To the person who reviewed anonymously (cowardly) "U are a stupid ****", you should probably learn to spell. It's "you" and "bitch", not "bitc". First of all, there should be five stars, not four. Second, if you need to censor it, you're probably too young to be using that word... Anyways, I found it funny, so whatever you were trying to accomplish didn't really work.
Anyways, hello again everyone! Here is the much awaited chapter! I hope it is satisfactory! If not, well... I did what I could! It made sense to me!
Krillin showed up at Capsule Corp early in the morning. He and Bulma went to the basement, where Piccolo stood vigil over a restless Gohan.
The night had been long and torturous for both Gohan and Piccolo. Gohan was in constant pain, and barely slept for more than twenty minutes at a time before waking in searing pain. Piccolo had stayed awake all night, trying to soothe him with calming words and running his hand through his sweaty hair. He was finally sleeping.
Bulma and Vegeta had not had much sleep either. Baby Trunks woke Bulma up every three hours for a feeding anyways, and when she tried to rest between feedings, she could only think of Gohan. Her tossing and turning kept Vegeta awake, who, truth be told, was also thinking of the boy.
"I haven't gotten a straight answer yet. The guy sent it to another scientist. We keep running in circles. At this rate, Gohan's not going to make it," Bulma's hushed, choked voice came as they descended the steps.
"Oh, not Gohan. Please not Gohan," Krillin whispered to no one in particular as he came to the boy's side. "We've already lost Goku and Chi-Chi. We can't lose the last Son."
At this, Bulma began to cry.
Piccolo, however, snarled. "We are NOT going to lose him!" He stood then, standing over the other two imposingly. "Understand? We are not going to lose him!" He began to pace angrily, trying to restrain himself from blasting a hole in the wall, his ki surging around him.
"Piccolo, please. Please stop," Bulma practically begged.
Just then, without thinking, blinded by rage and sorrow, Piccolo grabbed Bulma by the neck and pinned her to the wall.
"Piccolo! What are you doing?" Krillin exclaimed. He made to grab the Namekian's wrist, but Piccolo made to kick him away.
Bulma gagged a little under the pressure. "P-Piccolo-"
Vegeta was in the basement in an instant. "What the fuck are you doing?" he snarled, closing in on Piccolo, his face etched in anger. "Put. Her. Down."
Piccolo bared his teeth at him, not letting go.
"Piccolo, what does this accomplish? Put her down!" Krillin urged.
Vegeta punched Piccolo across the jaw before Piccolo even had the chance to deliberate letting her go. He recoiled, dropping Bulma, and made to punch Vegeta in return, who caught both fists in his hands.
"ENOUGH!" Krillin finally shouted. Everyone looked to him. Bulma scrambled away from the two warriors, holding her throat. Vegeta thrust Piccolo away, who stayed his distance as the Saiyan stood protectively in front of her. Piccolo growled and turned his back, walking briskly to Gohan's side. He slid the IV out and picked him up, cradling him to his chest, and walked towards the stairs. Gohan's face scrunched in pain, but he did not wake.
"Where are you going?" Bulma asked.
"Somewhere he can get actual help," Piccolo snapped.
"Piccolo, there isn't anywhere! The hospitals are overflowing with people just like him. No one can help him right now. Your best bet is to stay here, so I can keep an eye on him while we work on finding a cure," Bulma pleaded.
Piccolo stood rigid at the foot of the steps. It took him several moments to relax his stance. "Fine," he mumbled.
"I promise, I will dedicate all my time to finding a cure. But I have a baby too, okay? I have to take some breaks to take care of him. There are some things Vegeta can't do. You have to be patient. Getting angry with me isn't going to help. It won't speed things up. I'll keep him as comfortable as I can. We'll get you guys situated in the guest room. Vegeta, can you please carry the IV stand and vitals monitor upstairs?"
Vegeta nodded curtly and grabbed the supplies before placing himself firmly between Bulma and Piccolo, following her up the stairs. As they passed Trunks' room, the baby began to cry.
