This chapter has slight mention of self harm, please take care before reading.
Piccolo leaned against the open gate of the estate, arms crossed and eyes closed as he waited. He had sensed Tien and Vegeta approaching for a while before the sun even rose above the trees.
The two walked slowly even when they finally noticed they had arrived to safety. Tien limped subtly while Vegeta strode with confidence despite his apparent injuries.
"Bulma's already in the medical building with Goku and Krillin. She's probably just about finished with 18." Piccolo said.
"What?!" Vegeta bristled as what little energy he had spiked. "He brought her here!"
"She's been cooperative since she arrived. Kami has even supported her staying." Piccolo explained.
Vegeta began to scream, turning to charge for her. "I don't care what that old man says! She is not welcome in my-!"
"Hey!" Piccolo barked straightening up and stepping between Vegeta and his warpath. He returned the glare Vegeta gave him for a moment but soon calmed down. "I kept watch all night. I understand your position; we sit in the same boat since you and I know better than most what it's like in her situation. Goku isn't awake to give her the chances we got. It's up to us to extend that to her."
Vegeta pressed his lips in a thin line as he thought about it. "You kept watch all night?"
"Yes." Piccolo answered. "She's been banned from the main house and the kids will be told to stay inside for a while. Precautions have been taken so give her time."
Vegeta almost grimaced as he began walking more calmly. He hated conceding. "One wrong move and she's gone."
"Naturally." Piccolo replied watching the man pass him.
"How much do you trust her after only one night?" Tien asked after Vegeta had walked far enough ahead.
"Just barely enough." Piccolo admitted. "And only because of how she is when Krillin talks to her."
"Krillin must have seen something that we missed. The initial plan was to just get her away so that Gero couldn't use her to get stronger. We already can't handle him as it is." Tien said.
"Did you fight him all night?" Piccolo asked.
"No, though Vegeta tried to." Tien gave a small huffed laugh. He began his walk to get healed with Piccolo following beside him. "We were only distraction and once we got him far enough away from the church, we lost him before he killed us. Stayed in one of the abandoned buildings all night until we were sure he was gone and couldn't follow us. It helped that Vegeta was unconscious for most of it."
"How much stronger is he from 17 and 18?" Piccolo asked.
"Too much." Tien sighed. "Goku was our hope for those two and now there's not much chance we can wake him up and be ready to fight before Gero surpasses him beyond all doubt. He's out there killing people and… I've run out of ideas or strategies. His power is so overwhelming. Fighting every day against 17 and 18 has already effectively killed morale. Yamcha has been more sensitive than usual, Vegeta has resorted to his old habit of jumping into danger over a week ago, even you've looked worn down. I don't know what we can do without Goku. We've only ever succeeded because of him."
Piccolo frowned and soon squeezed his arm, nails digging deep. Tien halted, surprised and worried by the sudden act. "Are you alright?"
"Just my shoulder." Piccolo quickly answered. "Must have taken more damage than I thought, now it's affecting my whole arm."
"I know you heal faster than the rest of us but you should let Bulma have a look just in case." Tien suggested, continuing his walk. That's not the same shoulder he injured yesterday.
"Maybe." Piccolo feigned a calm deference but his head raged. Shut up! We can't resort to that! I swore not to. He pulled his hand away to find small dots of purple slowly beading on his skin and dripping down his arm. Damn. Hopefully that heals before anyone sees.
He rubbed away the blood and pulled down his sleeves as he followed Tien.
Gohan stepped softly through the halls and outside. The sun was up but it was still too early for anyone to wake up. He was a bit surprised to see Kami wandering the halls though and after a small chat got directions from him.
"He said this way." Gohan muttered as he looked to his left down the road to the next building. Many attempts to sleep had failed and Gohan needed to get out of his room to clear his head. He was also a bit worried that Piccolo didn't return and small thoughts had poked at his fears for hours.
It was a similar style building to the others on the property but it smelled much cleaner inside, sterilized he had guessed. Kami did mention it was for medicine. There was a woman working at the front desk who smiled and directed him further inside, not at all surprised to see someone so early in the day. Gohan had figured he reached near the back of the building when he finally turned a corner and heard voices he recognized.
A clear debate between Vegeta and Bulma could be heard peppered by moments of another conversation from Krillin and Piccolo. Gohan looked into the room, large and decorated like a mashup of some metal workshop and an office. He grinned instantly spotting Piccolo standing beside Krillin. Once he caught Piccolo's attention, Piccolo stiffened and quickly stepped into the hall with Gohan and closed the door behind him. His grip on the handle was firm; an instinct rearing up to keep a barricade between them and everyone else.
