Crushed

Chapter 3: Devastation

Kuririn paced uneasily in the field outside the Son home. There was so much tension and uncertainty inside, it was maddening; he needed to get away, even if only for a few minutes. Kuririn, you dumbass, he chided himself, you should be in there showing your support! Instead, you're out here falling apart. Some friend you are. He felt about ready to hit himself.

"Hey, Kuririn. You okay?"

He turned around abruptly. Bulma stood behind him, a sleeping Trunks in her arms and a look of concern on her face. "Oh, hey, Bulma," he said. "I'm all right. I just needed to clear my head a little."

She nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, it's pretty tough staying in there all day, not knowing what's going to happen."

"It's…" Kuririn faltered. He looked away. "It's just not fair!" he burst out. "Gohan doesn't deserve to be going through this. He's just a kid! And he's been through enough already. It's not right."

"No, it isn't," Bulma agreed. A small smile crossed her face. "Remember what an adventure the three of us had collecting the Dragon Balls on Namek?"

Kuririn smiled at the memory. "Who could forget? Remember that haircut Chichi gave him before we left? And those clothes? The poor kid's face was so red when he showed up at the Kame House."

Bulma laughed. "Yeah, it was. We had some pretty interesting times, to say the least."

"We sure did," Kuririn concurred. A hint of sadness clouded his eyes. "Man, I miss those days…" he said, a note of longing in his voice.

The two friends fell silent. Bulma looked towards the sky. "The sunset sure is beautiful tonight," she said softly.

Kuririn followed her gaze. The sky was clear and streaked with an array of colors. Vibrant shades of pink, orange and violet ran together like watercolors as the glowing sun slid from view. "Yeah, it is," he murmured. But the moment was ruined by a child's scream from within the house.

Kuririn felt his stomach lurch. "Oh, man, this is it!" he exclaimed as he ran inside.

"What?" Bulma asked as she followed him. "What's going on in there?"

They joined their friends, who were all running towards Gohan's room. "Shit," Kuririn heard Vegeta mutter under his breath. He sensed a sudden drop in Gohan's ki and felt sick to his stomach.

The warriors stopped at the doorway. Piccolo and Chichi stood on either side of Gohan, holding his hands tightly. The boy thrashed about violently, a grimace etched on his face. "Oh, Gohan!" Chichi cried desperately. "Hang in there, sweetie!" Gohan's ki spiked for a brief moment, then continued to drop.

The pain was coming at him from all sides–a burning, crushing pain. It felt as though his chest was caving in. He bit back another scream. He saw his mother and Piccolo by his side, and his friends standing at the door. He saw the pain in their faces, pain that he was causing. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Mom, Piccolo, everyone… I'm sorry." A sudden, crushing pain burst from his heart and shot through the rest of his body. This time he couldn't fight it. "I'll tell Dad… you guys said… hi…" he said, smiling with all the strength he could muster. And the darkness rushed over him.

The last of Gohan's ki faded away, and his body lay still. "He's… gone," Piccolo said quietly.

Gohan floated above the Serpent Road. So it appeared hed been allowed to keep his body. Must've been because he defeated Cell and all. He could feel his father's ki somewhere nearby. Oh. Right. The gravity of the situation came into focus, and it hit him – how was Gohan going to face his father? Goku would be devastated…

Gohan took a deep breath. As much as he didn't want to hurt his father, he couldn't avoid this forever. If Gohan didn't do it now, Goku would eventually feel his ki and find him anyway. And Gohan was pretty sure that was not the way Goku would prefer to find out. Besides, he really did want to see his dad again. He took off in the direction of Goku's ki.

He flew with ease above Serpent Road, golden clouds on either side of him. He saw his father long before he actually landed. Goku's back was turned as he played with Bubbles and Gregory. Gohan touched down on the scaly path, unsure of what to say.

Kaio noticed him first. "Oh, my…" He stared in shock for a moment at the hesitant boy. "Goku, I think you should see this…"

"Sure, what is it, Kaio-sama?" Goku asked as he turned around. He froze as his eyes fell upon his son. "Gohan…"

The boy ran toward him and threw his arms around his waist. "Daddy!"

Goku returned his embrace and ran his hand through the child's wild black hair. "Son, I know it was a lot to bear," he said gently. "I'm sorry. You didn't… hurt yourself, did you?"

Gohan practically fell over. "Of course not!"

"Well, what… happened?"

Gohan looked at the ground uneasily. "I got… sick."

A sense of foreboding filled Goku, and a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. "What kind of sick?" he asked uncertainly. Gohan mumbled something inaudible. "What was that?"

"The heart virus," Gohan responded, failing to meet his father's gaze.

The words hit Goku like a mighty blow to the gut. He was crushed. It was his fault Gohan was dead; he'd probably gotten the virus from Goku. The warrior's eyes lingered on the halo floating above his son's head. "I did this," he said, stunned. "It's all my fault."

"No, it isn't," Gohan said earnestly. "Really, Dad, it's not your fault!"

"Yes, it is."

"Goku, would you stop blaming yourself?" Kaio exclaimed. "There's nothing you could have done."

"But if I had been there–"

"Dad, it isn't your fault!" Gohan insisted. "It's not anybody's fault! There are some things in life we just can't control–" He fell silent as they both remembered how just a few days ago Goku had said the same thing to Gohan as he prepared to defeat Cell.

Gohan looked his father straight in the eye and took a deep breath. "Okay, how about this," he said. "I'll stop blaming myself for your death, and you'll stop blaming yourself for mine. Deal?"

Goku stared at his son, dumbfounded. As Yajirobe had once put it, "That kid says good stuff sometimes." The boy never ceased to amaze him. The famous Son grin crossed Goku's face. "Deal," he said.

And as Kaio bore witness to the reunion of father and son amidst the golden clouds, he smiled to himself, knowing that this was a great beginning.

Author's Note (Oct. 2010): I never thought I would revisit this fic; I thought that once it was done, it was done. I didn't realize that this re-editing process would call to my attention the possibilities I created for myself in this alternate universe. Things like the adventures of Goku and Gohan in the afterlife, or what happens when Chichi realizes she's got another kid on the way so soon after losing her husband and firstborn. I'm not saying that there's more to come, because as of right now there isn't, and I don't want to get readers hopes up. However, as far as AUs go, Im glad I created this one, and I hope you've enjoyed experiencing it with me. Well, as much as you can enjoy a universe in which Gohan suffers a painful death drawn out over three chapters. Poor kid. And to think, this is what I do to my favorite character…