For what seemed like hours unend Krillin dipped in and out of his dreamless slumber never having enough time to fall into the REM* sleep his body and mind desperately needed. Instead he was teased with half-dreams that disappeared as fast as they came, just as he started to drift off, a flash off haunting memories from the day would surface and wake him.

(A/N REM is short for Rapid Eye Movement, the type of sleep where you dream. If you don't get enough of it you go insane.)

Eventually he gave up on going to sleep and opened his eyes. The ceiling of his room was merely some brownish boards covering some beams. Not very practical for a design though it did the job.

But Krillin didn't see any of these things when he looked up. He just gazed into thin air blankly and not caring in the least what the ceiling looked like. The day before had disturbed him deeply.

Though he had been in fights like that before. Times where no matter what he did was just not enough to help his friends but a least those ones had been resolved but in this circumstance it felt like it had been merely muffled pushed away until it could attack again.

Eventually the earthling sat up and made himself check out his physical condition. The majority of his cuts and bruises had disappeared leaving cramps and pains in their wake and rather deep cut in his left arm but nothing too serious.

He stretched.

"Yow!" His arm suddenly felt like it was on fire!

Examing his limb he determined that pain's cause: the wound that he had seen on his left arm was puffy and an angry red. A nasty infection, he decided, and it needed to be treated. It should have at least had a scab beginning to form over the opening considering previous experiences.

Krillin remembered Bulma analysing the immune systems and tissues of him and his friends when she noticed that they could heal from sicknesses and injuries faster than normal. She even managed to coax a sample out of Vegeta. After studying them, she told the gang that a mixture of basic physiology and strength determined how fast and well you recovered.

Of course her actual explanation had been much longer. By the end of it Piccolo had flown away, Vegeta had long since disappeared, Trunks and Goten were playing tag, Goku had fallen asleep, and Tien, Choutzu, Yamcha and himself were engaging in a game of Crazy Eights. Even Chi Chi and Gohan were looking incredibly bored.

The one who had actually survived was Dr. Briefs who gave his daughter a standing ovation one she had finished.

Bulma had given them heck about it for the next three months.

By looking at the window it was probably late at night, it seemed odd that a so unsatisfying sleep could go on for so long but when the body longed for sleep waking up was no easy thing..

He licked his parched lips. You think that he would have stayed awake long enough to get a drink of water and he spotted a pitcher full of water that some considerate monk or student had put out for him. Rushing over to it he ignored the cup that was nearby, he started gulping it down at a fantastic rate.

Now for the wound.

Under some circumstances Krillin might have patched the wound himself, he had more than enough experiences stitching himself up and even setting bones. The human preferred doing it himself rather than letting someone else tinker with his body but common sense told him to stop being a chicken and find a doctor.

After licking the last of the moisture from the pitcher and wiping his mouth he exited his room back into the hall.

Hmmm, hadn't the cafeteria been turned into an infirmary? There should be doctors there.

He walked rather slowly through the halls. Some lamps were spread far apart along the corridors lightly glowing and giving the halls an almost pinkish hue and allowing him to just see where he was going but he got there.

The stench was enough to tell he was back in the cafeteria with medicine and blood mingling in the air.

Not his favourite smell.

The almost-okay mood that had been starting to surface quickly disappeared to wherever it had been hiding and now it left him feeling cold.

They had won the battle that much was obvious or else he wouldn't be standing here, but this didn't seem like winning.

The room was mainly dark and unfortunately not in the least bit quiet. Every moment someone seemed to be groaning, crying out in pain, or just plain crying. There were monks going here and there tending patients while some of the Elfital's trainees carried lamps so that the monks might see.

Krillin found himself drifting to where he had seen Phaerin put Airist, they were both there sure enough. Airist lay there his body seemed more bandage then flesh, a little of his bright red hair sticking out of a severe wad incircling his head. It seemed that whatever wasn't bandaged was instead bruised.

The warrior of Earth never thought he would see anyone so black and blue and the only skin that wasn't was a waxy yellow. It bothered him to see anyone in that situation especially a friend however long he'd known them.

His breathing wasn't sounding good either.

Phaerin was there as well she was sitting on a chair with her head lying on Airist's chest, by the looks of it she was fast asleep and had been that way for quite a while. Her expression was troubled and he spotted the trace of what might be tears in her eyes.

He eventually noticed a blanket that probably had slid off the female and diligently tucked it in over her shoulders and then stepped back he looked at the Querises.

A wave of loneliness swept over him. Even in the toughest of situations he always had his friends to back him up but now…

For Kami's sake, this wasn't even his war!

Yet he had fought against Freeza to save Namek.

These weren't his people!

Neither were the nameks or the people on the mirror spacecraft.

He didn't even know what he was fighting for more the less if he was helping the right people! What if those black-banded people… those vevils were decent men and women or Quarises or… whatever they were?!?

Deep down inside no amount of logic could make Krillin trust those people. The bands they wore spooked the human in a way that he couldn't put a finger on.

Could someone help with this dumb mess? Help him sort it out what he should and shouldn't do.

"Can't someone help me?" he grumbled looking at the sad dismal room.

"I can," came a gentle voice and Krillin jumped so high he nearly hit the ceiling.

When he landed he saw a young girl Queris perhaps twelve years old with a long black hair and dark eyes looking at him. Her outfit showed that she was of Apprentice rank.

"You'll help me?" the human hardly whispered.

He earned himself a rather annoyed look from the girl and her tone showed it also. "Of course I'll help you, that arm needs to be treated."

Krillin blinked. "Oh, my arm," he began and let loose what might have past for a laugh.