Title: Found by Fate
Genre: General
Originally Published: March 13, 2003

Found by Fate

Shin tried not to groan with effort as he pushed himself up on his elbows. He winced as he felt his ribs grind together, and the pull and cramp of various other internal injuries. He knew he was lucky: neither of his legs seemed to be broken, nor was his spine injured.

I have to get out of here, he thought. He could feel the energy waves rolling over him like water, only intensifying his feeling of drowning. He knew it was one of the Saiyans, but he wasn't sure who. He hoped it wasn't Gohan. Energy levels that high would kill a person. Saiyan. Whatever.

Coughing a little, he got to his feet.

CRUNCH.

He winced as his ankle snapped, but kept going.

By some miracle, he was able to hobble to a safer spot. He tucked himself against a cliff wall, breathing hard.

Kibito...where are you? Why won't you come?

Thoughts and images swirled around his already overtaxed mind. He slumped weakly against a rock. Blood leaked from the sides of his mouth. The world was spinning and he couldn't seem to keep his eyes open.

Gohan! I have to find Gohan!

Weakly, he pushed away from the wall, only to have another one come up and meet him. With a start, he realized it wasn't another wall, but the ground. He had fallen over without even knowing it. That couldn't be good. He couldn't figure out why Kibito wasn't coming. Normally, the other man was no more than six feet away, so where was he now, when he was most needed? Shin knew he wasn't going to survive much longer. Too much damage had been done. He could feel his internal systems shutting down, trying to preserve energy. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. And even harder to see, as his vision blurred and darkened before failing completely. He stumbled around, blind, for a few seconds. Then his consciousness faded, and he collapsed.

"Hey, Yuriko! You busy?"

"I've got an appy in curtain three, but I can pass that off to one of the residents. Why?"

"ER called, you wanna go with the rig? They found a guy at the bottom of the gorge. Pretty badly hurt. They think he fell."

"Sure, thanks."

Dr. Yuriko Mikage, Japan's top surgeon, stepped into the ambulance bay of Satan County General Hospital. She swung up into the back of the waiting ambulance and sat down next to the paramedic.

"What have we got?"

"Male, John Doe, about a two-seven. Found unconscious at the bottom of the gorge."

"ETA?"

"Ten minutes. It's good you came along, Dr. M. I hear he's pretty messed up."

Yuriko sighed, rolling her eyes. "They always are."

As the ambulance raced out of the city, Yuriko mentally prepared herself for what she would see. Once a year, at least, there would be some unfortunate person who fell down the embankment. Lately, it had been punk teenagers, who were into body dyeing and weird hairstyles and the like. She had operated on the last one, and it hadn't been pretty.

The ambulance screeched to a stop at the bottom of the gorge, and Yuriko jumped out. She quickly spotted the patient and knelt next to him.

"Oh man...check him out," she said to the paramedic. "Get a backboard!"

In an instant, the hard stretcher was unpacked. Yuriko carefully put the neck brace on him, and helped the paramedics lift him onto the stretcher.

"All right, lets get him back to the hospital, fast!"

The rig screamed through the streets. Yuriko resisted the urge to assess his injuries. Right now, they had to focus on keeping him stable. She lifted on lavender eyelid and shone a light in.

"Pupils are equal and responsive. Possible concussion. No bleeding in the retina."

"Ah! Pressure's dropping!"

"Plasma! Now!"

The medic poked an IV into the patient's arm.

"ETA?"

"Two minutes!" yelled the driver.

"Hurry up! We're losing him back here!"

The rig jumped ahead. A minute later, it pulled into the bay. A team of ER doctors were there to meet it.

"Two-seven male, broken bones, internal injuries," Yuriko reported, helping them bring the gurney inside.

"Pressure's dropping."

"He needs to get up to surgery."

"No breath sounds on the right!"

"Right lung is collapsed! God! It's like someone sat on this guy!"

"Hey, he's waking up!"

"What's your name?" asked Yuriko.

