Can't Resist - Chapter 3 - Lots of Yelling

"Oh Miss Brief! I can't work with that man. He chased me out like, like he was royalty and I was one of his lowly subjects. That man is no good. He scares me and I am not ashamed to admit it. You'll have to watch him yourself." the nurse babbles in a rush to Bulma, who'd been sunbathing in the backyard.

Bulma had woken early for once and gone to the hairstylist, who'd restored her hair to it's normal, straight waist-length state with bangs. Then she'd munched toast in a small, exclusive café and come home. She'd checked on Vegeta to make sure he hadn't died or anything, and changed into her two piece to sunbathe. It had been very relaxing until this nurse, who she supposed one of her parents had let in, had rushed, breathless, towards her.

"What do you mean I have to watch him!?!" Bulma yelled, rising and facing the nurse.

"I mean the patient would likely kill me before he'd let me take his temperature and I don't wanna die! I'm sorry ma'am. I'm leaving my kit with you. There are instructions." she backed away.

"Wait! Can't someone else come?" Bulma cried. "I don't know what to do!"

"Sorry, there's no one else. The bill will be along in a few days. Keep the equipment-it's on the house. Gotta go."

"Wait! He'll apologize! . . . You can't just leave . . ."Bulma yelled, but apparently the nurse could just leave. And she did. 'I bet the bill'll be as long as my arm. I just hope she doesn't sue. That Vegeta! He's going to pay for this, the ungrateful jerk. I know he's awake too, why I oughtta . . ." Bulma grumbled as she marched inside to the infirmary. 'It's the warmest spring day ever, I can actually wear a bikini outside, and Vegeta ruins it, just like that! The moron! Why do I have to be the one? Why Kami? I just wish I knew why!' She shook her head as she swung into the hallway that led to the infirmary door.

"Vegeta! What did you do to her you moron? Don't take out your petty anger on her! You are nothing but a pompous, one track minded fool! But you already knew that didn't you?!" Bulma yelled as she entered the room.

Vegeta glared at her, then looked away, carefully placing a scowl on his face. 'What is she so angry about? And what is she wearing? Or rather, not wearing?' a little voice whispered. He annihilated it.

"Don't you ignore me! That nurse was scared to death! She thought you were gonna kill her and all she was doing was checking on you. On your health! Well! . . . . Say something" Bulma demanded, standing beside the bed and plopping down rather hard on Vegeta's leg.

He winced and moved his leg away, then turned to look at her. She'd changed her hair yet again, but he admitted she looked better this way. The curls had been annoying.

"Did you fix the GT yet?"

"NO I DID NOT! DID YOU REALLY THINK I'D WASTE MY TIME?! I DOUBT YOU CAN EVEN STAND! DON'T GET ANY IDEAS ABOUT TRAINING! AND JUST SO YOU DON'T, I WON'T FIX IT UNTIL I FEEL LIKE IT! AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T! SO JUST SHUT UP SO I CAN TAKE YOU TEMPERATURE SINCE YOU CHASED THE STUPID NURSE AWAY!" Bulma yelled, feeling pleased when Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise for just a moment. She rummaged around in the kit, came up with a thermometer, and jammed it in Vegeta's mouth. He seemed about to spit it out, but she gave him a warning look and so he just sat. Sighing, she plopped down on the bed and looked at the wall clock.

When a minute was up, she took the thermometer out. She glanced at it. "What temperature are saiyans supposed to have?" she asked Vegeta calmly, as if she hadn't been yelling at him a few moments before.

"How should I know? Frieza never took my temperature." Vegeta scoffed.

"Well I'll just ask Chi Chi when she gets here then."

"What, Kakarott's mate?"

"She's his wife." Bulma said icily. "Wife is the proper term." "Hrmph." was the only reply.

Bulma consulted the instructions. "Hmm. It says to take your pulse and blood pressure with this gadget. She pulled out a portable machine. "Let me slip this on . . . just here? No it says higher . . . and this goes here, okay then . . ."

His arm was wonderfully muscular and tan, and surprisingly he smelled pleasing, earthy yet not this planet, maybe Vegeta-sei?

As the machine did it's job, Bulma laughed.

