It was Day 5, and Bulma woke up feeling exceptionally well rested. Her breakfast tray was waiting for her just outside the chamber's door, and it was a delicious one. Buttered toast and marmalade, two eggs, and an orange. How could she complain?

After breakfast Bulma left to visit the kitchens and personally thank Bobble for the meal. On the way she unfortunately passed Nova, who glared at her in welcome. "This is all your fault," She hissed.

"What is?" Bulma hissed back.

"You don't even know?" Nova narrowed her eyes, but there was a smug grin on her face. As if it pleased her that Bulma was unaware. "And you call yourself his wife… Well if nobody's bothered to inform you, I shan't either."

"What's going on with Vegeta?" Bulma stopped in her path, but Nova didn't. The Princess watched Nova flip her hair and continue down the hall. The Princess felt her chest sinking with foreboding, and her stomach twisting with jealousy. What was going on with her husband, and why did Nova know but she didn't?

Swallowing her distaste, Bulma continued for the kitchen, but her path was intercepted by a saiyan she'd never spoken to.

"Princess. You're awake," The saiyan said.

"What's going on with Vegeta?" Bulma asked. "Nova said-"

"Nova said something to you? All palace inhabitants were specifically instructed not to!"

"Well, she wouldn't give me any details. She just implied that something is happening and it concerns my husband." Bulma was growing impatient. "Are you going to tell me what's going on, or will I need to find somebody else?"

"Princess. We were waiting for you to awaken this morning. I need you to follow me, but you must brace yourself. There was an accident during Prince Vegeta's trip." And then the saiyan turned on his heel, making a beeline down the corridor.

"What?!" Bulma ran after, but the saiyan wouldn't say anything else. He ignored all of her questions with tight lips as he lead her to the medical wing. And once there, he gestured for Bulma to enter.

The Princess was worried and irritable at all of the secrecy. She glared at the saiyan to convey this, and she swept through the door without another word.

This was her first time in the medical wing, and the first thing Bulma noticed was that the far end's wall was lined with giant glass beakers. "What in the-?" She breathed. It was like some giant lab experiment was being conducted. Each beaker was filled with some sort of greyish liquid that looked as if it was slowly bubbling, but she was too far away to be completely sure.

She stumbled deeper into the room, looking to her sides. Tables were stretched out with machines and tubes near by. The words that the saiyan had told her - Vegeta had been in an accident, rang in her ears, and her chest sank deeper with each passing moment. Where was Vegeta, why was this room ominously quiet, and where was somebody to answer her questions?!

"Princess!" A voice shouted as if on cue.

Bulma looked up to see a white coat running around the corner. "Where is my husband?!" She asked, her voice curling angrily. It wasn't like her to take her irritation out on a stranger, but she had lost all patience at this point. "Nobody will tell me a damned thing, and I demand to know!"

"He's right this way, Princess." The white coat gave a hurried bow and began to lead her towards the giant beakers.

"Where?" She asked, looking across the floor. "I don't see him."

"Princess. He's in a regeneration tank."

"A what-? "

"Right here, Princess." The white coat stood next to one giant beaker in particular, and that's when Bulma noticed it. How had she missed it before? He was in there, some type of mask attached to his face. His hair flowing with the bubbles. Now that she was closer, she realized that the liquid looked rather viscous - almost like a slime. He wasn't moving, his eyes were closed, and his face was heavily bruised. He looked like a mannequin - like some figure being grown from lab extracts. It wasn't human. His skin looked too grey in the slime. That couldn't be Vegeta!

The sight was such a shock. It was enough to make her scream, and she backed into a shelf stocked with glass containers. A few of them fell to the floor with an ear-splitting shatter, and the Princess heard herself scream again.

What happened after that was unbeknownst to her, for she lost consciousness. Limply, and involuntarily, Bulma fainted into the pile of broken glass.

—

"I must ask that you leave the medical wing until both parties are fully recuperated."

Voices were talking not far from Bulma's head. She slowly opened her eyes, and then had to blink away the brightness.

"Ma'am, I must ask you to leave." The voice continued.

"I will not!" The other snapped. "Not until you give me a full update on his condition!"

Oh, no. Bulma recognized that voice. She turned her neck to see - who would guess - but Nova glaring at the same white coat from earlier.

"You are not an identity entitled to the Prince's medical information." White coat was saying.

"I've known him since we were barely walking!" Nova spat. "If anyone has a right to know, it's me!"

Princess Bulma didn't bother interrupting the row between the two. She carefully sat up, and waited out the dizzy sensation behind her eyes. So beside themselves were the others that they didn't notice. And when the vertigo faded, Bulma carefully stepped down onto the cold tiled floor.

Cold…

She looked down to realize she was barefoot. And what more, she was wearing a paper gown. Very much like the gowns medical patients wore back on Earth. But why…?

