Chapter 6:
Valese, Chichi, Krillin, Marron, Yamcha, and even Goku and Vegeta waited with bated breath to hear the results of Bulma's tests. She was just putting Goku's blood up against Goten's. She would still probably need to do a thorough check-up, but it would also probably be better to leave that to a real doctor, not a scientist.
It was hard with the Saiyans and half-Saiyan hybrids to figure out what to do. Their biology was similar to humans, but still so different. A regular doctor would be shocked looking at any of them. Even the Saiyan blood being diluted still meant things were different inside and outside their bodies. Take Gohan for example, he was still born with a tail. And all three of them could transform into Super Saiyan. Normal humans can't do those sorts of things.
However, since Trunks came from the future and warned them and since Goku actually got sick, everyone knew that it was possible for one of them to fall to an illness, randomly.
It hadn't happened yet, but maybe that's why Vegeta was at least a little bit worried. If it could happen to Kararrot, if it could happen to his son, then one day out of the blue the Prince of All Saiyans himself could fall victim to heart disease. His son was susceptible too.
"Goten," Bulma called from around the corner.
"Huh?" He looked up from holding Valese's hand. She had heard his story. And she listened to everyone else explain it. A boy came from the future. He predicted the Androids, but he didn't get all the parts about Cell. He handed Goku some medicine and told him to take it when he started having symptoms. Since Goku didn't have any symptoms he didn't take the medicine… That was until the battle against some androids started, and he suddenly was attacked by his heart virus.
"Can I talk to you? Just you."
Goten nodded, he let his hand slide off of Valese's, but glanced back at her.
She smiled, determined and serious. "Good luck!" She tried to cheer him on.
Goten chuckled once in response and got up and left.
He walked across the area they were all waiting in and went over to Bulma. They spoke in the hallway in hushed tones. She put her arm on Goten to comfort him and started asking him a bunch of questions.
"When were you first feeling any pain?"
"Um…" Goten tried to think, "I guess with Trunks a couple of days ago. We were just goofing around and fighting on the lawn."
"That's when a girl from the office called me? Earlier today?"
Goten nodded.
"Have you felt any pain kick up since?"
"Uh… No, that was about it. I coughed like once or twice."
Bulma glared, pointing her eyebrow down in a scolding manner, "So, then why freak out, why have everyone call me all day? Was it that bad the one time?"
Goten stood back, "What?" He was surprised Bulma was getting so mad at him. He knew she got angry a lot, like his mom, but at least his mother was caring when he was hurting.
Bulma pointed her finger and tapped him on the shoulder, "Listen, Goten, they're all worried about you and I'm worried about you, because we know that Goku died from this once and we all know he was bedridden and taken out of the fight against the Androids and Cell for a while because of this. So, if anything else happens I need you to call me, alright?"
"Alright," he agreed nervously.
"And a couple more questions, the pain… Do you feel it now? Did it go away?"
Goten held a hand to his chest where he had felt the pain this morning, "No… I don't really feel anything. I guess it did go away!"
Bulma shook her head, slightly, "And you're sure the pain was in your chest, in your heart?"
"Uh… In my chest yes… In my heart, I dunno."
"Honest as always Goten. Alright, go sit back down. I hope you beat this thing kiddo, because I'm looking forward to your wedding!" She patted him on the back and they walked back over.
"Goku!" Bulma snapped, "It's your turn!"
Goku whipped his head around. He had been talking to his wife, and his two friends. Moments before he began telling Valese something and she was still trying to put the pieces together alone in her chair.
"What?! Another shot?!" Goku screamed in fear.
"No! Idiot! I just want to talk to you."
Goten walked over to take his seat next to Valese, "It's okay dad, she's just gonna ask you questions."
"Oh, okay!" Goku jumped up. He looked back at his wife, "I'll be right back. Wish me luck!"
Chichi shook her head, and switched to yelling at him, "Now, you answer honestly, Goku! No joking around, this is for our son, Goten!"
"Got it, got it." Goku smiled at her and gave a thumbs up. It was cute when she had absolutely no faith in him, because he loved changing her mind.
Goten watched his father approach Bulma. It seemed like they were walking farther than he did with her just based on the noise of their footsteps. She probably knew Goku couldn't whisper or be quiet for his life.
A glance over at Valese, left Goten confused, "What's up?" He asked her.
"Oh," She snapped out of her daze and took his hand, "I just… I think your dad has a plan…"
"Really?" Goten leaned in.
"Yeah," Valese pushed herself up in her seat to talk into Goten's ear. "I asked your mom why we don't just get the medicine again."
Goten's eyes went wide. Luckily everyone else was too distracted in their own conversation and their seats were a couple of feet away. Yamcha was telling some joke and Krillin was giving him a real laugh, while everyone else, minus 18 and Vegeta, humored him.
"That's when your dad came over and told me that was his plan!"
"His plan…?" Goten mumbled.
"Well… then he said that wasn't his plan exactly. But, I don't know what he could mean. I'm trying to figure it out. It's confusing me, but I think your dad is really trying to help, Goten."
