Disclaimer; I don't own it
A/N; Well, here we all are at Chapter 13 of Mind Games, I hope you all enjoy this one, as there are only two more to go afterwards. Quite a bit of work went into this one, so I spologize for the long wait in updates, but I'm going to try to be quicker from now on! Hope you all like it!
-Deadly Beauty
Mind Games
Chapter Thirteen
18 sat, with her back against the wall and her legs pulled up to her chest. On the floor beside her, the telephone sat, dead silent. Staring straight ahead, tears ran down 18's face and dripped off her chin, she was a mess. She had nothing left now, they weren't going to find Marron, she wasn't coming home. It had been more than 24 hours now, and even with everyone out searching for her, they had found nothing, not a clue, not a sign, nothing.
Krillen had instructed that 18 stay at the island with Bulma, someone needed to be home to answer the phone and after many disputes and arguments, 18 had finally agreed to stay on the island. The police had been notified; Bulma had gotten ads placed in newspapers, urging anyone with any information to come forward. Now all they could do was wait.
It was the dead of night, but 18 didn't notice. To her, the sun had never risen. The whole world was dark without her baby girl. She stared blankly into the dark room, not able to see anything, but intently starting at it none the less. Not blinking, not moving.
She had never felt so helpless in all of her life, never had she been so scared, so terrified, so guilty. She knew this was her fault, 17 had warned her that he would do something terrible to her family if she told anyone what he did to her, yet she had done it anyway, despite his warnings, she had done it anyway. And now she was paying the price.
"18?" a lamp flicked on, filling the room with a soft yellow glow. It was Bulma calling the blonde woman's name. "18, you should be sleeping. I know this is an extremely hard time for you, but you need your rest."
Finally something triggered 18 and she turned to look at Bulma. "Sleep? My daughter is gone, probably dead! How can you possibly expect me to sleep?" her voice broke as more tears gushed from her eyes, "She was only a baby, she didn't deserve to be caught up in all of this"
Bulma's heart went out to the broken woman crying on the floor, sitting down beside her, she wrapped an arm around her friends' shoulders and tried her best to soothe her. Though what were you meant to say to someone in this kind of a situation? She didn't want to fill 18 with false hope that they would find Marron and she would be find, because as horrible as it was, it was highly unlikely that they would find Marron "I don't know what to say 18. I'm sorry, but I really don't"
18 never replied, she was so far in her grief that there were no words left for her.
---------------
A sharp pain in the side of Krillen's neck was the first thing that alerted to him, the fact that he was awake. Sitting up, he opened his eyes and swore as he realised he had fallen asleep half way through the search, then swore again as it came back to him, just why he was searching in the first place.
He wasn't exactly sure of his exact geographical location, but he knew he was in a forest and the Kami Island was to his north. Quickly jumping up he leaped into the sky and shot out of the protective canopy of trees. From last nights searching he had established that his chances of finding Marron in there were pretty slim. Tear began to run down his face as he realised that his chances of finding Marron anywhere were pretty slim. Rubbing the tears away with his arm, he shot off into the sky, the sun was just beginning to rise, and everyone had agreed to meet back at the island at dawn
---
He arrived on the island a little before six and ran inside, knowing his wife would need him. "18!" he called as he burst in the door.
"Krillen!" 18 ran into the room, "did you find her?" she asked, but didn't need an answer; the look in Krillen's eyes said it all. Her bottom lip began to quiver and her body shook, as once again tears consumed her and she fell to her knees.
Krillen was by her side in a second, he tried to find something comforting to say to her, but no words came. Only tears.
It was 18 who found her voice after several long and painful minutes. "We're not going to find her, are we?" 18 wiped her eyes and focused on her husband.
"18…I-" he trailed off, not knowing what answer to give to her. Telling her the outright truth right now would probably kill her, but on the other hand he wasn't going to tell her that everything was going to be just fine.
He didn't know what to do. 18 needed him now more than she ever had before, needed him to be strong, because she couldn't, and Krillen didn't want to fail his wife, he loved her, oh god how he loved her and he didn't know how to tell her that they were probably never going to see their daughter again.