"Sh-shin," the purple being responded faintly.

"Okay, Shin, we're going to take you up to surgery now."

"He's out!"

"BP 110 over 90! He's stable!"

"Okay, let's get him up to the OR!"

Yuriko left the room and ran up the stairs to the OR. She burst into the scrub room and started scrubbing in.

"What have we got?" asked the OR nurse.

"Male, two-seven, multiple internal injuries and broken bones."

She finished scrubbing and the nurse helped her get gowned up. Then she hurried into the OR. The anesthesiologist was just leaving. As soon as he had left, and her three med students were watching, she made the first incision.

Purple blood welled up around the wound. Yuriko's eyes widened behind her protective goggles. This wasn't right...

Carefully she opened further down his chest and used the rib spreader.

"Oh my God..." she breathed. "What the hell is this guy?"

Nothing was right. The patient's internal organs pulsed under the operating lights, a deep purple. The only organs that were even close to where they should be were his lungs. Sure enough, one was deflated. Nearly all his ribs were broken, and one had pierced the lung.

Apprehensively, Yuriko began to repair the damaged organs. What if drugs that were safe on humans killed this guy? What was he, anyway?

After she was finished working on the bleeding areas, she looked up at the people in the room.

"If any one of you tells anyone about this guy, I will see to it that you are fired."

Everyone believed it.

Late that night, Yuriko was in her office, doing paperwork. She couldn't stop thinking about the alien who called himself Shin. The idea that he really was an alien, and not just a freak of nature, was overwhelming.

She was almost dozing when a small groan from curtain three disturbed her.

Shin.

Quickly she got up, pulled the curtain aside and stepped closer to the bed.

The anesthesia was wearing off. Shin was obviously waking up, and he was equally as obviously in pain, despite the painkillers.

"Shhh, Shin, it's all right," she said, placing her hand on his brow to restrain him. His hair, one stray piece, fell across her hand, unbelievably soft. With the other hand, she increased the IV drip.

As the strong painkiller flowed into him, Shin relaxed against her hand. He winced, then opened his black rimmed, almond shaped eyes.

"Welcome back," Yuriko smiled.

He tried to talk, but there was an oxygen mask strapped to his face. Yuriko moved it aside.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"Satan County General Hospital. How are you feeling?"

"Cold. Tired."

"Hold on a second, I'll get you another blanket."

She returned quickly and tucked the extra blanket around his small form.

He reached up with his good hand and removed the oxygen mask. His other arm, as well as his right ankle, were in casts.

"Where is Gohan?"

"Who's Gohan?"

"I have to find him!"

To her surprise, he tried to sit up enough to get out of bed. But he was too weak, and passed out again. Yuriko replaced the mask, and took his blood pressure, (low, or so she assumed. Maybe for him it was normal), and got a reading from the heart monitor. He didn't seem to be in any great peril, just exhausted.

"Once his blood pressure and blood gas levels come up, put him on nasal oxygen," she instructed the nurse.

Suddenly, her pager went off. The ER was paging her for a surgical consult. She hurried into the elevator.

"Okay, what have we got?" she yelled, bursting into the Trauma room. A young man with black hair lay on the gurney.

"John Doe, about a one-seven, found about twenty-five miles outside the City. Multiple internal injuries, broken bones."

Instantly, her mind flashed back to Shin, who bore the same kind of wounds. Could this be his Gohan?

"No ID?"

"Wouldn't be calling him John Doe if there was!"

"Okay, okay! Let's get him up to the OR!"

It took almost six hours to operate on the boy. When it was finally over, Yuriko was exhausted. All she wanted to do was go home, but she was too tired to drive. It was easier to simply stay here.

She wandered into Shin's curtain, and was slightly discouraged to see that he was still on the mask. But then again, he was in very critical condition.

Though she intended to only stay long enough to take readings, Yuriko sat down in the chair. She laid her head on the mattress, and fell sound asleep.

