name was Francine. She told me that something was wrong. In the Underworld, she helped us get the sample of the Lethe. That sample of the Lethe," I motioned to the bowl on the desk Simon was standing behind. He was watching me like he was concerned. I hadn't told him about Caleb, maybe that was why. "And then Tyler shot her. Killed her ghost. She just wanted rebirth."

Caleb's demeanour dropped before he fixed his composure. He tried not to falter, but I knew I'd hit him when I mentioned Tyler being the one who did it, even if that wasn't the whole truth.

"Tyler told us he knew I wasn't a schizophrenic because someone - Caleb - raised suspicions when I said I'd seen Francine. The only people who knew about me seeing her were Caleb, Matt, and Simon."

Caleb jumped in before Chiron could, the other campers watching with bated breath. "What do you mean by when you thought you were schizophrenic? Y/N, schizophrenia doesn't only include hallucinations. It includes paranoid delusions. Chiron, Matt was in charge of giving her Clozapine. When he was taken, he took the pills with him. Y/N, you're just looking for someone to blame for all of this, and your mind conjured up this delusion of me being a bad guy. That mixed with your serious injuries, you shouldn't even be walking around right now. Please, let me bring you back to the infirmary."

I was mad. I opened my mouth to fight back - how this was insane, how he should just give it up, but Chiron stepped in front of me.

"Y/N, perhaps it is time you have more of a rest,"

"Chiron," Simon said behind me. "I trust her."

"I know you do, Simon." Chiron replied. I furrowed my brows. My forehead felt sweaty. "I will look into this, Y/N, but go have Terra check for a concussion. I will work on reordering your antipsychotic in the meantime. Caleb, perhaps you can shed some light on the cure?"

"Chiron, please." I clutched my abdomen tight when I moved to step closer to the centaur. "What about Matt? He was there, he knows. And tomorrow, when Tyler-" He shook his head, and I stopped. It wasn't hard to tell what he was thinking. I was insane. Caleb wasn't a traitor, and I was the only one to account for my dream with Matt telling me what Tyler was planning. Fabia grumbled from the door.

My head began to pound.

"Chiron-"

"Y/N," Chiron stopped me again.

"Y/N," Simon added. "Come. You and me. Let's go."

I couldn't tell how Simon was playing it. He said only a second ago he believed me, but the fake calm of his voice like some psychiatrists I'd met told me that perhaps he was buying into this madness.

I saw Caleb smirk at me before replacing the grin with another look of worry when Chiron glanced his way. The world started spinning. It was like with each beat of my heart the wound on my abdomen and therefore my arm grew tighter and tighter. No, this wasn't happening. They couldn't not believe me - especially not Chiron. If we didn't go tomorrow, we'd be too late. It would be too late!

"Catch her!" Simon called, as I dropped the crutch and followed it towards the floor.

~

For approximately the thousandth time within two days, I woke up in the Big House infirmary, Simon had put the headphones back in my ears and was once again holding my hand. I wondered if, but some small chance, what had just happened had been a dream. I hadn't gone to the Hypnos cabin and slept there, I hadn't seen what they were doing in cabin six, I hadn't been humiliated as a schizo by Caleb and Chiron.

Yet, when Simon looked at me, having not been asleep this time, I knew it had happened.

"Y/N, are you okay?" He asked quickly. He looked over his shoulder and called Terra over. It must have been later that evening, because the side lights weren't on in the infirmary yet and the sun was still casting a warm glow. I twitched my thumb over the buttons on the iPod nano Simon had slipped into my hand. I turned up the volume.

I didn't try to sit up this time. Even without moving I could feel the cut. I wondered if it was getting worse. I still had a headache, and I felt groggy. Though the weight on my chest came from a different kind of injury. Terra moved to my side, Fabia watched her like she was a death threat.

