*peeks timidly in the door, cautious of flying tomatoes and AFLAC ducks* Gohan-san? Is it safe?
MG: *sitting at the desk, flipping through reviews* Yeah, I think…they're not mad at you or anything…
But it's been a month since I updated! I hate it when it takes people that long to update, so now I'm being hypocritical!
MG: Chill. They're not gonna kill you. Well, SSH might, but that was inevitable anyways.
True. Gomen nasai, minna! I know it's taken me forever to get this chappie out, but it's a LOOONG one, so hopefully, that'll make up for it.
MG: Long by your standards, anyways. Early warning, minna, she tortures me to no end in this chapter…look at the chapter title and take a wild guess.
Speaking of which, flashbacks are written in italics, oshky-dosh? Now on to reviewer feedback!
Contrail: Now why would I let Goku-san die? Gohan would murder me.
MG: Got that right. *waves back* You know, this isn't a very long list…
Frying Pan of DOOM: I feel loved…oh yeah! It's butt-whoopin' time!
Knight's Shadow: Yup. Form review.
Goten's Guardian Angel: *glares at Gohan*
MG: *looking at the ceiling with his hand behind his back* Huh? You think I threw that tomato? I'm smarter than that!
Yeah. And I think he was about to say something, but Chibi interrupted. He really is smart…at least, I think…
2 cents: That was a long enough name…yeah, I could have done that, but then this would be a different story.
Trunks Soatome: Thanks! I love writing battles…there's a big one in this chappie.
Android 71: You know, that's a really good idea. ^___^
MG: I heard that! *holds eraser threateningly over A71's name on his LOPTBNT* You, my friend, are EVIL. And my name is GOHAN, not 'Gohannie', and *glares at Ani* not 'Go-chan'!
Whaaat? I like calling you 'Go-chan'! *glomps him for no reason*
Kakkabrat: Ohhhh, I get it. I read your story, btw, and it's good! My popup blocker hates me, or I would have reviewed…
Chris-Redfield26: *holding Gohan back* No, Gohan-san, you are NOT allowed to kill the reviewers!
MG: *growls, hair spikes gold* Let go! I'm not gonna kill anybody, but this kid has had WAY too much sugar! *powers back down, gets a very genki tone* And anyways, I'm already the King of Sarcasm and a prince by my mom's blood, so why would I want to be Prince of the World?
Silver Warrior: Yeah, it kinda picked a bad time, especially since he was already supposed to have had it.
sakura117us: Oh, I'm so sorry! A full week without Gohan? The torment! The suffering! I can't bear to think of it! *gets bashed* What? I'm only being slightly sarcastic…I can only go a few days without him. And who says he's yours? *huggles MG protectively*
manda: Well, there was a psychologist (whose name I couldn't remember if my life depended on it) who said that who you are is determined by the life you live and your past experiences, so that's why they're so different. Just look at the two Trunkses. It also has to do with their ages
SSH: You died again? *shrugs* Maliki, you should know better than to poke her.
MG: Hey! I can type pretty fast, considering I only have one hand! *sticks tongue out*
Well, that's all of that, so on with the chapter! Nyeh…this gets a little violent, just to warn you ahead of time. And so I don't get sued—I still don't own DBZ.
*****
Gohan stood static at the bedside, watching his father toss his head back and forth in pain. Goku's breathing came in quick, short gasps, and his hand was clenched so tightly over his heart that Gohan wouldn't have been surprised to see a bruise form on his chest. Gohan glanced over at the doorway where Chibi was standing, and Chibi looked down the hall.
"She's coming," he said, and walked on in the room. A few seconds later, Chichi entered with a small bottle in one hand and a glass of water in the other. She kneeled by the bed and, without taking her eyes off of Goku, thrust the bottle at Gohan.
"Here, take the lid off of this for me," she said as she brushed the hair from Goku's eyes, lifted his head a little, and put the glass to his lips.
Gohan stared at the bottle a minute, then looked at Chichi. "Mom…I can't."
She looked up at him in confusion, then dropped her eyes to his sleeve. "Oh, I'm so sorry…I wasn't thinking." Gohan forced a small smile and shook his head, then handed the bottle to Chibi. He knew she had more important things on her mind at the moment than the small detail that opening a pill bottle was a two-handed job. He stepped back into the corner and leaned against the wall, figuring he could be of no assistance.
