A/N: Well, here's Chapter 9. Thanks to WildVegeta, Alchemylover19, LaughableBunny, pallyndrome, and DBZer16 for the reviews on Chapter 10. I promise this Chapter's much longer than the last one. Hope you guys like this next Chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of the character, Akira Toriyama does.
...
Malaka's words clapped like thunder.
"No...", King Vegeta whispered.
"I'm so very sorry, Sire", Malaka said.
King Vegeta didn't say a word as he brushed past the doctors and hurried into the room. His small son lay in the center of the bed on his back. The blanket was pulled up over his face.
King Vegeta fell to his knees beside his son's bed and pulled the blanket down. Little Vegeta's onyx black eyes were closed.
Without a second thought, the Saiyan king took Vegeta in his arms and held the child tightly against his chest.
The doctors stood in the doorway, watching. Other than Malaka, the two doctors were shocked, but all three of them were saddened.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but he's gone", the doctor on Malaka's left said.
"No!" King Vegeta yelled, holding his son's body closer. "He can't die. He's my son. I won't let him!"
"Your Majesty, there's nothing we can do for him now", the doctor on the right said.
King Vegeta ignored him. "I love you, my son", the Saiyan king whispered in his small son's ear. He had never come out and actually said those three words to his son, but he never had to; he had always shown it by being a good father. But now, holding his five-year-old child's limp body in his arms, the Saiyan king couldn't even think straight.
Somehow, he managed to keep himself from crying. Actually, King Vegeta hadn't cried since he was his son's age, nearly thirty years ago now, when he had seen a group of Tuffles kill his father. In fact, it had been so long, the Saiyan ruler felt he no longer could cry. But he couldn't say the same thing about the horrible feeling inside him.
King Vegeta rubbed his son's back, then he reached down and gently caressed the small prince's fluffy little tail. If Vegeta were awake, he would have laughed and purred. Even though a Saiyan's tail was the most sensitive part of their body, very young Saiyan children still enjoyed having their tails stroked, as long as whoever was doing it was careful.
He wished now more than ever that Fieza had never met the little boy. Then, the prince wouldn't have ever known any of the pain and fear he had endured over the past few days.
"You can't be gone", King Vegeta said, looking down at the child in his arms. "You can't be".
As soon as he said this, Malaka showed up.
"Sir, I think you should leave", the head doctor said.
King Vegeta didn't say anything, he just stared down at his son's motionless body.
"Sir, Frieza's requested a meeting with you", Malaka tried again.
"He can wait a few minutes, I want to say good-bye to my son", King Vegeta replied.
Malaka nodded.
"I understand", he said. And with that, the doctor turned and walked out of the room.
King Vegeta held his son for a few more minutes and then, with a sigh, the Saiyan king gently lay his son back down.
"Well, I have to go now", he said to the boy. He knew Vegeta couldn't hear him, but he said it by force of habit.
...In Frieza's throne room...
"I heard your little child died", Frieza said, his voice filled with sadistic relish.
"Yes", King Vegeta said curtly.
Zarbon smiled.
"What a pity", the green-haired changeling said. "I really was looking forward to seeing the little prince again".
"Well, you can't now", King Vegeta said, glaring at Frieza's lieutenant.
"What pray tell, happened to him?" Frieza asked.
"His insides were badly damaged", the Saiyan king answered, trying to act as if his son's death didn't bother him.
"Ah, what a pity", Frieza said, feigning sympathy, but failing to hide the sadistic smirk that was creeping across his face.
King Vegeta said nothing.
...Meanwhile, back at Vegeta-Sei...
Malaka glanced down at the prince.
"Poor kid", the doctor said to himself out loud.
Suddenly, the five-year-old Saiyan stirred slightly.
Before Malaka, could do or say anything, Vegeta's eyes opened.
"Where...Daddy?" the little prince slurred out sleepily.
Malaka was so stunned, he didn't say a word. He just stared wide-eyed at the small Saiyan.
"Daddy!" Vegeta cried out frantically. "DADDY!"
"Someone get King Vegeta!" Malaka shouted.
Doctors began rushing in every direction, frantically searching for the Saiyan king.
"I think he left for Frieza's ship!" one called out.
"Someone go to Frieza's ship and hurry!" Malaka yelled.
"DADDY!" Vegeta screamed at the top of his lungs.
"HURRY!" Malaka repeated.
...
Twenty minutes later, King Vegeta came racing into the healing room, a doctor right behind him.
"I was going to head for Frieza's ship when I ran into him on in the hallway", the doctor explained to Malaka.
Malaka nodded. "You still did your job", he said.
"Daddy!" Vegeta yelped when he saw his father.
King Vegeta ran to his small son's side. What it possible? Was the little boy really...?
"Vegeta!" the Saiyan king cried out, taking the Saiyan child in his arms and holding him tight.
"Where were you, Daddy?" little Vegeta asked. "I woke up and you weren't here".
"Well, I'm here now", King Vegeta said. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Daddy", Vegeta said. "I'm just tired and a little sore".
King Vegeta said nothing, but he was relieved that his little child would be all right.
"Where were you, Daddy?" little Vegeta asked suddenly.
"I had to take care of some things for Frieza", his father answered.
Vegeta squeezed his eyes shut and snuggled into his father's chest.
"You should get some sleep", his father said, laying the little prince back down into the bed.
Vegeta nodded obediently. "Okay, Daddy", he said. With that, the small child curled up under his blankets and within minutes fell asleep again.
"How is he?" King Vegeta asked, turning to Malaka.
"We're not fully sure yet, but we'll let you know the minute we find out, Sir", Malaka said.
King Vegeta nodded, then turned and walked out of the healing room.
When he had steeped out into the hallway, the Saiyan king headed in the direction of the throne room. He needed to spend some time alone, to think.
He noticed that the more he had expressed concern for his son, the more pleasure Zarbon had taken in torturing the little boy.
"Then the only situation is to act as though it's not an issue", King Vegeta muttered to himself, staring out the window. He didn't like the idea of pretending his son's pain was something he would just brush off, but if it could keep his child from suffering, the Saiyan king was willing to do whatever he could.
Lamenting on all of this, King Vegeta watched as several Saiyan pods zoomed past the window of the throne room. Saiyans were always being sent out on missions to conquer planets for Frieza.
"It's like he thinks we Saiyans are his slaves or something", King Vegeta growled. "Not for much longer, Frieza. Soon, we won't have to work for you anymore. Just you wait, you little freak, just you wait".
...
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