Chapter 6
Disclaimer : DBZ bukan hak cipta gua, tapi hak cipta Toriyama-san.
It is said when you do something, you should do it
swiftly and without doubt. Hesitation is one of the hardest of human behavior
to avoid or overcome. To some, it may be the matter between triumph and
defeat. Between success and failure.
Beeeeeee-p.
Between life and death.
Beep.
Sometimes a person doesn't even realize that he's
hesitating. That he decided unconsciously that this isn't what I want.
You can even call it determination when placed in a positive context. Like
when one who is resigned to die. Believed that he will die.
Beep. Beep.
And yet at the last possible moment.... he decides.
Hesitates.
Beep.
I don't want to die.
Beep. Beep.
Hesitation--to some--is a matter of life and death.
One year. Twelve months. Three hundred and sixty five days. Eight thousand seven hundred and sixty hours. Five hundred twenty five thousand and six hundred minutes. Thirty one million and five hundred thirty six thousand seconds.
One whole year.
Without her.
Surprisingly, his brother soon got over his misery. The first few months were rough, with the demi-Saiyan staring up at the sky for hours on end. Their mother had been worried with his behavior but it had eventually passed. Goten was lucky with his child's attention span and memory.
He, however, Son Gohan, had no such luxury.
He had considered taking up to her word and hunting her down in the city. He always stopped himself right before taking off into the sky. Apparently, the pride of a side he rarely showed held him back. He couldn't feel her ki, even after a whole year. She either really was determined to suppress it or she was dead.
vivi isn't coming is she
He would admit the sudden loss he felt that night was impossible to ignore. However, .... of all people, how could she die? She was relatively one of the strongest beings on the planet. Not that many things or people could be a fatal threat to her. He had--guiltily--comtemplated the possibility of her committing suicide. And if she did..... would it be his fault?
I promise goten you have my word on it
No. She definitely did not appear about to commit suicide anytime soon. Of the days after their argument and before Goten's birthday..... wouldn't it be highly unlikely that she would fall into a depression so deep. Right?
He would give anything to take his harsh words back. It was yet another event to which he cursed the blood that flowed in his veins. The taint that held a rage he couldn't control. He shouldn't have said those things. He shouldn't have pushed her. He shouldn't have given up his trust.
His fault.
Always his fault.
One year. His fault that Vivi stayed away for one year.
Screw it. If she doesn't want to be found than be it. They would all just let her be. He never even went up to the Lookout and ask about her to Piccolo. Not even when his little brother cried that he missed the sister he never had. Or even when his mother would sigh wistfully and hint her displeasure that he wasn't trying to get her back.
Why do they want her back anyway? So that she could lie to them again?
It's best to just let her hide all she wants.
The sooner they forget about her the better.
"Hurry up, Gohan! Or you'll be late!!"
Many months after one full year without the raven-hair girl went by before Gohan found himself at his current predicament. A while ago, Chi-Chi announced that he had learned all he could at home and it would be best that he face some real education. In a school. With other teenagers. Gohan had complied without much complaint until Chi-Chi revealed the high school he was to enter.
"Orange Star High..... isn't that...?"
"Yes. It's where Vivi goes to."
Gohan would be lying if he said he looked forward to it. It was no surprise that Chi-Chi also wanted him to look for the girl other than the reason that it was the closest high school to their home. He had said nothing though, and just nodded placidly. Just want did he want? Somewhere deep inside he'll admit that he missed the girl. Missed her spirited attitude and humor. Her laugh. Their fun when Goten and Trunks joined in. The wonderful memories she created with them.
Missed her. Simply her.
Dammit, Gohan. You knew it would come down to this.... yet your pride still kept you from getting her back.
But then, a window of opportunity was presented to him. She would be at the school. She would be there.
"Yes, mother!! I'm going!" Gohan waved good-bye to his mother and Goten before taking off into the sky to later on settle for Nimbus. He sat on the yellow cloud, running various scenarios through his head. Just what would be Vivi's reaction? What would she say? What would she do? What would he say or do?
His musings were cut short as he dropped off from Nimbus and made his way on foot. The first thing he noticed was the bullet hole ridden buildings. No pedestrians were on the street, the few that were, however, were either law officials or large men. The countryside city was hardly believable to be the famous Satan City.
Continuing his stride he was alerted to the sounds of gunshots. Making his way to the source, he found a bank being robbed as clearly ill-equipped and out numbered policemen feebly tried to control the situation. Frowning, Gohan turned Super Saiyan and quickly took care of the criminals to the policemen's relief and surprise.
