Disclaimer: You know the drill�if not refer to previous chapters � at least I think I put disclaimers in the previous chapters�
A/N: Sorry that it took so long to get this out. I thought that since I was on spring break last week that I�d be able to update everything�WRONG! Real life crap happened and it never got done. I apologize sincerely. And hope that an extra long chapter will atone for my previous laziness. I tried to keep the humor up in this chapter but it was hard, I have a feeling that this sequel will be more serious than the original.
Oh well, enjoy!
~~The next morning ~~
Piccolo landed on the tile of the lookout. Pausing slightly, she materialized her turban and cape. The sudden added weight made her experience a moment of vertigo. Shaking her head to try to clear it, she found that it only increase her nausea. She did not understand it, she had not even had any water yet this morning and it already felt like she was going to throw up.
Trying for the moment to ignore her body, Piccolo began looking for Dende. When she did spot the youthful Kami, she also saw that he was not alone. Bulma was talking with the guardian and another human woman was with them. Concentrating too much in trying not to succumb to nausea, she made her way over to the group without hearing what they were discussing.
�Good morning, Piccolo,� Dende chirped. �How are you feeling this morning?�
The older Namek did not respond verbally. She just stopped close enough to the small gathering to be considered part of the group but far enough away from them to retain her own personal space.
�You�re looking a little green this morning,� Bulma said before realizing that the comment probably was not the best thing to say. �I mean, greener than usual � as in you look like you�re going to be sick.�
�I am not sick,� Piccolo said closing her eyes briefly as another wave of nausea hit.
�Well, if what Dende has told me is right, then you aren�t sick at all,� the unknown human female interjected.
�Hey, squirt, who�s the human?�
The woman, who looked older than Bulma, walked right up to the towering warrior and extended her hand. �I�m Dr. Sasha and Dende asked Bulma to bring me here after he talked with you yesterday. He said after talking with the Elder Namek back on his home world, he determined that a human doctor would be best able to help.�
�She was my doctor when I had Trunks and then Chichi�s and Goten�s. And since then, she kinda had to find out about Saiyans so she�s also been Vegeta�s personal physician.�
�So why are you introducing me to a Doctor when I�m not sick?�
�There are times when people need doctors even when there is not something wrong with them,� Dende tried to explain.
�Like when?�
�Oh, Piccolo, calm down. We�re just trying to help you,� Bulma snapped. �The doctor�s here to confirm what Dende and Juunana-gou suspect.�
Piccolo crossed her arms and glared at the human woman, �And what do they suspect?�
�We need to do a few tests first,� Sasha, said undaunted by the Namek�s attitude. �I need to get a blood and urine sample first. So if you�ll follow me, Dende let me set up a small lab up here.�
�And how are you getting these samples?� Piccolo asked sincerely confused. She had no idea why the doctor needed her bodily fluids or how she was going to obtain them.
Bulma rolled her eyes realizing that the mighty warrior had never been in contact with doctors before and no one probably explained to her anything that happens during a check up. �Piccolo, just piss in the cup she gives you. The she�ll just stick a needle in your arm to extract some of your blood. It�s relatively painless.�
�A needle? Isn�t that what Goku was terrified of?� the green one asked with slight trepidation. If something scared the Super Saiyan, then it had to be bad.
Bulma blinked a couple of times and then broke out in uncontrollable laughter. She was laughing so hard that Dende had to grab her arm to keep her standing up. A sharp glare from Piccolo was all it took for the woman to try to stifle her laughter.
�Piccolo�hehe�don�t worry�it won�t hurt�hehe�Goku�s just a big baby,� she managed to say between laughing.
The doctor took the initiative to distract the Namek. �Follow me and I�ll tell you what is going to happen.�
Surprisingly the very confused warrior followed the human woman. By the time Bulma explained to Dende about Goku�s fear of needles, laughed, and then made their way to the makeshift lab, Piccolo was already standing there rather impatiently holding a cup full of liquid.
�Woman,� she said in a demanding tone that rivaled Vegeta. �Hey, doctor! I have better things to do today than stand around holding a cup full of my own piss.�
Dr. Sasha�s head popped out from behind the door to the other room. She had set up an exam room and a lab in the rooms that Dende had provided her. �Just put it on the counter and have a seat, I�ll be out in a minute.�
The Namek complied somewhat reluctantly. She sat on the exam table just as the doctor reentered the room carrying a small syringe. She laid it on the table to Piccolo�s right and took hold of the Namek�s left arm. She quickly tied an elastic band around the upper part of the green arm.
