Not In A Million Years

Chapter 29

My whole world was reeling; I could barely see anything, let alone sense whether Kakarot was near of far. Sweat drenched my skin, and I felt hot blood running in rivulets down my thighs. My cheek was pressed against the cold tile of the floor, but I couldn't make myself move. I couldn't find the strength to even call for help again.

I heard running footsteps and looked up dazedly to see the blurry form of my mate kneeling beside me.

"Oh gods, Vegeta, what happened?" he demanded frantically, "Did you fall or -?"

I grated my teeth together as another torrent of pain gripped me.

Through the blur, I could sense Kakarot's panic, I could see him looking around as if for aid; yet unable to do anything himself.

"Bulma," he said finally, "She'll know what to do."

He placed a hand on my shivering shoulder and teleported.

The woman asked about a million rapid questions that didn't even register for me.

I heard Kakarot reply in a terrified shout, "I don't know what to do!"

"Calm down!" the woman snapped, "Vegeta, can you hear me?"

I stifled a groan as an ache fisted in my stomach, but forced myself to nod.

"You've gone into labor early," she informed me, spreading a white sheet on her table thing, "I'm not sure what that entails for Saiyans, but you're in for a rough night."

"What do we do?" Kakarot demanded.

"I'll try to get some anesthetic kicked in. Eight months is early for humans, I imagine it's even more untimely for Saiyans…. And this may be a tough one; men aren't designed for childbirth."

Kakarot lay me gently on the medical table, his coal eyes locked onto mine; though my own wouldn't focus.

"It's going to be okay, Vegeta," he promised; I heard the desperation in his voice as it cracked, "You're going to be fine."

He ran a hand gingerly through my sweat-soaked hair, and I attempted to give him a response and failed.

The agony calmed after what might have been a minute, or an hour. I tried to lay still and not trigger another stab of pain, breathing hard and perspiring.

"Fuck… no one… warned me… about this…" I panted roughly.

Kakarot looked up, as if surprised to hear me speak, "I did." he said, "Way back when, I warned you."

I tried to think back, but my mind was like sludge.

Bulma bustled in, propping my head up with a pillow and undoing the drawstring of my shorts, slipping the pants off, much to my discomfort.

I should have felt violated, but I ached from my fingers to the tip of my tail, so I just remained still, thinking of soothing things.

"I'm right here, Vegeta," Kakarot murmured, as if sensing my thoughts, "I'm not going anywhere."

I felt something prick my arm and realized the woman had hooked up an IV line. A chill crept from the needle site all the way up my arm as the fluids flooded my veins.

"At least it's calm for now," she said quietly, taking a seat.

There was something about the way she said 'for now' that made me nervous. The worst was yet to come. And when it did…. it would take a long time.

Kakarot's eyebrows furrowed a little, "Aren't you supposed to use an epidural?" he asked.

"Do I look like I have a giant needle lying around?" Bulma snapped, "I don't have all the fancy things we need; I have to improvise. Unless you'd rather teleport us to a hospital; that is…"

Kakarot paled upon hearing the words and shook his head, sitting down as well; in a chair directly next to me.

A dull throbbing was building in my lower region, my only warning before another violent contraction hit. I cried out and squeezed my eyes shut, willing the pain away and somehow making it worse.

The vicious cramp released me after a few minutes and I lay back, gulping air.

"I'm here," Kakarot soothed, taking my hand gently, "It's okay."

"It's too soon," Bulma fretted, "There's so much that could go wrong…"

"Shut up!" Kakarot snarled, "You think I don't know that?"

The woman fell silent.

"Why all the blood?" Kakarot asked quietly after a minute, "I don't remember that with ChiChi…"

"His pelvis is a lot narrower than a woman's," Bulma explained, "And the only…. opening… is a lot smaller; less suited for the job. Like I said, men aren't meant to give birth."

I shut my eyes as I felt the throbbing start up again, praying silently to the gods for strength.

"Here comes another one," I said shakily, a few moments before the next contraction wracked my body.

They seemed to get worse as they progressed. I couldn't speak, couldn't think, the pain was so intense. It was like my own flesh was rebelling against me, stabbing and slicing and clenching until I practically begged for it to stop.

In the wake of one of them, I felt a warm, gentle energy filling me from within; a pool of soothing heat filling me and giving me courage.

"What are you doing?" Bulma asked Kakarot.

I heard him respond quietly, "I'm giving him some of my ki…. It's all I can do to help."

Even when there was nothing anyone could do to help me, he still came to my aid.

X

I might have fallen asleep at some point, so great was my exhaustion; but I was awakened shortly after by another powerful cramp. Clenching my teeth, I shuddered with it until it passed; breaking out in sweat again.

I felt the contact of Kakarot's lips touching my forehead.

"So brave," he whispered, "I'm so proud of you."

"What… time is it?" I asked waveringly.

"About one o'clock in the morning," he replied, wiping a stream of sweat from my brow.

"You should be asleep," I murmured.

He shook his head, "I won't leave you until this is over."

X

I thought the worst had passed when a half hour went by; I kind of got used to the cramps and I could almost predict when the next one would come. I thought it was almost over.

I could not have been more wrong.

The next contraction stuck without warning, catching me completely off guard. I didn't have time to brace myself, and a ragged scream ripped from my throat as it grabbed me. The pain had hardly diminished when another one hit, slashing through me like a knife. I was almost sobbing by the time it faded, praying for an end to this torment.

"This isn't right," Bulma said anxiously, "Something should at least be visible by now, it's been hours."

"What?" Kakarot shouted, "I thought you said it was going well,"

"Yeah, it was," Bulma shot back, "But this just isn't normal."

"Well then what do we do?" Kakarot demanded.

Bulma outdid herself with her reply, "I… I don't know!"

There was a second's ringing silence, even for me.

"You're the scientist; you're supposed to know what to do!" Kakarot accused.

"Well I don't!" the woman snapped, "Usually I'd… never mind…"

Another deluge of agony roared through me and I bit off a shriek of pain.

"What?" Kakarot pleaded, "Usually you'd what?"

"Nothing," Bulma said quickly.

"Dammit, do something or he's going to die!" Kakarot shouted desperately.

"It won't work, I might kill him!" Bulma countered.

I heard a sob, and I realized it didn't belong to me.

"Please," Kakarot begged, "Please try… I can feel…" he swallowed hard, "His ki… it's fading…"

"Well usually I'd say to abort the birth and cut the baby out of him, but…"

"But what?"

"It's risky… and I don't have enough time to give him a strong enough painkiller."

I squinted open one eye, gasping for breath, and saw the conflict scrawled over my mate's face.

He looked at me, but spoke to the woman, "If you did… would the baby be okay?"

"It might," Bulma said uncertainly, "There's a high chance they both wouldn't make it."

Kakarot looked back at her, and I glimpsed the intensity in his eyes, "If you don't, they'll both die."

"But… without applying anesthetic to the area…" the woman began.

"Don't worry about that!" Kakarot snapped.

I groaned weakly as a shuddering river of pain rippled through me; I didn't have the energy to properly voice my suffering, and I felt my vision blurring again.

"Vegeta," Kakarot spoke to me quietly, steadily, "Do you trust me?"

I waited for the agony to subside before nodding tautly.

"Good," Kakarot murmured, "…I'm sorry,"

I was confused, and I opened one eye painfully. I barely had time to see him move before his fist collided with my head, knocking me out.

TBC