My muse strikes again. Why am I always getting inspiration for new fics when I'm supposed to
study? Oh well. I've had the rough outline of this story in my head for weeks, but never
anything specific. Onto the story now!
Apocalypse
Chapter one: Disaster Strikes
It all happened so quickly.
For years, the Earth had been peaceful, without the slightest of trouble. I don't know what
happened, but…I guess we all just let our guards down. Then again, there probably was
nothing we could have done to prevent it.
It had been three weeks since Pan, my baby daughter, had been born. Both Videl and I were
currently working part-time so that at least one of us could be at home to take care of Pan.
I knew my parents would have loved to take care of her, but we didn't want that yet. Perhaps
later, but not now. She was our little angel. A sweet and calm baby, she hardly ever cried
and we loved her very much. We both remember the day we brought her home. Pan was amazing.
You could take just one look at her and see how beautiful she was. Her dark eyes sparkled
with intelligence, and you could tell that this child was special. In short, we both adored
her, and I honestly think those were the happiest days of my life. There was no need to save
the earth from destruction or beat an insane super villain bent on either taking over or
destroying Chikyuu. I was finally having a normal, peaceful life. The only 'catastrophe'
that happened now was either the Water Bill had not been paid or we ran out of baby food.
All I did was work, help Videl take care of Pan and spend as much time as possible with my
family.
Though one night, my perfect life changed once again…
Videl came home early with a headache one day. I pampered her and saw to her every need.
She rarely gets sick, and I enjoyed the opportunity to take care of both her and Pan. I like
having them close to me. I know it's a little bit silly, but if something dangerous would
happen when they were with me, I would be there to protect them. We both got to bed early,
she because she didn't feel well and I because I had to work tomorrow. Her face was red and
when I kissed her goodnight, I could feel her temperature was up. Illness makes me nervous.
My family had always been healthy, the only time someone was sick was when my father had the
heart disease, and that would have been fatal if it hadn't been for Trunks' antidote, I
knew that.
As I sat beside Videl staring at her, she turned and looked worriedly at me. Her blue eyes
still sparkled with determination, but also, worry. I smile sadly at her. 'She must have
sensed my fear for her health' I say to myself as I reached over and grasped her pale, warm
hand. Videl gazed at me for a few moments before she smiled. "Don't worry Gohan, I'm sure
it's just a little cold, flu, or something." I watched as she sat up on the bed and turned
to some flu medicine I placed there earlier. " I'll take a dose of this, and Ill be better
before you know it." She smiled at me again as she took a spoonful of the horrible tasting
stuff. She placed the bottle shakily down on the table before lying back on the bed. She
fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
I sat on the bed crossed legged, hunched over in deep thought. I had my doubts, after all.
If it was the flu, it could take a while before she would be well again. I might need to
take some days off to take care of her and Pan. I hoped my boss would give me some more days
off. I had only started working one week ago, after taking one month of fraternity leave,
and I had lots of work to do. Oh well, I thought, no use worrying about that now, after all,
she might be right and then she'd be well again in no time. I kicked my legs up as I pulled
the covers from underneath me. After coving Videl and myself up, I too fell into a restless
sleep.
Sometime during the night, I woke up to Pan's crying, for the fourth time that night. I
glanced over at Videl, but she didn't stir. I sighed to myself as I willed myself out of my
bed. I had to get to work in two hours and I was already very tired, but I couldn't wake my
wife just now, she needed to sleep. Like I said before, Pan was usually a very calm, hardly
ever crying baby, but not tonight. I had heard horror stories about newborn babies crying
ALL the time, especially at night, thus completely exhausting their parents, but my little
brother Goten hadn't done that, and neither had Pan this far. I hoped it was just a phase
she was going through and not a permanent change. I'm a grown man, but I need at least
eight hours of sleep, otherwise I am in a bad mood all day (according to Videl, that is). I
got up and went to my daughter's room.
"What is it sweetie?" I asked her when I picked her up. I checked and saw that she didn't
need a diaper change, and I had bottle fed her just one hour ago. She was restless, moving
and rolling her head from side to side. When I put my hand on her forehead, I noticed she
was burning up.
Fear began to well up in me as I looked at the face of my only child. As anybody with any
common sense would know, it was not good for a child to have such a high temperature.
