Chapter 2
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Disclaimer- I don't own Dbz or it's characters. I do own Uzume, obviously, and Danny.
Thanks to all who reviewed my first chapter- 'specially bear and tenshi. ^^ Thanks for the long review. It motivated me to work on the 2nd chapter. So, without further ado-
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Vegeta wanted to run. He wanted to run away from this insanity and … well, there was no where else to go. So it didn't matter anyway. He rubbed at his temples and snatched the clear plastic cup of pills from the nurse who was passing them around. He didn't like that portly woman… she was rude and didn't seem to care very much for anyone here. Weren't nurses supposed to give a shit about their patients? Uzume didn't treat people like that… Speaking of Uzume- Vegeta smirked as he watched the young nurse trying to coax Goku into taking his medicine. Crushing the plastic cup in his hand, not bothering to take the pills they tried to force on him, Vegeta made his way over to Goku.
"Kakarotto, be a man and take the shit." He snapped. Goku shook his head and turned toward Uzume.
"Ya know, Vegeta doesn't take his medicine! Why do I have to?" Vegeta flinched visibly… just what did that idiot Kakarotto think he was doing!? Uzume immediately turned her wrath on the saiyan prince.
"You haven't been taking your medicine? Vegeta! You know that-"
"Damn it woman, I will not allow you people to treat me like this. I will take none of your human medicine. It's my choice!" Vegeta's posture straightened as his pride brought out his anger. "If you ever try to tell me otherwise… I will snap you in half."
"Vegeta… I never meant to…" Uzume trailed off as Vegeta stormed off… well, tried to storm off. His body just didn't allow as much physical strain as it used to. She turned her attention back to Goku, who had tears in his eyes. Uzume gasped and immediately placed the cup of pills aside. "What's wrong, Goku?" This just wasn't like him at all. Neither of the saiyans showed much emotion, but Goku was always the happier of the two.
"Uzume… please make him take the stupid pills. He won't listen to me at all… and without the medicine… he'll get sick again. I don't have anyone else but him. I… I don't like being alone Uzume. Vegeta's the only thing I have now… " Goku wiped at the tears on his face and forced himself to regain composure before anyone else saw him. He didn't want to upset people.
"Oh… Goku… I'll do what I can, okay?" Uzume wrapped her arms around the older man's neck in a brief embrace before she pulled away and took the cup in her hand. "I know how you feel…" Sorrow passed through her eyes and she dropped the plastic cup, crushing it under her foot. "You know how Vegeta is though… he won't do anything he doesn't want to. So, if he decides he no longer wants to be among us, then damn it… you have that choice too." Uzume took both of his hands in hers and looked into his eyes. "Only you can decide where you'd like to be. If that's with Vegeta, so be it." She kissed him softly on the cheek before turning away to tend to other patients. Goku smiled halfheartedly, more out of affection for Uzume than from true happiness, and went to challenge Vegeta to their daily morning match of checkers.
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Danny watched as Vegeta crushed the cup of pills. The elderly woman looked down at her own batch of medicine.
"Like a fuckin' drugstore." She mumbled to herself. Just because she was a proper lady, didn't mean she couldn't think what she damn well pleased. With a sigh, she popped the colorful assortment into her mouth and forced the pills down with a quick gulp of water. Tossing the cup into the trash, Danny headed over to the reading area. Not to read, but to watch the checkers match between her two favorite people. She decided to finally have a real conversation with Vegeta today. Or at least try to… her life wasn't much at this point and she didn't want to make it any worse by having regrets. Besides, it was obvious that Vegeta was choosing to leave the living world very soon… she wanted to get to know him before the lack of his medication brought sickness into his body. Danny smiled softly and settled into her favorite recliner.
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"Honestly, Kakarotto… do you have to make me beat you into submission this late in the game?" Vegeta growled and settled into the wooden chair. Goku grinned and shoved the checker board aside.
"Actually, I really don't want to play checkers anymore. I… I've been thinking." Goku's smile faded and he looked into Vegeta's eyes. The prince only snickered.
