Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Attachments Detached ❯ Chapter 16 ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter 16

For the second time Vegeta awoke to blurry sight and the burning of his throat. This time when he went to put a hand to his throat a firm but small hand stopped it. He blinked away the blurriness, trying to say her name, only to find a dark-haired woman looking at him with the professional air of a healer.

"Don't touch it. It's not healed yet. If it's itching that means it's healing." She spoke as doctor to patient, no infliction to her voice. In fact, now that Vegeta focused on her, he could see how very tired and old she seemed. She looked as if she should be no older than Kakarott.

The sudden reminder of the other Saiyan and the battle had Vegeta trying to rise. ChiChi easily held him down, watching the anger rise to the man's face with alarm. She thought of calling in Yamcha and Piccolo, but the man stopped struggling and looked intently at her.

His mouth moved and his scowl deepened when he heard nothing. Again he tried, feeling the muscles of his throat tighten and convulse in response. Biting back bile he stopped and concentrated on just getting the one word across to this woman.

ChiChi watched the lips in order to read them and bit her lip, as what the man wanted to know was made clear. "Kakarott." She breathed the word and felt a crushing pain when the man's eyes widened and he nodded, looking faintly alarmed at her reaction to the name.

"H-he died…." She wished she could stop trembling.

Vegeta stilled, eyes wide, as the words sunk in. He barely registered the tears in the woman's eyes as his disbelief took hold. He hadn't known he was shaking his head in denial until she stopped the movement with both her hands. "He's dead. He died killing Radditz." The words came out stronger this time, blowing his doubt away as if it were tumbleweed.

He turned his face away, jerking it out of her hands painfully and setting it in an enraged visage in order to contain what wanted to come to the surface. He had been there! He could've done something. Instead he had let his arrogance control his fighting; let it underestimate his opponent. Now, not only was he mute; Kakarott was dead.

His eyes swiveled as he heard the clear sound of a sob and watched dispassionately as the woman hurried out of the room as fast as she could. That must have been the woman that Kakarott had 'liked'. Obviously, it had been more than like. Imagine, Kakarott bonding like that with a human…getting her pregnant.

From there, his thoughts turned to Bulma. Was she worried? Did she even care that he hadn't returned? He wished he could call ChiChi back; tell her how to get a hold of the girl, if only to tell her what had happened to Kakarott. She would at least want to know that.

Instead, the only thing he could do was lie there, his wounds effectively immobilizing him as he fell back into a sleep that was anything but restful.

<~>

"Don't you wonder why I always told you no attachments, Vegeta?"

Vegeta's eyes popped open as the grating voice of Frieza filled the shadowed bedroom. He shuddered as the voice again sounded, like nails on a chalkboard. "Didn't you ever wonder, Vegeta, why I said I would exploit them as the weaknesses they are?" The lizard himself stepped out of the shadows in the brightest part of the room, surrounding Vegeta on all sides.

Vegeta tried to rise, feeling as if shackles he couldn't see and couldn't break held him down. "You see, it's quite easy to understand. You've become attached to this woman. I find out. I use this woman against you. Just like I used that last one…. Oh, wait, she was just a girl wasn't she? How old were you, Vegeta, six? In your first heat, I do believe.

"But there's another reason, Vegeta…. Love is not in you, and that is what all females want, especially human females. She wants something you can't give her."

As if merely talking about her had called her, Bulma stepped into the room. Vegeta opened his mouth to warn her, to tell her that Frieza was here early, but she merely looked at Frieza and nodded, before turning cold, blue eyes to his helpless form.

"Do you think I care, Vegeta?" She barked a laugh that was so like Frieza's that when he joined her they sounded as one. "I'm using you. I'll get what I want and throw away the rest, just like Frieza would have. And he will too. He'll get you and I'll sit back and laugh."

She turned slightly and Vegeta could see her protruding stomach. "His child, Vegeta. Don't look at it as if it is yours. Why would I have a child with a monkey? Frieza can give me all I want."

Her lips curled into a sneer and she was suddenly in his face, hot breath like fire and cold eyes he could not tear away from. "I ~hate~ you."

The way the word was said made Vegeta feel as if someone had plunged a fist into his chest. Looking down he could see the pale purple, lizard-like arm that had burst from her stomach to thrust into him.

