Updated 05/12/18

"Bulma, I do think you should wait and speak with Vegeta about this matter." Mr. Briefs was insisting. He'd been trying to convince his daughter for days to reconsider her decision, but she wasn't hearing any of it. That was just like Bulma's personality – to be so stubborn once she made her mind up on something.

"I tried to talk to him, and he wanted nothing to do with it!" Bulma snapped back. She had been attempting to tune up the engine of one of the latest Capsule Corp prototypes. It irritated her enough to be interrupted as she worked, but this was on an entirely new level. She was still pissed at the saiyan, and hearing her parents speak his name – even trying to defend him - rubbed a raw spot for her. They'd seen how distressed she'd been over him, so why were they acting this way? They should be on her side! It was just too insensitive!

"But you don't remember, do you? He was quite protective over the matter when Trunks was born!" Mr. Briefs pleaded. "There's no rush, is there? Just wait until he comes back and have a proper chat first."

"No, Dad! The earlier this is done, the less traumatic it'll be for Trunks!" Bulma slammed her screwdriver down into the desk she was sitting at. "Vegeta did come back, and he had his chance to reason with me, and instead he threw it away! You don't think I've thought long and hard over this? Well I have, and I had to do it all on my own, so the least you can do is support my decision!"

Speechless, the disgruntled father nodded.

...

"Oh, poor baby boy. Do ya realize what's going to happen tomorrow? Is that it?" Mrs. Briefs coaxed as she bounced the crying baby on her lap. "There, there!"

"Mom!" Bulma watched from the other couch, her cheeks feeling hot. "We've already discussed this! It wouldn't be any different than if he'd been born with an extra finger that needed to be removed. Now stop trying to turn my son against me!"

"I'm not, I just think ya should speak to Vegeta. That's all!"

"He couldn't care less! I tried to speak to him!"

"He's a moody boy, but you should at least-"

"Mom! I already told you! I'm doing what's best for Trunks!"

"Yeah, but you really should-"

"MOM!"

It was now 8 in the morning. Kyo Ohno rinsed the soap off her hands, preparing herself for the procedure she'd be performing in just a few moments. She'd heard a few stories from Dr. Plocks about her new patient, but there was no way they were true.

"Be careful with him – he looks normal, but if he gets upset he could have the strength of a strong adult." Dr. Plocks had warned during a phone call.

"Nonsense!" Kyo had replied. There was no way that an infant could ever be that capable. It simply wasn't scientifically possible. A baby didn't have bones dense enough, let alone muscles that were firm enough to be able to cause all of the damage that Dr. Plocks raved about. There was just no way. It wasn't like him to be so disorganized, but it seemed much more possible for Dr. Plocks to have Trunks confused with another patient.

Dr. Kyo stepped into the waiting room and caught sight of her young patient, being bounced in the lap of a tired looking Bulma Briefs. It was only natural for Bulma to be worried, but there was no way that something could go wrong. Trunks was in good hands, and Dr. Kyo tried to express this in the warm smile she exhibited.

"It won't take too long?" Bulma had already discussed this during the consultation, but she needed reassurance as she handed Trunks to the doctor.

"It shouldn't, no. Just a couple of hours." Dr. Kyo replied, reaching for the baby and offering another warm smile.

"And… he won't feel any pain?" Bulma's grip tightened around Trunks' waist, reluctant to give him away. Her heart was pounding. After she let go of her son there really would be no turning back.

"Of course not. We're taking every precaution available to ensure that he'll be as comfortable as possible." Dr. Kyo smiled. She was used to this. All mothers were terrified before sending their children into the operating room. It was only natural!

Her lip quivering, Bulma slowly loosened her grip on the baby and stepped back. "Bye, Trunks..." She said softly. "Be good... Mommy will see you soon…"

The baby was stiff as Dr. Kyo carried him back into the operating room. He looked up at her with distrustful eyes, as if he were waiting for her to slip up and do something to justify how wary he felt. "Come on, let's go..." Dr. Kyo soothed. "This won't be bad at all…"

In the operating room was a nurse and a senior intern, both awaiting instruction. Dr Ryo handed the baby to the nurse. "Make sure you hold him tightly while I administer the anesthesia."

Trunks didn't like the serious inclination of that lady. What was she saying about him? And where on Earth was he, anyway?! He began to grow even more uneasy. Who were these people? Why was this new lady holding him so tightly... He didn't even know her, how DARE she carry him like this! The nurse was now laying him down on a table, and Trunks began to squirm. He'd decided that he needed to be as defiant as possible.

The breathing mask ready, Dr. Kyo turned to the operating table to see the nurse struggling with the patient as he squirmed. The two seemed to be engaged in some ridiculous type of power struggle! And what more, the baby seemed to actually be winning! "What's going on? I asked you to constrain him." The doctor said, losing the soft inclination of her voice.

"I'm trying, doctor, but he's making it hard!"

Trunks was kicking his legs and flailing his arms as the nurse attempted to hold him down. The intern ran over to assist, and that's when his tiny foot came into contact with her mouth. "Ah!" The intern backed away, holding a hand to her bleeding lip. Even though Dr. Kyo was witness to all this, she was in no mood for it. "Come on, he's just an infant!" She snapped. "Wash your hands and come back here. I'll hold him down while you administer!"

