Striking the Heart

'I'm Asking You To Save Her'

Her body felt cold and limp as he pulled her small frame to his chest. Kneeling down, Goku held his wife close, close to his heart, close to him where she'd be safe. He rocked her back and forth whilst calling her name, hoping she would wake up, hoping for something. In the back of his mind he panicked. He found her on her stomach. What if something had happened to the baby? He pushed that aside and tried to be positive. But looking down at her didn't help one bit.

Her clothes were torn, blood run down her forehead from a deep cut. Goku shivered, suddenly feeling cold and painful. What was he going to do?

Piccolo and the gang touched down at the scene. Their eyes sadly met the manic surroundings of ambulances, paramedics and crying women.

"What a mess" Piccolo commented looking around at the shattered buildings and the debris.

"And these poor people. They didn't know what hit em" Krillin murmured, looking around for his best buddy, "I can feel Goku's energy, but for some reason it's very low" Krillin said.

"Yeah, me too. What's up?" Yamcha asked Vegeta.

"The clown is probably mourning over the dead. You know how emotionally attached he is. Soft fool, he makes me sick! He's not fit to be a Saiyan. He's way too soft"

"Vegeta, I think you're wrong" Piccolo suddenly said staring into the distance.

"I am wrong? Then correct me Namek!" Vegeta shouted.

"Look over there and you'll know what I mean" Piccolo said. Everybody looked.

Goku looked around for a paramedic or someone who could help him. He needed to get her to a hospital. He could instant transmit her there he thought. He needed to find Dexter.

Tenshu met up with Li next to the police car.

"Any news of Chichi?" he asked.

"None. Nobody has seen her or a woman that fits her description"

"Damn it. I hope we find her. In the mean time we better go and find Goku"

"Yeah, I hope he's alright" Li hoped following her colleague.

"Goku!" called a familiar voice. Goku turned around with a worried expression. Krillin's heart nearly stopped at the sight of him. He looked so lost and so…dead.

"Goku, what's wrong?...We…" Krillin stopped and gasped once he saw Chichi in his arms, "Oh no" Krillin muttered.

"What happened? Did she get caught in the blast?" Yamcha questioned, joining Krillin with Piccolo and Vegeta.

"I…I, don't know…Yamcha, she…she was just…shopping" he spoke quietly in a shaking tone. Yamcha bent down next to him and put an arm on his shoulder.

"Hey, we'll get an ambulance and get her to hospital right now!" Yamcha said.

"What about Dende?" asked Krillin, "Couldn't he cure her?"

"True. But by the looks of things, a doctor would be required. I mean, I know Dende can cure wounds, but he doesn't have a doctor's skills" said Yamcha

"I guess" Krillin replied

"Goku!" "Goku, you found her" Tenshu shouted. He bent down next to him, "There's an ambulance just up here, we'll get her to the hospital now" he quickly said, trying to pull Goku up.

"Come on Goku, what's wrong?"

"I can't…feel her…" he said slowly.

"What do you mean you can't feel her?" questioned Li, "She's right there in your arms"

"No, not that kind of feel. You wouldn't understand" Tien said.

"Goku, I know it looks bad, but if we get going now, we'll have more chance of saving her" Krillin said affectionately. Goku looked up at him with his onyx frightened eyes.

"Okay" he said as he stood up with her.

"Alright, let's go"

They had been seated in the hospital for nearly an hour now. The atmosphere of the waiting room was quiet and tense. The only sound to be heard was from the footsteps of Goku's pacing. Pacing back and forth, he was nervous, afraid and worried. He didn't know what was going on in there. He could feel her ever so slightly, like she was just hanging on. Oh, how he longed to run in there and hold her and just hold her until she awoke with a gentle smile. How he wished she would be his normal all better Chichi again. Anger was rising from Goku's body as he paced the small congested room. So many thoughts were flooding his mind, and all the positivism was washing away. He couldn't take this any longer.

"What is taking them so long!" he demanded. Though he knew that question couldn't be fully answered, he just had to let his thoughts out.

"Goku, everything will be okay. They're probably just checking her over and waiting for her to become conscious again. It doesn't take a few minutes to be conscious again, it can take a while. You got to be patient" Yamcha soothed. Goku snarled.

"She has no energy level and her Ki is barely there. Besides…there's something you don't know" he whined sitting down on the bench.

"What do you mean there's something we don't know?" Yamcha questioned

"She's pregnant" Goku whispered.

Since Goku's news of Chichi being pregnant, all hopes had gone down the drain. Though his friends told him it would be okay, he knew that deep inside they all doubted their words.

