CHAPTER 28:
Tailspin

The gift shop adjacent to the Cafeteria was surprisingly spacious - far larger than Pan expected from its modest entrance door, which was marked only by a painted onion symbol.

Inside, Pan was met with a strange blend of sterile hospital utility and the bustling energy of a bazaar. Its shelves were crammed with items that seemed to defy any logical organization, creating a labyrinth of aisles that invited exploration. Medical equipment and therapeutic devices sat alongside stationery, digital pads, and ornate carving tools, turning the space into a treasure trove of unexpected wonders.

As Pan ventured deeper, she found herself drawn to the back of the shop, where several aisles were dedicated to Vidalia Onions. One aisle featured onion-themed clothing - T-shirts, aprons, even socks, all emblazoned with playful onion patterns. Another aisle was stocked with onion-infused teas, oils, incense, candles, and perfumes. Beyond this, fresh Vidalia Onions were stacked neatly beside root vegetables, grains, and sacks of animal feed. The scent in this section was potent - a heady mix of earthy and herbal notes that lingered in the air.

Moving past the aisles filled with onion-themed merchandise and infused products, Pan found herself standing before an imposing back wall, at the far end of the shop.

The wall was an expansive display, towering over the rest of the store and lined from floor to ceiling with neatly arranged shelves. Each shelf was packed with rows upon rows of salves, lotions, balms, and waxes - all infused with onion extracts. Each product was marked with multiple " " symbols, indicating the strength of their healing properties.

Pan absently picked up a jar of lotion, its clear contents shimmering under the store's bright overhead lights. As she turned it over, she noticed a label on the front, which bore a symbol resembling a fountain.

She lingered for a moment, captivated by the product, and then turned her eyes back up to the vastness of the display.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a booming, jovial voice from the front of the store. "Could I interest you in our latest modern medicine?"

Startled, Pan looked up and down the central aisle. There, behind the counter, stood the store's vendor - an alien unlike any she had encountered before on their trip.

The man's bald, hefty head was topped with four long, meaty antennae, each ending in a large, blue eyeball that matched his baby-blue scrubs. He had a blubberous body, covered in dark, forest-green scales that gleamed with gem-like rainbow highlights under the shop's LED lights.

As the vendor spoke, his large eye-antennae twisted and curled in what appeared to be excitement.

"The salve in your hand is meant to keep you looking young forever."

"Young… forever?" Pan blinked, staring at the jar, and processing his words.

The alien boomed with a grinning, guttural voice, "Would you be interested in purchasing it?"

Pan glanced down at the jar she was holding, suddenly seeing it in a new light. Her imagination ran wild as she realized this was something that only existed in fairy tales back on Earth.

"WOULD I?" she exclaimed, and looked up with excited eyes, "Yes, of course!" Her eyes widened more, as she thought of many people who would want this. "This has gotta be the greatest gift of all time!"

The vendor chuckled, a deep, belly-shaking sound that made his entire body jiggle.

He then gestured toward the jar in Pan's hand with one of his lower eye-antennae. "The secret to our lotions is our Vidalia Onions. You can even buy them in bulk to prepare it in the kitchen." Gesturing to one side of the store, he continued, "We also sell supplementary onion powders, juices, spice rubs, and even intravenous rehydration treatments - all of which have highly restorative properties."

The vendor paused, and then casually pointed to one of his lower eye-antennae, which was slightly drooping. "Like you'd never know I lost this eye last night."

Pan was suddenly appalled, her excitement replaced with awkwardness. "What? You lost your eye?!"

The vendor shrugged nonchalantly. "It pops out sometimes."

"What? It just pops out?" Pan echoed, incredulous.

"Sure," the vendor replied with a casual wave of his hand. "My race sheds our eyes every ten years or so to keep our vision fresh." He beamed, all four of his eyes twinkling with pride. "Normally it takes a full year for each eye to fully grow back, but with just two drops of onion juice, and pop! Look, my eye grew right back overnight, good as new!"

Pan stared in awe, her gaze flicking from the vendor's eye to the jar in her hand. "Can I buy, like, a hundred of these?"

