Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Somewhere Only We Know: Sequel to Becoming Trunks ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 9

 

Somewhere Only We Know

Song by Keane

Oh simple thing where have you gone

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

 

Two weeks flew by for Miyuki, but things weren't turning out as well as she had hoped. Quickly, she saw her dreams of opening her photo studio in a month's time, crash down in flames. She thought that it all would be as simple as leasing a building and hanging up artwork, but she didn't realize that there was endless paperwork and permits to be filled out and hiring of construction crews, among other tedious tasks to do. In her spare moments, which were few and far between, she tried to occupy her thoughts with as much mindless busywork as possible, so that she didn't have to think about the marriage proposal she had received from Trunks Briefs.

 

On his end, Trunks didn't attempt to contact her after that night at the restaurant. Even thought it pained him greatly on the inside, he forced himself to stay away, to respect her wish for additional time. To distract himself, he became more deeply involved with the day-to-day operations of Capsule Corp. The company directors, most of whom had been perfectly happy with his limited involvement in the past, were not pleased with this new, aggressive role the young executive was taking as of late. To keep his mind off Miyuki, Trunks often worked well into the evening hours. As the days passed, Bulma became concerned about the workaholic schedule her son had taken on. He hardly spoke to her anymore and had missed several family dinners, as well. On a couple of occasions, after his grueling workday, Trunks found himself in the exact spot in the mountains that he had shared with Miyuki. Their one night together since her return was etched in his memory. The softness of her skin, she smell of her hair, the feel of her fingers running across his back—all sent a shiver up his spine as he stood in that familiar place.

 

Late one evening, Miyuki was sitting in her room and typing some notes on her laptop, when she received a call from her mother. “Hi, Mom. What's going on?”

 

“I am still here at work and I had to call you. It's…about Jo. He isn't doing very well. I don't think he has much longer. He is suffering from severe heart failure, and his kidneys are showing definite signs of failure in the last couple days. I just thought you should know.”

 

Miyuki stopped typing and went silent. She hadn't gone to see Jo since visiting him two weeks before. Several times, she found herself pulling into the parking lot of the nursing home, only to chicken out and drive away as fast as she could. This might be her last chance to make peace with him. “So, do you think he wants to see me?”

 

“I think he would like that very much,” replied Miya in a thoughtful tone. “But it is totally up to you, dear.”

 

“I'll be right over.”

 

Miyuki quickly set her laptop aside and walked out of her room, grabbing her jacket on the way. Once she got downstairs, she told Sayuri where she was going and gave Hana a kiss before leaving. She slowly walked to the street, and then with purposeful movements, retrieved the capsule car, pressed the plunger and threw it into the street. She stared at the car for a few moments before getting in. As if in slow motion, she got into the driver's seat and headed towards the nursing home.

 

Trunks was in his office looking over some contracts, when he felt an overwhelming sadness fill him. During the previous two weeks, he had sensed Miyuki's feelings several times, but none were as strong as the anxiety and distress that she was experiencing at that moment. His gut reaction was to immediately contact her, but then he remembered his promise to leave her alone and forced the feelings aside. With a sigh, he returned his attention to the task in front of him.

 

As she drove to the nursing home, Miyuki kept thinking back to the night she and Trunks had spent together. With everything that had been going on with her studio and her father, Miyuki had become more and more upset and anxious. On top of which she kept having bouts of nausea to the point of throwing up, especially in the morning. At first, she blamed it on all the stress she'd been experiencing, keeping up with her crazy schedule and not eating regularly. This was not a new way of life for her, though, because her life as a Capsule Corp. executive was very similar and never made her physically ill. She had always managed to keep her hormonal female side in check and not over react to her situation. Now, she was due to start her period and none of the usual signs were there, plus she was a bundle of constant emotional drama. Not wanting to think about the possibility of being pregnant, she put those thoughts out of her mind. The only thing that mattered to her right now was making peace with her estranged father, Jo He.

 

Miyuki pulled into a vacant slot in the visitors' section, close to the nursing home, entrance. Reluctantly, she turned off the car, opened the door and slid out of the driver's seat. After slamming the car door behind her, she passed between the automatic doors, through the lobby, and walked down the long hall to her father's room. With every step, she felt her legs start to become wobbly and her hands begin to shake. When she finally got to the door of his room, she stopped and leaned against the wall for support. All around there were muted sounds of people talking, call lights beeping, and voices from televisions still on at this late hour, but she heard none of it. It was as if she had stepped into a time warp. All of a sudden, she was no longer a grown woman, but a little six-year-old girl, deathly afraid to face her father; fearful that he was mad and was going to yell at her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. You are thirty years old, Miyuki, not six! She scolded herself. He is powerless, lying there in a hospital bed. He can't hurt you anymore.

