Chapter XXIII: The Sickness
LES: Starts off right where the last chapter ended.
Samos had always complained about the tingling sensation that one experienced when traveling though Warp Gates. But Jak had never had trouble with it; in fact, you could say he rather enjoyed the feeling.
However, what Jak had once found enjoyable now made him sick to his stomach. Within a second, Jak was back in the Power Station. Jak landed on his feet, walked to the center on the Station and fell to his hands and knees, groaning.
Daxter popped out of the gate, followed closely by Vin. Daxter noticed instantly that his friend was not waiting for him, arms crossed, and demanded why he was so slow. Instead, Jak was in the center of the room on the ground. He covered his mouth with his hand, like he was going to be sick. "Buddy? What's wrong?" Daxter asked, running to Jak's side.
Jak groaned. "I don't feel so good." As if to prove this fact, he promptly emptied his stomach on the floor.
"Oh my God!" Was all that Daxter could say.
"Your friend is sick." Vin said, staring pointedly at one of the many computer screens. He couldn't stand watching people regurgitate, it made him sick.
"Thank you, Mr. Obvious!" Daxter said sarcastically, helping Jak to not fall in his own mess. "Now a little HELP would be nice!"
"Oh! Uh… um… I'll call Torn!" Vin said, pulling out a TalkBox and punching in Torn's number.
Jak, though very sick, stared at his own vomit. "There's no… Dark Eco…" He said.
"What?" Daxter asked, because he didn't understand.
"Thank the… Precursors…" Jak managed to gasp before he passed out.
"Oh my God!" Daxter repeated as Jak's limp body almost crushed him.
"Torn? Your guy here is very sick. He needs to be picked up right away." Vin said into the TalkBox.
"Jak?" The voice, obviously Torn, asked on the other line.
"I guess."
"I'll send some people over." Torn said, and then he hung up.
Daxter, however, ignored all the commotion. "Come on, Jak, buddy." He said to Jak's prone, unconscious form. "The Oracle thing said that you had several months to live. Don't you dare die, Jak!" But Jak was unconscious and couldn't answer even if he wanted to.
Ten minutes later, a small Underground task force arrived at the Power Station. The men had brought a stretcher with them, along with a first aid kit. However, none of the men seemed to be able to figure out what was wrong with Jak, so they couldn't help him.
"Let's just take him back to the Hideout to see the Doctor." One of the men said after a full five minutes of arguing. "Doc will figure out what is wrong with him."
"Well, what's taking you so long?" Daxter demanded. "Let's get Jak out of here!"
The men lifted Jak's limp form on the stretcher and carefully covered him with a sheet. "To hide his identity, see." One of the men explained. "We know this is Haven's Most Wanted and if the Guards realized that he is in this weakened state, they will stop at nothing until he's captured."
"I see your point." Daxter said as the men carried Jak out, Daxter following closely, forever at his friend's side.
Back in the Hideout, Jak was laying down on his own bed, still out cold. Daxter stood on the nightstand, Torn stood in the doorway, while a doctor examined Jak to determine what was wrong with him.
Finally, the Doctor backed away with a sigh. "Well, Doc, what's wrong with him?" Daxter asked.
"Nothing." The Doctor answered.
"Nothing?" Daxter repeated. "But… what about the puking and the unconsciousness?"
"Well, as far as I can tell, this man is perfectly healthy… if you ignore the fact that he is most obviously ill. He seems to be in some sort of coma… but I can't figure out why."
"A coma?" Daxter demanded. "But people can stay in comas for years!"
"Oh… I doubt we'll have to wait years for a development." The Doctor said.
"So… Jak's gonna be alright?" Daxter asked, relieved.
"I… I don't know." The Doctor said. "For reasons unbeknownst to me, his vitals are very low… almost non-existent. I fear that if he does not wake up soon… he'll never wake up."
"You mean… Jak's going to…" But Daxter couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. "But… that's not possible! The Oracle said he at least had several months!"
"You are his friend?" The Doctor asked, Daxter nodded. "Does he have any relatives… close relations should the worst happen?"
Daxter shook his head. "No… none." He said. "He never even knew his parents and everyone… except me… is gone."
"What about his… er… affairs?" The Doctor asked.
At first, Daxter wondered why this doctor was concerned if Jak had a girlfriend… many, so it seemed. Then it occurred to him that he was talking about a Will… things like that. "Jak doesn't have anything." Daxter said.
