Audentis Fortuna Iuvat

"How are you feeling?" A soft voice asked and I blinked, looking up at a pair of unfamiliar blue eyes.

"Like utter crap." I groaned, sitting and holding my head in my hands to brace against the pain of a still- throbbing headache. "How did I get here? The last thing I remember I was at the ruins and then… nothing."

"You fainted. It's nothing too major, you're just exhausted." The boy sitting next to me handed me a drink of what looked like amber. "Here, drink. It's a powdered unicorn horn mix one of my brother's put together." I took the drink and drank gratefully, it tasted sweet, like honey fresh from the comb. He continued talking, "My name's Richard, by the way. I'm a son of Apollo, as you've probably already figured. I mean, I've dark hair like my mother but who else would be at an infirmary in the middle of the night, right? I've seen-"

"Hold on, did you just say it was the middle of the night?" I blinked, trying to gain my bearings. I was in the log cabin of the infirmary with its uniform white sheets between the beds. The infirmary was lit, but outside the un-curtained windows, the only light I could make out was emanating from the moon somewhere far above what I could see through the frame.

He grinned goofily, "Yeah. It must be weird, I guess, waking up all disorientated and stuff. You've been here before though, haven't you? You must have because you're familiar and I hardly go anywhere but the infirmary since I'm on nightshift and well, no one really wants to come and hang out with me in the middle of the night, do they?" He chuckled to himself. "Didn't your hair use to be way longer? Did you cut it?"

I smiled weakly. "Yeah, I did. And I have been here before a few times."

"Oh? Are you a clumsy one, then?" He joked.

I shook my head, "Not really, no. It's more mental issues. Depression, anxiety, you know," I coughed to clear the tightness in my throat, "nothing too serious."

"Oh." His grin faltered for a second before relighting quickly on his face. "Well nevermind that, now. Richie here will help you get better! If you ever need any help or just someone to talk to in the middle of the night when everyone else is asleep, just come and see me! I'm here all night, every night but Sunday. Come to think of it, how would breakfast sound on Sunday? Dinner for you, that is?"

It took me a moment to realise that he was asking me out on a date. He definitely wasn't a bad looking boy, dark hair, blue eyes and a smile almost too big for his face. He was tall and quite fit for someone who spent his nights walking between sickbeds, and he definitely loved to talk.

I shifted uneasily, unsure how to respond, "But I barely know you."

"You can get to know me, if you'd like?" He offered. "It doesn't even have to be a date, just as friends?"

I managed a smile, "I suppose it couldn't hurt much, could it? I think I'd like that, Richard."

"You can call me Richie." He told me, his grin nearly bursting at the seams. "I'll meet you at the dining pavilion at 7:00 pm. It's okay if you decide not to and don't show up but it'd be nice to make a new friend."

"Thank you, Richie." I said.

He picked up a clipboard that had been resting on the table, "Do you think you can walk?"

I stood up, "Easy as pie."

He laughed warmly, "Come on, let's go and get you cleared for release, then."

Notes