Part 29   Sage gets sick…Goku gets a surprise…or two…

Vegeta stretched and began his warm-up routine at a mere 100X gravity.  The day was his.  Bulma had Sage all day; Kakkarott was coming over to spar in the gravity room and bringing Goten along to play with Trunks and to spend the night.  The demi-brat’s birthday party wasn’t for another day yet and he was finally going to get a decent workout in.

Or so he thought.

He was only halfway through his warm-up drills when the buzzer sounded, announcing someone outside the gravity room.  He ignored it.  If it was Kakkarott, he could let himself in.  The buzzer broke through his concentration again.  Cursing, he returned the gravity to normal, and walked to the door.  It opened on Bulma.  A very upset, panicky Bulma.

“What is it onna,” he began irritably, when he heard Sage’s cry.  He frowned; something wasn’t right about that cry.  Sage sounded frightened, weakened somehow.  His cry was interrupted by racking coughs that shook his small frame.  Every time he coughed, he cried harder, getting himself into a vicious circle that left him breathless and scared.

“I can’t calm him down Vegeta,” said Bulma in a panic-stricken voice.

Vegeta was somewhat worried himself.  He took the shivering little bundle into his arms, and winced as the chibi coughed again and cried, struggling to catch his breath.  The child was hot to the touch, too hot, and yet he shivered.  Vegeta looked at Bulma.  “What’s the matter with him Bulma?”

“He’s sick Vegeta.  He seemed sort of listless this morning when I got him up, and he was warmer than usual.  He only had one bottle…wouldn’t eat another.  He wanted to sleep, so I let him, but when he woke up about half an hour ago, he started coughing and crying, and he’s been like this ever since.  I can’t get any medicine down him, I can’t calm him, every time he coughs he panics and cries and that makes him cough more.”  She looked at Vegeta, tears in her eyes.  “I’m sorry Vegeta, I know you were looking forward to having this day to yourself, but I can’t do anything for him.  I feel so Kami-damned helpless!”

“You have medicine for him?”

“Yes, I have something that should help bring down his fever, and quiet his cough, but when I managed to get some down him, he coughed it back up.  His temperature is way above normal Vegeta, last time I checked it, it was closing on 110.  His normal body temperature is around 106.  Slightly lower than a full Saiyjin’s, but much higher than a human’s.”

Sage had quieted somewhat in his father’s embrace.  His normally perky and expressive tail hung limply from the base of his spine, and he whimpered pitifully and coughed again, his small body convulsing with the force of the cough.

Vegeta was at a loss.  He had no idea what to do with a sick infant.  It had never occurred to him that his offspring could get sick; he was confident that their Saiyjin blood was more than enough to combat the puny viruses and bacteria of this planet’s dominant race.

He looked at the onna who was weeping silently.   He sighed.  She wasn’t going to be any help he could see.

“Go,” he told her.  “Get some work done.  I’ll take care of him.  At least I can calm him somewhat.”

Her relief was tangible, but he could see self-disgust flicker across her face.  She hesitated.  “Are you sure?  I just….hate seeing him like this.”  She bit her lower lip and forced herself to look Vegeta in the eyes.

“I’m sure.  Go ahead…I’ll call you if things change for the worse.  I’m sure he’ll be fine once he gets some real rest.”

“Maybe we should call the doctor,” she mused belatedly.

“No.”  Vegeta’s answer was short, decisive and final.  He didn’t completely trust human doctors, not when it came to his sons.  After all, they knew nothing about demi-Saiyjin physiology….what possible help could one offer?

Bulma frowned.  “How about this then.  If he doesn’t show any improvement at all within 24 hours, we will call a doctor, agreed?”  Vegeta scowled.  He didn’t like being compromised.

“Please Vegeta; it would make me feel better.”

“Very well,” he growled. 

She gave him a tremulous smile, and leaned over to kiss her trembling son.  “Feel better soon little prince,” she whispered.

Vegeta carried Sage upstairs to his rooms, wracking his brains, trying to remember anything he knew about sickness.  For the most part, sickness had been dealt with by simply tanking the ill person.  But they didn’t have access to regeneration tanks here.  A senzu wouldn’t help; even if he could get some of one into his sick son.  The beans effects seemed to be limited to actual wounds, and didn’t have much if any effect on sickness.

