Gojyo thought it close to midnight when they arrived at the dock, its two lamps still lit for the night fishermen. No people were in sight, and Gojyo was thankful for that since he had nothing to cover his head. He'd left his shirt on the island and thought nothing of it at the time.
He couldn't believe the joy he felt just to step on wood planks and walk on solid packed road. He revelled in the smell of garbage and gaslights, and the faint scent of meals cooked and eaten; meat, onion, bread. His mouth watered and stomach grumbled.
Hakkai let them into the shop, placed the dragon on the floor, and set Goku about to light lamps. He took one for himself.
"Upstairs," he said to Gojyo, and Gojyo followed him, carrying Sanzo carefully up the narrow staircase.
"Sanzo's room." Hakkai opened a door and waved Gojyo past him. He set the lamp on a dresser beside a washbasin and mirror, and hurried to pull back the sheets on the bed.
Gojyo lay Sanzo down and looked at Hakkai. "What do you need me to do?"
Hakkai smiled gently. "Nothing just yet. I've thought on the way here what should be done, though. I'm going to talk to the dragon - does it have a name?"
Gojyo shrugged. "Never named it."
"Oh. Well, I'll think of something. It seems silly to just call it - Dragon. But then again, it is a dragon, so it wouldn't be wrong." Hakkai paused, his eyes unfocused, and then he laughed softly. "Now is not the time." He raised an eyebrow. "Would it be presumptuous of me to think you'll be staying in the same room?"
"Eh...no." Gojyo rubbed his fingers through his hair, and then smirked a little. "But it might be presumptuous of me, under the circumstances."
Hakkai smiled demurely. "Very well. I'm going to gather a few supplies. And Goku - it's not nice to eavesdrop."
Goku shuffled into the room from the landing carrying his own lamp. "Sorry."
"Make up a room for Gojyo, please, and then take yourself to bed. It's late."
"But we missed dinner. And you might need me."
"I'll need you alert in the morning, when I'm tired from staying up all night. Please make it so."
"Oh! Right!" Goku nodded energetically and waved at Gojyo. "This way!" He led Gojyo to a room next door and flung it open with a bang. "Here ya go!"
Gojyo glanced around and saw the room was exactly as Sanzo's room; small and neat, with a single curtained window, and bed linens already on the full-sized bed. "Not much making up to do."
"Nah. Hakkai just worries about it being dusted and stuff." Goku set the lamp on the dresser.
"Heh. He seems the type."
"Yep! And don't get anything dirty, or he'll get all scary. You need anything? Wait! I should get you some water. Be right back." Goku ran from the room, leaving the door open wide. His footsteps thumped down the stairs.
Gojyo took a deep breath and sighed. Everything was quiet except for muffled banging below his room. It was almost too quiet and it took him a moment to realize there was no ocean breeze and no waves crashing on the beach.
"Damn," he whispered. He strolled to the bed and flopped back onto the softest and fluffiest mattress he'd ever lay on. He grinned and rolled over, found the pillow, and hugged it. It could only be better if Sanzo were there beside him. His smile faded.
He pushed the pillow aside and sat up. Where his hand rested on the bed, he could feel the sand he'd shed onto the blanket. He suddenly wanted a bath in clean water. He wanted the food he'd smelled on their way here. He wanted Sanzo to be his normal grumpy self so badly that it hurt.
He would go see if Hakkai needed his help yet. And he'd check on Sanzo. And then maybe hint at wanting something to eat, and with that plan of action, he stood and took another quick glance around the room and moved to grab the lamp.
There was a washbasin on his dresser also. And a mirror. He let go of the lamp, and stepped quickly in front of the mirror and looked.
"Shit. Oh shit, shit, shit." He covered his face and rested his elbows on the dresser. He was going to be sick. No. And he swallowed. It wasn't that bad. Just shocking. Unexpected. But not that bad.
He peeked through his fingers and slowly pulled his head up. He was aware of his own ears, but seeing them so long was strange. And the horns on his head weren't that noticeable, except that they pushed up underneath his hair making it stand out like weeds or a bug's antennae. He'd been able to feel the scars on his cheek. But around the scars was not the dry cracked skin he'd imagined. The flesh was a sickly grey-green and as scaled as a dragon, or even a fish, and it ran from his cheek to forehead. A few splotches of the same were on his chin, neck, and it was creeping across the bridge of his nose.
"I brought your water," Goku said, from where he stood the doorway.
Gojyo jumped back, startled. He had to resist the urge to cover his face with his hands now that he knew how disconcerting his appearance was. But Sanzo had seen it and made only vague remarks, and Hakkai hadn't batted an eye. Goku compared Gojyo to a water sprite. Gojyo had seen one once when he was young, and he suddenly understood why Goku thought that. It did look as if Gojyo were being turned into something.
Goku set the jug on the dresser, and took Gojyo's place in front of the mirror to look at his own reflection.