Gohan didn't stay for long and quickly slipped away; only to find himself in similar situations just blocks after. The crime rate in the city was staggering. He truly wondered if the mayor had enough funding for law enforcement, or even if there was funding at all. The officers themselves seem reluctant to do anything but half hearted attempts to salvage what little dignity that they possessed.
He could only imagine what happened to leave the police force in such low spirits.
Gohan's miraculous handling of the the criminals brought a visible change though. The people cheered for him and thanked him graciously, almost pleading for him to stay if he wasn't already a resident there. Unused to the attention, he quickly muttered whatever answer he had and ran. It was almost freaky, the looks of desperate hope in their eyes. He suppressed a shudder.
Reaching Orange Star High School later than expected, he had prepared for reprimanding from the school authorities. He was surprised to say the least to find the school in a similar off atmosphere. It was like all the teacher's had someone die in their families. Freaky, just plain freaky.
Gohan wondered if going to high school, even to find Vivi, was worth the creepiness that made his warrior's senses go haywire. He wasn't used to meeting so many strangers. He was even more unaccustomed to meeting so many sad strangers. Was there something that he missed? He would confess he avoided any mention of Satan City since it served as an inconvenient reminder of a particular resident there. No, not the man who took his credit. But the girl that took a piece of him away.
The students were slightly better than the adults. As Gohan stood in the front of the class and nervously introduced himself, he found to his relief some of the students seem--compared to the adults so far--more alive. Then he was seated next to a girl who looked more dead than any other so far.
"Hi, I'm Gohan," he politely greeted as he took a seat next to the girl. The girl managed a forced smile and Gohan almost flinched at the mismatch of the smile with the emptiness in her eyes.
"Erasa... and that's Sharpener over there," the blond slightly titled her head to her left. Gohan leaned forward to catch a glimpse of a long haired blond guy. The guy gave Gohan a disinterested wave before leaning back and staring off into space. The girl, Erasa, also resorted to staring off in space, focusing on a point unseen to anyone but her. Gohan had enough.
"Excuse me.... this may sound weird but..." he swallowed lightly, "Why is everyone... like..." struggling for the words, Gohan settled for a desperate wave of his hands, "this?"
Erasa's eyes widened slightly, in confusion at first then in disbelief. "You don't know?"
"I'm not from around here," was his response before falling silent and waiting for her answer.
"I can't believe you don't know, everyone knows..." the blond whispered. "Everyone knows... that she...."
If anything, Gohan did not expect the girl to suddenly spill tears. Bewildered, Gohan looked around frantically for help. No one was paying attention to them, not even the teacher who droned on without much attention to anything else. The other guy, Sharpener, had turned their way with a pained look on his face but still said nothing.
Erasa took a deep shuddering breath before explaining, "Videl Satan. You do know her, right?"
"Videl... Satan? Satan? As in Mr. Satan?"
"Yes.. his daughter."
"Is this... something about her?"
Erasa just nodded, the steady flow of tears slowly increasing. Gohan's brows furrowed, unable to decide if he should ask any further to the distressed teen. Settling back into his seat, he was determined to forget about the matter and later on apologize to cause whatever he did to make the girl cry. Erasa wasn't finished though, and continued.
"No one ever thought it could happen... she was so spirited. So strong. So.... alive."
Gohan frowned deeply at the implied past tense and words chosen. He never expected that Mr. Satan's daughter would die at so young an age (assuming she was their age which he guessed she was). No wonder the city was in shambles... he could only imagine the condition Mr. Satan himself was in. How long had the girl been dead? From the looks of it, it couldn't have been recently. But then, how long have these people been mourning?
"My condolences..." he whispered, genuinely sorry for reminding the girl on such a tragic event. "It must have been devastating... "
"She was my best friend..." Erasa choked out, cupping a hand over her mouth.
Gohan inwardly cringed. Great, he just made matters worse. Not really knowing what to do, he patted Erasa on the back awkwardly. The only time he ever comforted someone about a death was his mother. That hadn't been an easy task, especially when he was the one to break the news. Erasa eventually calmed down enough to wipe her tears away. She smiled weakly at Gohan before apologizing for her breakdown.
The classes dragged on and Gohan actually forgot all about Vivi. The atmosphere simply was too depressing to think about anything clearly. The teachers spoke in a dull voice, the students a bit more lively except for the two that shared his bench. How could a celebrity's death have such an impact? It was almost as if Mr. Satan himself had died.
"Don't think too much about it. It's been a year anyway..."
Gohan snapped out of his thoughts to regard the blond girl beside him. "What?"
Erasa just gave him a slight grin before fishing out a photograph from her english book. "You want to see her?"
