Chapter 11: Caring For Another
Blackness was all I can see at this point. The pain was too much. I could feel as my heartbeat slowed down with each passing second.
This must be what it feels like to die a slow painful death. Each breath I would breathe would feel like a million knives stabbing my insides. Death's door was waiting for me to enter, welcoming me to stay there. However, that's not what I wanted. My life, the one that used to be tortured, the one that had it's heart's wounded, was now embracing the new life that came upon me..
I'm not ready to pass on from the living!
"Tania! Wake up! Please wake up! Don't die just yet! TANIA!"
That voice, the very same voice I knew I loved to hear, was reaching out for me.
Suddenly, the swirl of darkness began to fade away and I began to awaken. My vision was still a blur, but I was still able to identify the person who was cuddling me in their arms.
"Go...han?" I croaked.
I weakly smiled upon seeing him again. He came for me..
"Eat this, it'll make you better" He claimed as he softly put in a bean into my mouth.
I couldn't chew it, but he helped me accomplish that. It really hurted to swallow, but a few seconds later, the unbearable pain I was feeling, had suddenly been cured. I sprung back up and looked at my arm which used to have a deep, bloody wound was now completely healed.
"Thank goodness your alive!" I hear everyone in the room say relieved.
I turned to my left to see Gohan badly bruised and covered in blood.
"Gohan, your hurt!" I screamed, completely forgetting about my whole ordeal.
Immediately, I rushed over to him, watching as blood dripped from his left ear. Panic began to set in as I saw him beginning to gasp for air.
"We need to get him to the infirmary!" Bulma suggested as she, Trunks and Goten helped Gohan back onto his feet.
He screamed in agony as he stood on his right leg. My heart broke when I saw the pained expression that was displayed on his face.
Putting his arm over my shoulder and holding onto his side, we slowly progressed over to a room upstairs and layed him onto the bed. Once again, he let out an painful scream. His body was already beginning to swell. By then, I knew that he had broken a few bones.
I layed him onto the bed while Bulma took out one of her dino caps and tossed it on the wooden floor. A huge emergency kit came into a view. Bulma then opened it and began to hook on some things into Gohan. He squirmed around a bit, but eventually calmed down.
"Bulma, can I do the bandaging on him, please?" I basically pleaded.
Fortunately, she agreed and had taken Trunks, Goten and herself out of the room. Now only myself, Gohan and Master Roshi was left in the room. I glared at Roshi hoping he can take the hint and get out.
I sighed as he just stood there like an idiot.
"Roshi, i'm gonna need you to get out of the room so that I can treat Gohan without any disruptions." I ordered nicely.
Nodding his head, Master Roshi listened and began to walk out the door.
"Everyone was worried you wouldn't make it." Roshi says.
I turned back at him.
"Gohan, was the most concerned though. Even though he came in all battered and broken, he wouldn't stop trying to wake you up no matter how hopeless the situation seemed. He cares for you, you should thank him for saving your life." Was all Roshi said before walking out the door and closing it behind.
I gazed at Gohan, tears beginning to form in my eyes as I tended to his wounds.
He was worried about me? Why would he even care about me? I'm not anything special.
After bandaging him, it was quiet for a few minutes.
"Why?" I asked breaking the dead silence. Gohan slowly turned his eyes over to me.
I sat on a chair close to the bed and clenched onto the sheet I had over my lap.
"Why didn't you listen to me? I told you that that Cell guy was probably way too strong! I can sense his power Gohan, so why would you not listen?!" I nearly shouted at him.
At this point tears was beggining to consume my face. My heart was crushed, dying!
"Tania, why are you crying?" Gohan asked as he held onto my hand.
I didn't respond and kept on letting the tears devour me. The emotion I was getting was grief, extreme sadness and guilt. Finally I gave in and told him the truth.
"Your hurt! I can't stand to see you all beaten up like that. It's killing me inside, Gohan!"
He only smiled. "I wanted to protect you, that's all."
"But that doesn't mean you had to do that!" I yell frustrated.
"No, I needed to. Tania you mean a lot to me.." He admitted as he slowly sat up.
I blushed and looked away from his gaze. My heart was thudding really hard now and I hoped that he wouldn't be able to hear.
He continued smiling at me and squeezed onto my hand a bit harder. Despite the pain he was in, he used his other hand to wipe away my tears and stroked my cheek.
"Gohan.." I shyly whisper.
"Tania, I promised to you that i'd come back before I left, now didn't I?" He asked.
I thought back to before him and the others left Kame House and remembered the words he said.
"Don't worry, i'll be back"
Returning back to reality, I nodded.
Gohan then slowly leaned over to me as he held onto my hand and whispered "You scared me, I wasn't sure you were gonna live.." before brushing his lips onto my own.