"You know, I don't know what a saiyan's blood pressure and pulse are supposed to be anyway, so this is kinda pointless. Relax will you? I still want an accurate reading." she ordered, annoyed.

"Well I don't see why you need all this. I'll be fine in a couple day's anyway. You can leave too, just like that nurse."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Some people." she muttered, undoing the pressure cuff. "Hmm, one twenty over eighty, well that's a normal pressure, but 90 degrees as a temp?"

"You can leave now." Vegeta said, allowing a hint of annoyance to creep into his voice.

"I DIDN'T NEED YOUR PERMISSION TO COME AND I CERTAINLY DON'T NEED IT TO GO! SO JUST SIT TIGHT AND WAIT UNTIL I'M THROUGH!" Bulma yelled once again.

Despite himself, Vegeta felt a little unsettled. It was too hard to predict her moods, and his head ached, from the explosion he guessed.

"Fine." he said flatly, scowling at her. "So where's your chump boyfriend?", he asked, trying to hurt her. He knew it was petty, but he needed the advantage.

"He's not a chump and he's not my boyfriend anymore if you're talking about Yamcha. I threw him out yesterday, if you must know." Bulma answered snobbishly as she replaced the nurse's equipment kit. 'Gosh,' she thought, 'why does Vegeta care about me and Yamcha?. . . He was probably going in for a low blow, the jerk.'

"That's more than I wanted to know." Vegeta glared back at her.

"Good, then don't ever ask again." Bulma replied. "We'll forget all the other stuff it says to do in here. You can go to the bathroom on your own can't you?"

He just glared at her.

"I'll take that as a yes. I don't think we have a bedpan anyway. When you get hungry just beep the call button on the side of the bed. Vera's already started on lunch though, since it is past noon . . ." Bulma stopped talking and glared back at Vegeta. "You know, I would stay with you, but Chi Chi and I have been planning this trip for a while."

"I don't need you to stay with me; what gave you that idea." Vegeta scoffed.

"I know you don't silly. But I thought you might want me to."

Vegeta remained silent.

"Okay then. Chi Chi and I will see you when we get back. I'm off to change and pick her up . . . Well?"

"Well what?"

"Do you want me to bring her back to talk to you about your vital signs?"

"Not really."

"Okay. Then I'll see you when I get back." Bulma stood and walked to the doorway, dropping the nurse's kit off to one side. "Vegeta? Do I seem like I am of sound mind?"

He regarded her, surprised. "Sometimes."

Bulma frowned. "Ha ha. I mean now, at this moment, do I seem perfectly rational?"

Vegeta stared at her, standing in the doorway in her bathing suit, a picture of youth and beauty and sanity. She looked content and honest, she wasn't trying to trick him. "Ye-es." he said carefully.

She nodded. "Good. Then if I ever, EVER, EVER go back to Yamcha I want you to smack me. Hard. I don't want to, but I just might." she glanced down at her bare feet, worried for a moment. "Promise me you will. I can't trust anyone else to so it, to really smack me. Oh I'll probably hate you for it at first, but then I'll remember this day. Umm. Not too hard though . . . So promise."

"Fine. I promise. It's stupid though."

"Okay. Good."

**********

"Well I'm glad you broke up with Yamcha. I mean I like him, but he cheated on you. I guess you can allow once, but no more." Chi Chi chattered on as they browsed the clothing racks of a department store. "My Goku has never been unfaithful once in all the time since we've been married. Of course, sometimes I get the feeling Goku isn't the marriage type. All he really wanted was to train until I dragged him into a relationship. Kami, did he need dragging." Chi Chi chuckled a little sadly. "But you're split with Yamcha is definitely a good thing."

"Thanks Chi Chi. I can hardly believe I've done it. This time it's for real. I even told Vegeta to smack me if I did get back with him."

"Chi Chi laughed. "Somehow, I can't imagine him doing that."

Bulma was surprised. "You can't? Well I can. I even hold him not too hard." she joined Chi Chi in laughter. "But I was serious and I guess I still am."

"Speaking of Vegeta, how's he recovering? Didn't the doctors say a month?"

"They also said a week to consciousness, but he was awake by noon." Bulma mock sighed. "He even managed to scare the visiting nurse out of her wits so she dumped the duties on me. Um, what's a saiyans temperature supposed to be?"