"Um, sure, I never saw Mr. Satan's daughter before," Gohan reached out to take the photograph but Erasa pulled it back before he could make contact.
"Videl," She started, her voice tight and clipped, "call her Videl. Not 'Mr. Satan's daughter'."
"I understand. I'm sorry about that. May I see, what Miss Videl looks like?"
Erasa's frown slowly soften and she passed him the small photograph. "I was given that photograph by her father. He said he found it in Videl's desk yet he had no idea who she was with.... I.... I never seen her smile like that."
Gohan grinned at Erasa before turning over the photograph in his hands.
He would swear to all the Kai and Kami that his heart physically stopped. At first, he was convinced he was seeing things, that it was a cruel trick by his mind. A split-second later the realization that what he was seeing was real slammed into him full force. He couldn't breathe. Yet curiously he managed to move his lips ever so slightly.
Vivi.
She smiled up at him like when she always did after a bout of laughter. Clinging around her shoulders and neck was the familiar features of his brother, sticking a tongue out at Trunks who returned the gesture from behind Vivi. He remembered the scene well, after all it was Gohan who took the picture. Goten and Trunks had been quarreling over who got to sit on Vivi's shoulders and eventu--
Videl.
Not Vivi.
Videl Satan.
"Oh... Kami... no...."
Deceased.
Erasa and Sharpener both immediately straightened up when Gohan's whole demeanor changed. "Are you alright?" Erasa whispered, uncertain to what the sudden look of horror on the teen's face meant. Gohan didn't seem to hear her question though, and started muttering to himself, never once taking his eyes off the photograph.
"A year--too late, I can't believe--Dragon Balls.... One year--no use--she...." Gohan suddenly stilled and looked up at Erasa. His voice came out weak and forced, as if he was struggling to form each syllable. "She's--dead?"
Erasa looked away as the tears once again gathered. "I wish she was..."
"What?"
Erasa looked back to the black haired teen, catching the spark of hope that burned behind his eyes. She furrowed her thin eyebrows slightly before continuing, "I wish she was--it would be easier for everyone to move on.... But..."
"She's--alive??" His soul for a 'yes', Gohan would give his soul for a 'yes'.
"... If you can call it that," Erasa sighed heavily and rubbed her teary eyes with the back of her knuckles. "Videl's in a coma.... They say she's never coming out of it--ever...."
"But she is alive right??" Gohan cut in, barely keeping his voice from rising in excitement. As long as she was still breathing, they could get her back. Kami, it explained so much! Why they--he--couldn't sense her ki, why she never came back, why she didn't keep her promise to Goten. To them.
Erasa nodded slowly. "We don't know for how long though..."
"Why?"
"There's been some talk that they're going to take her off life support--to let her go."
The words sent a chill down Gohan's spine. "Where is she? Please, I must know."
"Why are you so interested suddenly?"
Gohan turned to the long hair blond teen who was now looking at him suspiciously. Great, how was Gohan going to explain it? But then, the sudden need to see Viv--Videl was overpowering anything else. "I can explain it later, but please, I got to know where she is. I can help her!"
"Help her... ?" Erasa whispered. "How--"
"Trust me, just tell me where she is."
The two blondes stared at him, their tired minds trying to figure out why this new student seemed so confident of himself. And why did the look of recognition surface when he saw the picture? Didn't he say he didn't know who Videl was? However, the look in his eyes told of secrets they could never understand. He claimed a way to save Videl. The two blondes would take whatever chance there was.
"Orange Star Hospital. Room 2484."
Gohan knew his mother would most likely throw a fit if she found out he skipped school. However, his mother would also most likely understand why he did. It took him some time to reach the hospital because he had to stop a few more crimes and ask for directions. When he did get there he looked up at the six story building, frowning at the amount of injured people going in. Mostly stab and gun shot wounds; street crime?
Keeping his Super Saiyan state, Gohan nimbly made his way in, bent on getting pass security and 'kidnapping' Vivi. Videl. Not Vivi. Kami, he never could have guessed. Vivi was Videl Satan! Was that why she kept it a secret? Because she was afraid they would hate her because she was Mr. Satan's daughter??
"You idiot..." Gohan whispered under his breath as he pushed the elevator button to the second floor. The elevator was empty and Gohan took the time to rest his forehead against the cool metal of the compartment, watching his breath mist on the panel with every exhale. He just couldn't believe it. Hadn't Videl learned anything about them? How could she had thought they would hate her for who her father was?
The first thing they would do when he gets her back would be talking.