The vendor chuckled again, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, we don't have a hundred at the moment. That jar is the last of our old Fountain of Youth line. But good news - I've heard word that our facility is producing more lotions with the new water. We should have more available if you return in a few hours."

Pan's excitement dimmed slightly. "Aww, a few hours? I don't think we'll be here that long…"

The vendor's eye-antennae drooped slightly, but then straightened again as he grinned, "Well, if that doesn't work out, why not go for the real deal? Why don't you purchase one of our bags of Vidalia Onions? There's nothing quite like the real thing - the best onions in the whole galaxy, grown right here on our planet."

Pan hesitated, but the memory of Trunks' surprise picnic flickered in her mind. She knew how hard he was making an effort to connect with her, and she wanted to do something nice for him in return.

A grin spread across Pan's face as she imagined surprising Trunks with a delicious, nutritious meal made from the best onions in the galaxy. "Good idea! I'll take two!"

Pan left the gift shop carrying two large sacks of onions, along with a small bag of youthful creams tucked under her arm. She felt a sense of accomplishment as she headed toward the Cafeteria, eager to show her Grandpa Goku her loot before encapsulating them.

The Cafeteria was only a few steps away, and she could already hear the familiar clatter of dishes and the hum of conversation.

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"Hey, Grandpa! Grandpa, look what I got!" Pan's voice echoed as she entered the bustling Cafeteria, her eyes scanning the room for Goku. Instead of her Grandpa, though, she found a towering mountain of empty soup bowls that completely covered the table.

"Grandpa? Hey, Grandpa?" Pan called again, her tone shifting to confusion as she searched for him amidst the bowls.

Suddenly, a triumphant cry burst from beneath the pile, followed by Goku's familiar face, smeared with soup, as he popped out from the chaos.

"Hatchatchatchaaaaa!" Goku exclaimed, wiping his face with an arm, streaking it further across his cheek.

As Goku brought his gi up to wipe his face, his elbow hit a bowl. Suddenly, there was a -kreeeek- sound, as the tower started to tilt.

Pan stared in dismay, her heart skipping a beat as the mountain of bowls then began to sway dangerously. Time seemed to slow as she watched in horror, knowing what was about to happen, but powerless to stop it.

"Whaaa! Oh no!" she cried, as the the tower of dishes tilted further, and then with a sound like a slow-motion avalanche, the bowls collapsed in a cascading crash, sending dishes skittering across the floor.

-KRAKRAKAKAKAKAAKAKAK-

Pan cringed as the bowls skittered to a stop at the feet of bewildered diners. The entire Cafeteria seemed to freeze, holding its collective breath in the wake of the spectacle.

Pan glanced around, her cheeks flushing as she gauged the reactions of the other visitors and staff. Surprisingly, those nestled in corners with their books and drinks barely lifted their heads, returning to their activities as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, newcomers who had recently entered the Cafeteria appeared dazed, their expressions blank as they either stepped over or kicked aside the scattered bowls.

From the kitchen came the sound of jovial laughter and banter as the soup staff celebrated the end of their marathon shift. The clinking of glasses filled with soup broth punctuated their mood of triumph, their cheerful energy contrasting sharply with the lethargy that had settled over the rest of the room.

The atmosphere within the Cafeteria was an odd mix - while the kitchen staff radiated life and spirit, the rest of the hospital staff and visitors moved in a sluggish daze.

As the Cafeteria doors briefly opened, Pan caught a glimpse of more nurses outside in the Waiting Room, passing out cups of water while cleaning robots efficiently gathered empty cups from tables.

Pan's attention was drawn back to the Cafeteria as she watched the cleaning robots methodically collecting the bowls, and she immediately felt frustrated that her Grandpa was only contributing to them feeling exhausted. When it came to food, her Grandpa Goku could be a lot to handle.

With a resigned sigh, Pan tossed her two bags of onions onto some chairs and turned to Goku. "I left you for ten minutes, and you're already getting into more trouble!"

"Nuh uh!" Goku protested, leaning forward in his seat to scratch his butt with a carefree grin.