Chibi unscrewed the lid and handed Chichi one purple pill. She held it up to Goku's mouth. "Now, Goku, this will make it better. Just swallow it, okay?" She pushed the pill into his mouth, then placed the glass against his lips again and tipped it up. He swallowed and lay still, and while his breathing was still fast and heavy, his grip on his gi had loosened. Chibi disappeared from the room a minute, and returned with a cold, damp washcloth. He handed it to Chichi, who wiped the sweat from Goku's face, then folded the washcloth and laid it on his forehead.
"Will he be okay, Mom?" Chibi asked.
"I don't know, dear. Let's just hope for the best."
Chibi nodded and swallowed hard. He hesitated a moment and watched as his father's expression softened and his breathing slowed to normal, then he turned and left the room. Gohan noted how tightly Chibi's fists were clenched at his sides, and he raised one eyebrow in confusion and curiosity. He shrugged it off, then walked over to the bedside and put his hand on Chichi's shoulder. "You okay, Mom?" he asked softly. She looked up into his dark brown eyes, finding comfort in his reassuring gaze. She smiled a little and nodded, and he smiled back. "I'm gonna go check on Chibi," he said as he turned and started towards the door. He paused in the doorway and looked back at his father's peacefully sleeping form, then went down the hall.
Gohan stepped out on the lawn to find Chibi hovering a few feet off the ground, furiously throwing punches and kicks into the air. He whirled in a double roundhouse and gasped in surprise as his ankle unexpectedly struck Gohan's wrist. Gohan smiled and lowered his arm. "Wouldn't training be doing you more good if you had someone to train against? In my experience, empty space doesn't put up much of a fight."
Chibi snorted, turned his back to Gohan, and resumed his solitary training. Gohan's smile faded as his brow creased in slight confusion at Chibi's attitude. He cautiously walked towards his younger self, ducked another kick, and blocked three punches before Chibi stopped again.
"Will you just leave me alone?" he snapped at Gohan. Gohan stared at Chibi in shock, slightly taken aback. He couldn't figure out what had gotten into the boy; the situation wasn't that bad.
"What's wrong, little bro?" he asked. Chibi glared at him in response, then sighed and hung his head.
"Nothing, I guess. I'm just…having one of those days. Sorry I yelled at you."
Gohan smiled again and shook his head. "Nah, it's alright. I used to get that all the time from Trunks." He sat down in the grass and patted the ground beside him, inviting Chibi to sit down as well. Chibi accepted the offer and plopped down next to Gohan. Chibi leaned back and stared up at the sky, watching the clouds float overhead. Gohan bent his knee up to his chest and folded his arm across it, then rested his chin on his forearm and gazed intently out at the horizon.
Chibi looked over at Gohan a moment, trying to read his expression. After failing at that, he asked, "Where did you get that scar?"
Gohan glanced sideways at his and smirked. "Which one?"
"The one on your chest. I noticed it when we were up in my room."
Gohan looked down at the cross-shaped scar over his pectoral muscle. It was about half-visible above the low-cut neck of his shirt. Then he looked over at Chibi with a knowing grin. "A battle."
Chibi rolled his eyes. "I could've figured that out myself. Do you think you could be a little more specific?"
"With the Jinzouningen." Chibi groaned, then reached over and whacked Gohan upside the head. Gohan laughed. "What? You asked a question, I gave you an answer."
"Never mind. I was just curious, but you're being a pain in the butt."
Gohan's grin broadened as he shook his head. "Actually, I'm just seeing how far I can push you. Seeing how obstinate you were being earlier today, I thought you would've kept going longer."
"Did you enjoy messing with Trunks like this, too?"
"Yup, every time I got the chance."
"You're pathetic."
"Don't speak so badly about yourself."
This last comment promptly got Gohan cuffed again. He just laughed, mostly at the rather disgruntled look on Chibi's face as the younger boy folded his arms and gave Gohan a sidelong glare. Gohan rolled his eyes, then cocked his head sideways. "D'you really want to hear about it?" Chibi nodded, and Gohan smiled. "Overview or detailed version?"