The elevator chimed and Gohan peeked out into the fluorescent bathed hallway. Rows of doors greeted him with their drab pale color; like dead flesh. The smell of disinfectant wasn't as pungent as it was in the main lobby, but instead another type of unpleasant oudour assailed his nose; something like plastic or some other polymer. Rust spotted the otherwise spotless ceiling, seeping through the material from leaky plumbing. Some of the plaster from the walls were also starting to curl out and a few tiles on the sand colored floor were cracked. It seemed like even in the VIP level rooms the maintenance was lacking severely.
Could Videl's condition be the cause of this too? Was she really that important to Satan City?
Gohan's step echoed in the empty hallway, sounding incredibly loud to his own ears. He wondered briefly why there were no guards around. After all, if she was that important, shouldn't there be heavy security around her? His green eyes flitted over the golden number plates on his right, silently counting down in his head. Room 2489. Room 2487. Room 2485.
He turned around to face room 2484.
Gohan suddenly felt sick. It wasn't till he faced the door to her room that he realized just how unprepared emotionally and mentally he was to face her. Face her? She was in a coma. Sleeping, just laying there, not able to move or open her eyes. Was his resolve strong enough to see her in such a condition? He shook his head sharply and took a deep breath. No use pondering about it then, he was already there.
Gohan absently checked the ki inside. Yes, there she was. Barely detectable even with them only a few meters apart. Her ki was low, too low, yet steady. However, Gohan was more surprised at the slightly stronger ki. Someone else was inside. A doctor? Now, what should he do? In his haste he didn't even think up a plausible scenario other than kidnapping her! You idiot, Gohan!
He could have just gathered the Dragonballs first or something. However, that was his last resort unless Dende could help Videl. Rather than wasting his breath convincing them to release Videl to him, and maybe even make things difficult if they put up heavy security, it was best just to get her out and back to normal as quickly as possible. He could just knock out the doctor inside, as peacefully as he could, for a few hours that should be enough. Videl would be back by dusk.
Gohan gripped and turned the handle. In a swift move he was inside and took everything in at once. He was more than startled to find Videl's blue eyes staring at in him shock. However, it wasn't Videl's eyes at all. It was Mr. Satan's.
Mr. Satan was dressed in his usual brown gi, still sitting in a plastic folding chair meticulously placed among the various tubes and wires that covered the bed. Recognition flashed in both their eyes simultaneously, though Mr. Satan's held a more resigned yet fearful look to his. Gohan didn't know what to do or say as he stood there awkwardly in a silent staring match with the world champion. Mr. Satan merely sat there with his neck craned before getting up with a huff.
Gohan could literally sense the misery pouring from the man as he stood up with too much effort than it should have taken. The dark bags under bloodshot eyes--that surrounded tired blue irises mirroring Videl's--stood out prominently as Mr. Satan stepped into the path of the fluorescent light from above. His once luxurious afro was a mess of matted hair, clumped together from lack of brushing or washing. His face was sunken and half-heartedly shaven; not a shred of the proud and spirited man Gohan seen a few times before. Gohan then understood why the city was in such a condition. To see your hero in such a state would ruin anybody's spirit. Mr. Satan was practically dead himself, his once muscle toned body a mere shadow of what it used to be.
They stood facing each other, only the humming of the respirator and the constant beep of the cardiogram breaking the silence. Then ever so slowly, Mr. Satan opened his mouth and spoke in a heavy voice, rough from too much crying. "You--from the--Cell Games?"
Gohan was a bit confused before realizing he was still in Super form. Slowly, he nodded, not really knowing what else to say. Mr. Satan kept his gaze, not the least bit taken aback that one of the gold fighters was standing before him. He simply didn't care.
"Are you here for me?"
Son Gohan flinched. There was no denying the desperate hope in the man's voice. Broken, on the edge of hysteria, a slight misplaced half laugh, half cackle at the end. Was Mr. Satan anticipating death? At his hands no less?
"No... I'm--" Gohan paused before sweeping his eyes behind the man, "I'm here for Videl."
Mr. Satan's tired mind found it difficult to process what Gohan just said. "For--her?" Maybe the gold fighter in front of him was an apparition. Maybe it was even Death itself, coming to take his daughter away. Kami, Mr. Satan didn't know if he would fight against that, Videl needed rest. Real rest. She fought so long....
"I can help her!" the demi-Saiyan blurted out suddenly, shocking Mr. Satan a step back. "Please, let me help her. I can get her back the way she was."
"The way she--was?" Mr. Satan repeated dumbly. He dared not hope, no, he couldn't handle the hope. "Why? Who are you? Why do you care? You know I.... I took your credit...."
