Chapter 1 - The headhunter

Bulma finally sat down and looked at the time. It was the end of her exhaustive 12-hour shift at the West City University Hospital, and she sighed with exhaustion. The routine as a first-aid nurse was not like that of a clinical nurse; she knew it more than anyone. She spent the entire day on duty running, taking calls from doctors, and preparing prescriptions with full attention.

It was not like attending to a routine of hospitalized patients: they were doctors shouting and being rude, suspicious and irritated patients, and in the summer, it was much worse: so many people on vacation and wanting to live outdoors always generated accidents with a considerable amount of complicated cases, from children falling in parks to victims of crashes with various traumas, from drowning cases to idiotic girls who got seriously burned while sunbathing in the backyard trying to accelerate the tanning with some stupid homemade formula.

Then, at seven o'clock at the evening, with the sun still shining outside, she was ready to take a sip of coffee or water, take a shower, change clothes and find her boyfriend to go out when the other nurse of the shift, a pretty blonde named Launch, called her saying:

"We need you here." Said Launch, running into the nurse's room.

"But, my shift is over now!" She moaned, "it is not possible that..."

"Mine's over too, come on, come fast. It will not be too bad…"

Launch pulled her down the hallway leading to the vast emergency room gallery, a place full of stalls where there were waiting for beds for those going to be examined or pre-hospital. Each bed was surrounded by a curtain, and she saw a gathering of women, doctors, nurses, and auxiliaries, near the last stall. Luckily, the emergency room was not so full, she thought.

They came before the bay, and Launch paved the way, saying:

"Girls, I brought Bulma to see if she can make it."

That was not a bedside stall, but there was a medical chair, where patients with less gravity and small cuts in the upper parts of the body received sutures or injections. Sitting in the chair was a handsome, tall, muscular boy who had spiked hair. Without the slightest need, she noticed he was shirtless and talked to two or three of the girls around him.

"But I'm afraid!" he said, and his face acquired a childish expression which contrasted totally with his defined muscular chest. He had one of his hands bandaged and held it next to his body in a defensive posture.

"Sweety, it's protocol..." said Suno, a beautiful redhead nurse, who had a syringe prepared in her hand and incessantly rubbed his right arm with cotton, while the guy seemed about to get up and run away.

"Sweety?" Bulma thought, looking at the girl, who seemed hypnotized by the boy's pretty face, that made her imagine he was taking advantage of the situation. She thought that was not possible: a big man afraid to had a ridiculous injection.

"May I ask what's going on here?" she asked, looking at the other assistants, who looked away. Bulma was known for her professionalism and seriousness, although she was a cheerful and playful girl outside the hospital.

"He is afraid of injections." clarified Vikal, the other auxiliary who surrounded the boy. Launch, behind Bulma, giggled. Bulma faced the boy, who was looking at her, mute.

"You're not ashamed, are you? A man this big pretending to be afraid of injection to receive girls' attention?"

"What? Asked the guy, "Oh! Your hair is blue!" he completed, in a totally unexpected way. Bulma rolled her eyes.

"I know this sort of guy," she said, taking the syringe out of Suno's hands and speaking rashly, "Go back to work all of you, for God's sake."

All grumpy faced the girls left, and Bulma was about Bulmao apply the injection when the boy jumped up and hid behind the chair, screaming:

"OH, MAMA, NO!"

Bulma stopped, and for the first time, took the boy's fear seriously. She could recognize a phobia when she saw one. Immediately, she changed her attitude, and her voice softened:

"Hey, don't worry, I won't hurt you. "Bulma held the syringe out of his sight and continued, "how long have you had this fear?"

"Well," he said, without abandoning the defensive posture, "I don't know, I think I always had.

"You can sit in the chair, I won't give you the injection right now." She said, "Launch, can you tell me what has already been done and why he needs the injection?"

"It's an antitetanic. Goku said that got hurt training... what sport did you say you practice?"