Shin woke up again slowly. He felt numb, and couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. At least he couldn't feel the pain anymore.

Speaking of which...how badly was he injured? Closing his eyes, Shin concentrated and located his worst hurts. Arm and ankle, both broken. Right lung torn, but healing. Ribs broken, but set. And most pervading of all was the utter lack of energy that had nothing to do with the anesthesia. Using his telekinetic powers when already injured had drained him badly. He cursed himself for doing it, but it had been necessary.

Turning his head a little, he noticed he wasn't alone. A woman lay with her head on the mattress beside him. She wasn't pretty, as humans went, but he felt a connection with her. Carefully lifting the hand that was not encased in plaster, he put it on her head. She didn't stir.

Shin smiled and closed his eyes.

"Dr. Mikage? Dr. Mikage! Wake up! Your shift is starting!"

Yuriko yawned and rubbed her eyes. There was something heavy on her head. A hand. A purple hand.

Immediately, she looked to the machines next to the bed and grinned: the readings were up.

Gently, she turned off the flow of oxygen, and removed the mask. Shin stirred and opened his eyes.

"Hi," said Yuriko.

"Good morning," he answered, closing his eyes again. He jumped a little as she inserted the nasal flow.

"Shin? You okay?"

"I am fine."

"Sure. How are you feeling?"

He tested each limb carefully, and frowned. "Sore," he said at last.

"That will go away in a little while." she sat back down in the chair. "Shin? Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

"What are you?"

He opened his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, its a little obvious you're not human when your heart's where your stomach should be."

"How do you know that?"

"Shin, I operated on you for six hours. I can rattle off the details of your chest cavity like that. Its not everyday I operate on someone who isn't human."

"You - you cut me open?"

"Yes, I had to, you were bleeding inside. I needed to stop the bleeding, and the only way I could do that was by opening you up."

"I see." He shifted his weight, and couldn't bite back a groan of pain. Yuriko stood, ready to help him if he should so need it.

"You okay?"

"It...hurts..." he ground out through clenched teeth. The unexpected movement had set off a plethora of aches and pains.

"Shin, look at me!" Yuriko said gently. "Are you allergic to any medications?"

"No."

"Okay, hold on..." She ran to the storage closet and got a vial and a syringe. Back in Shin's curtain, she filled the syringe and injected it into the IV port. She let him squeeze her hand until the drug kicked in. Then he was slightly more relaxed and open. The drug was making him talk.

"You asked me what I am," he said at last. "You saved my life, you deserve to know that I am the Supreme Kai."

"What is a Supreme Kai?" asked Yuriko. She was intrigued, and couldn't decide whether to believe him or not.

"A guardian," he replied simply. "I was Guardian of the East. Now I watch over the entire universe."

Quickly, he explained to her all about what had happened. The story came out so quickly, he was so relieved to be finally telling someone about the horrors he had kept inside for thousands of years. When it was finally over, all Yuriko could do was stare.

"Wow," she said at last. "I - I don't know what to say."

"I know you don't believe me. That's all right, you don't have to."

"Sh-shin...I - I don't know what to say..."

"Say that...say that you won't tell anyone."

"I won't. I promise." She stood. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll be back to check on you later."

He nodded as she turned away. She needed to get out of there. His story had creeped her out. He was the guardian of the universe? But he was so small and weak! Oh, gods...what if he died? She didn't want to think about that. It was too overwhelming to find out that, after years of not believing in a god, she had just operated on one. If she had known that three days ago, she would have been too nervous to make the incision. She was glad she had been able to, though. She had come to genuinely like the guy. But...to believe that he was a guardian, a Kai? That was asking a bit much.

But then, how does one explain his freakishly abnormal physiology? He told you, to your face!

He was drugged!

Why can't I just believe him? Why do I doubt? There really is no other explanation for him.

He's a freak, nothing more

Why don't you want to believe him? He was obviously being sincere.

