Yamcha say about you gondola through space with Vegeta all by yourself?"
<br />
<br />
"I haven't heard from him in ages," said Bulma. It was time to pour Chichi pure wine from woman to woman."Don't tell anyone, but Yamcha and I broke up a long time ago."
<br />
<br />
"So that's it," Chichi nodded, "I already thought something similar. You two have grown too far apart." She leaned forward and looked sharply at Bulma. "Could it be that you have a weakness for Vegeta? You weren't that upset even when Yamcha was killed."
<br />
Bulma couldn't stop the blood from getting to her cheeks. "That's completely unimportant now, isn't it. Where is Gokou?"
<br />
<br />
As if he had heard her, Gokou appeared in front of the screen, a small bag in hand. "Unfortunately, Master Quince only has two beans left. He doesn't know whether they will help with poisoning, but it would be worth a try."
<br />
<br />
Bulma thought so too. "Can you teleport over to me?" She urged excitedly.
<br />
Gokou closed his eyes and concentrated. For a moment, another ... one more ... and finally shake my head."I can hardly feel anything from Vegeta anymore, he is apparently so weakened that his aura is almost extinguished."
<br />
<br />
"What about me? Can't you jump to me?"
<br />
Gokou shrugged his shoulders regretfully. "You are not a warrior Bulma and your aura is much, much weaker than Vegetas at this distance. Impossible."
<br />
<br />
Bulma's shoulders sagged. It couldn't be. She was so close to finally finding salvation and now this .... "Just don't despair, Bulma, think!", She said to herself and massaged her temples. "I'm a genius, I should think of something that would ..." She looked up. "The aura generator!"
<br />
<br />
"What please?", Gokou didn't know whether she was talking to him or to herself. "My father developed something that gives normal people a glowing aura. Do you think you could locate me if I glow like Vegeta?"
<br />
"If it's all about light, probably not, or does this generator increase your power too?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know," said Bulma, but she didn't want to put up her arms again so easily. "We haven't tried it and you can't think of anything else, have you?"
<br />
He shook his head. "Did you take such a device with you?"
<br />
<br />
"No, but I have the blueprint in my head and with all the stuff that Vegeta took with me, I can certainly build one. Sometimes faster than you can find the dragon balls. Please stay with me until I have it!"
<br />
<br />
“It's good.” Gokou crossed his arms and signaled that he would wait hours for her call back if necessary.
<br />
<br />
“Thank you!” Bulma jumped up and ran to the spiral staircase. She stumbled down the last three steps more than walking. Vegeta was still there just as she had left him. Her heart pounded in fear as she carefully felt his plus. His skin was still hot and dry, his breath came in gusts, and his fingers were clenched so tightly around the pillow that it was almost impossible to loosen them.Bulma put her arm under his head, lifted it a little and took the sippy cup with the cold tea.
<br />
<br />
"Vegeta, please drink this, you need liquid!" Did he hear her or did he just react to the touch of his sore lips? In any case, he opened his mouth wide enough that she could carefully let a small sip of tea trickle onto his tongue. He felt the soothing moisture and swallowed the tea. Bulma gave him a little more and something else and within a minute the cup was empty. His gummy eyes opened a crack. His pupils were still large and extremely sensitive to light. Bulma was glad that she had reduced the lighting to a dim twilight.
<br />
<br />
"Bul ... ma?" She could barely understand what he was saying, it was more of a hoarse whisper.
<br />
"Yes, I'm here, Vegeta." She pressed his head gently to her chest. "I'll help you. A little patience, everything will be fine!"<br />
<br />
She couldn't tell if he had understood her. In any case, he closed his eyes and his hands reached for the covers again. She could only gauge how much strength it took him not to yell out loud in pain with every attack. That damn pride!
<br />
<br />
"Let loose, Vegeta!" she said urgently. "Here are just the two of us. Scream as much as you want, as loudly as you want, but ..." she laid his head back on the pillow and touched his forehead with his. "... but please don't give up. I need you."
<br />
<br />
Was there a nod? Bulma couldn't tell, it didn't matter. Somehow she sensed that he hadn't given up yet. She cooled his forehead and gave him some more tea. Then she went looking for parts from which she could make the aura generator. In search of a suitable energy cell, she also rummaged through the box to which she owed her involuntary stay on board.In the process, she came across something that gave her a completely different idea.
<br />
<br />
Gokou was still waiting in front of the monitor, Chichi was standing next to him and Gohan and Piccolo were also there.
