Disclaimer: Dragonball Z and all related characters are © Bird Studio/Shueisha Toei Animation and licensed by FUNimation Productions, Inc.
My little brother Goten is dead. Apparently, the heart disease Dad had a few years ago is hereditary, except Goten's is much more severe. Though he's only been diagnosed this morning, the ailment has already drained most of his strength and energy, leaving him unable to do much more than breathe. The doctor says he'll expire soon.
He's lying on the kitchen counter. Mom, Bulma, Juhachigou, and Videl are around him, changing his clothes and brushing his hair and putting flowers in his hands. Mom's crying. Goten is, ironically, clueless to the situation and complains weakly about the "dumb suit and stupid flowers".
Everyone else is outside, in the backyard. Dad and Vegeta are digging the grave with their bare hands and carry solemn faces. Krillin is supervising. Tien is holding the headstone and is standing beside Yamcha and Roshi and they're talking. Piccolo is standing off to himself with his arms crossed and head bowed. Marron is hiding in the shelter of his cape, unnoticed. Trunks is leaning against the tree that will overlook my brother's burial place. He looks lost.
I sit on the bench outside the house, alone, watching everyone. I sigh. I don't know what to think. Mom and Dad have gone through so many hardships up until now, and I wonder how they're going to take losing their little eleven-year-old son with no hope of retrieving him through dragonballs. He will be gone. I want so desperately to be able to do something, anything, to prevent the inevitable from occurring. I want to save my brother, but I can't. I can't.
I don't know what to do.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!
I fight the tears of frustration and anguish and despair before they come. There's nothing I can do. I catch my breath and sit still. I wait.
Dad and Vegeta finish the grave. Dad's staring down at it as if the situation has suddenly dawned on him, a premonition of the loss and heartbreak that's going to come. Krillin looks sorry.
Everyone is silent. We wait.
I hear a sudden, turbulent shriek arise from inside the house that slowly fades into a defeated, mournful sob that could only come from my mother. Her cries are loud enough for everyone outside to hear. Dad realizes what happened and stumbles, almost falling into the grave itself. I can't see his face, but I can feel his frantic disbelief. Everyone's heads are bowed. Trunks screams in angst and takes off in a burst of ki, flying away. No one follows.
Videl walks out of the house and joins me on the bench. Her face is a ghostly white and she's afraid to look at me. Slowly, carefully, she wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me, pulling me close to her and burying her face in my shoulder. She doesn't need to tell me. My little brother Goten is dead.
