Nira's eyes fluttered open to unfamiliar sights and smells. Her eyes flicked all around the room, trying to figure where she was. Where was she? Why is she hooked up to so many machines? Last thing she remembered her mom was reading a book to her and-

No, that wasn't the last thing she remembered, was it.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered the gun - shots, the pain, the fear, and the anger.

It had all been a dream. She wasn't five years old - she was nineteen. She didn't live with her parents or in a house of her own - she lived in a mental hospital. Her family could no longer sitting at the dinner table and talk about their days - they were dead.

Nira sobbed as she ripped away the plastic thing that was covering her mouth. It had been a dream! A dream! A cruel coma induced fantasy!

Nira wiped the tears away but they wouldn't stop. She coughed and hiccupped and cursed her self for being so foolish – so weak! She had been tricked into believing she was back at her house, surrounded by the people she had accepted to be dead. It just wasn't right! It wasn't fair!

"Nira?" a deep, familiar voice spoke.

Nira looked up to see Piccolo standing in the doorway. Suddenly a wave of happiness flooded her when she saw him, he wasn't hurt! He was here! He was real! She wanted to fling herself at him and not let him go! How could she not have noticed how much she had missed him, and Vegeta, and Bulma, and Goku, and Krillin?

The raven - haired girl tried to get out of the hospital bed but she was still hooked up to machines! She cursed the things before trying to rip them off!

"Sir, you need to go." A nurse told Piccolo, "You're obviously causing her distress, please leave."

"No!" Nira chocked, her voice raspy from lack of use.

"Ma'am, I can't just leave her here-" Piccolo growled.

"Sir, I will call security if you don't leave." The nurse told him.

Nira watched as Piccolo was shoved out of her room. At first she thought about throwing a fit and going out the door after him but she had no energy. So, instead, she shlumped back on her hospital bed in defeat.

DBZ

Piccolo quickly called Bulma who then called Krillin and Juu. After he had he stared at the wall, the same wall that was separating himself from Nira; her face when she saw him…

DBZ

Her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet from crying. She still was crying but it wasn't the outright sobbing she had been doing. Her hair was a sticking out in even more places because of her bed head, she looked like Goku! At first when she saw him it was if she didn't know who he was, then the biggest smile he had ever seen her give appeared on her face!

She tried to get up but with so many machines hooked up to her she couldn't move. Piccolo had began to hurry over to her when he saw that she was trying to rip off the equipment but a nurse had held him back and told him to get out or she would call security. How infuriating!

Piccolo had gotten a last glance at Nira before he was shoved out. Her smile was wiped away with one of confused distress. The nurse had it wrong. It wasn't Piccolo that was distressing her – it was the damned nurse!

DBZ

Piccolo wasn't sure how long he glared at the wall, his hands clenched into fists. But it was long enough for both Bulma and Krillin and his family to arrive.

"She's awake!?" Bulma gasped, she had run all way from the main lobby.

Piccolo nodded.

"Then lets go in!" She sang in delight, rushing to the door.

"The nurse said no visitors until she's done." Piccolo grunted. Okay, she hadn't quiet said that but he didn't want anyone going to see Nira without him. Yeah, that was selfish but Piccolo was pissed off and he didn't really care.

Krillin glared at the door, "Hurry up." He hissed under his breath at the door, willing it to open so they could check up on Nira.

Bulma glared at the door as well, "Would you hurry up!?" She yelled at the nurse through the door, "We want to see our friend!"

A few moments later the nurse opened the door looking as if she was smelled sour milk. "You can go in now." She sniffed, before walking down the hall without looking back.

"Bitch." Bulma muttered on her breath before charging into Nira's hospital room.

Nira beamed as her friends filed into the room, Bulma first and Piccolo last. The nurse had taken off all of the IV's and instruments after making sure her vitals were all okay so she was free to pounce on anyone she please.

As it turns out the nearest one was Piccolo.

She jumped out of her bed and threw herself at the man with vengeance! "I missed you! I missed you! I missed you!" she sobbed into his neck. Her arms were around his neck and her legs hooked around his middle and she didn't even care about common decency! She was elated she was with her family again.

"I missed you guys a whole lot!" she cried, not letting go of Piccolo.

"Its your fault you got shot." Piccolo snorted. He was blushing fiercely at all the physical contact. He tried to figure out how to pry off the young woman without any awkwardness but it was like she had glued herself to him!

Bulma giggled at the outlandish display of affection and decided to save Piccolo from any more embarrassment, "What, no hug for me?"

Nira pulled herself (kinda) from Piccolo. She kept her legs hooked around his hips but to top off of her body was hanging out in air as she kept herself steady by holding out Piccolo's shoulders. She stared at Bulma as if they hadn't seen each other in years as Piccolo gently pried her away from him, still blushing ferociously.

As soon as Nira's feet touched the floor she ran to Bulma and hugged her tightly, "Missed you too!"

"What about me?" half – joked Krillin.

She let go of Bulma and picked up the short man and hugged him as well, "Missed you!"

Krillin laughed, "Alright! Now put me down!"

She obliged and smiled brightly at Juu who nodded.

Nira almost went looking for Goku and Vegeta when she realized that they wouldn't be there. They would be at the mental hospital. She felt a twinge of disappointment at not being able to see her friends until she omitted out of the hospital but the thought of seeing them made her happy all the same.

Yes, she missed her family but she had put that behind her the day she chose not kill Nappa. She had accepted their death and, yes, her coma induced fantasy regurgitated all of those feelings to the surface she refused to let it rule her life again. Besides, she had a new family to protect now.