Can You Check Again?: A Dragon Ball Z Story

Chapter 9: Awaken

"Do you wake up as I do, having forgotten what it is that hurts or where, until you move? There is a second of consciousness that is clean again. A second that is you, without memory or experience, the animal warm and waking into a brand new world. There is the sun dissolving the dark, and light as clear as music, filling the room where you sleep and the other rooms behind your eyes." - Jeanette Winterson

Bulma hopped out of bed at the fastest pace a pregnant woman could handle. She was now six months pregnant. When Cyler went under Bulma was only two months. But tonight on a cold October night, Bulma's watch beeped and lit up the bedroom. She tried to move as fast as possible so Vegeta wouldn't wake up and thus be in the way. She grabbed her pink fluffy robe off the door hook and slipped on the matching house shoes. During these months this has happened before. Her machines over reacting to a small quiver or shake. This time though, Bulma had faith.

A right, then a left, one more right, then down the stairs to the lab. Bulma gripped the railing beside her as she eased her way down the steel steps. Kami knows she didn't need to be moving so hastily; sometimes you just got to though. She reached the bottom and silently congrated herself for being so careful. Well as careful as she has been in a while.

The machines in the lab gave off a very eery feeling. The bright blue lights illuminating the white walls; blinking every so often. There were no windows, as it should be for every lab. If secret experiments got out, well there goes the shock factor money. Her blue orbs searched the room until they landed on a tiny lump under white hospital sheets. The steady rise and fall of the linen calmed her a bit. Bulma gulped and steadied her way across the room. She stopped besides Cyler bed, Trunks wasn't there. Poor guy probably gave up all hope by now.

Bulma slowly check Cyler's vitals. The simple stuff like her pulse and reflexes. She was wasting time, she knew that. But anything was better than being let down again. Bulma took a hold of Cyler's hand; it was clammy, although that could've been her own hand sweating. Last time, she told everyone that Cyler would wake up. That her machines had notified her. That it would only be a few minutes, those minutes stretched into hours and soon everyone went back home. Leaving with simple pats on her back or their condolences.

She wouldn't allow that disappointment to anyone else but herself this time around. The watch told her Cyler is consious now, that she should wake any second now. Bulma fiddled with the girl's long spiky hair. She always thought it was funny how the girl didn't have a full set of bangs. Just two little spikes of hair, one resting just above each eyebrow. Bulma bit her lip; patience warying thin. She took in a deep breath and did something that went against all her training. She latched onto Cyler's shoulders and shook her. Bulma shook the living daylights out of her. And she wouldn't stop. With each shake she became more desperate, more in a frenzy. The tears that left her eyes fell onto the young princess' face.

"Wake up!" Bulma screamed; her voice was frail and needy. "Wake up damn you! I'm so tired of waiting for you to wake up. Here you are sleeping calmly and the rest of us can't go through the night without crying!" Bulma let go of Cyler and slammed her own face into the bed. She slowly looked up again; her eyes beet red. "I saw him you know, I saw my husband cry. For the first time in Kami knows how long. You wanted his attention right? Well guess what love...you got it." She ran a hand through her blue locks and sighed. Bulma stood back up and kissed Cyler's forehead. "Why don't you wake up so we can get the chance to know you?"

There was no response, as expected, so Bulma swiftly turned her heel and started towards the exit of the lab. She bit her lip, no need in sobbing any louder than she already had. She knew for a fact that Vegeta was up now. Just waiting for her to returm to the room. She didn't want to though, she didn't want to face the music that she was wrong, yet again.

"W...woman?" Bulma stopped in her tracks. She turned her back to the bed where Cyler rested. Tears welled up in Bulma's eyes making her vision blurry. Bulma ran, more so waddled over to the bed again. Bulma studied Cyler as her eyes fluttered open. "Did he...uh...did he..." Cyler fumbled over her words and a dry throat.

Bulma took Cyler in her arms and started to kiss her chubby face all over. Cyler had not been able to move her body fully yet, with it being immoble for so many months. She was forced to endure Bulma's affections until she ran out of them. Bulma pulled away and cleared her throat in a way to compose herself. "I know you don't practically love love, but you have no idea how happy I am that you're awake. I could just..." Bulma reached out to hug Cyler again but Cyler swatted her away.

"Enough of that." Cyler adjusted herself on the bed and cracked her neck. "I want to speak to Trunks...now." Bulma rolled her eyes and looked around for Cyler's armor. "Not even a thank you for devoting your days to my health. Or even a how's the baby? You are quite the emotionally deprived child."

"Yeah sure...whatever." Cyler hopped of the bed only to stumbled onto her knees. Her legs felt wobbly and her eyes couldn't focus. Her head started to throb. Cyler reached for the bed but missed and ended up on the floor. Bulma was beside her in seconds. "Hey hey! What's the matter Cyler?"

"I guess I shouldn't have acted so hastily. My body is working against me. This can't be right...I should be stronger." Cyler hissed. "I should be stronger."

Bulma and Cyler whipped their heads towards the lab entrance when the door suddenly creaked open. Vegeta emerged into the room and shut the door behind himself. "You should be...and you will be, but that's only when your body recovers. Which it hasn't."

"But why? All Saiyans heal fast and get stronger after a near death experience!"

"See that's where you're wrong. A saiyan that is strong heals faster. You started off weak so you heal slower." Cyler scoffed at him.

"Bulma lets go to bed. The girl is fine now..We...you can sleep now." Cyler caught his slip up but let it go. They made their way up the stairs but Cyler called for Bulma when Vegeta left out.

"Woman...Did he really...cry for me?" Bulma's eyes widened and she looked back to make sure Vegeta didn't hear her. Bulma nodded and winked and Cyler before scurring along to catch up with her love. Cyler smiled to herself and wiped a tear she haven't realized had escaped her eyes. She bit her lip and scowled. No more tears. She now had something to prove.