Beating my fear back down, I told myself that it probably wouldn't be necessary, but I
decided to call our doctor just to be sure. I took Pan in my arms and went down the stairs.
I looked up the doctor's number and dialed it. No one answered.
'Strange,' I thought. 'There's always someone there for emergencies…" After getting the
phonebook from the cabinet, I called some other doctors in the neighborhood, but no one
answered.
I was getting a sick feeling in my stomach, something was definitely wrong. I know for
sure there's always a doctor on call. I decided to call the Satan city hospital. "It's
almost 20 miles away, but I could get there in no time if I'd fly" I muttered to no one as
I franticly called. Again, no one answered. Slamming the phone down in frustration, I
looked at my daughter. Her face was red and swollen, and she seemed to have trouble
breathing. I needed to have a doctor check her over. I was almost out of the door when I
realized it would be a good idea to tell Videl what's going on. If I didn't, she would get
really upset if she'd find out both me and her baby had vanished. I went up to my bedroom
and tried to wake Videl. When I touched her, I noticed her temperature was extremely high
as well. No matter what I did, I couldn't wake her. I was starting to panic; apparently both
my daughter and my wife were seriously ill, and there was not a single doctor to be reached.
I decided to take my family to hospital myself. I gathered Videl and Pan in my arms, and
flew to the hospital as fast as I could.
I will never forget the sight that greeted me upon entry. People were lying everywhere.
Some were all ready dead, and others were suffocating, fighting for every breath. As I
looked panicky around for someone to help, to my horror, I finally realized that there was
no help. The doctors and nurses all laid strewed across the floors and desk. Some dead and
some alive. The stench of death penetrated my every being, threatening to overtake me, but
again I suppressed the sick feeling of fear.
On my left, I saw a young couple with a small child, no older that 5 or so. His dark hair
was damp with sweat and his face was pale. As I walked by him, his face shot up. His green
eyes stared at me, pleaded with me. His tear-streaked face was beet red, as he gasped out,
"Please help me!"
I hesitated. It is against my nature not to help someone in need, but there was nothing I
could do for the boy. His parents were all ready dead and I needed to help my own family.
'Selfish…'
I heard a voice say to me. I shook my head no violently. I turned back to the boy, and I
felt my heart sink as I shook my head. "I am sorry." I turned and rushed onward. From
behind, I heard a small cry of sadness and despair come from the boy. Then silence.
When I got to the first floor, nothing changed. There were bodies lying everywhere and when
I looked into an operating room I could see only dead people. I methodically searched the
entire hospital, but there were no living people. When I got down again, I saw the little
boy I had passed earlier had died too. Now there was no one alive, the only sounds I could
hear were the sounds I made. I was getting desperate.
I sat down to think. There was no one to help here. Come to think of it, when I flew over
here everything had seemed quiet. I needed to go to another hospital, but this was the only
one I knew the location off. Was it only three weeks ago that Pan had been born here? It
seemed like another lifetime to me. I rest Videl's head on my lap, while I held Pan in my
arms. Videl opened her eyes and said: "Gohan?"
"Yes?" I could barely speak. She looked horrible, struggling for every breath. If she
wouldn't get help she would not survive!
"Take care of Pan." She whispered weakly as she touched my face. Her words send shivers
down my spine. Why would I need to take care of Pan? I shook my head in defiance. "Don't
talk like that Videl. You're going to be all right, you'll see. I'll find a doctor. He will
help you and Pan and we'll all go home, and I'll make you some of your favorite pancakes,
every day until you're well again, and."
Videl's head had jerked up at the mention of Pan. "Pan?" She whispered blue eyes filled
with fear. "My baby… Is she all right?"
No, Pan was not all right. She was just as ill as her mother, but I couldn't tell Videl
that. It would only make her worry, and that would do her no good. I decided to lie to my
wife, for the first time. I smiled warmly at her. "Pan is fine honey, she's sleeping right
now, she had a low fever but she's all right." Upon hearing my answer Videl looked very
relieved and I was glad I hadn't told her the truth.
Videl looked strangely at me. "Gohan, what's wrong with me? I can barely breathe and I feel
like I'm burning up…"
I didn't know what to say, so I shrugged my shoulders and ran my hand through her dark hair.
