I'm so sorry that it took me like… 3 weeks to get this out but I have an excuse that made me cry for about an hour before I finally sucked it up and stopped. My file that I've been keeping this in somehow got dislodged in my computer's memory disk and wouldn't allow me to open ANY word documents and all the one's I tried to open ended up getting deleted. Like the file was there, but the content was erased. It sucked…. hard, especially since I had a few other chapters I hadn't posted yet get deleted. This is probably gonna suck since I had to rewrite it and lost my momentum and stuff on it, sorry everyone.
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Disclaimer: I want my mommy….. and Gohan, but we can't have everything now can we?
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The Deception of A Whisper
Chapter 8- The Blue Haired Doctor
It had been about four days since Gohan's encounter with the prince in the palace gardens and the king was beginning to grow impatient with his heir and the lack of presence he'd suddenly shown in the Throne Room and to his designated duties as of lately. Because of this the king had sent several parties constantly about the palace to locate the prince and give his coordinates. Most of these squads had failed however as it would appear that the young monarch wished to remain unfound by his elder. Now Gohan found himself walking languidly down the cold corridors, not to find his prince but to relay a message to the storage barracks, where the prince had often been seen scouring the many supplies boxes, informing them that at their next sighting of the prince to detain him for as long as possible while informing Colonel Kakarrott of his attendance by a messenger. The king wished to catch his illusive brat and if any of these instructions were sent by scouter, then the young deity was bound to pick them up should he also be wearing one.
To the young captain's dismay, the silent seraphim glided by his side all the while keeping him uncomfortable company. Their sweet, chilled breaths occasionally grazed the perceptive skin of his neck sending involuntary shudders down his spinal cord and caused the short hairs on the back of his neck to stiffen and stand on end. They tousled his thick hair in efforts for his attention and ran their cold, icy fingers over the soft flesh of his cheeks in hopes of even a wayward glance, but none came as he kept his attention on the task at hand never wavering for even a moment under the trials of these wistful phantoms until he was but steps from the storage barracks.
Then as he reached out his hand to enter a code into the entrance module by the door, the soft pat of a footstep behind him alerted his attention. He waited a moment for the steady beat of shoes walking away to echo back to him as the located creature continued on his journey, but they never came. Gohan cast a few eerie glances about himself finding nothing. Either the creature had been startled by his sudden appearance, or hadn't known how to react to seeing someone else in this usually uninhabited part of the palace, or it simply hadn't wanted to be found, or maybe perhaps all were true.
Gohan stalled a moment using all of his senses to reach out and find any other occupant of the corridor. His eyes, ears and nose informed him of nothing and he would have been more than happy to oblige their eased messages had his other two senses not been so vibrantly alerted. Though he could neither see, hear, nor smell any other being within the vicinity, his skin told him otherwise as the feeling of small prickling enveloped his body and made his muscles involuntarily twitch. Besides that was the air, which was hung in a bitter taste of uncertainty that tickled his notions as the flavor wafted about his mouth. Someone was there.
Unable to locate anything after a brief minute of search and deciding that his original mission was the most important at the moment, he closed the small gap between himself and the door of the storage barracks only to catch from the corner of his eye the soft silhouette of a shadow dash beyond visibility down a passageway adjacent to the one he currently occupied. A mixture of soldierly instinct and Saiyan curiosity began to overwhelm him as he felt his feet move beneath him without his instruction and silently follow after the barely apparent, quiet taps of footsteps making their way down the hall just ahead of him.
Where ever those footsteps went he followed all through the lower levels of the palace until he noticed where they were leading. Those phantoms who never seemed to leave his side seemed to grow increasingly distressed as they neared the set destination and pulled relentlessly on the edges of his armor in unyielded warning in hopes of assuaging him into turning back and leaving this place, but he didn't listen and continued on in growing interest and with countless ideas running rampantly through his mind over who was leading him into the lowest area of the palace as well as what their motives were. Surely it was a wanton thief who had met his match in the maze of hallways and entrances that so intricately plagued the palace and a cunning, young captain who was able to catch upon his sly movements. And then he stopped dead in his tracks as the appearance of the large, barred entrance loomed just feet before him, its iridescent metal gnawing in old, rusted coats thick with growing mold and other abrasions.
His breath caught in his throat as a new chill ran through his veins not caused by his flurry of ethereal guests, but by a feeling that Saiyan warriors rarely feel if ever in their lifetime. Taking a few uncertain steps back, he focused his stare on that door that bore the signal of power-made caskets basked in an eternity of night where day never dripped its dim light and hope never wandered aimlessly; a place where the unfortunate breathed the word death like life itself, but never found the comfort. His chest heaved as he continued to stare, the hoarse calls of those within slowly gripping into his ears and shattering his holding bonds of sanity till he too wished to join their screams, but his pride would not allow him to do anything more than keep his form straight, head erect, and hands twitching nervously at his sides while his feet soundly strolled backward away from the impending appearance of that door and back to the corridors he was familiar with.