"Parkour," he said, "I went to jump a wall and cut my hand in a broken bottle unintentionally," he clarified.

"Sutured? "she asked.

"No.," said Launch. "We did not. We used fake stitch patches and bandaged it."

"And why is he shirtless? Does he have any trauma or bruise, Goku?"

"They said I'd better take it off," said the boy, pointing to Launch. Bulma looked at her frowning, and she gave a dull smile.

"Why don't you sit down?" asked Bulma, gently, "I won't give you the injection. "She thought, indeed: "not yet, but he needs it."

He sat down with a suspicious look and still looked unsure that he believed the conversation. Bulma treated him like he was a child, asking:

"So, what's your name?"

"Goku." he said "Son Goku."

"Are you a professional athlete, Goku?"

"No, no, "he laughed. "I just practice parkour and fight in a dojo for fun. I know a guy who works here, my fight buddy, Tienshinhan... I think he's a physiotherapist."

Launch suddenly lost her face's color. Tienshinhan was her boyfriend. She didn't want him to know that she had been playing the spook over Goku and said:

"Do you know my Tien?"

He looked at her, with his big black eyes and said:

"Oh, you're Launch? He was talking about you another day!"

"Oh, he was?" she got excited because her boyfriend was usually very closed. "What did he say?"

"Oh, normal, he says you're nice, but a little angry sometimes. Blown up, that's what he said. Are you?"

"I am," she said, dryly, as she expected something more complimentary.

"And he also says that he had never dated such a beautiful girl." Goku completed, and Launch smiled wide. Bulma observed the conversation and said:

"Launch, why don't you tell him that story about you and Tien at the waterfall?

Launch got excited and started telling an episode where she and Tien were in a waterfall, and a storm broke, and the guy saved her from death, very early in their dating. So, Bulma, on the pretext of emphasizing something, held Goku's arm and said:

"Her boyfriend's pretty muscular and tall, I think it's even more than you."

"Yes, yes, he is taller than me; I know him," he said, then asking Launch to proceed with the story. Bulma didn't let go of his arm. Taking advantage of his distraction, she held on by slightly tightening his arm, injecting the intramuscular needle strictly at the climax of Launch's story.

"Ouch," he said, half terrified when he noticed the sting, just to see that she was just inoculating the liquid in him.

Goku was utterly unresponsive while Bulma took the needle out of his arm, smiling and saying:

"You see, Goku, it was quick, and it hardly even hurt!"

He stared at her, amazed, and said:

"You gave me the injection! You did it! Nobody ever gave me an injection!"

Bulma laughed and said:

"I'm sorry I tricked you, but it's considerable risk if you cut yourself this way and not take the antitetanic."

"No, no, don't worry!" he said. "What did you say your name is?"

"Bulma."

"Bulma." he repeated, adding, as if to himself, "I won't forget, Bulma!"

"Okay, "she said and prepared to leave, while Launch called a doctor to release Goku.

Already in the locker room, after a shower, Bulma met with Launch and complained:

"The handsome boy of yours made me lose almost half an hour. Poor Yamcha must be waiting for me."

"Oh, but he was pretty hot..."

"Who pulled that low blow from getting the poor guy to take his shirt off?"

"It was Vikal." Launch laughed, "but who would have thought he would make me win the day?"

"You mean, saying you're the most beautiful girlfriend Tien ever had? By the way, where is Tien? Didn't see him here today."

"Today is his day to do a private session for a rich guy there, the guy does not admit even 5 minutes of delay, requires his work three times a week at the time he schedules, and Tien has to deal to fulfill it..."

"Oh, that sucks. And Tien goes? How does he do when it's hospital day?"

"When the guy started, he asked for Tien's scale at the hospital to determine when he'd be compromised. But there are days when he asks him to go at night, or very early in the morning... annoying. I've seen Tien leave at dawn like a crazy man to keep his schedule."

"Wow, why does he submit to that?"