Pan spanned a gesture around the room, feeling exasperated, "You littered the whole Cafeteria with bowls!"

Goku shrugged, unbothered. "I can't help that they roll."

Pan narrowed her eyes, pointing toward the kitchen. "You literally ate their entire soup stock from the past week!"

Goku leaned back with a satisfied smile on his face, and patted his belly with pride. "Ha-tcha-tcha-tchaaaa, it was good, too!"

Pan's frustration bubbled over as she gestured at the pile of bowls. "You just pigged out! You ate everything!" she huffed, her voice tinged with exasperation, "What if I wanted to try the soup?!"

At that moment, a dazed-looking nurse bent down to pick up a bowl near Goku's feet. Slowly, almost mechanically, she stood, watching Pan's mouth as she spoke in a hollow, distant tone, "Not to worry, we can make a new batch with the new water."

Another male visitor, who had entered the Cafeteria with a bounce in their step as they sipped a cup of water, now stood slumped and exhausted. His face was gaunt, and his voice echoed the nurse's with vacant enthusiasm. "Yes, the new water is very good."

The words seemed to trigger something in the room. One by one, the diners and staff, who had been moving sluggishly, began to chant in a strange, droning unison, "The water is very good. The water is very good."

The Cafeteria doors swung open, and a couple of male nurses entered, each carrying trays laden with fresh cups of water. Drawn by the eerie chanting, they joined the chorus as they stepped inside. "The water is very good," they repeated, their eyes unnervingly focused on the mouths of the other visitors, as if transfixed.

Pan looked around, suddenly aware of how strange the hospital had become.

"Uhhh," she muttered, feeling a chill run down her spine, as she realized she had been so focused on her Grandpa Goku that she hadn't noticed the odd behavior of everyone around them.

She glanced nervously around the room, trying to piece together how long it had been since she last saw Trunks. As she began to focus her ki and reach out her senses, she was distracted by the approach of a short male nurse with dark curly hair and sandy-brown skin.

The nurse carried a silver tray of white paper water cups and smiled at her, though his expression didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Would you like to try the water?" he asked, his tone both inviting and unsettling. "It's very good."

Goku, entirely unfazed by the growing tension in the room, gave his belly a contented pat.

He then let out a nasally, drawn-out, "Naaaaaaaaah." He hiccupped with a satisfied smile plastered across his face, "I'm so full, I think I could explode!"

And then Goku's eyes widened, and his expression shifted abruptly. "Oh… no, I might actually explode…"

Pan blinked, bewildered by his sudden change in tone. "What?"

Goku's face twisted in disbelief as he reached behind himself, both hands clutching at his rear as if trying to prevent something from escaping. "Oh no, it's coming out!"

Pan froze, her mind unable to process what he was saying. "What?!"

"Oh no!" Goku grimaced, jumping out of his seat.

Goku's expression became one of pure panic as he leaped out of his seat, both arms desperately trying to contain whatever was brewing within. His belly somersaulted and rumbled ominously, like a volcano about to erupt.

"What! What are you - OH NO!"

-FFFRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP-

"NOOOOOOOO!" Pan tearfully choked as Goku thunderously erupted with an ear-splitting fart.

The noise reverberating through the room like a sonic boom. The entire building shook a bit in his flatulence, with a massive WOMMMM pulse that vibrated through the air.

And then, a sickly green fog settled over the room. The once pleasant smell was replaced by the acrid stench of sulfuric methane.

"Great Lord!" choked one of the male nurses, his hand shooting up to cover his mouth as he doubled over, spilling the water cups onto the ground.

"Lord help us!" a visitor shrieked, their voice rising in a panicked curse as they grabbed at their throat, gagging on the overwhelming stench.

Chaos broke loose as people began to choke and scream, flailing wildly as they tried to flee the Cafeteria. The odor was suffocating - a thick cloud that consumed everything in its path, driving everyone to the brink of hysteria. It was unbearable.

Pan's eyes welled up with tears as she screamed, "So GROOOOOSSSSSS!"

In that moment, Pan was convinced the world was ending. The foul stench seemed to envelop her, wrapping her in a noxious cloud that made it hard to breathe. Everything blurred and darkened as she gasped for air, certain that this was how she would die - smothered by her Grandpa's toxic fumes.