Chi Chi shrugged, "Goku's is a little below a human's. I guess 96. Pulse is much faster except when he's asleep and BP's the same as any humans. For Goku anyway . . . Gohan is in between his father and me. Vegeta'll be up in a few days I guess, though he'll probably try to make it a couple days so he can get back to his training. Goku's that way too."

"Oh. Well I've got the training thing taken care of. He blew up the GT so I just won't fix it for a while. Unless he goes behind my back and gets my dad to fix it I guess. Which he probably will." Bulma said thoughtfully, trying to predict what his next move would be. And she was sure he would make a move . . . 'Well what do I care?' she thought, angry with herself. 'What do I care?'

"I guess Vegeta's not as bad as he wants us to think he is huh?" Chi Chi asked.

"I don't know." Bulma answered truthfully. "It's that temper of his. I guess I'd end up rebuilding the GT if he went off on me. I mean he probably wouldn't kill me, but there's a risk all the same . . ."

"Oh come off it, Bulma. He won't kill you. The man could blow up our whole planet. But he hasn't. He and the guys want to face these androids I guess. I mean otherwise they could just blow up the planet and the androids will never exist. Men. Don't ask me." Chi Chi rolled her eyes.

"You're right. . . . You know, I think our cook, Vera, has fallen in love with Vegeta. She loves his appetite and his manners. She was weeping buckets when she heard about his accident . . ."

*************

"Well now how's it going, son?" Dr. Brief asked, coming into the room and petting the tiny black cat on his left shoulder.

"I understand that here it is a custom to call men younger than yourself son, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't." Vegeta replied moodily, continuing to stare out the window.

"Of course, of course. My wife sent me to ask if there was anything you needed . . . is there?. . . no? . . . Well she's coming up with your dinner so I'll just be going then." Dr. Brief mumbled.

"Wait. I need you to rebuild the GT. I will be ready to train in a couple of days." Vegeta ordered. "Umm. Bulma said she'd do it. I really have a bunch to do. My company has just . . ."

Vegeta turned to stare furiously at the doctor. "Forget what your daughter said old man. I need to train. So start building NOW!"

Dr. Brief gulped. "Sure Vegeta. I'll just go and get the blue prints-"

"Then go before I get really angry, human." Vegeta scowled.

Dr. Brief hurriedly left.

'When will these pathetic humans learn that unless I train they will die in 3 years?' Vegeta thought to himself as he turned back to the window. 'And that gadget girl, she thinks she can control me when I'm hurt like this. She probably gets a kick out of it. Idiot. With that heart disease, Kakarott may not make it. I suppose I could simply leave, but I'd have to face them sooner or later. Better that it's sooner. Besides, the GT is here and I might break it if I took it with me. And I am not taking that girl with me. At least the food's good, though the servant cook is almost as annoying as that girl. Where is she anyway? Something to do with Kakkarott's mate . . . Chi Chi wasn't she called.'

"Oh Vegeta. I hear you put my husband straight to work rebuilding the GT." Mrs. Brief said happily, bustling in with a tray of lemonade. "I have the most wonderful news. My husband's company has put up money for a scholarship program for college kids. Isn't it wonderful? I knew you'd be happy. It happened at the conference yesterday. It was my idea, but I'm modest about stuff like that, hehe." she chattered, placing the tray down on the bedside table.

This woman's talking it incessant.' Vegeta thought turning politely to look at her. 'Why is she always so happy? I can hardly stand it!'

"So how are you feeling after the explosion, honey? Better I hope. You were knocked unconscious. The doctors said it would take you a month to recover, but you seem in so much better shape today. I see you're off the oxygen too. I'll just take it out into the hallway. My daughter called and said she'd be back in a few minutes. She said to tell you . . . Now what was it? Oh yes, she said to tell you she'll be up to check on you as soon . . . now what was it? Oh, yes. She said to tell you she'll be up to check on you as soon as she gets back and to stay in bed. But I don't really see how you could get out though. Did Vera give you a good lunch when she came up a few hours ago? She babies you too much, Vegeta. I think it's just that I don't eat very much and my husband is always grabbing just a sandwich. And of course Bulma's constantly on some diet or another. You're the only one who can eat so much and still stay fit as a fiddle, except Goku of course. She does love it when he comes for lunch. And Yamcha was a pig too, but not as much as you are. Oh you're not a pig hon, you have such wonderful manners. It's fascinating to watch you eat so quickly and not spill a drop. Goku is rather a pig when it comes to that. He he. Well listen to me. I haven't let you get a word in edgewise. I'm so sorry." Mrs. Brief said as she moved the oxygen machine into the hallway. "I'll have a robot take that to the lab. I'm sure I remember my husband saying he wanted to design a better one."

