A/N: Isn't it amazing how Zak can go through so many fights and adventures and come out without a scratch? Well, I love a good character whump and this provided a decent excuse. XD It's somewhat AU, but I'll try to write around the canon scenes with mine. Each chapter is a one-shot and will be rewritten episodes/scenes with an injured Zak, Zak recovering, or Zak trying to tough it out and inevitably failing.

I'll write as inspired. I'll take suggestions as long as you have a title that starts with, "Just a..." etc, kay?

Just a Headache (takes place during and just after Trial by Fire): Turns out that playing chicken with a skeleton over a volcano is just asking for a concussion.

Zak woke up to the worst headache he'd ever had the displeasure of experiencing. He sat up with a groan and rubbed his head, the most recent events coming back to him.

Blazz Waypoint. The skeletons attacking. Playing chicken with Bones -apparently, both of them had lost. Crashing and falling into the volcano.

He had hit his head at some point and blacked out. He wasn't sure what a concussion felt like, but his head was sure hurting enough to use that as an excuse.

Zak forced himself to stand, since he knew Golden Bones couldn't be far away and Calabrass was missing.

It didn't take long to locate the grumpy talking sword. Zak was grateful when the headache eased a bit, as it was tricky avoiding Bones and the Blazz guardian when everything felt like it was moving in slow motion.

He held it together with the guardian went after him and when he had to face Golden Bones, though it was a major relief when he was able to freeze the skeleton and move on.

Facing the guardian as second time and having to dive to safety really didn't help, though. It felt like the tunnel was spinning. He sighed in relief when transforming helped everything slow down to a proper speed. It was hard to not grimace when he changed back to normal and the headache returned at what felt like twice the force.

Zak was pretty sure he was running on adrenaline when he confronted the guardian long enough for Bones to get into position.

He saw the massive paw headed his way a second too late.

Zak must have blacked out for a moment, because he was suddenly twenty feet away from where he should have been and Golden Bones was holding Calabrass.

Not good.

Once again, Zak had to make himself stand. He waved his arms and yelled for Calabrass, blinking hard when his vision doubled. His voice had a weird, echoy edge to his ears.

It was pure luck that Zak caught Calabrass before the blade could stab into him. Calabrass said something, but Zak was too busy trying to keep himself upright to even try to understand.

Leaping from stone to stone was pure torture. He miscalculated at one point and almost skidded into the bubbling lava. Calabrass yelled, making Zak's ears ring, but the boy rebalanced and glanced at the guardian.

Golden Bones was doing his job of distracting the beast well, but he was hurting and getting backed into a corner. Neither of them had long before the guardian got them.

With that thought in mind, Zak forced his legs to respond to his commands. He made the last few jumps to the Waypoint. He paused to glance at Bones and his eyes widened when he saw him pressed against the wall.

Zak lifted Calabrass and drove him into the Waypoint. He fell to his knees from the force and stayed there, closing his eyes to the blinding light. Having his head down and eyes closed felt heavenly just then, and Zak didn't want to move…

"Zak! Zak, wake up!"

Zak flinched at Calabrass' yell right in his ear. He opened his eyes to glare at the sword.

"Ya can't let yerself fall asleep," Calabrass snapped at him.

"What are you so worried about?" Zak mumbled. "I just… need a break."

"It's been five minutes already!" Calabrass said. "This volcano's about to blow its top, and I don't know about ya, but I don't want to go with it!"

Right. Exploding volcano. Much as Zak just wanted to not move until his crew could find a way to reach him, they likely didn't have that long.

Standing took way more effort than it should have, and Zak had to lean on Calabrass while the floor tried to decide what angle with which to stick. Once he could decide which way was forward, Zak hauled into the open.

Golden Bones was crouched nearby on one of the stepping stones. He was clutching his ribcage like he hurt, but Zak still couldn't figure out how the skeleton could actually feel pain.

"How're you?" Zak asked.

Bones straightened and glared. "Well enough to rip that sword away from you."

Zak rolled his eyes -an action he instantly regretted and had to close his eyes for a second. "Save it for next time, huh?"

Bones snorted. "That's all you have?"

"I've got a splitting headache, and if you don't speak quieter, I'm not taking it easy on you next time I see you," Zak informed him.

"As if I need you to take it easy on me," Golden Bones sneered.

His voice was quieter, though. Zak just hoped that it was really Bones talking quieter, and it wasn't his hearing giving out. Was hearing loss a symptom of concussions?

After a bit more of the half-hearted banter, the pair made their slow way to where they had first fallen into the volcano. While that way was blocked, it was the only way in or out that either had noticed.

As luck would have it, the stones blocking the entrance were dragged out of the way moments after Zak and Bones arrived.

Zak, who was holding Bones up the best that he could when the skeleton had suddenly groaned and slumped over, waved a hand and even managed a bit of sarcasm as he asked what had taken so long.

The next few minutes were a blur as Zak felt like he was running on automatic. He was unsurprised when Golden Bones ordered the crew to be grabbed once everyone was safely above ground, but had to wonder if he was imagining things when Cece and Carver nodded to each other and Carver declared Bones to be unfit to lead at the time.