"Ssh, just be quiet and rest. I'll get you a doctor." ' One way or another', I added in
thought. She reached for my hand, and said: "I love you." Her eyes closed, and she was quiet
again, except for the sound of her labored irregular breathing. I listened to her breathing,
in an odd way it was soothing and disturbing at the same time.
In, out. In, out. In, out. Then nothing. Fearing the worst, I hesitantly held my hand above
her nose and mouth, but I couldn't feel any air current. When I checked for a pulse, I
didn't really expect to find one, but when I didn't it was still a shock. She had died in
my arms. My mind went completely blank. I don't know how long I sat there, holding my dead
wife. Eventually I could hear a coughing sound, and I came to my senses. What had happened
seemed like a bad dream, a nightmare, but when I looked at Videl there was no denying it.
She was dead.
Feeling my chest clinch up in disbelief, I looked at her once more. "This cannot be
happening." Still, it was all too real. She was dead, and there was nothing I could do a
bout it. Despair and fear finally took over and I screamed, an anguished scream filled with
the unbearable pain I felt inside my heart.
I sit there, holding her still form and my gravely ill baby daughter. It was her cough that
I heard. I gently stroke Videl's forehead and hold Pan close to me. She is still breathing,
but barely. I rock her gently, for what seems like ages. "Don't worry sweetie, everything
will be all right. We will wish your mother and all these other people back, and everything
will be all right. Oh, Videl…"
Tears are running down my cheeks, but I barely notice it. It's starting to get warm in here
and my throat is tightening, but it doesn't matter. Videl, whom I loved more than anyone on
this planet, whom I adored and cherished, is dead. After quite some time I regain my
senses. My wife is dead, but my daughter isn't, if I could find someone to treat Pan she
might survive. I quickly stand up, but that was a mistake. A sudden wave of nausea and
dizziness overcomes me, and the last thing I remember before blacking out is trying to turn
around so that Pan wouldn't hit the ground when I fall…
End of chapter one.
In the next chapter, both Goku and Vegeta find out that their mates have the same mysterious
disease.
study? Oh well. I've had the rough outline of this story in my head for weeks, but never
anything specific. Onto the story now!
Apocalypse
Chapter one: Disaster Strikes
It all happened so quickly.
For years, the Earth had been peaceful, without the slightest of trouble. I don't know what
happened, but…I guess we all just let our guards down. Then again, there probably was
nothing we could have done to prevent it.
It had been three weeks since Pan, my baby daughter, had been born. Both Videl and I were
currently working part-time so that at least one of us could be at home to take care of Pan.
I knew my parents would have loved to take care of her, but we didn't want that yet. Perhaps
later, but not now. She was our little angel. A sweet and calm baby, she hardly ever cried
and we loved her very much. We both remember the day we brought her home. Pan was amazing.
You could take just one look at her and see how beautiful she was. Her dark eyes sparkled
with intelligence, and you could tell that this child was special. In short, we both adored
her, and I honestly think those were the happiest days of my life. There was no need to save
the earth from destruction or beat an insane super villain bent on either taking over or
destroying Chikyuu. I was finally having a normal, peaceful life. The only 'catastrophe'
that happened now was either the Water Bill had not been paid or we ran out of baby food.
All I did was work, help Videl take care of Pan and spend as much time as possible with my
family.
Though one night, my perfect life changed once again…
Videl came home early with a headache one day. I pampered her and saw to her every need.
She rarely gets sick, and I enjoyed the opportunity to take care of both her and Pan. I like
having them close to me. I know it's a little bit silly, but if something dangerous would
happen when they were with me, I would be there to protect them. We both got to bed early,
she because she didn't feel well and I because I had to work tomorrow. Her face was red and
when I kissed her goodnight, I could feel her temperature was up. Illness makes me nervous.
My family had always been healthy, the only time someone was sick was when my father had the
heart disease, and that would have been fatal if it hadn't been for Trunks' antidote, I
knew that.