"I looked at myself every day. A lot." Goku turned around and shrugged. "But then I got used to it," he said matter-of-factly.
Gojyo couldn't find words to respond, and it must have shown on his face, because Goku suddenly smiled.
"Hakkai's really smart. He'll think of something to fix all of us."
"Before we're turned into freaks of nature?" The words were out before Gojyo could stop them. "Tch. Sorry."
Goku looked ready to say something rude, but he stopped as Hakkai stepped into the room.
"Ah, Goku, are you finished here?"
"Yep! Goodnight!" He scurried from the room and a door slammed down the hall.
Gojyo wondered if Hakkai was the sort to do his own eavesdropping, but refrained from saying it aloud.
"If you could follow me to the kitchen." He said to Gojyo and turned back the way he'd come. "I've made Sanzo as comfortable as possible. Not knowing what the poison is actually doing makes it hard though. But I think I've everything."
The kitchen was long and narrow with an iron stove and stockpot of water boiling on it, and lengths of counter with dishes stacked neatly. A large metal tub sat beside the stove, partly filled with water.
Hakkai tipped the boiling water into the tub and stepped back. "I thought you might want to bathe before turning in, so I took the liberty of drawing a bath. But if you -"
"I accept." Gojyo stuck a finger into the water and found it pleasantly hot. He stripped off his pants and climbed in and groaned with happiness. He had to sit and bend his knees, and the water only rested above his belly button, but it was perfect. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Hakkai passed him a bowl, a cloth and bar of soap. "We seem to be the same height. I've brought down some things you might be able to wear, and I can adjust them if needed."
"Again, thank you." Gojyo had already poured hot water on his head and was scrubbing vigorously. He breathed in the fresh soapy scent.
Hakkai went over to the dragon sitting on the counter, and pulled a stool from underneath and sat. He removed a case from his pocket and inside was a large gold sewing needle.
"When I was young," Hakkai said. "My sister and I were sold to an old witch." He reached out and stroked the dragon's back. "We would sew all sorts of things for her that were used in her magic. But then she died, and my sister and I were sold again, separately. I don't know what happened to her. When I was old enough, I searched everywhere and worked many a job."
He held the needle up in front of the dragon. "Just a poke." And he stuck the needle very carefully into the dragon's chest.
"I thought I found my sister once, marrying the cruel owner of some manor, and I interrupted their wedding, demanding he set her free. But it wasn't her. I couldn't remember what she should look like."
He withdrew the needle, lay it in a bowl, and patted the dragon. He picked up a small folded piece of cotton and pressed it to dragon's chest.
"And I accidentally killed the groom. His family nearly gutted me, but I escaped. Goku found me. He was lost in the woods, but he never left my side." Hakkai paused. "I think to this day, that they might still be hunting me. But as it is, I returned to the witch's home hoping to find clues about my sister. Instead, I found the magic loom still there, and this magic sewing needle. You see it draws blood to the surface. And then I can use that blood to sew that person's own special properties into the fabric. That's what I do, besides tailoring."
Gojyo had finished bathing, and was getting dressed in the clothes provided. They were snug in places, and so he left the shirt unbuttoned.
Hakkai pulled the cloth from the dragon, looked at it, and smiled. He held it up to Gojyo, showing him a red blotch. "We have what we need."
"Um. Was I supposed to help you?"
"No. You seemed quite distressed. I just wanted you to see that the dragon was neither squeezed nor killed. And, forgive my forwardness, but you needed a bath." He stood. "Let's go see what we can accomplish."
"Did you ever find your sister?" Gojyo asked as they went back upstairs.
"No. I've stopped looking, for now. It seemed more important to heal. And to give Goku some sort of structure. I think he was lost for a very long time as he seemed very uncivilized when we met."
They entered Sanzo's room and Sanzo was as pale and still as when Gojyo had lain him there.
Gojyo watched as Hakkai took the cloth and rubbed it across Sanzo's throat, leaving behind bloody streaks.
"That's it," Hakkai announced. "Now we wait."
"Do you know what you're doing? I thought he'd have to drink the blood."
"I considered it. But I have some understanding of how magic works, and it seemed correct to undo the curse in the same way in which it was done. And from what I saw, this is what she did."
Gojyo thought it sounded questionable, the same way Hakkai had said he'd had learned to sail the boat just before actually sailing it.
"No other hocus pocus?" He wiggled his fingers in the air. "No magical words - Undo what was done?"
Hakkai pursed his lips together a moment. "No," he said slowly. "But perhaps you'd also like to try the fabled, true love's kiss?"
Gojyo felt the warmth of embarrassment. He rolled his eyes. "Tch."
Hakkai only smiled and bid him goodnight.
Gojyo lingered in the room, unable to bring himself to leave for fear that their ideas wouldn't work and Sanzo would die during the night. He slumped beside the bed and leaned his head back and listened to Sanzo breath.