Just when he was about to turn his course back down the hall and give up his pursuit of the would-be thief, a hand lurched out from a boding niche in the wall and clasped itself firmly onto his arm pulling him back with it into the corner from which it had come. A strong arm wound itself deathly around his neck while the hand that had previously grabbed his arm recoiled to seek his mouth and hold him mute from all else. He struggled in vain trying to free himself from the grasp of his assailant only to find the limb wrapped securely about his throat tighten in a successful effort to keep him bound. He became desperate through his short breaths and decided to try a different angle of escape by reeling his elbow upward and quickly plunging it back and into the stomach of his capture earning him a deep, pained grunt and slight give to the pressure ensued about his neck.
Taking advantage of the short detainment on the other's behalf, he tried to lift the arm from about himself, but the hope was short lived as he immediately felt the pressure substantially thicken once again cutting off his route of escape. He tried to force his elbow back into his capture's abdomen once more but only met air in his attempt followed by a raspy voice breathing heatedly and quickly against his ear as he continued his resistance.
"Stop moving or you'll give us both away!" that rough voice came in an urgent spell into his ear which obviously was no more than a few inches from his head as he could feel his assailant's quick breaths pass nervously over his skin.
Why he obeyed the command, he wasn't sure, but something just seemed to snap at him at the sound of those words that quieted his movement and allowed him to hold still under the restraint of the being behind him. As he pondered himself, the dull sound of marching boots in the near distance took his attention as a patrolling squad of about twelve Saiyans made their way forward in the corridor. Gohan remained motionless as they came into view and just as swiftly continued down the hallway all the while waiting until the tapping of their metal capped shoes had softly lulled into nothing as they left.
Immediately, he was released by the offending arm and hand allowing him to dash out from the crevice he had been shadowed in with his assailant and then to turn himself about, ready to meet the face of his capture whose form was still currently hazed in the corner's dim light. One lazy step and then another and the figure was in the light, his proud stance accentuated by the trademark crossed arms about his chest and insubordinate glare emanating from his eyes as he glowered at his fellow Saiyan through onyx, brazen orbs that rested roughly behind his youthful bangs that had yet to be swept up into his royal, flaming hair almost giving him a treacherous air of innocence. The heir took another step forward still gazing intently upon Gohan, the inch or so he lacked to the other's height quickly dissolving as the lower ranking Saiyan took a knee, head bowed in respect.
The prince's tight lips turned from their original sneer into a malicious smirk as he advanced on the unsuspecting soldier hunched over one knee on the ground waiting for him to indicate any action or such. One swift kick landed directly into the captain's midsection was the determined answer as the injured soldier nearly collapsed completely onto the floor in searing pain only to regain his kneeling stance once more as the pain slowly ebbed.
"That was for elbowing me in the stomach," the prince growled out to the lower Saiyan still on the floor.
"I apologize your highness," Gohan commented, slightly short of breath. "I did not recognize you."
To this the young deity nodded motioning for Gohan to stand with a flick of his wrist. The pair stood facing each other for a moment unsure of what procedure to take until the prince finally broke the silence with an uneasy remark.
"You never saw me here, do you understand? You are never to speak of this to anyone beyond me," he said shifting his weight steadily from one foot to the other.
"Of course, your highness," Gohan responded immediately.
"Can I trust you?" his highness asked seriously examining Gohan closely as he spoke.
"Yes, your highness," was the quick response.
"In that case, I have a job for you, if you are willing to accept it and if you think you will be able to handle it without telling anyone of what you are about to see."
Gohan gave a quizzical look, the evident uncertainty in the prince's voice obviously unsettling as he noticed the young monarch's constant glances about the vicinity. "Of course your highness."
"Good," the prince almost sighed in relief brushing his bangs back with a white, gloved hand before returning it to its place across his chest. "And once again, you can drop the formalities. It gets rather annoying after a while."
Unable to help himself from the all too normal comment made by the prince, Gohan let a smirk pass his features, which became contagious towards the prince as they both showed their quiet bemusement to each other.
"I have someone I must get from here," the prince stated finally glancing towards the eerie bars of the slave quarter's entrance. "What I need you to do is go down to the eastern medical ward and clear the facility of everyone including the doctors. Tell them it is my order and that they can continue their work in one of the other facilities in the palace for the time being."
