Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, or Dragonball GT. Those and the characters were created by Akira Toriyama, so please do not sue.


Chapter 6 - Missing and Found



The intense force and power of the explosion caused the people on the grounds of C.C., well or injured, to be hurled like rag dolls a few feet back from where they were standing, sitting, or resting. Pieces of wood, steel, concrete, and plaster flew in every which direction, a dangerous shower of materials along with the raining of the fire. In the center of the mass of destruction, where the magnificent hospital once stood, was a rampaging wildfire on the loose, scorching the people too weak to escape, pursing the ones still able to limp and run. Corpses lay buried in the rubble, crushed by the weight of the befallen hospital, seared by the hatred of the fire.

Bulma stumbled back onto her feet, scratched and bruised where she had been thrown by the might of the blast. Several feet away, Dr. Briefs sat slowly up, rubbing the back of his head. All around them, the humans who had stayed behind the safety zone were the best off, condition-wise; they had not suffered much except from the identical bruises, scrapes, cuts, and the occasional burns that each one of them wore.

"Dad! Are you hurt?" Limping over to her father, Bulma ignored the sufficient pain still in her arms and assisted Dr. Briefs to his feet.

"I'm okay Bulma, but we've got to stop this fire before it burns the whole of Capsule Corporation down!" exclaimed Dr. Briefs, severely agitated and slightly crazed.

"But Dad, all the firefighters in town are here, and they can't do a thing about it! Let's get out of here before it's too late!" Bulma urged her father, hurriedly pulling on his arm, preventing him from getting any closer to the raging inferno.

"No! I've put all my life into Capsule Corporation! I would not let it burn down!" Jerking out of Bulma's grasp, he rushed towards the blazing flames.

"DAD, NO!"

Capsule Corporation doctors surged in from all sides, blocking the way for Dr. Briefs. They would not let him pass.

"Move out of my way!" he demanded at the line of doctors.

"Dr. Briefs, there is simply nothing that you can do!"

"The fire is beyond your control!"

"We need to get out of here now!"

"Just stand aside! I'll deal with it myself!" Still Dr. Briefs advanced, half crazed, eyes budging out like tea saucers. Waving his arms madly, he charged forward into the thick line of people.

WHACK!

Dr. Brief's body suddenly sagged and fell limply onto the ground, unconscious; the surrounding medical practitioners and C.C. workers were astounded to see Bulma Briefs behind the body of her father.

"I'm real sorry father, but I did it for your own good." Snapping at the doctors huddled nearby, she barked, "Well, what are you waiting for? Get him out of here, now! And get yourselves out of here before the fire kills any more people!"

The remainder of the survivors promptly complied with her orders. Supporting one other, all injured were loaded into the ambulances that finally arrived at the scene. Bloody, bruised, and broken, these people wailed in agony as they were moved from the ground onto the waiting stretchers. Firefighters from nearby cities arrived on the scene, pumping hundreds of gallons of water per minute onto the still strongly blazing fire, which showed no sign of letting up. In spite of everything, it was not enough, and slowly, the firefighters were forced to retreat farther and farther back until they were nearing the small warehouses and compounds.

"Why aren't you making any progress??" Bulma shrieked at the remaining firefighters, laden with ashes and hurrying about. By now, she was the only remaining person of C.C. who dared stay at the scene. The only other people were the firefighters and the local news reporters.

"We are trying as best as we can Ms. Briefs, but we do not have enough water pressure--it might take an hour more until it is all contained!" The young firefighter cowered in fright at the wrath of Bulma Briefs.

"Well, DO SOMETHING about it! The world's economy is at stake here!" She turned on her heel and stalked off, with the reporters following her every step.

"Ms. Briefs, what do you think will happen--"

"Is the world's economy in great danger if--"

"What will happen when this is--"

"Look, I'm sorry, but can I answer your questions later?" Huffing her annoyance, she marched off in the direction of the nearest compound and sat with her back against it, staring up at the sky, as if waiting for a miracle.

"Oh Kami, what did I do to deserve this? Why is this happening?" Silent tears found their way down her face, one streaming after the other. She buried her face into her knees.

"Bulma…"

She immediately recognized the voice. It was as if all of her life's dreams were answered as she slowly raised her head, hardly daring to believe it. Staring into the eyes of Son Goku, the pain and despair suddenly flew off, as if they had never existed to begin with.