'Easier said than done, you old witch.' The intern thought. But she obliged, scrubbing her hands and taking the mask. The nurse was still attempting to hold Trunks' hands in place while he flailed his legs. Dr. Kyo walked to the baby and grabbed his ankles, holding them flat against the table. He kicked against her, causing her entire body to shake with recoil, but she refused to let his legs move. This couldn't be happening. It simply wasn't possible for a baby to be this strong! "See?" Dr. Kyo cried, her voice shaking as her body jolted from the struggles of the boy. "There's... nothing to it... He's just a... baby!" It was then that the baby's tail swung around and slammed into her eye. "Son of a-!"

The intern didn't move. She was too busy watching the scene in front of her, secretly amused. In truth, she was pleased to see her supervisor struggling so much. And it took all she had in her not to laugh. She didn't want to step anywhere near that baby! She was sure that her lip was swelling. She was content enough in just watching the scene unfold.

Trunks let out a howl of protest. He didn't like these women at all. He wanted his mommy! "Hurry up, will you!?" The doctor snapped. "Do it now, before he gets even more upset!"

Oh! Right!

The intern ran over and placed the mask over the baby's mouth and nose, drowning out the sound of his screams. Within a few seconds the baby had stopped howling, and within a few more he was fast asleep.

The doctor didn't want to admit how difficult the ordeal had been, as she used her sleeve to wipe sweat from her face. She was still catching her breath, and she backed away from the table to re-sanitize her hands once again. 'It's the strangest thing!' She thought. 'It just isn't possible. There's just no way a baby could be that strong!'

Before Trunks went in for the surgery, Bulma had struggled with the thought of handing the baby away. She didn't second-guess herself nearly as much as she did in the hours leading to the operation. It was a scary feeling to think that she could still back out if she'd wanted to, and to wonder if she really was doing the right thing. As the clock ticked on, and the time drew closer, Bulma found it hard not to be physically ill. Images of all of the things that could go wrong flashed through her head, and she wasn't sure if she could live with it if something happened to Trunks during the operation.

However, the time to hand over the baby quickly came and went. It was almost a relief for Bulma as she released her grip on her son and watched him disappear into the depths of the hospital. She could close the window on all of the pre-surgery anxieties that had been digging at her. But now, a new door of horrors had opened, and she was helplessly sitting in the waiting room and wondering what how everything was going inside.

'I'm just paranoid!' Bulma thought. She could have sworn she'd heard Trunks' scream echoing from the depths of the hospital. 'There's no way that was him.' The terrified mother focused on the television that was hanging in the corner. The news was playing, and as Bulma watched a story about the importance of not wasting electricity, Trunks' cries seemed to fade away. With a sigh of relief, Bulma sank deeper into her chair. 'I knew that wasn't him.' She thought. 'I've got to take it easy. The doctor promised that everything would be okay!'

She'd left before her parents woke up. She'd been feeling so uneasy that she fled the house before her parents had to chance to state any more of their opinions about why the procedure was wrong. She knew in her heart that she really was doing the right thing, but her pre-surgery anxiety was too bad at that point. She didn't want to hear one more plea from her mother. She was worried she might cave in. So she didn't even have her parents with her in the waiting room, once again feeling entirely too alone. It was still early in the morning, and there was nothing other than a clock and a television to keep her company. At some point other patients began to fill in the waiting room, but it didn't ease the desperate loneliness that she was experiencing. She wouldn't feel okay until she could once again wrap her arms around her son.

'This really is the right thing to do.' She reminded herself. Trunks was going to have a hard enough time growing up, being a half saiyan with a fairly well-known family name. He's was going to have to deal with a lot, and he would be spectacular, but he didn't need a tail to complicate things. Not to mention that the tail could be causing more problems than just social issues. Bulma wasn't sure if she'd be able to forgive herself if Trunks turned into a giant ape that destroyed the whole city in a fit of rage one day. And, of course, there was that worry that some troublemaker might grab Trunks by his tail, rendering the poor child paralyzed with pain! It was a risk that she wasn't willing to take, and as far as she was concerned the tail didn't make a difference in how much strength or power a saiyan could accumulate. Neither Goku nor Vegeta had tails, and they were two of the strongest men she knew!

"Right." Bulma breathed, feeling confident in her decision once again. She was doing what was best for Trunks, and that was enough to let her relax back into her chair.

It was then that the door leading into the waiting room opened, and Bulma looked up. A professional with a noticeably bruised lip walked in. "Ms. Briefs?" She asked, and the Bluehead jumped from her seat. "Come with me." The professional said. She gave a pained smile, and turned to lead Bulma to the back room where Trunks evidently was.

"Did everything go okay?" The anxious mother asked as she hastily followed behind.

"Yes, he did quite well. I think he'll recover just fine."

In the post-op room Trunks was already awake in his bed, and he looked pissed. "Oh, my baby!" Bulma gasped, running to his side. She wiped a tear of relief from her eye and gently placed her hands over his chest. The baby looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.

Behind them stood Dr. Kyo, who cleared her throat to make her presence known. Bulma looked up and jumped. Dr. Kyo's left eye was looking rather swollen, and it was starting to sport a rather bluish discoloration. Nevertheless, the surgeon forced a smile. "He's certainly... rambunctious. The procedure went just as planned - as soon as we were able to sedate him."

"Oh, no..." The mother moaned. "I'm so sorry! Did he hurt you guys?!"

Dr. Kyo shook her head. It was a lie. "Give him a couple of days to heal. Try not to let him crawl or be too active. Chances are he won't feel very much like moving around, anyway. He'll be just fine, but give us a call should you have any questions or concerns."

As soon as Bulma left with Trunks in her arms, Dr. Kyo fell back onto the floor.

"Doctor!" The nurse and intern said in unison.

"I'm fine," She replied. "I just need a moment... to lay down..."