"I'm her friend, a friend of Videl's. Um--here," Gohan fished out the photograph he got from Erasa. "See that black haired boy? He's my brother. Videl met him more than a year ago."
Mr. Satan took the photograph into his hands, scrutinizing the features of the young black haired boy before turning his gaze back up. What he saw nearly gave him a heart attack. The once blond teen was now black-haired, the resemblance with the boy in the photo was unmistakable. A hundred questions flew through his mind. How did he change like that? Where did he come from? Where did Videl meet him? What is he? However, only one question made it out from his gaping mouth. The only question that mattered.
"Can you really help her?"
Gohan gave the man a confident grin, more than pleased at the sudden spark of life and hope in the man's eyes and voice. "Yes, I can. May I see her first?"
Mr. Satan stepped away to let Gohan carefully make his way to the white bed. The amount of wires and tubes entangling the room was unbelievable, Gohan had to take extra care in his movements as not to accidentally pull anything off.. When he reached the side of her bed and looked down, he nearly choked. Videl laid there in a web of wiring, whatever skin that wasn't pierced with tubes or covered with bandages was a sick greenish gray color. The whole right side of her head and face was bandaged heavily, the left side of her face bore permanent scars that criss-crossed her once unblemished features.
Gohan's eyes traveled down to her torso, silently thankful he couldn't see what damage was done due to the blankets. However, when his eyes reached her legs, he found to his horror that something was terribly wrong. They weren't there. The blankets curved down abruptly right where her legs were supposed to be. The demi-Saiyan raised a shaking hand to his face, trying to block out her mutilated condition but just couldn't.
Images of a smiling Videl, laughing, cheering, shouting, flying, sparring, or just plain gazing at him in admiration flashed through his mind. The broken girl on the bed couldn't be her. It just couldn't be. He tasted bile at the back of his throat; the sour, acidic liquid burned, threatening to spill. Tears burned behind his eyes and Gohan swallowed sharply, successfully pushing it back down--still it didn't make him feel any better.
"H-how?" He questioned hoarsely, not necessarily to Mr. Satan. "How did this happen?" How could it happen? Videl was one of the strongest people in the world. Gohan forgot to ask Erasa and Sharpener about it, not really thinking it was necessary. After all, he was simply going to get her better. A part of him suggested that someone did it to her. If that was the case, Gohan would kill that person. The thought surprised him with the fact that he thought it without any guilt or remorse.
Mr. Satan tiredly sat down once again in the chair before answering in a heavy voice. "Ran over by a large eighteen-wheeler. Doctors say that it's a miracle she even survived it, being pulled under and all. They couldn't save her legs and right eye--the damage was too great. They also said something about a--GCS something--that it was too low... That she won't be waking up...."
Gohan frowned. GCS? Glasgow Coma Scale? "Do you remember the number of her GCS?"
"I--can't.... Something--I think--it was three, I think." Mr. Satan sighed heavily, almost on the verge of crying once again. "Even if she does wake up, they say she won't regain her mobile skills. Something about damages to her spine and brain, she's paralyzed permanently from the neck down."
A patient with a GCS of three that doesn't improve in 24 hours would most likely die or remain in a vegetative state. The fact that Videl remained in this state for more than a year cut down even more to the minuscule chance that she could awake on her own. And she's paralyzed from the neck down? Blinded in one eye and lost her legs? They would need the Dragonballs to fix those either way.
"If it's not to much--can you tell me the whole story on how she got hit by a truck?"
Mr. Satan honestly would rather not recall the painful memory. He would rather stand up, grab the teen by his collar, and shake him roughly while demanding to immediately help his daughter as claimed. However, he found himself staring at his only child's inert body as words tumbled out from his dry mouth.
"It was more than a year ago--I can't remember the date--that she went off somewhere after school. Her friend, a blond girl, said Videl went to a family birthday. I was confused... None of our relatives had a birthday that day. But her friend insisted that's what Videl said. That Videl even bought a birthday gift. What really happened afterwards was a mystery. Videl she--" Mr. Satan choked on his words before cupping a large hand over his nose and mouth as tears started to fall, "--she dived in front of the truck to save a boy. She came out from nowhere and shoved the kid away--just like her mother. Kami, just like her m-mother..." the man paused to get his emotions under control. After taking a long shuddering breath he continued.
"No one knew where she was going and how she got there--she didn't even bring her copter, how did she get so far into the country? By the time the paramedics got there--her heart had already stopped beating. They managed to revive her but she kept d-dying on them. When I got to the hospital, they said they had already announced her death when suddenly her heart started beating again on its own. She fought.... Videl was fighting--still is....
