The Doctor’s Office

A Chibi Tail

By Talon

Bulma was sorting through the day’s mail when she came across a reminder for Goku from his sons’ doctor’s office that Goten’s vaccinations were due. Bulma sighed. They had only recently discovered that Saiyjins were susceptible to measles, and she had been planning on vaccinating Trunks and Sage herself, but had not been able to get hold of the vaccines. However, she thought suddenly as she looked again at the reminder card…this doctor had been treating Gohan and Goten since they were born, he was undoubtedly used to some of the quirks of demi-Saiyjin physiology, most notable right off was the basal body temperature of between 104 and 106. The card clutched in her hand, she headed for the gravity room to talk to Goku.

Three days later, Bulma and Goku sat in the waiting room of the doctor’s office with three very active, very loud demi-Saiyjins playing unsuspectingly with the toys provided. At age two, Sage was the youngest, but he spoke with the clarity and vocabulary of a five year old. A blue-black tail whipped in the air behind him as he concentrated on pushing the beads through the loops of the large abacus like toy on the floor. Goten and Trunks, five and nearly six respectively were very loudly running a couple of trucks roughshod over the other children’s toys. One of the much bigger boys didn’t like it and pushed Goten over forcefully. Before anyone else could react, a loud growl could be heard across the room, and a small red clad blur had raced across the play space and bowled the much bigger boy over.

“You leave my brother alone,” said Sage fiercely, his voice oddly reminiscent of his royal father. He perched domineeringly on the surprised boy’s chest, his fists clenched, his chest heaving. “Don’t you DARE touch my brothers, or else you’ll answer to ME.”

The older boy blinked, then tried to sit up and push the toddler off of him. A few feet away, Goku and Bulma were trying to suppress their snickers. Sage stood up and stomped his feet down on the shoulders of the older boy. “Do you hear me?”

“Get off me you baby,” said the boy, not realizing that he was already beaten.

Sage’s eyes flashed dangerously, and he said, “I am NOT a baby. But I bet I can make you cry like one.”

The boy sneered. “I doubt it. Go back to your mommy and tell her you need a diaper change, baby.” And with that, he flung Sage’s sneaker clad feet from his shoulders and stood up. He managed to take a single step before his feet were jerked out from beneath him, and he landed hard on his stomach. A gasp was heard from across the room, as the boy’s mother noticed her bully son hit the ground. An arm was jerked up behind him and as Sage sat on his back and delicately applied pressure to the joint, the boy yelled in pain.

“Am I a baby?” asked Sage quietly. There was no answer, but the bully tried to jerk his trapped arm out of Sage’s iron grasp.

“I didn’t hear you,” and Sage leaned into the hold. Goku, at Bulma’s urging stood up and started walking towards his bond-son. The bully’s mother was nearly in hysterics. Trunks crawled forward, “Hurry up and make him cry Sage, Daddy’s coming.” Sage nodded.

“I’m only going to ask you one more time. AM. I. A. BABY.” And with that, he twisted, careful not to cause any actual damage, but simply to cause pain. It worked, and the bully burst into loud babyish tears.

“No,” he sniffled. “You’re not a baby.”

At that moment, Goku reached them, and Sage released his hold on the larger boy.

“Hi Baka,” he said cheerfully innocent.

“Hi yourself chukra. What are you doing?”

“Nothing, Baka, just playing.”

“Well, I don’t think that little boy wants to play with you anymore, why don’t you and your brother’s play over where your mother and I are sitting.”

“Kay,” said Sage, and he stood up, being careful to dig a heel into the crying boy’s ribs as he followed his bond-father. The three brothers walked behind Goku, multi-colored tails twined together in a gesture of companionship and triumph.

The trio sat on the floor a little ways away from where two of their parent’s sat, occasionally sneaking looks over at the fallen bully who was being fussed over by his overbearing mother. She caught Trunks looking once and shot a glare of pure venom at the three boys. Trunks merely smirked at her, and turned back to the conversation currently in progress.

“So, do either of you know why we’re here?” asked Sage quietly.

“Well,” said Goten. “This is the doctor’s office where Kassan always took me and Gohan when we needed check ups and stuff. He’s nice.”

