Disclaimer: I don't own any Dragonball Z, but I'd really like Goku, Gohan, and Trunks.
For the Love of a Brother
Gohan and his baby brother Goten were inseparable since the day Goten came into Gohan's life. Gohan watched over Goten like a father. He was always there to protect him and to comfort him when he was sad. Gohan knew that if anything happened to his baby brother he would never be able to forgive himself. That was all about change.
Chi-Chi was in the kitchen making breakfast when Goten came downstairs. He was looking very pale. He just wasn't his cheery self.
"Goten, are you alright?" Chi-Chi questioned. Goten was a little slow in his response to his mother's question.
"I think so." Goten replied in a weak voice. Chi-Chi knew that something was wrong with her baby. She wanted to see what Gohan thought when he came down for breakfast. Chi-chi had just put breakfast on the table when Gohan came down. He was ready to start his first day at Orange Star High School. In a way he was looking forward to it. Goten saw his big brother coming down the stairs and he got up to greet him. Suddenly Goten's knees started to buckle and he began to collapse. Gohan dropped all of his books and he hurried over to Goten. He caught his baby brother just before he hit the floor. Goten fell unconscience in Gohan's arms. Chi-Chi set down the plate of food and rushed over to find out what happened.
"Goten, please talk to me!" Gohan exclaimed. Goten didn't respond. Chi-Chi was starting to panic. Why wouldn't Goten answer Gohan? She had sensed that something was wrong all morning, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Mom, we have to get Goten to the hospital right away." Gohan stated.
"But what about your first day at school?" Chi-chi asked.
"I'm not going to school until I find out what's wrong with my brother." Gohan answered. Gohan carefully took his brother into his arms. He then called for Nimbus. Gohan and Chi-chi climbed on Nimbus and headed for the hospital.
When they got there a doctor took Goten from Gohan's arms and took him into a room to be examined. Gohan prayed that his brother would be all right. After a half-hour had passed, the doctor came into the waiting room to tell Gohan and Chi-Chi of Goten's predicament.
"No, that can be true. I won't accept it!" Gohan yelled.
"I'm afraid that there's not that much we can do for Goten, but keep him on the life support. The tumor in his brain has gotten out of control. Even surgery will not help him." The doctor sadly stated. Chi-chi was crying. Gohan held his mother as she sobbed in his chest.
"His unconscience state when you brought him here has developed into a deep coma. He probably will never come out of it. If by a miracle he recovers, he'll be nothing but a vegetable. He will not be the Goten you all know and love," the doctor explained. "I'm so very, very sorry."
"Can we see him?" Chi-Chi asked.
"Yes of course." the doctor said. He led Gohan and Chi-Chi to Goten's room and opened the door. There was Goten, connected to tubes and wires. There was a machine on the wall that was keeping Goten alive. Gohan could not believe everything that he was seeing. The doctor left Chi-Chi and Gohan alone. Chi-Chi walked over to Goten's bed and sat gently on it so that she wouldn't disturb the machines. There was a monitor showing Goten's heart rate. It was very slow and very weak. This made Chi-Chi even more afraid. She knew that nothing could be done for her baby, but she still wasn't ready to accept it. She couldn't bear to look at Goten like this. She left the room crying uncontrollably. Finally it was Gohan's turn to sit and keep vigil over his brother. Gohan felt very angry inside. He promised that he'd protect Goten from all the evils in the world, but now he felt as though he failed.
"Goten, I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can somehow please listen. I am so very sorry Goten. I failed you as a big brother. You were counting on me to protect you and I couldn't even do that." Gohan said as he began to cry. He held his brother's hand in his and he prayed that there was still hope left for his baby brother.
Days passed and the doctor saw no improvement in Goten's condition. The doctor talked to Gohan and Chi-Chi and told them that it was time to let Goten go. They both cried in each other's arms. Finally they both gave the ok to disconnect Goten from the life support. They knew that Goten would go to be with Goku once he died. The doctor went inside the room. Soon afterward they heard a whine from the heart machine. They knew that it was over and Goten was gone. They both held on to each other crying. The doctor left the room and permitted Gohan and Chi-Chi to say their good byes. Chi-Chi touched his face and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Gohan kissed him on the forehead. He then told his mother that he wanted to be alone with Goten for a few moments. Chi-Chi left the room and left Gohan alone. He held on to Goten's hand as he did before and sat there in the silence. He knew that his brother was on his way home to meet his father that he never got to know. A tear quietly streamed down his face as sunlight entered the room and shone brighter than it did ever before. Gohan knew that this was his brother's light and it would now be there to protect him forever.