"Yes, sir," Gohan answered giving his young monarch a quick salute before disappearing into the vacant corridor in long strides towards the east wings and then the eastern medical ward not bothering even a backward glance as he heard the crying hinges of that ominous gate swing open and the prince's footsteps disappear within.
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He had waited all of fifteen minutes after he had reached the medical ward and cleared it of all occupants before he heard soft shuffling and whispers echoing through the tight crevices of the door from the hallway as two beings approached. Moments later the metallic door slid open with a quiet whoosh allowing an almost heated breeze to wash over the frigid region as the masculine figure of the prince and another person quickly stepped through the threshold. The prince's company wasted not a moment upon entering going directly to the operating table and clearing it of a mess of various, tinny utensils setting them meticulously about the outer tables placed round the head of the platform.
Thoroughly confused and uncomfortable as he watched the duo work, the prince occasionally stepping in the other's work to hold a gadget or such for a moment, Gohan began to look over the form of the new person whom the prince had brought with him. Its back was situated towards him not allowing him to see more than the black cape and hood mounted upon its shoulders and head except for the thin, pale arms, which would occasionally dart about grabbing for a new tool or such alerting him to its feminine trait. The short, little woman continued to work under Prince Vegeta's constant supervision even as a dull thud began to ring from the front entry doors of the ward and the prince silently went to answer the call.
Gohan anxiously watched him pass by towards the door and press the 'door open' button reveling two other Saiyans waiting for their commands on the other side, one holding something in his big, brutish arms. He issued them in quickly before closing the door once more and taking what at first appeared to be a small, black parcel from one of the men's arms and continuing on his own back to the operating table, his baggage laid gently in his arms. The white arms of the prince's acquaintance reached out and felt about the bundle's body before beaconing for the prince to lay it on the table.
The prince complied lowering his arms carefully down upon the cold metal of the platform and slowly releasing his grip on his cargo. Almost immediately he was practically shoved to the side as the woman began to examine what he had lain on the table grabbing constantly for a new device or gesturing for the prince to hold something as her hands flew rampant to and fro. All the while Gohan watched silently studying what was happening before him as the short being fussed and the revered prince practically danced from foot to foot in compiling tension.
Then the fretful acts played out by the short woman slowed and she placed both her hands against the edge of the platform leaning on it for support as her head slumped into the crest of her narrow shoulders shaking slowly from side to side. It was at this time that he noticed the loose limb hanging numbly over the side of the table with each paled finger twitching ever so slightly after brief intervals; the pinky graced with a thin, silver ring that slowly began to descend off the digit pulled by the force of gravity until it dismantled itself completely and fell to the floor with a soft clink before rolling across the room to settle just inches from his feet.
Bending down he picked the small object up in his hand, examining its fine craftsmanship before clenching his fist about it deciding he would return it when circumstances weren't quite as dreary as they appeared to be now. The prince turned around to face the two guards standing on one side of the room just as Gohan folded his arms about his chest once more in his habitual stance.
"Go wait outside the door until I call for you again, make sure no one comes in," he commanded in a low, husky voice watching as the pair gave a quick bow and simultaneous 'Yes, your highness' before silently retreating out the door.
Just as Gohan was about to follow suit, the prince's gaze found his keeping him in his place, "You can stay, Captain. I may need you in a moment."
Gohan nodded with a sound 'Yes, sir' as the prince turned himself back to his real scene of interest laying his hands on the edge of the table just as the little doctor-woman had except with a straighter demeanor earned from years of constantly proud posture.
A sigh echoed faintly through the room from what Gohan would guess was the woman as she lowered herself to her elbows and laid her head upon the cup of her hands. Then it was silent permitting Gohan to deftly identify the low rasp of breath emanating from the person on the table as they wheezed a sickening beat.
"It's bad," was the simple statement made by the woman still hunched over her hands. "It's not too bad, but it's bad."
"How bad? What's wrong with her?" the prince urged imperatively.
The woman shook her head in low hope. "I wish you'd been able to bring me to her sooner," her soft voice crooned with a shaky after effect. "She has an advanced case of mycoplasma pneumonia induced by what I would either suspect as constant exposure to damp areas or a cold atmosphere. Seeing as how you Saiyans are good about keeping your rooms dry, I would guess that it was just her constantly being frozen to death that brought this on."
"W-what's pneumonia?" the prince asked apprehensively scanning over the body on the table fervently.
The woman sighed and gave a bitter laugh, "It figure's that you Saiyans wouldn't know about pneumonia seeing as how it would be far too easy for you all to prevent yourselves from getting it; though many of you may very well carry the little pathogens that cause it." Her hand reached out and gently ran over what Gohan would guess was the being's head, which was currently blocked from his vision by the woman and the prince.