Even if 17 hadn't killed her, she wouldn't have survived the night alone, she was a baby, not even two years old. She was just a little girl, a helpless little girl who had never done anything wrong to anyone.
"Krillen…" 18 whimpered, "Krillen I'm scared." Usually 18 would not have been the type of person to just come out and admit that kind of thing, she had far too much pride, but in this case, she had nothing, nothing but a total and utter fear that she was never going to see her baby again. Her baby whom she loved more than life itself.
"Why couldn't 17 take me?" she looked at Krillen, her eyes all red, swollen and sore, "why her? She was so innocent"
"Shhh" Krillen stroked 18's wife's hair and he cradled her back and fourth, trying his best to be the strong man she needed "Remember the day she was born?"
For the first time in days, a whisper of a smile graced 18's beautiful face "how could I forget. It was perfect"
"I don't know what I would have done if you said no to me. I was so nervous" Krillen shook his head as he remembered back to the day that he proposed to 18, the day that Marron was born. He was a bumbling ball of nerves that day.
"What girl in their right mind could resist you Krillen?"
"Lot of them, trust me" he replied
"Well I'm glad they did, because now I have you and not them"
There was a knock at the door then, not only breaking up the romantic moment, but bringing their horrible reality right back to the surface. 18 began to sob again. Before opening the door, Krillen helped 18 onto the couch and placed a kiss upon her forehead, then went to open the door. He was greeted by a very dejected looking Yumcha.
No words needed to be shared to know that he wasn't successful in his search. "I'm sorry" Yumcha spoke, his voice more sombre than anyone had ever heard it. He had always had a special connection with Marron, being her godfather and all. He was taking it especially hard.
"You look exhausted, why don't I make you some coffee?" Krillen asked as he ushered Yumcha into the house. Yumcha nodded as he sat himself down opposite 18, who was still crying silently. Yumcha felt his heart break in two.
Even though he realised it was a stupid things to say, the words that left his mouth next flew out before he even realised what he was saying, "Are you alright?"
"Alright?" 18 asked, looking up at Yumcha "Do I look like I'm fucking alright?!" she exploded, then quickly changed her attitude, "I'm, sorry," she whispered, "But I'm really not alright"
Bulma walked into the small living room then, she smiled awkwardly at Yumcha as she passed through and walked out the front door to await the arrival of Chi-chi and Gohan – who would hopefully bring better news, though she highly doubted that would happen. The odds of finding Marron were getting slimmer and slimmer with every minute that passed by.
Several long minutes passed by in total silence, soon Gohan and Chi-chi arrived and the group all gathered in the small living room to re-group and discuss their plans.
"We need to keep searching" Krillen raked his hands back through his hair. A cold shiver ran down his spine and he shuddered. 18 – who sat quietly beside her husband, wrapped her hand around his and gently squeezed it.
He was greeted with more silence. Chi-chi was the one who spoke up, and as much as she didn't want it to have to be her, she knew it would end up being her who brought up the grim reality, "Krillen, I don't want to be the one to have to say this"
"Then don't" Krillen quickly snapped, shooting Chi-chi a nasty glare.
"I know you're upset Krillen, and believe me, none of us here can blame you, but as terrible as it is, I think we're going to have to start facing the facts. It's getting less and less likely that we're going to find Marron"
Krillen didn't reply, but his shoulders shook heavily as he silently cried, then all of a sudden, a loud sob escaped his throat and his heart wrenching sobs filled the room. No one knew what to say. What could you say to two grieving parents who had to come to terms with the fact that they had lost their daughter, their only child, whom they both loved and cherished more than life itself?
On the other side of the room, sat Gohan. He hung his head, both as a sign of mourning and as an attempt to try and hide the rage that was building up inside of him. This was not right! It was not right that an innocent child, a baby no less, should have to be put through something like this. Gohan clenched his fists by his sides in a pitiful attempt to keep his anger under control, but it didn't work. He jumped up out of his seat, shocking everyone.
"Gohan sit down!" Chi-chi scolded him, "You're being extremely rude!"
