Chapter 3: Diagnosis Unknown

Codie was in a private room before anyone showed up, and that was Mirai, Andy, and Kanji.

"Dad and Mom said they'd be here soon." Mirai said.

Codie was sleeping, on medication. It made me want to cry.

"Mrs. Briefs?" I looked, and a nurse was in the doorway.

"Yes?" I stepped up to him.

"Dr. Sydney wants a word with you. Do you know where his office is?"

"Yeah, thank you." I turned to the others, "I'll be back in a minute."

Yeah, Dr. Sydney, as in the guy who treated my rattlesnake bite 20 years ago. He was transferred to this hospital, and since then he's been our Sayjin doctor, an expert on our biology and anatomy. In all of earth, he is the only doctor that can treat Codie because of his… unique genealogy.

I knocked on his door and opened it. He was studying over some papers, and when he saw me he frowned. I came in and took a seat.

"Katie, I don't know what to tell you."

"How about what's wrong with my son?"

"I wish I could tell you, but frankly, I don't know. These blood tests make no sense." He stated.

"Let me have a look." He handed me the papers, and the readings were very odd.

Every healthy person has a certain level of chemicals in their body, and a Sayjin's levels are different than humans, but I knew this couldn't be right. Out of 100, Codie had 30 Dextryte in his blood when he first came in. About thirty minuets later they drew more blood, and there was no Dextryte.

"I don't understand these readings."

"Exactly. How could he have so much Dextryte in his body, and then suddenly none?"

"Gero." I sneered.

"What?"

"Dr. Gero used Dextryte to create his androids, including Cell."

"But I still don't know what that means." Dr. Sydney said.

"I don't either, but I can find out right now." I teleported to HFIL without a second thought.

I located Dr. Gero and didn't play nice.

"Gero, I need your help, and if I have to beat it out of you, I will. I learned from the best about torture." I had him off the ground in a chokehold.

"Yes, yes, alright, let me down and I'll tell you anything, Mrs. Briefs." He sneered. I dropped him, and he stood up, "What is it you want to know?"

"Two years ago my son Codie absorbed all that was left of Cell. Now he's dying."

"I need more details than that, Mrs. Briefs." He said.

"There were high levels of Dextryte in his body, and he had a seizer."

"Hm, curious… but I think I know what is wrong with him. Of course, it's only a guess, and it won't help him live anyhow."

"What do you mean by that?"

"All machines have certain programmings, and can only work together when merged if they are compatible. Your son and Cell were not compatible."

"That's the way he was made, programmed, though, right? He was born with Cell's soul." I snapped.

"Yes, but he was made from the good in Cell. He wasn't compatible with the evil. His body is trying to fight an infection, you could say."

By the Kais… this is my fault…

"Why is it only now showing signs?"

"It's like a cancer. Most people couldn't tell they were sick until the first signs became to show. Usually by then it is too late."

"There has to be some way to help him!"

"None that I know of, my dear."

17's words came back to me. Gero's programming was the fault. How could I have known this would happen?

"Damn you!" I whispered.

"It is not my fault, my dear. My programming is only doing what it was able to do. If your son didn't absorb Cell's evil half, he wouldn't be going through this now."

"Why didn't you warn him?" I snapped.

"Because I hate you. Because of your love, my perfect machine lost his edge. Both of my perfect machines, come to think of it."

I punched Gero in the face, throwing him back for yards. Once he stopped moving I teleported back to the hospital.