Credit: The Saiyan Language belongs to MegaKat, any words used here can be found in the Saiyan Language Dictionary-Glossary.

Words used in this chapter:

Mah: Mother

Ja'ta: Father

Ve'ho: Prince

Thanks:

Vegebulluv: Thank you as always for your kind words and I sure hope you enjoy this next chapter as much as you did the last! (Not as much humor in this chapter as the last, unfortunately!)

MTXIII: It's good to be back! Thank you~ And yes, I also enjoy the Zarbon/Nappa team work that's been going on as of late! Hopefully we'll see more~ In regards to your name, don't worry about it, I had to change mine a while back so I totally understand! ^^

"I wouldn't struggle if I were you, Raditz." Trictic's breath was hot on the youth's neck.

"I'll do anything, please. Anything, I swear it…" Raditz pleaded with his captor.

"Ohh, anything? ... Then die."

A cold sweat formed on the adolescent's forehead as he began to toss in his slumber. Suddenly he felt something or someone poking him in an unpleasant manner. Raditz swatted at the hand, before a voice penetrated his sleep and ultimately woke him for good.

"Pst, hey! Get up. Did you forget what today is? Nappa did. He never even came back." Vegeta folded his arms across his chest.

Raditz looked around, realized he was dreaming, then shook it off. "Where is Nappa? Why isn't he back yet?"

"How the hell should I know? Besides, I need to be groomed properly. And there's nothing to eat in the house." The youth tapped his foot to indicate his impatience with his fellow Saiyan.

"Can't you take care of yourself just this once?" Raditz huffed. "Besides, Nappa told you not to bother me about it."

Vegeta glared at him before he went off. "I shouldn't have to! Now, get up out of bed, Raditz. Stop wallowing around and find your balls. You're a Saiyan, act like one."

The words hurt, but they pissed him off more than anything else. "You've no fucking clue, do you? And I don't think you care either. It's always about you, Vegeta. What's so wrong with someone giving a damn about me for once? You're the Prince… you're supposed to stand up for your subjects, not berate them…"

"Tch, what in the hell happened? What's the big deal, Raditz? I've been fucked up more times than I can count, not even thinking about what Frieza did to me. Why is everyone treating you so special? You're not broken! So you died, I mean, we've all died. It can't be that different…"

Raditz curled in on himself, then glared at Vegeta. "It was different. You wouldn't get it."

"Try me."

Raditz turned away from Vegeta and thought back to the event, shuddering as he did so.

"Oh come on! What could possibly be worse than what Frieza and his lackeys do to me in a daily basis?" The young Prince grew annoyed with his fellow Saiyan and wanted answers.

"That man violated me… Then-then he eviscerated me and left me for dead, left me to die covered in my own blood and guts, Vegeta. I was all alone. I had to grab my intestines up in my hands, wrap a towel around my waist and crawl out to find some help. I had to hope that someone would show up before I bled out. The-the fucked up part is he did it for fun!" Raditz sniffled and began to shake as fat tears rolled down his puffy cheeks. "Do you even understand what that means?"

Vegeta felt uncomfortable with the youth's emotional outburst and shifted where he stood. "Why didn't you fight?"

"You think I didn't? Of course I fought! If I hadn't fought, I'd be dead!" The adolescent stood as he shouted, towering over the young Prince. "He had poison on his fucking claws and teeth, some sort of paralytic. When he bit me, I-I couldn't move. I was just frozen there…" He shuddered at the thought.

Vegeta had the nerve to shrug his shoulders and it just pissed Raditz off even more.

"Ya know, he ambushed me. He knew I would be alone, hell he counted on it. I was so fucked up that they had to put my organs back inside of me. I flat-lined, twice!"

"What was it like?" Vegeta stared at him with intensity.

"What was what like? Death?" Raditz looked at him as if suddenly he had two tails.

"Duh. Did it hurt? Did you see anything?" Vegeta stood up on his toes, eyes wide with curiosity.

The anger that Raditz held twisted into fury and his eyes went dark and haunted. "You're morbid! Look, this isn't a game, not a match. I was fucking DEAD! All because some asshole wanted to see how much damage a Saiyan could take! Look, I don't want to talk about this any more. I just want to forget it."

There was a moment of silence before Vegeta spoke, yet again. "If you died… at least you got Zenkai. Let me check!" He grabbed his scouter, turned it on, then looked at Raditz.