"No mother, I'm not going to sit down!" Gohan replied though his heavy breathing, "This isn't right. Krillen and 18 are good people and they don't deserve this. At the very least, they have a right to know what happen to Marron, and I am going to find her for them. I will find her" with that, he stormed out the house amongst a blurry of anger and tear and blasted off the island, a few seconds later Krillen followed, and Yumcha not long after that. Leaving Bulma and Chi-chi to try and comfort 18, who was far to distraught to go anywhere
---
"Krillen!" Yumcha screamed at the top of his lungs as he chased his friend through the sky, "Krillen stop. You're going to hurt yourself." He winced as Krillen began to wobble in the sky and took a bit of a dive – he was exhausted and in no condition to be flying anywhere.
Finally, Krillen gave in and came to a dead halt in the sky, up righting himself, he rubbed at his cheeks with the sleeves of his jacket, pitifully trying to hide his tears.
"Where are you going mate?" Yumcha asked as he flew up to Krillen's side.
"To find my daughter. Do you have any idea what it's like Yumcha? To lose someone who you would die for in an instant. To lose a child?" Krillen pleaded with Yumcha, to try and get him to understand.
Yumcha looked away; down to the sparkling blue ocean beneath them "no" he said quietly, "I don't"
"Then what right do you have telling me what to do?" he sneered
"Because Krillen, I'm your friend and I know that you're scared right now. But you can't do anything for Marron in this condition. Look at you, you're exhausted. You're in no condition to be out here, and 18 needs you at home with her, she can't be strong all by herself, especially after all she's been through lately"
"B- b- but I have to find my daughter"
"Krillen, everyone is out looking for her. There isn't much more you can do. You need to be with your wife now"
"But…" Krillen trailed off, he had no energy left to argue
"C'mon, let's get you home"
---------------
Bulma sat on the front step of the Kame House holding a picture of a son in her hands. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Krillen and 18 must have been going through right now. She didn't know what she would do if ever her baby was taken away from her. She knew Vegeta felt the same. It wasn't his way to show compassion or love, but she knew it was there. He loved his son.
Blinking, Bulma sniffed back the tears; this was a hard time for everyone. Lifting her gaze up from her photo, her eyes swept across the island. Everywhere she looked, she felt sorrow come right back to the surface. There were little buckets and shovels for making sand castles, tiny pink clothes hanging on the line, and the saddest thing of all, Marrons tricycle, smashed into a million pieces against the side of the house. More tears gushed from her eyes, and again she wondered how on Earth Krillen and 18 were surviving through this.
Chi-chi walked out of the house and sat down beside Bulma then. Under normal circumstances, the two women weren't exactly the best of friends, but this tragedy had brought them together. They were both mothers, neither had lost a child before though, they didn't know what to say around 18, or how to act.
"Hey" Chi-chi noticed Bulma was crying and put an arm around her shoulder, "It's ok"
"Look at the tricycle" Bulma wiped her face with her forearm as she spoke.
"What about it?" asked Chi-chi
"Someone has to tell Krillen and 18 that their daughter is gone, and probably looks like that"
Both women looked up to the second story window that they knew was their bedroom. Yumcha had brought Krillen home a little over 3 hours ago, then headed straight back out to search. Everyone was searching. 18 had already been sleeping then – she just hadn't been able to take it anymore, she was a mess – she had every right to be. It hadn't taken much convincing to get Krillen up to bed; he was practically asleep anyway when he had gotten back.
Chi-chi doubted it would last much longer though; they wouldn't be blessed with sleep for very long. Fear would wake them, and the same horrible cycle of tears and grief would begin all over again. Bulma and Chi-chi didn't know how to deal with it. What did you say to parents who had to come to terms with something like that? Words meant nothing to them, all they wanted was Marron. They loved their little girl more than life itself, just as any parent loved their child. Though, after everything Krillen and 18 had been though in their lives – 18 especially, their birth of their little girl had ended that chapter of their lives, she brought them together as a family and made them complete. 18 had such a beautiful relationship with Marron, for her, Marron was her humanity, carrying her baby for those nine beautiful months had helped her go from a confused, emotion troubled android, to a human being, and now that Marron was gone, that line between human and android was becoming hazy again. She was losing control of her emotions, having violent swings. One minute she would be overwhelmed by everything she felt, and the next, she would close herself right off from everyone with an emotional wall so thick that not even Krillen could penetrate it.