 

While Miyuki was standing there, inwardly debating with herself, Miya emerged from the room. Over the past few minutes, she had been going in and out of the room, looking for her daughter. When she saw Miyuki leaning against the wall in the hallway with her eyes closed, she went up to her and touched her gently on the arm. Miyuki's eyes opened to see her mother's tired, but thoughtful face. “I didn't tell him you were coming, in case you changed your mind. What would you like to do?”

 

Miyuki straightened her stance and asked, “How long have you been here? Did you work all day?”

 

“Yes, I finished my regular shift a while ago, but I decided to stay after to be with him. I know he was a terrible man, but the thought of him being alone in his last hours just overwhelmed me.”

 

“Go take a break, Mom. I will sit with him for a while.”

 

Miya looked at her daughter with a wide-eyed expression. It was the first time she had called her Mom. She reached out and hugged her daughter tightly.

 

Miyuki hugged her back, like she never had done before. As she held Miya, she realized that she had unconsciously refrained from fully embracing her as her mother. But Miya was her mom and, at this moment, when Miyuki really needed her, it felt good to have a mom.

 

Sitting in his office, Trunks again felt what Miyuki was feeling. The strong emotions that he kept sensing made it impossible for him to concentrate on his work. Something very serious was happening in her life and he needed to go to where she was, to be near her, even if she wouldn't see him. Taking a deep breath, he exited his office through the window, and headed for Sayuri's house.

 

After a long hug and few shed tears, Miya pulled away from her daughter and wiped a tear from her daughter's eye. Miyuki did the same and they both smiled at each other. Miyuki braced herself and slowly made her way into the room, holding onto her mother's hand until the last possible moment.

 

The air in her father's room was stale and smelled of some type of antiseptic. She saw that the television was on and Jo's bed was positioned in such a way that he could easily sit up and watch it. To Miyuki, his appearance had noticeably worsened. A tube with IV drip was attached to his right arm and his oxygen tube was securely held in place under his nostrils thanks to two small pieces of surgical tape affixed to either cheek. Despite the steady supply of oxygen and painkillers, his breath was ragged and shallow. To her eyes, he appeared as if all the flesh under his skin had wasted away in the past two weeks since she had last seen him. Taking advantage of the room's dim lighting, Miyuki spoke up. “Daddy?” she inquired in an almost childlike voice.

 

Jo slowly turned his head on his pillow towards the sound of her voice. “Miyuki, could it really be you?” he whispered. His voice cracked and a tear fell down his sunken cheek. “Have you come to take me out of this horrible place?”

 

Miyuki took several steps closer to his bed, saying, “Yes, Daddy, it's me. I have come to take you to my big mansion, where my servants will wait on you hand and foot.” She found a chair and pulled it up to the side of the bed. As she sat down, she gently took his left hand in hers. It felt cold and clammy to the touch, so she placed her other hand on top to give it a little extra warmth.

 

“I always knew you would come for me. I am so sorry I was such a horrible father to you. You have really done well for yourself. I heard you are engaged to that president fellow. Trunks Briefs, is that his name? If you marry him, you will own that company.”

 

Not wanting to spoil his vision, Miyuki nodded. “Yes, we are going to get married. Are you comfortable, Daddy?” she asked.

 

“No, not really. I am sure I will be though when I get to your place.”

 

“Are you hungry?” asked Miyuki as she noticed an untouched tray of food next to his bed.

 

“All they feed me here is crap. What's on that tray, anyway?”

 

Miyuki let go of his hand and walked around the bed to see what he had been served for dinner. The part under the cover that was still warm had a pureed neutral color to it and didn't look very appetizing. “Do you still like ice cream, Daddy?” asked Miyuki as she noticed a cup of vanilla ice cream on his tray.

 

“That sounds pretty good. I could eat that, I suppose.”

 

Miyuki peeled off the top from the plastic container and grabbed a spoon. She walked back around the bed and sat in the chair. She was going to hand it to him, but realized he was far too weak to feed himself. She dipped the spoon into the frozen substance then brought it to her father's lips. He eagerly took the ice cream in his mouth and smiled with pleasure. “Do you like it?”

 

“Ice cream was always my favorite. Do you remember when we used to go get ice cream on Saturdays? I hope you remember, because I always thought we had a good time.”

 

Miyuki hadn't thought about their “ice cream Saturdays” in years. She filled the spoon again and fed it to her father. She continued feeding him in silence until there was none left in the cup. Several times she attempted to say something, just to let him know that she wanted to make peace with him, but the words never came. Instead she wiped the corners of his mouth with a paper napkin. Jo squirmed a little in his bed, until he managed to find a comfortable position. Pulled by the chatter from the television, he turned his head towards the flickering screen. Miyuki set aside the empty ice cream cup and the spoon and took hold of his hand once more. She found her eyes drawn to the television as well. “You did always like to watch game shows, Dad.”