"The blond girl--she said Videl had been acting strange for a week. That it seems Videl was starving herself--nobody knows why. I was away... I--I--wasn't there for her...."
He paused, collecting himself as best he could again. His gaze fell down towards the floor, finding it oddly the best way to compose himself. Mr. Satan eventually looked up, but when he saw his daughter, an object came into his view, albeit fuzzy. He focused his eyes on that and a new wave of tears threatened to break. "There," he pointed with a shaky finger, "that's.... that's the present."
And that's when Gohan saw it. Across from him in the corner next to the windows sat a wooden desk. Upon it were some get well cards and a vase of wilted flowers. But what caught his eye was the small doll that slumped against a photo frame of Videl. A doll in familiar orange and blue colors, with a mass of wild black hair crowning a large cute head with black beaded eyes.
He crossed the room and picked up the doll, his large hands slightly trembling as if he was afraid that the doll would fall apart in his hands. "Goten...." Gohan whispered, recognizing his brother's features in the plush like doll. It was hand sewn, the criss-cross of threads unevenly spaced with a few knots here and there. On the back of the doll was the kanji for sky. Ten. Some of the cotton stuffing were sticking out from split seams, and Gohan grimaced at the sight of the dark brown flecks staining the doll.
Videl had kept her promise. She really had been going to Goten's birthday. How could he had doubted her devotion to Goten? All of this--if only he hadn't had gotten in that argument with her... If he hadn't had lost his temper--she wouldn't have hidden her ki. They would immediately sense something wrong, go look for her when she didn't arrive--anything. Anything that would have been better than letting her die--sleep. She was still alive.
Gohan placed back the Goten doll and made his way back to Mr. Satan. Clasping a hand on Mr. Satan's shoulder he bent down to look the weeping man in the eye. "Mr. Satan.... I'm going to come back in a few hours. And then I'm going to bring Videl somewhere with me to get her better. You must trust me on this. I'm asking your permission to let me take Videl with me later on. If all goes well, I'll have her back to normal by tonight."
Mr. Satan's eyes widened, "By tonight? That soon? H-how is that possible??"
"I need you to trust me on this, please," Gohan gave the man a firm shake to emphasize his words, "I'll be back in a few hours to take her. Would you let me?"
The world champion looked over Gohan's shoulder at his daughter's form, making his mind up immediately. Against common sense, he was handing over the only person keeping him sane and alive to a total stranger. Stranger? Was the boy a stranger? Mr. Satan was there when the fate of the world was literally entrusted in to the boy's hands. His daughter meant more to him than anything, would he, could he, hand her over to the boy?
"Yes, I would take every chance there is. Please get her back..."
Gohan smiled and gave out a sigh of relief. "Thank you." With that he quickly exited the dreary room, wishing for the openness of the blue sky, the sunshine, the cool winds. Anything. He immediately took off for West City, intent on getting the Dragonball radar.
"Gohan! What a pleasant sur-"
"I need the radar."
It was the bluntness of the request that surprised Bulma more than the grim look of determination on Gohan's face. Well known among the group was Gohan's impeccable politeness, even in light of the most outrageous situations, always the one to show chivalry in its best form. And then, there he was, asking for the radar without a 'please' or a simple 'hello, Mrs. Bulma' first. Bulma couldn't help but get apprehensive.
"Whoa, calm down Gohan. What is this all about?"
"It's Vivi. I found her. I need the Dragonball radar. To get her back."
Bulma's genius mind broke down Gohan's rushed and clipped sentences, analyzing his words only to find more questions than answers. "You found her?? But you need Shenlong to bring her back? Where is she? Don't tell me you found her in a cemetery!"
Gohan shook his head impatiently, mentally frowning at Bulma's choice of words, "No! She's alive--barely--"
"WHAT?!"
"--yes, she's in a coma. I'll tell you guys all about it later but I need the Dragonballs to wake her up. Please? Mrs. Bulma?"
Ah, there he was, the polite Gohan she known since he was four. Bulma dusted her gloves on her pants before closing her eyes in attempt to remember where the radar was stored. "Hmm, I think it is in the closet of my old room. Ask Trunks, he'll show you where the room is, and why don't you bring him along? He's been so depressed that Vivi disappeared."
And let the boy see her lay there like a corpse?
See the sick paleness of her skin and the scars that creep across her face?
And her legs, Kami, her legs....
"NO!" Gohan's sudden outburst caused Bulma's hand fly to her mouth by reflex. Realizing this, the demi-Saiyan smiled apologetically, "Sorry, I mean, it's best Trunks doesn't see her... She's--I--I just think she wouldn't want Goten or Trunks to see her at her weakest."