"What are we going to tell them?" Bulma asked
"I don't know" replied Chi-chi, "How do you tell parents that they aren't going to ever see their baby again?"
"God…" Bulma raked her hands back though her long blue hair, "there has to be something I can do, I'm the smartest woman on the planet, yet I'm just sitting here, as useless as anything"
"There is nothing we can do Bulma" Chi-chi said, "except offer Krillen and 18 our deepest sympathies. They're really going to need their friends around now"
"They don't deserve this Chi-chi. They're good people"
"No one deserves something like this, Bulma. No one"
The conversation drifted off as both women turned their gaze out to the ocean, it was a grey day and far out on the horizon big choppy waves were brewing. The air was warm, yet a cold breeze would blow in off the ocean every now and again and send shivers down Bulma and Chi-chi's spine. It was not a pleasant day for anyone.
---
Rolling away from his wife, Krillen sat up in the bed. He hadn't slept well, and he felt no better than before. He felt worse if anything. Every second that passed by was worse than the last. Every single second hurt more than the last, tore him in two just a little more.
Sighing deeply, he hauled himself out of the bed and slowly walked into the bathroom, hardly even lifting his feet off the ground. Standing in front of the mirror, Krillen took in his appearance. His sad and sorry appearance. Three days of unshaven stubble was growing on his face, his eyes were dull and glassy with large dark circles under them. His entire body was scratched and bruised from all the relentless searching through all kinds of harsh terrain and he was already beginning to thin out from lack of food and the constant stress. Cupping his hands under the tap, he collected the cool water and splashed his face. It was rather ineffective, he felt no more refreshed than before, but now his face was wet and water dripped off his chin and onto his tee-shirt. He muttered swear words under his breath and he rubbed a towel over his face and neck.
Walking back into the bedroom, Krillen stopped at the foot of the bed. 18 lay there, tossing and turning, a less than pleasant look on her face. What more could be expected though? Given the current situation. Should he wake her, or let her sleep. Quickly Krillen decided that sleep was the best option, God knew she needed it. Ever since this whole mess with 17 had begun weeks and weeks ago, she had been at her emotional wits end. She was physically and mentally exhausted, and right now, Krillen needed time to grieve. He couldn't be the strong husband that 18 needed right now. He just couldn't.
With one last loving glance down at his wife, Krillen headed downstairs.
"Krillen" Bulma looked up as he entered the room, it was clear she had been crying, as she hastily tried to wipe the tears from her eyes as she spoke her friends name. Krillen only nodded to acknowledge her presence as he slumped down into the nearest chair.
"How are you feeling?" Bulma asked, scooting down the couch to be closer to Krillen
"Like shit" he mumbled
"I know this must be hard for you Krillen"
"You have no idea," he snapped, briefly lifting his dark eyes to meet Bulma's blue one
Biting down on her lower lip, Bulma sighed, but she kept on talking anyway. She knew that Krillen wasn't intentionally out to hurt her feelings. "Look, like I said, what you're going through must be hell, and we're not going to pretend we have any idea that what it feels like. But we just want you to know, both of you, that no matter what, we're here for you and we want to do anything we can to help"
Krillen looked up again, this time his eyes were shiny with unshed tears. "Thank you" he muttered, "Thank you, 18 and I…we know you just want to help, it just… it hurts so much" Krillen's words got caught in his throat as he spoke.
Bulma was going to say something then, no doubt something reassuring and comforting, but the words never became anymore than just a though, because at the moment, the door burst open and Yumcha came tumbling inside. Krillen stood up, a look of total astonishment on his face.
Yumcha was panting for breath as he tried to collect himself in the doorway of the Kame House.
"Yumcha, what's wrong?" Bulma asked, sounding alarmed.
