by Katherine R Mckay
 

     Vegeta stared at his family in front of him. "What? You're serious about
this?" he asked, amazed. Bulma smiled and nodded.

     "Yes, Vegeta. And we want you to come, too. To play the 'Big Protector Man'," Bulma said.

    Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever," he said. He turned and walked away, shaking his head at the craziness of his family.

    An hour later, the family was one third up Koujhi Mountian. Vegeta was the only one without a walking stick. 'Weaklings,' he thought. Trunks was humming to himself. He struck a high note, and Bulma shushed him.

    "Not too loud, Trunks. It could cause a rock slide," she warned.  Trunks nodded and fell silent. Someone further up the mountian started shouting.

    "Watch out!! Rock slide!!!" they shouted. Only Vegeta, with his keen hearing, heard it.
 

    "Move it! Rock slide!" Vegeta cried, scooping up Bulma and launching off the mountian. Trunks did the same with Bra. A boulder struck Vegeta in the side. He cried out and accidentally let go of Bulma.

     "Vegeeetaaaa!!!!" she screamed. Vegeta groaned and dove. He caught Bulma.

    "Idiot," she muttered. Vegeta had to stop himself from purposly dropping Bulma. He just smirked.

    "Oops-!" he said, and a large boulder hit Vegeta square in the back. Vegeta screamed in pain. "Trunks!!" he shouted. Trunks flew over. Vegeta threw Bulma to him and
clutched his back. Vegeta turned to face upward. He opened his eyes, and to his horror, a
huge boulder loomed in front of him. He cursed loudly. The boulder fell faster, and Vegeta felt it on his chest. The boulder fell even faster, and carried Vegeta with it. Vegeta scowled at the rock, remembering that time that Gohan was in Oozaru form that first time he came to earth. The boulder hit the earth, Vegeta under it.

    "VEGEEEEETAAAAA!!!!" Bulma screeched in panic. Trunks dove straight down, carefully watching the larger boulders. Bra clutched his shoulders, riding on his back. He
landed hard. Bulma struggled out of his grasp and ran to the boulder that
imprisoned Vegeta.

    "-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!" Vegeta finished his scream of pain. Bulma heard it only faintly.

    "Trunks! Get it off him! NOW!!" Bulma yelled, but Trunks was already there.  He strained, but the boulder only lifted a tiny bit. Trunks let go. The boulder settled back into place.

    Vegeta screeched under it. "You stupid idiot! Watch what you're doing with that! What do you want to do, kill me?! *Bleep*, get that *Bleeping* Kakarott!!!" Vegeta yelled.

    Bulma whipped out her cell phone. She knew Vegeta had to be hurting to want
Goku's help.

     "Hello?" Chi chi asked.

    "Chi chi! Get Goku on the phone NOW! Vegeta's in trouble, and he needs help!" Bulma cried into the phone frantically.

    "What? What happened, Bulma?" Goku asked as soon as he got onto the phone.

    "There was a rockslide at Koujhi Mountian. Vegeta is caught under a huge rock, and Trunks can't lift it! I know Vegeta's hurting, because he actually asked for you!" Bulma yelled. She began to cry in frustration.

    "I'll be there as soon as I can," Goku said grimly. The dial tone rang. Bulma turned off the phone.
 
    In fifteen minutes, Goku landed. He ran over to the boulder and heaved.  Trunks helped him. The boulder tumbled away, leaving a crushed and bloody Vegeta, cursing worse than a sailor. He's Saiya-jin, after all.  Goku and Trunks looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Vegeta
scowled at them, daring them to touch him. Bulma kneeled next to him. She cradled his head in her lap.

    "Oh, Vegeta," she sobbed.

    Vegeta faintly struggled. "Woman, you're getting water up my nose," Vegeta said weakly.
Bulma gave a crying laugh. Goku's eyes widened. Trunks gasped.

    "Daddy?! Daddy! Daddy!" Bra screeched. Trunks refrained her from going any nearer.