"Because the guy pays for an hour more than the hospital pays for a day, the man is not a bad person and doesn't mistreat Tien, he's just picky. It must be bad being rich and being stuck in a wheelchair."

"Well, there it is, but it must be much worse being poor in a wheelchair."

"Being poor is always bad, anyway! But today... Today my Tien will win something special because he said I am the most beautiful girl he has ever dated!" she winked and showed the black bra under her blouse.

They both laughed and finished their dressing up. Bulma came down and found her boyfriend standing impatiently in front of his beautiful yellow sports car. Yamcha was a doctor at another West City hospital, and usually, they met when they were both off duty together and weren't absurdly tired, which was rare, but that day they had a party to go; it was her mother's birthday.

"Did you buy her gift?" She asked. Since that day, Yamcha had spent time in the clinic and not at the hospital routine. He had more free time than her for shopping.

"Yes, your mother will love it. I bought that imported perfume she loves."

"Oh, you saved my life, Yanny," she said, sinking into the car seat. They fired in the direction of her parents' house, and she breathed a weary sigh. If she could, she'd lie down at that moment and sleep until the next day.


Bulma was a dedicated nurse, but she could have been a doctor if she wanted to. Her grades were good enough for that, but, in fact, she really liked being able to provide care to patients. That's why she chose nursing over medicine because she felt that was her vocation.

Still, at West City General College, she had met Yamcha. He was a boy from another city, Satan City, and the two met when she was an intern, and he was a resident in the same university hospital where she still worked. When he finished her residency, Yamcha soon got a placement in a private hospital and opened a practice of his specialty, otorhinolaryngology. He was ascending rapidly and earning a lot of money while Bulma was still at the university hospital.

He pressed her, saying that her career was stagnant because as soon as she had finished college, she applied to be a nurse in the same hospital where she had interned. Still, the truth was that Bulma always had resistance to change, especially sudden changes. It was something she tried to work on herself, but she always ended looking for a comfort zone where things seemed safer and in their proper place.

It was like this with the hospital. Little by little, Bulma realized that it was like this with their relationship. Yamcha was handsome, charming, had a good conversation, but Bulma could no longer remember why they had started to date after seven years together. It had never been a great passion, a great attraction. It had just happened, and as it seemed stupid to break up with him, she kept going.

A few weeks had passed after the young parkour practitioner's episode, and Bulma was leaving the hospital, sleepy, from her weekly night duty, walking home, which was very close to the hospital.

She had passed the hospital cafeteria and had a simple breakfast, and all she wanted to do was sleep until at least two o'clock in the afternoon. It was Friday morning, and she would have the whole weekend off because of the night shift. She was thinking about what she would do with her free time when a large, luxurious and dark car paired with her, strolling, right after entering a secondary street and not very busy, already close to the set where she lived. She noticed the car and started walking faster, afraid of being stalked by some freak or kidnapper.

The car's glass slowly came down, and she, looking discreetly, saw that there was a man in a suit and sunglasses inside the car, and she really felt threatened, speeding up the step until he said:

"Hey, Bulma, don't run so fast!"

She thought she knew the voice, and he repeated:

"You can stop, Bulma. It's me, Goku."

She knew that name... who was it really?

"I need to talk to you!"

She turned around, holding a lipstick inside her purse to make a fair bluff:

"If this is some kind of harassment, I've got pepper spray here."

The boy in the car laughed and took off his sunglasses, saying:

"It's me, Bulma, Goku! You gave me an injection, remember?"

She stopped and realized she was shaking.

"You scared me!"

He smiled at her from inside the car and said:

"I am sorry! But I have a job offer for you."

"A job? For me?"

"Yes, of course, it is for you."

"But I already have a job, Goku, you know I work at the hospital."

What if I tell you that I'm a headhunter and I told my boss about you and he has a better offer for you than working at the hospital and indeed a lot less tiring, do you at least listen?

Bulma stopped. She was exhausted. Suddenly she realized something:

"How did you know my time out of shift?"

