Author's note : Well this one is actually the first part of a very very long chapter. Later I decided to split it up into two. Enjoy!!!
Summary : Hakkai faints and gets a fever. How is Sanzo going to react? Will Hakkai flip out upon seeing Sanzo or not?
It burns. It burns all inside his body. Flames, red flames come out of his body and burn him up. And he screams out the loudest scream he owns, as if he is trying to win against the torturing pains at every cm cubic of his body.
And then he is awake, with the worst feeling someone could have when he wakes up at noon with his clothes all soaked with his own sweat. Instinctively Hakkai does a general, but personal check up on his own body to ensure himself that it is all only a dream. A bad dream, just like a monster hiding inside a cupboard. Nothing else.
Hakkai wipes cold sweat off his forehead, and tries to think clearly. It is already okay for him to stay in this place for some times, but… well it is noon and what the hell is he doing sleeping at this time??!!! Not that he hates this pleasant activity……
Aah…. It feels so dry.
No wonder, we are in a desert, he scolds himself.
But… it really feels so dry. Is it another dream following the previous dream? Surely not. It is much better to be a dream. He is so thirsty. The thirst burns his throat. That would explain the "burning" feeling he had just now.
Water. He needs some water.
He begins crawling around in search of something to drink. Why doesn't he walk? Well a good question but his knees just feel so weak he doesn't believe he can ever walk again.
And Goku comes in at the right time.
"Hakkai, you are awake!" he greets him with this enthusiasm, which Hakkai doesn't expect from him right now.
It doesn't mean anything good when anyone looks so happy to see you awake. That meansHakkai hasn't just had a nice little nap. Something has happened to him, something that caused him to wake up some time later---or when he has such a bad luck, never to wake up again.
"Goku, why am I…" begins Hakkai, but Goku pushes him back to his bed.
"You must have some more rest! We will talk about it later. How do you feel then? Dizzy?"
Hakkai stares at Goku.
"Why dizzy? What happened?"
Hakkai makes some movements to stand up again and Goku pushes him back again.
"My, Hakkai, you can really be very stubborn sometimes!" utters Goku.
"Ehh… sometimes?"
The youth scratches his head and grumbles.
"Why did I use this word actually? I mean, I don't know that you can be so stubborn like this, Hakkai."
"What happened?" insists Hakkai.
"Oh, okay… you suddenly passed out. We were all a bit in panic… and… well…. Then you didn't wake up for about three days and…. Now you look healthy, that is good." He explains briefly.
Suddenly a strange flood of dizziness attacks him and so he lets himself fall back to his bed. So..... he fainted. Strange things have happened to him till now. And suddenly he fainted?
"Gojyo said… maybe you have been working too hard for us.. this cooking, you know… sorry because I always eat so much… I won't eat that much again."
Goku looks at him sadly.
"Be well soon… it is just not great without you."
Hakkai smiles.
Goku's face brights up.
"Anything I can do for you, Hakkai? What do you want?"
"Ehm.. when you don't mind… could you get me some water?"
"Yo, how are you?"
Hakkai already sits on his bed as Gojyo comes. He is smoking a pipe full of tobacco.
"Got totally stressed out here, I guess…."
"Well… I can't remember properly what had happened… Why did I faint?" asks Hakkai, trying to sound as relaxed as possible.
"Hmm… Remember our last conversation?"
Hakkai shakes his head.
"You were just by Sanzo and I asked you how it was. You didn't answer properly and then you said that you need some refreshing…."
Yes, that's right.
"Well, he is not in the best condition, after all."
"What do you mean, not in the best condition?" Goku forced himself to ask, seemingly worried.
"He is just like usual, don't worry. And I need some refreshing out there."
He walked carefreely out of the tent. Then his view became blurry and… he fainted.
"Gojyo…" he whispers nearly.
"Hn..?"
"Would you get me some water?"
Hakkai is grateful that he can stay in bed that day. For the first time since he lands in this place, he has found a time to think. About what has happened till now, what is happening and what will happen in the next times.Will he ever come back to his real world? To his three friends, continuing the journey to the west?
Some golden lines fall on his face, and so he put one hand over his face. But then the golden lines increase in such an intensity that Hakkai wonders if the tent is now gone. Hakkai opens his eyes slightly.
Well, it is not gone, but that more sunlight shines upon him now is true. Someone is standing just next to the opening and putting it aside.
No, not putting it aside. Holding it aside.
The golden hair of this someone ensures Hakkai that it is Sanzo. Being himself a bit cranky at that moment, Hakkai suppresses the urge to ask Sanzo if he intends to come in or not.
So he lets Sanzo stand there, not even able to see his face. But then Sanzo finally decides to come in… that's a good thing, since it is not good for a sick person to take a sunbath.
It's somehow all dark over him. Hakkai opens his eyes fully now, to see Sanzo's surprised expression looming over him.
"So you are awake. Did I wake you up?"
"No, but the blazing sun."
Sanzo looks at the opening. Hakkai stares at Sanzo.
Sanzo looks back at Hakkai. Hakkai is still staring at Sanzo.
A short "Oh" comes from Sanzo's mouth, and that's all.
Does Hakkai wish more? Oh yeah he does.
But unfortunately Sanzo is not at the mood to say more than that.
So a very deep silence fills the time, waiting for someone to speak up.