He passed by a cupboard and stopped abruptly; an almost familiar scent drifted across his nose.  It triggered a memory, a memory of a crying infant, his nurse’s comfortable warmth, and soothing voice as she instructed him to help her with the little one.  Chibi Vegeta, fascinated at seeing a sick person treated outside the regeneration tanks, had obeyed.

The little one had contracted the kryat cough, a fairly common childhood ailment on Vegetasei.  It consisted of a low fever and a chronic wet cough that persisted until the child coughed up the phlegm that choked the insides of his lungs.  His nurse hadn’t wanted to take the child to the tanks, sometimes accidents happened with infants in tanks, unless the tanks were specifically designed for them.

Vegeta opened the cupboard door onto Bulma’s mother’s store of dried herbs.  I really must reassess my opinion of the woman, thought Vegeta absently as he gazed at the rows and rows of neatly labeled jars of individual dried herbs, grouped by category, bottles of oil with herbs steeping in them, and bunches of plants hanging upside down, drying.  He was no herbalist, even on Vegetasei; he had no idea what the names on the jars meant.  He smiled faintly though, as he passed his nose over a large jar labeled “Sage.”  That one, he knew at least.

He frowned, and put his nose to work; searching for scents resembling those he recalled from his nurse’s private stores.  He caught whiffs, here and there, lavender, chamomile, peppermint.  He knelt down, and discovered a shelf full of large jars of combinations of herbs.  He picked up a couple of different jars, assessing the pungent scents with his sensitive nose, and came across one that seemed perfect for his purposes.  The label, in Bulma’s mother’s neat handwriting read “Soothing and Relaxing mix.  Add a large handful to warm bathwater. Helpful for colds and congestion. Ingredients: eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, spearmint, chamomile, lemongrass.  Perfect.  He grabbed the jar, and was about to leave when a bottle of eucalyptus oil caught his eye.  He seized it, along with bottles of peppermint, lavender, chamomile and one of plain sweet almond oil, and resumed his previous course.

Sage was shivering in his arms, and still coughing and crying, but he seemed calmer.  Vegeta crooned-purred at his son, trying to calm him as he took Sage and the herbs into the bathroom.  He began filling the large sunken tub with water that was warmer than he usually used for Sage’s bath.  He tossed in a couple of large handfuls of the herb mixture and thought for a moment.  He crossed over to the shower and turned it on full hot, closing the shower door and returning to the tub.  Steam began to fill the bathroom.

Sage coughed and whimpered, “Tou’tan…”

“I know, you don’t feel well chukra.  We’re going to try and do something about that.”

He stripped Sage, and laying him down on a thick towel on the floor, shrugged himself out of his navy blue bodysuit.  He picked his son back up, and stepped into the tub, lowering himself into the almost hot water.  He leaned back and placed Sage chest to chest with him and began to rub the chibi’s back soothingly as he resumed his Saiyjin lullaby.  Sage’s coughs eased as the steam and the warm water and the vapors from the herbs soothed the baby’s tortured chest, and eventually, he slept.

Vegeta had no idea how long he was in the tub with Sage before he heard a frantic pounding on the door.

He opened his eyes.  The shower was still pouring steam into the black tiled room, but the water in the bath was cooling.  Sage was sleeping; his little hands fisted in his father’s wet hair that hung past his shoulders, his tail drooped lifelessly over Vegeta’s wrist.  The pounding resumed, and then stopped as the door opened on Kakkarott.

Goku’s eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him.  He and Goten had arrived at Capsule Corp over twenty minutes ago, and he had spent ten of them in the gravity room, waiting for Vegeta.  When it became apparent to Goku that the prince wasn’t coming, he had started looking for him.  That something was wrong was obvious to the younger Saiyjin, but he wasn’t able to put his finger on it.  He had finally followed his nose to Vegeta’s rooms, nearly missing his scent cloaked as it was by the damp and cloying fragrances of various herbs.

“Close the door Kakkarott.”  Vegeta’s voice was muted; he did not wish to awaken his son. 

Goku complied, closing the door silently and moving into the steam filled room.

“What’s going on Vegeta, I waited for you,” he stopped as the smaller man rose gracefully from the large sunken bath.  Oh Kami-sama thought Goku helplessly as the lithe naked form approached him.  Then his nose noticed something else, a worrying something else.  It was the smell of sickness, fever scent, and it was coming from…

“Sage?” he whispered disbelievingly.

“Hai, Kakkarott, he’s sick.”  Vegeta’s hand stroked the small back in a soothing rhythm.  “Hand me one of those towels, will you?”

