This chappie is dedicated to Goku-Chan, because she nearly begged for a new chapter! :) and because she's my most faithful reviewer for this fic. Thanks to all my other reviewer's too1 Love ya guy's!
And for those of you how wondered; this will NOT be a deathfic. Alrighty? Then on we go.
Hakkai whipped the door open with such force, that it was nearly torn from its hinges. The moment the old healer had indicated he could go, he made for the door at a near run. If he had had to spend another second in that room, with it's stench of blood and sweat that he knew too well, the contents of his stomach would threatened to make themselves know. Hakkai leaned heavily against the wall for support. He felt mentally and physically exhausted. The Saru's screams and whimpers still echoed in his mind, like a banshee's cry, to loud and painful to comprehend. He clutched his head, and let his weary body slide to the floor. Burying his face in his hands he pondered the fate of the Sanzo party. He let tears stream unrestrained down his cheeks.
Gojyo had to know. He had to know the saru's fate. He made his decision not to be the last to know. He wasn't sure how much longer he could have spent with that monk. Part of him had wanted to comfort, while the other part had simply wanted to jump across the table and strangle the arrogant asshole with bare hands. So Gojyo left instead. As he ascended mournfully up the stair case Gojyo spotted Hakkai sitting slumped outside Goku's door. Gojyo could visibly see Hakkai shoulder quake with quiet sobs. The Kappa's heart froze with fear.
"Oh no!" he whispered softly.
He rushed to Hakkai's side and pulled his friends face up to look him in the eye.
"Hakkai what happened?! Is Goku...?"
Suddenly the small, withered, old women stepped out into the hall. Her Ancient features looked draw and sorrowful. Gojyo and Hakkai both froze, body's taunt with anticipation.
"Is the kid gonna live?" Sanzo spoke now. He must of come up the stairs with out the notice of the others.
"For the moment," she croaked, "But he won't be that way for long, unless we work quickly. Your young friend has been poisoned with the fruit of the Black Yukiko vine. The poison is transmitted through open wounds. From the point of entry it begins to attach the body's major organs."
"The effects are high fever, delusions, convulsions, and eventually death. The poison is very potent and that, doubled with the severity of the wound itself, stacks the odds very high against the victim. If your young friend wasn't a demon, there's a good chance he would have al ready been dead before I got here."
The Sanzo party looked on in horror. The horrid realization hit them then. The saru was going to die...and there was absolutely nothing they could do. Hakkai remembered the felling all to well, as did Sanzo and Gojyo.
"However, there is one thing we can do. There is an antidote, made for the indigo petals of the Haru flower. They grow in a small grove on the other side of the Chiyo Forest."
"Well, the why the hell are we just sitting here..."
"Hold your ambitions, young one. The forest holds many dangers. Hordes of demons guard the Haru groves."
Hakkai abruptly stood up.
"The danger is of no concern to us. Gojyo and I will go after the flower."
Hakkai's tone left no room for argument. He turned to Sanzo.
"Stay with Goku Sanzo. You're the only one he asked for. He needs you."
With that Hakkai turned and ascended down the stairs, followed by Gojyo. The old women turned to him, as she opened the door to Goku's room. Sanzo took a deep breath and stepped inside.