Life With You

Part 33: A New Life: Part Two

AN: Hi. I didn't quit. Just had a very busy few months. I got sidelined into a project that took up a lot of my free time. It also caused me to have writer's block but I got the story done. It's another long one. Thank you for all the kind and supportive reviews. I'm sorry you had to wait so long.

"Krillin! Krillin, wake up!"

The sharp pounding on his door woke Krillin from a blissful sleep. He was blinded in darkness. "What the hell?" Krillin murmured as he reached for the lamp and switched it on. "Ow!" he grimaced at the bright light.

"Krillin!"

"I'm up. I'm up." Krillin pulled off the covers and swung his legs out of bed. Sluggishly, he walked to the door and stumbled over a shoe. He opened the door to see Master Roshi holding a cordless phone. "What is it?"

"It's Gohan. ChiChi's in the hospital. She's in labor."

"Labor?" Krillin rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Isn't that soon?"

The martial arts legend shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Half Saiyan baby pregnancies may be different." He handed Krillin a piece a paper. "Here's the hospital Gohan and ChiChi are at. Better get there fast."

Krillin took the paper and closed the door. He murmured a curse when he tripped on that same shoe. Grabbing his pants off the floor, Krillin shuffled his legs in.

In bed, 18 propped herself on her elbow. "Goku's wife is in labor?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna find out what's going on."

"Want me to come?"

Krillin hesitated for a moment before he slipped his shirt over his head. "Don't think that will be smart. No one knows about us except Master Roshi and the timing's not right."

"Whose fault is that?" 18 didn't hide the irritation in her voice.

Here we go again. "It's not like we've had a reunion recently." Krillin defended himself. "Everyone's gone back to their lives." 18's face spoke volumes. She didn't approve of what Krillin said and if he didn't fix this, he wasn't touching her for a while. "Lazuli," he spoke her real name to let her know he's serious. "I'm not ashamed of us. We'll tell everyone about us when the time is right."

Krillin moved in to kiss 18 but she turned her face away. "Wasn't it five years before you saw Goku after he married?"

Krillin touched 18's chin and kissed her. "It won't be five years before we all meet. I promise." He gave her another kiss. "I'll call you when I'm at the hospital."

****

Bulma stepped off the elevator to the maternity ward of the hospital. She spotted Krillin with Gohan and Gyu-Mao and picked up her pace. Like Krillin, she was awakened with a call from Gohan. She left Trunks with her parents and flew here. It wasn't WuKong Hospital where Goku recovered after his fight with Vegeta but the closest one near Mount Paouz. It was smaller and too far from West City for her liking.

"Gohan. How's ChiChi?"

"I don't know." The child was very worried. As soon as ChiChi was taken to be examined, Gohan called Gyu-Mao, Master Roshi and Bulma. "The doctor is with her."

"What happened?"

"Mom called for me. She was on the floor in pain, crying the baby's coming." Gohan wouldn't say he triggered this. The last thing he wanted was his father's friends accusing him. "I got here as fast as I could."

"You did the right thing," Bulma told him. "But it might be one of those false contractions. I had a few. It wasn't this early but I was so high on drugs when I was in labor I hardly felt anything. Maybe the stress of Goku's death still lingered in her pregnancy but why didn't ChiChi take better care of herself so this didn't happen?"