He felt a talon-ed hand encircle his heart and squeeze.

<~>

ChiChi's second entrance and the setting of a tray down on the table beside his bed brought Vegeta back to awareness. He was actually glad she had interrupted the haunting dream. It was growing hazy in his mind, but the pure despair he had felt from it with a tinge of fear added was enough to make his eyes watch the woman's every move to escape it.

She noticed his scrutiny and turned to look him over, bending down and checking his bandage. The damage had been bad. The slash that had cut right through the muscle and tendons to his vocals cords wasn't likely to heal, but her patient did not need to know that.

She stopped and straightened as his piercing gaze became more than disconcerting. "My name is ChiChi. You're Vegeta, right?"

A nod and again she watched him struggle to say something. "Don't speak. Wait just a moment."

He watched with curiosity as she darted out of the room, coming back a few seconds later with a pen and pad of paper. He eagerly took them from her, not realizing just how very important words could become until they couldn't be uttered.

She frowned as he grabbed the items out her hands, but understood his anxiety when he handed the pad back to her. 'Bulma Briefs is at Krillin's house. Contact her.'

She nodded. "That I can do, although it would've been nice if you'd asked."

Vegeta's mouth curled into a snarl and he snatched back the pad to scribble a curl above the period, smirking as he handed her back the pad with a question mark at the end of the last sentence.

She frowned, not at all finding the man humorous. Needing to get away from him before she whacked him with something hard, round, and metal, ChiChi rose and went to do as the paper 'asked'. The sooner she contacted Miss Briefs, the sooner the Saiyan would be off her hands.

At the doorway, she turned around. "Oh, and I fixed you some chicken broth. You can't eat anything more than liquids right now. Make sure you eat it all."

As she left the room, Vegeta scowled at her back. The woman nagged more than the girl. He wondered what in the world Kakarott had seen in such a hard-mouthed harpy.

He frowned at the thought of Kakarott. Life wouldn't be the same without his stupid yet simple grin. Such was Vegeta's suddenly foul mood that he didn't really feel like eating. His stomach felt soured, as if the acid in it had gone bad. However, envisioning the harpy's explosion when he hadn't eaten was enough to make him swing his feet carefully around and sit up, trying not to strain his neck in doing so.

If it hadn't been for Kakarott…. Well, after Nappa had died he had seemingly lost his last connection with his planet and people. His contacts with his father back home had been made infrequent and far-between. He knew what Frieza had been trying to do, and perhaps his father had too. That one year before Kakarott-he almost hadn't made it out. He almost had become exactly what Frieza had wanted him to be.

He shook his head from thoughts that would only further his anger but do him no good in this state. He took a sip of the broth, thankfully finding his appetite returned after it settled warmly in his stomach. In a few seconds the broth was gone and Vegeta lay back down, wishing he could see just a bit of blue beside the darkness behind his eyelids.

<~>

"Bulma!"

Muttering in irritation, Bulma carefully scooted out from under the gravity machine, successful in not cracking her head like she had the first five times. She scowled at Krillin, who shifted nervously on his feet as he approached her. Ever since the fight with Vegeta, Bulma had become irritable and short-tempered, snapping at every little thing. It would be a day that night since Vegeta had taken off. Unconsciously, she found her gaze shifting to the skies.

A cleared throat brought her back to the man standing in front of her, trying to give her a small smile she didn't return. "What?" The word was staccato and churlish, and Krillin winced at it.

"Someone's on the phone for you. She says her name is ChiChi and it's really important she talk with you. She wouldn't listen to me when I told her you weren't here and won't tell me what she wants to talk with you about. You don't think they've caught-?"

Bulma paled at the words not uttered, her eyes blank with shock and terror at the thought of Vegeta being back in those beasts' hands. It was sad when you were ashamed of your own race.

Her mouth thinned and Krillin quailed at the look now on her face, hastily stepping aside as she marched into the house.

ChiChi blinked at the woman who came into view of the screen. "Miss Briefs?" Of course it was she, but the look on her face was enough to set anyone back. She looked like she was going to murder someone.

Bulma folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes. "How'd you get this number?"

ChiChi tried smiling tentatively at the woman and got nothing in response but a meaner look, if that were possible. "I looked it up. Look, I need you to come to my house. It's very important."

