Camping Trip

Chapter 7

"Ryoga-san." Gakuto and Oshitari were fully dressed.

"What happened?" Ryoga was more demanding an explanation than asking for it.

"We don't know..." Gakuto was hesitant.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"It's true Ryoga-san." Oshitari could tell Ryoga was getting angry. "We were in the bath then he got out to change. We followed him after about a minute and we came in to find him on the ground."

"We found this on his bag." Gakuto handed him the plastic bag.

"Ryoga-san!" everyone else rushed into the room.

"Echizen!" Oishi ran to his side.

"You found this on his bag?" Ryoga asked Oshitari.

"Ah. He did." He gestured to Gakuto.

"Oi, what happened?" Momo pushed his way to the front and sat down next to Echizen.

Gakuto, Oshitari and Kikumaru began telling everyone what had happened since they came to the bath. Ryoga left his brother's side with the small bag and went towards the door. He looked at the residue left inside of it.

"Ryoga-san." Fuji and Tezuka were with him.

Ryoga held the bag to his nose and sniffed it.

"What is it Ryoga-san?"

Ryoga stuck his finger into the bag and collected some of the residue then put it in his mouth. His mouth immediately felt like it was on fire. His throat became enflamed and his mouth dry. He felt weak. He leaned into the doorway and slumped to the floor and started coughing.

"Ryoga-san!" Fuji knelt beside him. "What's wrong?"

"We need to get him somewhere warm." Ryoga said as he caught his breath. "And we need to find out how much of this his he inhaled." He handed Tezuka the bag.

"What is this?" Tezuka looked at it questionably.

"I'm not sure but if a little bit from did this to me, imagine what a bagful would do to him."

The three boys looked at Echizen lying on the floor. He looked so lifeless yet so peaceful. Whoever did this wasn't going to leave Atobe's camp uninjured.

"Inui." Tezuka called him over.

"Hm?" he walked over, notebook in hand. "Nani?" he turned to the slumped Ryoga. "Ryoga-san, what's wrong?"

"Inui, we need you at analyze this." Tezuka handed him the bag. "Apparently, it was left by the culprit and a small bit can do that." He gestured to Ryoga. "There's no telling how much of this Echizen inhaled or what it is for that matter."

"Wakatta." He placed the bag behind the front cover of his note book. "Ryoga-san, please tell me all of your symptoms when we get back to the cabins."

"Hai."

"Tezuka, Echizen has a fever and it's not going to get any better if we stay out here." Oishi shouted to him.

"We'll go back to the cabin. The gaki's is the closest." Atobe said joining Tezuka. "Kabaji."

"Usu." Kabaji carefully lifted Echizen and held him bridle style.

"Let's go." Atobe started out the door.

"Matte." Everyone turned around.

"What?" Atobe crossed his arms.

At that moment, Kaidou and Shishido took off their regular jackets and draped them over Echizen.