Dragon Ball SS: Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 

“Haiya Dragon, you need to stay outside,” Gohan admonished. He pointed over the dragon's head back into the yard.

 

The dragon whined and pushed his shoulders against the doorway again, trying to wedge his way inside. After a moment, he cried out and sat back on the step.

 

“I don't mind if he comes inside,” the young woman said, “but I don't want him to hurt himself trying to get through the doorway. I'm afraid it's going to be too small for his body.”

 

Gohan nodded. He gestured for the dragon to remain outside. “I'll be all right,” he reassured. “You stay out there.”

 

The dragon whined again, then circled around the step and finally settled down in a curled position next to it. He heaved a sigh and let his wings droop down alongside his body.

 

“He'll be okay,” the woman said. “I'll have some food and water brought out for him later; I have a feeling he won't be going anywhere without you.” She nodded toward the interior of the house. “Let's get you to bed; the sooner that fever is put in check, the sooner you'll feel better.”

 

Just then, a man with tousled brown hair hurried up to them. In the dim interior light, Gohan was able to make out weathered features and a scarred face that seemed oddly familiar.

 

“My lady Taphone,” he began, “is there anything I can help with?”

 

“Pigero!” she replied. “Good timing. Son Gohan, here, is going to stay the night. He's running a fever and shouldn't be out and about right now.”

 

“Gohan!” Pigero exclaimed.

 

At the same time, Gohan's eyes widened in surprise. “Pigero?” he asked. “Wow, it's been a long time!”

 

Pigero shook his head. “And once again you wash up to be nursed back to health,” he chided. “Ever thought of taking it easy?”

 

Gohan smiled weakly. “That'd be too easy,” he replied. He started to continue, but a wave of dizziness overtook him, and he found himself suddenly being supported by both Taphone and Pigero.

 

“Help me get him to a guest room,” Taphone told Pigero. “I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to catch up once he feels better.”

 

Pigero nodded and lifted Gohan's arm over his shoulders. He and Taphone guided the half-Saiyan down the hall to a small, cozy bedroom. Pigero flipped a switch and warm light illuminated a soft bed covered with a brightly-patterned bed spread.

 

Taphone turned back the covers, and Gohan sighed with relief as Pigero helped him settle onto the cushioned surface.

 

“Thank you,” Gohan said. “I hate to be a burden.”

 

“Not at all,” Taphone replied. “You're not the first person I've found lying out in the cold.” She winked at him and tweaked Pigero's chin gently with her thumb and forefinger. “I'll be back shortly with some juice and a cold pack for that fever.” She stood and walked quickly out the door.

 

Gohan eyed up Pigero as he reclined back on the pillow. “So what happened to you after you dropped me off, anyway?” he asked. “You didn't go to the orphanage with the others?”

 

Pigero shook his head. “No,” he said. “That wasn't for me. They were young enough yet that they still belonged in school and in warm homes. I drifted for a while...got in trouble with the law a few times...I ended up on the wrong side of a bar fight and was face-down in a ditch when Lady Taphone found me.” He closed his eyes and smiled at the memory. “Looking back, it's the best thing that has happened to me. I didn't have anywhere else to go, so I stayed here when she offered.”

 

“Stayed here?” Gohan asked. “You work for her?”

 

Pigero laughed heartily. “Raising triplets is a lot of work, but when they're your own it's totally worth it.” He smiled at the startled look on Gohan's face. “I'm sorry,” he said. “I still call her 'my lady' out of habit. I keep forgetting that it confuses people as to the nature of our relationship, especially now that the kids are grown and out of the house.”

 

“You're...” Gohan began. “I didn't realize...”

 

Pigero pulled a chair alongside the bed and sat down. “I doubt I'd be alive right now, let alone healthy, happy and in one piece, if she hadn't come along,” he said fondly. “Having a family and a home really settles a guy...but you must have a family too?” he asked. “You seemed a nice enough kid to find a good wife.”

 

Gohan sighed softly and gazed up at the ceiling. “Yeah...” he began. “Yeah, I do. A wife and daughter, and both of them incredible.” He sat up and looked down at his hands. “And it seems that my daughter will be getting married and I'll have a grand child soon. It shouldn't get happier than this for me.”

 

Pigero noticed the longing gaze as Gohan stared at his hands. “But you're not happy,” he commented. “Even though all the indications are that you should be.”

 

Gohan sighed again. “I've just had a lot come up in my life very suddenly,” he said without elaborating. “And frankly, I'm worried about where some of it is going to take me.” He slumped forward slightly and bowed his head. “Videl deserves better than what I'm giving her.”

 

Pigero set his hand on Gohan's shoulder. “Trust me, Gohan,” he said. “If anyone knows anything about turning around a life after you've screwed up royally, it's me. You're both strong and bright – if you're dedicated to changing, I'm certain you can.”

 

“Also, once you're healthy again, you'll be able to think more clearly,” Taphone said. She walked back into the room carrying a glass of fruit juice and a soft, frosty pack in her hands. She handed them to Gohan. “Here you go,” she said. “These should help you relax so that you can sleep.”

 

“Thanks,” Gohan said appreciatively. He pressed the cold pack to his forehead for a moment, then straightened up to drink the juice. He handed the empty glass back to Taphone and settled back against the pillow again.

 

“If you need the bathroom at all, the door near the foot of your bed is the guest bathroom. Everything you need should be in there.”

 

Gohan nodded sleepily and pulled the blankets up around himself.

 

Taphone nodded to Pigero and the two of them quietly left the room. The two of them walked in silence for a few moments. Then, Pigero glanced sideways at Taphone. “Do you plan on keeping this one, too?” he asked.

 

Taphone smiled and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “I'm certain that his wife and family would protest,” she said. “I think you're right; he can turn his life around. It's just going to take some time and reconsideration of priorities.”

 

“You sound confident that he can do that,” Pigero commented.

 

“I've been watching the news,” Taphone replied. “I don't think the people of this planet will let him do otherwise.”

 

Pigero looked at her in surprise. “The news?” he asked. “You mean he's Saiyan? How can you tell?”

 

“He participated in the Cell Game and the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai,” she replied. “Remember the boy with golden hair? He went unnamed in the Cell Game footage, but he appeared again shortly before and during the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai as the 'Great Saiyaman.' It's just easy for people as a whole to forget who their heroes are.”

 

“Is the blond hair a disguise, then?” Pigero asked.

 

“More like a transformation,” Taphone replied. “I've seen other Budokai fighters undergo one transformation or another, though they're usually not human.”

 

Pigero rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Gohan mentioned a 'Videl' when he was talking about his family,” he said. “Wasn't there a young woman named Videl at the 25th Budokai? It seems like she fought just before the tournament was cut short – she was fighting that crazed musclehead...Pogovitch? Something like that.”

 

“Spopovitch,” Taphone corrected. “That was Videl, the daughter of Mr. Satan, who has since been the champion of the Tenkaichi Budokai. I would not be surprised if they are one and the same.”

 

Pigero chuckled. “If that's the case, it's no wonder Gohan's worried. That's not the sort of woman one just offends and blows it off.”

 

Taphone reached over and took hold of his earlobe. “Last time I checked, no woman is one to just offend and blow it off.”

 

“Right, right,” Pigero conceded. He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “That one was my bad.”

 

Taphone leaned over and bumped his arm with her shoulder. “We should head to bed ourselves,” she said. “I have a feeling we're in for an eventful day tomorrow.”

 

Pigero looked at her quizzically, but she didn't explain further. After a moment, he shrugged and smiled. “You haven't led me wrong yet,” he said. “And bed sounds good right now.”