Chapter 19
Revelations
Doshen opened the door to the past King's room, hoping he wasn't in a foul mood. "Sir Vegeta?" he called out in the quiet room, and was answered by a muffled grunt by a figure sitting at a desk, working methodically. "I have come on regards of your son."
"Yes? What's wrong?" he asked, turning around in his chair to look at Doshen.
"Well, sir, he wants me to order the torture to be taken off of Son Pan, and he wants her to be moved to the hospital wing," Doshen explained. "I fear that he may have left a part of his mind behind when he was recovering."
Vegeta's father listened patiently and did not interrupt him. "Are you sure, Doshen?" he asked, his eyes cool and calculating.
Doshen was glad that he was in a good mood. "Pretty much, sir. He seemed like he really wanted for me to do this, sir. Mayhap he's gone soft?"
"Maybe, Doshen," he said, thinking carefully. "But, if I know my son the way I do, he's most likely fine. He usually has reasons for the things he does, even if no one else actually sees these reasons." The older man chuckled. "But I'm sure he's fine."
Doshen nodded, trusting the old king. "If you say so, sir. But if you don't mind me saying so, I'd like to keep an eye on him."
"Feel free to do so, Doshen. I've never limited you before-now isn't a time to start either, if you are right about this."
Doshen nodded, then bowed, and walked out of the room to retrieve Son Pan.
*******
She looked out of the window with a sigh. Of course something was wrong with that man-but he was too stubborn to tell anyone, let alone her. Stubborn prick, she thought to herself with a chuckle. If he would just tell me, maybe I could help. She sighed again and leaned back into the fine chair she was sitting in, looking up at the ceiling. She fumbled with the silken edges of her dress as she thought of what was wrong, but could come up with no valid explanations. Oh well, she thought. If wants to do this alone, he'll get no help from me!
*******
Vegeta threw the pen down on the desk in frustration. Now the whole palace though he was a joke! Just because…
Well, what he had done did seem pretty absurd.
He sighed and put his elbows up on the table, letting his head rest in his hands. How was he going to prove to the whole planet that he was sane?
Suddenly an idea struck him. It would take time, he knew, but it was the only way to see if Son Pan really did try to kill him and his son. If he waited until Trunks woke, he would know if Son Pan did it or not-because if he didn't, no one did.
*******
Gohan blinked a few times at the carpet, then sighed. He knew he couldn't go on living this way; he had to pick himself up and go on living life the way he had been, when Pan was… home. He just wished he knew why she did what she had done.
But did it matter?
He guessed not and stood up for the first time in weeks, stretching limp and unused muscles. He looked at himself in the mirror, and agreed that he was a sorry sight to see. The first thing he did was get a shower, but that did nothing for the bags under his eyes and his ribs that could now be counted. Dressing, he went downstairs to get something to eat, for the first time realizing how hungry he was.
The meal he had was colossal- he emptied his refrigerator in one seating, and was still not completely full. He explored his home, eating everything that was edible. He felt a whole hell of a lot better-but still there was that emptiness of where Pan should be.
"Son Gohan? Sir, are you home?" a voice called through his door. At the voice he froze, fearing the worst.
"Yes, yes I'm home," he answered finally, standing up from the chair he had been sitting in.
A guard nodded his head in greeting to him. "Sir, your daughter has been moved to the hospital wing. King Vegeta has called off her torture."
"What?! Why?" Gohan said, both relived and confused. Wasn't she still guilty? That's what street talk had been saying, anyway. Believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear, he quoted to himself.
"I'm not sure, Mr. Son. But if you'd like to come in and see her, Sir, you've been given the thumbs-up…"
"Of course I would! When can I see her?" he asked.
"Now is good as any time, sir."
"Lead the way," Gohan said, now hoping with all his heart that somehow, someway, his daughter was innocent.
*******
The guard held the door shut for a moment. "Sir, I don't want you to be… appalled… when you see her," he cautioned.
"Why would I be? She can't be that bad," Gohan said. "Now please, let me through."
"If you say so…" the guard mumbled, and opened the door for Gohan, and against Gohan's judgment, he carried in a bucket that was on the shelf on the wall-just in case.
It was amazing how fast Gohan's smile withered when he saw Pan. He turned to the side and bent over and vomited-right into the guard's conveniently placed bucket. After empting his stomach of the large meal he had just consumed, he forced himself to look at the figure lying on the bed-he couldn't even tell it was his daughter.
His face a deathly pale, he looked her over-the amount of gashes and bruises she had was uncountable, not to mention the internal injuries he couldn't see. Blood had leaked out of her injuries and colored the white hospital sheets a sick shade of crimson. The contrast of Pan's snow-white face to the sheet and her clothing was nauseating, and Gohan's gut retched again, though there was nothing left to bring back up. Getting dizzy, he leaned on the wall for support, sinking down to the floor.
Dear Kami, he thought, covering his eyes with a wavering hand. How in the world is she still alive?
Author's Note: I know, I know, this is very late! There was something wrong with my computer and fanfiction.net, and it wouldn't let me sign on to post. I thought you guys might want to read this compared to a 100th Review, so I posted this first-but there will be a 100th review mini-chapter coming up. Oh, and by the way- (for the lack of a pen name) Silmir was the 100th reviewer! Thanks a whole bunch to everyone!!
And another thing-I'll only be able to post every two days now, all right? We have graduation coming up, and the 'Eight Grade Social', or the 8th Grade graduation dance, and I have to prepare and everything… and then I have a like three parties to go to-so things will be a little hectic. I'll try to post if I can!
As always,
THANK YOU!!!