I'm not certain this is complete, but it's been sitting on my hard drive for months now and begged to be released. I'm taking suggestions for how this should continue, if it should. Also taking suggestions for titles that don't suck.

The clatter of an ashtray as it hit the ground was not an unfamiliar sound in the types of dining areas they frequented. It was, however, not usually a sound associated with Hakkai.

"Oi, Hakkai," Gojyo said, mild annoyance warring with surprise and exhaustion in his voice. It had been a long day, but Hakkai was never this clumsy. Not Hakkai. "What's up with that?"

"I'm terribly sorry, Gojyo," Hakkai replied, his usual calm tone overlaid with the weariness they all felt. He leaned over to retrieve the dropped item, and managed to crack his head on the edge of the tabletop in the process. Wincing, he redirected himself and successfully retrieved the cheap aluminum dish. Moving slowly, he placed it back in its former position, rubbing the place where his head had contacted the wood.

Goku looked up, mouth full of noodles. He swallowed quickly and asked curiously, "You ok, Hakkai? Why'd you bonk your head? Are you sick?"

Hakkai smiled weakly and rubbed at weary eyes. "It's nothing, Goku. I'm merely overtired, and it's very difficult for me to judge distances without concentrating."

Goku looked confused, so Hakkai elaborated, "Your depth perception relies on using both your eyes. Usually I can compensate for my lack, but as we all know, it has been a very long week."

Sanzo snorted at that, tapped his cigarette into the recovered ashtray. They all knew it had been a long year, and there was no sign that it would be letting up any time soon.

Hakkai rose from the table. "I believe that this is a sign for me to go to bed," he said with a sigh. He wandered carefully out of the eating room, just managing to avoid bumping into the doorway and the serving girl near it. His bowed apologies were too quiet for them to hear, and he disappeared into the sleeping area of the inn.

The trio watched him go.

Goku swallowed his most recent mouthful and looked vaguely thoughtful for a moment before asking, "So if his eyes don't work right, how come he always drives?"

Sanzo and Gojyo met each other's glances with something not quite worry.

It was a good question.

So what happens next? Do the rest of the boys try to 'help'? Yeesh, can you picture Goku trying to drive! Hmm…