"Are you serious, Vegeta? I just can't believe you! Is that all you care about, some stupid boost in power?" Raditz face twisted with rage, he couldn't believe his ears.

"Well, yes. That and everyone forgot what day it is. Now, are you going to get ready?"

"Ugh! You are so fucking selfish!" Raditz turned away from him.

"Hey, watch what you say to me. I guess I'll just go by myself. I'm sick of sitting around here doing nothing and watching you wallow in misery. I'm going to go crazy!"

The adolescent faced Vegeta once again. "Nappa'll be furious with you. He told you to stay put."

"Is Nappa here? I don't see him, and I don't see you doing anything about it! I need to run, fight, and most importantly eat. And I'll do it with or without you. You can either stay here and cry, or you can come with me, your choice." He said, matter-of-factly.

"You little asshole." Raditz sighed, ran his fingers through his hair, and then looked down at the fresh scars on his abdomen. "You know damn well I can't let you go alone, Nappa'll have my head."

"Tch. Well, get going then. And the next time you call me any sort of name will be your last. You're not sick and I won't hold my punches." Vegeta turned, walked away, and began to dress himself.

"Sometimes I hate you…" Raditz mumbled to himself before he grabbed a shirt to put on.

"Excuse me, what was that?" Vegeta glanced over his shoulder at the taller and older youth.

"Nothing, I said I'm coming." Raditz shoved his feet into his boots, ran a comb through his hair, and looked himself over once before he glanced at his Prince. "Where are we going anyways?"

Vegeta huffed, and then snapped his reply. "Mess hall, training rooms, and finally the Noodle Shack." He just stared at Raditz, as if he expected something from the other.

A sudden fear gripped Raditz, ran through his frame and chilled him to the bone. Memories flooded his head, blood drained from his face, and his ears filled with an odd buzz that he couldn't shake off. He felt cold, distant, and as if he might pass out. Before he could stop himself he blurted out his response to Vegeta. "Not the training hall! P-please, anywhere but there." Raditz could tell that he was shaking.

The young Prince noticed his ally's odd behaviors, but chose not to mention them just yet. "Why?"

"Th-that's where it happened." Raditz adverted his gaze and shame filled him, although his other symptoms seemed to ease.

"Don't be such a baby." Vegeta folded his arms across his chest. "Look, I'll just go in on my own then, if it's such a big deal."

Raditz thought a moment about how he could possibly get out of going back to that horrid place. "All right, listen, I'd be willing to go to medical, but that's it. Besides, I'm supposed to check in anyways." He looked down at Vegeta and waited for him to throw a fit, but hoped for just the opposite. "And hey, while we're there, we can check my Power Level. I know you're curious, and we'll get a more accurate reading there."

"Yes, fine. We'll go and I'll make that Doctor give me some supplements. Then I need to run!" He narrowed his gaze up at Raditz.

"Her name is Doctor Berra, Vegeta!"

"Pft, whatever, let's go all ready." Vegeta twitched his tail in an annoyed manner before he turned toward the door.

As Raditz looked toward the exit, the buzz in his ears returned. He felt like he suddenly weighed more than Vegetasai itself and a sweat started on his forehead. His heart began to have an odd ache about it and his stomach clenched, almost as if he were going to heave, but he didn't feel ill in that manner.

Vegeta must have noticed, because before Raditz could say or do anything, the youth moved toward him. "Don't worry, you're with me! He won't fuck with me."

Raditz wanted to believe him, but he felt so hopeless and pitiful. "… You won't even see him coming, Vegeta."

That annoyed the young Prince, and Raditz knew it. "Well, I've got my scouter on, and unless he can teleport or some shit, I'll see him coming. Just let him try!"

Deep down, Raditz knew that Vegeta just wanted a good fight, but he felt slightly touched by the boy's concern and he gave him a small smile.

They headed out toward the trams, grabbed one, and rode in complete silence toward the medical centre. Raditz kept a vigilant eye out on the way there, checking every nook and cranny to make sure Trictic was not amongst them.

Once they arrived, Vegeta stopped at the entrance to the med centre and folded his arms across his chest. "You go ahead, I'll meet you at the Gym."

Just as the young Prince turned to leave, Raditz stopped him with a slight whine. "Please don't, Vegeta. I promise that it'll only take a few minutes." His tail frizzed out and he gave Vegeta a pitiful expression.

It was obvious that Vegeta was annoyed. "Fine, but I better get something out of this! Coward."