"Sorry was everyone focused in there? I didn't mean to be a distraction." Gohan rubbed his head.
"It's not that just… I should warn you that 18 is in there." Piccolo explained.
"What?" Gohan felt fear ice his skin. He could almost swear his throat was being clenched again by the memory of when she attacked him.
"Don't worry. She's actually here for protection more or less; not to hurt anyone." Piccolo said. "A lot changed yesterday and last night."
"All because Gero showed up?" Gohan asked, thinking over the events. "No wonder you didn't come back though."
"Were you able to get some sleep at least?" Piccolo asked.
"No." Gohan sighed.
"Your thoughts get to you again?" Piccolo asked softly.
"A little I suppose." Gohan admitted. "I also thought maybe there was an update about my dad. If he was relocated safely."
Piccolo looked at the door a moment, considering something, and then let go of the handle before hugging Gohan. Gohan blushed at the gesture and happily wrapped his arms in turn around Piccolo. Though he did have to stand on his toes a bit for it. "What's this for?"
"An apology I guess for not coming back like I said I would… but you also might need one if you decide to go in and see your father. He was brought here last night and he's safe but still in the same condition." Piccolo replied.
At that Gohan hugged Piccolo tighter. Knowing he would see his father in that state again, he agreed that he needed the support. Even if it had to be in the secret of the empty halls, Gohan felt so loved for the attention. "Thank you."
Piccolo opened the door again after they parted and led Gohan inside. The room was even larger than Gohan had seen, small rooms branched from the main one. Vegeta was muttering something to Bulma who was attending to Tien's bruises and wounds, Tien kept to himself and winced at every other loud comment thrown over his head. Gohan tensed when he spotted 18 standing at the door for one of the rooms at the very end, an elder man worked away inside leaning over a large muscled patient. Gohan quickly looked away to Krillin next who was standing by another room and watching over Goku.
Gohan had to will himself to keep moving forward. The room was much brighter than the basement of the church Goku had been kept in and he now rested on an actual bed with more than enough plush pillows and blankets.
"Hey." Krillin greeted softly with a smile. "You can go sit next to him."
Gohan nodded and cautiously pulled up a stool beside his father. Piccolo was right, nothing about him had really changed. He remained just as fixed in his agony as he was the day before.
Piccolo leaned against the divider between Goku's room and the other with 16. He didn't want to watch Gohan cry again but he would be nearby for him. Krillin let out a low sigh, "The closer you get to someone, the harder it is to see them hurt."
Piccolo only grunted in response. He was used to a much chattier Krillin but over the night he couldn't always tell when the man was just muttering to fill the silence or actually talking to him.
"He might not be in pain." 18 almost whispered, her sharp eyes kept to 16.
"You mean Goku?" Krillin asked.
18 nodded. "He might just be paralyzed but fully conscious. Like a strange sleep."
"What makes you think that?" Piccolo asked.
18 was quiet before answering. If she regretted speaking up it didn't show on her face. "The old man kept my brother and I… 'sedated' or 'compliant' by injecting some drug or something into our bodies and it paralyzed us. It hurts at first but then it's tolerable and if we were under long enough it was nothing, but we could hear everything; we could think and feel… sometimes see. I can't imagine he had too many other things that would do something so similar with how determined he was to kill Goku."
Hearing this, Gohan held his father's hand and squeezed it gently.
"That actually makes much more sense." Bulma said not looking up from tying bandages on Tien. "Do you know what drug he used?"
"No, but 16 most likely will." 18 replied.
"Well dad should be almost finished getting him to function. We'll have that information soon." Bulma said.
"Just a couple loose wires left to re-solder. Luckily the rain wasn't in there long enough to cause any real damage." The elder man said as he inspected the opening in 16's head. "When he's dry and charged he'll be good to go."
"Anything we can to do now is better than waiting for Oolong and Yajirobe to get back." Bulma grinned. Satisfied with Tien's dressings, she wiped her hands on an apron and turned her attention to everyone else.
"I don't know how much of it he'll actually know or if it will be enough to figure a solution…" 18 started. She covered her chest with her arms, rubbing her shoulders as if to comfort herself to get on with it. "I might have a better option. You know biological science too right?"
"I do." Bulma answered. She stepped closer to 18. "I think I can guess what you're going to suggest but you don't look so comfortable with it."
18 glanced at Krillin for a moment, receiving a kind smile, then looked to Bulma. "It's fine. Just get a needle."
"Right to it then." Bulma opened a drawer and secured the supplies as she gestured for 18 to sit and pull up her sleeve.
18 ran a finger over her forearm for a second before pointing to one spot. "There. That's the best point of entry."