"We've got some time to kill…unless you still want to go to Capsule."
Gohan shrugged. "It's up to you. I'm game for just about anything right now."
"Then tell me everything." Chibi folded his legs, rested his elbows on his knees, and propped his head in his hands, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. Gohan hesitated a moment, trying to figure out if it was the allure of a battle story or wanting to know all that had happened in the life he wouldn't live that had Chibi so interested. He shrugged, figuring it didn't matter either way, and began his story.
(A/N: Gomen for interrupting, but I must inform you of something. This little flashback is not necessarily what Gohan is telling Chibi, it's what I'm telling you. Don't forget, everything in italics is a flashback, so the next little bit will be formatted accordingly. Sorry in advance if this drives anyone insane. Back to the fic!)
It was just one of those days—perfect except for that single, ominous rain cloud hovering right over Gohan's head. He wasn't sure if he'd just gotten up on the wrong side of the bed or if his foul mood was prophetic of events yet to come that day. He stumbled out of bed, still half asleep and fully brain-dead, and headed for the bathroom, tripping over almost all the clothes scattered about the bedroom floor.
The doorframe patiently waited for the right moment to leap five inches to the right just as Gohan reached the doorway. His shoulder slammed into the doorframe, not only leaving a throbbing bruise and a small cut, but also waking Gohan up completely. He cursed at the piece of wood and splintered it with his fist; he didn't really care that his mother was going to kill him, nor did care that his knuckles were now bleeding as well.
This was just not his day.
After a very icy shower (due to the fact that the water heater was on the blitz again), Gohan walked back into his bedroom, this time carefully avoiding the potential hazards on the floor. He mumbled something to himself about cleaning up later as he kicked a shoe aside and reached for the knob on his chest-of-drawers. He jerked on the drawer, but it refused to open, much like the mouth of a child when one is trying to feed said child broccoli. The entire piece of furniture was moving each time he yanked on it, but the drawer itself refused to budge. He gritted his teeth and punctuated each word as he spoke with another pull on the knob. "Why—won't—you—open? Gaaah, this would be SO much easier if I had—both—HANDS!!" As he yelled the final word, the drawer flew open, sending Gohan toppling backwards.
He just lay there on his back a moment, his head pounding, contemplating all the different ways he could obliterate the chest-of-drawers. Strangely, the inevitable consequences for each of his actions didn't seem to faze him any. He slowly got up and rubbed his head, then began digging through the drawer. He lightly tossed a pair of jeans onto the bed, then pulled out the blue shirt he normally wore under his gi and pushed the drawer closed.
He let out a low growl as he fumbled with his clothes. "Everything is against me…" It had only been a couple of months since he had lost his arm, and he wasn't quite used to functioning without it yet. He struggled with the button at the waist of his jeans for about five minutes before he finally managed to fasten it, then he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on his shirt.
"Gohan!" his mother's voice said from the base of the stairs. "Time to get up! Breakfast is ready!"
"Yeah, I'm coming!" he yelled back as he got up and started across the room. He glared at the splintered doorframe as he passed, then headed down the stairs.
Gohan held his hand over his mouth as he neared the bottom of the stairs in a poorly failed attempt to stifle a huge yawn. He rubbed his eyes; even though he was technically awake, his mind was still thick with sleep and he was finding it very difficult to think straight. He wandered into the kitchen, where his mother was standing over the stove stirring a large pot.
"Hey, Mom," he said as he crossed the room, then fell backwards into his chair at the table.
"Good morning, sleepy-head. Did you sleep well?" Chichi asked as she turned to the table with Gohan's plate. He shook his head.
"Hardly." Chichi carried a bowl of oatmeal over to the table and sat it beside Gohan's plate. "Itadakimasu," he said, picking up his spoon. He began eating, but not in the normal Saiyan manner—quite the opposite, he was eating at a normal human pace. Chichi raised one eyebrow and sat beside him at the table.
"Gohan? Is something wrong?"
He looked up in thought a moment, then shook his head again. "You know," he said, waving his spoon as if to make a point, "I think all the inanimate objects in this house are in cahoots against me." Chichi suppressed a laugh, and Gohan looked at hear, both eyebrows raised slightly. "No, I'm serious! My doorframe attacked me this morning, and then the drawer tried to murder me! I swear, if those Jinzouningen don't kill me, my furniture will."
