Losses
Gohan opened his eyes and sat up with a gasp. Vegeta's laughter was ringing in his ears. His whole body ached. A woman shushed him, a hand guiding him to lay back. Gohan's eyes flickered everywhere. He was in a white room, there was a water drip in his arm, and the only other occupant was a woman in a nurse's outfit. "W-what..?" Gohan said.
The nurse smiled at him as he stared at her with wide eyes. "It's all right, you're in the hospital." The Nurse said.
Gohan took deep breaths, comforted by the nurse running a hand through his hair. The fight had to be over, Gohan didn't think doubted Vegeta would let anyone live if he had beaten Dad. "Ummm, Miss can I ask where my Dad is?" Gohan said.
The nurse winced and pulled her hand back. "Your father..? Mr Son is in another room. Now that you're conscious we can move you into his room I suppose..." The Nurse said. Gohan wondered why she looked so conflicted. Dad had to be in better condition than Gohan if he won right? He was left to ponder this while the Nurse contacted the Doctor and got permission to have him moved.
Gohan found out why the nurse was reluctant once she helped him into a wheelchair and wheeled him to Dad's hospital room. A familiar shriek echoed through the hospital. "I won't sit still, I won't!" Goku said.
Gohan sighed and rubbed where the drip needle was embedded in his arm. "Oh, he just needs a needle..." Gohan said. He looked up at the nurse. "I'm sorry, he's always like that." Gohan said.
The nurse's eyebrow twitched but she kept smiling. "Please don't apologize; it's not your fault!" The Nurse said.
Gohan wiggled his toes, relieved to know he could move them even though they ached was sure he could catch Dad in this condition... provided Goku was lured into a sense of security. "I can hold Dad down long enough for the Doctor to finish... probably." Gohan said. He knew the trick to pining Goku down; Gohan had never done it but he'd seen Mo-! Gohan tensed, recalling holding Chi-Chi in his arms as her body went slack. Mother was dead... of course she was, she'd never have let Dad misbehave towards a Doctor. Gohan rubbed his eyes hard to get rid of the coming tears. Kami, he wanted Mother to be here right now. Gohan would even take her yelling at him for fighting right now.
The nurse wheeled Gohan into Dad's room. Goku's whole body was in a cast but he was still trying to climb the walls to escape the Doctor. Gohan quickly shook himself free of his melancholy. He stepped out of the wheelchair, his legs shaking and aching, and made his way over to Dad using his drip stand as support. Goku turned to look at Gohan; he was dangling on top of a cabinet. "Gohan run, he's got needles!" Goku said.
"It's ok Dad," Gohan said. He smiled, letting Goku relax before Gohan's hand shot out. Gohan grasped Goku's tail by the root and shoved his thumb into its base. Goku squealed again and his body tensed; Gohan dug his thumb even deeper into the join between tail and spine. He turned to the Doctor. "He'll be stuck like this until I let go. It might not be ideal, but can you find a vein in his foot?" Gohan said. Goku whimpered as the Doctor shook himself before setting about giving his patient several shots.
When he was done Gohan was glad to let go and shamble back into the wheelchair. Just standing up had used all Gohan's energy, so now his stomach was rumbling. Luckily, the nurse heard and promised to bring food while Gohan kept an eye on his Dad. Goku gave him dirty looks from his perch on the cabinet until lunch arrived, only then could the nurses coerce him into returning to bed.
After lunch Krillin came to visit. He greeted Gohan with thumbs up before going to Goku's bed to slap him on the shoulder. "You look terrible Goku. I hear you've been causing the staff grief?" Krillin said.
Goku pouted, sinking deeper into his pillow. "But Krillin... they used needles on me! I would have been fine without them!" Goku said.
Krillin sighed and rubbed his bald head. "I can never understand you Goku. You'll get kicked in the face for fun but you're afraid of a tiny metal instrument. Think about it, if your scared won't you upset Gohan?" Krillin said.
Gohan looked away, knowing Dad was pouting at him again. "Gohan's in on it too! He grabbed me in my special place so I'd tense up! Only Chi-Chi's supposed to get away with that!" Goku said.
Krillin choked on his own spit. "What?" Krillin said.
"He means I grabbed his tail." Gohan said.
"O-oh, right... obviously he meant his tail." Krillin said. He cleared his throat. "Speaking of you Gohan, you did great work out there kid. I'd never have guessed it was your first fight!" Krillin said.
