12 - Lit Gets a Lit Redemption Arc

                                    

                                          
There wasn't a lot Apollo could've brought back that would've surprised Via.
Or, at least, that's what Via thought until Apollo returned, not only with an elephant, but Lityerses.
When she saw Leo leading him over to her with an arrow would in his thigh, she seriously considered refusing to heal him. And judging by the look on Leo's face, he wouldn't mind if she did.
Unfortunately, though, at the end of the day, Via had a healer's instincts. She couldn't not heal him, otherwise she'd feel guilty and useless. So she had him sit down in a chair while she stitched him up and Leo got back to fixing Festus.
Via had been expecting the Son of Midas to make snide remarks while she worked, but for once he seemed to have nothing to say. He just sat, looking utterly dejected, as Via finished bandaging his leg.
"Better?" she asked.
Lit merely nodded.
"I don't suppose I could ask what happened and why you're here?"
"The emperor decided he no longer had use for me and decided to kill me," Lit said dully. "Then he used me as a shield when the Huntresses came. Your father ordered Valdez to bring me back here. I don't know why."
Via looked around at the bustling mess of Waystation residents. Josephine and Emmie knelt by the sofa where Georgina lay shaking, crying, and giggling. Emmie tried to get the little girl to drink some water. Jo dabbed Georgie's face with a washcloth. Every time they tried to put her on the Throne of Memory, she shrieked and thrashed, chanting, "Apollo, death, death, death!"
Over at Josephine's workstation, Leo was inside Festus's chest cavity, using a welding torch. The dragon had curled up as tightly as possible, but he still took up a third of the room. The side of his rib cage was propped open like the hood of a Mack truck. Leo's legs stuck out, sparks showering the floor around him. Festus didn't seem concerned by this invasive surgery. Deep in his throat, he made a low, clattering purr.
Calypso dashed around the room, bringing food, drink, and medical supplies to the rescued prisoners. Some of the them, the long-term residents at the Waystation, made themselves right at home, helping themselves to the pantry, rummaging through cabinets with familiarity. 
Deacon and Stan sat at the dining table, trying to pace themselves as they chewed pieces of fresh bread. Hunter Kowalski stood in a tight circle with the other Hunters of Artemis as they muttered together and cast suspicious glances at Lityerses. 
The dracaena, whom Via had learned was named Sssssarah (yes, with five s's) had discovered the kitchen. She stood at the counter, holding a basket of fresh henhouse eggs, swallowing each whole, one after the other.
Jamie, the tall, sturdy wrestler type, was up in the griffin roost, making friends with Heloise and Abelard. The griffins allowed him to scratch under their beaks —a sign of great trust, especially since they were guarding an egg in their nest (and no doubt worried that Sssssarah might see it). He'd changed out of his wrestling costume and now wore a caramel-brown business suit with an open-collared dress shirt. 
The rest of the freed prisoners milled around, nibbling on bread and cheese, staring in awe at the stained-glass ceiling and occasionally flinching at loud noises, which was completely normal, seeing as they'd just been freed from prison. Agamethus floated among the newcomers, offering them his Magic 8 Ball.
Via turned back to Lityerses. "I'm not sure either. But now you have a second — er — third chance. I promise we won't kill you." She packed away her medical supplies. "Well, I'm going to go make sure Deacon and Stan aren't eating too quickly, and then I need to do another round of check-ups to make sure everyone is healing properly. Holler if you need me, okay?"