"So," the prince persisted. "What is it?"
Placing her palm back under her chin and seemingly rubbing her face with both her hands in synchronized order, she began, "Pneumonia is a virus that infects your lungs causing them to be inflamed or infected. The inflammation or infection can cause the air spaces in the lungs to fill with fluid making breathing a serious issue and could eventually lead to death. It's highly preventable and usually very curable, but I would suppose that because of her body's constant fight to keep herself warm, it hasn't been able to fight off the infection properly and now she's showing signs of lung collapse. She may have died had you brought her to me any later."
When she had finished her short lecture, her hands fell from their perch on her chin to fold raggedly on the table in front of her and she let out another low sigh. The prince's head visibly sunk into his shoulders as he took in the information.
"You said it was usually very curable," he hesitated in a moment of hope though his nonchalant voice tried to cover it. "How?"
She looked over to the prince's hunched form and continued shrugging her shoulders, "I'm not too sure, I haven't come across all too many cases of pneumonia in my time." She paused a moment to think. "But usually I think that if you can get her to stay in bed for at least a week with proper nursing care such as fluids and rest she may be fine. That's really all I can think of. It's obvious though that she's exhausted just from breathing right now, poor dear, so if there is anyway you can warm her and her room I'd suggest making it a priority, I don't think she would survive another night in a cold room by herself."
The prince nodded solemnly.
"She has a will," the woman added quietly and more wearily. "I think she'll pull through just fine, but I mean it when I say don't let her go anywhere. I know what you do, Vegeta."
Whirling to the shorter person, the prince quirked an eyebrow in confusion as the woman just turned to him as well with a soft chuckle.
"Don't think I don't know about her little midnight excursions with you when she had a sprained ankle and wasn't supposed to up and about."
The prince almost looked sheepish as Gohan held back a smile. The woman nodded assertively throwing her hood back a bit to reveal the outline of her short nose and full lips at her profile stance towards Gohan. Not being one to pass up an opportunity to study something of interest, he noted the paleness of her skin once more and he examined the partially visible part of her face and the slender line of her neck as it ran back into the shield of the cape she wore. Seemingly a normal, female, Saiyan doctor Gohan would have thought as he continued to scan her diminutive form had it not been for her one protrusive abnormality. A soft tuft of aqua hair grazed over her chest having been untucked from the cape, and his curiosity grew.
She gave a final sigh before turning back to the table and reinstating a few tools back on the tables that lined the platform. Then she walked away from the table to the other end of the room to retrieve something from a cabinet he had not noticed earlier. She brought it back with her to the prince, a small ovecular balloon that spanned into some sort of cup. Placing it over what he assumed was the person's face, she softly squeezed the inflated parcel before letting it go to refill and then repeating the process. The prince stared at her in uncertainty as she motioned him closer placing the device in his hand and gesturing for him to continue as the round object slowly expelled air.
"For tonight, why don't you have a guard stay in her room and show him how to do this so that if she has trouble breathing in the middle of the night, they can help her," she instructed smoothly.
The prince started glancing at the door in apparent disgust before looking at Gohan for a moment in a silent reverie before focusing his attention back on the table shaking his head. "No, I think I'll do it."
Evidently shocked by his assertion, the woman asked, "Are you sure?"
Unsteadily, the prince began to nod his head in agreement. "Is that all?"
She nodded.
He nodded back in union gently pressing his arms under the person on the table and lifting them into his hold with ease, the breathing apparatus falling into the person's lap. He cleared his throat anxiously before letting out a stuttered, "Thanks."
Once again she nodded.
The prince glanced over to Gohan who still stood against the wall waiting to be called upon. He motioned the young captain over saying as he advanced, "I need you to accompany the doctor back. She knows where she needs to go, but she also needs an escort to get by any patrols. If you act like she's a prisoner being taken back or a slave, they shouldn't give you any trouble, but if they do, just call me directly on your scouter. She knows the pass code to reach me directly if that's necessary, understood?"
"Yes, sir," Gohan said softly trying not to disturb the silent person lain upon the prince's arms, its form completely shielded by a suddenly very clique black cloak. The woman strolled up to him casting her head down and leading him to the entrance door and then into the breezes of the colicky corridor.
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A/N~ Grrrr…. That was about 1500 words shorter than my original chapter that got deleted. * sigh * Oh well, whatcha gonna do? I still want reviews though. Please? * makes puppy dog face * I'll love you forever if you review. Love you all!!
P.S.~ I welcome all constructive criticism so if you have any feel free to deal it out.
