Information

Dragon Ball New Generation
The Xiol Saga

Chapter 45 - Race Circuit

It was approaching noon, and all the racers on the race track were busy preparing themselves.  The spectators were warming everyone up, and people after people were lining up and getting into their seats.  Today was an important race, and who ever comes first, second and third, were going to race in the International Racer Competition.  
In their seats already were Gokou, Linni, Pastri, Refere and Shin Piccolo.  They were waiting impatiently for their other friends, but also for the most important one.  Pastri's cell phone rang and she answered.  It was Sage.
"What's the matter Sage?"
"Any sign of Gokun?"
"What?!  I thought he was with you guys?"
"He hasn't turned up yet."
Vegeta, Bobulla and Nion soon turned up afterwards.  Lucky for them, they saved them seats.  The arena was getting really packed.
"You all looked stressed." Bobulla said.
"Its Gokun." Piccolo told her, "He hasn't turned up yet."
"He's not the only one who hasn't turned up yet." Vegeta said.
"Calm down Vegeta.  We're here."
They all turned around to see G.  He was now managing his family's Capsule Corporation overseas, so he had to travel from further away.  G took his seat before Hazell appeared behind him.
"Sorry we're late.  I had to do an advertisement before coming today."
Suddenly there were cries, and they all turned to the twins sitting on Hazell's lap.  
"They're still major cute since the last time we saw them." Pastri said.
Hazell lifted the 2 twin boys up and handed one to their father.  G opened a bag of potato chips up and gave it to the eldest of the twin boys, Tank.
Hazell gave the other twin a banana which he ate quickly.  Hazell giggled.
"Always the quick eater aren't we Ashe?"
The cell phone rang again and Pastri answered.  It was Sage, and the problem still remained the same.  Gokun hadn't appeared yet, and the race was starting in 30 minutes.  Gokou stood up.
"I'll go see if I can find him." 
"You want any help Gokou-san?" Nion asked.
"I'll be fine."

***

Gokou stood outside the orphanage Gokun grew up in.  Inside looked quite the same, but there were less children becoming a member of the orphanage.  
The woman inside saw Gokou and remembered who it was.  After all, Gokou was a regular to come visit Gokun.  Gokun could've moved out years ago, but he still had some unfinished business to do about his past, and he still liked to help the orphaned children out.  Because of that, Gokun moved into the level situated above the orphanage.
"Has Gokun-san come outside from his room?"
The lady thought.
"I'm not quite sure.  I wasn't aware of it.  You can go see if he's still home.  Go ahead."

Gokou came to the door and knocked several times, but with no answer, so he opened the door.  It was all quiet, and he looked into all the rooms until he came across his bedroom.  Nothing.  No one was on the bed.  When he was about to walk off, he saw some motion next to the bed.  He walked in to find Gokun lying on the ground, clutching his head.  
"Gokun!!!" Gokou cried, and lifted the man up. "What's wrong?!"
"My headache's playing up!"
Gokou put him back in his bed and gave him some aspirin and water.  Soon he was calm, and Gokou told him to call off the race, but Gokun refused.
"I'm okay Gokou.  Just a minor headache."
Gokou wasn't convinced, but Gokun was already out the door.  Gokou followed him and watched from behind as he descended the stairs, almost tripping over.  Gokou was getting worried.  This didn't seem like a headache to be taken softly.
"Come on Gokou!  We're late as it is!" Gokun called from the bottom of the stairs.

***

Everything was fine after the two showed up at last.  There were 10 minutes to spare, and Sage told Gokun that the day before, he recommended for him to sleep early, however Gokun ignored and put the racing helmet over his head.  
"You okay Gokun?" Rue asked.
"I'm fine." he replied.
Thyme, like Gokou, wasn't convinced.

At the stands, Gokou was sitting down, still thinking about Gokun's lack of rest and all.  He didn't tell anyone else at the time, and soon the spectators announced the start of the race.  They all watched intently as all race cars revved their engines.  The lights turned green, and the race started.  Cars zoomed around the track at high speeds, and Gokun's car was soon in the lead.  His friends cheered him on.  Gokun had been a professional racer for a couple of years now, and he was ranked very highly as one of the best racers ever.  