Torn shook his head, speaking for the first time. "Dying without a thing in the world."
"You look like you need some good news." The Doctor said, seeing Daxter's sad expression. "The good news is if he pulls though the night, I'll give him a fifty percent chance of making it."
"Well, that's good." Torn said. "I've got a bone to pick with him when he wakes up."
Daxter rounded on Torn, angrier than he had been in a long time. "What is your problem?" The Doctor walked out. "Can't you see he's sick? He could die, and all you think about are your own stupid problems, not realizing that people have their own! Jak's days are numbered, and that number is too low for my liking! Even if he gets though this, he's gonna die in a few months anyway… so what's the point?"
"A few months?" Torn asked, slightly taken aback by this, but he recovered. "Well, since his days are numbered anyway, maybe you can answer me a simple question."
"What's that?"
"What exactly… is your friend?" Torn asked.
"What do you mean 'what is he'?" Daxter demanded. "He's an elf, just like you are… like I… used to be."
"Oh yeah? I've never seen an elf look like this…" Torn pulled out a mirror. "In a mirror."
"Crap." Daxter said, realizing that Torn must've snuck a peek at Jak in a mirror. However, the situation could be redeemed. "Oh, I see you found my trick mirror." Daxter said. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"Wrong." Torn said. "This is Tess' mirror. Now what the hell is he?"
Daxter sighed, realizing he was cornered. "I don't know how much I can tell you without Jak getting angry with me. Guess I'll start at the beginning. Jak spent the last two years in the Baron's prison. During that time, him and fourteen others were tortured and experimented on by our one and only Baron Praxis."
"Him and fourteen other men?" Torn asked. "Are you saying there are others like him out there?"
"No." Daxter said. "According to Jak, he's the only survivor."
"What exactly were they doing to him?" Torn asked.
"Uh… as far as I know… getting injected with Dark Eco."
"But… only a Channeler could handle the effects of raw Eco. And I've never heard of anyone, not even a Channeler, being able to survive Dark Eco contact."
"Well, Jak here just happens to be one of the best Channelers in the world. He probably could've become an Eco Sage if he set his mind for it. He had such a natural talent for Eco… he could handle Dark Eco in small amounts without lasting damage… and once…" Daxter paused, realizing how stupid this was going to sound. "He even channeled Light Eco."
Torn scoffed. "Now I know you're telling tales, rat. Light Eco is a myth, it doesn't exist."
"It exists as much as Dark Eco does or any other kind of Eco." Daxter said.
"Okay, moving on." Torn said. "Why is the Baron so bent on capturing him?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Daxter asked. "Jak here is one of the most power biological weapons the Baron ever created! He has more natural cunning, strength, agility, and speed that three elves! He is probably the most powerful being on the planet! The Baron would do anything to get his hands on a weapon like that!"
"So… he's a great weapon… but what is his purpose?" Torn asked.
"Uh… don't ever call Jak a 'weapon' in his presence, okay." Daxter said. "It's not like he enjoys being a weapon. As for his purpose? Well, Jak said the Baron wanted super-warriors to destroy the Metal-Heads. But now all Jak wants is to kill the ones who changed him into what he is."
"How ironic." Torn said. "I can assume that you are going to stay here for the night to see if he pulls though?"
"Yes." Daxter said. Then Torn walked out without another word. Daxter sighed, and then went to check Jak's forehead. But it was so hot, that Daxter couldn't even touch him. "Come on, Jak. Ya gotta pull though." Daxter whispered.
That night was one of the longest nights of Daxter's life. He sat on the bed the entire night, waiting for some sort of change in Jak's condition… one way or another.
He couldn't understand what was happening. The Oracle had given him several months to live, and it had only been three weeks since they spoke to the Oracle. It wasn't Jak's time yet. What was wrong with him and why wasn't he waking up? Why was this even happening?
Jak didn't deserve any of this. It was said that the Precursors punished the wicked for their deeds. But if Jak had done something to deserve this, he didn't know what it was. Jak had once been the prime example of how a good, well-mannered boy should act. Daxter got that speech all the time from his parents!
"Why can't you be more like your little friend, Jak? He's such a fine boy." They'd say.
Daxter glanced at the present-day Jak. He doubted the people of Sandover would believe this was the Jak they knew and loved. He was a cold-blooded murderer. He was a man who could change into a horrific beast straight out of your deepest, darkest nightmares. Here was a man who wasn't a man anymore. He was a weapon, designed for the sole purpose of destroying the Baron's enemies. Now, he was a weapon that had turned on his creator.