A door slammed downstairs.

"Well that must be Bulma. I'll send her right up so you two can share lemonade. Of course she'll have to put her things in her room first. Oh, that reminds me. I don't want you sleeping in the GT anymore, so I'm going to fix a room for you right by the kitchen. Oh let me go get started now. It was so nice talking to you, Vegeta. Get better soon, okay hon? Well ta ta.", and Mrs. Brief left the room and skipped off down the hallway.

'Finally. I don't know how much more I can take sometimes. If she used half the energy to fight as she does to talk, we wouldn't have to worry about the androids.' Vegeta smirked to himself.

"What are you smirking about, Vegeta?" Bulma asked, coming into the room with four or five shopping bags and plopping down in front of the lemonade. "Whew. I'm thirsty." she said, pouring herself a glass. "Why are you here, woman?"

"Because I bought you a few essentials while I was out and I want your opinion on them." Bulma answered lightly.

"I'm sure they're fine, just put them downstairs. Your mother is furnishing a room for me."

"Oh, the one next to the kitchen." Bulma nodded. "Well the least you could say is thank you since I went through all this trouble. Now I've gotta lug them downstairs." she sighed. "I also found out that you had my dad start on new blueprints for the GT." Bulma said slowly, pouring Vegeta a glass of lemonade. "I already told you that I'd build it when I thought you were ready . . . Do you have anything to say about this?" she asked, finally looking up and glaring at him.

'Uh oh. Hey, what am I worried about? She can't possibly do anything to hurt me. But Bulma is a little scary when she yells. Her teeth get razor sharp like a shark's and she slowly turns bright red. Wait a second, how do I know what a shark is? These earthling nature documentaries must be making me soft. He he. But Bulma is still pretty, even if she looks like she's about to eat me alive. She looks more like a saiyan then.' Vegeta thought in a rush. He glanced down at her hand, which was holding the lemonade glass so rigidly that her knuckles were turning white. 'This is not good.' he thought, and summoned up his courage to reply.

"Everything you said is true, woman." he replied in his usual tone.

"Didn't I already tell you I'd fix it? . . . Well, I will! I already drew up the blueprints you big moron! IT'LL BE READY IN FOUR DAYS, SO WHAT DID YOU GO WHINING TO MY FATHER FOR?!" Bulma fairly screamed at him. "YOU HAVE TWO WHOLE YEARS! WHAT'S THE BIG RUSH?!!", she finished.

'Darn, what a low-down, sneaky lush. With him the only way to get the message across is to scream at him.' Bulma thought.

"Oh.", Vegeta said. 'Oops.' he thought. 'But she really does seem like a saiyan warrior. I guess a couple years ago I would have simply blown her up for her impertinence. What a waste that would have been. I wouldn't have a GT. Well I'd better suck it up and try to get it out of her in three days. I should have gained my full strength by that time.'

"WELL?! EXPLAIN! You know what, don't even go there. I don't want to know the pathetic reasoning that goes on in that poor excuse you call a brain. I was thinking about getting the GT to you a day earlier, but now I'm not even going to consider it. In three days I am taking you on a day vacation and you are gonna like it. Now drink your lemonade!"

'What is that little witch talking about?" Vegeta wondered as he took the glass from her hand and drank.

"Yeah, you heard me right! You're probably thinking -What is that little witch talking about?-Well I'll tell you what I'm talking about! YOU - ME, WE'RE GOING! NOW GOODNIGHT! I'll talk to you tomorrow and you better have tried on your new clothes BECAUSE YOU ARE GONNA WEAR THEM! GOT IT? GOOD!"

Bulma marched out of her room feeling angry, justified, and satisfied. The stunned look on Vegeta's face was worth the strained vocal chords.