"I can't go in there!" whined Bulma as she pace restlessly back and forth in front of the hospital entrance, battling within herself if she should go in. She can't really look at Yamcha right now, but it would be too suspicious if she's not in there with him. Not everyone knew that they had broken up, and definitely no one knew about last night, except for Vegeta.

Frowning harder by the minute, she stopped pacing and stood facing the entrance with her hands on her hips. 'It's not like he's awake now. Since he's in a coma, there's no reason for me to not see him and it wouldn't be as awkward, would it? And it's not like Goku or the gang knows about it, do they?'

Shaking her head in annoyance, she rushed past the people who were waiting in the lounge. Nurses and doctors were running around proceeding to wherever they are supposed to be. She reaches the elevator and pressed onto the floor where Yamcha is currently on. Seeing that she was alone in the lift, she took that few minutes of silence to clear her mind off of everything and tries to figure out a way around this.

As she got out the lift, the first thing she saw was Goku, Chi Chi, Gohan, Krillin, and Master Roshi. Even the Namekian was here standing in his own space at the corner of the hall minding his own business. Silently inching her way towards them, Goku was the first to sense her.

"Bulma! You made it!" screech the jovial Saiyan. Always the happy chap. Bulma gave out a small smile as she approached the rest. They greeted her and gave her a look that was one of grimace as their eyes darted towards the closed door next to them.

They didn't need to tell Bulma that Yamcha is in there so she walked towards it. Holding onto the door knob tightly, she's still undecided if she should go in there and face the man but a voice in her mind told her that she's already made it this far, there's no reason to back out now. She should just face her nightmares head on. With that she turned onto the knob and opens the door.

Without looking back at the people that stood waiting outside, she closed the door gently behind her. She was surprised to see a doctor, who is at most in his mid fifties checking up on Yamcha. Unable to see Yamcha with the doctor and the nurse blocking her view, she walked timidly towards the bed.

As she got closer, the doctor moved away when he sensed that someone else was in the room. Bulma could now see the broken body who is Yamcha, lying on the bed, completely bandaged all over as if he's already dead. Widening her eyes in horror, Bulma choked onto the sudden bile in her throat, which causes tears to start forming in her eyes. No, she was not about to cry, but by just looking at the horribly beaten form on the bed who was the person she knew so well, upset her stomach really bad.

Looking at the somewhat frightened woman, who he assumed would've been the victim's significant other, the doctor let out a sigh and placed a hand on her shoulders.

Bulma turned her head towards the doctor with a shocked expression plastered on her face. "What h-happened?" she asked as her hand clutches at her stomach.

With another sigh, the doctor turned to look back at the wounded warrior. "Both his wrists and ankles has been distinguished as fourth degree burns, as is his neck" he said as he turned to look back at an even more shocked Bulma.

"There are multiple bruises that caused most of his muscles to tear and the bones in his cheeks, jaw and ribs are fractured, therefore disabling him to move. In other words, he's almost paralyzed until they heal. However--," he paused as he tries to find the right words for what he is supposed to say.

Bulma stared at the doctor, waiting for his next words. She is now completely speechless while trying to register his words. Getting slightly impatient, she grabs onto the doctors arm and pleaded him to finish what he was about to say.

With an untold grimace in the old man's eyes, his face softened as he stares into her blue eyes which are now filled with desperation and sadness and it seems like she was about to burst out crying.

"He has seeped into a coma from over exerted trauma. Someone… or something has completely clawed out his… his genitals," stammered the doctor as he looks back at the superbly unfortunate young patient. Shaking his head, he finishes off his duty and walks out of the room without another word, giving Bulma the space to swallow everything that he has told her.

The moment she was left alone, her memories with him flashed across her eyes with lightning speed. Be it the good times or the times he has mistreated her. No matter how big a bastard he was to her, no one deserved a fate such as this. His future is practically doomed without his most important physical asset, apart from his pretty boy face of course. But definitely, no one should end up with a fate like this.

And to think that she wanted to kick him in the crotch should he ever come near her again. With that thought, Bulma's lips curled slightly at the irony of it, but she was too devastated to even smile at all. Leaning against the bed, she sat down next to his immobile body, staring down at his closed eyes which were the only thing exposed apart from his fingers. The rest of his body was completely bandaged like an Egyptian mummy.

She has been sitting there for several hours already, as it is the sky has already darkened into night. Most of the gang has already left. All except for Goku, who shortly came into the room after dinner and found Bulma sitting still on the bed, with hands wrapped around herself as she looks down at her ex-lover with a solemn expression.

Walking up behind her, Goku slowly reached out to both of the side of her arms and held on tightly. Rubbing both her arms in a slow comforting movement, he let out a sigh as her head turned to the side to look at him with the corner of her eyes.

"You've been here for hours, B. You should go home," he said quietly.

Turning back to the patient, Bulma huffed out a breath that she was holding and got up. Standing before the bed, she reached out her fingers to trace over Yamcha's lifeless ones. Without a word, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room, with Goku trailing behind quietly.

As Goku tries to pick up on her steps, he realized that the small woman can really walk with speed. Catching up to her he called out.

"Bulma!"

She came to a sudden halt but did not turn around to look at Goku. Yes, of course. How could she face anyone that she knew, who also knew Yamcha. The reason that he ended up in that wretched room with those fatalistic injuries, was all because of her. To top it off, he's in a coma!

Now she doesn't feel really bad that he has even raped her, after all, they had done it many times before. The only difference was, it was indifferent. There was no love, no… nothing.