Daxter perked slightly as Jak seemed to shift in his coma… but perhaps it was just is imagination, making him believe that he had seen movement. Daxter wondered if Jak was dreaming about something and if he was… what was it about?
(Flash-Back)
A bright flash of light blinded him, and then quiet suddenly, he was laying in a patch of grass. The young boy with green hair slowly pushed himself off the ground and gazed around at his surroundings. He appeared to be in some sort of forest, though he couldn't remember seeing it before.
Where am I? The boy wondered. Then, a more pressing question: Who am I? He couldn't remember who he was… not even his name!
The boy got up from the ground and put his hand against a near-by tree for balance. The boy opened his mouth to say something along the lines of 'Who am I?' But instead of his mouth forming the words, a strange grunt escaped his lips. The boy slapped a hand over his mouth. Can't I talk? Why can't I talk? What's happening to me?
Suddenly, a twig snapped to his right and the boy spun around. A figure that was only slightly taller than himself stepped though the leaves.
He was a short man with green skin, poofy hair with a log tangled in it, and he wore robes and log shoes. A little girl, younger than himself, with blue hair and green eyes, accompanied him. These people felt familiar, but the boy couldn't quite place them.
"Oh, Jak." The old man said, walking over to him. "We've been looking all over for you."
The boy blinked. Jak? Is that my name? He couldn't remember beyond the forest, so he couldn't say if that was his true name or not.
The little girl reached over and tugged on the man's clothes. "Who is he?" She asked.
The old man sighed. "You two don't remember a thing, do you? Odd…" Both the boy and the girl blinked. "I guess you don't remember. I suppose this is for the best."
Remember what? What's going on? The boy, who could only be called Jak, wanted to scream, but only a frustrated grunt escaped him.
The old man seemed to realize what was happening. "Don't try to talk, Jak. You never could."
Jak was confused. This man seemed to know about him. Was he his father? Where was his mother?
The old man sighed. "I guess I'll have to explain things to you." The old man paused, looking from Jak the girl. "Keira…" The little girl looked up. "You are my daughter and you've always traveled with me." The old man turned to Jak. "Jak, my name is Samos. Though I am in no way related to you by blood, I've watched over you for years. Both your parents are… gone. You've been traveling with myself and Keira for a long time now, looking for a home."
Jak blinked. He couldn't say if the stories were true or not, but they were all he had. He had no choice but to accept the stories as fact.
"Come, Jak." Samos said. "There should be a nice village around here." Samos and the girl, Keira, walked off toward the south. Jak hesitated slightly before following.
(Coma-like state)
Jak watched as his earliest memory was played before his eyes. Why was he being forced to watch this? It was the day that Samos, Keira, and himself had arrived in Sandover. Samos and Keira took the house on the island while Jak was given into the care of his 'Uncle.'
Why was he asleep for that matter? The last thing that Jak remembered was the sickness in the Power Station. Oh God, what if I'm still in the Power Station? What if I was recaptured? What if I'm back in prison? What if Erol's trying to kill me again? Jak stared into the abyss that trapped him, trying to see though the darkness, but to no avail. What's happening? Jak yelled into the void.
(April 30, 2269, Morning)
Daxter glanced at the clock on the wall, seven a.m. It was morning. Daxter glanced at the bed that Jak still occupied quietly. Daxter could see his chest rising and falling as he breathed; a good sign.
The doctor gave him a fifty percent chance of making it if he pulled though the night, which he did. However, he knew the doctor would tell him not to get his hopes up until he woke up or gave some sign of life.
"Wake up, Jak." Daxter pleaded. "I'm not leaving your side until you wake up, I promise."
(May 7, 2269)
It had been one long week since Daxter swore to remain by Jak's side until he woke up. However, that time was yet to come.
"That's amazing, isn't it?" Tess asked, standing outside Jak's door.
Torn, who had been walking past, paused. "What? It's amazing that a man could spend a week in a coma without either dying or waking up?"
Tess frowned at Torn. "No! It's amazing that Daxter could be so loyal to his fried that he would sit with him for a whole week waiting for him to get better."
"Oh yeah, that." Torn said.
"Well, I think it's rather sweet." Tess sighed.
"You call it 'sweet', I call it 'gay'." Torn said.
"Torn!" Tess scolded. "Well… even if they were gay, how could there be a… relationship between an elf and a… a whatever Daxter is?"
