Chapter 10

Kurapika joined the two about fifteen minutes after their kiss with two paper bags containing burgers, and three milkshakes. One chocolate and the other two vanilla. When he had walked in they were simply holding hands and talking quietly to each other. The only difference was that Killua was sitting next to Gon on the bed, squished up against his side in the small shared space.

Killua blushed when Kurapika pointedly stared at their entwined hands and his sapphire gaze wouldn't hold his silver stare. Gon didn't seem to mind at all and he just contentedly greeted the Kurta, all the while holding his best friend/boyfriend's hand. Kurapika blinked.

It's about time they got together. Everyone else could see it, and now they finally do too.

Kurapika gave Gon a paper bag and a vanilla milkshake. Killua received the chocolate milkshake.

"Hey! How come Gon gets a burger and I don't?" He called as Kurapika took a seat across from the bed. Gon opened the bag and pulled out the contents, two large hamburgers. "Two!" Killua exclaimed.

"Because Gon lost a lot of blood and has to regain his strength by eating. He needs it. You, on the other hand, just woke up from a coma a few hours ago after being tube fed for a week. If you gorge yourself on solid foods you'll puke." Kurapika stated as he pulled out his own food and began eating.

"Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense." The ex-assassin said. He took a sip of his milkshake.

Mmm, Chocolate.

He was content with his chocolate milkshake. He looked over to Gon and saw that he had already inhaled his first sandwich and was halfway through the second. His eyes widened a bit but he said nothing as he had attacked his now empty milkshake the same way. But it was chocolate so of course it wouldn't have lasted long in Killua Zoldyck's possession.

"So why was that doctor attacking you in the first place?" Kurapika asked, getting straight to the point. Killua tossed his empty cup into the trash can across the room.

"He was going to do something to Killua so that he wouldn't wake up so I tried to stop him."

"You did stop him." Killua stated. "That doctor had been drugging me. The nurse that would drag you away would switch out the bags she got from the doctor." Killua said matter-of-factly.

"He had been poisoning you the whole time!"

"Yeah, I think it was some sort of paralyzing toxin that-"

"Wait," Kurapika cut in, "what did you say this doctor's name was?" Killua looked to Gon who had found the doctor in the first place.

"Harold… something." Gon said, drawing a blank.

"Harold Smith?"

"Yeah that's it! Harold Smith." Gon shouted.

"Gon, did I tell you about why I was here?"

"You had a lead that led you here."

"Yes, and that lead was that the Phantom brigade member I'm after was selling some drugs on the side to earn some extra cash. The name of the person the member was selling to is Harold Smith."

"So the Phantom Brigade had a hand in this. Sort of." Killua said quietly. Gon had a tendril of smoke exiting either side of his head as his brain took the twists and turns of the conversation one by one.

"Kurapika, we're going to help you find the doctor. Then we're going to return the favor." Killua gestured to the hospital room. Kurapika nodded his head, a determined look hardening his features.

Gon was discharged from the hospital and sent home with a warning to stay hydrated and take it easy. Back at the apartment Killua set up the spare bed (Couch) while Gon got some more rest. He took a few extra quilts and a pillow and threw them on to the couch in disarray for Kurapika to figure out.

When the guest had settled in the boy with silver hair went to his room, the white door on the left. He hadn't seen it in a week but, from what he could remember, it was exactly the same. The only difference was that his pile of clothes in the corner was short one set. Two if you count the pajamas that he had been delivered to the hospital in. Leorio had just cut the bloodied shirt off of his weak body to perform the surgery, and he had gotten blood all over his pants so he just left them at the hospital.

He sighed and collapsed on the low mattress.

Home sweet home, for now.

He looked to the side and saw a faint outline of a darker spot on the already dark carpet. His sharp eyes made out the blood stain even though it was pitch black in the room. His night vison and day vison were very much the same.

He could faintly remember the day that he had woken up feeling like death was yanking him into the folds of its black cloak with a sharp, skeletal hand. He could hardly think past the overwhelming pain each breath had caused him. It was worse than any of the training he had undergone with his family. Which says a lot about the amount of agony he was in.

Before he knew what was happening he was coughing/throwing up blood over the side of the bed. He could faintly hear Gon call his name then come into his room, barely feel his hand on his back as his body released so much blood. His head spun and he began to fall, gravity being stronger than his will at the moment. Gon took his shoulders and put him on the bed. When he saw Gon his head cleared for a moment. Gon shouted something to him. He couldn't quite make out the sound, but he read his lips and understood that he was shouting his name.

He shut his eyes for a moment and felt the vibrations of Gon's yelling in his ears. He cracked his eyes back open and looked Gon square in his amber eyes. He broke through the haze of pain for a second and tried to tell his friend that something was wrong.

"Help, me…" Gon's eyes had noticeably widened at this.

"Gon… I'm so… scared." He had said as an afterthought. What was going on? Was death about to rip him away from his existence on this cruel planet? Was it wrong that for a second this was okay with Killua? He would never have to feel pain again. It wasn't the physical pain, but the emotional pain that hurt the worst. It would be gone. No more wondering why he had been born into such a sick and evil family. No more being hated by the all of the families of the people he had killed. No more guilty feelings about killing them.

It was the worst when he remembered the man he killed and then had to understand that his little baby daughter would grow up without a father. Before he had met Gon that pain had never been very present. Every once and a while he would wonder, but now it actually hurt. No more of that pain or any pain, ever. But the second was over when he realized that if death did take him then he would never see Gon again. Never see his embarrassed smile when he did something stupid. Never hear his simple naïve answers to complicated questions. He would never get to see any of the people he cared about most, though Gon was at the top of that list.

That was why he was scared. The unknown was so very frightening that he actually told Gon the truth. Granted, he was a bit drunk with the pain of cancer eating away at his insides but he still said it.

Even though those were the things that flashed through his mind then, it was the most frightening for Killua when Gon attempted to stand and leave. Was Gon going to leave him here? To die? It was his worst nightmare come true it had seemed, that Gon would leave him. A though jumped into his mind.

If I died would he even care?

Killua knew now that of course he would care. He had known then too, but he was a bit out of it at that point. He had reached up for his hand with his last reserves of strength to keep him here.

"Gon, don't leave." The reserves ran dry and his hand was taken by gravity. Before his wandering mind could comprehend what happened Gon had grabbed Killua's hand back and held it between his own.

Few sounds had gotten through to Killua before and few sounds reached him now. He had to rely on his blackening sight to read the words that came on Gon's lips.

"Killua I will always be by your side. Always." Joy spread through his body as his organs began to shut down and a small smile splayed itself on his lips before he had passed out.

Thank you Gon. For shining your light on my darkness.

He let his mind slip and fell asleep.

Hello peoples of Fanfictioness! I'm a bit tired right now from making sure that I updated tonight but it's all worth it. Summer starts in two days for me. Yay! Anyways, reviews please and thank you. And for now goodnight.