"I asked Tienshinhan where I could find you, and he asked his girlfriend."

"But why me?"

"Because you managed to give me an injection, "he laughed, "which impressed my boss.

"Who's your boss?"

"His name is Vegeta Prince. And he needs special care. His current nurse is retiring, and he was looking forward to another one. I told him about you."

"You recommended me to him?"

"Yes, sure, I did. You're up for the interview? The salary will be excellent."

'One hour with him pays more than one day of the hospital,' she remembered. Of course, he was the rich man for whom Tien worked. She had time at that moment, although she was sleepy. She made an impulsive decision, which was not her style, and said:

"Can you take me there now?"

"Right now?" Goku scratched his head. "I need to call Vegeta to find out."

He took his cell phone and called someone quickly, explaining the situation, while Bulma was waiting outside, cursing the sun that was already getting strong. He listened for an instant and then said to her, as soon as he hung up:

"He said it was great! Get in there." He unlocked the door of the car, and she entered. The vehicle, besides luxurious, was brand new. She said, to bring it up.

"Nice car."

"It's not mine, it belongs to the company's," he laughed. "I would never have such an expensive car. I like things more... different things."

"That's good. What's your car?"

"A 1963 Beetle."

"A Beetle?"

"It's not just any VW Beetle," Goku laughed "it's a period VW Beetle, all original, of a classic model with a 1600 horsepower engine, a collector's dream. Twilight yellow, classic Volkswagen color. Fixed, repaired, and restored by me!"

"You must look huge, sat in it! "she laughed.

"Hey!" he defended "did you know that Ferdinand Porsche said that the Beetle was the best design in his life? I never felt tight on Nimbus."

"Nimbus?"

"That's what I call my beloved bug."

"Okay..."

"Do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"You doubt it by saying, 'Okay,' don't you?"

"I don't know. Maybe. How far away is it?"

"We're near now."

"Goku... do you think your boss will... I don't know, like me, approve my way?"

"You? Of course, he will. And you have something essential to deal with him."

"What?"

"Courage. Vegeta can be very intimidating."

They arrived at a residential building, a luxury tower in one of the best neighborhoods in West City. At first, Bulma thought this guy should have money, but not be the rich millionaire that Launch said. After all, rich people lived in mansions, and there it was just a luxury loft. But Goku cleared things up for her, without her asking, as they left the car in the underground garage and walked to an elevator door where there was a biometric digital reading scanner, where Goku put his hand for recognition, saying, as they waited for the elevator:

"This entire building belongs to Vegeta's company. It was ready nine years ago, and Vegeta moved into the penthouse, which is roughly equivalent to eight of the apartments in the building. It is a duplex penthouse with a heated swimming pool, gourmet kitchen, 8 bedrooms, and a private entrance. Vegeta supervised the project personally. Five years ago, the apartment was renovated to fit his special conditions" he opened the elevator door and gave passage to her, who asked:

"Is he an engineer?"

"Yes, he is. But currently, he is the CEO of the business group he inherited. And he works home office based, that's why the apartment is so comfortable."

"Goku... I need to know why he needs my services."

Goku stared at her, thoughtfully, and said:

"Please do not touch this subject with him. If you get hired, I'll take you to talk to Dr. Kamisama, the neurologist who assists Vegeta, and he'll give you all the details you need; the current nurse can go through all the procedures. Never touch that subject and treat him as if he was not in a wheelchair. Above all, never seem to feel sorry for him."

"Why is that?"

Goku sighed.

"He does not accept his condition well. He never accepted, in fact. And he has been like this for five years. I met him before that, and I can tell you that he is the proudest guy that exists." Goku opened the door of the apartment, and the wealth of the environment hit Bulma immediately.

It was a loft with high ceilings in the large entrance hall, with access to the second floor through a mezzanine. Instead of a staircase, a ramp was very well integrated into the environment, which signaled that Vegeta should like to circulate around the apartment. The decoration was in good taste, but very impersonal, without photos, with flowers placed in very discreet jars on one or the other table. Everything was so clean and sterile that it seemed that nobody lived there.