“So then, why would we all be here?” wondered Sage.

“Dunno,” shrugged Goten. “Maybe we all need check ups.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the mother of the bully. She stormed over to Bulma, dragging her sniveling son behind her.

“I demand an apology,” she stated, glaring at Bulma and Goku. “One of your little animals injured my son and he will require medical attention. I want compensation. Poor Danny’s arm might never be the same.”

Goku lifted an eyebrow, and said quietly, “Well, if it’s medical attention he needs, then it is a good thing we’re in a doctor’s office.”

Bulma looked mildly at the seething woman. “How old is your Danny?” she asked calmly.

“He’s twelve,” said the woman angrily. “I fail to see how that is relevant. His arm might be broken!”

Goku glanced over at the curious trio. “Vegeta, did you break this boy’s arm?”

“No Baka, I didn’t break it,” replied Sage.

“He didn’t break it Bulma,” reported Goku.

Bulma seemed to think for a moment. “Well,” she said slowly. “I suppose since Sage did hurt your little boy, he should apologize. I just hope that Danny isn’t too embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed?” the woman nearly shouted. “Why should he be embarrassed?”

“Sage, come over here please,” Bulma called. Then turning back to the woman, “My two year old will apologize to your twelve year old for defending his five year old brother. As I said…I hope you son isn’t too embarrassed.”

Sage stood in front of his mother and bond-father.

“Sage, I want you to apologize for hurting that little boy please,” said Bulma.

Sage folded his arms and glared. “No. I won’t. I’m not sorry I made him cry. He pushed Goten and he’s lots bigger than Goten is. And he called me a baby. I’m not. I won’t apologize…I’m not sorry.”

“Why you little,” began the irate woman. Bulma stood quickly, placing herself between her son and the woman. Sage peered around his mother’s legs and made a face at Danny.

“Don’t threaten my child,” said Bulma in a dangerous voice. “I can see where your son got his bullying from. Go back and sit down and be very glad that my little two year old didn’t break your son’s arm. He could have, very easily. As for compensation, if you like you can contact my family’s lawyers. We’re in the phone book, under Capsule Corporation.”

And on that note, the nurse appeared in the doorway, calling out, “Son Goten, Briefs, Trunks, Briefs Vegeta, the doctor will see you now.”

There was a pause, as Sage considered his best course of action. He had never been to a doctor’s office before; the only doctors he had ever seen had all been at Capsule Corp in the med lab. His trepidation was palatable, and his brothers moved to flank him. The nurse was waiting, holding the door open, and Bulma was already halfway across the waiting room before she realized that no one was following her. She looked back, sighed, and said “Goku, if you would gather them up please?”

Goku grinned, and scooped Trunks and Goten up each in one massive arm, and swiftly snaked his tail around the already retreating Sage, holding him securely as he carried the three boys back to the examining room.

The nurse guided them into the back, where she weighed each boy and measured them, noting that Sage was very small for his age. Sage glowered at her. Like his father, he hated it when people drew attention to his diminutive stature. She then led the group back to the examining room.

It was brightly decorated with rainbow fish wall paper, and there was a bin of children’s books in one corner. She asked Goku to place one of the boys on the table so she could do all the things that a nurse did before the doctor came in. Goku complied, depositing Goten on the table, and the nurse smiled and showed him the thermometer she was going to use to take his temperature. He nodded being familiar with a similar ear thermometer at home, and she efficiently took his temperature. She frowned at the reading, and tried again.

“Must be broken,” she muttered as she tried again.

“What is it reading,” asked Bulma.

“It’s reading 105.5, but that can’t be right,” replied the nurse.

“That sounds about right,” said Bulma. The nurse gaped at her.

“Look in his chart, I’m sure there are records of it there.”

The nurse started to protest as she glanced over the chart, then stopped when she obviously came across the records that Bulma had referred to.

“That’s just not possible,” she whispered.

Bulma sighed. “Of course it’s possible. Just get on with it, will you?”

“Of…of course,” stammered the nurse as she took Goten’s pulse and blood pressure, not making any comments as she jotted the results in his chart. The procedure was repeated with Trunks, the nurse visibly suppressing her shock at his temperature, and then again with Sage, who sat on the table, his arms folded, and glaring at the nurse, still furious at her for her small comments earlier.

