Chapter 8:

The four men that gathered in the hospital room all had grim faces. Hard, tired haggard expression were etched into their faces, like stone carvings.

"What do we do?" Master Ho asked of Li.

The young chef looked up from staring at Pucca's unconscious form. "She's unconsciously absorbing unbound chi around her. I think she's trying to preserve it, store it up... I've been channeling my Chi into her, but it doesn't seem to be enough… Maybe greater volumes of Chi?"

Master Linguin nodded. "Then we feed her Chi."

"How do we feed her Chi?" Master Dumpling asked.

"Just picture the energy in your body, like a river. Picture Pucca as a dying river near your river." The Master Chef Trio closed their eyes as they listened to Li explain. "Now take a strong steady stream of it and direct it towards her; careful not to flood her with it. That's it…"

In a matter of minutes, the Trio was exhausted. Dumpling and Linguin had visibly paled, while Ho looked out of breath. "How long have you been doing this?" Linguin asked.

"For five days, since she collapsed." Li admitted. "It doesn't look like I'm strong enough to bring her out on my own. I've asked Master Soo if there was anything he could do, but he said that it;s beyond his control- that he cannot interfere."

Dumpling flopped into the seat next to Pucca. She didn't seem too changed by the Chi-influx, but Li assured them she was getting better. "She was much paler before I started doing this…" Li reported.

"I just want our Pucca back." Ho rasped.

A tentative knock on the door alerted them that Ching was back with refreshments. "I brought some coffee and sweets from Lani's. It's not as good as jajangmyeon noodles but…" She held up the large box of confectionaries from Lani's pastry shop, the quaint little place a few streets from the hospital.

"Thanks, Ching." Li said.

She handed out the delicacies, and coffee. The sugary-packed sweets gave the trio a renewed sense of vigor. Only Li didn't touch his treats.

"Did you see Garu around?" Li suddenly asked.

The violet clad swordmaster frowned, her face darkening. "No. Not that I want to."

That got the uncles' attention. Ching wasn;t a Garu-lover, like Pucca, but she was amicable with the ninja at least. To hear the blatant loathing in Ching's voice was shocking and new.

"Ching, don't be like that…" Li sighed, placing his cup of coffee down at Pucca's bedside table.

"Why shouldn't I be like that? If Garu hadn't been playing Mr. Indecisive, Pucca would be like this!" Ching hissed.

"What are we missing here?" Linguin interjected.

"Ching, it wasn't Garu's fault Tobe decided to play chef."

"But he could have stopped him! If he hadn't been so concerned with spying on a her, of trying to ruin her evening- He could have prevented this!" Ching argued.

"It only takes a second to mess up a recipe as perfect as that." Li informed her in defense of Garu. "Not even it's creator could get it perfect all the time. Things like this are random."

"Still… I don't care if I see that pretty boy ninja again! He made my best friend cry and I can't forget that." With that, Ching stormed from the hospital room, leaving the four men to stare after her.

"Seriously, what are we missing?" Linguin demanded to know.

XXX

Abyo was pensive as he made his way to Garu's home in the Sooga woods. The box of donuts he got from Lani's bounced against his leg rhythmically. Having been outside of Pucca's hospital room at the moment Ching exploded with feeling, he'd at first become defensive of his best friend and fellow martial arts practitioner. And then, he'd become reflective.

In the past five days since Pucca's hospitalization, Garu had been scarce around Sooga Village. Almost like a ghost. No, Abyo realized, like a shell. Like he'd been the the first moment he came to Sooga Village…

A ten year old Abyo kicked at the bamboo target Ching's father set up in the garden for him to practice with until he got the hang of his kicks and punches. Dressed in his brand new orange and black jumpsuit, something his dad had bought him especially for practicing at the dojo. He'd wanted the yellow one, to look like his idol, but he'd make do with the one he had. His father had told him "I'll get you a new one. Over. If you can tear through that one. Over."

"Abyo," sang a nine year old Ching from the doorway of the dojo. "I've got lemonade…"

"Lemonade?" Abyo, distracted mid-kick, fell in a clumsy heap on the ground with a solid thunk.

