"Gohan! You and your mother meet us at the Satan City Hospital while I take Bulma there now!" His wife and son were a bit taken aback at the tone of his voice, as Goku was a relatively calm person, but there had been a note of urgency in it, which they had hardly ever heard present.
"Aren't there anymore senzu beans?" Chi-Chi asked, alarmed, kneeling by Bulma's side. A little less than twenty minutes to live, the color had begun to drain from her face, getting paler and paler by the second. Her breathing had become shallower, each heartbeat farther and farther apart from the last.
"Karin says it would take about half a day more for them to ripe, and if Sashima can't get back in time…the hospital can at least try and prevent her from slipping any further. If she died here…" Goku trailed off, looking warily at his wife.
"Stop, Goku…don't say anymore. Just go now! Go! Get Bulma to the hospital!" Chi-Chi burst into tears as Goku took one last look at them, before teleporting Bulma and himself away.
"Mom, please stop crying…" Gohan said soothingly, trying his best to bring Chi-Chi back to her feet. "Bulma wouldn't want to see you like this, so you've got to be strong, for HER."
"You're right Gohan," Chi-Chi hiccupped, smothering the last of her sobs. "I've got to be strong--for her." Standing up, she made her way to the window, at the rain that poured down so heavily, it seemed as if giants in the clouds wanted to drown the creatures beneath them. "We better get going. Your father should have gotten there already."
* * * * *
"Just who are you?" Sashima demanded impatiently at the voice that rang throughout the cavern. At long last managing to force open her eyes, she took a good look around, noticing that the pool of acidic liquid was surrounded on all sides by walls of sheer rock. Between the rock wall and the edges of the pool was a floor of hard concrete, about ten feet wide, encircling the pool. A tiny portion of light filtered in from somewhere high above her.
"Where are you? Come show yourself, you coward!!" She swung her head about in all directions, looking for a place in the rock where he might hide in, yet there was none. Her glance came to rest above her, at a panel of windows that she could dimly make out the silhouette of a tall person behind them; it was also the place where the little light that entered the cavern had been coming from.
As if sensing her eyes had reached him, the lights behind the panels of glass flashed on, making the cavern many times brighter than before. For the first time since she had fallen into the pool, Sashima could make out the figure, standing triumphantly behind the glass, who seemed to scorn down at her.
"Well, well, well…if it isn't Sashima. I had great fun in watching you get through the…what should I say…obstacles." He smirked, laughing scornfully down at her.
"If you know what I can do, then I suggest you give up quietly--unless you want to have your head twisted halfway around your neck!" Sashima yelled up at him, clenching her fists. "Just who are you and why did you imposter that doctor to get into Capsule Corporation?"
"Me?" He asked almost innocently, pointing a finger to his chest, and then throwing back his head. A cold laugh rang in her ears, heartless, one who would stop at nothing. "But I AM Dr. Paul Willis!" He smiled, showing bright, white teeth.
"Liar!" she exclaimed, shocked that this man had the nerve to lie right through his own teeth. "Dr. Willis died two years ago from a heart attack! You can't possibly be him!"
"I can't, can I?" The man frowned slightly, but continued. "Well you certainly did your research, but I'll admit, I'm not the real Dr. Willis. He was just a name for me, seeing as he was so much respected in the medical fields, no one, especially not Capsule Corporation, would refuse his application for work there."
Sashima scowled disgustedly. "You used a dead man's name for your own evil purposes!"
"You're wrong there," he beamed down at her and began to pace behind the glass frame. "I did use his name, but in the name of the Red Ribbon Army, the technology we will obtain would be crucial in our quest for world domination!" He shrieked, pounding the glass like a madman.
