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My Sort Of Brother: Chapter 10: Gone

Days since Bulla's Arrival: 99 days

Trunks sat beside his sister as she slowly lifted her chest up and down with her breathing. He smiled and continued reading a children's book he bought for her.

She had been in her coma for three months. He had never felt this kind of despair. He truly felt helpless. He had been absent from work for almost a month… Today would be his first day back. It was seven in the morning…

Three weeks… it felt like an eternity. Age had begun to appear on his features. He had gotten bags and a single gray hair upon his lavender hair. He didn't care enough to dye it.

"And then the princess became queen and all her people adored her for being a fair and righteous queen," he smiled. As he took his eyes off the book and on to Bulla, he frowned. "And then the princess woke up to find her brother…"

No movements. Only the steady sound of the vitals monitor.

"Come on Bulla…Wake up… Please…"

Beep… Beep… Beep….

"Dammit… Bulla, I'm sorry… I am so sorry… this shouldn't have happened to you… Everyone I know gets hurt when their around me… Forgive me.."

Beep… Beep… Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Trunks' head shot up. He stood frozen for what seemed like forever. He snapped out of it and quickly bursted through the door.

"Nurse! Nurse! Doctors! Someone help her!"

Doctors quickly rushed in to the room as Trunks panicked and demanded an explanation. A nurse came beside him and placed their hands on his shoulders.

"Sir… You have to step out of the room."

Trunks shook his head, ready to burst. "No, no… What's wrong with her!?"

"The nurse remained calmed. "This can happen with paients who experience brain trauma. Please sir, you have to step out so the doctors can perform at their best."

"But-"

"Sir…" the woman insisted, as she turned her head back to the working doctors.

Trunks bit his lip and inhaled deeply. "Will she be okay ?"

Days since Bulla's Disappearance: 21 days

It had been the long awaited three months since Bulla disappeared. It had actually been a bit more. Everyone took shifts with the dragon balls, so that the moment they glowed their orange aura, Bulla will return home.

Chi-Chi knocked on the slightly opened lab door. It increased the view with a single thump from her pale small fist, to the cold and large metallic door.

"Bulma… It's lunch time… You wanna eat?" Chi-Chi called.

Since the news of having to wait for Bulla came around, Chi-Chi and Goku had visited every day. Goku made it his mission to redeem what his son did. He honestly did feel embarrassed to be around the Briefs knowing that the youngest member is gone.

Bulma had kept herself in her lab the entire day, only ever coming out when she needed to eat. If Chi-Chi didn't drag her out, she wouldn't come out at all.

"Bulma… What are you doing in there?"

Bulma's hair had grown… either that or it was extremely tangled… maybe both. It was like a bird's nest while her eyes carried bags underneath it and looked drained of their regular azure color. Her glowing radiant face was now dull and tired and showcased her true age with crow's feet and worry lines.

Her clothes were worn and splattered with coffee stains. She had been working fiercely. "I am searching for the time machine plans…. I know they have to be here somewhere…"

Chi-Chi shook her head… Building another time machine wouldn't work… It would be connected to this time line only, making it useless to search for Bulla… She kept quiet though. Bulma had gone through enough.

"Take a break. Come and eat… I know you didn't eat the dinner I made yesterday… Come on sweetie."

Bulma shook her head. "No! I can't! Bulla is probably suffering! My mother's intuition is telling me she is… How can I do that… I'm her mother and she is probably wondering why her mother isn't protecting her- and- and I can't do anything about it!"

The blue haired woman broke down. This was the first time she cried since the first day her daughter went missing. Chi-Chi sighed and walked towards her, patting her on the back. "Bulma… Bulla wouldn't want you to be like this. Look at you… You're tired and you need rest."

Bulma wiped her tears and gulped. "I just feel so helpless… What if the dragon balls don't work? What if Bulla never comes home?"

Chi-Chi shook her head. "Now, you know better than I do that it is certain that Bulla will come home, because she has to."

Bulma nodded as she stood up and wiped her lab coat off. "I think… I want to shower… and then eat," she smiled.

Chi-Chi grinned and nodded in agreement. "You really need one Bulma…" she laughed.

For the first time in a month… Bulma laughed.

Vegeta had kept himself busy in the gravity machine with Goku. The taller of the two had figured that he could keep Vegeta from demolishing his son by letting himself be the punching bag.

"You wanna call it a day Geta?" Goku asked swinging a towel behing his neck.

Vegeta popped his shoulder back into place as he shook his head. "Already tired Kakarot? Doesn't surprise me…"

Goku smiled and rolled his eyes. "I just think you might over do it… Lets take a break. Lunch is probably almost done."

The thought of food quickly sent them out the door and into the kitchen. Vegeta had tried to maintain his usual poker face. But it was so damn hard when people who you don't even like crowd you and ask the same foolish questions, over, and over again! Was he okay? Of course not! His daughter is gone and un-protected. How was he doing? He usually had to pinch himself in order to not destroy a face.

Luckily, Goku had come along and allow him to take all of his anger out on him, and it felt good. With every punch, kick and beating, he felt as if… it would all be alright. But, whenever he would get a chance to breathe, the reality of it all came around to trip, slap, and shoot him. He felt an empty void.

He hadn't seen his wife in… hours? Days? Weeks? No… it hadn't been that long… It just felt like an eternity. The only reason he kept on going was because it was too late to back out now. Any minute now the dragon balls would be restored and…. Everything would go back to normal.

His son… His son had nothing to say towards the topic, though he suspected he felt even worse. The one thing he could never get out of anybody was… Why were the dragon balls rendered useless?

Who had made the wish? He knew it obviously had to have been someone from their circle of friends. But which one of the idiots made it was a question he had to suffer through every day for the past cruel month.

As soon as they hit the back door, all the adults were cramped along the table. His wife included. They were all surrounding the wooden table and looking down…

Gohan looked up, beaming like an idiot. "Vegeta! The dragon balls- they work again!"

Vegeta stood frozen. The air went out of his breathe. He had mentally prepared his mind for this moment… he never expected it to be so… overwhelming. He regained his composure and growled. "Then what are you waiting for! Get outside and summon the damn dragon!" he snarled as his fists were clenched tightly enough that white knuckles appeared.

They scurried out the nearest door, dragon balls in hand. Krillin, Eighteen, Videl, Gohan, Bulma, Chi-Chi, and Goku layed one ball on the ground. Bulma was biting her nails in anxiety.

Krillin stepped forward and sighed. "Come forth Shenron! We call upon you!"

The balls glowed like amber bursting through a thin layer of earth. The eternal dragon shot through and thunder rolled in as the sky darkened and the clouds drew in. As quickly as Krillin stated the words, had the dragon presented itself in all it's magnificence. Its size was intimidating, as was it's pure glowing red eyes.

It spoke. "What wish do you desire?" it roared.

Krillin rubbed his head and looked back at his friends. "Well… I've never had a way with words-"

Bulma grunted and shoved him aside. She looked up at the dragon and inhaled. "Bring my daughter back to me!"

The dragon's eyes glowed and for a split second… they all truly thought all was well.

"I cannot do what is asked of me," Shenron said.

All hearts stopped. Bulma shook her head and screamed. "What do you mean you can't do that!"

Shenron growled. "I cannot bring a dead being into the world of the living."

Tsk tsk… So close… yet so far… Next chapter will probably be in both Trunk's point of view… We'll see. REVIEW and tell me what you think.