"Koru…?" she ventured cautiously.

There was shuffling, the clinking of chains and the wondrous red eyes peered into view. "You came."

Bulma smiled. "Of course I did."

There’s a corpse behind you…just try not to think about it…she sat down in front of the cell, holding up proudly the bowl of food. Koru’s eyes went wide.

"Today is…the festival?" she asked.

"How can you possibly keep track of time down here?" Bulma asked, dipping the spoon into the marble bowl. On her shoulder, Ghost chirped inquisitively at Koru’s form. Koru smiled as she took the spoon from Bulma’s hand and ate hungrily. She pointed a claw at Ghost and smiled.

"I haven’t seen one of them for a long time." She said quietly. She handed the spoon back to Bulma, who heaped another generous helping onto it.

"I won him today, at the festival." She felt suddenly ashamed. "I’m sorry…I have no right to gloat about having fun while you’re down here, do I?"

Koru downed the spoonful and shook her head. "No, I suppose you don’t." she looked up and tried to smile. "Don’t feel guilty for having fun. Nothing can be done about my situation. I’m used to this now."

"What do you usually eat?" Bulma asked, looking around the darkness. Koru reached behind her and pulled out a mass of tangled weeds and vines hanging. "These." She said flatly. "That’s why this food tastes so good. I haven’t had real food in two years."

Bulma placed the bowl in front of the cell where Koru could pass the spoon through and eat it. "I’m sorry, but I can’t be down here for very much longer."

"Oh…" Koru looked up. "Is someone waiting for you?"

Bulma was taken aback. "Why do you say that?"

"Why else would you be in a hurry?" Koru said.

"Yes. I do have someone…a rather angry someone…waiting for me."

"I’m sorry if I’m complicating your time here." She paused. "Do you like R’haksin?"

"It’s too red." Bulma said with a small smile. "There isn’t a lot of happiness."

"No." Koru shook her head. "You’re right about that." She had finished the bowl and pushed it back to Bulma, who gathered it in her hands.

"Bulma…I don’t think you know how much you coming down here means to me."

A pause.

"I’m happy to do it, Koru. You don’t deserve this. I wish I could do something…"

Silence hung in the air. Ghost interrupted it, thankfully, with his arrogant chirping. Bulma watched as Koru giggled much like a schoolgirl as Ghost scrambled through the cell bars and into her lap. He chirped happily and nuzzled his furry face into her leathery skin. She watched the tears welling up in the female Storkrins eyes and suddenly had to turn away.

"Keep him." Bulma said. "He can stay with you for a while. He’ll keep you company."

"Really?" Koru asked, her eyes shinning.

"Really." Bulma smiled. "I’ll come back for him later, all right? You guys just keep each other company and have fun." She stood.

"Thank you, Bulma. Thank you for bringing food, and most of all, talking to me." With her massive muscled arms, Koru hugged Ghost to her chest in a strangely gentle moment. "He’s so cute…it’s been so long since I’ve seen anything beautiful…"

"Goodnight, Koru." Bulma said.

"Goodnight." She shuffled back into the darkness, and Bulma listened to the happy chirping as she started up the stairs.

* * *

Vegeta was waiting for her at the top of the entrance, leaning against the cool stone and staring out guardedly over the forest.

"That was longer than two minuets." Was the first thing he said.

Bulma said nothing. She stood mutely beside him, holding the bowl in her limp hands, staring fixedly at her shoes. Vegeta noticed the tension.

"What’s wrong?"

I’m not going to cry I’m not going to cry I’m not going to cry…

Vegeta caught her just in time as she slumped over, but missed the bowl. It shattered on the ground into a million pieces. He hugged her to him awkwardly, not knowing at all what to say or do. Never before had he thought to comfort somebody, nor had he ever had to. Now, this weak human female with pale skin and trembling knees was sobbing into his chest with huge choking breaths. He pulled her up and against him, trying to get her to stand on her legs. She couldn’t. They buckled beneath her and he caught her again, this time pulling her off the ground and into his arms. Her head slumped against his chest as she hiccuped with her tears.

"Woman…" he didn’t know what had happened below, but he knew it hadn’t of been pleasant. He noticed the absence of Ghost. Was she crying because he’d gotten lost, or killed?

"Bulma." He lifted her chin and forced her to look at him. "Did something happen? Where’s Ghost?"

She shook her head numbly. He sighed. She was in no shape for conversation.

He started down the path, carrying gently his precious bundle.

* * *

Vegeta wrung the washcloth out and gently wiped Bulma’s forehead with it. He watched her chest rising with labored, uneven breaths. She had worked herself into an emotional frenzy, and her body hadn’t been able to take it. He should have known better than to let her go to The Dungeons. He should have.

He sighed and impulsively reached out to take her hand. Is this what I should do? Is this what one being comforted needs?

Her skin was so clammy and cold…like a corpse. Every so often she would moan loudly enough that it hurt his ears. He was so close to her, though. He wasn’t going to move away.

