Yo. Long time no see. For real real, I'm back. I made some mistakes choosing to start writing something during the busiest time of my life, but hey, we live and learn. I am now aware of my limits, and I even maintained a decent GPA. I'm going to keep going with this story, and I might still do it under the restrictions I set for myself. We'll see.

With that said, here are some nice words I put together. Sorry for the wait and the short chapter.

In a house hidden deep within the mountains, a widow worked tirelessly. With a swipe of her hand, she cut the shirt off the man who had her husband's face, pressed her ear to his chest, then grimaced.

She pulled back, then lightly ran a finger over the unconscious man's bruised torso. Her ki left her finger and entered his body. Broken ribs, a cracked sternum, a punctured lung. Nothing she hasn't had to deal with before.

She left the man in her bedroom, darting through her house to find the first-aid kit. It was in her son's room. Her shaking hand wrapped around the handle, and then she was back to the man's side. She took a trembling breath, then another one, far more stable this time. Then, with practiced ease, Chi-chi got to work.

/-/

When Bardock opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the ease at which his bruised and bare chest lazily rose and fell. Soon after, when his vision cleared, he noticed a white bandage stuck to the right side of his aching ribs. With a grunt, he pushed himself up, resting his back on the headboard of the bed.

The bed was big, easily capable of fitting two people with room to spare. To his left, a window with open blinds let in warm sunlight. The only light in the otherwise dark room. To his immediate right was a wooden nightstand, with a glass of water on it. Further down the room was a door, cracked slightly open. Directly across from Bardock, there was a framed photo on a dresser. The contents remained obscured in the dark. He took a long sip from the glass, then set it back down on the nightstand.

Whose house is this?

He could remember his worsening condition and his crash landing, but everything after he hit the ground was hazy. Was there a house? He could vaguely recall someone rushing towards him.

Bardock flexed his legs, shifting from side to side. He went to take a deep intake of air, then stopped halfway, and let out a short huff of air. Good enough. He threw his legs over the side of the bed, and pushed himself to his feet. And the moment that he did, the door swung open.

The woman stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, and a stern look on her face. She looked to be around Bulma's age, going by the wrinkles on her face. Bardock met her gaze with his own, taking note of the faint redness that lined her eyes.

"Sit."

Bardock sat his ass down.

Wait, what the hell?

The woman uncrossed her arms as she approached Bardock, her stern gaze turning cold and unreadable as she poked and prodded at his torso in silence. Then, she laid her hand on his chest, and after an agonizingly awkward moment, she withdrew her hand, leaving his chest warm and tingly. Bardock decided to speak up.

"Who-?"

"I managed to clear out your lungs, so your life shouldn't be in any immediate danger," the woman said, cutting him off. She walked over to the dresser with the picture on it, her back to Bardock. "That doesn't mean you should be walking though. Your ribs were- are in really bad shape. I'm not sure if they're going to heal properly." The woman picked up the picture frame.

Bardock scratched the back of his head as he thought of a response. Should he thank the woman? Ask her for her name? It wasn't expected of him to thank the healers on Planet Vegeta, it was just something that was expected of them. At the same time, this felt different.

"Thank-," he was cut off again.

Let me speak, dammit.

"Then again, you Saiyans have always seemed to heal better than us," the woman said, more as a statement than anything. "Your injuries still leave scars, but I swear as long as you can survive, your body rights itself eventually."

She knows what a Saiyan is?

"Who are yo-?" Bardock took a shaky breath, troubled by the lack of air his lungs could provide him.

"Chi-chi," she said, her tone suddenly sharp as she put the picture down. She took a breath and cleared her throat. "What's… what's- excuse me."

She was out of the room a second later, closing the door behind her.

That was weird. What's wrong with her?

Not heeding Chi-chi's medical advice, Bardock was on his feet, and then immediately sat back down. When did the world start spinning so fast? Once the world stopped spinning, he tried again. Slower this time. Great.

Bardock didn't know what to make of his savior. There was some gratitude there, of course there was. She probably saved his life. At the same time, Bardock couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with their recent interaction. Earthling social norms were still new to him, but he was positive that even on Earth you were supposed to face the person you were talking to.

She seemed very interested in that picture.

Bardock made his way to the dresser, his walk more of a shuffle. The frame was face down. Bardock grabbed the frame, and let a long, painful exhale of air.

What game is the universe playing with me?

The picture depicted a much younger version of Chi-chi standing next to a man dressed in orange, Goku. His one arm was behind her back, the other held a young boy in the goofiest costume Bardock had ever seen. The orange jewel on his hat looked especially gaudy.

This is Goku's wife. Is- is that Gohan?

At least her odd behavior made some sense now. If someone bearing a similar resemblance to Gine suddenly showed up on the brink of death, Bardock would be thrown off.

Right… Gine.

Bardock had to admit that he didn't spare much of a thought for Gine since his arrival. His first few days on Earth consisted of groundbreaking revelation after revelation as he learned more about this planet's history, the exploits of his son, and the very real threat that the androids posed to everyone. There was just too much going on for Bardock to properly register her death. After that, Bardock's time was mostly spent with Trunks, and waiting for Gohan to wake up.

"I'm sorry Gine, you deserve better."

Bardock set the picture down, and sat on the bed. There was time now, and Bardock was going to take it.

Thank you for reading! The wait for the next chapter should be shorter. If it isn't I probably took on another massive time commitment.