In and out, in and out, oh why didn't it stop…? In and out, in and out, veins showing through the thin layer of skin, fading in and out as the lamp swayed above. It took half an hour at least for Ryu to realise she was awake, lulled by the gradually slowing creaks of the lamp; increasing every moment she became more and more aware of the fact that she was alive and lying under a thin stale sheet on a stiff and lumpy bed. It wasn't only her eyes that felt like dead weight, her whole body did. It took all the motivation and a bit of anger at the light, for her to simply open her eyes. The world was blurry at first before she was shot with a beam of strong light before it tilted away.
"Son of a…" her voice was hoarse and croaky, she didn't recognise it. She shifted her weight to one side before receiving a wave of warning spasms of pain shoot up her left arm.
"—the heck…!" Ryu hissed groping for it as she subconsciously recoiled into a ball. Her arm flopped down uselessly, she realised she couldn't move it and why?
Most of the pain erected at the collar bone, Ryu tried to sit up noticing the flimsy thin white dress, stained and short as she reached up for her shoulder. She touched metal, the shock was staggering but she didn't look, her thoughts darting else where 'Hakkai…where is he?'
She tumbled off the table, shoving the poor old trolley beside her and spilling all utensils over the white and blemished tiles like a hospital operating room. Drawing her arms beneath her she looked up, it was an operating room, but primitive. It was gloomy for the only source of light came from the lamp above, there was a cabinet in the corner, and bin crammed with blood stained rags. The door was left hanging open. 'Why'd they take me here?'
It was eerie without a doubt, she realised an instant that something was terribly wrong with the atmosphere, empty, cold and lonely. She looked up at the shaking lamp and gripped a scalpel. Someone was here not long ago…
The four surrounded a table pilled with food; characteristically Goku shovelled loads into his mouth. They were otherwise silent, besides the sounds of chewing, sipping and occasionally Hakkai asked for another bottle of sake.
Gojyo was particularly bummed that he'd to stick his leg up on a stool; it was seriously downing his reputation with the ladies. He glanced depressingly at a passing waitress whom dropped a large proportion of beef and plum sauce on the table between Gojyo and Goku. No luck.
Whilst, swallowing his steak whole Goku stabbed the juiciest looking of the bunch, however he crossed chopsticks with Gojyo. Showdown time!
"Mits off monkey, gotta swallow before you grab something else, it's a bonified rule,"
Goku swallowed "Since when pervert?"
"SINCE now, got a problem!?"
"HECK YEAH! THAT'S MINE!"
"NO WAY! I got the busted leg that gives ME first dibs! You steal from the sick?"
"You're only sick in the head!"
BANG! SHATTER!
The two, who'd flung their hands over their heads, peeked down at the plate, the slice of beef was blasted in two, sauce and shattered plate scattered the table. Hakkai simply clapped at Sanzo with a stupendous grin as if he'd finally learnt something new that was obvious from the start.
"Got a problem?" Sanzo clicked back the revolver, but they shook violently, before Sanzo sat satisfied. The waitress came by again... cautiously. Gojyo and Goku glimpsed each other and the next plate, suddenly Goku knocked back Gojyo's poor leg, forcing him to howl as it thumped hard on the floor and snagged whatever was there.
"I'LL NEVER BE FUCKIN' HAPPY WITHOUT A BULLET IN YOU!" Sanzo snapped, shooting.
"Too late remember!!" Gojyo snapped, clawing at the plaster. Sanzo clenched his teeth and sat down silently, frankly they all suddenly drew eerily silent and still. Goku dropped his chopsticks, shocking them really and shoving the plate towards Gojyo, though he'd his head turned away as if he was about to put down a long loved pet and couldn't watch.
"This's only a one off 'cause you're even more useless one legged!" he yelled reassuringly "And we gotta get to that Houto place soon…"
"Yeah…" they muttered looking down; they'd had nothing else on the mind recently feeling discretely guilty for lounging around in a hotel waiting for their best chance. It was rare that they'd… 'Happy' moment if you may, as on their way west. Then again their normal moments had included five people in one crapped Jeep nowadays…
Hakkai uncomfortably squeezed his elbows; Gojyo wasn't the only one handicapped.
Puff, puff
"Hello?" No one answered Ryu as she staggered along a grimly lit hallway, clinging to the walls and the stolen blanket, her left side particularly heavy "ANYONE!?"
She bit her lip "Of course, somethin' musta happened em good for nothin' bastards…" she grinned letting her legs buckle, it would be hard to get back up "I leave em and look what happenz… crap I can't even fri-jen talk, how pa-thetic…"
She stared up at the flickering beams of lights above, wondering grimly when they'd finally die, her mind faded into her subconscious thoughts remembering what'd happened in Hazel's castle. How long had it been since then? Where were they? Did they abandon her with some sick quack that probably forgot about her and took the down payment? Was Hakkai alright…? Were they?
"I'm…" she tried to squeeze all the breath out of her lungs to rid herself of that suffocating thing stuck in her chest. It refused to go and she squeezed her numb arm hard, to reinsure herself that it'd be useful still, that she'd be useful and not be left behind since her only skill was fighting "really… worried,"
The scream of a kettle made her jump, agitating her abused shoulder painfully. She stared down the length of the hallway, a door was streaming in strong light and there was a clink of glasses, a waft of coffee freshen the stale air. It relieved her yet she couldn't stop that sense of anxiety welling.
"HEY SOMEONE THERE!?" the whistling kettle likelier smothered her voice before it reached the end of the hall. Reluctantly she stood and crept towards it, never had it taken so long to walk twenty meters.
"Man…" she puffed grabbing the door way at last "That better be some good coffee…"
She looked in with a grin, but backed out gapping.
"It's only instant…" Nii hummed.
Author: Not very eventful, but I felt the need to put in a chapter that least gave some realistic time to Gojyo's thigh to mend, despite his insane demon skills. Oh by the way, is Nii creepy enough? Frankly I've been dwelling over my poor interpretation of him, he's quiet scary in the manga but I don't think I've achieved it. Oh and this chapter is especially dedicated to D.A.N as it was her birthday on the 5th! Yes I didn't forget!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