Two hours had gone now. Two hours of hell. Goku walked down the hallway to the telephone to call Gohan. Maybe if he left a message, Gohan wouldn't worry and he'd be able to retrieve Goten from school. Sighing he dialled his house number and waited whilst it rung.

"Hello" answered a young man's voice. Goku's eyes brows shot up.

"Gohan?" he questioned, "Aren't you supposed to be in school"

"I was dad. But I was home early today because we had half day" Gohan reminded him.

"Oh right" Goku said.

"What's wrong dad? Where is everyone? And I heard about that explosion, well actually, I kind of seen it, but I didn't go check it out because I wanted to find you first. Are you at the station?" Goku let his tired mind catch up.

"No son…I'm not at the station…" he trailed off. Gohan became worried and very curious. Why was his father acting so strange?

"Dad…what's going on?" he asked a little sterner than before. Goku swallowed.

"I'm at the hospital…with Yamcha and all…"

"What? Why?"

"Your mother…"

"Is she having the baby?"

"No Gohan…she's…she's hurt, son" Gohan didn't reply, "She was out shopping when, when that explosion…Gohan, I need you to pick up Goten for me" Goku said trying to change the subject. The thought of everything was driving him crazy.

"But…but what about mom?"

"I'll be here with her. I don't know how long it's going to take, she's…they're still checking her" Goku said worriedly, "Just get your brother Gohan, its important that you do that for me"

"When I do, can I come up and see mom?" Gohan practically begged. Goku sighed.

"Alright…but I think its best you take Goten to your grandpa's…I…I don't want him to…worry" Goku said.

"Okay dad" "I'll do that…and dad?"

"Yes son" Goku murmured half heartedly.

"Take good care of mom. And try to remain calm dad okay?"

"Okay son…thanks" he hung up the phone and leant his forehead against the box. How could he keep clam at a moment like this?

He made his way back to the waiting area where the others still remained. Sitting down he let out some air and tried to keep himself calm.

"Did you get through?" asked Yamcha.

"Yeah. He's picking up Goten" "Then he's coming up here"

"With Goten?" asked Yamcha.

"No, he's dropping Goten down the Ox-King's. So he doesn't worry"

"Yeah that's best" Krillin stated.

Suddenly but quietly Chichi's hospital room door opened and the doctor emerged. Goku stood up instantly and looked at he doctor with hopeful eyes. The doctor peered over at the group.

"Mr Son?" he questioned, wanting to know which one was her husband. Goku swallowed.

"Yes" he quietly answered. The doctor smiled faintly.

"Could I speak to you in private?" he asked. To Goku, it was more of a demand. Goku swallowed nervously and walked over to the doctor. Something about the situation didn't feel right. Goku reached the Doctor's spot and looked into his old eyes.

He was an old doctor, maybe in his late fifties. He was short, with grey hair reaching his lower neck. His glasses were large making him look intelligent and he wore a long white cloak. He seemed a respectful looking doctor.

"Mr Son…I am Doctor Wilhem. I have been in charge of your wife and overlooking her condition…"

"Is she alright?" Goku suddenly blurted out. Mr Wilhem could see the urgency in the man's eyes. He could also see the fear and worry through his onyx depths.

"I'm afraid not" he said in a calm and professional tone. Goku's heart cringed, "She's been deeply affected by the blast of the Explosion. She's bleeding badly internally and the pain she's feeling is overwhelming" Goku couldn't understand word in word of what he was saying, but he could comprehend that Chichi's condition was not good.

"She is bleeding badly inside the wound. She was pregnant. But just to put off your worries, the baby is just fine" Goku slightly felt relieved. His baby was fine.

"We had the baby cut out and she's been taken to intensive care" she!…his baby was a girl…and she was born!

"Your wife is on a machine right now that will help her breathe, but…I'm afraid…she's not going to be able to last the night. As I'm the doctor, I feel its best to take her off the machine…that way she will suffer no more" Goku was traumatised. He had seen dead people, he had seen his friends beaten to a pulp, he had even seen his son beaten and bloody at the battlefield…but his wife…his loving wife…she was going to die. He could help his friends in the past. He could do anything. He was the strongest being alive, yet he couldn't save his wife. He had all the power in the damn world but he couldn't save her! His heart was slowly becoming numb and losing its strength. Whoever done this or whatever done this, really was starting to get to him.

"You may see her if you wish, but I'll be coming in to take her off the machine if you agree that's best for her…unless…you wish to do it yourself"

"Are you asking me to kill my wife?" he asked quietly in a tired and broken down tone. Doctor Wilhem sighed.

"No son, I'm asking you to save her"…