He was on drugs. Who knows what he did before landing himself in the hospital. He's a freak punk. Look at his skin. Look at his hair.

His skin is purple because his blood is.

Yuriko continued arguing with herself until she got home. More than anything, she just wanted to forget for awhile the little purple being.

She just wanted to forget.

When Shin woke the next morning, he was in a different room. He groaned silently, remembering the night before. Why in all that was holy had he done that? Tell a mortal? the Z fighters had been different. They already knew about Kais and aliens and everything. This ordinary mortal was surely going to think that he was a few bricks short of a load!

Wincing at the sudden ache in his head, Shin sat up. He wondered what was going on - it was a few days after surgery, shouldn't he have felt better? If anything, he felt worse. Pressing the call button, he doubled over as a bolt of pain lanced through his chest, where the surgical scar was. He pulled his legs in close and rested his head on his knees as nausea washed over him. He was trembling and he couldn't help it.

"Shin? What seems to be the matter?"

"I don't know..." he trailed off.

The nurse walked over and jabbed a thermometer into his mouth. Shin tried not to gag. Long minutes later, she took it out.

"Any pain?"

Shin winced. "My chest hurts...and my stomachs."

"Stomachs?"

Shin instantly realized his mistake. "Stomach. I said stomach," he said quickly. "And my head hurts."

"Nausea?"

"Yes."

She handed him a basin. "You hold that. I'm going to call Dr. Mikage."

This is so embarrassing, thought Shin.

The phone rang shrilly, waking Yuriko out of a deep sleep.

"Yeah?" she asked blearily, picking it up.

"Dr. Mikage? Its me, Keiko. Your patient needs you."

"I've got lots of patients, Keiko. Which one?"

"The purple one."

Yuriko groaned. "He's not my patient anymore. They moved him to a room."

"He may just be yours again. I think he's infected."

"Oh no..." Yuriko groaned. "Okay. I'll be right there."

"Shin?" Yuriko asked, walking into the room. "You're not feeling too well?"

"No."

"Patient reported nausea, headache, pain from the incision area, and has a fever of 102 degrees."

"Thanks, Keiko. I can take it from here."

The nurse nodded and left the room.

"Shin? I need you to look at me."

Shin blearily opened his eyes.

"Hey," she smiled. "I'm going to have to feel your stomach. Can you tell me where it is?"

"Stomachs," Shin corrected her. "There are two. In my thighs."

"Thanks." Yuriko moved aside the blankets and lifted the gown. Shin's hand shot out and caught hers. Yuriko was confused for a moment, then smiled. "Shin, I'm a doctor. I've seen it all."

He blushed a deep pink, but allowed her to continue. She gently felt his stomach, but found nothing wrong.

"Okay good. Now I need you to sit up. I need to see your scar."

Shin obligingly sat up and allowed her to undo the back of the gown. It fell open to expose his chest, the white bandage standing out starkly against the purple of his skin. Yuriko undid it to examine the healing scar.

It was red and inflamed and hot to the touch.

"Damn," she said softly.

"What is wrong?" he asked as she helped him get the gown back on.

"Shin...you have an infection inside of you. That's why you feel so awful right now."

"What can you do about it?"

"Well, we could just let it burn itself out. But that could cause damage to your internal organs. Instead, we could operate again, then put you on antibiotics.

"You have to operate again?" He sounded scared.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," she said. "But I'll take good care of you. I promise." She patted his hand. "You rest for a moment. I'll see when we can take you up."

She returned a few minutes later. Shin was resting, and she didn't want to wake him. But as soon as she stepped into the room, he opened his strange, opaque black eyes, looking up at her questioningly.

"All the Operating Rooms are in use right now. We'll take you at 3:00."

"That is fine," he sighed, and fell silent.

"Shin?" she asked after awhile. "You okay?"

"I am fine." His reply was clipped. "Did you ever find news of Gohan?"

"Would his name be Son Gohan?"

"Yes!"