Mutely Goku obeyed, and watched as Vegeta carefully wrapped the sleeping baby in the fluffy white cotton of the towel. 

Sweat was already pouring down Goku; his gi was sodden with steam and perspiration.  “What can I do to help?” he asked.

Vegeta looked at him in surprise.

“Nani?  You wish to help?”

“Of course I do Vegeta.  I…I…” he looked away, not meeting the ouji’s eyes.  “I love him,” he said softly, not sure if he wanted Vegeta to grasp the unspoken words or veiled meaning of his statement.

“Hn…then you’d better take that off,” he replied gesturing to the man’s soaked gi.

“What?  Oh…of course,” replied Goku, hoping Vegeta would mistake his blush for being overheated.  He quickly stripped down to his boxers and turned to Vegeta.  Who handed him the white clad bundle of his son.

“Go and sit over by the shower with him,” instructed Vegeta.  “The steam helps loosen up whatever is congesting him.  Makes his breathing easier.”

Goku turned to obey, then asked “What are you going to do?”

Vegeta paused.  “I’m going to try to make something I think I remember.”

Goku watched in fascination as Vegeta poured oil into a small dish and proceeded to add oils from various bottles.  The pungent  scents wafted over to Goku’s nose, supported by clouds of damp steam.  They smelled good….soothing, clarifying and relaxing.

Done to his satisfaction, Vegeta carried the dish over to where Kakkarott was sitting on the floor, cradling Sage in his arms.  The sound of the younger Saiyjin’s purr reached his ears, and pulled an answering rumble from Vegeta’s chest.  Vegeta knelt beside the pair.

“Unwrap him, Kakkarott,” he said quietly.

Goku pulled at the corner of the towel swaddling the small form of Sage, baring the chibi’s chest.  Vegeta dipped his fingers into the aromatic oil, and began to gently massage it into the minute chest.

“What is it Vegeta,” asked Goku, amazed.

“Just oils…eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, chamomile.  It should help.  It’s basically the same as the herb mixture that was in the bath water.”

“Where did you learn this?”

Vegeta snorted.  “I didn’t.  The mixture is the onna’s mothers.  She has a rather extensive garden.  It just smelled like what I remembered from my childhood….”

As Vegeta explained to Goku about his nurse, Sage began to wake.  Sensing his son’s stirrings, Vegeta’s voice changed, lowered, and became almost…caressing…a faint purr vibrating in the background.  Goku looked startled for a moment, and then understood as Sage coughed in his arms.  He resumed his own soothing purr as the chibi struggled towards wakefulness.

Sage felt warm and comfortable.  If only he could breathe properly; but it was much easier to do so now than it had been.  He could hear Tou’tan’s voice, could smell his warm comforting scent.  And…oh it was…Baka was holding him, his wonderfully rumbly purr a relaxing vibration the sick chibi could feel all through his body.  He coughed again, the spasm wracking his tiny frame.  He could hear his father’s voice.

“Saaaa chibi, it will be all right.  Just try to relax now.”  Tou’tan’s fingers were gentle on his chest, easing away that awful tightness and pain.  He was too warm.  He opened his eyes to see two concerned faces above him.  He could smell the wet in the room, and a very soothing scent coming from tou’tan’s hands as he rubbed his chest.  The calming sound of running water was close by.  He struggled in Baka’s grasp, coughing again, harder this time, and finally wailing his discomfort and fear.

“I think he’s too warm.  What do you think Kakkarott?”

Goku felt Sage’s forehead with the sensitive skin on the inside of his wrist.  Even allowing for the elevated body temperature of a demi-Saiyjin, Sage was much too hot.  He nodded at Vegeta.  “He’s running a fever.”

Vegeta ran his hands through his waterlogged spikes.  “Still,” he mumbled to himself.  “It came down for awhile.  Hn…I wonder.”  He looked up at the younger Saiyjin who was unwrapping Sage from the towel, and tucking him under his chin, trying to calm him.  “Let’s take him into the other room for awhile.  It’s cooler in there, and the steam from the bathroom should moisten the air effectively.”  He stood up and reached around the seated Saiyjin to shut off the shower.   So intent on Sage’s comfort, Goku almost missed the eyeful the naked Vegeta presented him with.

The prince crossed the bathroom and opened the door.  Steam billowed out in damp clouds, visible as the hot wet air from the bathroom clashed with the cooler dryer air of the bedroom.  He turned to look at Goku, still seated on the floor with Sage.  He shook his head, throwing water droplets everywhere as his mane returned to its usual upswept appearance.