He smiled and sat back in his chair. He looked sideways at his girlfriend and the soft, kind look on her face. "I'm really lucky," He stated and squeezed her hand.
"Yeah?" She let her head fall on his shoulder and therefore didn't allow him to see the tear rolling down her face.
"Yeah," Goten said simply, "Everybody cares so much."
"Did you feel pain in your chest?" Bulma was going slow with each question for Goku to understand.
"Yup."
"..." She glared at him, "That's all you have to say, just yes?!"
Goku threw his arms up in defense, "It was a yes or no question wasn't it?"
"Ugh!" Bulma let out her annoyance, "Okay, so was that the only place you felt pain?"
He balked, tossing his head back, like that was a stupid question to ask, "No! I was completely taken out. Don't you remember Bulma I had to rest in bed for days! My body hurt all over!"
"Okay!" She fought back, getting up in his face, "How about this… When you first started feeling pain, did that pain ever go away?"
"Huh?" Goku thought about that one, he put his finger to his chin, "Um… Not really. I mean, I made it worse when I went Super Saiyan… For a second there I thought I could keep fighting, but the heart virus got me pretty bad!"
He laughed.
"Okay," Bulma nodded, "I think I have an idea what's happening."
"You do?" Goku gasped, leaning forward on to her.
"Yes, I will tell-" She shook in surprise, not fear.
With a happy, cheery look on his face, Goku asked, "Then could you start building the time machine?!"
"What…?"
"The time machine, you know that Trunks came in." Bulma stared at him, utterly confused, so Goku was forced to explain, "I want to go and ask Trunks for more of that medicine, in case Goten needs it."
"It might not work…" Bulma brought down his plan and his mood.
"Why?"
"I'm going to explain it to everybody if you wouldn't cut me off!"
Goku relaxed, "Oh, sorry."
Bulma's voice trailed off as she started thinking out loud to herself, "But maybe that's not a bad idea… I could experiment…" She walked away, heading back down the hallway.
"Wait!" Goku cried, running after her.
"Goku," She turned and scolded him, "I can't believe you are giving me more work to do today!"
He stopped and grinned, "So you are getting the time machine?"
She sighed, "Yes… We might as well learn more about this virus, right?"
He nodded, "Right. I knew you'd like the plan, Bulma."
As he jogged past her, Bulma rolled her eyes. Why did it always seem like these idiots would come up with better plans than her? Oh, well, they always needed her help didn't they? The excitement never really got tiring. Such was a life around the Saiyans of Earth.
"Valese…?" Goten began in a quiet voice. Her head was on his shoulder and her hand was wrapped up in his, resting on the side of his leg.
"Yes?" She perked back.
He stared straight ahead, "Has my mom been bugging you about babies?"
She giggled and he took that as a yes.
"Okay," He exhaled, "If we have a baby, I want you to pick out the name, okay?"
She sat up and looked at him. "Huh?"
"My mom picked out my name, and because my dad was dead I was named after him- Kinda. I want you to pick out a name for our baby and it doesn't have to be after me."
"Goten?" She started worrying about his mental state more than his physical state.
He turned to her and smiled softly, "I just want you to be happy and love your children…"
She stayed quiet. Valese was the kind of girl that could talk for hours about nothing, but when it was your turn (or Goten's turn) to talk she would listen intently. She would be so silent that he had to keep talking, but he suspected she didn't know that about herself. That's how she got him to first say 'I love you', by just letting him babble his way into that one.
Goten sighed, "I know it's hard for my mom, and Bulma, and Videl, being married to us. They don't let it on- Well, my mom does, but you know what I mean. When Videl was pregnant, Gohan told me how much he worried about her-"
"Hey!" Trunks came rushing into the room, following slowly behind him was his younger sister. She wore long shorts, a tee-shirt, high socks, and cleats. Suddenly, Vegeta stood up straight. The young girl approached her father as Trunks ran over to Goten and Valese, "What's going on? Any news?"
"Not really…" Goten laughed, still hanging on to Valese's hand.
"Should I go help my mom…?" Trunks wondered.
"No, I think she's just talking to my dad now…"
There was a pause, Valese and Goten were forced to watch Vegeta interact with his daughter in front of them.
The man stared down at her. Goten tried to remember how old Bra was now. She was a year younger than Pan, but she definitely looked taller and physically stronger. "How did you do?" Vegeta asked seriously, with no feeling behind his words.
"Good!" Bra stated proudly, folding her arms over her chest, "Not my best though. In the scrimmage at the end, I scored two goals."
"Your usual is three."
"I know," She tilted her head up, looking at her father, "I'll get four in the game and make up for it."
Vegeta turned his head, "Fine."
And with that Bra was jogging off, heading upstairs to her room to change.
Goten laughed, he squinted at the prideful and intense Saiyan Prince, "You any good at soccer Vegeta?"
Vegeta whipped his head back to give Goten the stink eye, "Shut up."
Trunks cracked up, "Nice. Bra could be doing arts and crafts and he'd still be micromanaging her. Never cared about my stuff tho."
Vegeta went back to avoiding eye contact and the two half-breed boys once again.
