Forbidden

Of Old

*****

3- Of Old

Spring

"How much?" Pan grinned as she looked up at Dr. Brief.

The older man chuckled, his lavender mustache shaking and he grinned at the twelve-year-old. "Two inches," he said.

Pan gasped loudly before she turned to face Chi-Chi. "Did you hear that, Mama? Two inches!"

"I sure did," she smiled at her daughter. "Why don't you go tell Goten while I talk to Dr. Brief?"

"Okay," Pan nodded.

Chi-Chi watched as Pan rushed to the door and opened it. On the other side of the hallway, Goten leaned off the wall and glanced at her expectedly.

"Two inches, Ten!" She told him with a grin. "Two!"

"Wow!" He grinned as well. "Little Panny is getting so big!" He patted her head with a chuckle. "C'mon, I'll take you to the kitchens for a celebratory ice-cream!" Chi-Chi could hear him saying as the door was closed.

The woman smiled to herself. Her two youngest were best friends and it made her heart so happy to see them together. Goten was such a good big brother to Pan.

"My Lady."

She turned to Dr. Brief now and frowned. "How is she?" She asked quietly.

"The same," he answered. "Her health is stable, and that's the most important thing. As always, I just recommend that you take things easy with her. Don't let her strain herself too much with physical activity."

Chi-Chi nodded slowly. It had started four years ago when Pan was just eight. She became sickly often and at first, Chi-Chi just thought it was a cold she couldn't get over. Soon though she realized that it was much more than just a common cold and her fear from when Pan was born came back. She was terrified that her illness was back with a vengeance. After examinations and X-rays, Dr. Brief had discovered that nestling inside Pan's uterus was the strangest thing- four pearl-like beads. They had started tiny, being no bigger than a little pebble but now they were as big as marbles and Chi-Chi feared they were still growing. Dr. Brief had tried to remove them once, but couldn't because the pearls simply wouldn't allow him. When he got too close to them with an instrument, they would give off a shocking amount of electricity, shocking both him and Pan. The Doctor was afraid that if he probed any more, the girl's health could be at risk and so now they were just stuck watching it and hoping it wouldn't grow.

"Goten does well to make sure she doesn't overdo anything," Chi-Chi told the doctor. "Thank you," she said as she stood up and bowed. "We'll be back soon."

Dr. Brief bowed his head back. "Of course. I will be here."

Chi-Chi walked out of the office with a small sigh. Pan was sick, there was no doubt behind it, but now Goku wasn't here to save her again. Or perhaps, what Goku had done all those years ago to save Pan was the cause of her sickness now? Chi-Chi shook her head. Even if it was the cause, Goku had tried his best and now she too had to try her best.

"Mom?"

She turned to see Gohan walking down the hallway with his Royal Advisor, Lapis behind him. Chi-Chi eyed the Advisor and his blank face. Truthfully, she didn't know much about him. Four years ago when Gohan had become the King, he had joined the Royal Court. He had helped Gohan a lot, which Chi-Chi was thankful for but there was just something about him that left a sour feeling in her mouth.

"Lapis, you can go," Gohan told them. "I'd like to walk with my Mother."

"Yes, Your Majesty," he bowed to Gohan. His icy blue eyes landed on Chi-Chi. "My Lady," he bowed again before turning and walking down the hallway.