�So this is what Goku is afraid of?� Piccolo said picking up the syringe. She lifted it up to her face to inspect it more closely. She chuckled slightly, �It�s so tiny. How could this even hurt him?�
With the patient sufficiently distracted, Dr. Sasha retrieved the other syringe from the pocket of her lab coat. She deftly stuck the needle in a vein and filled the vial before the green warrior noticed.
�Hmmm�very interesting. I didn�t expect your blood to be purple.�
The doctor�s comment caused Piccolo to look at her arm. �Sneaky doctor. And if that was it, then Goku�s an idiot.�
�Ok, I need you to bend your arm up like this and keep it here for a few minutes,� the human said moving her patient�s arm for her. �And I am taking the samples back to the lab. Sit tight for a little bit and I�ll be back with some results.�
A very uncomfortable silence settled on the two Nameks and the blue-haired woman after the doctor exited the room. Piccolo sat with her eyes closed waiting. The other two fidgeted nervously but did not even attempt to start a conversation. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor returned.
�Well, Piccolo, the tests are all conclusive and point to one thing: You�re pregnant.�
�And what is that supposed to mean?� She asked without opening her eyes.
�You don�t know what �pregnant� means?�
�No.�
�Do you know how people reproduce?�
�Namek�s spit out eggs and I don�t care how you humans do it.�
Dende shook his head and thought; this is going to be a long day. He cleared his throat and tried to explain, �Due to your unique maturation on this planet and being in contact with other species, you can now reproduce like a human.�
�And you are telling me this because��
Bulma picked that time to jump in, �Because of your activities with Juunana-gou, it seems that you are going to have a baby.�
�A what?!� Piccolo shouted as her eyes finally popped open. �How?!�
Dr. Sasha shooed the others out of the room and closed the door behind them. She turned again to her patient was on the verge of hyperventilating. She took a deep breath and explained as best as she could what she understood of the Nameks� unique ability to adapt to the environment and become gendered. She then explained how normal gendered species bodies functioned, had intercourse, and reproduced. She also gave a brief overview of what happens during pregnancy explaining that she will tell her in more detail later the specifics.
Piccolo listened attentively and asked questions when she did not understand. It was all a little overwhelming and confusing to her so she was not acting like her usual stoic self. When the doctor finally stopped talking and asked if she had any questions, the green one looked down at her body for a minute thinking.
�So, there�s something growing inside of me?� her voice was almost a whisper.
�I�d prefer to think of it as a �someone� not a something and yes, there is,� Sasha said smiling reassuringly.
�Are you sure? I mean, your medical stuff means nothing to me. You could be telling me some cruel joke for all I know��
The woman shook her head slightly. She had broken the news to hundreds of patients in her career and each one had a different reaction: Joy, shock, relief, anger, fear, and despair. This time, she really felt for her patient � she had no clue about what was happening and had never even thought that it was possible. If her patient would have been a young, human girl, she would have reached out and hugged her but she did not think that the warrior would appreciate the gesture.
�Dende told me that yesterday he could feel a tiny ki belonging to the baby. He said that he doubted that one could find it if one wasn�t looking for it,� Sasha said trying to encourage Piccolo. �Can you see if you can sense it?�
Piccolo closed her eyes and relaxed as much as she could. She searched her own ki and followed it down until she found something. It was a tiny spark that was barely perceptible but it was definitely there. Her breath caught as she realized that there really was another life growing inside of her. She stood up quickly and walked to the door.
�I have to go. I need to think.�
�I understand,� Dr. Sasha said warmly. �I would like to see you again in a week to check on how things are going. I don�t anticipate any problems but you are the first Namek I have ever treated so we both are flying somewhat blind here.�
Piccolo just nodded and walked out of the room. She did not stop to talk to the others waiting outside but flew off the Lookout without another look back. She had a lot to think about and she could not do it there with people around her. She stopped by her waterfall and hovered over the water.
She admitted that she knew nothing of babies. The only child she had ever been around was Gohan and he was four when she took him. She did not really take care of him either; she actually just left him in the wilderness to survive so that experience really did not help. She then tried to search Nail�s memories for any indication as to what to do with a baby. The only thing that she got was Nail watching little Dende but not as an infant.
She then thought that she could just rid her self of parasite that was growing within her body. She searched for its ki again and stopped. It was so tiny and weak but it was also so real. The child was real and right now it was helpless. She knew that now she could not do anything to harm that little life that was depending on her body to survive.
She finally settled down in her meditative position hovering above the water. She focused solely on the tiny spark within her. She even thought that it had already somehow gotten stronger after her acceptance of it. She figured that it probably was not true but she did not care.
Part Four |
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