    "Bra, get onto my back," Trunks commanded.  Bra obeyed. Trunks walked over and picked up Bulma.

    "What are you doing?!" Bulma screeched. Goku walked over to Vegeta.

    "Don't even," Vegeta hissed. "Would you rather die in front of you wife and child?"
Goku demanded. Vegeta scowled and closed his eyes. Goku gulped and picked him up.

    "Ooowww! Watch it, onore!!" Vegeta yelled.
 
    Goku lifted off gently, then flew faster than Trunks and the girls to the nearest hospital.
 
    "Where are you going, Kakarott?! This isn't the way to the rejuvination tank!" Vegeta yelled.

    "It's too far away. You wouldn't make it. The hospital's your best chance," Goku said.

    "And leave me into the hands of those idiot humans?" Vegeta demanded.

    "I'll get you a sensu bean as soon as I can," Goku promised.

    "You'd better," Vegeta growled.

     Goku landed and ran into the hospital.

    "Can I help you?" The receptionist asked politely.

    "He needs help. Now," Goku said. The receptionist looked at Vegeta and called a doctor. Goku put Vegeta into a wheel chair.

    "Geez, Vegeta, though you look trim, you're as heavy as that boulder!" Goku complained.

    "Don't start, Kakarott. I am in no mood for you," Vegeta said.

     The doctor came and quickly wheeled Vegeta away, with the Saiya-jin prince yelling all the way. Goku sighed and leaned back into the chair for the first rest after he got Bulma's call. Bulma ran into the doors after they didn't open fast enough for her. She bounced back and got
through.

    "Where's Vegeta?!" Bulma cried. Bra followed her, and Trunks, panting, followed. Trunks flopped next to Goku.

    "The doctor took him into a room a few minutes ago," Goku said. Bulma sat down and covered her face with her hands. Bra sat next to her mother. Her bottom lip trembled.
 
    A few hours later, the doctor came out.

    "Family of Vegeta?" he asked.

    Bulma streaked over. "How is he? He didn't die, did he?!" she cried.

    "No, he didn't die, but he came very close to it," the doctor said.

    Bulma sighed with relief and went limp.

    "Can we see him?" Bra asked. The doctor nodded.

    "Follow me," he said.

    Vegeta's family and Goku followed the doctor into a dimly lit room. Vegeta lay in a hospital bed with IV tubes in his arm and a plastic mask covered his face, supplying air. His eyes
were closed. Bulma sat by his bed and held his hand. Goku shuffled his feet and studied the floor. Trunks yawned. He was tired out from all that climbing and flying and lifting. Bra silently cried.

     One of Vegeta's eyes fluttered open. The other was swollen shut.

    "Vegeta!" Bulma squeaked out before her throat constricted. The eye rolled.

    "Oh, shut up," Bulma said.

    Vegeta's eyebrow rose. Vegeta looked at Goku and his eye narrowed.

    "Fine, I'm going, I'm going," Goku said. Trunks looked at him.

    "I promised I'd go get him a sensu bean," Goku explained. It was now dark outside. Goku left. Vegeta looked at Trunks and then looked at the door. He repeated the gesture until Trunks got it.

    "Come on, Bra. We'd better leave. Mom, I'll meet you home, OK?" he said.

    Bulma nodded, tired. The doctor left. Trunks took Bra's hand and led her out.

     Bulma tightned her grip on Vegeta's hand.     "I thought I was going to loose you," Bulma said. Vegeta smirked.  Bulma gave a tired smile. "I got so worried, when I heard you in pain," she said. Vegetas smile dessipated, and his eyelid drooped. The pain killers were making him groggy. Vegeta clutched her hand tightly.

    Bulma squeezed it assuringly.  "I won't leave until you want me to," she said. Vegeta smiled, then slept soundly.

The End

West Capital City : A Vegeta Lover's Asylum

© Copyright March 2000