Disclaimer: I do not own any aspects of Dragon Ball Z or its characters. They belong to Akira Toriyama! This was written solely for entertainment. Enjoy!
The sun rose and the sun set. Another day had passed. Another day was spent forcing herself to go into the world. She forced herself to take a bite of the strawberry on her plate and a small sip of coffee. She was still not accustomed to her mother's watchful gaze. Bulma took her seat at the opposite end of the table.
"You'll get that thing out in no time if you keep that up...", her brother said with cheer as he walked out of the kitchen.
Bra made herself smile at him. It was a cheeky smirk with a quick twist of the lips. She wanted to do no harm. She crossed her eyes to look at it once more.
"Damn tube", she sighed.
Her mother sighed at Bra's fierce frown. Bulma put her cup down and clenched her teeth at Bra's outburst, and she was not certain if Bra was trying to catch her breath or trying to hold in resentment for the tube hanging out of her nostril.
"How did you sleep last night Bra?", Bulma said with a weary smile.
"Fine."
Bulma squirmed in her seat. Was Bra sleepy or just truly tired? Tired of everything.
"What do you feel like doing today?"
"I don't know."
She knew good and well what the day would bring; she was certain of her intentions anyway. She was going to satisfy her family's need for her to be present. It wouldn't make a difference to her because she would be alone regardless. After breakfast she would feel guilty. Around noon she will get a tube feeding because she had no desire in eating lunch. "I'm tired", she would say in the afternoon to have an excuse to hobble back to her room and stare out of the balcony door. She would crawl in the bed like she always did and find that if was too soft. Her bones would sink into the mattress. The floor was always the preferred option regardless of how she tried. It was cold and hard; it was all she knew. They would come and beat on the door to retrieve her for dinner. She would come out and wear another smile because that's what they deserved. Then another feeding come, and another hour would pass. The sun would retire for the evening and so would she. The gravity chamber would offer solace. Her father would walk her to its door in the cool of the day. Bra would lock the door behind her, closing out the sound of the spring crickets, twilight moon, and stars closing them all out. Everyone. Only a single bulb high in the dome will light her way. She will walk across to the back room, until the light can be seen no more. There will be no window and only the door she came from. The clothes will come off, and it will begin. She will stare at herself in the full length mirror. Sometimes she allows herself a tear or a stifled sob to relieve the shock of the wishbone shaped incision following the outline of her ribs right in the middle of her chest. She will see that she continues to waste away. Alone.
Author's Note: Thank you for reading; I am so grateful! This story is an excerpt of a series I have written. Please review so I will know if I have an interested audience for the entire series. I appreciate your feedback!