I apologize for not updating in a while…moving into a dormitory will do that to a person. So without further ado, the twentieth chapter of the slowest-moving story on the planet.
Disclaimer: If, for some strange reason, I turn into Toriyama, I'll be sure to let you know.
Chapter Twenty
It wasn't until two days had gone by that there was any noticeable change in Piccolo's condition. Gohan was the first to point it out, as always, through the link he shared with his mentor. In fact, it was rather exciting for him…Piccolo had mumbled the boy's name in his induced stupor. It had been all Chi-Chi and Goku could do to keep him from shaking the Namek and waking him up.
Krillin chuckled to himself as he took a seat in the room housing Piccolo. It had been a hectic morning, what with a hyper young demi-Saiyan bouncing around and all. "You'd have smacked him, Piccolo," he told the unconscious Namek, more to hear his own voice than anything else. "He knocked part of breakfast over, and Goku almost started crying. Chi-Chi pulled out her frying pan, too, and she missed him. So I had to catch him and make him clean up the mess. And Chi-Chi had to make more toast. It was a laugh."
Gohan's nightmare irregardless, it would be nice to have him back, Krillin thought. His sparring partner hadn't been able to sleep for the rest of that night, and he had nearly ki-blasted the boy in the kitchen when he came down at 4:30 in the morning. Kami, but Gohan had startled him.
The midget laughed, then covered his mouth when he remembered where he was. Goku and Chi-Chi had fallen asleep not ten minutes after the incident, and he had stayed up, figuring he'd never get to sleep before the sun came up anyway. So he'd brewed himself a pot of coffee and settled down at the table with a book. The book turned out to be boring, so he stared at his coffee mug instead. And that's how Gohan found him when he came down for a glass of water. It had been close, all right, and if Gohan hadn't yelped Krillin would have vaporized him.
Well, would have tried. It had taken a lot out of him to blow a hole through Vegeta, even when the Saiyan was willing and had suppressed his ki. There was a good chance that Krillin wouldn't have done any major damage to Gohan – though he would have set Piccolo off again. An image of the Kame House suddenly becoming airborne flashed through his mind, and he frowned. That would not do at all.
Krillin sighed. He and Gohan had talked until seven or eight before falling asleep at the table. Master Roshi had needed to pull their chairs out from under them to wake them up, and even then they didn't move. Goku eventually hoisted them both up on his shoulders and walked them upstairs – laughing the whole time.
Again Krillin opened his mouth to laugh, but the noise was caught in the back of his throat. You're…kidding, right? he thought as he gaped, unsure as to whether he wanted to smile or leap from the chair in shock. For before him, Piccolo's eyes fluttered open and caught his gaze in their own cold depths. His stomach lurched and he gasped "Piccolo!", thinking that the Namek might not recognize him after his extended sleep. It wasn't unheard of in the medical world – as Bulma so often bragged – that the victim of such a shock might retreat into himself or herself. And they would suffer from a short-term memory loss. That wouldn't be bad if Piccolo was a normal, non-threatening human being. But he was not, and for all his caution Krillin didn't seem to realize that the Namek might just think he was an enemy – and then blast him into the Afterlife.
"Piccolo!" he exclaimed again, settling himself back down into the chair. He didn't know he'd actually begun pushing himself off his seat until he unlocked his elbows and relaxed. "Do you remember me?" Krillin leaned over the Namek and frowned when there was no glimmer of recognition in his eyes. "Do you know who I am?"
And Piccolo's face twisted from blankness to his typical scowl. "You're the midget I keep telling to not ask ridiculous questions."
Oops. "Then you're feeling better?" Krillin asked, leaning back with a relieved sigh.
"I suppose you can call it that, yeah."
The monk (and numerous medical experts) would have begged to differ, unless 'feeling better' meant 'I'm awake'. Piccolo looked like Hell warmed over, to say the least, and Krillin had to stop himself more than once from asking if he needed a senzu bean – which, in all likelihood, would not work yet. The Namek's cheekbones were more prominent than usual, compliments of a prolonged illness. He seemed to be washed out; his eyes were not as bright as they should have been, and even his skin was no longer its bright, lustrous green. Yet all that notwithstanding, his eyes were still cold.
"At least you didn't miss too much," Krillin said, shifting on the chair. "Only two days, this time."
"Two days without meditation."
The monk flashed him a dirty look. "I'd be more inclined to say two days of extended meditation. You obsess over your training, Piccolo."
"At least I have picked something to obsess over, Krillin." And the Namek returned his comment in the same dry tone as the human.
The other man humphed and crossed his arms over his chest. "You would," he muttered. "You've got all the time in the world, it seems, to do whatever you want."