Zak laughed giddily as the two sides walked away from each other, attracting a startled look from his crew.

"Are you alright?" Cece asked.

"J-just fine," Zak said, wincing when his tongue stumbled over the words.

Luckily -or, maybe, unluckily- Cece took him at his word and they all boarded the Chaos. Zak nearly fell as he crawled over the railing, but laughed it off. He had a hard time stopping his laughter, actually, and had to turn it into a cough.

"Are you sure that you are not hurt?" Cece asked.

"Fine," Zak said with a careless wave of his hand.

Zak didn't want to let himself relax, in case Golden Bones forced the Demoniac after them or Carver had a change of whatever it was that took the place of the skeleton army's heart. He faked a smile and cheery words to calm the worried crew.

The Chaos' legs unfolded and the ship landed on a stone arch above the lava. He ran across the surface and leaped through an open portal. He landed on the Dezer sands on the opposite side with barely a bump, but Zak still stumbled backward and had to grab the rail.

"Have ye lost yer sand legs?" Calabrass asked, half-teasing and half-concerned with Zak's lack of coordination.

"N-no, everything's fine," Zak said with a shaky smile.

Zak stood straight, but he could see his friends were no longer convinced. Cece quietly ordered Caramba to give him a health scan, as if Zak couldn't hear her. Clovis had materialized nearby, and he watched Zak with a scared frown. Crogar was looking from Zak to the others, then back.

Just as well, Zak figured. He was too tired to care what they thought since he knew for sure that they were out of danger.

"Guys," Zak said in a pathetically small voice, body starting to waver. "I'm n-not so fine."

"By lands, somebody take me before the Captain impales himself!" Calabrass ordered harshly.

Zak's vision blurred. Someone grabbed Calabrass from his weak grasp. Large, firm hands grabbed him when his legs finally gave out. Cece was saying something, but it sounded distant and garbled.

Zak gave up on remaining conscious, and let himself slip away.

There was something cold and wet on his forehead.

Zak tried to move his head away from the wet, but only managed to roll his head to the side. The sensation left briefly, then returned colder than ever, irritating Zak to rousing some more. As he did, he became more aware of other sensations.

He was laying on something soft, and his head rested on what felt like a pillow. With the exception of his forehead, he was nice and warm. His head still ached, but laying down had helped the pain immensely.

After a moment of relishing in the lessened pain and soft warmth on top of him, Zak realized that someone was talking nearby.

"Come on, Zak. You have to wake up."

The voice sounded like Cece, but Zak had never known her to sound so close to tears. He couldn't stand it, and focused on waking up his body some more.

"His vitals have steadox," Caramba's voice.

"Zak will be fine, then?" Crogar asked.

"I'd be less concerned if he would wake up," Caramba said.

The cold moved away and didn't return. Without it, Zak found he was drifting off again. While he didn't mind sleeping off some more of the pain, the worry in the crew's voice made him think that it wasn't the best thing to do.

With a groan of resignation, Zak wretched his eyes open.

Cece was standing beside him with a rag. Caramba was beside her with his digital face showing that he was calculating. Crogar stood behind them, and Clovis floated over them all with Calabrass in his hands.

"Oh, Zak Storm!" Cece said when Zak's eyes opened. "You must stay awake."

Zak snorted and quirked up the corner of his mouth. "Hey, I'm the Captain here."

Cece smiled back at him. "Not until you are better."

Clovis dropped down to float right over Zak, making Cece back away. "Are you okay? You suddenly got as pale as… well, me!"

"I'm okay," Zak told him. He reached for Calabrass, but Clovis floated out of reach.

"Nuh-uh," Clovis said. "Calabrass said you can't touch him until you've fully recovered."

"Recovered? From what?"

"A concussion," Caramba said, face changing to show worry. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Zak shrugged uncomfortably. "It was just a little knock to the head. I didn't think it was that bad. Cece's always telling me I have a thick skull."

"And be glad you do," Cece said, leaning against the frame of what Zak then realized was his bed. "You had us worried enough as it is."

"Aw, you were really worried?"

Surprisingly, Cece didn't tease Zak back. Her face turned serious as she said, "I was afraid of something happening to you, as I would for anyone on this crew."

"Crogar afraid that Zak was really hurt," Crogar said.

"I wasn't worrox," Caramba said, though the expression on his digital face said otherwise. "I knew Zak would be fine. Just, uh… don't do it again, okay?"

"Yes, please!" Clovis said while nodding hard. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to my first friend -aside from the Chaos, of course- I've had in years!"

Calabrass snorted and added, "This crew would fall apart without their captain."

"Aw, you guys, don't get all sappy on me," Zak pleaded, feeling himself flush.

Cece smirked at him. "We can be 'sappy' all we want. Maybe you will learn your lesson and not do this to yourself again, hm?"

"Yes, yes!" Zak said with a giggle that wouldn't have escaped if his head wasn't still loopy. "I promise to at least try!"

Caramba sighed, digital eyebrows drooping. "I think that is the best we'll get out of him."

Zak giggled harder. Pretty soon, everyone else joined in, more in amusement at their loopy captain than Caramba's statement.