"Daxter let it slip that he was once an elf. How or why he changed, I don't know… they could've been…"
"Oh shut up." Tess said, picking up a tray that she had been carrying prior to the conversation. The tray carried a small supply of soup and a glass of water. (The only type of drink the Underground had a ready supply of.)
"Don't you need rat food?" Torn asked. He knew that Tess had been bringing Daxter a tray of food every day. Funny, Torn had never seen her act so with anyone else.
"You have a very cruel sense of humor." Tess said lightly, pushing open the door and walking in. Torn rolled his eyes and walked away. He had better things to do that wait for Jak to wake up from his sleeping death. Tess walked over to the small chair that Daxter had occupied for the past week, ever watching his friend for any sign of life. Tess placed the tray next to him, while he barely seemed to notice her presence. "Any change?" She asked politely.
"He muttered something earlier." Daxter said. "I couldn't understand it, but it definitely was something."
"Well, it's good that he's speaking again." Tess said brightly. "It could only be a matter of time before he wakes up."
Daxter blinked. "I miss the silence."
Tess had no idea what he meant by that, but she figured that it was none of her business, whatever it was. Instead she offered him the tray. "Do you want soup?"
However, it seemed that Daxter was in one of his rare foul moods. Instead of accepting the soup, he knocked it out of her hands. Hot soup flew though the air. If it was fate or chance, no one knew, but a fair amount landed on Jak.
And then, to everyone's surprise, Jak's eyes shot open, he sat up swiftly and screamed: "I can't take it any more! Just kill me!" Then, while everyone was blinking, Jak leaned over the side of the bed and vomited all over the floor.
Once he was done being sick, he looked up at Daxter and Tess, who still couldn't believe that Jak was awake, sick, but awake. However, Jak was just as confused as they were. "What's happening? Where am I? Where's Erol?"
Daxter recovered first and spoke loudly. "Whoa! Calm down! You are in your room in the Underground hideout. Erol's out there somewhere and you've been in a coma for a week!"
Jak tried to absorb all of this information. But all he had so far was that he was in the Underground hideout and Erol wasn't torturing him again. "What?" He asked in a strained voice that reminded him of the first times he had used it… his mouth just didn't say the things he wanted it to say.
"Listen buddy." Daxter explained while Tess continued to stare. "For the past week you've been so sick we thought you might die. You were in a coma and no one could figure out why." Daxter trailed off as Jak turned green and puked over the side of the bed… again. "I guess you're still sick…"
Jak finished puking and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Thanks, Mr. Obvious."
Daxter turned to Tess, smiling. "He has the ability to be sarcastic. He's gonna be okay."
Suddenly, and right on time, the Doc walked in. "Oh! He's awake! That's good… and very odd…"
"What's odd?" Daxter asked while Jak retched again. "Good lord." Daxter commented. "How many more times can you puke? You haven't eaten anything in a week."
"Hmm…" The Doctor hummed. "I was just coming to say that I thought I knew what was wrong with him. But now that I see him awake, that blows my theory right out the window…"
"What? What?" Daxter asked.
"His symptoms were remarkably close to Eco Poisoning, with deliberate mistakes. But I've never heard of someone waking up from an Eco Poisoning coma." The Doctor turned to Jak. "Have you recently come into contact with any type of Eco?"
Jak let out a growl that turned into a groan. "Listen, I'm in pain, I've been in a coma for a week, and I think I'm gonna be sick again, so can I please be spared stupid questions?"
Daxter sighed, and then turned to the Doctor. "Yes. Yes. Dark."
"I only asked one question." The Doctor said.
"But I know what you are gonna ask." Daxter said simply. "Are you a Channeler?' and 'What type of Eco have you been in contact with'?"
"So, am I gonna live?" Jak asked.
"Yes, it appears so." The Doctor said. "However, I suggest you stay in bed for at least a week, and then stay inside until you're fully better."
"How long will that take?" Jak asked.
"Two weeks." The Doc said casually.
"No way! That means I will waste a month in here!" Jak protested, even though he knew it was no good. He knew Doctor types, fully content to keep you in bed for months on end until you were better. Why, in Sandover, medicine was a bowl of soup and bed rest. If that didn't fix the problem, you were basically screwed. But Jak gave up with a sigh and leaned back into the bed. "Fine." He spat, clearly showing his contempt for the situation.
