How the protagonist is dealing with the conflict in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest

In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest, the protagonist (Chief Bromden) has started to let on that he is not deaf and dumb. One of the characters; Mcmurphy, is rebelling against the "Big Nurse" and when he offered the chief a piece of chewing gum one night, the chief said "Thanks". The reason this is special is because chief Bromden doesn't talk. Ever. The whole ward thinks that he can't hear or speak, but now he has told his life story to Mcmurphy.
I think that Chief Brombden trusts Mcmurphy, and that is why he is talking. He believes that Mcmurphy will understand how he feels, and what he has been through, which Mcmurphy does.Chief Brombden is scared to tell anyone else that he can hear though, because he has been to secret meetings where things he shouldn't know were discussed. I think that some of the things Chief says happened at the meetings, like doing weird experiments on a patient, are another part of his imagination. On the other hand, the weird moments Chief has where the world slows down are becoming less frequent. I think that maybe Mcmurphy is exciting Chief and he is starting to come out of his wierd shell.
I really like how this book is coming along and I really want to keep reading to see what will come of Mcmurphy's invasion.