The symptoms were progressing.

They still had a month…

Would they make it? Would she die before the Psytrim grew?

No.

Vegeta couldn’t deny himself any longer. He had feelings for this woman, feelings that would not be pushed away from his thoughts. He wasn’t going to let her die.

He thought of the afternoon that they had spent together. He remember the way she had screamed when the Storkrin food blinked at her, and how it had been so ungraceful, but so…cute.

He looked down at her. You have so much spirit.

Without any warning Bulma suddenly cried out and began thrashing against the bed. Vegeta tightened his hands around her wrists and forced her hands above her head, trying to stop her movements. It did no good. He was amazed at her sudden burst of savage strength. So intense was her need to get away that he had to crawl onto the bed with her and force her to the mattress with his own body weight. Still she struggled, moaning, kicking, her eyes moving frantically beneath her eyelids. He closed his eyes against the pain of seeing her in such a condition. Did she even know what she was trying to get away from? Was she even aware of where she was? Did she know he was here, beside her, trying to help her?

She’s dying…

But he knew that, that was why he was here, and he couldn’t let that make him any less nurturing for her. With a grunt he forced down nearly all of his body weight into her own, halting her efforts for a few precious seconds. He took a breath and leaned his face down into the crook of her neck, listening to her ragged gasps of air as she fought an inner battle with herself. The Fortricres was attacking her with a savage relentlessness. Vegeta felt suddenly and inexplicably helpless.

It was then that he realized the skin on her neck was scalding hot. He retaliated and stared at the spot where his face had just been. He yanked down the zipper of the front of her suit and stared at the huge, black dots.

Forae.

Vegeta jumped off her now prone form and collected her limp body into his arms. He cringed at the heat that suddenly radiated from her skin.

She was shivering violently by the time he kicked open the bathroom door and set her down against the side of the tub. Diving toward the tap he turned the cold water on high and stood back, watching it fill into the tub. It wouldn’t go fast enough. He swore under his breath and turned to Bulma. The body suit was nearly impossible to remove; the sweat on her body was so thick. Finally he slid the slick vinyl material off and flipped it into the corner. He stared down at her body with horrified eyes.

The Forae were everywhere. They covered her neck, her shoulders, her breasts, and her midsection. Clusters of them had joined together to form giant black splotches on her thighs.

The bath was full, now. He carefully gathered her in his arms and slipped her inside, holding her head up with one hand while the other began rubbing frantically at the large black dots that covered her body. His mind raced. He was losing her. She could die, right here, in his arms, if he didn’t get rid of the heat quick enough.

Bulma slipped in his grip and he sought to hold onto her and press the coldness against her skin at the same time. It wasn’t working. No matter where he propped her she would slip out of his grasp. He held onto her and yanked his shirt over his head with the other. He would have to get in with her. There was no other way that would work quickly enough. The Forae were rapidly spreading. Her fingers clenched and unclenched rapidly, the muscles going into short violent spasms as she struggled to regain dominance over herself.

Vegeta hissed at the contact of the ice against his skin. Slipping in behind her he pulled her against his chest, securing her with his legs. He now had both his hands to work at the Forae.

Her head rolled from side to side as he frantically scrubbed at the dots, and suddenly she was completely silent. Her breathing no longer ragged and hoarse, he had to strain to hear it. They were sucking her strength dry. They were disappearing, slowly, but for each one that dissipated another formed. Vegeta’s ki flared to life in the water, caused by his frustration, and sent water splashing against the sides of the tub and onto the floor. The water instantly heated up. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to calm down. The ki flared lightly then vanished, and the ice returned to the water once more.

The feeling was completely gone in his legs and backside by the time he had rid Bulma of the last three Forae. Her skin now radiated with its usual flawlessness, free of the blackness. Vegeta’s chest shuddered with a shaky breath as she slumped against her, his face on the back of her neck. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. She remained silent. Unmoving. He could hardly detect any signs of life…her pulse…so faint. Her breathing, so shallow.

Had he lost her?

Bulma’s eyes fluttered weakly and she opened her mouth, fighting to form words. She was in a bathtub. Someone was behind her. The water stung her skin with frightening coolness.

"Vege…ta?"

She couldn’t make herself move. Her body wouldn’t listen.

"Am I…dead…?"

"No." his voice was a strained whisper at her back. Strong arms tightened around her stomach. She felt his lips quivering against the back of her neck. Ahead of her, water dripped slowly out of the tap. She watched it, hypnotized, before it wavered and vanished from her vision. Her temples throbbed with a violent pain.

"I wouldn’t let you die. You know that…don’t you?"

"…Yes…"

Vegeta nodded and further tightened his grasp on her, as though fearing that if he loosened it for even a moment, she would vanish completely from his arms. He listened as her breathing slowly returned to normal, and did something that he had not done in his entire life.

He cried.