There are definitely some benefits to medicine. One of them is that they always take care of you, even if they don't like you.

:-:-:-:

It was nice of my brother to visit me two days ago. I know what Goten wants; but these mind blanks just don't do anyone any good. What if I had one while I was outside of the house? No, no, it's better if I stay in here.

And besides, I'm a murderer.

...Or am I? I'm so confused now. Ever since that dream three days ago...

Don't you dare sneak up on me, Bradius!

...Whoops. Another mind blank.

This is the most lucid I've been without the medicine since they were trying to get me while I was asleep. I don't know how long ago that was; nor do I care. It doesn't matter, does it? Still, I feel kind of like it's time for my prescription, (ugh!) and, as usual, have no desire to take it.

But this time, I am certain that I don't want to take it. I want to remain in this unaided lucidity for as long as I can. However, if those mind blanks get more frequent, then I will accept the medicine.

The prescription. (Yecch!)

Right on time, they come trooping in.

"All right, Gohan, time for your medicine."

"Uh, please, can I not take it now? I mean, I'm practically lucid already..."

"Oh? The patient speaks?"

"Can it, Head Doctor. If we don't give the medicine to you now, will you please take it when you do need it? We don't want to have to force you as we usually do."

"I will, Doctor."

"All right. It's here on this desk, okay? Fine, then, let's get out of here, Head Doctor."

"I'm going, I'm going!"

And like that, they are gone. It didn't take that much for that to happen, did it?

...Uh, Lady Yukimo, why are you falling?

:-:-:-:

"Well, looks like we'll have to give him his medicine after all. He's suffering a dizzy attack."

"Heh, guess that medicine's good for something besides memory restoration."

"Yes, it's got a mild tranquilizer in it so that his system stabilizes. Didn't you know that, Doctor?"

"Not entirely, no."

"What do you mean, not entirely? Did you or did you not?"

"Hold him up while I prep the medicine."

"Will do."

(Pause)

"Fine, I didn't know, Head Doctor. But it's not anyone's fault."

"It's Megami's. She didn't tell you."

"Well, that's true. Fine, it's her fault. All her fault."

"That's right."

(Pause)

"Done?"

"Yes. You can let him down now."

"Took you a while this time."

"Couldn't find his vein."

"Really? That's interesting."

"It is, isn't it? What are your thoughts on it?"

"That 89 really does need this medicine, even if he won't admit it."

"That pretty much sums it up for me."

"We make a good team, Doctor Uni."

"We do, don't we? Shall I start calling you Hanto, then?"

"You wish. After you."

"You don't have to be considerate anymore, Head Doctor. That day is over now."

"Thanks to you, it's become a habit."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"In my opinion it is."

:-:-:-:

"Head Doctor! We need to get 89 into the infirmary! He's convulsing!"

"Goddamn it! We waited too long in getting him the medicine! Get him out of there, NOW!"

"Right!"

:-:-:-:

"Whew. That was a close one, Nurse Regali."

"What was it, Head Doctor?"

"89's doctor and I waited too long to give him his memory restoration medicine, with the system-stabilizing tranquilizer in it."

"Oh, my. Well, it appears as though Patient 89 is steady now, Head Doctor. Go. Get some sleep. I'll call you as soon as 89 wakes up."

"Thanks, Nurse."

"Anytime, Head Doctor."

:-:-:-:

"WHERE? WHERE IS HE?"

"Goten-san! What brings you here at this time of night?"

"There's something wrong with Gohan! I know it!"

"Goten-san! Calm down! There's nothing wrong with Gohan. We just got him stabilized. He suffered from an intense seizure because his medicine didn't come to him on time. But he's stable now, and fine."

"What took so long with the medicine?"

(Pause)

"Gohan asked us if we could let him take the medicine on his own. Since he hadn't been experiencing too many mind blanks that we could see, we, or I, agreed. Two minutes later, he fainted back onto his bed, so the Head Doctor and I injected his medicine into him. Turns out that was not the right thing to do, as it was too late for him to safely have his medicine."

(Pause)

"So...you're telling me that Gohan has a specific window of time in which his medicine can be given to him?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you."

(Pause)

"I'm sorry, Goten-san. If we had remembered..."

"I can't say that I'm not mad at you. I am. But I'm just so glad that my brother is safe..."

"Would you like to visit him? I'm not sure it would really do any good—"

"Of course!"

"Nothing quite like a visual to assure you or not, eh?"

"Yeah."

"Very well. We'll be going to the infirmary, since that's where we took your brother to be stabilized."

"Okay."

:-:-:-:

"Wow."

"Indeed."

"That's a lot of wires and tubes. Are you sure he needs them all?"

"Probably not, but they're there as a precaution. Don't touch them, Goten-san."

"I won't."

"If anything happens, just holler. I'll be right down the hall."

"Thanks, Doctor Uni."

(Pause)

"Hey, Gohan. Those doctors really made a mess, didn't they?"

(Pause)

"Did you know that this was going to happen? Is that why you didn't take the medicine? If so, good job. You really saved your own skin on that one."

(Pause)

"I don't know what to say anymore. I don't know you anymore. You left when I was thirteen..."

(Pause)

"And now, seeing you like this, it's like you're in a whole other world. I don't know what you're like medicated, but I hope you're not as... childish."

(Pause)

"Uh? Doctor Uni!"

(Pause)

"Doctor Uni! Doctor Uni—"

"What is it, Goten-san?"

"Gohan moved! It was just his finger, but—"

"Well, he's certainly a speedy one. Head Doctor!"

"Yeah?"

"Look."

"What? Even after all that, he's moving?"

"Yes."

"Whoa. You got a strong brother there, Goten-san."

"Thanks, Head Doctor."

"I'm not your boss. Just call me Doctor."

"Yes, Doctor."

"Sheesh, you like to echo yourself, don't you? I—"

"Urrgh."

"Gohan?"

:-:-:-:

A/n: Nya ha haa! I left you on an evil cliffie! What's going to happen? Find out, next time in the three-paged chapter coming up!

Drop a line! Thanks to The Death Grip, Salazarfalcon, DBZ Chick1, Shadow Dreamer 27, MarshmellowDragon, Nooka, and Lucy Wood for reviewing!

Updated 09.10.05