"Goku!" Relief spread all over her face as she jumped up and gave him a hug. When she finally let go of him, she exclaimed, "I'm so glad you came!"

His face took on one of his serious looks and he glanced towards the still uncontrolled fire, advancing ever so closely. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here earlier, Bulma. I didn't know what happened until Gohan turned on the t.v. and the news told that Capsule Corp. was on fire. I came as soon as I heard that."

"Never mind that Goku!" Bulma was ecstatic with joy, as Goku was about the only person now who would be able to douse the rampant flames. "Just please help get this fire out! You did it before to Mount Frypan, you can do the same now!"

He nodded. "That's why I'm here." In a wink, he teleported far above the extents of the burning flames.

From behind the compound, Bulma darted out and yelled at the firefighters still struggling with the blaze. A crowd of reporters enclosed her way, yet pushing roughly through them, she managed to get close enough to the intense heat.

"It's no use! Everyone back away!!" Perhaps the firefighters themselves knew it was pointless fighting on the losing side of a war, or maybe it was an excuse for them to get out of there, yet either way, the area around the burning remnants of the hospital was swept clear.

"Okay Goku, go ahead!" Bulma called towards the sky.

From above, Goku gathered up his energy, formed a glowing sphere of golden in the center of his palms. Bringing forth both wrists and placing them at his side, the ball of energy grew bigger and bigger under it crackled with electricity.

"Ka…me…ha…me…HA!" shouted Goku, releasing his signature attack that his old teacher, Master Roshi, had taught him. Hurling down with great speed and picking up force on the way, the Kamehameha blast connected full force with the dangerous inferno.

There was another tremendous explosion that rocked the grounds and sent tremors through the people hidden behind the compounds. When the blast had finally subsided, pairs of eyes cautiously peered behind the buildings.

Charred and blackened, the rubble of the once grand hospital lay smoldered on the equally charred grass. The inferno was finally put out.

* * * * *

"Bulma…I'm so sorry…I don't know what to say…" Chi-Chi patted her friend's back reassuringly, hoping that she would be able to comfort her, even a little.

"It's not your fault, Chi-Chi. It was that damn bastard Vegeta's!" The outburst made by Bulma shocked Chi-Chi at the anger she had vented.

"Vegeta?? He caused all this?'

"Yes, he must have!"

"But why would he have any use for destroying your hospital Bulma?"

"I don't know. For the hell of it I suppose. He's not afraid to do anything, just like he wrecked that plane this afternoon."

"What plane?"

"Did you not see it on the news as well?"

"Well no--wait a second. You mean that plane that fell into the ocean this afternoon? And the pilot who barely survived? And the helicopter that had crashed with it and the person that was in the helicopter that is still missing? Yes, I think I saw it…"

"The person in the helicopter was me, Chi-Chi. I saw Vegeta heading away from the plane after it had caught fire."

"Bulma, that was you?! But the news said no one came out of the helicopter and the police haven't found a corpse in the wreckage!"

"Well, there is no corpse and I certainly would've died if it hadn't been for Sashima--"

All of a sudden, Bulma remembered Sashima. The last time she had saw the red-haired woman was on the balcony of the burning hospital, and she was not witnessed since. A sinking feeling gripped her entire body as she came to the dreaded conclusion: no one could have survived the explosion.

"Chi-chi, I've got to get back to C.C.!" Bulma scrambled out of her bed at Satan City General Hospital and darted out the door, with Chi-Chi at her heels.

"But why? Goku and Gohan and the police are already there trying to find survivors and evidence; you need your rest!" she protested.

Bulma made a swift glance over her shoulder. "Long story Chi-chi! I'll explain when we're in the aircar!"

* * * * *

"So that's what happened after your helicopter crashed…" Chi-Chi said thoughtfully, deep in her own thoughts. "Do you think Sashima is still alive?" She needn't have asked, as she herself already knew the answer.

Bulma clenched the steering wheel tighter against her bandaged hands and arms. "No, it's not likely…" Keeping her eyes steady, she increased her speed as they continued on to Capsule Corporation.

"Then why are we going to C.C. now? You need your rest--that's what the doctors said, and you can always return tomorrow morning!"

Bulma was silent. When she finally spoke, she heaved a deep sigh before finally answering. "If…if there's the chance that Sashima is still alive…I want to be the one to find her…" Giving Chi-Chi a glare, she went on, "and it's not that I'm going to die from my injuries, you know. I just have a few bruises and cuts and scrapes…"

It was now Chi-Chi's turn to sigh. There was simply no way to stop Bulma when her mind was fully set on something.

