"If you don't lose it first..." Sanzo mumbled. He didn't look at the sutra. He'd just entrusted the the mission to Gojyo. He might give the bastard shit constantly, but when push came to shove, when shit got serious, he could get something done. The question was whether he really understood the responsibility just yet.

Sanzo took a sluggish breath.

It was strange. He'd been so consumed with the journey West and the sutras that it would've made perfect sense for it to be the last thing on his mind. It wasn't.

There was that worry about Goku, the one he hadn't ever been able to fully squash. All he could feel was regret, dread now. He'd always bitched about how fucking annoying the monkey was, how he didn't have a single moment of peace and quiet, thanks to the dumbass. Early on, he'd tried to just tune him out. That never worked; no amount of meditation or training block out that shrill voice. Sanzo would've been glad to get a few minutes in without Goku's voice chattering.

Now there was just a heavy silence in his head.

"Goku..." Sanzo tried raggedly. His eyes looked up at Gojyo through his bangs, fingers digging into Gojyo's wrist. " I can't...hear..."

He never finished. The monk let out a small sigh of breath. His eyes drifted closed as he slowly went limp. The grip on Gojyo's wrist relaxed, bit by bit.