Both the Saiyans walked in and Raditz stepped up to the desk to request Doctor Berra specifically. The receptionist eyed him before finally speaking. "Do you have an appointment?"

Raditz bit down on his bottom lip when he realized he should have called ahead. "N-no. She told me to come by whenever I needed to see her though, it's very important!"

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, the receptionist sent a missive off to the Doctor and requested that they take a seat while they waited.

Vegeta growled about having to be delayed even further and Raditz became a bit anxious about the situation. The two sat in silence and just when they were about to give up and leave, Doctor Berra appeared.

"Raditz, Prince Vegeta. It's so good to see you two, but I wasn't expecting it so soon. Raditz, are you certain that you're ready to be out of bed, or the house for that matter?" Doctor Berra gave him a serious and concerned expression; she just couldn't help herself.

Before the adolescent even had a chance to open his mouth, Vegeta stepped up, put his balled up fists on his hips, and then grunted. "Hey, I'm out of supplements and we don't have any way to buy more. So… I mean, you did say that I'm malnourished after all."

The Doctor just stared down at the Prince for what seemed like several moments before she nodded and gave him a smile. "Yes, of course. If you have a seat, Prince Vegeta, I'll have someone bring them to you." She waved for Raditz to follow her, but stopped short and winked at Vegeta. "I'll even have them bring extras."

Finally, he was safe once again; Raditz sat down and immediately made sure his back was to a brightly lit wall. He seemed to relax a bit, but he still seemed far too wound up.

"Well Raditz, it's good to see you're up and about. How are you feeling?" Berra grabbed her tablet and began to check various odd and ends while they spoke.

"I guess I'm all right. Although, I've been really.. Well, I don't know how to explain it. It's like my heart beats really fast, I hear this buzzing, my palms get all sweaty, my stomach and chest feel tight and hurt. Also, my mouth gets suddenly bone dry! Sometimes it feels like I might even puke or pass out, but there doesn't seem to be any reason for it. Maybe it's a lasting effect from Trictic's venom?" Raditz looked at her, it was obvious that he was upset.

"Hm, well, it honestly sounds like a panic attack to me, Raditz. I don't think this has to do with Trictic's venom. More than likely, it's because of what you experienced." Doctor Berra stood up, put on some gloves, and walked up to him. "Do you mind if I give you a check up while we speak?"

He quickly shook his head; he loved it when she touched him, she was always so gentle with him. "What do you mean, it's because of what I experienced?"

"Well, you underwent a severe trauma, Raditz. Your brain needs time to heal, just like your body, only it may take a bit longer." She thought a moment, attempting to figure out the best way to explain it to him. "Okay, say you get stabbed, right? When you pull the blade out you need to think about the damage it caused. It's obvious that your flesh is torn, but you may not be able to tell just how bad the wound is from the outside. My point is, you can't just treat the outside of the wound, you need to treat the entire injury. Raditz, your brain has been hurt and it's going to take some time before it's back to its old self, all right?"

The adolescent nodded and understood, but he still felt uneasy about the concept. "So, how do we fix it? I mean… Do you have to open up my head?" He felt so stupid, but the subject was far too foreign for him to grasp fully.

Berra shook her head; she didn't laugh or make fun of him for not knowing, not understanding. Instead, she took his hand and placed a packet inside of it. "Take this, it's an anti-anxiety medication that will help you relax in tense or stressful situations. The best way to heal your brain is to talk about what happened, take Trictic's power away by exposing what he's done to you. The more you talk, the less power he has. I know that seems odd right now, but one day you will understand."

Raditz went silent before he shuddered and looked her in the eyes. "I remember what he did now, I've been dreaming and remembering. I-I wish I could go back to not knowing, I wish it would just go away! Why me? Why did he have to do that to me?" He began to shake and sniffle. As he spoke he built up a panic, his chest felt tight, the room began to spin, and the buzz was back.

Doctor Berra opened up a packet of the drug and pushed it toward him. "Raditz, it's going to be okay. You survived. You're alive because you fought. Right now, you need to continue to fight. Just because he's not here, just because it's not happening right now, doesn't mean that it isn't hurting you. What he did will have a lasting effect, but I know that if we work together, you can win this war."

Raditz took the pouch of powder, tipped his head back, and then dumped the flavorless concoction onto his tongue. Finally, he swallowed and looked at her once again. Although, he had a hard time doing so, he felt ashamed of his outburst.

