Yay! Here's the 'bad thing'!!!
Goten was sitting on his couch Saturday night reading a newspaper, when the phone rang. He reached over and picked it up. "Hello?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Goten?" 18's shaky voice came through. "Goten you need to come home."
He sighed. "18, I already told you and Marron that. Trunks still has feelings for her and I don't--"
"Son Goten, if you care anything about my daughter at all, you'll be here in one minute," she cut in fiercely. Her voice was an octave higher, and she sounded as if she was going to cry.
"18? What happened? Where's Marron?" he asked quickly.
18 took in a deep breath. "Goten there was an accident. About two hours ago. She was driving home from your brother's, and I guess her car went down. Gohan heard something, but didn't think anything of it until an hour ago, when he called to tell Marron something and she wasn't here."
Goten froze. "Is she… okay? I mean, is she…" He couldn't get the words out.
"She's unconscious, but she's alive. How fast can you get here? She needs you here right now more than anyone."
He thought fast. "I can try the IT. I'm not sure if it'll work, but it's worth a try. Where are you?"
"Satan City General. I'm counting on you Goten." She hung up.
Goten stood up, put two shaky fingers to his head, closed his eyes, and concentrated hard on the concrete building. He'd only been there twice- once when Bra was born, and a year later when Pan was born. But it'd been down the street from the pizza place he used to go to with Trunks and Marron when they were teenagers. He felt a change in the air around him, and when he opened his eyes, he was in front of the old building with the big 'S' on it. He ran into the building and up to the receptionist's desk.
"Where's Marron Chestnut?" he blurted out anxiously.
The redhead looked up with a bored look on her face. "Down the hall, and three doors to the left."
Without a reply, Goten ran down the hall until he saw his mother. "Mom!"
Chi-Chi turned around and gasped. "Oh Goten! My little baby! You're here!" She started sobbing.
He gave his mother a quick hug before he ran right into his father and brother. "Where is she?"
Goku pointed to a door, and he ran inside. Krillin and 18 were sitting next to a bed in the room, and Bulma, Bra, and Trunks were seated along the wall on foldout chairs.
Marron was lying in the bed with an IV hooked up to her. She had a bandage wrapped around her head, and her right eye was purple. She had stitches across her cheek, and her left arm was in a sling, as was her right leg.
"Oh my Dende," Goten whispered.
Five fallen faces looked up at the door, and five mouths started going at once. "Goten, how did you get here so fast?" "Thank Dende you're here!" "She needs you, 'Ten." "She's absolutely going to wake up now that you're here." "How're you holding up, buddy?"
Goten ran over to the bed, knelt down next to it, and took her limp hand. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked softly.
Krillin nodded. "The doctor said she should wake up by tomorrow night at the latest. So I think we'll leave you two alone now, right guys?"
Everyone stood up after saying his or her quick good-byes and left.
Goten kissed Marron's hand. "Well, Mar. You finally got me home. After almost scaring me to death, but I guess I have to forgive you, huh? You said you're sorry about me leaving, so you can make it up to me by coming through this for me. Please, Marron. Please, do me this favor and get through this. You're strong, Mar, the strongest human I know. You can do this. I don't know what I'd do without you. I wouldn't be able to go on. There's no way. Come on Marron."
He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up into the face of his father.
"You okay, Goten?"
"I guess so." Then he froze. "Wait. Dad, where's Pan? Marron said she and Pan were going to unpack at Marron's… She wasn't in the car with Marron, was she, Dad?"
Goku chuckled. "Goten, Pan's in America. She went there for Marron to keep an eye on you," he explained.
"You mean- Pam! Pam is Pan, isn't she Dad? Can you stay here with Marron for me? I have to go get her." He stood up and put two fingers to his forehead.
The elder Son turned to the unconscious woman lying in the bed and shook his head.
………………………………...
Goten fazed into 'Pam's' apartment and laughed at the shocked expression on her face. "'Kay Pan, gimme your hand, we're going home."
Pan opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words.
"I'll explain when we get there," he said.
She grabbed her uncle's hand and went along for the ride.
………………………………...
"What happened?" Pan asked, as her and Goten landed outside the hospital.
Goten gave her a hug. "My favorite niece, the actress. There was an accident, Pan. Marron's unconscious. She got into a car accident earlier. Dad's in there with her now."
Pan gasped. "Oh Uncle Goten. I'm so sorry. Can I go see her?" she asked.
"Yeah. Come on."
The two Sons walked through the hospital and back into Marron's room. After, of course, Chi-Chi, Videl, and Gohan went crazy over Pan. ("Oh my little Panny!") Goten led her to the bed, where she greeted her grandfather, and gasped.
"Oh Uncle Goten, is she going to be okay?"
"She should be awake by tomorrow, but for now, all I can do is pray," he replied sadly.
Pan nodded and gave Marron a small kiss on the forehead before leaving with Goku.
That left Goten to pace around the room by himself. "Marron, if you'll wake up for me, I'll stay here. I promise I won't leave your side until your better. And you know I don't break promises. Especially not to you, Mar. Please. Please. I can't ask it enough. I have so much I have to say to you Marron, and I can't tell you if you're not fully with me. You're making me sound like a broken record," he sighed.
………………………………...
"Do you think we should just give her a senzu bean?" Krillin asked.
18 shook her head firmly. "We want her to be normal. I want her to get better because she got better. And besides, I think the longer she's not well, the longer Goten's going to stay."
………………………………...
"Are you sure you don't want to come home with us?" Chi-Chi asked that night. She, Goku, Videl, Gohan, and Pan were leaving, but coming back the next morning.
Goten nodded. "I have to stay here. But I'll see you guys in the morning." He gave his mother a hug. She sighed, but she left.
He walked around the hospital room again, for probably the hundredth time in the past five hours. It was almost midnight, but Goten had no intention on leaving Marron in the hospital overnight by herself. What if she woke up? What if she… didn't make it through the night?
Sighing, Goten sat down and hung his head, resting his elbows on his knees. Then he felt someone sit down next to him. Goten knew who it was without looking up.
"You okay 'Ten?" Trunks asked.
"She's going to make it, Trunks. She has to. I'll die without her. That'd be the end of the world for me."
"Me too."
"No Trunks, I'm serious. If she… doesn't make it, I'll die. I'll have nothing else to live for. She's my world."
"Listen to me 'Ten. Marron is strong. Unbelievably strong. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. She's going to make it. There's no 'ifs' about it. That's just the way it goes."
Goten stood up. "I'm going to marry that girl, Trunks."
"I know you are," Trunks replied sadly. "I know." Then, he got up and left.
Goten yawned and tried to get comfortable on one of the chairs. He soon closed his eyes and fell asleep.
………………………………...
No one ever said anything about it, but that night, Krillin, Goku, Gohan, and even Vegeta held their wives a little closer.