"World domination? All that for world domination? I'm sorry, but with you alone, you most possibly will NOT be able to accomplish that, and even if your attempts aren't anything less than futile, you will be broken down to bits by Bulma and company," said Sashima derisively. Silently cursing herself for the amount of time the chitchat had been taking, she prayed to Kami that Goku had already gotten the senzu bean and that Bulma was healed and back to good health. Yes, that must have been the case--she could feel Bulma's weak ki rising slightly higher and holding steady. Something was wrong though--her ki was still well below normal…
She was jolted out of her contemplations as the man above her cleared his throat.
"Ahem…now if you may listen to me once again?" Cupping his chin in the palm of his hand, he stared up into space, pretending to be in deep thought. "I will give you one chance, and one chance only. I will allow you to join my ranks, as you would be a superb addition to our fighting power. What do you say?"
"And what if I refuse?" She narrowed her eyes menacingly.
"I have no choice but to kill you--no one, and I mean absolutely NO ONE, will stand in my way of getting Capsule Corporation and dominating the world!"
"Even if you do kill me, Bulma already knows about you. She can track you down, kill me for you, you hear?!" The mention of Capsule Corporation had refueled the rage she had felt moments ago when she had pledged to avenge the harm done to Bulma. She just wish she could know for sure if her blue-haired friend was really out of danger yet.
"Foolish woman, did you not know the blade I had used to slit her throat was laced with Xenoplianix poison? A poison once entered into the bloodstream would kill within two hours. Even if you do find a way to stabilize her condition, which I highly doubt, she will experience the dangerous symptoms of it for the rest of her life--" He paused dramatically. "--which is a year, at most, before the poison slowly eats away at your skin and inner organs."
"You--goddamn--bastard--" Sashima had both fists clenched, her teeth grating against each other from anger. She could no longer think clearly as multiple veins seemed to be throbbing against her temples and arms. "--I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!!" She flew directly at the glass, her right hand pulled back into a fist.
"I think not." With extraordinary calm, his finger reached for a red lever, pushing it up to maximum.
From nowhere, the white light blinded Sashima, shielding the man whose hand was placed ever so firmly on the lever. It was so great in intensity, it seemed as if she was staring inside the core of ten suns. Her head began to pound, the thoughts began to spin, even after she had already closed her eyes, squeezing them shut.
'No…this can't be the end of me…to be defeated by what is supposedly my own source of power…'
The remaining energy which she had was diminishing, swiftly, lost from her falling body. If she could just get inside the area where the man had the controls, if she could just get to him, it would be over for him, that quick. Did she have enough energy left to do so?
"Now!" He screamed, moving his fingers rapidly over the buttons. There was a slight whirring sound overhead.
'Come on! Come on!' The voice in her head urged, getting weaker and weaker by the second. 'You've got to teleport! Now!'
"I…I can't…" she muttered to herself, finally letting go. "I c-can't…draw enough energy…fast e-enough…"
Something extremely hard and heavy slammed into her body full force, the blow bringing her airborne once again. It seemed as if every nerve had ruptured in her body, her blood spilling forth from the reopened wounds, coughing up from her already damaged and bruised lungs.
"So I die again…a human I will be, again…"
* * * * *
"You can't be serious! Can't you DO something about her?!" Chi-Chi had to be restrained by her husband and son as she put the doctor who had administered Bulma into a powerful chokehold. Practically wringing his neck off, her yells attracted the attention of other medical practitioners. "You're a doctor, you're supposed to save her! What do you mean there is nothing you can do?!!"
Goku managed to pry Chi-Chi's fingers loose from the poor young man's neck, who slumped to the ground, clutching his neck and gasping for the air that he had been denied for half a minute. Slowly, his face returned to its normal colors, and he stood up, though keeping a safe distance away from Chi-Chi.
"Mrs. Son, we have tried all that we can, but as I've said before, Ms. Briefs has been infected with Xenoplianix poison, a highly deadly toxin that there is currently no cure for. We have her on life support at the moment, but when the poison reaches its final stage in about an hour…she may not be able to survive it. We are sorry, but we have done all that we can. I must go now." He left, backing slowly away, not daring to turn his back on the enraged Chi-Chi.