Her mind spiraled into melodramatic visions of Trunks discovering her lifeless body, a tragic victim of her Grandpa's unbearable stink.

"I'm dyyyyiiiiing," Pan wailed, her eyes squeezed shut as her life flashed before her eyes - a life where everything reeked like this; a life not worth living.

"Aw, Pan, it's not that bad," Goku's voice chimed through her despair. "And besides, I got this now!"

As the fog began to clear, Pan cautiously opened her eyes, still sniffling as she peered beyond the scattered soup bowls.

What she saw made her freeze in place.

"What?!" she started, her voice catching in her throat.

-fwip- -fwip- -fwip-

A brown, furry tail swayed in the air. Goku held it aloft, proudly displaying it with a wide grin, as his eyes gleamed with excitement and pride.

Pan's jaw dropped. Her mind struggled to process the sight.

She'd heard stories, but those were just fairy tales, right? She never thought - no, this couldn't be real - Grandpa Goku with a…?

Her thoughts spun out of control, struggling to catch up with the reality before her. She simply stared, dumbfounded.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the truth began to sink in. Barely able to form the words, Pan whispered, "A… tail?"

The Cafeteria fell into a stunned silence as the staff and visitors gradually noticed the unexpected appendage that had sprouted from Goku's young body.

Then, as realization finally smacked her in the face, Pan shouted, "Your TAIL!"

-._._._-._._._-._._._-._._._-._._._-._._._-

The Kais, observing from their distant realms, shouted in unison, "His TAIL!"

"Oh NO!" King Kai waved his arms frantically, his antennae standing rigid with panic, "This could be a disastaa!"

Ancient Kai, however, remained calm on his planet, folding his arms thoughtfully.

"Probably not a concern," Ancient Kai mused to himself, "The Saiyans were trained to avoid looking at moons."

-._._._-._._._-._._._-._._._-._._._-._._._-

Pan stared at Goku's new appendage, completely mortified as she gestured with both hands. "It just SHOOTS OUT like that?"

Before Goku could respond, a staff member near the door dropped her silver tray of drinks with a loud clatter. The cups scattered across the floor as she pointed at Goku, her face twisted in terror.

"SAAAAAAIIIIYAN!" she screamed, her voice piercing the air.

The single cry was enough to trigger a chain reaction.

"Saiyan?!" "SAIYAN!" "SAIYAN?!" echoed through the Cafeteria as the realization spread like wildfire. The previously dazed and exhausted patrons suddenly sprang to life, their energy renewed by fear as they pointed and shouted, with all eyes locked on Goku's tail.

Pan felt a cold wave of dread wash over her. They had been identified. The sleepy crowd had transformed into a frenzied mob, their fear palpable as they fixated on the source of their alarm - Goku's tail.

Goku, however, remained unfazed, casually examining the furry appendage with a hint of curiosity. "I was wondering when it'd grow back!" he said, oblivious to the chaos around him.

But the panic only escalated. "SAAAAIIYYAN!" more voices screamed in desperation, as if the word alone could serve as a warning to everyone within earshot.

Pan, now fully gripped by fear, hurriedly encapsulated her bags from the gift shop and grabbed Goku's wrist.

"Come on, Grandpa! We gotta get out of here!" she urged, trying to drag him away from the scene. "They're onto us!"

Goku stood his ground, and looked around, clearly puzzled by the reaction. "What, why? I thought this was a neutral planet."

Pan tugged harder, her voice rising in panic. "OBVIOUSLY NOT NEUTRAL!"

"But nobody's attacking us," Goku said, looking around with a puzzled expression. He hesitated, and then began to move slightly in the direction Pan was tugging him.

"Let's just go!" Pan urged, her voice laced with urgency as she pulled harder, but Goku planted his feet, refusing to budge.

"Come on, Pan, they're just heckling," Goku said, finally noticing the abrasive tone in the crowd's shouts. "It's like in a tournament!"

His voice was casual, almost too casual, oblivious to the growing tension around them.

