"Keep your guard up girl!"
She was bleeding from cuts and scrapes all over her body. Five weeks had passed since the beginning of the training. The first few days had only been sparring. After that, Piccolo had taught her a new attack or block every day. Followed by more sparring of course. And he stopped for nothing. Except for when she was very badly hurt. And according to his definition of very badly hurt, it had only happened thrice. Once when he had broken both her legs, another time when he had dislocated both her arms and once when he had broken her nose and bruised her face so badly that she hadn't been able to open her eyes. To bad broken ribs didn't count. He had broken her ribs before, but this time something was wrong. Breathing was hell. It had been hell all day. Normally when she had broken ribs, it only hurt very badly. This time every breath was a struggle against almost unbearable waves of pain. And she was coughing up blood. Piccolo hadn't noticed it because her face was already bloodied from split lips and a bleeding nose.
"I said, KEEP YOUR GUARD UP!"
She just couldn't. She was just too tired. It would go like this every day. They would fight until she collapsed of pure exhaustion. Most of the time she was so exhausted that Piccolo had to carry her back to the cave. His last attack slipped through her defences. He kicked her hard in the ribs. The pain was so intense that she fainted.
She slowly came round. Opening her right eye just a little bit, she looked into Piccolo's face. She thought she saw concern for a moment. Coming fully round, she felt that she was lying against a rock. Piccolo kneeled at her side. The concern in his face was gone and was replaced by his usual scowl.
"You Ok kid?"
"Yeah. But what just ha."
She couldn't finish her sentence. Talking hurt too much. Suddenly she had to cough up blood again. It hurt so badly that she got tears in her eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking through her tears, she could see the concern on Piccolo's face again. It vanished as soon as she stopped coughing.
"You sure you are Ok kid?"
"Yes."
Her mouth was full of blood, so she turned her head away and spat it out. It was more then she had expected. Piccolo snorted.
"Like hell you are Ok kid. So spit it out. What's wrong with you?"
"Don't know exactly." She whispered.
Talking out loud just hurt too much.
"It feels like broken ribs, but it just hurts to much."
"When did this happen?"
"Early this morning. I had a few broken ribs from yesterday, and when you kicked me, a few others broke. My guess is that one of my ribs pierced one of my lungs. But don't worry, its not so bad."
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He knew that she was lying. She had a very high tolerance for pain. It took a lot of pain before she got tears in her eyes. He had only seen it thrice. And that was when she had been very badly hurt.
"Yeah, sure. And I'm pink instead of green. Now see if you can stand up."
She tried several times. But they each failed. He could see that the pain was too intense.
"Stop it kid. You're only hurting yourself. Now relax and let me carry you."
Even though he was gentle, she gave a small moan of pain. That told him how serious it really was. Getting tears in your eyes from pain was just a natural reaction. You couldn't do much about it. But she was very controlled when it came to pain. She never showed a sign. Only when the pain was almost unbearable, she showed some outward sign. And if she even was showing a sign at all, it was very small. Like a cleansed fist or gritting her teeth. Making a sound was so unlike her. The only time she had done it before was when he had to relocate both her arms. She had growled then. Having reached the cave, he went inside and lowered her unto the bed. He made sure that she was lying comfortable.
"There aren't any senzu beans left. I'll have to get some. You sure you'll be Ok when I'm gone?"
"Yeah, I'll manage." She whispered.
He nodded and left.
She was bleeding from cuts and scrapes all over her body. Five weeks had passed since the beginning of the training. The first few days had only been sparring. After that, Piccolo had taught her a new attack or block every day. Followed by more sparring of course. And he stopped for nothing. Except for when she was very badly hurt. And according to his definition of very badly hurt, it had only happened thrice. Once when he had broken both her legs, another time when he had dislocated both her arms and once when he had broken her nose and bruised her face so badly that she hadn't been able to open her eyes. To bad broken ribs didn't count. He had broken her ribs before, but this time something was wrong. Breathing was hell. It had been hell all day. Normally when she had broken ribs, it only hurt very badly. This time every breath was a struggle against almost unbearable waves of pain. And she was coughing up blood. Piccolo hadn't noticed it because her face was already bloodied from split lips and a bleeding nose.
"I said, KEEP YOUR GUARD UP!"
She just couldn't. She was just too tired. It would go like this every day. They would fight until she collapsed of pure exhaustion. Most of the time she was so exhausted that Piccolo had to carry her back to the cave. His last attack slipped through her defences. He kicked her hard in the ribs. The pain was so intense that she fainted.
She slowly came round. Opening her right eye just a little bit, she looked into Piccolo's face. She thought she saw concern for a moment. Coming fully round, she felt that she was lying against a rock. Piccolo kneeled at her side. The concern in his face was gone and was replaced by his usual scowl.
"You Ok kid?"
"Yeah. But what just ha."
She couldn't finish her sentence. Talking hurt too much. Suddenly she had to cough up blood again. It hurt so badly that she got tears in her eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking through her tears, she could see the concern on Piccolo's face again. It vanished as soon as she stopped coughing.
"You sure you are Ok kid?"
"Yes."
Her mouth was full of blood, so she turned her head away and spat it out. It was more then she had expected. Piccolo snorted.
"Like hell you are Ok kid. So spit it out. What's wrong with you?"
"Don't know exactly." She whispered.
Talking out loud just hurt too much.
"It feels like broken ribs, but it just hurts to much."
"When did this happen?"
"Early this morning. I had a few broken ribs from yesterday, and when you kicked me, a few others broke. My guess is that one of my ribs pierced one of my lungs. But don't worry, its not so bad."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
He knew that she was lying. She had a very high tolerance for pain. It took a lot of pain before she got tears in her eyes. He had only seen it thrice. And that was when she had been very badly hurt.
"Yeah, sure. And I'm pink instead of green. Now see if you can stand up."
She tried several times. But they each failed. He could see that the pain was too intense.
"Stop it kid. You're only hurting yourself. Now relax and let me carry you."
Even though he was gentle, she gave a small moan of pain. That told him how serious it really was. Getting tears in your eyes from pain was just a natural reaction. You couldn't do much about it. But she was very controlled when it came to pain. She never showed a sign. Only when the pain was almost unbearable, she showed some outward sign. And if she even was showing a sign at all, it was very small. Like a cleansed fist or gritting her teeth. Making a sound was so unlike her. The only time she had done it before was when he had to relocate both her arms. She had growled then. Having reached the cave, he went inside and lowered her unto the bed. He made sure that she was lying comfortable.
"There aren't any senzu beans left. I'll have to get some. You sure you'll be Ok when I'm gone?"
"Yeah, I'll manage." She whispered.
He nodded and left.