"I need to check for a concussion still." She said first and foremost, voice just managing above the music. "But before that... Your cut from the dieffenbachia tree, I think, is sort of..." Terra trailed off, shaking a few strands of gold hair into her face. Attention caught, I lowered the volume, if only a little.

"I think the magic surrounding the poison from the tree, which is still slowly killing you mind you - I don't know what Chiron was thinking. Anyway, I think it's keeping your other cut from, well, killing you. We had to rewrap the bandages, and when we did... Okay, let me show you."

She pulled my shirt over my stomach and peeled back the white wrap. I let her. She showed my my arm, how the cut on it was surrounded by green veins of sorts. The scar souvenir I had, that I didn't necessarily want to look at, was surrounded by the same. A few tendrils of green seemed to snake their way from the cut on my left arm over the shoulder, down my chest and to the cut. I hissed and grit my teeth when she reapplied the bandages.

After that accompanied with my lack of talking, Simon was looking at me funny. Obviously he was clued in that something was not right.

Terra continued the check up, looked for a concussion, concluded I didn't have one, and sauntered out of the infirmary after turning all the lights on - night time now.

"Y/N?" Simon questioned. I swallowed. "You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking."

"What am I thinking?" It was a fun game. What was he going to choose? I'm thinking I'm mad at him for not believing in me? I'm thinking I'm mad at him for not fighting Chiron? I'm thinking he thinks I'm insane?

But he beat me with a word. He said it very softly. He knew me very well.

"Henry." When I didn't answer, he continued. "Y/N, I believe you. You aren't schizophrenic, you saw Matt, we need to get to the Door ofOrpheus if we stand a chance against stopping this. You aren't Henry."

I closed my eyes. "My worst fear is that I am, Simon. But I'll never know. Not for sure. Pain is real, but if I've hallucinated people touching me on the shoulders before... I don't know. And the way everyone just agreed I was insane; maybe I am. Holy Hades, Simon, even you gave up on me."

He shook my hand so I'd face him. His furry blond eyebrows were pulled in tight. "Gave up on you? Are you talking about me trying to take you back to the infirmary? Y/N, that was because you looked like you were about to faint, and you did. Not only that, but I did it because I believe you. I was going to bring you back here and discuss it with you, but since you were out for a few hours I came up with a plan myself."

"Plan?" I knew when Simon was lying. His jaw would clench and unclench, sometimes he wouldn't even meet my eyes. Yet Simon wasn't doing any of that now. He truly believed me, and he really had come up with a plan to save the day. I let him continued.

"We figured out the cure. With Caleb's help, actually. I figure that gives him the credit he needs for Chiron to believe him, which is why everything we're going to do can't be known by the centaur. They don't believe you - well, most of them don't believe you that Tyler will be there tomorrow. Of course, they need to fix this as soon as possible, but what I heard from Tiana is that they're thinking of using it to lure Tyler out. Something about if you give us back Matt we won't cure the Lethe. Of course they will, but this is how they think they can save the day. We're smarter than that."

"You're smarter than that." Doubt had dissolved into admiration. Simon had always been the smartest person I knew. He was my best friend. The fact that even for a second I had doubted him made me feel guilty. Then again, this impossible year may have given me warrant to go through phases of emotions. He grinned at me, cheeks red.

"We leave tonight. I've talked Eleo. She's fifteen, but can hot-wire and drive a car. Most people don't believe you, but she's an excellent judge of character. She'll get us there by day break, so we won't be late to the party. We show up, we fight Tyler, we get Matt back, and I can sneak into the Underworld to pour the antidote." He didn't say anything, but it was obvious that even just the thought of him going into the Underworld made him feel uneasy.

"No. I need you by my side. Fabia can do it."

The legionary turned on her heel so fast my heart skipped a beat. "M'Lady, please. My duty is to protect you, and..."

"Listen to me," I added, wincing because I had stupidly tried to sit up. "You'll bring it to the Lethe, clear it up as soon as possible. I've got an army of the undead at my beck and call, the ghosts can keep me safe."