As I sat beside Videl staring at her, she turned and looked worriedly at me. Her blue eyes
still sparkled with determination, but also, worry. I smile sadly at her. 'She must have
sensed my fear for her health' I say to myself as I reached over and grasped her pale, warm
hand. Videl gazed at me for a few moments before she smiled. "Don't worry Gohan, I'm sure
it's just a little cold, flu, or something." I watched as she sat up on the bed and turned
to some flu medicine I placed there earlier. " I'll take a dose of this, and Ill be better
before you know it." She smiled at me again as she took a spoonful of the horrible tasting
stuff. She placed the bottle shakily down on the table before lying back on the bed. She
fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
I sat on the bed crossed legged, hunched over in deep thought. I had my doubts, after all.
If it was the flu, it could take a while before she would be well again. I might need to
take some days off to take care of her and Pan. I hoped my boss would give me some more days
off. I had only started working one week ago, after taking one month of fraternity leave,
and I had lots of work to do. Oh well, I thought, no use worrying about that now, after all,
she might be right and then she'd be well again in no time. I kicked my legs up as I pulled
the covers from underneath me. After coving Videl and myself up, I too fell into a restless
sleep.
Sometime during the night, I woke up to Pan's crying, for the fourth time that night. I
glanced over at Videl, but she didn't stir. I sighed to myself as I willed myself out of my
bed. I had to get to work in two hours and I was already very tired, but I couldn't wake my
wife just now, she needed to sleep. Like I said before, Pan was usually a very calm, hardly
ever crying baby, but not tonight. I had heard horror stories about newborn babies crying
ALL the time, especially at night, thus completely exhausting their parents, but my little
brother Goten hadn't done that, and neither had Pan this far. I hoped it was just a phase
she was going through and not a permanent change. I'm a grown man, but I need at least
eight hours of sleep, otherwise I am in a bad mood all day (according to Videl, that is). I
got up and went to my daughter's room.
"What is it sweetie?" I asked her when I picked her up. I checked and saw that she didn't
need a diaper change, and I had bottle fed her just one hour ago. She was restless, moving
and rolling her head from side to side. When I put my hand on her forehead, I noticed she
was burning up.
Fear began to well up in me as I looked at the face of my only child. As anybody with any
common sense would know, it was not good for a child to have such a high temperature.
Beating my fear back down, I told myself that it probably wouldn't be necessary, but I
decided to call our doctor just to be sure. I took Pan in my arms and went down the stairs.
I looked up the doctor's number and dialed it. No one answered.
'Strange,' I thought. 'There's always someone there for emergencies…" After getting the
phonebook from the cabinet, I called some other doctors in the neighborhood, but no one
answered.
I was getting a sick feeling in my stomach, something was definitely wrong. I know for
sure there's always a doctor on call. I decided to call the Satan city hospital. "It's
almost 20 miles away, but I could get there in no time if I'd fly" I muttered to no one as
I franticly called. Again, no one answered. Slamming the phone down in frustration, I
looked at my daughter. Her face was red and swollen, and she seemed to have trouble
breathing. I needed to have a doctor check her over. I was almost out of the door when I
realized it would be a good idea to tell Videl what's going on. If I didn't, she would get
really upset if she'd find out both me and her baby had vanished. I went up to my bedroom
and tried to wake Videl. When I touched her, I noticed her temperature was extremely high
as well. No matter what I did, I couldn't wake her. I was starting to panic; apparently both
my daughter and my wife were seriously ill, and there was not a single doctor to be reached.
I decided to take my family to hospital myself. I gathered Videl and Pan in my arms, and
flew to the hospital as fast as I could.
I will never forget the sight that greeted me upon entry. People were lying everywhere.
Some were all ready dead, and others were suffocating, fighting for every breath. As I
looked panicky around for someone to help, to my horror, I finally realized that there was
no help. The doctors and nurses all laid strewed across the floors and desk. Some dead and
some alive. The stench of death penetrated my every being, threatening to overtake me, but
again I suppressed the sick feeling of fear.
On my left, I saw a young couple with a small child, no older that 5 or so. His dark hair
was damp with sweat and his face was pale. As I walked by him, his face shot up. His green
eyes stared at me, pleaded with me. His tear-streaked face was beet red, as he gasped out,
"Please help me!"
I hesitated. It is against my nature not to help someone in need, but there was nothing I
could do for the boy. His parents were all ready dead and I needed to help my own family.