Gokun was trying to ignore his headache, and concentrated on the track.  Through his headphones, he could hear Sage, Thyme and Rue telling him he was going good.  It was soon the last leg of the race, and the last long stretch.  It seemed like he was going to win this.  There were only a couple of cars behind him when it happened.  He started to become dizzy, and shaking his head wasn't going to work.  
What's wrong with me?!
Soon it struck bad, and he lost total control of his car.  His friends watched in horror as the car ran off the track, straight into a wall.  It blew up on impact, and the spectators went crazy as others were putting out the fire.  It freaked them out as out of the flames, Gokun stepped out unharmed.  He looked up at his friends, and noticed them calling out to him.  The last thing he heard were the faint voices of Gokou, Sage and Rue coming up to him.

***

It was 3 hours later when he regained consciousness.  Gokun looked around to see some familiar faces.
"Are you alright?" Gokou asked.
"You really scared us." Pastri said.
"It's nothing.  It was the fire and the smoke." Gokun told them.
Gokou and Pastri turned to one another.  They had talked earlier about this, and turned back to him.
"All our friends waiting outside won't believe you either." Pastri said.
Gokun laid still as the door opened, and Vegeta walked in with the doctor.  
"Awake now?  That's good." the doctor said.
"Gokun said it was the fire and smoke." Gokou told them.   Vegeta raised an eyebrow, and the doctor laughed.
"For 3 hours?  I highly doubt it."
He then turned serious.
"I wish it was that simple."
Pastri, Gokun and Gokou all stared at the doctor.
"This isn't easy to say-"
Vegeta then butt in.
"From the tests that were run, we've found that the bad headaches and dizziness aren't from your lack of rest or from the smoke and fire.  You've got a serious illness."
Silence.
"Can it be cured?" Pastri asked, afraid of the answer.
The doctor shook his head.
"I'm afraid it can't be cured.  I've never seen an illness of this kind before."
Gokou was shocked, and stood up quickly, pushing Gokun's bed a bit.
"What does that mean?!"
"I'm dying right?" Gokun asked.
The doctor and Vegeta nodded gently.
"No it can't be!" Gokou yelled, "You're tests must be wrong!"
Pastri grabbed Gokou's hand and sat him down.  She knew he was angry and sad, but so was she.  Pastri walked outside and turned to their friends.  They also had sad faces on.  They already heard the news.

***

It was night now, and at Capsule Corporation, Vegeta was sitting behind his desk, reading his medical textbooks.  Nion was also there, but lying on the recliner chair, playing her violin.  She had been learning the violin since 5 years old.  She was playing some sad music, but soon stopped.  She thought playing her violin would make her feel a little better, but it only made it worse.  Nion turned to Vegeta.
"I can't believe all this."
Silence.
"There is nothing we can do?" she asked.
Vegeta turned around to her and took off his reading glasses.
"No we can't." he turned to his textbooks, "Damn.  I wish I could do something to help, but until I know everything-"
"How long does Gokun-san have?" Nion asked.
"Estimated to be 4 months or so.  If that was anyone else, he would've been brain dead."
Nion stared at him and began giving way to tears.
"Don't say that."
"Sorry.  Didn't mean that."
Bobulla then walked in.
"Is he in any shape at all to leave the hospital?"
"He wanted to leave.  There is no way he would spend his last few months in a hospital mother."
"So he's at home?" Bobulla asked.
"Yeah.  He didn't want anyone to look after him today.  Pastri and Gokou said they'll go see him tomorrow morning.  This is just great.  All this is happening just before my exams tomorrow."
Bobulla soon left the room, and Vegeta sat still.  He opened a draw and took out the same CC watch the attacking human wore a few days ago.  Vegeta still felt uneasy with the watch, but didn't know why.

Nion was watching him and then got up.  She walked outside to the balcony and sighed.
"Gokun-san.  How are you feeling right now?"

***

The window was open, and the blinds made sounds as the wind blew in.  The man awoke once again from a bad dream.  Dripping in sweat, and sore all over, Gokun breathed heavily.
"What's with these dreams?!"