"Oh, Krillin, could you pick him up for me and rock him in the rocking chair? Let me get Gohan situated and I'll take him from you," Bulma requested.
"Yeah sure, not a problem," Krillin said, walking into the baby's room. Bulma bade Piccolo lay Gohan on the bed, and then began hooking him up to the IV and vitals machine while Vegeta stood stiffly by the door, on guard and watching Piccolo closely.
"This will send me an instant message if anything changes for the worse. I'll either be in the lab or in Trunks' room, so I won't be far. Mom can get you anything else you need," she said.
"Gohan's cat. He wants her here," Piccolo said.
"I can send Krillin to go pick her up in just a minute."
Piccolo nodded and Bulma and Vegeta took their leave. As they shut the door, Gohan's face scrunched in pain again and he whimpered. At a loss, Piccolo situated himself at the head of the bed, put the pillow in his lap, and lay the boy's head upon it. He tucked the boy in, and then ran his fingers through his hair, trying in vain to soothe his pain.
Krillin returned to them in an hour, Jade in one arm, her food and litter box in the other. He knocked and approached softly, setting Jade on the floor. She instantly jumped up beside Gohan, purring loudly. When he didn't instantly reply as he always had, she mewed and licked his cheek with her sandpaper tongue, to no avail. Distressed, she curled up beside him, for once quiet.
Krillin set the other supplies down and then made his way to the bed, sitting on the edge. He put his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands, exhaling loudly.
"Piccolo... we've been talking. Vegeta, Bulma, and I, I mean..."
"What?" Piccolo said shortly.
"It's just...Piccolo, you cannot get mad at me for saying this, but... Gohan's chances are not good. He's on his second day. People usually pass by the fourth or fifth... Bulma's trying. She really is. She's already been in contact with three other scientists... they're running around like chickens with their heads cut off. I've never seen Bulma so stressed."
"He isn't going to die," Piccolo said with finality.
"But what if he does? I guess what I'm driving at is, Piccolo, what are you going to do if that happens?"
Piccolo's eyes narrowed. Then, he softened and sighed. "I don't know."
"Bulma...Bulma said that if you wanted to go with him, y-you could. Don't get us wrong, we want you to stay here with us. We really do. We don't want to lose anyone else. But, we know what Gohan means to you. If...if you get to the point that you can't go on... Bulma can give you an injection that will put you to sleep. Forever. Or if you prefer, Vegeta offered to send a blast painlessly through your heart."
"Of course he did," Piccolo said sarcastically.
"Seriously, Piccolo. He wasn't even being snarky. He was totally serious. He said, and I quote, 'A blast would allow him to maintain his dignity.' We're all behind you here."
Suddenly, Gohan's vitals machine began to beep. His face scrunched in pain and he let out a howl, jerking on the bed. Vegeta came rushing into the bedroom, Bulma right behind him.
"What's going on?" Piccolo demanded.
"Gohan's heart is failing him. Vegeta, help Piccolo hold him down. He needs to be held down!" Bulma ordered, taking out a large syringe and filling it.
Piccolo grabbed Gohan's upper body in him arms, while Vegeta held down his legs. Gohan let out another high pitched screech, and suddenly his ki swirled around him, growing more powerful with every cry. All of a sudden, he transformed into a Super Saiyan, knocking Piccolo against the headboard and pushing Vegeta away. Both the Saiyan and Krillin surged forward to grab his lower body while Piccolo fought to maintain his hold on his torso.
"Keep him down! Just a second more!" Bulma said, positioning the syringe over Gohan's chest. "There!" She stabbed the needle in with force, pressing down on the plunger, before withdrawing it. Gohan instantly descended to base form, stopping his struggling. Bulma stepped back with a sigh. "Adrenaline, for his heart. It counteracts the virus just a little, but if it happens again... it won't work."
Down the hall, Trunks was crying. Bulma took her leave to tend to him, leaving Vegeta and Krillin with Piccolo.