“Well, what are you waiting for Baka?”

Goku rose with some difficulty, Sage still coughing and crying weakly in his arms, and exited the bathroom.  Vegeta was standing by the bed, looking up at the skylight.  It had begun to rain; the sound of the droplets hitting the glass of the skylight windows was soothing; the sky outside dark gray throwing the room into muted shadow and light.  He switched on a small lamp on the bedside table and turned to Kakkarott.

He looked at the man, really looked at him.  Kakkarott had come over today, expecting to spar, and instead was standing in Vegeta’s room, holding Vegeta’s sick son, sweating in nothing but a pair of white boxers.  And looking as though he wouldn’t rather be anyplace else in the world.  He crooned at Sage, patting his back gently, caressing the small prince’s face with his tail as he tried to calm the frightened chibi.  It was the most beautiful sight Vegeta had ever seen in his life.  That brought the realization that he himself was stark naked.  He shrugged mentally, nudity didn’t bother him; he knew from experience that it didn’t bother the other Saiyjin either.  Still, he did plan to leave the room, he thought as he pulled on a pair of loose drawstring pants.

“Why don’t you lay down with him on the bed and try to get him to relax Kakkarott.  I have to go see the onna.  I’ll just be a few minutes.”

“Hai, Vegeta,” replied Goku as he stretched his long form out on the bed, Sage clasped closely to his chest as he lay in a semi-upright position; the angle intended to ease Sage’s labored breathing. 

Vegeta paused at the doorway, looking back over his shoulder at the pair on the bed.  Sage was whimpering quietly as Kakkarott, eyes closed continued to croon-purr, gently stroking the feverish child.  Sage pushed his face into Kakkarott’s chest and wound his tail around his wrist.  Enough, thought Vegeta to himself.  Time to see if that medicine the onna mentioned will do any good.  And he left the room.

Goku cuddled the feverish little chibi as he coughed again and wailed, louder this time.  “Saaaa, Vegeta, your tousan will be right back.  It’s ok chibi.”  He purred louder, hoping to distract Sage as he rubbed his back with one hand, the other stilled by Sage’s small blue-black tail.  He didn’t notice as Sage turned his head towards the still hand.

The sensation of piercing chibi fangs came as a complete shock to Goku as Sage latched on to his wrist and began to feed, almost frantically.  Goku’s eyes widened in shock as he anxiously tried to think of what he should do.  He attempted to pry Sage’s jaws apart, but stopped when Sage simply bit deeper.

Oh, Vegeta’s going to KILL me,  thought Goku hysterically.   He didn’t know much about the blood-rite, but something about this didn’t seem….normal to him.  “Sage, please let go,” pleaded Goku.  Sage closed his eyes and purred faintly.  Goku was startled to hear a louder purr answer back.  He was shocked to realize that it was HIS purr.  (author checks list…surprise one?  check.)

At that moment, Vegeta re-entered the room, and nearly dropped the bottle of medicine he had been holding.  The scent of fresh blood was prevalent in the room, as well as the sound of purring.  Contrary to Kakkarott’s rumbling, his face was positively panic-stricken.  “I don’t know what happened Vegeta, I can’t get him off,” he said frantically.

About to get extremely angry, Vegeta stopped, mid-growl.  Unseen by Kakkarott who was still attempting to coax Sage off of his wrist, Vegeta smiled.  He smiled an enormously pleased, cat-that-just-ate-the-canary-and-went-back-for-the-goldfish-smile.  Oh, he thought to himself.  This just got a whooooole lot easier.  At least, he chuckled silently, it just got easier for me.  Thank you Sage.

He set the medicine down on the bedside table and sat down beside Kakkarott on the bed.

“Let go Sage,”  he commanded, using his most authoritative royal father voice.  Sage obeyed, and looked up at his tousan with fever-bright eyes.

“More Baka, tou’tan,” he whimpered.

“I know, chibi, I know.  But you don’t need more Baka right now.  Right now I think you’ve had enough Baka, and you need some of Mama’s medicine.”  He reached over to the table and picked up the bottle that Bulma had given him.  Sage started coughing and whimpering again as Kakkarott tried to calm him.

Vegeta held the loaded dropper in front of Sage.  “Open your mouth chukra, this will help make you feel better.”  Sage clamped his jaws together and turned his head away.  Vegeta sighed.