Pan's anxiety only grew as she noticed the subtle shifts in the room - the way people's eyes seemed to narrow, the way their voices lowered to whispers, as if they were waiting for something - some kind of signal, or command.

"Let's get out of here!" she insisted, her heart pounding as she tried to block out the oppressive stares.

"But we can't," Goku replied, frowning as his tail shot straight up in agitation. He stood firm, and his voice took on a more serious tone. "We have to wait for Trunks."

"We'll go find him right now!" Pan argued, her desperation mounting as she tugged at Goku with all her might, yet he remained rooted to the spot.

"Trunks is still peeing!" Goku retorted, his tail flicking with irritation. "You can't interrupt him mid-stream!"

"Peeing?!" Pan's voice hitched in disbelief. She stopped tugging, her eyes wide with shock. "You thought he's been peeing this whole time?!"

Goku looked doubtful, his confidence wavering. "Well, where else would he be?"

"He's been meeting with the doctor!" Pan groaned and raised her hands in exasperation.

A tense silence fell between them. Goku took a deep breath, and in that brief moment, Pan felt the air grow heavy with an unspoken threat.

The whispers around them grew quieter, more focused, as if everyone in the room had collectively realized the gravity of the situation. The way the staff and visitors watched them, with eyes sharp and calculating, made Pan's skin crawl.

Pan wasn't sure what caused it, but somehow the atmosphere within Cafeteria had transformed within a short span of time, from a noisy, chaotic space, into a den of predatory sets of eyes, each one waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Goku's expression darkened. His face hardened as he tuned out the surrounding stares. His tail flicked with a sudden, sharp movement as his frown deepened.

"You let Trunks go off alone with a doctor?" Goku asked, his voice low and filled with a grave intensity.

Pan threw her hands up, frustration mixing with fear. "Grandpa, it was the tour guide doctor! You even trusted him."

Goku's eyes narrowed, a dangerous gleam flashing in them as he bared his fangs. "I've never trusted him! You can NEVER trust doctors."

"Oh, here we go again," Pan muttered, rolling her eyes.

Goku's concern was palpable as his tail flicked with a sense of urgency. "We need to find him. You never know when they'll try to sneak up on you with a needle."

Pan groaned, spreading her arms wide in frustration. "They don't all walk around with random needles in their pockets!"

Goku remained stern, his expression dark and foreboding as he warned gravely, "You never know... There could be bad guys among the doctors…" He cast a final, wary glance around the Cafeteria, and then broke into a determined stride forward. As he led Pan out of the Cafeteria, and down the hall, his voice was low and reflected an unsettling sense of impending doom. "... Let's not stick around to find out."

As he walked, the crowd silently parted in front of him, each with wide eyes as they stared at his swaying tail. As Pan followed closely, she could see that everyones' eyes betrayed a mix of fear… and something darker… something more… menacing…

Looking at their expressions, Pan began to worry. Her mind raced with thoughts of Trunks, of the doctor, and of the growing unease that seemed to hang in the air like a storm about to break.

For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen… a runaway terror that had been developing under their noses…

… Something they might not be able to stop.

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–8/19/24–

A/N: In Goku's Humored, I didn't return Goku's tail. But this time around, I'm going to have a little fun with it, at least for a little while. His tail might not always be such a convenient thing, LOL.

This text was originally intended to be the start of a longer chapter that switched to Trunks' perspective, but I think, for the sake of tone, this chapter work better on its own. It helps to provide a little comic relief while also shifting/transitioning the tone into something more foreboding.

I'm actually proud of this chapter. There's nothing like a good ol' fashioned fart joke. XD Hahahahaha!

I'm especially excited about the chapters to come. Things are about to get more intense. There may be beauty to be found in the grotesque.

I'm going on vacation / out of town starting tomorrow (August 20th), and I'll be back in September. I'm celebrating my birthday (Aug 23rd) on a 10-day Alaskan cruise :)

I don't expect to get the next update out before early September, but you never know - I didn't expect this one so soon, either. Until next chapter, leave me a comment - let me know if I got you to laugh! This calm before the storm is about to get rocky :)