"Nothing" he managed to get out in between huge gasps of air, then a wide smile cracked out onto his face, "Nothings wrong"
"Yumcha!" Krillen exploded, "What the hell is going on!"
"Gohan," Yumcha panted, "Gohan found her! He found Marron!"
Krillen suddenly felt light headed and an over whelming sense of relief flooded his entire body. His baby. This whole terrible nightmare would finally have come to an end. Words could not describe how he was feeling right now.
"Let me get you some water" Bulma rushed off into the kitchen to fetch a glass for Yumcha.
It was about then that Krillen realised that Marron was not around, despite what Yumcha has said. "Where is she Yumcha, where's Marron? Where's Gohan?"
"Well that's the thing…" Yumcha trailed off and Krillen felt that horrible feeling again, it was just like the feeling in the put of your stomach right before you vomit.
"We found her, but…. I dunno man. Gohan took her to the hospital, but she looked pretty sick"
"No!" Krillen gritted his teeth and kicked the wall, he didn't care that his foot went right through the plaster. He didn't care about anything anymore.
"Krillen!" Yumcha ran across the room and took a firm grasp of his friend's shoulders. "Krillen!" he shouted, "We found her ok! She's alive! Go get 18 and let me drive you two to the hospital"
Nodding, Krillen broke free from Yumcha's grip and disappeared to the second floor of the house.
"18!" he cried as he burst into the room. Instantly, his wife shot into a sitting position and looked around the room, completely baffled as to what had just happened.
"Krillen?" she sounded startled, "What? What's happened?" she asked as her husband jumped onto the bed and took hold of her hands.
"They found her," Krillen wasted no time, "Gohan found her!"
18 fell silent. She didn't know what to say, didn't know if she was supposed to believe it or not. Was she still dreaming?
"Gohan took her to the hospital. We have to go"
18 found her words and movement then, and she threw her arms around Krillen neck, sobbing into his shirt.
"We have to go 18," Krillen rubbed her back in slow circles, "We have to go to the hospital. Marron is waiting for us"
Pulling away from Krillen, 18 nodded. "Alright"
---------------
The drive to the hospital seemed the longest thing that they had ever had to endure. The entire time there, 18 firmly squeezed Krillens hand, and neither spoke a word.
"Are we almost there Yumcha?" Bulma asked, from her spot in the passenger seat
"Almost" Yumcha replied as he pressed his foot harder against the accelerator, not caring that he was already well over the speed limit. He just made it through an intersection before the lights changed from amber to red.
"Yumcha, watch you're driving!" Chi-chi scolded. She too was eager to get to the hospital, Gohan was there, but not at the expense of her life.
"Sorry Chi-chi" he mumbled as he sharply turned the corner into the hospital car park.
"Yumcha," Krillen spoke for the first time since they had hopped in the car at the island, "let me and 18 out here, you go park the car"
"Sure thing", he replied as he slowed the car to a stop.
Krillen and 18 jumped out the car and disappeared into the big brick hospital.
---
18 tuned out as Krillen spoke to the receptionist at the front counter of West City General Hospital. He was the strong one here, not her. He was the one who could hold himself together long enough to form a sentence, not her. He was the one who would be able to take in all the information, not her. She was a mess.
Oh God how she couldn't wait to see her daughter, to hold her and kiss her and let her know that everything would be ok now, because mummy was here. How could she ever have let something like this happen? Why had she ever thought it safe to let 17 – the man who almost let her daughter drown, into her home? He had slit his wrists for God's sake! Shouldn't that have been indication enough that he wasn't mentally stable? She was a blind fool, and this whole mess was entirely her fault.
She had risked her daughter's life. The life of a helpless, innocent child who had never asked to be involved in any of this ugly mess. She was a failure as a mother, a failure as a wife, a failure as a human being. Maybe she would just be better off with 17, living in isolation and poverty. It was what she deserved, she wasn't fit to be blessed with the amazing husband and daughter that she had, and they would probably be better off without her. She had caused this whole horrible mess, it was her fault, no one was to blame but her. So what right did she have to still be graced with the presence of these amazing people day in and day out?