Piccolo made a sharp noise that could have passed for a laugh. "As of late, it seems so."
"Sure."
Krillin and Piccolo were content with staring at the ceiling for the next half a minute, neither one speaking. It was a comfortable silence, and until the nagging in Krillin's brain got the best of him it was not broken. Even then, nothing was said until Piccolo noticed his anxious squirming.
"What are you doing?" he growled. "You're not conducive to relaxation, you know. Perhaps I should rid the room of you." The Namek narrowed his eyes to mere slits, and for an instant Krillin was reminded of another demon he'd had contact with. He started abruptly; the voice was almost right, too…if Piccolo's voice was more sibilant, it would have been an exact fit, and he would have screamed. Kami, he'd never forget the eyes he saw only briefly, or the hissing laughter. It was all he could do to refrain from yipping.
"Uh," he said, his voice shaking, "I was gonna say that we gave you a senzu bean after King Kai, well, put you out. Guess it didn't help any. Chiaotzu brought'em in. And Goku's doing better, at least. He can walk around and stretch and stuff without yelling now. You should have seen him. Kami, he acts like he's already at full strength again." As Krillin spoke he visibly relaxed, which Piccolo made note of. The Namek had an idea as to why Krillin had nearly leapt through the roof, but he couldn't be sure. As far as he knew, he didn't resemble his 'brothers' that much, or so Goku had told him during one of his babbling sprees.
Might that be why I am awake now? Might the psi-down be wearing off, finally? Piccolo thought, mentally crossing his fingers. He closed his eyes for a moment, only to open them again when he felt someone's ki touch down on the island. Both he and Krillin simultaneously glanced at the window, each wondering what Tien could possibly want at the Kame House.
"So," Krillin queried, "should I tell Goku and Gohan that you're up?" He made as if to walk out the door, lifting himself off the chair and leaning towards the hallway.
Piccolo grunted in reply. "They already know, but suit yourself."
Krillin nodded as he stood up. "Then at least be prepared for a grueling question-and-answer period," he said wryly as he walked away, "because they're gonna want to check you over themselves."
Piccolo held a groan in check as Krillin stopped suddenly in the doorway and turned around again. "Uh, scratch that," he said quickly. "You have about ten seconds before the hordes invade." He dove for the chair he only just recently vacated.
Piccolo didn't even have time to utter a curse before a black blur raced through the doorway for his bed. And Goku didn't have enough time to call to Gohan and warn him not to jump on his mentor.
"Piccolo!" Gohan squealed as he bounded onto the bed, somehow landing in the space between the Namek and the edge of the bed. "You're still alive! And you're awake!"
"At least I think so," Piccolo grumbled, contemplating smacking the boy off the edge of the bed and onto Krillin.
Goku worked his way into the room as well, followed closely by Tien, to Piccolo's surprise. How did he know to come? he thought, frowning. At the Namek's curious gaze, Tien tapped a finger to his right temple and smirked.
He will regret that. Piccolo gritted his teeth and glared at the triclops. "You've been monitoring me," he stated.
"And you needed it, too," the man retorted. "You're not exactly someone we can leave unattended when ill, Piccolo."
The Namek growled. "I thought you wiser than that. I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."
Tien bit back his reply, knowing that Piccolo would likely try to throttle him if he asked how he would have obtained senzu beans.
Gohan was the one to break the tension in the room. "Do you want to go fishing with me and dad later, Piccolo? We're going swimming in the ocean an' all, and it's gonna be so fun! Will you will you will you?" he asked, bouncing on the bed with a wide grin plastered to his face. "You'll love it, honest!"
Goku grinned at the stricken look on Piccolo's face, as the Namek wordlessly pleaded with the man to get him out of this predicament! "We won't spar," he laughed. "You still have to heal. But you can hold a fishing pole just fine, I think!" He ducked his head at Piccolo's glare. Sometimes the Namek was just so easy to tease. He just couldn't help himself. It also helped that Piccolo was in no condition to make the attempt to harm him. Goku's grin grew wider. All the better for him.
Damn you, Goku, Piccolo thought sullenly. "Kid, if it will shut you up, I'll go," he growled.
"Yeah!" Gohan whooped. He slid off the bed and danced around Goku and Tien in the center of the room.
"You're so kind," Krillin said, resting his chin in one hand.
At the rate I am going, I will be spending the rest of my life glaring at these humans. And Saiyans. They should know by now that I do not find any pleasure in making a fool out of myself for their benefit. Piccolo sighed.
Goku's demeanor turned serious after a few minutes. "Do you know how close you came to dying again, Piccolo?" the Saiyan asked. "You're really lucky, you know. Your tug-of-war stopped, and personally I don't know how. Perhaps the gods are watching over you."