"Hi honey," Valese could hear Bulma's voice from the hallway before she saw Goku's body enter the room. They were back and presumably the results would be in. "Listen up everybody!" Bulma called for everyone's attention as she entered after him. Goku went to sit back down.
Chichi turned, "Did you figure something out?"
"Quiet Chichi," Bulma hushed her and clapped her hands together to tell everyone her discovery, "From the blood tests and just some basic questioning, I believe that Goten has contracted a heart virus-"
Almost everyone gasped.
"But, let me finish!" Bulma said through gritted teeth, "I suspect that it is a mutation or deviation from the virus Goku had." She scanned over everyone's reactions, and seeing they weren't really getting it she continued, "This means that the pain he is feeling might be similar to what Goku experiences, but I do not believe that the heart virus is actually the same. First off, Goku's and Goten's blood samples came back differently. Obviously, Goku is a full Saiyan and Goten is only half."
"Obviously," Vegeta muttered and repeated.
She glanced at him and went back to her explanation, "Even if it was the exact same strand of virus, I don't think it would affect Goten the same way it did Goku. Additionally, just from talking to them, it seems like Goten isn't feeling the same amount of immense pain that Goku did."
"Huh?" Chichi's voice slipped out.
"Goten…" Bulma faced her, "Isn't collapsing right away like Goku did, he might not at all. They both felt pain in their chests, but Goku hurt all over and the pain didn't really subside." She turned to Goten, "Have you tried going Super Saiyan since the pain started?"
He nodded, shamefully.
"Did that make it worse?"
"Uh, not really. Maybe I coughed a little bit more, but mostly I was tired from Dad falling on me!" He glared at his father.
"Sorry, sorry, I had to stop you."
"Okay," Bulma let out a powerful breath, "Then I am going to theorize that you, Goten, have some version of a heart virus or heart disease, but it's a. not the exact same as your dad's, and b. not that bad, yet."
Chichi jumped up, out of her chair, "So, it's not passed down from Goku?"
Bulma wobbled her head, "Hard to tell… It seems odd that no one else has ever gotten it. If it was a disease in the air that only affected Saiyans, Vegeta, Trunks, Gohan, Bra, or Pan would likely have felt something."
Chichi's heart hurt at the mention of Pan, her grandchild.
"Also, while Goku did treat and cure the heart disease in his body, Goten was born afterward once the pathogen was already in Goku's body. Sorry, Chichi, but I would argue that it was probably passed down from Goku somehow, but since Goten is only half-Saiyan it acts a lot different in his body."
"Oh…" Chichi sank back, but Goku stood up.
He addressed the group. "That's okay!" He threw out his arms, "Because we are going to get the time machine going and visit Trunks from the future to talk about it!"
Valese let go of Goten's hand, she bounced up, excited to the edge of her chair, "To get the medicine?!"
Goku looked down at his son's girlfriend, the glowing, desperate look in her eyes was all too familiar.
"Kind of," Bulma inserted herself. "I would like to study it, and discuss with my son-" She stared at the Trunks in front of her, "From the future."
"Oh, okay," Valese responded.
Goku placed a hand on her shoulder, "It might not do anything, but it's worth a shot if it can help Goten, right?"
She nodded back, "Right."
Goku smiled at her, "Then let's do all we can and stay strong, besides you guys got a wedding to plan!" He looked over at his son, with a big grin. "Make sure to invite Uub, alright?" Goku covered the side of his mouth and leaned down to whisper to them, so Chichi wouldn't hear. "I know he's kinda weird, but he'd love an invitation."
"Goku! What are you hiding?!" Chichi stood right back up and marched over to him. She started yelling at both him and Goten, who seemed pretty blameless, "If Uub is coming he can be one of Goten's groomsmen!"
"What…?" Goku jumped back, away from her wrath.
She turned to fight only him, "If you're gonna run off and take care of a kid like 10 years ago, then I'm treating him like part of the family!"
Goten laughed, causing Valese to lean over and ask, "Who's Uub?"
He answered, "This boy my dad trains with, and my mom has basically adopted. You've never seen him?" She shook her head, "Oh, I guess you just miss him. Whenever dad stops home, my mom gives him a bunch of food to take to his village before he leaves."
"Oh," Valese giggled. So much was happening. She didn't know if the theories Bulma had were good news or bad news. She didn't know whether to be relieved for the moment or worried for the future. Either way, it was just nice to be with everyone. Goten talked about his family and their friends sometimes, but honestly, he kept quiet about all this otherworldly, battle stuff. Soon, Valese was going to be a part of everything. She hoped she could keep up. She took Goku's words to heart. Valese decided she wasn't giving up. She was going to stay strong for Goten and he was going to get better. They just had to get married. She wouldn't be happy if they didn't get the chance to have a life together.
A/N: Hey! Thank you for reading, sorry this update took a little over a month to post! I tried to make it longer to make up for it! Hope you are liking where the story is going! Leave a review, like and favorite! :)
Also, tell me what you think the virus would be like for a Saiyan-Hybrid. I was really just theorizing.