Goku walked around to the front to face her. His face was filled with worry as he soothed the top of her hair. Her eyes were clenched tight and she looks as if she was going to break down and cry a thousand rivers. With a frown on his face, he lowered his hand and squeezed her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Bulma," softly this time. "You know something, don't you?"

She snapped her eyes opened, her mouth was hanging as if she was about to speak but nothing, especially the truth, came out. "N-no. I don't."

His face didn't falter, but only got sterner. He let her shoulders go only to drop his hands back to his side. His stare pierces into her cerulean eyes, as if he was raping her of her sanity. Staring blankly at the window at the far end of the hall, he was structuring his next words in his mind, and preparing himself for the confrontation and confession he hoped he would be getting.

Looking back into her eyes, his first words were enough to strike her where it would. "If you don't, then I do."

Her eyes widened with shock as she choked. She swallowed a gulp as her throat felt really dry all of a sudden. She hoped that he was just making his own assumptions because she wasn't ready for him to know the truth. But before she could let out a word, Goku grabbed onto both her arms gently.

"The bruises may have faded, but I can tell one from a mile away, Bulma," he said gently while stroking on the part where her bruises were earlier.

"Vegeta raped you didn't he?"

Wait, what?! Vegeta?! Bulma couldn't be more shocked than she was now. Goku had thought that Vegeta had raped her and not Yamcha and she was quick to deny that very fact. Be it to defend Vegeta, or to tell the truth.

"God, NO! Goku, it wasn't Vegeta!"

Goku gave her a lopsided smile, glad to know that he had managed to get her to start talking. He knew for a fact that Bulma wouldn't reveal anything at first but with a little manipulation, she will burst everything out in no time.

"I'm sorry, Bulma. I had to do that," he said as Bulma's expression changed to that of disbelief that Goku had lied to her in order to get her talking. "You wouldn't have told me the truth, now did you?"

"Bulma, I know that it wasn't Vegeta and from what I gathered, Yamcha must have… well, you know," he started awkwardly because his face began to burn brightly as he continued. "and I think Vegeta already knew what happened here."

"But… he's not even--"

"Bulma, I'm a warrior. Those burns around his neck, arms and legs are not done by ordinary men!" he cut her off, retorting a little louder than he intended to as he pointed to the closed door.

"It can't be Vegeta! I'm sure he's not even bothered, Goku! He doesn't care!" yelled the now raging Bulma. Her hands were swinging in all direction as she just can't bring herself to believe that it was Vegeta's doing. She did have her doubts when she got a call from Goku earlier but Goku has got it all wrong! He must have!

"Bulma, please calm down. I may have made a mistake that it is Vegeta but there's no other explanation--"

"There is also nothing to back up on your accusation, Goku!" hissed Bulma as her anger raised even higher. She cannot believe someone like Goku, who was always the somewhat most logical, soft hearted person she has ever known, would portray prejudice against the least favorite man of the group.

She knows that nobody on this goddamned supposedly peaceful humanity of a planet even likes the arrogant prince and hell she's not going to be one of them. She felt the need to protect him, to defend his name! In fact, she has even come to realize that she might even be willing to kill and die for him.

There was only silence that followed her last statement. Goku knew very well that it was indeed Vegeta's doing, but can't bring forth to tell the truth to Bulma. She would not even listen, much less believe him.

"From a Saiyan's point of view, B," Goku stated in a calm whisper, "Vegeta has already claimed you as his." His demeanor was so still Bulma couldn't help but to stare at him blankly in his eyes and tries to register each and every word of his last statement.

"I don't know when exactly he did but I am a Saiyan too, and also a man, Bulma and all I know is that if another man should touch Chi as how Yamcha has touched you, I would've done the exact same thing as what Vegeta has."

He reached for her, pretty much the same way when he found her sitting next to Yamcha on the bed earlier. Squeezing her shoulders gently, he continues. "I'm not saying that what Vegeta did was wrong. But it wasn't right either and I guess it was most probably out of blind rage when he did it. His possessiveness of you has only brought him this far and he knew that he can't kill Yamcha off no matter how much he wanted to, and it's also because he knows you would never let him. It was the only way he knows how to deal with something that he doesn't approve of," Goku explained as Bulma listened attentively.

"What Yamcha did, well, all I can say is that he shouldn't have done it because I believe that no matter what, any living man doesn't deserve a fate like his. On the other hand," he paused; his expression falters to one that spoke sadness for his best friend. "I would say the same for you."

Bulma was staring blankly at the wall behind Goku. She was tired, mentally and physically and all she wants right now is to go home. Back to her nice comfortable bed, with just her and her pillows so even when she cries, no one can hear her. Before Bulma could tell Goku that she wants to leave, he offered her a lift home with his instant transmission. Slightly glad that she does not have to drive home alone in the middle of the night, she gladly accepted.

With a twitch of his mind, Goku teleported the both of them to the main living hall of Capsule Corporation, completely oblivious that they had appeared in front of a certain Saiyan prince who was passing by the room at the time.

Standing face to face, Goku lightly brushed Bulma's hair away from her eyes. She looked terrible but he knew for a fact that he shouldn't imply that statement to someone like Bulma no matter when or he'll get his ass kicked. So, as her best friend for this many years he knows how to manage Bulma even in the hardest of situations. He comforted her in small silent gestures such as cupping her face with one hand and telling her comforting whispered words with an assuring smile. That would've been enough to put a small smile on her angelic face.

Once Bulma was smiling once again, Goku bid her goodnight and transported himself back home, leaving Bulma by herself in the large living hall. Standing in the middle of the room for another five minutes, she let out a deep sigh and turned on her heel to return to her room, only to find none other than the Saiyan prince standing across from her, blocking her only path with crossed arms and a scowl plastered on his face.