"Oh. Kakarotto thinking… what wonders I have yet to take in." He said with obvious sarcasm. Goku scowled.
"C'mon, I'm serious!" He replied, tiredly rubbing his callused hands across his face. "Can't you just listen?"
"All right… what is it?" Vegeta sighed, stretched his left leg out, but refused to make eye contact with his rival.
"Vegeta… you know… what will happen to you? Don't you?" Goku looked imploringly into the black orbs that no longer contained the same spark that defined who Vegeta was. The spark was now a dim candle and Goku hated that.
"Of course I know, you idiot. Stop bothering me with questions you already have the answer to." Vegeta belligerently crossed his arms. "And I know you've made the same choice. I refuse to leave this Earth dependent on some drug that is supposedly helping me."
"I know… I don't like it either." Goku idly tapped his fingers on the same wooden table they sat at every day. "But… I don't really know how long we can last without… without the drugs."
"Don't be a fool. We won't last more than a week at most." Vegeta said this casually. "And it's just as well." Goku nodded and stood.
"Well, you'd better get ready then. It is Wednesday. Care to enjoy one last Bingo game tonight?" Goku grinned at Vegeta's response, or rather his lack of one. "Oh, and Danny has been staring at you forever. I can't stand the suspense anymore, so go talk to her already."
"Damn you, Kakarotto." Vegeta grumbled as Goku walked off to watch 'The Price is Right.' To make matters worse. The woman named Danny was now walking toward him. Vegeta's eye twitched as the woman sat down across from him. 'What in Kami's name does the old broad want?' He thought sourly, refusing to acknowledge her presence.
"Hello… Vegeta."
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"What do you want?" Danny flinched inwardly at his harsh reply. 'This is going to take more work than I thought.' She thought to herself, but smiled politely at Vegeta.
"I just wanted to talk." She tried again.
"I have nothing to say to you." Vegeta growled and turned his head. "And I can't imagine what you might have to say that would interest me." Danny frowned, visibly hurt by his remark. 'I will not let him do this to me.' She firmed her resolve and held out her hand.
"You know, we were never really formally introduced." Vegeta huffed and scowled at her outstretched hand. "My name is Danielle, but everyone calls me Danny."
"I already know your name woman, and you already know mine…" He answered, determined not to even attempt polite conversation. He glanced over to Goku who, for once, had his attention on something other than the TV. 'What does that idiot Kakarotto staring at?' Vegeta watched as his fellow saiyan made crazy movements, urging Vegeta to shake Danny's hand. Shaking his head, Vegeta looked to Uzume who was frowning at him as well. With an angry sigh, Vegeta took the woman's hand, shook it once and pulled away quickly. "Happy? Now leave me alone." He growled at Danny.
"But we only just met." She smiled, and pulled the checker's board onto the table. "And to celebrate our new acquaintance with one another, I challenge you to a friendly game of checkers." Danny grinned as Vegeta's eyes narrowed. She knew he would never back down from any challenge… even a simple board game. She had learned that much from watching Goku challenge him to the silly game each and every morning, and it never failed to work.
"Fine, woman. But once I beat you, will you leave me alone?" He asked in an irritated tone. Danny nodded as she set up the pieces.
"But, how do you know you'll beat me?" She laughed playfully at his expression.
"What do you mean, how do I know? Simple woman- I would never lose to some simple human female." He smirked and turned the board around so that he controlled the black pieces and Danny controlled the red ones.
"All right, but let's say you lose." Danny took first turn, because red goes first… as every senior citizen knows. "If that happens, then you have to have a real conversation with me. No complaints."
"That is fine with me, woman. But I won't lose." Vegeta smirked confidently and the game went on.
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A/N- I hate to leave the chapter like this, but I kinda had to rush through the ending… and I wanted to post it up today. Anyway, Bingo and creamed corn in the next chapter. Sorry for the lack of humor so far. Don't worry though, I'm about to make up for it. ^^ heehee.