“Kakkarott, hold him on your lap, with his head at your knees.”  Goku obeyed, and Vegeta pried his son’s mouth open and emptied the dropper into his cheek.  “Swallow, Sage, I promise, it will help you feel better.”  Sage glared at his father defiantly, but obediently swallowed.  He made a face, and cried, coughing again.

Goku picked the little prince back up, and patted his back reassuringly as he purred.  Gradually Sage’s coughs eased, and his breathing became regular and light.  The chibi prince slept.

Goku laid him down in the middle of the bed, propping his small form up against a pillow so his body was at a more comfortable angle.  He turned and found himself face to face with Vegeta.

“Vegeta I…” his explanation was interrupted by Vegeta’s hand on his face, Vegeta’s lips brushing his, gently at first, then more forcefully.

Oh Kami, oh Kami, Oh Kami, he’s KISSING ME!!!  VEGETA’S KISSING ME!!!!  (author checks list…surprise two?  check) Well don’t just sit there like a lump baka, kiss him back, snarled the voice in the back of his brain.  Oh terrific, thought Goku to himself, even my brain calls me baka.  He obeyed, responding to the light touches of Vegeta’s tongue on his lips, parting them slightly, and granting his ouji access to its depths.  A hand snaked around to the back of his head, pulling him deeper into the kiss as Vegeta ravaged his completely willing and responsive mouth.  Goku moaned, the sound sucked away by Vegeta as the kiss broke.

“I don’t suppose you know what happened, do you baka?”

Vegeta’s voice sounded as though it was coming from far away.  Goku could still taste the prince in his mouth, still feel the texture of his tongue, the satin softness of his lips.

“Huh?”  Oh, that sounds really intelligent, sneered that back-of-his-head voice.

“Sage just claimed you as his bond-parent.”  Goku stared at the prince.  There was an expression in those ebony eyes, one that he instinctively knew was mirrored in his own.

“And I…”Vegeta’s voice lowered until it was no more than a throaty whisper.  “I would claim you as my mate.”

He had to be dreaming, that was all there was to it.  This couldn’t be real.  But…his train of thought was forcibly de-railed as Vegeta’s mouth closed over his once more.  He responded immediately, tongue exploring every inch of that delectable, royal mouth.  Kami, if only this kiss would go on forever.

Vegeta gently pulled back from the kiss, and watched Kakkarott’s reaction.  He wants this, I know he does.  He could smell the taller Saiyjin’s arousal quite clearly, and not just that, his complete dedication, his loyalty, his desire to please his prince shone in his eyes.  For a moment, Vegeta thought he had won.  Then Kakkarott moaned and dropped his head into his hands.

Vegeta stared at him, then swore, violently, quietly.

“That woman,” he snarled.

“I gave her my word Vegeta.  I promised that I would give it one more try.”  Goku’s voice was muffled, and despondent.  “I PROMISED.”

Vegeta closed his eyes.  That loyalty was one of the things about Kakkarott that most attracted him.  But it was a double edged sword.

Goku looked up at his ouji.  “And what about Bulma?”

Vegeta’s heart sank a little.  Yes, the onna would be very hurt, but surely she would understand.  He could make her understand.  He looked back at Kakkarott, holding the younger man’s gaze with his own.

“You’re right Kakkarott, I will talk to Bulma.  I have made my decision.  And I will wait for you to make yours.  But I will not wait forever.  You have until your wife fucks up to make your decision.  And I will wait.  But only until then.  And make no mistake…she WILL fuck up.”  He turned away, making a show of covering his son.

“Vegeta…”  He felt a hand on his arm, and turned back towards his would-be-mate.  There was desperation in his eyes, and suddenly, Kakkarott was kissing him, fiercely.  He responded for a moment, then pushed him away, panting.

“We will not speak of this again until you have made your decision,” he said firmly.  “Go home Kakkarott, I will see you at the brat’s party tomorrow.”

“Vegeta, please…”

“Unless you are ready to give me your decision now, leave.”  Vegeta’s heart clenched at the sound of his own voice.  But it could not be any other way.  Kakkarott HAD to make this choice on his own.  As much as he wanted the man…he wanted ALL of the man, and he wouldn’t be able to have that if Kakkarott was still bound by so much as a shred of misguided loyalty to that harpy he had married.

“Go Kakkarott.”

And Goku obeyed.

To be continued….

Email Talon @ talonsage@attbi.com