It was when she began to walk towards those giant beakers - what had the white coat called them? Regeneration tanks? - that the arguing parties realized she was up and moving.

"Princess!" White coat said fretfully, but Bulma ignored him. Her eyes were set on her target, and she continued walking to it. To that specific tank. The one that had terrified her before.

She stopped in front of it, studying the specimen inside. And there he was again. Mask over his face, his black locks swaying in the slime. Small bubbles working from the bottom of the tank and rising to the top. And it was clear now, and she stared closely, that this wasn't some mannequin. It was Vegeta. Her husband.

"Princess." White coat said, and this time he was right beside her.

Her eyes glistening, she turned to him this time. "What is this? Why is my husband in here?"

"Pfft!" A certain voice chimed. "You don't even know what a regeneration tank is?! My master must not have deemed it necessary to tell you anything, did he?!"

" My husband has shared a lot." Bulma frowned back. "And I will ask you to leave at once."

"I refuse to leave until Vegeta awakens!" Nova balled her hands into fists. "This is your fault, and you won't be the one making the calls! You've caused enough trouble!"

"Ah!" White cloak jumped. Both women looked at him, and saw he was staring at the tank. They followed his eyes to see Vegeta, and his hands were twitching.

His hands were twitching!

"Just a matter of minutes now, I'd say 15." White coat announced. He turned to Nova. "If you will, I must that you wait out in the corridor."

"I'm not leaving if she doesn't have to." Nova huffed.

"Nova," Bulma said. And though it was not typical of her to speak this way, the warning in her voice could not be mistaken. "As princess of Vegetasai, you will leave this room at once, or I shall have you sent to confinement for three days,"

Nova glared, and opened her mouth as if to say something. But then she quickly turned and stormed out, her head held high.

The fifteen minutes passed so painfully slow, yet overwhelmingly quick at the same time. In the newfound silence following Nova's departure, White Coat patiently explained the concept of regeneration tanks to the Princess.

He explained that the specialized salve filling the tank was enriched with artificially generated DNA matching that of saiyan makeup. As the liquid - which was confirmed to be just as viscous as Bulma thought - bubbled and swirled in the tank, it worked to heal and rebuild the injured body, clotting any wounds and healing any fractures.

"He's been in here for about eight hours already," White Coat was explaining. "That's quite a long time for a regenerating session. Typically it is about thirty minutes to an hour."

"He must have been in really bad shape…" Bulma breathed. She hadn't even had a chance to ask how Vegeta arrived in such a state - and when did he arrive? The conversation was segwaying into that, but before she had a chance, White Coat was walking to the tank's control panel.

Bulma looked and saw that Vegeta's eyes were open. His hands were balled into fists, and he was looking right at her.

With the tap of a button the slime drained from the tank. And then the tank itself lowered into its base, leaving Vegeta standing with the mask still strapped to his head.

He pulled the mask away and then stepped off.

"Vegeta," Bulma breathed. No longer was he that mannequin she had seen earlier. No longer was his skin pallid and cracked. He stood before her, looking like he would on any other day, but with damp hair, and clad in just his underwear.

"Oh, Vegeta!" Bulma couldn't help herself. She ran and wrapped her arms around him. He was just as slimy as she would imagine, and the smell of the residue wasn't exactly pleasant, but she didn't care. It smelled like survival.

The Prince stiffened as she hugged him, but he did not pull away. Bulma knew he hated public displays of affection, but she didn't care. She didn't even know what had happened, but she was so glad he was alive.

"Why is my wife wearing a medical gown?" He asked over her shoulder, directing his question to the White Coat.

"There was a bit of an incident earlier." White Coat replied. "She went into shock when she learned of your state, sire."

"And is she alright now?" Vegeta asked. Bulma pulled away to get a good look at his face. Was he really inquiring about her wellbeing when he'd just stepped out of a regeneration tank?

"I'm okay," Bulma answered before White Coat could. "But Vegeta, what-"

"And my father?" He interrupted, his eyes not leaving the medical worker.

" Vegeta! " The door swung open. In came Nova, stumbling over herself to get to him fast enough. She stopped when she got close. And she glared at Bulma, who still had her arms loosely around his neck.

"Not now, Nova." Vegeta replied. He didn't even glance at her.

"But Veg- "

"Get out, Nova!" His voice rose, and he still hadn't taken his eyes off of White Coat.

"But-"

"Get OUT!" The boom in his voice was enough to make Bulma jump. "I WILL NOT SAY IT AGAIN!"

Crestfallen, Nova looked as if she were about to burst into tears. Her mouth tightened into a thin line, and she nodded. Without another word she retreated from the room, careful to not make any noise as she shut the door.

With her gone, Vegeta put his focus on the White Coat again. "My father. What is his condition?"

White Coat clutched his clipboard, tearing his eyes away from the Prince. He dropped to his knees, bowing his head low.

"Prince Vegeta." He said. "I regret to inform you that the King… is deceased."