Reading of dispair

Chapter five: Three of swords

Disclaimer: I do not own DB, DBZ, or DBGT.

It was Twelve o'clock noon at Jasmine's house when the two ladies had awaken. Chichi and Jasmine had neatly folded the sheets up and returned them to the hall closet with the pillows. Then they folded the fouton back into the sectional and headed for the kitchen table. Chichi had sat at the table trying to rid herself of the black cloud that hung ominously over her head. But that wasn't all, her appearance was awful. She had dark rings around her eyes, her hair had resembled Goku's, and her complection looked so dull and pale. As Jasmine was pulling plates and other necessities out to make noon brunch Chichi was looking around her home.

"You know," she stated in a weak stressed out voice,"I've never once been in your house before. I like how you furnished the place."

"Oh, thank you. You're welcome to come over anytime on my schedual. Military careers are one of the most difficult jobs." Jasmine replied trying to lighten the mood.

A pang of guilt hit Chichi. She realized she never really gave Jasmine a fair chance. After all, here this woman was loveing her son doing all these things for him and even opened her house up to her in her time of need. And she was nothing but unfair towards her. Chichi felt so guilty.

She spoke up,"I'm sorry Jasmine."

Jasmine turned around from the counter to face her and asked,"What're you apologizing for?"

Chichi took a deep breath,"I never was that kind to you and I'm sorry. I know now that your feelings are truly genuine. The reason why I was so distant with you is because I was concerned. At first when you showed up at our home when you wanted to see Goku, I thought he was cheating on me. Then I heard about your past and I felt like you would be a bad influence on Gohan. Then after a while you loved Gohan so much I started to get suspicious of that. Now I realized that I was just being paraniod and crule and wanted to say I'm sorry." Chichi finished remorsfully.

Jasmine's heart had softened. She smiled and replied,"Chichi I never held your paranoia against you at all. You knew I was a recovering alcoholic back then and people were concerned about that. You were just trying to protect your family from that and I applaud that. See in my old nighborhood parents didn't give a damn about who their kids hung out with or what they were doing. But you do and that's why I've always respected you. I use to help kids with abusive, drug addict parents all the time and I still do. I know how bad that is because I was raised by two drug addict foster parents in a crack house in a ghetto ass nighborhood. I've been beatten, naglected, starved, tormented, and even raped at seventeen. So I know why you're concerned because there's a lot of sick bastards in this world. You we're just trying to protect your kid that's all. Any sane mother in their right mind would do what you're doing now for Gohan. You care unlike some people I've met do. And as for the suspicion, don't worry about me being a pedophile or a child molester because I"ve beatten the shit out of those types of people before. I can't stand people who hurt children. It makes me wanna puke. So It's okay and I except you apology."

Chichi smiled," Thanks, I appreciate that."

"Your welcome, and as for today's brunch special is home made sausage, biscuits, and gravy." Jasmine answered.

"Sounds good. But I've noticed something on the mantale above your fire place." Chichi pried.

"Yes?"

"Well, is there a man in your life?"

Jasmine started making the gravy and answered,"Yes, his name was Charle Harriason. We were engadged. He died in the line of duty, I watched it happen before I was injured. The injury I recived is the reason why I can't bare children. His death was the reason why I begain drinking. I was using alcohol to drown my pain. See you're a bit stronger than me in that aspect because you lost Goku twice and haven't even picked up any kind of drug or booze to solve your issues. Another reason why I respect you. Charlie and I met when I was seventeen. He resuced me in one of the Mistresshood's P.O.W (prisoner of war) camps. I was just a young rookie that went to military schools my whole life in a mission to gather intel on the enemy. I was captured and inprisoned in one of their camps. Every single day I was tortured in the most horrible ways ever. And to make it worse, that is the reason why I have so many ghastly scars on my body. I can't even sleep in the dark because of what they did to me. But just when I thought I was going to die, he came. Charlie was a prisoner there too. He and a few other soldiers organized a prison break and he rescued me. I still dream about it to this day. Anyhow, he was too perfect of a man. I think that's why life took him from me. A perfect person always dies so young. By the time I met Goku it was too late to wish him back with the dragon balls." Jasmine finished as she completed the gravy and moved on to cook the sausages and place the biscuits in the oven.

"I'm sorry Jasmine. I had no idea your past was so dark and painful. I'm sorry I even brought it up." Chichi apologized sympatheticly as she was clutching her chest in compassion.

"Don't be, what didn't kill me made me stronger. A woman's motto in life is we don't always do what we want to do but, we always do what we have to do." Jasmine philosipized.

"I can see that." Chichi agreed.

Jasmine laughed," Hell honey, they didn't kill me, those five heart attacks I had in my life didn't kill me, and smoking ain't killin' my ass as much as it use to. So the only question is what the fuck IS gonna kill my ass anyway, right?"