"Here you go." Ching placed the glass of cool, refreshing liquid beside the recovering boy. She smiled down at him, her hair tied back in braided pigtails decorated with strawberry clips. Mmm, the young boy thought, strawberries…

She was dressed in a purple dress and matching tights, and her baby chick sat on her head, as usual.

"Where are you going?" Abyo asked after gulping down the beverage. She was supposed to be sparring or something. Ching wasn't like most of the other girls in Sooga Village. She didn't mind getting sweaty and breaking boards with furious kung fu kicks. He thought she was pretty cool like that.

"Too Pucca's house. We're decorating her room." Ching beamed.

"Isn't that a bit girly for you?" Abyo frowned.

Ching pouted. "I'm plenty girly! And besides, you missed training last week, so this is perfect. Work hard, Abyo!" And with that she skipped off, pigtails bouncing behind her.

After crunching on the ice in the glass, Abyo went back to work. "Hiya! Hiy-Ah!" Abyo struck out at the bamboo target. And on he went for half an hour before the saddest sound he'd ever heard rent the air.

It sounded like a thousand crying kittens to Abyo. It made his ears bleed. "What is that noise?!" he demanded to know.

It was coming from the Sooga woods. Grumbling and muttering to himself, the young martial artist to be skulked into the forest, searching for the source. And he found it in the form of a kid his age playing the erhu.

At first he couldn't tell if it was a human or a ghost. Its eyes were downcast and the thing seemed more like a wisp of something lingering than something alive. He realized that the thing stopped playing and was staring at him intently. It was a human.

But was it a boy or girl? Boy, Abyo decided. He wasn't wearing make up and he seemed too bony and scrawny to be a girl, even if his hair was in pigtails.

"Who are you?" Abyo demanded. As the police chief's son, he knew everyone in Sooga Village.

The boy cocked his head to one side and stared at Abyo with his big soulless eyes.

His eyes creeped him out. They were wide and dark, with nothing swirling in their depths. His skin was pale, making his eyes stick out even more on his face.

"Are you hungry?" he heard himself ask.

The boy frowned and shook his head as a strong growl rent the air. They both knew it came from the kid's stomach. Abyo outright laughed at that. The kid groaned and grunted, but still didn't say anything.

"Wanna go to the Goh-Rong? They've got great noodles."

And from there Garu had followed him to the Goh-Rong, and struck a chord in the young and headstrong Pucca.

He knocked on the door to Garu's house, frowning at the lack of appearance the ninja was making. Slowly, the door opened and a haggard looking Garu stuck his face out.

"Yeah…" he rasped.

Abyo blinked at the barely-living being standing in front of him. "Garu, you look awful."

"Thanks, man,"

"When's the last time you ate?" he demanded of his best friend.

"I dunno...Don't really remember. I think I ran out of food on Monday…"

It was Thursday. Abyo pushed his way inside and handed off the donuts. "Here, make some tea or something." He sniffed the air. "After you shower and clean up a bit."

"You know, I didn't ask for company." groused the ninja, slamming the door shut.

"Good, cuz your not exactly being good company." Abyo returned.

"Look, Abyo, I don't really need this right now."

"It looks like you do. And it's either you get it from me, or Ching and the Chef Masters are going to give it to you in the form of a beat down." Abyo informed him.

"Whatever."

Abyo stared at his friend. "Garu, you know she'd appreciate it if you went."

"But going would just make it worse for her." Garu grumbled. "Don't you see?! Can't anyone see?! I'm doing this for her."

Abyo knew Garu had a past that ran deep. You don't take a vow of silence on a whim. But he didn't know details. He didn't pry.

"Dude, just think about coming to see her. You could go when no one else is there. I know she still likes you."

"It's not the point!" Garu yelled, slamming a fist on the wall. Silence stretched between them. "Just go, Abyo… Just go…Please!"

Abyo stared at his friend hard, as if seeing him for the first time. "Some honorable ninja you are." He left without a backwards glance.

XXX

AK: This is just getting angstier and angstier… I swear, I know I set out to make this a bit deeper that Funny Love High (my other Pucca story) but this is just becoming emotional feels for all. R&R, please. *to self* What am I doing?