Bulma frowned in worry. Was it that bad? "I understand, come on, I'll get it for you myself."
It took him longer than he expected. Gohan glanced at his watch to see it was almost 2 in the afternoon. He spent 3 hours gathering up the balls, actually going at Super Saiyan speeds in his search. He never been in so much haste for the Dragonballs since the adventure at Namek. And that had been because various villains were after them.
If he really thought about it, deep down he dreaded meeting her again. He wasn't sure what her reaction to him would be and what exactly would happen to their rela--friendship. However, in true Son fashion, Gohan just pushed the thought aside and concentrated on getting back to Videl. He entered the room with a heavy out take of breath to find Mr. Satan sitting by the chair as if he never moved at all.
"Mr. Satan?" Gohan greeted out of politeness. "I'm going to take Videl now."
Mr. Satan said nothing and let Gohan come towards the bed. "I think you're going to have to explain to the doctors or something--once I take her the cardiogram will go dead."
It only occurred then to Mr. Satan that he didn't have a clue on how the teen was going to transport his daughter. "Wait a minute, without life support--she'll die! H-how are you going to take her?"
Gohan gave Mr. Satan a reassuring grin, "Don't worry! I have a way, just trust me on this. But whatever you do, don't panic when I--um--gooutthewindow."
"When you what?"
Not bothering to answer Mr. Satan, Gohan slipped a hand between Videl's shoulder blades and poured his ki into her. He felt and heard her heart rate jump a bit and for a split-second he thought she was going to wake up--no such luck. It was probably better that way anyway; she would not take the condition her body was in well. When he was assured her ki (aided by his) was steady, he used his left hend to quickly--yet carefully--pull off all the wires and tubes.
The cardiogram immediately went dead with a loud, continuous beep and Gohan knew it was a matter of minutes before doctors get there. He gathered Videl quickly into his arms and phased over to the window, opened it, and flew out. Mr. Satan just stared agape at what just happened before collapsing back unto the tiled floor. He prayed with all his heart that he did the right thing to give her over to the mysterious boy.
"Oh.... Videl...."
Gohan blasted full-throttle to the Lookout, his school bag now full with the Dragonballs and his arms full (barely) with Videl. She was light, too light, it almost seemed his school bag was heavier. He could feel her bones through the plain hospital gown she wore, and the fact that there was no additional weight from both her legs disturbed him even more. Gohan kept his eyes straight head, not wanting to see for himself the bandaged stumps; it was enough that there wasn't the sensation of her legs draped over his arm. Like how they always did whenever he carried her.
Piccolo, Dende, and Mr. Popo were there to greet him, alerted by his ki flashing. When Gohan landed with Videl cradled in his arms, the loud gasp from the three inhabitants of the Lookout were nearly deafening in the silent atmosphere. Piccolo stared unblinkingly at the frail body Gohan carried, unwilling to believe what his eyes and ki were telling him.
"You found her." It wasn't a question, and Gohan noticed this immediately.
"Mr. Piccolo--you knew she was like this?"
Piccolo frowned at the tone Gohan used and the underlying anger he detected underneath. The boy was more distraught than he thought. "I knew who she was and where she was from, but I didn't know what happened to her. Like you, I concluded she didn't want to be found since we couldn't sense her ki."
"You could have looked for her! Yet you--"
"So could you."
That stung. Gohan looked away, unable to retort to Piccolo's statement. Wordlessly, he shook off his bag and the Dragonballs rolled out. He looked over to a silent Dende and called him over. Piccolo stood a few feet away, eyeing the condition his student was in. His eyes focused on the stumps, her missing fingers, and the scars across her face--he looked away.
"Dende, before I use the Dragonballs, I need to know if you can help her at all."
Dende nodded at Gohan before raising his hands over Videl's prone form. No light came out though as Dende merely assessed the damage. After a few tense moments, Dende lowered his hands and shook his head slowly. "Sorry, Gohan. She's been damaged too long and the wounds have all closed. And--I can't.... Regenerate her--legs."
"It's okay, I just wanted to make sure," Gohan smiled at the Namekian teen and stood up eyeing the 7 Dragonballs that were pulsing in the background. Taking a deep breath, Gohan faced them and called out, "Come forth, Shenlong!"
The sky darkened into a stormy black as a bright light shot out from the gathered balls to stretch and coil high up into the sky, contrasting sharply against the dark background. Before long, Shenlong's red eyes stared back at all off them, intimidating from sheer size alone. "You have summoned me, state your wish."
