Jet woke up the next day with a terrible pain in his stomach. When his eyes first opened, he cried out. "Smellerbee," he gasped, doubled over on his bed, clutching his stomach.

Smellerbee returned a few moments later at Kilo's heels. "Tell me where it hurts," the old healer ordered. Jet released his stomach's hold only long enough to point to underneath his rib cage. Then, his hands clutched around his stomach again. "Is it a sharp pain, or more of an ache?" Jet groaned, "Sharp." He grimaced as another pain stabbed his stomach.

Kilo frowned. "Do you drink?" Jet threw her a glance. "Drinking is for people who are running from their fears." Kilo gave him a small smile. "Can you move your hands so I can feel it, make sure you don't have any lumps?" She reached down but he pushed her hand away. "You ain't touching me, I'm going to a hospital." He tried to stand, but doubled over in pain, falling onto the floor. Longshot supported him with his shoulder, strong enough to lift him up without help. Kilo frowned, holding the door open for them. She picked Jethro up in the living room, and then they locked the house up and left.

Kilo led them to a small hospital a few roads down, Jet crying out every few steps. After nearly ten minutes of walking a route that usually only would have taken two, they reached the hospital. They climbed the stairs to the hospital on the stilts, a great struggle for Jet. When they reached the upstairs building, two doctors swept Jet from Longshot and led the group into the back room, where a sign Jet could not read hung on the door. "Where does it hurt?"

He slid his hand across the skin beneath his rib cage. Smellerbee piped in, "He was in an accident a few days back, and his ribs were broken. He lost a lot of blood in that area. Could that be it?" The doctor shook his head. "Loss of blood could not cause so much pain. But broken ribs..." The other doctor interrupted, "He might have some pieces of bone that moved?" The first doctor nodded.

They pulled out a bottle of clear liquid, and poured some into a small cup. Jet took it without hesitation, drinking it and hoping it would take some of the pain away. After a few seconds, he felt giddy despite the pain. They took light green gel and rubbed it over his stomach. "Wow," Jet said with a goofy smile. "I can't feel anything." The doctor smiled, taking a razor and cutting the skin on Jet's stomach. "Oh, I felt that." Jet said with a frown. He reached to touch the gash in his stomach, but the doctor grabbed it and handed it to Longshot. "Do NOT let him touch the cut." The doctor said sternly.

Longshot clutched both of Jet's hands above his head, not looking at Jet's stomach for fear of puking. Jet wiggled against his grip. "Let go," Jet said with a high pitched giggle. The doctor frowned. "Don't move." "Wow!" Jet suddenly said loudly, as the doctor's began to poke around inside Jet's stomach. "I feel like I swallowed something that is still alive, and it keeps moving around, and like a frog or something..." Jet continued rambling as the Doctor's pulled out pieces of bone from his stomach.

Finally, Jet frowned, and stopped talking. "That hurt," he said softly. "Ow, you guys... I can't... My stomach... It hurts!" He looked at the cut. As Jet continued yelling, the doctor's made him drink more of the clear liquid, and rubbed more of the green gel onto his stomach. Soon, he was babbling once more.

Less then an hour later, a pile of pieces of bones lay beside the bed. The Doctor's had stitched up his stomach laceration, and given him a jar of the green gel. "Keep this on that," the doctor said loudly, over his babbling. "It will keep it numb, and the pain won't be as bad." Smellerbee looked down at Jet, who was rambling about what he wanted for dinner. "How long will he be... like this?" The only doctor in the room still laughed. "Only for an hour or two. The clear liquid... gets his mind off of it, and the green stuff numbs it." Longshot smiled, looking down at Jet.

He had green gel plastered onto his stomach, and a rather thick bandage wrapped around his rib cage. There was a little blood, but not enough to make squeemish Longshot puke. Kilo, holding the sleeping Jethro, stood and thanked the doctor's, quickly leaving the hospital. When Smellerbee caught up with her, Kilo frowned. "Why does Jet despise me so much?" Smellerbee bit her lip. "I have no idea." "I think you do," Kilo said with a joking smile. Smellerbee, still serious, did not release her lock jaw on her lip. "I think I might possibly have a small idea about why he might not like you."

Kilo frowned. "Smellerbee?" She looked down at the girl; when she had first met her, Kilo had sworn it was a boy. Then she saw Longshot and her holding hands, and was ready to throw the homosexuals from her home, when she discovered the gender confusion. Smellerbee frowne dup at the old woman. "I never met her but... I think he hates you because you act like his mom."

Kilo looked at her sleeping grandson, and then back to her. "Well what happened to his mom?" Smellerbee looked away. "She died." Kilo gasped. "That is so sad!" Smellerbee shushed her, not wanting Jet to overhear.


Jin stopped by later that day, after Jet's medicine had wore off. "I saw you walking to the hospital," she explained, "but I decided to wait." Jet understood; after going to the 'hospital' to see Jin's mom, he understood why she would not want to see Jet going through anything similar. She had brought a basket of freshly baked cookies as well. When he ate one, he could tell there was no sugar in it, and that she had also used a substitute for flour. They did not taste as good as they should have, but Jet did not complain. He thanked her and told her they were delicious, as any good man should.

Jin smiled. "Your welcome." "Jin! These are great," Kilo said with a grin. Smellerbee and Longshot nodded, agreeing with them as though they tasted fine. Jethro did not complain, but he also did not take seconds like the others did. Jet told her why he went to the hospital. She paled, and looked as though ready to feint, so JEt quickly told her that he was fine. "They gave me osme medication, and as long as I keep it on there I will be fine." Jin glanced at his bandage, and shuttered. "That's digusting." Longshot nodded in total agreement.

Jin only stayed for a little while. "I have to babysit," she explained. Jet walked her outside to the front porch, the farthest he could go without something to hold onto. "I'm not babysitting," Jin said with a small smile. "I'm going to see my mom. I know that deep down, she knows who I am, and is glad that I come visit her, and tell her about dad and stuff." Jet nodded seriously. "I know she does. It's like my mom. At night, I talk to the stars. I know they don't reply, but I also know my mom is up there, watching me, and that she is glad I talk to her. Your mom is too, I promise." Jin threw her arms around Jet, pulling him into a tight hug. Jet ignored the pain, hugging her back. She pulled away, tears in her eyes.

Jet wiped them away, frowning. "Don't cry, please," he said. She smiled. "Too late." She gave him one last, softer hug and said good bye, leaving him on the porch alone with his thoughts. Did he really just admit he talked to the stars?


Author's Note: Not too pleased with this chapter, but not too dissapointed either.