As soon as she was done, she exited the room as quickly as she could, squeaking on her way out that the doctor would be in shortly.

Sage climbed down from the examining table and walked over to Goku. “Baka, what are we doing here?”

Goku picked his bond-son up. “You’re here to be vaccinated so that you don’t get sick,” he explained.

“Why?”

“Because your mother discovered that Saiyjins are very susceptible to a human virus called measles, and it’s important that you not get sick with it. So the doctor will make sure that you don’t.”

Sage frowned. He opened his mouth to ask why, but at that moment, the doctor knocked, then walked into the room.

He was a tall, rather skinny man with dark brown hair and glasses. His smile was genuine, and he had a relaxed air about him.

“Well well, Son Goten, long time no see!” he said cheerfully.

“Hi Dr. Aya,” said Goten grinning.

“And who are your friends?”

“They’re not my friends,” explained Goten seriously. “They’re my brothers, Trunks and Sage.”

The doctor smiled. He knew of the change in the Son’s family status, and it was good to see that Goten had adjusted well. He made a show of looking at the charts. “Well, so they are,” he said in a surprised voice. “And here I thought that Gohan was your only brother. Why don’t you climb back up on that table Goten, so I can see how much you’ve grown since I saw you last, ne?”

Goten obeyed, and the doctor examined him carefully, noting some bruising on his shoulders and legs.

“Goten, what have you been doing lately,” he asked casually.

“The usual,” replied Goten easily. “Playing, studying, sparring.”

“Sparring?” asked the doctor.

“Yep!! Daddy and Gohan and Papa train me and Trunks. But Sage is still too young.”

The doctor glanced quizzically at Goku. “I’m afraid I don’t understand…”

“The boys both study martial arts with their father and me. We try to keep it as controlled as possible, but sometimes the two of them get a little carried away.”

Trunks snorted. “He started it. I’ve got a big bruise on my ribs from where he kicked me yesterday during our spar.”

“Baka, you should have blocked it,” replied Goten.

“Yeah, and you should have blocked that punch I landed on your shoulder,” said Trunks smugly.

“I’d like to see you try that one again,” said Goten heatedly.

“Boys,” said Bulma sharply. “That’s enough. I hear one more word, and neither of you will be sparring for a week, is that understood?”

“But Kassan…”

“Aww, Bulma-san…”

“Not one word.”

They shut up, and the doctor chuckled, and finished his examination of Goten, satisfied that the bruising wasn’t the result of any kind of abuse.

His examination of Trunks was more of the same, the boy answering his questions, and cooperating. But when he had finished with the older boy and turned to Sage, the era of cooperation stopped.

Sage wasn’t afraid…exactly, but he was wary around strangers in strange places. It wasn’t odd when you considered that the vast majority of his life had been spent at Capsule Corp, and any stranger he met he had met on his home ground. He clung to his Baka’s hand, wrapping his tail firmly around the man’s forearm as the doctor finished with Trunks and looked over at him. Sage met his gaze levelly, but made no move towards the table even as the doctor beckoned to him.

“Sage, it’s your turn,” said Bulma quietly to her youngest son.

“Don’t wanna,” muttered Sage, not taking his eyes from the doctor.

“C’mon Sage,” said Goku easily. “I’ll go with you, how about that?”

“I still don’t wanna, but ok…I guess,” whispered Sage.

“It’s not so bad Sage,” said Trunks encouragingly to his youngest brother. “He’s nice, like Goten said.”

Sage didn’t reply as Goku lifted him up onto the examination table. Sage didn’t release his tail hold on his bond-father, and Goku didn’t insist. He stood beside the table, his hand dwarfing the child’s shoulder as the doctor began his examination.

Sage was stolid, if not terribly cooperative. He grunted answers to the doctor’s questions, ignoring some entirely, as the doctor quickly and efficiently performed his examination. He turned to Bulma and told her reassuringly not to worry about Sage’s lack of verbosity, most two year olds could only form simple sentences, that Sage didn’t seem to be much behind the norm…he trailed off as the room burst out into laughter.