"Found him about two days ago. Don't worry, he's in good condition, he'll be fine. Surrounded by people at the moment, actually. He's in much better condition than you are."

Shin sighed. "That is good to hear."

"I guess so. You care for him, don't you?"

"I don't so much care for him as need him. He is our only hope for saving the world. Doubtlessly, you have heard of the trouble in Satan City?"

Yuriko nodded. "It's the one time I've been grateful for not being in the City."

"Gohan has the power to stop him."

"Really! That's great! But all those people who died..."

He touched her hand, then took it in his own. "Do not worry about that. It can be taken care of."

"Oh..." She wasn't quite sure what to say to that. He was so blasé about a horrific loss of life. Then again, he was the guardian of the Universe, so obviously knew things that she didn't. She clutched his hand, running her thumb over his knuckles. She could feel his pulse in his palm, slightly elevated. He was afraid.

"You don't have to worry. I won't let any harm come to you," she smiled.

Shin looked startled. "I am not afraid of you," he finished shyly. "I don't like the thought of being cut up."

"You're not being cut up. It's just a small incision. I imagine it won't take more than an hour.'

"I thank you, for doing this."

"Just doing my job."

"It is your job to stay with patients long after they have passed out of your responsibility?"

"No, but its not every day I meet someone who wasn't born on this earth. And besides that, I like you, Shin. You're interesting. More so than the people I usually treat, anyway."

He closed his eyes and smiled. "You are very kind. Most people are not so courteous to mine."

"No?"

"No."

"Who are you, Shin?"

The small purple being sighed. "I am the last of a race known as the Bri'haan. The name would mean nothing to you, but we were known for our telekinetic abilities. I don't know. I was taken away from them when I was young by the Kais, and trained."

"What happened to the Bri'haan?"

"They were destroyed, by Majin Buu, of course," he sighed. "Keepers of the Records since the beginning of Time and the Universe, all gone. The entire planet was completely gone."

" I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"No. No one does." Not even Kibito. And he can never know, either.

"It's 2:45. I need to go get scrubbed in. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Yuriko didn't get scrubbed in immediately. She waited. She wanted to see Shin again before he was put under.

"Hey," she said softly, walking into the room. The anesthesiologist had just left. "How are you feeling?"

"Cold," he said faintly. "It's so cold in here. Please don't cut me up! I'll do better next time, I promise!"

"Shin! Calm down!" She held his hand, wondering what kind of horrors he had seen to make him think he was being punished. "You're not being punished, its just an operation, remember?"

Blankly, he stared at her. Every few seconds, his eyes would close and he'd have to fight to open them again.

"Lay back, close your eyes, relax," Yuriko said soothingly. "Everything's all right, everything's fine. Count backwards from 100. Go."

"One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight." he trailed off and was silent. Yuriko nodded to the nurse, and went to go scrub in.

Fifteen minutes later, Yuriko was once again facing him, and this time it was both infinitely easier and infinitely harder. This time, she knew what to expect when she opened him up. But now she was attached to him, and would be devastated if anything were to happen to him.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed. Yuriko felt her heart speed up. A power outage during an operation could be deadly. Reassuring herself that the hospital had electrical generators that would kick in if anything should happen, she made the first incision.

The lights went out.

"I wish I hadn't made that incision," she swore. She couldn't see a thing!

Come on, come on, where are the generators? Come on!

Then a shrill whine filled the room as the generators came on and the room was filled with an eerie red light.

The whine didn't stop.

"Oh God!" she yelled, realizing that Shin had flatlined. "Oh God! Oh God! Keiko! Charge the paddles to 800! Put them on his stomach!"

Keiko gave her a questioning look but did as she was told.

"Clear!"

"Nothing!" yelled Yuriko. "Again!"

Come on, Shin! You can't die! You're too cute to die!

"Clear!"

"We've got a rhythm!" Yuriko yelled joyously. From there, it was a simple matter of cutting away the dead flesh until the wound was clean. She was right, the procedure took only an hour or so. After scrubbing out, Yuriko went home. She had spent entirely too long at the hospital as it was.