<br />
<br />
"How is Vegeta?" Was Gokou's first question when Bulma reappeared in front of the monitor.
<br />
"Getting worse and worse," said Bulma.
<br />
<br />
"Then this is really his energy, which is getting weaker and weaker," said Piccolo. "What about the device you want to build?"
<br />
<br />
"I thought of something else," said Bulma, "Gokou, assuming you were Vegeta and you were healthy in one fell swoop without a bean, what would you need to regain your strength?"
<br />
<br />
"What good to eat," said Gokou without hesitation. "And a lot."
<br />
"So no medication or vitamin injections?"
<br />
<br />
At the word "splash", Gokou turned pale on the nose. "Anything but not that!"
<br />
"Well." Bulma's hand didn't shake as she drew her last hope from the pocket of the overalls."I'll strengthen Vegeta's aura, then jump the beans to us as quickly as you can. Will that work?"
<br />
<br />
"If I can clearly feel Vegeta, teleporting will not be a problem," Gokou confirmed.
<br />
"I rely on that. Now I have to go to cook something first. Please be ready!"
<br />
Bulma ran down the stairs again, clutching her precious treasure to her chest. It would work, it just had to.
<br />
<br />
She opened the refrigerator and fished out half a dozen delicious ready-made meals to cram into the microwave. Within half an hour the table almost bent with delicious food. Bulma's mouth watered herself. She hadn't eaten since she was kidnapped. But the black tablets were all she dared to swallow.
<br />
She hastily scribbled a message for Vegeta on a piece of paper. and hastily drank half a pot of tea. Vegeta didn't move, he seemed to fall deeper and deeper into a coma-like sleep.Bulma felt that time was running out. She washed his face, especially his eyes, put the hammer ready, and did the moves she had played through in her mind a dozen times.
<br />
Then the time had come and Bulma pressed the crystal of her exchanger onto Vegeta's. She had known what to expect, wondered if she could take it and when the device did its job and traded her health for Vegeta's poisoning, the agony hit her like lightning. She suppressed the scream with the utmost strength, fell on her knees and felt for the hammer. She had to hold out for the few seconds ...
<br />
<br />
Vegeta slowly opened his eyes. Was it over Did he die? The pain was gone, but above him still hung the metal ceiling of the spaceship and not the yellow cloud cover of the afterlife. He heard Bulma gasp and opened his mouth to tell her he was fine, that he had made it. But when he turned his head, the word stuck in his throat.Bulma crouched down beside his bed, her hand just wrapping around the handle of a hammer. She saw his alert gaze through the red mist that enveloped her thicker and thicker and smiled in relief. Her lips formed a soundless one. "Thank God!"
<br />
<br />
The next wave came and she clawed her fingernails into the mattress. He hadn't noticed yet, she had to hurry. She tore her exchanger from her wrist and when it hit the metal floor with a click, Vegeta's eyes widened. He raised his hands to his face. There, on his left wrist, he wore the counterpart.
<br />
<br />
"Bulma," his voice was back to normal, if a little weak. "Bulma, do you have ...?!"
<br />
Noise! The hammer slammed down on Bulma's device. She hadn't aimed very well, but it was enough, one edge caught the crystal and it splintered into a thousand pieces.
<br />
She doubled over with a groan. The pain seemed to tear her inside.It burned, it was cold and it was difficult to breathe, how had Vegeta endured? The hammer slipped from her limp fingers and pounded to the ground. Strong hands grabbed her shoulders. She forced herself to lift her head and recognized Vegeta's distraught face through the red mist.
<br />
<br />
“You idiot!” His voice was rough with anger. "How could you do that? It's going to kill you!"
<br />
<br />
* I have to calm him down *, Bulma thought. "It ... is ... not that bad," she managed to create. "Women ... are tough. We ... can take a lot."
<br />
"That's not why you are immune to poison by a long way!", Vegeta hissed. He lifted her to bed and felt her searing hot forehead. Her lips formed a word. “What?” He put his ear close to her mouth. "Say it again!"
<br />
<br />
Bulma felt a darkness grasp at her. It was still too early, she still wanted to tell him so much. He had to know ... "Go ... Gokou," she breathed.<br />
<br />
Vegeta felt like a dagger cut through his soul. Why did it hurt so much to hear her calling out to his arch enemy in this state, near death.
<br />
<br />
Bulma felt himself back away from her. Her hot, dry hand felt for his arm. "Note ... on the table ... eat it all up, promise ... promise?"
<br />
<br />
Then her hand sank limply on the sheet and her eyes closed. She