See, told you I'd update! :)

Bye bye humor! Angst takes over from here on in...

And the story switches from present to past tense, since it just seems to work better this way. Gomen!

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Dokushu Part 2

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Sanzo sat back in disgust. "Dumbass. You're drunk, not dying."

Leave it to Goku to be a violent drunk. Thought Gojyo wryly. Still, he couldn't shake his uneasiness.

"Goku, are you all right?" Hakkai stood as Goku swayed and fell to one knee.

"It's...nothing." Goku waved him away but leaned on his Nyoibo to stay upright.

Wait a minute... Gojyo realized what was bothering him. Goku knows what alcohol smells like, we drink all the time around him...so why would he say...

"Sanzo...did any of you drink the wine?" Goku asked earnestly. His insistence was beginning to unnerve Sanzo.

"No."

Goku smiled wanly and shut his eyes. "Good. Everyone's all right."

Then he collapsed to the ground senseless.

"Goku!" shouted Hakkai, out of his chair and next to Goku before anyone could even take a breath. "GOKU!!"

Gojyo's eyes were glued to the empty bottle on the other table.

"Oi, hang in there!" Sanzo knelt beside Hakkai to shake Goku's limp form.

Gojyo couldn't seem to look away from the empty bottle. 'Smells funny'...'That's the alcohol, moron. Drink it'...'Smells funny'...'Drink it...'

"Something's wrong, Sanzo. This isn't just alcohol...."

Goku was right...the wine...

The question Sanzo asked next snapped Gojyo out of his immobility.

"Will he live?"

Hakkai drew a shaking breath. "I...I don't know."

Gojyo shoved back his chair and raced around the table.

At his feet, Hakkai sat on the floor cradling Goku. The youkai child was breathing shallowly, with that now-sinister flush still coloring his cheeks. Sanzo knelt besides them, a rare flicker of concern showing on his features.

"What do you mean, you don't know?! What's wrong with him?" Gojyo shouted, getting angry at Hakkai for lack of a better target.

Hakkai looked up at him with those sad green eyes and Gojyo felt his anger fade.

"He's unconscious and he has a fever." Hakkai sighed. "He only drank it a few minutes ago. Something that acts that fast..."

"Might kill him before we can cure him." Sanzo finished darkly. "You think it was poison?"

After a moment, Hakkai nodded.

Shit. cursed Gojyo silently.

"It looks like an ordinary illness, but it came on far too quickly."

"If it looks like an ordinary illness, can you treat it that way?" asked Sanzo.

"Perhaps. An antidote would be easier, if only we knew what it was."

"Fine." Sanzo stood. "Hakkai, take Goku up to the room and see what you can do. Gojyo, you and I will search for the bastard who did this."

From the look in Gojyo's eyes and the way Sanzo was gripping his gun, Hakkai almost felt sorry for their enemy.

The obviously fake smile fell back into place, and Hakkai gently lifted his young companion. Giving his friends what he hoped was a reassuring glance, he made his way up the stairs to the room the four were sharing.

"Oi, Gojyo." Sanzo wasn't looking in the kappa's direction. Gojyo followed his gaze to the empty wine bottle.

"Did you..." He left the question unfinished.

"No. The ape drank it all."

Sanzo nodded, no reaction showing on his face. Gojyo himself was torn. All of it...the stupid ape drank it all. He wondered whether Sanzo was relieved Gojyo was unhurt or horrified that it meant Goku had probably downed enough poison to kill two people. Not that it mattered. Gojyo knew which he felt.

"Gojyo, you search outside. I'll search inside. If you catch the bastard, at least find out about the antidote before you kill him."

Gojyo nodded and the two split up to search.

I hope I get him first, snarled Gojyo to himself. They'll never find all the pieces.

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In the privacy of their room, Hakkai allowed his smile to fade as he watched Goku sleep.