"I'm gonna go help Bulma with Trunks so that she can get back to work sooner," Krillin said, going out the door.
Piccolo ran his fingers through Gohan's sweaty hair, ignoring the Saiyan left with him. They stayed in awkward silence for a few moments before Vegeta sat heavily on the edge of the bed. Piccolo glared at him at first before looking away.
"The kid didn't deserve this. Yes, he's a brat and annoying as hell, but he's a Saiyan, and a powerful warrior. He should not go out this way," Vegeta said, more to himself than Piccolo.
"He's not going anywhere," Piccolo rebutted.
"Oh wake up and smell the coffee, Namek. The kid's on his deathbed. The woman may be smart, but even she can't make a miracle happen in just a few days. I'm offering you an alternative: if his heart goes out again, let me put him out of his misery. He should not die in such an undignified way. No warrior should."
Piccolo was silent, absentmindedly running his hands through Gohan's hair.
"Think about it. I offer the same release to you when he passes. That is my offer as a fellow warrior, not a friend."
Piccolo looked at him and nodded. Vegeta nodded in return and left. It was then that Piccolo began to lose his composure. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to Gohan's, a few tears falling down his cheeks. Jade jumped back onto the bed, having hidden under it during Gohan's attack. She mewed softly and rubbed against Piccolo's knee, distressed.
"I am going to kill that little son of a, well, that would insult my mother," came a stressed voice by the doorway. Piccolo sat up instantly. Before him stood Tsuki, looking rather frazzled. Her hair was in disarray, the neckline of her dress askew.
"We're losing him," Piccolo said blandly. "In case you haven't noticed."
"Now, now. Do not think my absence during this time has been because I do not care. No, I have been searching far and wide for an answer to the problem my meddlesome brother has concocted. Not only has he tried to kill Gohan, but he has killed over a million people already. All for his agenda."
Piccolo perked up. "Do you have a solution? Is that why you're here?"
"I have one of sorts. Your egg, Piccolo. Give Bulma your egg and she'll find her cure there. Korin is already sending Yajirobi here with it."
"That oaf had better not drop it."
"Relax, Piccolo. It will all fall into place. I must go now. Once the boy is healed, give him a week of rest, and then you shall see me again."
Piccolo nodded and she was gone. Shortly after, the doorbell rang downstairs. Piccolo heard footsteps to open it, and then Krillin's voice: "Hey Yajirobi. What are you doing with Piccolo's egg?"
"Give it to Bulma! It is the key to the cure!" Piccolo called down.
"Seriously? Awesome! Here, give it to me. I'll take it right to her!"
Piccolo spent many hours in bated waiting. He was growing restless and wanted very much to pace, but he did not want to leave Gohan's side either. Finally, when he thought he couldn't take it any longer, Bulma burst in.
"Oh, Piccolo! The most wonderful thing has happened! That egg, your egg, is the cure! Well, in a sense. The ki in it has mixed with your DNA to form the most amazing protein. It attacks the virus! Completely engulfs it and chokes it out! I'm culturing a huge batch right now. Come tonight, Gohan will be a healthy little boy again!" Bulma exclaimed.
Piccolo let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you, Goddess," he whispered.
Just a few hours later, Bulma came rushing up the stairs with a syringe in her hand.
"Here it is! Alright little buddy, let's get you all better," she said, injecting him in the arm. "Okay, that should take effect in about an hour. He'll wake up slowly, and then he'll be cured completely. I'm just going to have you guys stay the night again just for final analysis, but he should be ready to go home in the morning."
"Thank you," Piccolo said. Bulma nodded and left them in peace.
And then, an hour later, the most wonderful thing happened. Gohan's eyes opened. He looked around himself, trying to get his bearings, before looking up and focusing in on Piccolo's face.
"Mr. Piccolo?" he croaked.
"Hey kid."
Gohan twisted and propelled himself up, latching on to Piccolo's neck. Piccolo wrapped an arm around his back, holding him close. Jade situated herself in his lap, and the little family was whole once more.