Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Okayama Summer ❯ Chapter 15 ( Chapter 15 )

*Here we go again. This is a rather short chapter, but it's CUTE!! I like it, anyway. ^^;; A small note here: if you have any ideas you think will help the story (no romance, though... PLEASE...), go ahead and say so. ^^ And, when I get the time, I'll re-write some of the earlier chapters, and re-post those. ^^ More replies to reviews, coming up... To xT-Zealot: Why, yes I am! Thanks for noticing! ^^ To Draconis Spirit: Hmm... I suppose I have slowed down. >< Oh, well. I'm trying to pace myself here... I'm not exactly sure of how this story is going to end yet. To Chibi lauryn: MUAH!! ::glomps:: Thank you! >^^< To The Sh33p: ... o_o;; Sure... practice... ::whacks self in the head with a frying pan:: To Wolf Eyes: ^^ Thank you!*

Chapter Fifteen

It was around lunchtime the next day, and Gohan was completely and utterly bored.

He had absolutely nothing to do but lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. The rest of the Masaki household had gone out today, on a visit to Tenchi's aunt's ("I can't wait to see Taro again!" Sasami had said to him cheerfully as she had handed him his breakfast that morning). I suppose this is what I've done every day since I got sick, Gohan thought, and let out a sigh. Though... before, I was too sick to be bored...

Should I get up, then?

He considered this for a moment, then glared at the ceiling and struggled into a sitting position. "I will."

Filled with a sudden desire to accomplish something, Gohan pulled himself out from under the covers and sat precariously on the edge of the bed. His head was beginning to throb, but only slightly, and I'm not going to let something stupid like that beat me. He took a deep breath, and stood up -- only to fall down immediately afterwards.

Gohan blinked, then figured out what had happened and sighed heavily. "Okay... I have to go slow, I guess..." He grabbed the edge of the bed and hauled himself back onto it, then stood up again, being careful not to move too quickly. This time his legs held, though he could still feel his knees shaking violently.

"I'm standing." Gohan suppressed a laugh, and tried to tell himself that this wasn't much of an accomplishment. It didn't work all that well. "I feel so tall... WAAAHHHH!!" After attempting to take a step, he had fallen over again. Flat on his back, he stared at the ceiling, then groaned. "This is so STUPID." He managed, once again, to get to his feet -- then looked around, wondering what to do next. "I suppose..." he muttered to himself, "I could change my clothes, like Sasami said..." They did feel quite grimy. "But..." He grimaced, and turned his gaze on the bedroom door. "... then, I'd have to make it all the way into Tenchi's room..."

Gohan didn't actually have any clothes of his own -- the ones Washuu had found him in had been practically ripped to shreds. He had been borrowing clothes from Tenchi for the first two weeks, who had told him that, on the next trip out to the town, they would get him some of his own -- but that had been before Gohan had fallen ill. The boy hadn't seen Tenchi for days -- and he hadn't seen Ryoko, Mihoshi, Kiyone, and Nobuyuki for over a week.

"I wonder," Gohan murmured, brushing his hair out of his eyes, "if they've forgotten about me...?"

Hastily brushing this thought from his mind, he clenched his fists and took a step towards the door.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I wonder how Gohan's doing...?" Sasami lifted Taro from her lap, setting him onto the couch beside her, and sighed, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

Tenchi's aunt, who was sitting on the floor folding clothes, looked up. "Gohan?"

"A boy's who's staying with us." Washuu had just entered the room, drying off her hair -- she had just come from the onsen, where Tenchi, Ryoko, Aeka, Mihoshi, Kiyone, and Nobuyuki were now. Taro saw her almost immediately, and squealed in delight, reaching for his foster "mother". Washuu saw him, then smiled and made her way over to the couch.

Tenchi's aunt frowned. "Well, why didn't he come with you...?"

"He's been sick," Sasami explained, handing Washuu Taro's bottle as the said mad scientist picked the baby up and began to feed him. "He's been doing better, though."

"Exactly," Washuu said severely, glaring at Sasami. "He is doing a lot better... he'll be fine. Stop worrying about him so much."

Sasami sighed. "I know, I know..."

Tenchi's aunt smiled, going back to what she had been doing. "Ah, to be young again..."

"I know, isn't it great?" Washuu exclaimed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With a groan, Gohan fell onto Tenchi bed, having exhausted himself from the trials of dressing himself and, indeed, getting to the room in the first place. Rubbing a bruise that had developed on one of his knees, he sighed and buried his face in the blankets. "This is horrible," he muttered, his voice muffled. "I should be exercising more... so I can get stronger... but I'm so EXHAUSTED..." He frowned, and forced himself to sit up. "I think I'll be fine, if I just made myself do something..." He tensed suddenly, and glanced at the open door. Ryo-oh-ki, in her child form, was peering into the room at him, her face curious. Gohan relaxed, and smiled at her, surprised. "Ryo-oh-ki... I thought you left with the others..."