Shin woke up slowly. He was back in Recovery. Yuriko was nowhere to be found, only a nurse that was sitting outside the door. He couldn't see her, but he could sense her ki.

He could sense all sorts of kis, from strong and healthy to weak and dying. It was an uncomfortable sensation.

The room was barely lit. His sharp hearing picked up on a change - a high pitched whining that hadn't been there before.

He could even sense Majin Buu - fairly far away, but close enough to make him worry. He hoped one of the Z fighters had figured out a plan by now, because he certainly didn't have one.

But I might have if Kibito hadn't died.

He wasn't entirely sure of the logic of that thought. He didn't know how Kibito's death affected his thought processes, so he chalked it up to his brain still being fogged from the anesthesia.

It wasn't just his mind that was fogged - his stomachs had a thousand butterflies dancing in them, and refused to settle down. He wished Yuriko was there; if he had to be sick, he'd rather be so in front of her than anyone else.

He pressed the call button. After a moment or two, the nurse came over.

"Nausea?" she asked.

Shin nodded. She was obviously used to working in Recovery. For the second time in as many days, a basin was pushed into his hands.

"Is Dr. Mikage here?"

"No, she's off. She'll be back in about two hours. Now if you'll hold on-"

She broke off as Shin retched and threw up. There wasn't much in his stomachs, so it quickly dissolved into a series of horrible dry heaves. When it was finally over, the nurse handed him a cup of water and promised to be right back. She returned carrying a full syringe.

"Roll over on your stomach," she instructed. Shin did as he was told, but was horrified when she pulled down the covers and lifted the gown.

"Are you sure you have to inject me there?" he asked, embarrassed beyond belief.

"Do you want to feel better or not?"

He winced as the needle pierced his skin. It was worth it, though as his stomachs calmed and he dozed. After awhile he was vaguely aware of two voices intruding upon his consciousness.

"Yeah, woke up about an hour and a half ago, nauseous."

"Vomiting?"

"Once. I gave him a shot of Compazine."

"Great, thanks Shinohara. I can take it from here."

Shin struggled to open his heavy eyelids. Finally succeeding, he looked up to see Yuriko.

"Hey," she smiled, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You had me worried. You were out for a long time."

He smiled back. "You needn't fear. The Bri'haan are stronger than they look. At least, we were."

"I believe you. You've done well so far. I almost lost you in surgery, though. The electricity failed. It's out all over the country. It's that damn Majin Buu person."

"He is getting closer," Shin affirmed.

"Closer? But, how can you tell?"

"I can sense his energy."

"Right. Another mind trick. So what else can you do?" She sat down on a chair next to the bed.

Shin thought for a moment. "I can fly," he offered. "Though, that is a basic skill. I can create."

"Create?"

"Like this." After a moment's concentration, he materialized a single red rose, and handed it to her.

"That's something you don't see everyday. How'd you do it?"

"It took almost four thousand years of training," he smiled wryly. "But it is worth it."

"Four thousand years? How old are you?" she asked, then winced, realizing how rude that sounded.

Shin smiled. "A few million at least. I do not know. I have never kept track. The Bri'haan are immortal. We have no need to keep track, because each day is no more than the last."

"Must be nice," smiled Yuriko. "I wish I could be like you."

He smiled, and put his hand over hers. "You are needed here."

"I know," she smiled. "I'm just glad I was on the day you came in. It was supposed to be my day off, but I got called in. I almost said no."

"Do you believe in predestiny?"

"Is that it?"

He laughed. "I don't know! After millions of years, and I am still trying to figure that out! I hope it is. It would make everything easier to bear."

"Everything?"

"That I was taken away from my people for a reason. No, that's not quite right. That I was meant to be taken away, and I didn't just get lucky. I think that on days I wonder if I am fit to be the Supreme Kai. I just remember that perhaps I was meant for this role, and therefore am fit. But...I wish I could have lived with my people. I've never had a family. Kibito is the closest thing I've ever had to he's dead."