Chichi just laughed,"I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait and see huh?"

Jasmine smiled as they continued talking about their lives together. She worked on brunch while Chichi decided it was a good time to call Gohan at the hospital to check up on him. It was one o'clock in the after noon and Chichi praied Gohan would at least be well enough to pick up the phone.

The phone rang in room twenty two, but there was no one there to answer it. However, a nurse had entered the room to change the bed sheets. She heard the phone ring and picked it up.

"Anchor town hospital paitent recovery this is nurse Golly how may I help you?" She spoke dantily.

"Yes, this is Son Chichi Son Gohan's mother. I'm calling to check up on my son. Where is he?" Chichi asked.

"You just missed him. We wheeled him down to the cancer wing for his first kemo treatment today. Doctor Reich had just come in." She answered.

"Okay, is there anyway I could talk to him?"

Nurse Golly replied,"Yes, I can patch you through right now."

Chichi sighed in relife,"Thank you that'd be great."

The nurse pressed a button on the phone to transfer the call and hung it back up on the reciver.

Meanwhile in the cancer wing.

Gohan had finished his appointment with Doctor Reich the cancer specialist and Doctor Roebuck earlier that morning to review his statis. However they were shocked to see how fast he healed in a ten hour time frame and immediatly got him started on his first round of kemotherapy. He smirked to himself about that morning for Piccolo came to visit him bringing a certant gift from Corin.

"Good thing Piccolo brought me a senzu bean" Gohan thought as he looked down aat his arm.

He was already hooked up to the machine that was administering the kemo to him. His mood darkened as he glared at the IV in his arm. He begain to cuss mentally about his father.

"Damn it dad! What the hell is wrong with you? Here I am needing you and you ran away to otherworld. What the hell kinda father is that?" Gohan mentally ranted.

He sighed trying to clear his mind as he sat in between two curtains in the kemo treatment room. There was five other paitents in there as well reciving their treatment as well. He looked over at the curtain to his left and opened it for a change of scenery. Then the phone on the small end table next to his right rang. His head turned to his right as he picked it up knowing who it was.

"Hello?"

"Gohan! How are you feeling? How's your treatment going? Do you need anything?" Chichi rambled on sporaticlly.

"It's going good so far, and I'm doing fine. Hurts when the needle goes in but I'm fine. Piccolo came earlier this morning to give me a senzu bean to recover from my surgery faster."

"Oh, that's great! How's your doctor? Is there any questions for me?" Chichi asked.

"Yes, he needs you to come in at three thirty today so he could talk to you about my treatment plan and give you some more "home work" if you know what I mean." He informed with a hint of humor.

"Alright honey, Jasmine and I were going to come up there to visit you anyway as soon as we finish brunch."

"Okay, I'll see you then!" Gohan replied with excitment.

"I love you honey."

"I love you too mom, see ya." He responded as he hung the phone back up.

Then as he turned around and got comfortable, he let out a exausted sigh as he pintched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and middle finger in frustration. It would indeed be a long journey for him. He laid his head back an let a few tears escape his eyes. He couldn't believe he was reduced to this. For god's sake he was the one that defeated Cell. How in the hell can he be struck down with cancer? It just didn't seem right to him at all. Nor did it redgister with him to well. Then he heard the rustle of curtains next to his left side close to the window.

The nurse had come in with another cancer paitent and seated her in the chair net to him. As she sat down and the nurse hooked her up, his attention was purely on her. He continued to stare in a way that had an expression of both question and transfixment to his face. The nurse had left only to reveal a young lycian girl that looked around his age. She was beautiful, her hair was a wavy, long, golden mane that fanned her face perfectly. She had a pretty pair of light blue eyes that sparkled in the sunlight and a fair skin tone that glistened in the sun's noon rays. Her fox like tail hung lazily off the side of the chair just as his did and she wore a light blue sun dress with matching sandals.

For some reason Gohan didn't understand the reason why he was staring so intensly at her but, something about her made him want to call out to her. Her presentce was for some reason making it difficult for him to speak. His heart hammered loudly in his chest so much so you could see it beating on the outside of his chest. His breath caught in his throat as he watched her pull a book out of her bag. She sat cross legged reading as Gohan's thoguhts seemed to stop. Then his gaze traveled down to her legs to see that the sun dress came up to her knees. His cheeks begain to stain a noticable shade of red as a thought entered his mind.

"What's wrong with me? Why do I feel so funny all of a sudden? But then again why can't I look away?"

Gohan noted to himself. He'd never felt this way before. But then that's when he caught her scent. He smiffed the air a little. She smelt like cotton candy. Must be some kind of purfume or body spray that girls ofton like to ware. But little did he know this was the start of something wonderful.

Thank you to

Son Gokyu

Schubskie

Rayvenwolf

For reviewing! :)

The three of swords means separation.

Untill next time.