The Doctor left, followed by Tess and Daxter, leaving Jak alone. As another wave of sickness washed over him, Jak began to get that feeling that many know…
Have you ever been on a long trip away from your parents or family and then you get sick? Being sick makes you long for familiar things. Jak began to fall victim to this illness, a feeling of homesickness.
The room in which he 'lived', though familiar, lacked the feeling of safety that he took for granted in Sandover. And he suddenly realized just how much he missed his friends.
Tess walked back into the room carrying another tray of soup. When Jak looked up at her, she said, "You haven't eaten in a week. I thought you might be hungry."
Jak didn't really trust himself or his stomach at the moment, but he didn't tell Tess that. "Thanks." He said simply.
Tess waited a second for him to start eating but when she saw that wasn't going to happen; she turned and walked out.
And now that Jak was alone again, he could continue his self-pity. Funny how a near-death experience and knowing that you're gonna die in a few months anyway can make you become really honest with yourself.
He missed everything about Sandover. The ocean… the trees, the people, Samos… Jak had spent half his childhood helping Daxter clean his hut. Uncle… Jak missed him terribly. The Sculptor… Jak had spent the other half of his childhood chasing down that muse. The fisherman, Daxter's parents… who became sort of a replacement for a mother and father that he never had… Keira…
It was then that Jak's heart broke. While it barely showed on the outside, on the inside, Jak was crying out in pain. If only he could find her and tell her that he still cared for her as much as he did the last time he saw her. She was like his little sister, and she meant more to him than the universe. But how would that particular reunion turn out?
'Hey, Keira. It's me, Jak! Yes, I'm a wanted criminal, not to mention a murderer, with a nasty habit of turning into a Dark-Eco powered monster. Oh, and by the way, I'm gonna die a horribly painful death in a few months. So, can we just pick things up right where they left off?'
'Oh, Jak, I don't care how much you've changed, how many people you've killed, or what sort of demons live inside you. Just know I'd do anything for you!'
Even inside his head, the words sounded stupid, he knew there was no chance of that ever happening… ever. However, if he was going to die, he only wanted to finish three tasks: kill Praxis, kill Erol, and tell Keira that he still cared about her more than anything.
Jak's thoughts were interrupted once again by the sick feeling of bile rising in his throat. He leaned over the side of the bed and vomited right on the floor, joining the large mess of bile that was already on the ground. Once he was done, Jak's first thought was that he pitied the guy who had to clean up after him.
Thus, the week passed. The only thing that really happened to Jak was living with his head in a bucket and/or toilet, whichever happened to be closer when he had to be sick.
Most of the Underground got sick of the constant retching and volunteered for long-term assignments.
It also became unspoken rule among the children of the Underground to avoid that stretch of hallway between Jak's room and the bathroom. If you somehow caused a delay in his rush to a toilet, you would be treated to a vomit-spectacular. Not to mention you would suffer, not only Jak's displeasure, but also the wrath of the man in charge of cleaning.
Thankfully, like all vomiting, this didn't last long; only a few days. However, even after it stopped, the Doctor forced him to stay in bed for the full week. Once his week was done, however, he still wasn't allowed outside.
For the first few days, he still got to rest; Torn simply ignored him and didn't tell him to do anything. Jak thought it was too good to be true, and he was right. On the second day after the bed rest was over, Jak was given a long list of 'house-hold chores' commonly referred to as 'Maid Duty'.
It seemed that even though Torn couldn't send him out, he was determined to use Jak's time inside to his full potential.
The only thing to be said about the next two weeks was that Jak learned how to clean the Underground Hideout until even Torn was satisfied. At first, Daxter found the sight of Jak with a mop in one hand and a bucket of soapy water in the other rather amusing. But he was singing a different tune when Torn told him to help.
Finally, after two weeks toiling away, exactly two months since his escape, Jak threw the mop across the room. It was safe to say that he now hated that mop and everything about it. "I never want to touch another mop again!"
"Yippee!" Daxter yelled, throwing his sponge across the room to join Jak's mop. "You can go outside without the Doc giving you a lecture about health crap!"
"You know… I've been thinking a lot lately." Jak said. "I might just know how to get at Praxis!"
"Jak, you've just gotten better and now you want to celebrated by killing someone?"
"Exactly!" Jak grinned before stepping outside the Hideout for the first time in a month.
LES: Only one more chapter before the end of Act I! So how's this for an update spree? Seven chapters! And the next one will be on the way very soon.