"18" she blinked as Krillen spoke her name, "C'mon," he linked his hand though hers, "Let's go"
Krillen lead her down a hall to an elevator. Once they were inside and the doors had closed 18 took a big shuddering breath. She was trying so hard not to cry.
"Hey, it's alright" Krillen reassured her, holding her hand tighter as the elevator began to move. "We'll be there soon"
The journey up to the children's ward seemed to take hours upon hours, every second that passed by dragged on longer than the last for the two terrified parents, but finally, the elevator came to a bumpy halt and the doors slid open. Krillen stepped out the elevator, but stopped and turned around when his wife didn't follow his lead.
"What's that matter, 18?" he asked
18 didn't reply, she merely stood there. Motionless. She was scared. Scared of what was about to face her. She didn't want to see her little girl in pain. She wasn't sure if she could bring herself to look at Marron, would she even look like Marron? Or would she be hidden beneath a plethora of tubes, wires and robot machines. 18 didn't want to see her baby functioning off of a bunch of machines and wires. She didn't want Marron to become what she was.
"18," Krillen quickly stepped back into the elevator before the doors slid shut again and pulled her out. "C'mon"
Taking a deep breath, 18 nodded. "Alright," she breathed, "Let's go"
Together they walked down the quiet corridor, which was over powered by the smell of disinfectant, and towards a brightly coloured wing in the hospital. Above the archway they were about to walk though, read the words, 'Children's Ward', it was surrounded by tiny hand prints which had been made with brightly coloured paints then stuck up on the wall. There wasn't an overly great amount up there, suggesting that this was possibly a small token of remembrance for those poor children who had never got to leave this ward. Krillen prayed his daughter's handprint wouldn't end up up there.
"Ah," they were greeted by a middle aged women who was a little on the plump size as they walked into the children's ward, "You must be little Marron's parents. We've been expecting you" the woman smiled sympathetically at the two parents. This was no doubt a scene she was more than used to.
Krillen nodded, "My name is Krillen, and this is my wife, 18. Tell us, where is our daughter. Where's Marron?"
"Of course," the nurse nodded, "Follow me. A little boy brought her in about an hour and a half ago, we've done everything we can for her at the moment and her condition doesn't seem to be worsening"
"Is…" 18 trailed off, afraid to ask her question. The nurse with a reassuring face, turned to look at her, "is she going to be alright?" 18 asked meekly.
Before the nurse replied, she lead them a little further down the hall, where they stopped in front of a closed door. "She's going to be ok, yes. But at the moment she's very weak and unstable. Now when you go in there, don't be alarmed. There is a nurse with her, and he will explain everything to you. Try to take in everything he says and don't be afraid to ask any questions what so ever"
"Thank you" Krillen bowed his head to the nurse, who smiled warmly at the pair then turned and walked away.
Taking a deep breath, Krillen put his hand on the cool metal doorknob, he was scared about what was going to greet him on the other side, but still, he opened the door none-the-less.
---
A monotonous beeping sound filled the room, it was broken by the sound of the door opening and the young male nurse's head snapped up. He had chestnut brown hair that hung in his face and thin silver rimmed glasses.
"Are we allowed in?" Krillen asked as he peaked his head around the corner
"By all means," the young man smiled at them and hung the clipboard he was holding at the end of the small bed. "It's nice to meet you, I've been taking care of little Marron here"
Krillen held out his hand, which the nurse accepted and shook, then repeated the process with 18. "I'm Krillen, and this is 18, my wife"
"I'll leave you alone with your daughter for a few minutes, I'll be back to explain everything to you soon. But please, I know it's hard, but you can't pick her up, and try to be as gently as possible when touching her"
Krillen nodded, and the nurse left the room.
18 slowly approached the tiny child sized bed and leaned over the protective side railing. Tears ran down her cheeks and dripped off her chin as she reached out and ran her index finger across Marron's forehead. "Marron," she whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I did this to you"
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A/N; Well what did everyone think? I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm going to try and have the last 2 chapters of this one up as soon as possible for you all, but school is starting up again soon, so we'll have to wait and see.
-D.B