Doctor Berra let him rest and relax for a few moments before she gently patted his thigh. "I promise that things will get better."

He gave her a small nod before he sighed and leaned forward. "You're really the only one who cares… I mean, everyone else wants revenge, but you're the only one who wants to make sure I heal properly."

Doctor Berra sat in silence before she patted his thigh once again. "I'm sure that's not true."

"It is true and I think it's because I'm weak. Vegeta isn't treated how I am, he's treated far better. And-and I think it's because he's so strong." Raditz shuddered at her touch. "Maybe I'm weak because of my Mah, she was always considered lesser by my Ja'ta. Hell, she worked in a butcher shop because she couldn't cut it as a warrior... Doctor Berra, I don't want to be like her!" Raditz felt a slight panic in his chest, but it didn't seem to be as bad as the last time.

The doctor witnessed his distress and gave him a nod. "Raditz, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. All you have to do is figure out what it is you're good at exactly. For example, I work for the PTO, but I can't fight and wouldn't be able to create a ki ball to save my life. Yet, you work for the PTO as well and you wouldn't be able to do my job. See?"

Raditz nodded, but he still felt uncertain about the subject. "How do I figure out what I'm good at, then?"

"Well, try different things, challenge yourself. I'm sure you'll figure it out, Raditz. Oops, there goes Doctor Berra with her personal opinion again." She shook her head and gave a light chuckle.

Raditz laughed along with her. Suddenly, he pulled her into a tight hug and closed his eyes. The small doctor was shocked at his action, but allowed the affection, due to how badly he had been feeling previously.

The two remained that way for quite a while before Raditz started in on a slight rumble. At first, Berra thought he had fallen asleep, but when he moved to hug her tighter, she knew he wasn't.

"What is that you're doing, Raditz?" She looked up at him.

"Oh, it's something that Nappa does, the rumbling. Is it bothering you?"

"No, not at all, it's actually very soothing." She closed her eyes and sighed happily.

After a few moments, they both stirred and the hug ended. Raditz adverted his gaze and felt his face heat up. The good doctor pretended not to notice and went back to her seat.

"Well, Raditz, I hope you're feeling better now. Please know that you can come to me anytime with anything you need to discuss. My door is always open to you."

Never had someone been so kind to him, and it warmed the young Saiyan. He gave her a smile and stood up to leave, but she stopped him for a just a moment.

"I have a few more questions, just to be certain you're at top physical health. How are you sleeping? I know you mentioned nightmares. Are you having a hard time falling or staying asleep?" Doctor Berra pulled out her tablet and began to type as soon as he responded.

"Well, yes to all of those. The nightmares are the worst though, I always wake up during them. Although, with the new meds, I should be okay. Oh yeah, how often do I take these?" He shook a packet of anti-anxiety medication to let her know what he was referring to.

Berra went into a securely locked down cabinet and produced a few more packets, some were blue and others were purple. "Twice a day for the blue packet, and only once before bed for purple. In case you forget which is which, all you have to do is read them. One promotes sleep, just remember that! These are only to help you get by, and I truly hate handing them out. Please use them wisely."

Raditz didn't see himself misusing them for any reason, so he gave her a simple nod before tucking the medications into his breastplate pocket. After that he hugged Berra again, but it was quick and she could tell it was his way of thanking her.

The two idly headed toward the door, where they both knew an eager and impatient Prince awaited them on the other side. Suddenly, Berra stopped Raditz and handed him a bottled supplement. "Here, this is for the Prince, I know times have been tough." She winked.

Once out the door, Raditz immediately headed toward Vegeta and gave him a smile. "Hey, Ve'ho."

Vegeta looked up from his seat and grunted as he stood. He flicked his tail once before wrapping it around his waist. "Well, it's about time! You've been in there forever, you owe me!"

Raditz grinned and gave him a nod before he waved the savory and delicious drink before the younger boy. "Lookie what I haaaave."

When Vegeta reached for it, Raditz pulled it away and smirked once again. "Not for now, later. How about after we go train?"

It took Vegeta a moment to catch on, but finally he smirked back and nodded. "Good, let's go already!" Without so much as a thank you or a good bye, Vegeta headed toward the exit.

As Raditz followed, he waved to Doctor Berra and exited the medical center. He couldn't explain it, but he felt amazing, as if he could take on an entire planet of beings by himself and come out of it without a single scratch.