Hakkai pressed on growing anxious as they got closer

Down the cliff side part 5

By SW

Hakkai pressed on, growing anxious as they got closer. The tracks were fresh, they must have spent the night in the clearing. They couldn't have gotten that far right, pushing his way through the foliage, the disgruntled half-breed trailing behind him. He lifted his head when the distinct sound of branches snapping could be heard ahead of them. Hakkai broke into a run, Gojyo hot on his heels.

Both coming face to face with their missing comrades. "Goku Sanzo!" He cried happily, leaping forward he rushed the smaller boy into bruising hug. "I was so worried!" He wailed, squeezing Goku till he was ready to die from lack of air. Hakkai was very open when he was worried, the half-breed how ever displayed his worry in a more… violent manner.

Gojyo jerked Goku out of the brunette's vise like grip and promptly began beating upon the boy. Failing to hear the pained cry that was torn from the boy's throat. And failing to see Goku's eyes begin to water. "BAKA MONKEY! Where the hell have you two been!?" Yelling insults as he struck the monkey. He stopped and blinked in confusion, his hand had something warm and wet splattered across it. Turning his palm over it dawned on him, blood.

The boy began to sink towards the ground. "Goku!!!!!" Came the instant cry, catching him before he could hit the ground. Smiling exhaustedly his eyes slide closed, barely managing to speak. "Take care of Sanzo will yah?" With that the boy went limp, slipping into blissful unconsciousness. The half-breed looked panicked as he held the kid up.

In the blink of an eye Sanzo had his gun leveled between the pair of red eyes. "What the hell did you do?!" He snarled between clenched teeth. Gojyo swallowed nervously as he held up the blood-covered palm. "He's hurt." Hakkai was already at the demons side checking him for wounds. Pulling up the kid's shirt he winced. "What happened to him??????"

The boy was carried back to the clearing, and had been stripped down to his waist. Hakkai was almost afraid to touch Goku's back, it was a bloody mess. Deep scrapes and gashes covered it, and the un scraped skin was an ugly shade of purple. Apparently the closed wounds had reopened and were oozing blood. Gojyo sat nearby looking horribly guilty, and couldn't bring himself to look at the boy. Sanzo was glaring daggers at the already unhappy half-breed, and the fact the priest kept fingering his gun certainly didn't ease the tension any. Hakkai held glowing palms over the demons back, the skin healing at a speeded rate under his skilled hands. Stopping he examined Goku, the marred skin was healed but the kid's back was still one huge bruise. Sighing he sat down, watching his friends shoot each other nasty looks. The young demons chest rose in fell in a steady rhythm, Hakkai rose to his feet. Deciding he should go start dinner, he went off to go scrounge up some food. He was sure Goku would be fine with Sanzo and Gojyo around; Jeep had stayed behind to rest. The poor dragon was exhausted after the past few hectic days.

Golden eyes forced themselves open, peering blurrily at his surroundings. Rolling his head to the side, he saw Gojyo and Sanzo arguing angrily. *Soooo thirsty. * Clambering to his feet, his back still painfully sore. He took some unsteady steps, cursing irritably. He could smell water, he began blindly heading in the direction of the source. Which was located in the next clearing. Light headed he kept going till he arrived at the edge of the water. Knelling down he scooped up some water drinking it like he had been lost in the desert for a week. He just wished the ground would stop moving, he felt like he was falling. He was still standing wasn't he? Maybe he was falling, he wasn't sure any more. Wave after wave of dizziness hit him hard. Goku slumped forward, bringing his hands up to brace himself. Vertigo struck him disorientating him further. His arms gave way, sending him face-first into the icy water.

The first site that greeted him upon his return was Sanzo and Gojyo trying to kill each other. The second a rather frantic jeep, who was cooing and flying about the campsite. Hakkai gave his pet a confused look, setting down the food he had been carrying. "Jeep? What's wrong?" The dragon tugged at its master's sleeve motioning him toward Goku's empty blanket. "Where's Goku?!" He yelled turning to his friends. Both men stopped their murder attempts to give him a dismayed looks. "What do you mean?!" Two sets of violet and red eyes widened in shock at the absence of the formerly sleeping boy. Spinning upon each other they began yelling once more. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" "My fault?! You're his keeper!" "You're the one who hurt him in the first place!" "Why weren't you watching him?!" "Why weren't you?!" "If you had taken better care of him!!" Hakkai stood to the side an anger blooming in his green eyes. "BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" He finally exploded, causing them to freeze. "Go look for him! Gojyo that means you AND Sanzo! This instant!" Nodding shamefully they began looking for signs of the missing monkey.

"Here! I found his tracks!" Gojyo yelled over to his forced partner. The priest followed his led, as they pushed aside more shrubs. The trail of foot prints lead into another clearing, in the center of the space was what looked like a pond. Laying face down at the edge of the water was Goku. Both men started running, racing to reach the boy. Sanzo was oblivious to his complaining ankle, concentrating solely upon the boys still form. "GOKU?! GOKU!!!!" Hurriedly they turned the boy over, Gojyo pressed his ear upon the drowned monkeys chest. His heart skipped a beat. "He's not breathing!" "FUCK!"

**** "Look he's trying to tell us something! Jeep what is it boy? What?! Goku fell down the well??" Just had to add that! ^o^ Another cliffhanger. URK! I just wrote my own death! Images of a pissed Von-san loaming over the cowering writer, with her Killblaster 500. Eh private joke, point being she's going to kill me! ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; *********