He'd done this before, often in fact. It had become a regular habit, when he couldn't sleep, to watch his young friend snore. He suspected Gojyo and Sanzo did as well. The three adults were often plagued with nightmares, and on cold rainy nights there was nothing to dull the pain. So when he was tormented by visions of Kanan or the deaths of a thousand youkai, he would sit awake and watch Goku.

The monkey demon would be sprawled out over the entire bed and probably half of Gojyo's as well, snoring with his mouth wide open. But his face was so peaceful, completely innocent - Hakkai would always notice Goku's youth more when he was sleeping. A child's world empty of worry.

And so when he couldn't sleep he would sit and watch Goku, vicariously sharing in his blissful oblivion. Occasionally, he had woken to find Sanzo or Gojyo sitting up, smoking a cigarette and watching the young monkey. Hakkai gave a little smile when he wondered what Goku would think of that.

I think he'd be confused. He's never understood why Sanzo can't sleep on rainy nights. But I bet he'd be happy he could help, even if he didn't understand why. So innocent.

Perhaps that was why Hakkai now felt like crying.

Goku was asleep, but not his usual noisy slumber. He was still, hands at his sides, mouth shut, breathing evenly but shallowly. No outflung arms or half-eaten pillow. But most painful of all was the look on his face.

The poison was starting to work.

Goku's brow creased with anxiety, and sweat poured from his face. Occasionally he would mumble incoherently, but it was growing clearer and clearer as time went on. Goku was getting delirious, and it was obvious his dreams were not pleasant ones.

Hakkai smoothed the boy's hair on his forehead, wincing at the heat of his skin. The fever hasn't broken. He had already tried healing him with his youjutsu, spending his own energy to the limit, but it had done no good. Now, all it seemed Hakkai could do was watch and wait.

Suddenly, Hakkai leapt from his seat and slammed his forearm against the far wall of the room. Resting his forehead against his arm, he tried to breathe steadily to regain his calm. Just waiting, waiting for what? For Sanzo and Gojyo to return with our enemy? For Goku to miraculously recover on his own? For what?!

Never had he felt this helpless. He had sat by many bedsides in the years he had spent with Gojyo and the others. His healing ability was one reason, his compassion and natural protectiveness of his friends another, but somehow he always ended playing the nurse when one of his comrades was injured. But always before, he had been able to heal the wounds first. Before, he had always been waiting for his friend to wake up and regain their strength.

He had always been certain before.

But Goku's illness wasn't responding. There was nothing Hakkai could do. And that uselessness cut almost as deep as the uncertainty.

I couldn't protect him, I couldn't heal him, I can't help him...this is as much my fault as the poison's. I've been looking after Goku and they trust me to take care of him, but I let him down...I let them all down...

But his own pain was driven from his mind when he heard Goku cry out.

He ran back to the bed. Goku was convulsing in pain, clutching his stomach. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut and his teeth clenched, the occasional gasp or cry escaping from his lips.

Shit!! Hakkai panicked. It's starting, the poison's flooded his system-- He reached out his hands to Goku and tried to summon the green healing energy, but none would come. He had nothing left. He sank to his knees, able to do nothing but listen to Goku's cries.

And then the door finally opened.

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TBC

A/N: Tee hee! Told you I'd update soon…^_^

My poor Goku! I'm abusing my baby…*sniff sniff*…Gomen Goku-chan!

Mmmm, cliffhangers….the writer's best friend and reader's worst enemy. Sorry peeps, but I love 'em! But I won't leave ya hanging too long, I promise!

Um, I start using youkai and demon interchangeabaly from here, cuz I could never remember which I was using, so oops… Youkai=demon, youjutsu=demonic power, in Hakkai's case that glowy healing light ^_^

BTW, the title "Dokushu" is Japanese for "poisoned wine." Couldn't tell you before cuz it'd give the game away.

So…good? Bad? I'm evil for hurting lil Goku? Tell me! Review pleeeease! Thanks to everybody who reviewed the first part, you guys rock!!