The kitchen door was open, and Bulma saw a girl with black hair stuck and 1air cooking. She wore a chef's dolman and a Chinese bandana tied to her head. Goku looked at her and said, politely:

"Good morning, Chichi. This is Bulma."

The girl looked at Bulma and smiled briefly, saying:

"Nice to meet you. Again to become severe, "Goku, the imported vanilla beans that I ordered, did not arrive."

"No? I'll call the delicatessen, rest assured. They'll deliver it later today."

"Okay, she said, and went back to work."

Goku led Bulma down the ramp to the mezzanine, and then into a side corridor with several doors. He opened the last one, and Bulma took a slight shock because it was huge, but it was not a room, but a workstation.

There were monitors by the walls, and it seemed that they were all flashing at the same time, showing stock market quotations, currencies, projections of future markets. The room had a giant panoramic window, in front of which a man, sitting in a wheelchair with his back to whom he was entering, was vociferous to his cell phone in a foreign language.

He must not have been a very tall man before the accident or whatever had confined him to that chair, but his trunk and arms were pretty muscular. Bulma could notice that he used a manual chair, probably to keep himself healthy. Although he was visibly working, he wore a white knitted T-shirt, gray sweatpants, and was barefoot. Suddenly, he closed the connection with a rude comment and Goku said:

"Working on Saturday, Vegeta? Who were you speaking? The guys from Govinda?"

"Yes, idiots. Do you have a pen? Mine is gone, as usual," Goku took a pen out of his pocket and passed to him, who suddenly turned and looked at Bulma, with a neutral expression, holding the pen. Then he asked as if she couldn't hear, to Goku: "is she the miracle worker who gave you the injection?

"Yes, "Goku laughed. "It is her."

"Kakarotto said that you applied an injection on him. How did you get it?"

"Who is Kakarotto?"

He looked impatient to Goku by the way he didn't like to explain things."

"Look, Vegeta and I have known each other since we were kids, and he calls me by the nickname I had when I was ten years old," said Goku, blushing.

"Ah, I understood... Well, I realized that he had a phobia, but he needed to take the injection anyway. So I dealt with the phobia in the best way and applied the injection to him." she said, objectively.

Vegeta stared at her for an instant and then said, while she scribbled some notes on a notepad:

"My nurse, Mrs. Uranai, retires at the end of the month. She can train you for as long as it takes. I'll give you a few days to resign from your job at the hospital. I researched the salary there. It's not the most attractive. Why are you in a job below your ability?"

She felt pressured, but she didn't let herself be intimidated and said:

"I have good personal relationships there, and it's a good place to learn at the beginning of your career."

He dropped the notepad and the pen and evaluated her for a moment. His black eyes went through Bulma's face an instant before he said:

"You are hired. See the details with Kakaroto and talk to Doctor Kamisama. He'll explain everything you need to work with me. When will you be able to start?"

"Can it be in a week?" She asked.

"Five days. If you're smart, as soon as you get rid of it, come. I will pay you the triple if you get there and overtime when it is needed. Kakarotto, can I keep the pen?"

"Sure... I always have one in my pocket because of you anyway..."

Vegeta looked at Bulma and said:

"If you really come to work for me, always have a pen in your pocket. For some reason, Mine is disappearing all time."

She said nothing. Vegeta took one last look in her direction and then said, dry:

"You both go out. I have to work."

Goku called Bulma discreetly, and they left the enclosure. Vegeta turned his chair until in front of the window from where we could see the whole city. Before Goku closed the door, Bulma thought that the man looking through the window seemed utterly melancholy in his wheelchair.


Notes:

1. this is the beginning of our history. In the next chapter, we will know how Vegeta ended up in a wheelchair and learn more about Bulma's life.

2. Goku and Chichi are in the story too, but they are not the main couple. In fact, at first, they are not even a couple when the story begins.