'Selfish…'
I heard a voice say to me. I shook my head no violently. I turned back to the boy, and I
felt my heart sink as I shook my head. "I am sorry." I turned and rushed onward. From
behind, I heard a small cry of sadness and despair come from the boy. Then silence.
When I got to the first floor, nothing changed. There were bodies lying everywhere and when
I looked into an operating room I could see only dead people. I methodically searched the
entire hospital, but there were no living people. When I got down again, I saw the little
boy I had passed earlier had died too. Now there was no one alive, the only sounds I could
hear were the sounds I made. I was getting desperate.
I sat down to think. There was no one to help here. Come to think of it, when I flew over
here everything had seemed quiet. I needed to go to another hospital, but this was the only
one I knew the location off. Was it only three weeks ago that Pan had been born here? It
seemed like another lifetime to me. I rest Videl's head on my lap, while I held Pan in my
arms. Videl opened her eyes and said: "Gohan?"
"Yes?" I could barely speak. She looked horrible, struggling for every breath. If she
wouldn't get help she would not survive!
"Take care of Pan." She whispered weakly as she touched my face. Her words send shivers
down my spine. Why would I need to take care of Pan? I shook my head in defiance. "Don't
talk like that Videl. You're going to be all right, you'll see. I'll find a doctor. He will
help you and Pan and we'll all go home, and I'll make you some of your favorite pancakes,
every day until you're well again, and."
Videl's head had jerked up at the mention of Pan. "Pan?" She whispered blue eyes filled
with fear. "My baby… Is she all right?"
No, Pan was not all right. She was just as ill as her mother, but I couldn't tell Videl
that. It would only make her worry, and that would do her no good. I decided to lie to my
wife, for the first time. I smiled warmly at her. "Pan is fine honey, she's sleeping right
now, she had a low fever but she's all right." Upon hearing my answer Videl looked very
relieved and I was glad I hadn't told her the truth.
Videl looked strangely at me. "Gohan, what's wrong with me? I can barely breathe and I feel
like I'm burning up…"
I didn't know what to say, so I shrugged my shoulders and ran my hand through her dark hair.
"Ssh, just be quiet and rest. I'll get you a doctor." ' One way or another', I added in
thought. She reached for my hand, and said: "I love you." Her eyes closed, and she was quiet
again, except for the sound of her labored irregular breathing. I listened to her breathing,
in an odd way it was soothing and disturbing at the same time.
In, out. In, out. In, out. Then nothing. Fearing the worst, I hesitantly held my hand above
her nose and mouth, but I couldn't feel any air current. When I checked for a pulse, I
didn't really expect to find one, but when I didn't it was still a shock. She had died in
my arms. My mind went completely blank. I don't know how long I sat there, holding my dead
wife. Eventually I could hear a coughing sound, and I came to my senses. What had happened
seemed like a bad dream, a nightmare, but when I looked at Videl there was no denying it.
She was dead.
Feeling my chest clinch up in disbelief, I looked at her once more. "This cannot be
happening." Still, it was all too real. She was dead, and there was nothing I could do a
bout it. Despair and fear finally took over and I screamed, an anguished scream filled with
the unbearable pain I felt inside my heart.
I sit there, holding her still form and my gravely ill baby daughter. It was her cough that
I heard. I gently stroke Videl's forehead and hold Pan close to me. She is still breathing,
but barely. I rock her gently, for what seems like ages. "Don't worry sweetie, everything
will be all right. We will wish your mother and all these other people back, and everything
will be all right. Oh, Videl…"
Tears are running down my cheeks, but I barely notice it. It's starting to get warm in here
and my throat is tightening, but it doesn't matter. Videl, whom I loved more than anyone on
this planet, whom I adored and cherished, is dead. After quite some time I regain my
senses. My wife is dead, but my daughter isn't, if I could find someone to treat Pan she
might survive. I quickly stand up, but that was a mistake. A sudden wave of nausea and
dizziness overcomes me, and the last thing I remember before blacking out is trying to turn
around so that Pan wouldn't hit the ground when I fall…
End of chapter one.
In the next chapter, both Goku and Vegeta find out that their mates have the same mysterious
disease.