"Who is Kibito?"

"My bodyguard. But he was killed by the King of Demons."

"I'm so sorry."

"No, it's all right. It's ironic, really. He was one of the Kel'e'maar. His people were destroyed about the same time mine were. Before that, they were deadly enemies. But it is no matter now. Both our races are dead, and gone with them are the ancient grudges.

Yuriko was quiet. She felt strange, knowing things about extinct races.

"So tell me more about yourself," she said at last. "Tell me as I check on your arm and ankle."

Shin started. In all the excitement, he had forgotten about his broken bones.

Yuriko bent over him and began to gently flex his fingers.

"How old were you when you were taken away?"

"A baby. Ten years old at the most. I couldn't even talk yet."

"Did you have a name?"

"What?"

"I said, did you have a name?"

"I go by Higashi no Kaioushin."

"Didn't your parents give you a name?"

"My parents called me Bryn."

"It's a beautiful name," Yuriko said, biting her lip.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Your arm and leg have healed - it's amazing! But in another day you're going to be released. This is going to sound silly, but I'm worried for you. I just don't want you to get hurt again."

He smiled reassuringly. "There is no need to worry. I will be returning to my own planet with Gohan, to train him. " He lowered is voice so as not to be overheard. "Truthfully, you should be more concerned with your own safety than with mine."

"I'll be careful, Shin."

"It is not a matter of being careful. You are in danger for simply being alive."

"I'll stay here then. Surely this Buu monster wouldn't harm a hospital!"

Shin smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, I fear the day is coming when nowhere is safe."

Yuriko was stunned. "So that's it then, I'm just going to die?"

Shin took his long hands in his small ones, wordlessly begging her to listen to him. "Dr. Mikage."

"Yuriko."

"Yuriko, I promise you, it will not end like that. This will sound strange, but even if you should die, please do not despair. There is a way out of everything. Even death."

"E-even death? Then why do we die at all?"

"That is not for me to answer," he admitted. "I did not create the universe. I merely guard it."

"Then, why do bad things happen? Why has this Buu attacked the earth, if you were supposed to be guarding us?" There was no anger in her voice, only sadness.

Shin sighed. "I came here to stop Buu from being awakened. I failed."

Yuriko patted his hand. "Hey, well, we all have an off day, right? I'm sure you're great at what you do."

He smiled up at her. "Thank you, Yuriko. You are the first person to ever tell me that. I only ever get complaints."

"I know how you feel," Yuriko agreed.

They sighed in unison, then looked at each other and smiled.

Yuriko had just decided that she would be content to talk to Shin forever when her pager went off. It was the ER.

"I gotta go," she said mournfully. She stood. "Try to rest up. You're being released soon."

The trauma in the ER turned into a six hour exploratory, then reparative, surgery for Yuriko. She didn't manage to get home until six o' clock in the morning, and then promptly proceeded to sleep for the rest of the day. At five o'clock in the afternoon, she woke up.

Her shift was starting.

Shin was leaving.

The Supreme Kai, having ditched the ugly, ill-fitting hospital gown and having made himself a new set of clothes, watched in anticipation as Yuriko signed the paper that would free him. He couldn't wait to go back to Kaioushinkai and show Gohan the Z sword. It would be no time before Buu was gone. And hopefully, no more lives would be lost in the meantime.

Yuriko turned to him and knelt down so she was eye-level to him.

"You take care of yourself," she said softly.

"You too. Please be careful."

"Hey, you too. No more fights, you got that?"

He smiled. "Yuriko, remember this: Supreme Kai. Remember those two words."

"I will remember. Good luck."

Shin nodded and stepped back a little. In a blink, he was gone.

Yuriko felt a strange sort of emptiness fill her heart. She donned her lab coat and shuffled wearily down the hall.

Her shift was starting.

The End.