Bulma snorted softly, her eyes narrowing. "I doubt that."

ChiChi closed her eyes, bowed her head, and shook it slowly. "No. It is very important. I can't say it over the phone. You need to hear it in person. Trust me."

Bulma kept her eyes narrowed. "Right now, I trust no one."

ChiChi sighed. "I can understand that. I-know-someone-who-feels-the-same-as-you."

Bulma frowned at the deliberately spoken words; nodding slightly as her mind reached the only person this lady could be speaking of. "You do? And how is that person?"

ChiChi frowned, looking off to her right. "Grumpy."

ChiChi watched with amazement as the face before her changed; the eyes brightened and the jaw went a little slack. "A grumpy man?"

ChiChi nodded silently and blinked as the woman clapped her hands together. "Be right there!"

ChiChi didn't ask if she knew where she lived, most videophones came with identifiers on them. As the blue-haired heiress went off the screen and it went black, ChiChi gave a sigh of relief. Finally she could get that demanding snob of a man out of her house.

As if in answer the bell she had been stupid enough to give Vegeta rang once again. She cursed as she stalked to his room to see him sitting partway up, leaning back on pillows she had fluffed behind him, smirking at her. He motioned with a hand to the pad he had laid on the desk.

She huffed and stood her ground. "Sorry, your majesty, but I am not your servant."

He frowned at her, but really was able to do nothing, which made ChiChi grin with devious delight. He took the pad off the table, tore off the sheet of paper, rolled it into a neat ball, and hurled it at her.

ChiChi gave a mocking laugh as she ducked the projectile, which sailed over her head and out the door. "Whoops. Missed." He lifted his lips in what was obviously a growl and folded his arms across his chest, looking like a petulant child. "Oh stop pouting! I'll get it!"

His eyes flashed back to her and she could see him struggling to contain the anger that wanted, but couldn't, be released. She sighed and turned to pick up the piece of paper, hiding the pity she felt for him with the movement. He would, after all, never be able to speak again.

She stood there, holding the paper for a second without the words clicking before understanding and tears hit her. She turned back to Vegeta, but he was purposely not looking at her, doodling on the pad in an effort to occupy himself. She clutched the crumbled paper in her hands, vowing to tell her son of his father. "Bulma's coming."

Unlike the female, Vegeta's eyes looked dull as the name was mentioned. He shrugged as they took on a blank look.

"Well, she seemed awfully excited to get to see you." ChiChi frowned at the man's attitude. She really hoped the girl wasn't attached to the man.

He shook his head in apparent denial of that statement and again mouthed her lover's name. She looked shocked, as both the word and the dull look in his eyes registered. So, he did feel for her? "You think she's just worried about Kakarott? Well, that theory might be true except I only mentioned you and she literally leapt out the door."

Vegeta cocked his head to one side and ChiChi found it interesting how he'd naturally reverted to body language. After studying her like that for a few seconds, he picked up the pad and pen and wrote something down, tearing off the paper and stretching it out to her.

ChiChi took the paper and had to read the words twice in disbelief. She shook her head and lowered the paper to gaze incredulously at him. "I don't understand what?"

He shrugged and again wrote something down. 'She hurried because I need to train to defeat Frieza or Earth will be destroyed.'

ChiChi shook her head, "You're wrong. It's you who doesn't understand. You'll see when she gets here."

Vegeta scowled at her, then reverted back to his blank look. It was funny how much easier it was to read a person when they couldn't speak. ChiChi shook her head. "You need a drink or anything?"

He shook his head and sighed with relief when she finally left. How was it that even in writing he said too much? He chuckled; then frowned. Neither the sigh nor the chuckle had come out. He knew why she hadn't talked to him about his injury. It was serious and would never be healed. Well, at least he couldn't stick his foot in his mouth.

He turned back to his doodling, scowling as he wondered how long it would take her to get there. He hadn't noticed the passage of time when he'd been flying. He settled back for the wait, idly letting his pen flow across the paper in no pattern at all.

A/N: Man! Angst city! A bad dream there, Veggie! Perhaps a bit of-*gasp*-foreshadowing? Okay, that's the biggest hint you guys are getting of what's to come. Even with that, you wouldn't guess it! ^_^ Anyways, go on to the next chapter. It's a three-chapter deal tonight! (or today…)