Ryo-oh-ki shook her head, and walked over to sit next to him. "Miyami miya miya miya, miya miya miyamiya miya miya miya miya." She hugged him. "Miya miya miya, miyamiya."

Gohan blinked, then laughed and hugged her back. "I missed you too, Ryo-oh-ki." He sighed. "I missed everyone... I feel like I've been gone for years, instead of just days." He paused, then stood up. He could do that now, at least, without wavering. "I've got an idea -- let's go downstairs and get something to eat. I'm REALLY hungry... it's about lunchtime, right?"

"MIYA!!" Ryo-oh-ki cried. She looked as if she wanted to dash downstairs, but, instead, she grew to about Gohan's height and held out a hand, offering to help him.

Gohan shook his head, determined. "No... I can do it by myself. Really!" He added, seeing the skeptical look on the humanoid cabbit's face.

Ryo-oh-ki observed him carefully, then shrugged, and turned around, running out of the room. Gohan could see her revert to her normal height as she reached the stairs. Gritting his teeth, he set after her, his legs shaking only slightly.

Everything was fine until he reached the stairs. Gohan gulped, and leaned heavily against the wall. The downstairs floor, far below, seemed to be mocking him. Just TRY it, Gohan... you can do it... you can do EVERYTHING...

"Shut up," he muttered, and, not loosening his hold on the wall, braved the first step. Nothing happened. His hands slid to the banister, and he took another step down. Still nothing. His confidence mounting, Gohan took another... and another... just a little faster each time. "Hey, Ryo-chan!" Gohan called cheerfully, using Sasami's pet name for Ryo-oh-ki. "I think I'm gett-- AHHHHH!!!!" He cut himself off in mid-sentence as the leg with the bruise gave way, and he fell face-first down the remaining five stairs.

Ryo-oh-ki appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, a carrot in each hand and another in her mouth. "Mmff?"

"I'm... fine..." Gohan said weakly, attempting to get up and failing. "Ermff."

Ryo-oh-ki's eyes bulged. "MMRF!!" She set her carrots on the counter, then ran over to the stricken boy. "Miyamiya!" She pulled him into a sitting position.

He blinked at her, dazed. "Oh... hi, Ryo-chan." He winced, and rubbed his head. "My head hurts..."

"Miya miya miya miya miya miya miyamiya!!" Ryo-oh-ki scolded, looking exactly like Sasami. "Miya miya miya miya miya miya miya miya!"

"... Sorry..." Gohan blinked again, and a lopsided grin grew on his face. "... Hey... I'm downstairs...!"

Ryo-oh-ki glared at him, then stomped off to eat her carrots. "... Miyamiya miyamiya..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That evening, Tenchi and the others returned from his aunt's house.

"I'm going to check on Gohan!" Sasami yelled as she ran up the steps of the house.

Tenchi, who had gone in before her, smiled and shook his head in amusement. "I don't think you'll have to."

Sasami came to stand next to him, and gasped. "Gohan!"

The boy was fast asleep on the couch. Ryo-oh-ki, who had heard them come in, bounced into the room (in her cabbit form). "Miyamiya miya miya miya miya!"

Ryoko floated in through the door, the others coming in behind her. "Ryo-oh-ki says Gohan fell down the stairs," She informed Sasami.

"Oh, poor Gohan!" Sasami cried, and ran over to see if he was hurt.

"He looks fine," Washuu said, laughing at the girl's concerned reaction. "I wouldn't worry, Sasami."

Sasami hesitated. "... But..."

"Something like that wouldn't hurt Gohan, even if he has been sick. He DOES need his sleep, however," she continued, "and we need something to eat." She grinned. "I'm starving!"

Sasami sighed. "You're right..." She ran off into the kitchen. "Dinner should be ready in about a half an hour!"

"He certainly does look better," Kiyone observed, as the other members of the household wandered off to do assorted things.

"He does," Washuu said, nodding slowly. "Come on, Kiyone, let's go take a bath before dinner..."

Kiyone made a gagging noise. "No thanks, Washuu... I've been in the bath half the day..."

Washuu chuckled. "Well, I guess I'll take one by myself..." She walked into her lab and shut the door, and Kiyone made her way upstairs, with a last, fleeting look at Gohan.

The boy shivered slightly once he was alone, and rolled over in his sleep. "... Dad..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

*::sighs:: FINALLY this chapter is done! It's short, but it took SO LONG to write... ::slaps herself in the forehead:: Gah. X_X Anyway... r+r, people! ^^*