Everyone but Sage was laughing. Bulma recovered enough to reassure the doctor that Sage’s vocabulary was more than adequate, she pulled some papers out of her purse, results of several tests, including IQ tests that she had had done on Sage only a few months ago.

“He’s just not talking because you are strange to him, and…well…he tends to be slightly antisocial with anyone who isn’t family anyway.” She smiled ruefully, and continued. “It’s his father’s influence, I suppose.”

Sage folded his arms and scowled at his mother. “Quit talking about Tou’tan like that. It’s not a bad thing to be like him,” he said clearly.

Goku chuckled and picked Sage back up. “No, chukra, it’s not a bad thing to be like your Tou’tan,” he agreed.

Dr. Aya smiled and glanced over the boys’ charts. “Well everything seems to be fine, well within the adjusted norms considering their parentage. I’ll not examine their tails, the information you sent me on them is sufficient. I wouldn’t want to cause them any discomfort that wasn’t necessary.” He paused. “Well, you seemed to have scared my nurse off, so give me a minute, and I’ll go round up the vaccinations and be right back. I’ll administer them myself; then we’ll be done.”

He returned a couple of minutes later with three syringes. Goku had set Sage down, which turned out to be a good thing as the doctor uncapped the first syringe, saying, “Now who’s going to be first?”

“NEEDLE!!” shrieked Goku, scrambling to get out of the line of fire.

“Oh shit,” said Bulma, kicking herself for not remembering her friend’s phobia. Trunks was looking at Goku with a puzzled stare, and Goten looked resigned. No one noticed Sage’s wide eyes as he watched his Baka flip out over the prospect of that tiny object in the doctor’s hand.

By the time that Bulma and the boys managed to get Goku calmed down enough to let the doctor administer the shots to the two older boys, Sage was no where to be seen.

“Where could he be?” asked Bulma worriedly.

Trunks and Goten sniffed the air. “He’s still here, Kassan,” reported Trunks.

“Yeah, he didn’t make it out the door,” agreed Goten.

“Then where is he?” she asked.

Goku, having recovered enough to be of some help again, started hunting around the small exam room with the boys. Finally, opening the cupboard under the sink, they found the chibi. He had wedged himself behind the pipes of the sink, and had both arms and tail wrapped around them. His onyx eyes were wide, and Goku could smell the fear that radiated from him.

“Sage, honey, come out please? It’s all right, there’s nothing to be scared of.”

Sage shook his head. “I’m not coming out.”

“But look, your brother’s got their shots, and they’re fine.” Here Goten and Trunks poked their heads over Goku’s shoulder. Trunks showed Sage the Digimon band aid that covered where he had received his vaccination.

“It’s just a little sting Sage, really,” said Trunks.

“Baka’s still scared,” Sage pointed out. “I’m not coming out.”

“Sage, chukra…it’s ok. I promise. We would never do anything that would hurt you badly. It will hurt, but just a little bit.” Goku couldn’t quite suppress his shudder at the thought of the needle, and that was all that Sage needed to have his suspicions confirmed.

“I AM NOT COMING OUT!” And having stated that, he gripped the pipes tighter and shut his eyes, blocking them all out.

Goku sighed and stood up. He looked at Bulma and said quietly, “I can’t get him out, short of ripping the pipes out.”

“Then what? He needs this shot Goku.”

“I’m going to go get Vegeta. He’s the only one Sage might listen to. Kami knows I’m not the right one to talk him out of being afraid of a shot.” He shuddered again, and blurred out of sight.

The doctor blinked.

Back at Capsule Corp, Vegeta was taking a break from his solo workout, and enjoying the relative quiet of the house. A sizeable snack littered the kitchen table, and he was rummaging through the fridge looking for something to wash it down with when he sensed and scented his mate coming into the room.

“Kakkarott, what the…” he stopped as Goku grabbed his arm.

“C’mon Vegeta, Sage has barricaded himself under the sink at the doctor’s office and he won’t come out.”

“What?” was the Ouji’s only comment before Goku pressed his fingers to his forehead and the kitchen blinked out of sight, to be replaced by a garishly colored room, already filled to the brim it seemed with people, all of whom were trying to coax his youngest out from his hiding place.