* * * * *

The sight of the hissing wreckage was slightly eerie against the dark night's sky. Bits and pieces of material were scattered in a one-acre radius from the center of the destruction, which was illuminated by spotlights that the police had set up for the search of survivors and the retrieval of corpses.

Before getting her foot out of the car, Bulma consulted her watch: it was 9:15 P.M. Vividly, she remembered what had happened after the fire had been put out.

The police who had arrived so late after the disaster had first struck had immediately questioned Bulma. With the reporters next, she was bombarded with question after question until her head spun from them; Chi-Chi had arrived next in her aircar and had managed to shoo off the reporters and had dragged her to Satan City General Hospital, where Dr. Briefs and the many other injured C.C. workers and firefighters had arrived earlier for treatment. She was put in a room with her father, who by now had regained consciousness and had been overly anxious to hear what had happened. Upon examination, doctors concluded that no major injuries had resulted and Bulma miraculously was only treated for minor burns, cuts, and bruises. Soon after, her mother had arrived flustered and extremely frightened, and had not been able to calm down until Bulma was at last able to speak a few words of comfort.

The events of the day were ones that Bulma would never fail to remember. Quickening their pace towards the nearest police officer, she and Chi-Chi made their way closer and closer to the wreck. On top of all of it, they caught glimpses of Goku and Gohan, heaving metal and bits of concrete out from under them, attempting to find any more people who could have tricked fate and survived the blaze.

"Excuse me sir…can you give me the numbers of what you have found here?" Bulma asked, almost terrified at the reply she would obtain.

The officer's face was grave and solemn as he spoke. "Ms. Briefs, I would have to tell you that the results are not good. We estimate the cost of the damage to be around one billion dollars, and so far, no survivors have been found. Forty-seven bodies have been recovered, but there are still about sixteen people missing."

"Have you recovered a red-haired, red-eyed woman about twenty-two years in age?" Bulma hesitantly asked.

He flipped through the pages of his clipboard. "No, we have not. Although some of the bodies we have uncovered have burned so bad that you cannot tell whether they are even male or female."

She shuddered at the image of the carcasses that had crept into her mind. Shaking her head, she thanked the officer and slowly moved away, with Chi-Chi at her side.

"I just…just can't believe that Sashima could've…could've…" Bulma trailed off, not wanting to finish the rest of her sentence.

"I know…but in life, it's always the--" A shout from Gohan abruptly cut Chi-Chi off in mid-sentence.

"Hey Dad! I've found someone!"

In a flash, Bulma had rushed over to the scene, scrambling onto the masses of rubble. Goku flew over to where his son busied himself lifting apart the burnt metal and wood, as Bulma caught a flash of red from underneath. Something inside of her stirred.

"Son, let me handle this one." As Goku carried the last bit of wreckage away, they could all see just what had been underneath it all.

Sashima lay, her arms and legs twisted in awkward directions, a thin layer of blood covering almost every inch of her body and scabbing over her multiple gashes. Her eyes were closed, body unmoving.

"Oh Kami…" Chi-Chi quickly drew Gohan to her, shielding his eyes from the horrid sight.

Bulma could not stand to look at the body, either. It was too horrible of a sight. Sashima was dead, and all because of her. If she hadn't been foolish and gone after Vegeta, Sashima would've never had to save her. She would never have ended up in the hospital, and she would not have burned with it as well. She had lost the friend that she had only known for less than a day. With one last gaze towards the body, Bulma turned and started back down from atop the rubble, back to the ground.

"Wait!" Goku called out suddenly, causing Bulma to turn back, facing Goku, Gohan, and Chi-Chi, who were still clustered around Sashima. Goku carefully picked up a bloody hand and turned it over, feeling for a pulse. At the same time, he leaned his ear down to her chest, trying to detect a heartbeat. With widened eyes, he slowly lifted his head back up, a look of utter seriousness and extreme concern on his face.

"We need to get her a couple of senzu beans--and quickly. She is still alive."



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AN: Wow, it seems that each new chapter is longer than its previous one…scary. Anyways, senzu beans? Don't those restore all of your energy? I wonder…what will happen when Sashima is fully restored? You'll just have to wait for the next update, which could take as short as two days or as long as a week. Okay, then that's about it for now. Bye.