"Oh Bulma! You've got to live, you've just go to!" Chi-Chi threw herself onto the side of Bulma's hospital bed, clutching her hand with both of hers, wailing repeatedly. Expectantly, Chi-Chi took a quick look at Bulma's face, hoping there was some kind of reaction. There was none.
The Son Family gathered quietly around Bulma's bed. Goku stood near the huge paneled windows, remembering the first time he had met Bulma. He was only twelve back then, and Bulma not much older, a sixteen-year-old already intent on hunting for the dragonballs. He sighed, pounding the wall in frustration.
"Dad!" Gohan exclaimed, shocked at the outburst. "Are you--oh no…the lifeline is getting flatter…" Gohan moved closer to the instrument, watching the green line with uneasiness.
"Oh no…no…no!" Chi-Chi continued sobbing, her tears staining the white sheets.
"I can't stand it anymore!" Goku burst out. "I-I…we can't do a thing to help Bulma! All we are doing is standing here while she slowly dies. The senzu beans cannot counter poison, and Sashima has not returned after an hour! If she was here…maybe she could extend Bulma's life a little longer, until we do find a cure, but…I'm worried that something might have happened to her…"
"What about Dende?" Gohan suggested, moving to his father's side. "Can't he heal as well…?"
Shaking his head sadly, Goku replied, "His power goes only as far as physical wounds, I'm afraid."
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the sounds of the machines attached to Bulma.
A minute passed.
Another minute.
Five minutes had passed by until Goku raised his head, more worried than ever.
"Gohan."
"Dad?"
"Do you sense Sashima's ki?" He asked slowly.
"N-no…no, I can feel it now…but it's…Dad she's really weak!" Gohan cried out, looking up sharply from the floor. "Should I go and see if she needs help?"
"No, Gohan. You stay here with your mother." Goku's voice was strong and firm. Without further questions, his son obeyed.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
AN: Been about a month, but this is the first night I've had without any stupid homework due. Oh yeah. Check back in about half an hour or so? I need to edit Chapter 23.
"Aren't there anymore senzu beans?" Chi-Chi asked, alarmed, kneeling by Bulma's side. A little less than twenty minutes to live, the color had begun to drain from her face, getting paler and paler by the second. Her breathing had become shallower, each heartbeat farther and farther apart from the last.
"Karin says it would take about half a day more for them to ripe, and if Sashima can't get back in time…the hospital can at least try and prevent her from slipping any further. If she died here…" Goku trailed off, looking warily at his wife.
"Stop, Goku…don't say anymore. Just go now! Go! Get Bulma to the hospital!" Chi-Chi burst into tears as Goku took one last look at them, before teleporting Bulma and himself away.
"Mom, please stop crying…" Gohan said soothingly, trying his best to bring Chi-Chi back to her feet. "Bulma wouldn't want to see you like this, so you've got to be strong, for HER."
"You're right Gohan," Chi-Chi hiccupped, smothering the last of her sobs. "I've got to be strong--for her." Standing up, she made her way to the window, at the rain that poured down so heavily, it seemed as if giants in the clouds wanted to drown the creatures beneath them. "We better get going. Your father should have gotten there already."
* * * * *
"Just who are you?" Sashima demanded impatiently at the voice that rang throughout the cavern. At long last managing to force open her eyes, she took a good look around, noticing that the pool of acidic liquid was surrounded on all sides by walls of sheer rock. Between the rock wall and the edges of the pool was a floor of hard concrete, about ten feet wide, encircling the pool. A tiny portion of light filtered in from somewhere high above her.
"Where are you? Come show yourself, you coward!!" She swung her head about in all directions, looking for a place in the rock where he might hide in, yet there was none. Her glance came to rest above her, at a panel of windows that she could dimly make out the silhouette of a tall person behind them; it was also the place where the little light that entered the cavern had been coming from.