Chichi's brow furrowed at mention of the Jinzouningen. "Gohan, don't tell me you're planning on fighting them today."
Gohan let out a snort of laughter through his smirk. "Not unless I have to. I'm really sore today, and I did not get enough sleep last night." He got up from the table, his empty bowl stacked on top of the now-clean plate, and sat his dishes by the sink. "I'm gonna go watch TV or something for a little while." He yawned again as he walked into the living room and fell onto the couch. He picked up the remote and began flipping through channels, pausing when he found 'Tom & Jerry.' He smiled and kicked back, thoroughly enjoying the animated mayhem on the screen. Chichi walked into the living room and stood behind the couch, her hands on her hips.
"A grown man watching cartoons," she said to herself, rolling her eyes. Gohan leaned his head over the back of the couch, looking at her upside-down with a grin.
"Yeah? So?"
She laughed and shook her head, but was glad to see that his eyes had gone from the cold onyx they had been earlier to a dark brown, indicating he was now in a better mood. They both looked up at the TV as the soft beep of radar reached their ears. In the lower left corner of the screen was a small radar map with a dot that flashed bright green each time the bar swept over it. A warning scrolled across the bottom of the screen—'All roads to and from Sage town, the location of the latest Jinzouningen attack, have been destroyed. Please stay tuned for further information.' The words began to roll by again, and Gohan rolled his eyes and stood up. Chichi put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked at her through obsidian eyes.
"Please be careful, Gohan. I don't want you getting hurt again."
"Don't worry; I'm not going to do anything stupid. I love you, Mom," he said casually as he kissed her on the cheek, then turned and left. Chichi sat sown on the couch and stared at the map.
"Damn those monsters…" she said to herself as she heard the door click shut.
Gohan massaged his temple as he flew towards the pillar of smoke billowing from Sage Town, trying to relieve the headache now throbbing behind his eyes. "This day just keeps going downhill…" he muttered to himself. He was now over the ruined city, and he shook his head. Somehow, through the explosions and screams, the small sound of a crying child reached his sensitive ears. He dipped into the street, looking for the source of this sound, and spotted a young girl curled up by a lamppost with a teddy bear. Tear trails streaked her face, and her dress was stained with blood, though little of it seemed to be her own. Gohan cautiously walked over and kneeled in front of her. Her eyes widened in fear as she scrambled backwards against the light post. Gohan gently reached out and wiped the tears from her eyes. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," he said with a smile. She swallowed and nodded. "Do you know where they went?" She nodded again and pointed to the west—deeper into the city.
"Are you going to fight them?" she asked in a shy, still-frightened voice.
"I'm going to try."
"My brother tried, and so did Daddy. But they…" Tears welled up in her bright blue eyes again. "How are you going to fight them? You only have one arm."
Gohan nodded grimly. "I know, but I'm still going to try. Do me a favor and stay safe, okay? If you find anyone else, stay with them until the Jinzouningen leave."
The five year old nodded and held her bear tight to her chest. Gohan smiled, stood, and looked off in the direction she had pointed. Whether he liked it or not, now he had to fight—if nothing else, to protect this child. He walked a few feet, then lifted off the ground. The girl's eyes widened again.
"Are you an angel?" she asked. Gohan looked back over his shoulder, smiled, and shook his head.
"No, I'm not. But my friends are, and they're watching over us."
The girl smiled and watched Gohan fly deep into the chaos that once was Sage Town. Somehow, she knew that everything would be all right.
Gohan touched down again in the shadows and looked around the corner. He was being more cautious than normal, but with good reason. He was now fighting alone, and couldn't get any help whether he wanted it or not. The battle that had taken the life of his little brother had only been a month before, and it was now time for revenge. He stepped out of the shadows. "Jinzouningen!" he yelled. Both Juunanagou and Juhachigou turned and looked at him, their expressions somewhere between contempt and disregard. "If you wanted to play today, why didn't you come find your 'toy'? I would've been glad to oblige," he said sarcastically.