Vegeta looked around for a moment, sizing up the situation, and then, taking a breath shouted, “ENOUGH.”

Silence fell.

“Boys,” he pointed at Goten and Trunks who were both kneeling in front of the cupboard under the sink, “move.” They obeyed. He crossed over to the sink and knelt down. He reached out a white gloved hand and stroked his son’s soft cheek, and Sage’s eyes fluttered open.

“Tou’tan?” The child’s voice wasn’t much more than a breathless whisper.

“Hai Vegeta. What are you doing?”

Sage swallowed. “I don’t want to get a shot. It scares Baka.”

“Ah, so that’s it. Well Sage, I’m going to tell you something. Your Baka is a real baka about needles. He’s terrified of them for some reason known only to Dende. But that doesn’t mean that you have to be scared of them.”

Sage frowned. “But if Baka’s scared of them, they must be really bad,” he pointed out.

“Son, your bond-father’s fear of needles is, unreasonable. Do you understand what that means?”

Sage shook his head.

“It means that there is really no cause for him to be afraid of needles, but he is anyway. And I promise you that there is no reason for you to be afraid.” He held his hand out, inviting Sage to take it. Sage hesitated.

“Will it hurt?”

“Yes. But it won’t hurt much. And if you like, you can sit in my lap while the doctor gives you the injection.”

Sage mulled that over. “Ok, he said finally, and took his father’s hand.

True to his word, Vegeta held his youngest son in his lap as the nervous doctor administered the vaccination to the expressionless chibi. Goku had to leave the room, but Sage barely blinked as the needle pierced his soft skin. The doctor covered the injection site with a Digimon band aid that matched his brother’s, and they were done.

Sage whispered something to his father, who smirked slightly and set his chibi down on the floor. Sage padded over to his bond-father, who had returned and silently asked to be picked up. Goku smiled and gathered his bond-son in his arms and hugged him.

“I’m sorry Baka,” said Sage quietly.

“What for chibi?” asked Goku, curious.

“I’m sorry that you’re scared of needles.” He frowned slightly. “But I can sorta see why you are. They’re kind of….creepy if you think about them too hard.”

Goku stared at Sage, then burst out laughing.

The nurse walked in with lolli’s for the boys and the doctor left the room, thanking Kami that Saiyjin’s didn’t require his services very often.

“Can we go home now Tou’tan?” asked Sage, his question to his father punctuated by a huge yawn.

Vegeta looked at his youngest son, whose eyelids were already drooping as his thumb crept into his mouth, his head resting on his bond-father’s shoulder.

“Of course we can,” he replied, motioning for the rest of the family to ready themselves for Instant Transmission.

A moment later, they had blinked out of sight.

A short time later, back at the house, Goku tucked the sleeping Sage into the large bed that the four boys shared. He was watching his son nap, when a hand crept up to his shoulder, causing him to jump slightly.

“Hush Kakkarott, you’ll wake him,” smirked Vegeta.

“If I do, it’ll be your fault,” whispered Goku savagely.

“Oh, temper temper koi,” said Vegeta lightly.

“Oh hush you,” grumped Goku.

Vegeta put his arms around his mate. “He won’t think any less of you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Hn?”

“Sage. He doesn’t think any less of you because of the scene in the doctor’s office.”

“Why do you say that Vegeta?”

Vegeta chuckled. “He’s scared of them too. That doctor must have hit a nerve right on because it hurt like a mother fucker when Sage got that shot.”

Goku’s stare was wide and disbelieving. “How do you know?” he finally managed to stammer out.

Vegeta grunted. “Felt it in my arm, and the way he tensed when the doctor shoved that fucking needle into his arm, and he told me…after the shot was over.” Vegeta sighed. “So now, we have another needle phobic in the house. Of all the Kami damned things he could have inherited from you Kakkarott….”

Goku gaped. “Hey, this is NOT my doing.” Vegeta turned on his heel and walked smirking from the room. Goku spared his bond-son one more glance before stalking after his mate. “This is NOT my fault Vegeta…” could be heard off in the distance.

Blissfully oblivious, the newly vaccinated chibi slept on.

~~~Owari~~~

Talon

RElease your Inner Hentai...It'll break out anyway.