As if sensing her eyes had reached him, the lights behind the panels of glass flashed on, making the cavern many times brighter than before. For the first time since she had fallen into the pool, Sashima could make out the figure, standing triumphantly behind the glass, who seemed to scorn down at her.
"Well, well, well…if it isn't Sashima. I had great fun in watching you get through the…what should I say…obstacles." He smirked, laughing scornfully down at her.
"If you know what I can do, then I suggest you give up quietly--unless you want to have your head twisted halfway around your neck!" Sashima yelled up at him, clenching her fists. "Just who are you and why did you imposter that doctor to get into Capsule Corporation?"
"Me?" He asked almost innocently, pointing a finger to his chest, and then throwing back his head. A cold laugh rang in her ears, heartless, one who would stop at nothing. "But I AM Dr. Paul Willis!" He smiled, showing bright, white teeth.
"Liar!" she exclaimed, shocked that this man had the nerve to lie right through his own teeth. "Dr. Willis died two years ago from a heart attack! You can't possibly be him!"
"I can't, can I?" The man frowned slightly, but continued. "Well you certainly did your research, but I'll admit, I'm not the real Dr. Willis. He was just a name for me, seeing as he was so much respected in the medical fields, no one, especially not Capsule Corporation, would refuse his application for work there."
Sashima scowled disgustedly. "You used a dead man's name for your own evil purposes!"
"You're wrong there," he beamed down at her and began to pace behind the glass frame. "I did use his name, but in the name of the Red Ribbon Army, the technology we will obtain would be crucial in our quest for world domination!" He shrieked, pounding the glass like a madman.
"World domination? All that for world domination? I'm sorry, but with you alone, you most possibly will NOT be able to accomplish that, and even if your attempts aren't anything less than futile, you will be broken down to bits by Bulma and company," said Sashima derisively. Silently cursing herself for the amount of time the chitchat had been taking, she prayed to Kami that Goku had already gotten the senzu bean and that Bulma was healed and back to good health. Yes, that must have been the case--she could feel Bulma's weak ki rising slightly higher and holding steady. Something was wrong though--her ki was still well below normal…
She was jolted out of her contemplations as the man above her cleared his throat.
"Ahem…now if you may listen to me once again?" Cupping his chin in the palm of his hand, he stared up into space, pretending to be in deep thought. "I will give you one chance, and one chance only. I will allow you to join my ranks, as you would be a superb addition to our fighting power. What do you say?"
"And what if I refuse?" She narrowed her eyes menacingly.
"I have no choice but to kill you--no one, and I mean absolutely NO ONE, will stand in my way of getting Capsule Corporation and dominating the world!"
"Even if you do kill me, Bulma already knows about you. She can track you down, kill me for you, you hear?!" The mention of Capsule Corporation had refueled the rage she had felt moments ago when she had pledged to avenge the harm done to Bulma. She just wish she could know for sure if her blue-haired friend was really out of danger yet.
"Foolish woman, did you not know the blade I had used to slit her throat was laced with Xenoplianix poison? A poison once entered into the bloodstream would kill within two hours. Even if you do find a way to stabilize her condition, which I highly doubt, she will experience the dangerous symptoms of it for the rest of her life--" He paused dramatically. "--which is a year, at most, before the poison slowly eats away at your skin and inner organs."
"You--goddamn--bastard--" Sashima had both fists clenched, her teeth grating against each other from anger. She could no longer think clearly as multiple veins seemed to be throbbing against her temples and arms. "--I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!!" She flew directly at the glass, her right hand pulled back into a fist.
"I think not." With extraordinary calm, his finger reached for a red lever, pushing it up to maximum.
From nowhere, the white light blinded Sashima, shielding the man whose hand was placed ever so firmly on the lever. It was so great in intensity, it seemed as if she was staring inside the core of ten suns. Her head began to pound, the thoughts began to spin, even after she had already closed her eyes, squeezing them shut.