Tien nodded wordlessly as Goku spoke. Kami, but it had been close. He had been monitoring Piccolo for the last two days, and he knew somewhat more than the others what had been going on inside the Namek's mind, even in unconsciousness. He had seen Daimao personally years ago, when Pilaf released him from his 'eternal' prison, and he still awoke in a cold sweat some nights because of the demon. Piccolo had the curse to see his father's work in his dreams.
Never before had the triclops been so proud of his psychic accomplishments and stealth, for it was only because of years and years of hard work that Piccolo hadn't caught him hovering in his unconscious mind. He was also more than a little grateful he had the training of an assassin, whose skills included the classic poker face. So Tien was able to meet Piccolo's gaze without flushing or lowering his eyes.
From what he had seen and felt in his silent watch, there was no logical explanation for the sudden cessation of the ki-drain condition. Unless, perhaps, the senzu beans had finally been able to counteract the siphon? He wasn't sure. He was no medical genius, but the idea sounded feasible. Ah, but what would happen if the newly-reached equilibrium was upset once more? Tien was certain the results would be disastrous.
"Watching over? More like staring at," Krillin quipped, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Poor Piccolo's been a target for just about everything in the galaxy."
Behind him, Goku snickered, and farther back, Tien wore an expression of concentration, seemingly centered on him. Interesting, Piccolo thought while he pondered the many ways of torturing the two men. I wonder what he is thinking about. Gohan stopped his wild gyrations and joined his father and sparring partner in full-blown laughter.
Piccolo scowled at Krillin and Goku before reaching out to Tien with his mind. No sooner than he did so he yelped, clutching his temples and hissing slightly. The warriors turned their full attention to him, afraid that something was happening that they couldn't stop. They might not survive a spontaneous ki burst from the Namek; the noncombatants downstairs certainly would not. And anything that even remotely resembled a mental attack would put them on edge, especially Tien.
"Are you all right, Piccolo?" Gohan asked quickly.
"Fine, kid," the Namek grunted.
"What was that all about?" Tien asked as he frowned. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave the Namek his best outward appearance of strength, when inside he felt like he would melt into the floor.
"I tried talking to you. Apparently the psi-down is still working."
And your mind is still injured, Tien added.
Piccolo winced, causing another wave of panic to sweep through the gathered warriors. "Sorry," the triclops said, blinking in sympathy.
"Can we get you anything, Piccolo?" Gohan asked.
"Some painkillers?" Krillin asked.
"Water?" Goku suggested.
"Fresh bandages?" Krillin added.
"Marshmallows?" Gohan asked, thinking back to the time when he was training to fight the Saiyans. Piccolo had offered to roast marshmallows with him on more than one occasion. He'd felt better then…might it work for his mentor now?
"That's enough!" Piccolo roared, startling them all. "I'm not that fragile, and I'm not going to die. Stop treating me this delicately!" A light glinted off his eyes, illuminating them for a brief moment. Anger surged in their depths, and more than one warrior had to catch himself before he took a step back.
He caught himself before he could do anything else, though, and the Namek took a deep breath and exhaled hard. "I don't plan on dying any time soon," he began again. "Don't act like it. It's not going to do anything other than piss me off."
Tien's eyes bugged out of his head. Was that…no. Piccolo never apologized, even roundabout. Or did he? He sighed and shook his head. The green man was an enigma.
Krillin flinched away from Piccolo. Kami, but the demon startled him. It almost seemed like he was going to leap out of the bed at them. Though his very next thought was along the lines of physical capability; if he had been lying in bed for what was collectively about a week, his legs would have been jelly. He'd never get enough muscle power for the initial push. Of course his coordination would return after a few minutes, but not while lying down.
Goku blinked and thought about how great a difference this was from the Piccolo of eight years ago. Eight? Eight years? he thought. I've known him for so long, fought with him for most of that time, too. Wow. That's a long time to know a guy and yet still not know him. Geez. I've known him longer than Gohan's been alive. If he hadn't changed, we would all be dead now. And secretly, that thought scared the Saiyan more than his battle with Frieza. He shuddered.
Gohan merely shrugged it off. Piccolo was always Piccolo. He always acted like this. Nothing was different. "Hey, Piccolo," he said after a few minutes had passed, "you didn't forget about fishing did you?"
And oblivious to the stares of the other three men in the room, the Namek actually chuckled. "No, kid. If I can get out there, I'll do it." Let's just hope I'm not getting myself into something over my head again, he added in his thoughts.
* * * * *
*twitches* That was the longest chapter I have ever written, and I don't mean word-wise. I hope I have more luck with the next one. Thanks for sticking with me. *takes a hammer to her writer's block*
~Dreamwraith