"Actually, we're just racking up points today. If we'd wanted to fight, we would have found you," Juhachigou said with a shrug. "But since you're here…there's no point in wasting a good opportunity. Juunanagou, you're ahead by a good twenty points. May I?"
Juunanagou smirked. "Whatever. I was going to offer round one to you anyways, since you were off shopping last time. He sat down on the hood of the car he had been standing on and folded his arms.
"Alright, then." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiled in her usual demonic way, and took her stance. Gohan shot towards her, and she casually flung a blast at him. He teleported, reappearing behind her just as the blast hit Juunanagou. Juunanagou dusted his shirt off and glared at his sister.
"Hit him, not me!"
"Sorry! You shouldn't've been in the way!"
Juunanagou just growled at her and folded his arms again.
Gohan tapped on Juhachigou's shoulder. She turned and gasped in surprise as she found herself looking right into his eyes. Gohan smirked. "I've got a little present for you," he said, then dropped and knocked her feet out from under her with a roundhouse kick and grabbed her by the ankle. He flung her around in a wide circle, then let go, sending her flying into the side of a building. She was hardly on her feet before Gohan was on top of her again in a mad frenzy of wild, yet well-placed blows. He threw his fist at her face, but she ducked, catching him off-guard. She dove under him, then nailed him between the shoulder blades with her elbow. The sudden shock to his spine caused his legs to give way underneath him, and he fell forward.
Juunanagou laughed from his perch. "I thought I told you to find us when you thought you'd be a challenge! This is no more than child's play!"
Juhachigou snorted. "If you think it's so easy—" She pinned Gohan to the ground with her boot as he tried to get up, then finished her sentence. "—Why don't you take him yourself?"
"I had my fun last time. It's your turn. But if you're saying the cripple is too much for you, I'll gladly intervene, dear sister."
Gohan glared at Juunanagou through glowing green eyes and leapt up, toppling Juhachigou. "Is that all you take me for? I'll show you, 'cripple'—" he hissed under his breath as he charged the male Jinzouningen.
Juunanagou looked up just in time to see a gold ball hurdling towards his chest, but he had no time to block or dodge. The blast slammed into him with such force that he tumbled backwards and head-over-heels off the other side of the car. He picked himself up and dusted off his off his shirt, then noticed how badly it was torn. "He snarled at a now smirking Gohan. "How many times have I told you not to mess with my clothes?!" He glared at Juhachigou, who was laughing at him. "What?!" he snapped.
"That's the second time he's trashed your shirt. If you don't watch it, you'll end up without one."
"Oh, shut up." He turned back to Gohan. "That's it, brat. I've had it with you. You're the one that picked this fight; what are you just standing there for? Scared?"
Gohan spat, his saliva tinged red with blood. "You wish."
Juunanagou growled and leapt over the car, then flung two blasts and a kick at Gohan, all of which were either blocked of ducked. The pair engaged in a hand-to-hand melee, each one matching the other blow for blow. In a fairly risky attempt, Gohan grabbed Juunanagou by the bandana and threw him into his twin. Both flew backwards into an already-crumbling wall, and the concrete collapsed on top of them. Gohan shot about twenty feet straight up and drew his hand back to his side.
"Ka…me…"
The concrete shifted a little as the ball of blue energy formed in his palm.
"Ha…me…"
A huge slab shattered as the twins rocketed from the pile of debris.
"HAAAA!!!"
They were immediately engulfed in a huge orb of blue-white ki and dragged back into the ground. The blast disintegrated the pile of rubble and formed a crater with a radius of about 15 feet. Gohan dropped his hand as his hair faded to black. His breathing was slightly heavier than normal, but he was far from tired.