Gohan's hands clenched and unclenched. How had he done a good job? All Gohan had wanted was to help Mother and Dad so they wouldn't die fighting and he'd failed... "What happened to the Saiya-jin anyway?" Gohan said.
Krillin laughed, his face twitching. "O-oh right... Well, Raditz brought Nappa here. Seems he'll live but he may never regain movement completely... Who knows with a Saiya-jin? He might be stronger than ever to spite us. And Vegeta... ran away." Krillin said.
Gohan shivered, a hand touching his neck as he recalled being strangled. "He got away?!" Gohan said.
Krillin clenched his fist. "But... we beat him so badly maybe he'll never come back!" Krillin said.
"I hope not. I want to fight him at his best next time..." Goku said. Gohan grit his teeth, torn between wanting to chuck his tray at Goku's head and cry. After everything they did... after Dad finally appeared Vegeta still got away. He'd killed Mother so why was that monster still living? Gohan hid his face in his hands and tried to focus on his breathing. His eyes teared up. He needed to think this through logically, Dad wasn't one to kill others... Hadn't Piccolo turned out ok? After Mother and Dad killed him once... but maybe Vegeta could change? Gohan remembered the rage Vegeta showed when Raditz saved Nappa and doubted it. No one who could kill their comrades so easily could become a better person after defeat.
Krillin elbowed Goku and gestured to Gohan. "Don't worry about Vegeta, Gohan. Next time I'll beat him up fair and square!" Goku said.
Gohan's hands were wet with tears now. "But Mother will still be dead..." Gohan said.
Krillin elbowed Goku again. "But Chi-Chi will have so much fun being dead! She'll train with King Kai for a whole year, it's fun I would know, and we'll gather the Dragonballs when she's done so she'll be alive again." Goku said. Gohan's chest hurt and his whole body shook as he sobbed into his hands. Mother... would be gone for a whole year. She'd miss all their birthdays, Christmas, Gohan's first day of school... There'd be no hugs, bedtime stories or praise for getting all his work done either. The reality of the situation finally sank in for Gohan; even if Chi-Chi was revived the time she'd missed wouldn't come back. He sacrificed a year of his life to spend time with his family only to lose two years with them.
Gohan stewed in his depression, doing little beyond lying in his hospital bed for three weeks. He kept his head hidden underneath the blankets to muffle Dad's whining about being bored and when he chatted with the friends who visited. Gohan had no interest in talking to Krillin, Roshi or Oolong, but Grandpa Ox managed to coax him out for hugs when he came.
All Gohan wanted was to be left alone until Mother came back to life. However, everyone who visited seemed determined to include Gohan as if they knew him. Krillin was doing his best to entice Gohan into join their plan to visit Namek. Krillin reckoned that the Namekian Dragonballs might be able to revive Chiaotzu and the others before Earth's Dragonballs reactivated. Gohan thought reviving Mother sooner sounded good, but felt no desire to join the adventure. Besides, they didn't need Gohan really... Once Dad had said it sounded fun and tentatively agreed to go Bulma and Krillin forgot about convincing Gohan. It's not like he had anything to contribute anyway. Goku provided the location via his telepathic connection to King Kai; Bulma and Raditz were building a spaceship using Saiya-jin pods and Kami's ship as inspiration. At best Gohan could keep Piccolo amused during the trip and Piccolo had already refused to be trapped with Goku for a week. Since there was nothing he could do, Gohan was just going to lie here until the new Senzu Beans ripened in a week.
Saiya-jin Arc Casualties:
Tien's arm was amputated by Nappa. (Healed by Sensu Bean, brought by Goku, after Vegeta fled.)
Nappa was unable to fight once his spine is broken.
Lunch and Ranfan were knocked unconscious when Vegeta throws Chi-Chi's corpse at them, they have light injuries.
Krillin and Piccolo survived the entire fight with non-threatening injuries.
Gohan was strangled into unconsciousness by Vegeta as Goku arrives, he also has heavy injuries from fighting Vegeta for 3 hours.
Goku was severely injured by fighting Vegeta with Kaioken.
Chiaotzu was killed by Nappa via explosion. (He is training at King Kai's.)
Yamcha was killed when Nappa broke his neck. (He is training at King Kai's.)
Chi-Chi is killed by Vegeta, having a hand tear through her chest. (She is training at King Kai's.)