"Alright." Bulma trusted 18 had a reason for the odd placement and was already grateful that she volunteered to give a sample. She wiped alcohol on 18's skin and was fast to act. "Anything else I should keep an eye out for?"
"I really don't know what might be in there." 18 turned away from the scene.
"Why are you playing doctor on her?" Vegeta asked.
"Gero had to pull her out of the paralyzed state somehow and since nothing we've tried for Goku has worked, it's an unknown blend." Bulma explained. She quickly filled a vial and marked it before storing it in a nearby box. "There should be traces of it in her system and if I can isolate it, I can replicate some for Goku."
"You're not going to work on it now?" Vegeta inquired with a raised brow.
"I've been awake since yesterday morning. Now you might be able to stay up for more than 24 hours but I cannot." Bulma stretched and swiftly made her way out of the room. "Good day everyone."
Silence fell after she left. Gohan could feel the air had become thick as a bowl of oatmeal, even a bit cold.
"So if Goku can hear us, has anyone said anything personal or embarrassing around him?" Krillin asked with an almost cringed smirk.
Gohan laughed softly at first as it grew to a steady chuckle. "I can only imagine what he's thinking."
"No doubt some emotional nonsense." Vegeta said.
"So you said something then." Piccolo taunted.
"The only thing I've said to him is to hurry up out of that bed!" Vegeta argued.
"Careful, I hear such a fast and angry answer could imply culpability." Tien added.
"I will blast you all!" Vegeta barked.
18's face softened some at the moment but snapped back a bit when Krillin brought attention to her. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine." 18 answered. "What's next anyway? You got me away and we've been here all night fixing 16 and Goku. Are you going to lock me in a room or something? Interrogate me for Gero's secrets?"
"If we were going to, it would have been done as soon as you got here." Tien said.
"But I-" 18 started.
"Expected to be treated like a threat instead of a person." Piccolo said interrupting her. He hadn't moved from his spot, still and calm, though his eyes were like his words; cutting right through her.
18 felt herself shaking, trying to hold herself in. She glared as she said "Because I'm not-"
"Yes you are." Piccolo stopped her again.
She felt cornered again and this time she didn't have an excuse to turn to. No one was being attacked or needed their attention more; she couldn't think how to deflect them. Over the night she realized they were learning more about her than she wanted them to. It was easier when she was just fighting them. When she was looking down on them with her superior strength.
"We don't expect you to be comfortable here so fast; we were enemies for a while." Krillin said. "But we're not going to torture or use you. If you need something or want to talk, you're free to do so."
18 cast her eyes to the floor, only content to keep to herself.
Time passed slowly, Krillin had convinced 18 to find food with him somewhere in the building a while ago; Vegeta had followed them not trusting Krillin to keep her in line. Gohan had fallen asleep, his head nested in his arms on the side of Goku's bed. Piccolo sighed, Finally.
"Poor kid." Tien said.
"Mmmm." Piccolo hummed.
"I know you hate when people ask you personal questions but.." Tien prefaced his question as he straightened up in his seat. "Squeezing your arm earlier, does that happen often? I know it wasn't the arm you injured yesterday."
"It was nothing-" Piccolo started to answer.
"You gripped it too tight for anything normal like massaging a sore muscle. If it is a larger issue, you need to tell someone you trust." Tien urged.
"It was an old wound acting up again. I was surprised by it. That's all." Piccolo explained as he tensed.
Tien studied Piccolo a moment but soon relaxed in his seat again. "Alright. I had to be sure."
"I wouldn't do something so reckless." Piccolo wanted to be sure Tien didn't feel inclined to keep an eye on him. He didn't need to be watched or worried for.
"Normally I would agree that you wouldn't but… we all have coping mechanisms and when they fail or we can't access them, our minds can divert to unhealthy outlets. Everything looks different when you're stressed to that point. I've pretended that I didn't notice how you worried about Gohan and missed him after finally being able to see him again. I can't say that I know what it's like to have a friendship like that practically ripped away twice. I only relate so far that I worry for Chiaotzu and hope he's been safe." Tien sighed "My overall point is that line is far easier to cross than we want to believe. I just want to keep everyone away from that edge."
Piccolo didn't really know how to reply. It was admirable that Tien would take it upon himself to support his teammates' mental health as much as their physical, but it was still a very strange notion for Piccolo to see it extended to him. He still always felt like the outside companion for the group. "It was the once. It's not a recurring habit."
"Good." Tien nodded.
"Were you waiting here the entire time just to ask me once everyone left?" Piccolo raised his brow.
"Yes, but it was also nice just to actually sit. Do you know how long it takes to walk here? And keeping up with Vegeta's impatient pace didn't make it a nice hike." Tien answered with a subtle smirk.