The rubble shifted again, and two heads emerged, first blonde, then black. The pair slowly turned their icy blue eyes to the demi-Saiyan in the sky, then shot each other a sidelong glance and nodded. Gohan rolled his eyes and snapped into his defensive stance—he had seen this before, and it always meant trouble. The Jinzouningen darted into the air, both teleporting just before they reached Gohan. Gohan looked around frantically; then a pair of clasped hands slammed into his back. The ground rushed up fast, but was intercepted by a black-haired figure. Juunanagou kicked Gohan hard in the stomach, sending him flying back into the air and directly into Juhachigou's fists. She knocked him sideways, and he smashed through a fourth-story window of an apartment building. He hit the opposite wall in the room and slumped to the floor. 'This is ridiculous,' he thought. 'They're playing pinball with me!' A small trickle of blood ran from his hairline down the side of his nose. He coughed a couple of times, then cautiously reached up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly opened his eyes. His vision was slightly blurred from the impact, but he could clearly see the forms of the twins hovering just outside the window. He forced himself up, then put his hand to his forehead and stumbled back a step as a wave of dizziness washed over him. He shook his head and fell into an unsteady attack position. He blinked a few times, but it did nothing to correct his sight. His peripheral vision was naught but fuzzy blackness, and his head pounded, indicating he probably had a concussion. Juhachigou glided through the shattered window and floated a few inches in front of him. Her lips were curled into a defiant, victorious smirk.
"You poor thing. Did we play too rough with you?" She laughed as Gohan made a feeble attempt to hit her and pitched forward, barely catching himself from falling. He glared at her weakly as she backed out the window and hung next to her brother.
"Damn you…" he growled through gritted teeth. "Damn…you both…to hell…"
Juunanagou shook his head and waved a finger. "No, no, children shouldn't use such vulgar language. Juhachigou," he said, turning to his sister, "Would you like to do the honors? Or shall we fire together?"
"Let's finish this together."
The Jinzouningen turned so that they were back to back, then each outstretched a hand. The outsides of their hands touched, and a single yellow orb formed over their palms. They smirked and spoke in unison. "Now, you die."
The glowing ball of pseudo-ki hit Gohan hard in the chest and hurled him backward into the cracking plaster. He fell to the floor again, blood flowing freely from the wound and seeping into his clothes. The right side of his chest felt constricted, and each breath sent another spike of pain through his body from his broken ribs. The wound was so deep that bone was exposed under the torn muscle.
"Lucky for you our aim was off. We were targeting your heart," said Juunanagou as the pair turned and flew away, completely unconcerned with anything.
Gohan's head swam, and he fought to stay awake. He dragged himself across the floor to the window, and propped himself against the windowsill. The shards of glass still there embedded themselves in his arm, but he didn't care. He drew in a sharp, shallow breath and coughed. His stomach lurched, and a sticky mixture of blood, saliva, and bile splattered on the floor. "N…Nimbus…" he said, his voice hoarse and barely above a whisper. The eternity of a few seconds later, the yellow cloud came to a halt just outside the window. Gohan struggled to his feet; no sooner was he up than the artificial night at the corner f his eyes engulfed him and he toppled headfirst out the window and onto the cloud. Instinctively, Nimbus rose above the skyline and darted towards West Capitol.
Bulma was kneeled behind Capsule Corps over a small grave, where grass had hardly begun to cover the dirt below the stone that said her son's name. A single tear ran down her cheek and splashed on the dirt. She looked up in confusion as a yellow line streaked overhead, then stood as it looped back and dropped altitude.
Nimbus slowed to a stop just in front of Bulma as her eyes widened in horror. "Oh my God, Gohan…" She ran into the house, the little cloud following.
Gohan forced his eyes opened and blinked slowly. His head was still pounding, and his chest still felt tight. He sat up, and immediately winced in pain and carefully lowered himself back onto the pillow. He ran his hand over the bandages binding his torso, cringing as his fingertips brushed the broken ribs. 'That would explain why it's so hard to breathe,' he thought. Somewhere through the thick numbness, there was a dull, hot pain in his right pectoral muscle. He curiously reached up to explore the injury, but cried out in pain as soon as his fingers touched the bandages. The door slid open.
"Oh, Gohan! You're awake!" said Bulma as she crossed the room. Gohan started to speak, then coughed, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his body. "No, don't talk," she said. Gohan ignored her and tried again.
"How long have I been here?" he asked, his voice low and rough. His throat was dry, and he coughed again, cringing as his torso begged for mercy.
"A little over two days. Do you know how lucky you are to be alive? Or maybe it's just stubbornness." A small smile tugged at the corner of Gohan's mouth. "You are so much like your father. No matter how badly you're hurt, you spring back in record time." She checked Gohan's pulse and nodded with satisfaction, then went over to the sink and began digging through the cabinet. "I spoke with your mom, by the way. She called yesterday morning."