'No…this can't be the end of me…to be defeated by what is supposedly my own source of power…'
The remaining energy which she had was diminishing, swiftly, lost from her falling body. If she could just get inside the area where the man had the controls, if she could just get to him, it would be over for him, that quick. Did she have enough energy left to do so?
"Now!" He screamed, moving his fingers rapidly over the buttons. There was a slight whirring sound overhead.
'Come on! Come on!' The voice in her head urged, getting weaker and weaker by the second. 'You've got to teleport! Now!'
"I…I can't…" she muttered to herself, finally letting go. "I c-can't…draw enough energy…fast e-enough…"
Something extremely hard and heavy slammed into her body full force, the blow bringing her airborne once again. It seemed as if every nerve had ruptured in her body, her blood spilling forth from the reopened wounds, coughing up from her already damaged and bruised lungs.
"So I die again…a human I will be, again…"
* * * * *
"You can't be serious! Can't you DO something about her?!" Chi-Chi had to be restrained by her husband and son as she put the doctor who had administered Bulma into a powerful chokehold. Practically wringing his neck off, her yells attracted the attention of other medical practitioners. "You're a doctor, you're supposed to save her! What do you mean there is nothing you can do?!!"
Goku managed to pry Chi-Chi's fingers loose from the poor young man's neck, who slumped to the ground, clutching his neck and gasping for the air that he had been denied for half a minute. Slowly, his face returned to its normal colors, and he stood up, though keeping a safe distance away from Chi-Chi.
"Mrs. Son, we have tried all that we can, but as I've said before, Ms. Briefs has been infected with Xenoplianix poison, a highly deadly toxin that there is currently no cure for. We have her on life support at the moment, but when the poison reaches its final stage in about an hour…she may not be able to survive it. We are sorry, but we have done all that we can. I must go now." He left, backing slowly away, not daring to turn his back on the enraged Chi-Chi.
"Oh Bulma! You've got to live, you've just go to!" Chi-Chi threw herself onto the side of Bulma's hospital bed, clutching her hand with both of hers, wailing repeatedly. Expectantly, Chi-Chi took a quick look at Bulma's face, hoping there was some kind of reaction. There was none.
The Son Family gathered quietly around Bulma's bed. Goku stood near the huge paneled windows, remembering the first time he had met Bulma. He was only twelve back then, and Bulma not much older, a sixteen-year-old already intent on hunting for the dragonballs. He sighed, pounding the wall in frustration.
"Dad!" Gohan exclaimed, shocked at the outburst. "Are you--oh no…the lifeline is getting flatter…" Gohan moved closer to the instrument, watching the green line with uneasiness.
"Oh no…no…no!" Chi-Chi continued sobbing, her tears staining the white sheets.
"I can't stand it anymore!" Goku burst out. "I-I…we can't do a thing to help Bulma! All we are doing is standing here while she slowly dies. The senzu beans cannot counter poison, and Sashima has not returned after an hour! If she was here…maybe she could extend Bulma's life a little longer, until we do find a cure, but…I'm worried that something might have happened to her…"
"What about Dende?" Gohan suggested, moving to his father's side. "Can't he heal as well…?"
Shaking his head sadly, Goku replied, "His power goes only as far as physical wounds, I'm afraid."
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the sounds of the machines attached to Bulma.
A minute passed.
Another minute.
Five minutes had passed by until Goku raised his head, more worried than ever.
"Gohan."
"Dad?"
"Do you sense Sashima's ki?" He asked slowly.
"N-no…no, I can feel it now…but it's…Dad she's really weak!" Gohan cried out, looking up sharply from the floor. "Should I go and see if she needs help?"
"No, Gohan. You stay here with your mother." Goku's voice was strong and firm. Without further questions, his son obeyed.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
AN: Been about a month, but this is the first night I've had without any stupid homework due. Oh yeah. Check back in about half an hour or so? I need to edit Chapter 23.