 

Jo didn't answer, but nodded his head at her remark. About that time, the nurse came into the room to administer his scheduled dose of pain medication. Miyuki watched as the medicine went from the needle into the IV tube attached to his vein. She saw her father flinch a little, but soon his breathing became easier. They both continued to stare at the television. A few minutes later, Jo closed his eyes for the last time. His mouth hung open slightly, and the time between each breath became slower and more drawn out. Then, after releasing a single, soft sigh, his breath stopped. Miyuki watched as all the color slowly drained from his face. She gently undid the oxygen tube from off his face and put it aside. Miyuki had never been this close to death. She had always managed to conveniently have other commitments when asked to attend a funeral. “Daddy?” she softly whispered, her throat thickening with sorrow. “I am so sorry. I should have come to see you more. I wanted to get to know you again. But I am too late.” The end of her sentence was barely audible between sobs.

 

Miya came into the room at that moment and watched her daughter hug her father for the last time crying uncontrollably. Miya stood back and cried, feeling her daughter's grief. She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder from behind and turned to see a pair of concerned blue eyes. “Go to her, Trunks,” said Miya, “she needs you.”

 

He walked up behind Miyuki and placed his hand on her upper back, slowly rubbing his fingers in a circle. She continued to sob, but knew by his uniquely gentle touch that he was there. After a few minutes, Trunks put his hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her off her father's body. She turned around, dropping her head onto his chest and curling her arms against herself, wanting to be surrounded by his strong arms. He wrapped his arms around her and silently held her while she cried until there were no more tears left to be shed.

 

Miya came up to them with and held out a box of tissues. Trunks took a few, and picked Miyuki's head up in order to wipe away her tears. It felt so good to be held by him, to allow him to comfort her. When she could articulate again, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

 

Trunks smiled at her. “I am here because I want to be here.” That made Miyuki break into more sobs, so he pulled her to him again and held her until she could get a hold of herself. “Let me take you home. I don't want you driving.”

 

Miya assured her daughter that she would stay behind and take care of all the arrangements. Miyuki nodded her head and let Trunks lead her out of the nursing home. As Trunks drove her home, he steered with one arm and kept the other around her shoulders. Miyuki clung to him, needing him more than ever before. As long as Trunks was with her, she felt safe.

 

+++

 

Upon reaching Sayuri's house, Miyuki went straight upstairs to her room while Trunks went into the kitchen to let Sayuri and Nori in on what had transpired. He then asked Sayuri for a glass of water, and proceeded to take it upstairs. He found Miyuki crouched over the toilet in the guest bathroom, emptying her stomach contents. Trunks kneeled behind her and rubbed her back until she was finished, then carried her to her bedroom. He gently laid her on the bed and then ventured back to the bathroom to retrieve a cold washcloth. He sat down next to her on the edge of the bed and placed the washcloth on her forehead. Miyuki looked up at him through glazed-over eyes. “Thanks for bringing me home.”

 

“No problem.” Trunks took her hand and gently stroked her fingers. Miyuki turned onto her side and moved over on the bed to open up the space next to her. He eased his way onto the bed and lay facing her. With his finger he traced the outline of her eyes and nose, and then her mouth, memorizing every curve.

 

They stayed in that position for a long while until Miyuki said, “I have something to tell you,”

 

“Is it good or bad news?” asked Trunks.

 

“I am not sure,” said Miyuki as she sat up, removing the washcloth from her forehead. “You will have to decide.” She bit her bottom lip.

 

Trunks sat up next to her. “What is it, Miyuki?” he asked, with a more serious tone. “You can tell me anything.” Trunks looked down at his hands. “Even if it is that you have found someone else and you don't want to marry me.”

 

She looked at him and furiously shook her head. “No, nothing like that!” She looked down at the washcloth and twisted it around her hand in a nervous motion. “I…I haven't been feeling well, and I have been throwing up a lot, and…my period is late.” As she said the words, she moved her eyes even with his. “So…I think I may be pregnant.”

 

++++

 

Author's note: Is she or isn't she?

 

This chapter was a bit of therapy for me. Several of the situations with Miyuki's father, happened to me when my father passed last February. My father did do a lot of hallucinating in the end, and he did get pain medicine and I was with him when he took his last breath. My dad's last meal was vanilla ice cream. It was the only thing on his plate that he wanted. He went to sleep soon after I fed him and never woke up again. He passed away the next afternoon. My father was nothing like Miyuki's father. He was a kind and generous man and I miss him so much.