Author's note: I have no idea where this part came from…but I like it. It's somewhat of a style break for me, but as an interlude, it somehow works.


The silence in the room is broken by footsteps pounding down the hall. The door bursts open, spilling Goku, Gojyo, and a double-armload of food into the room.

"Sanzo!" Goku drops his load on the table and launches himself at the monk sitting in the chair.

Surprisingly, the monk's only reaction is to growl, "Shut up, you're too noisy." His eyes don't leave the thin, still form on the bed.

"Sanzo, you're okay!" Goku cries gleefully, oblivious.

"Shut up. You'll wake Hakkai," Sanzo repeats distractedly.

Gojyo looks up sharply. "You let him go to sleep?" His voice is incredulous and accusing.

Sanzo's eyes narrow. "He's exhausted, he needs to rest." The monk's tone is defensive.

Gojyo dismisses the threat implied by Sanzo's glare. "He's drained," he corrects, "He needs to eat." The redhead hands Sanzo a package of something hot. "And so do you. Hakkai made a point of mentioning that you don't eat enough. Goku!" The monkey de-tangles himself from the monk. "Help me get Hakkai sitting up."

Goku and Gojyo wrestle Hakkai's limp form from a fetal position into a more upright posture. Goku props the unconscious man against the wall and begins calling his name in attempts to wake him. He considers slapping Hakkai gently, but the exhausting healing Hakkai's done in the last few days has left him looking twenty years older, and Goku does not want to risk hurting the very frail-looking body of his friend. Gojyo has been rummaging through the food on the table, and now is filling a bowl with something hot and semisolid. He spares a moment to glare at Sanzo, who has been watching Goku moodily and ignoring the food in his hands.

"Eat," Gojyo says firmly as he passes the bowl to Goku. "Here. Start spooning that into him and see if he'll swallow."

Goku nods and forces Hakkai's mouth open, then awkwardly deposits a spoonful of some sort of porridge into it. Reflexively, Hakkai's mouth closes, he swallows, and then his mouth opens again, as though his body knows how desperately it needs fuel. Goku slowly gets into a rhythm of spooning food into Hakkai's mouth as soon as it opens. Sanzo eats mechanically, watching intently as Goku steadily empties the bowl and exchanges it for a full one from Gojyo. That one, too, is steadily emptied, and joins the first on the table as the third bowl is handed over.

"Hey, Gojyo, he's still unconscious. How much should I feed him?" Goku's words hold a touch of worry.

"Just keep spooning it into him. He can still eat, even if he's unconscious, so we're going to feed him until either he wakes up, or he can't hold any more." The calm assurance in his voice seems to erase Goku's doubt.

Halfway through the third bowl, Hakkai stirs slightly and his eyes open halfway, but he only stares blankly ahead and obviously isn't seeing what's in front of him. He seems to become more alert as the bowl empties, eyes slowly focusing on Goku and roving slightly, taking in the sight of Gojyo and the table of food. His eyes focus again on Goku and he looks like he's trying to form a word, but every time he opens his mouth, Goku fills it with porridge. When Goku turns to exchange the empty bowl for a fourth full one, Hakkai's hand shoots out and latches onto Goku's wrist. Goku looks at him in surprise, and watches Hakkai's mouth work for a few seconds before any sound comes out.

"S..an..zo?" The name is barely a croak, and slightly unfocused green eyes pin Goku in their panicky stare. Hakkai is breathing rapidly, hand clamped firmly and almost painfully around Goku's wrist. There is a long moment of silence.

"I'm right here," Sanzo says in an uncharacteristically soft and gentle voice.

Hakkai's head whips around and he stares blankly at Sanzo before seeming to actually see him. "Oh! Thank goodness!" Hakkai cries in profound relief, letting go of Goku's wrist.

Sanzo looks extremely guilty for an instant, and then the look is replaced with concern as Hakkai's eyes roll back and he slumps against Goku, once more unconscious.