"You what?!" he said, sitting halfway up before he realized what he was doing. He cried out in pain as he fell back onto the pillow and wrapped his arm tightly over his chest. He drew in air through gritted teeth in short, shallow gasps to keep from moving his ribs too much.
"That was smart, Gohan. Look, you've got to lay still! I'm sorry if I said something to startle you, but try not to do that again. You've got about three broken ribs, and one is in a very precarious position. One wrong move and you could puncture a lung. Understand?"
Gohan gave one quick nod and tried to relax his tense muscles. He slowly took a deep breath, wincing slightly as his lungs and diaphragm shifted the broken bones. "Thanks, Bulma," he said, and, with some effort, continued. "That's twice now that you've saved my life, and I've lost count of how many times you've taken care of me. What did you tell Mom?"
Bulma sighed and turned around, a bottle in one hand and a washcloth in the other. "Not enough to make her worry. Is that what scared you?" He nodded and watched as she sat on the edge of the bed, uncapped the bottle, and splashed some of the liquid onto the cloth. She put the lid back on the bottle and sat both items down, then picked up the scissors from the side table and cut the bandages around Gohan's pectoral muscles, exposing the deep, cross-shaped gash. She picked up the cloth. "Now, Gohan, this might sting a little," she said, then touched the damp cloth to the wound. Gohan winced and drew in a sharp breath through his teeth. She paused a moment and looked up at him, then continued to clean the wound. "It's healing fast, but I'm afraid it's gonna leave a scar."
"Just one more to add to the list," he said. Bulma smiled darkly. Besides the one that marred his handsome face, Gohan had about five or six deep scars on his body, mostly on his torso and upper arm. None, save the one on his face, were visible when he was dressed—a t-shirt did a nice job of hiding them. "How long before you'll let me out of here?" he asked, closing his eyes. Bulma's smile brightened.
"I'll tell you what. When you can get out of bed and walk out of here on your own—meaning, not holding anything or getting any help—I'll let you go. Okay?"
Gohan smiled a bit and nodded. "Good. It shouldn't be long, then." Bulma laughed as she carried the washcloth and bottle to the sink and retrieved a roll of fresh bandages.
"We'll see about that, Gohan. Now sit up, but be careful, and I'll wrap you back up."
Four days later, Gohan, though still very sore and trying to hide the effort it was taking, pushed past a protesting Bulma and climbed on Nimbus, then headed home.
Chibi was now lying on his stomach with his arms folded under his chin, still paying close, undivided attention to every word his counterpart said. Gohan stopped speaking and looked down at him, then smiled. Chibi blinked once. "Wow. I guess you were having one of those days, too, only a hundred times worse." Gohan laughed.
"You could say that…hey, do you still want to go to Bulma's? It's getting late, and you've already informed me that you're not a big fan of her cooking."
Chibi jumped up, an enthusiastic grin on his face. "Yeah! Let's go!" He grabbed Gohan by the wrist and tried to pull him to his feet, eager to get moving. Gohan laughed again.
"Whoa, chill!" he said, pulling his hand away. He stood up, but almost immediately put his hand to his head and stumbled back a step. Chibi looked up at him in concern.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. I think I got up too fast, is all." He shook his head, then smiled. "Come on!" Chibi nodded, and they both lifted into the air and sailed towards West Capitol.
*****
Aieee! That was a long chappie…Gohan? Hey, Gohan-san!
MG: Zzzzzz….*snerk* Huhwha? Oh, you're done? It took you long enough.
Shut up. Don't kill me, minna; it'll probably take just as long to get the next chapter out. *Ducks rotten tomatoes* However, I'm hoping I'll get some reviewer input on what should happen! I know what I'm doing, and I have most of the plot points planned, but I'm not real sure about some of it. This story is for you guys, so help me out!
MG: Just don't suggest too much torture…please…
*Does Happy Hamster dance* School's out now, so hopefully I'll have more time to write! Oh yeah, and I've got some illustrations for this fic up on my website now, but my scanner's on the blitz so I can't guarantee I'll get any more up anytime soon. P Well, ja ne minna-san!