Gohan thought over his words. If he said 'wake her up', would her body still be healed? If he said 'return her body to normal' would she awake? He would like to just finish this in one wish. Turning to the spectators behind him, he voiced his dilemma, "Should I wish her body back to normal? Would she wake up then?"
"I'm not sure, Gohan. But if the body is healed, the soul should return," Dende supplied. Gohan nodded.
"Shenlong!" Gohan shouted up, "I wish for her body to return back into how it was a year ago before it became like this!"
"It is a simple matter."
Shenlong's eyes glowed red in sync as a red glow diffused all over Videl in Gohan's arms. Gohan watched with wide eyes as her legs sprouted back, tearing off the bandages. The scars on her face faded away and her healthy skin color came back along with her strong muscles. However, his didn't miss how her messy and uneven hair shortened back into the haircut he last saw her in. And how there was a barely detectable shortening over her body.
Gohan was now physically 2 years older than Videl, even though by birth year they were nearly equal. Oops.
"It is done, state your second wish."
"That's all, thank you Shenlong!" Gohan called up.
"Farewell." The dragon's booming voice answered before disappearing in a burst, the orange orbs scattering once again to be able to use in 6 months.
The sky was once again a clear blue and everyone focused on the girl in Gohan's arms. She hadn't opened her eyes yet and Gohan wondered if he should have waited till she awoke before sending Shenlong away. He was about to curse out loud for his stupidity before Videl moved.
Gohan quickly kneeled down and propped her on the warm tiles, supporting her on his chest and shoulders. Videl groaned and to Gohan that was best sound her ever heard. "Vivi!" He called out to her in habit. The girl froze at the sound of his voice before slowly opening her eyes. Her blue eyes; Gohan didn't know why he chose the moment to admire just how blue they were.
It wasn't sky blue. Because, the sky really isn't blue, it's actually cyan, blue-green to be exact. But Videl's eyes--they were the true blue. Indigo. A deep blue with a hint of a purple tint. The most beautiful eyes Gohan ever seen. And it was only then Gohan realized just how much he missed those eyes.
They stared at each other before Gohan realized something was wrong; Videl's eyes were widening--in fear. Before he could react, Videl shot out of his arms and skidded into a guarded fighting stance away from them. Her expression was a mixture of confusion and fear, like a trapped animal. She darted her eyes sharply around, landing on each of them, lingering at Piccolo, Dende and Mr. Popo before locking back on Gohan.
"Wh-where am I?!" she snarled, her voice cracking just a bit before she continued, gaining momentum. "Who are you!? What are you?!"
They were stunned to say the least; something was very wrong. "Vi-Vivi?? What are you tal--" Gohan stepped forward before Videl cut him off roughly, sinking lower into her stance. His martial artist's mind still had the chance to find it was a very good stance; her instincts still remembered her training.
"Don't come any closer!" Videl shouted, shooting Gohan a look that clenched at his heart. She was glaring at him as if he was a stranger, a potential danger. Her next words shattered all his hopes that he truly got her back--got Vivi back.
"And who is this 'Vivi' you're talking about?! My name is Videl Satan!!"
A/N. Yes, I am evil (No, not as evil as you, Sage). Sorry for the LONG absence, I was caught up with my classes >_ ;; Anyway, I'm surprised none of you guess she was in a coma. I thought the hint that she wasn't dead was enough, but hey, it was fun this way, LOL--ACK! *gets smacked by various keyboards and computer mouses--mice--mouses??*
Anyway, I'm not sure exactly on how old Videl is compared to Gohan. Many people say she's older a year than him (which makes them equal with the year Gohan spent in the RoSaT), but I don't think I found any evidence on this in the manga. I did start out having her older than Gohan, but only in this chapter have I decided to make them the same age birth-wise.
And I'm happy to inform you either the next chapter or the one after that would be the the end of Veritas part 1. What is part 2 you ask? Gohan and Videl romance of course :D Anyway, part 2 wouldn't really have anything, at most 3 chapters. So Veritas will end before P&P. I'll be getting back on Da Capo and a new fic I got inspired from a good ol' friend ShaggyDiz (who wrote the scene where Mr. Satan pointed at the Goten plush; saving you all from an even longer update and me from a writer's block. Thanks a million Fred!).
Anyway, just to let you know those that joined my mailing list got first wind on this chapter's update and bonus never seem before Gh/Vi fanart from me. Hehehe, I don't want to be stingy, but those fanarts are exclusive for those that took the time to join my mailing list ^^
Again, sorry for the long update, short chapter, grammar and spelling mistakes and evil cliffhanger; thanks a billion for the reviews!!! :D
