submission            dated 6/8/03
author: FireCracker       KLee624820@aol.com
(Italic copy bordered by_underscore_) 
Archive? You'd better.
warnings: More royal family madness.

HOUSE OF VEGETA HIGHLIGHTS 7

"AAWOOOOO!!!"

Bardock frowned, his sleep disturbed. Low candleglow outlined the
royal chambers in deep shadow.

"RAURRGGGHH!!!"

At his side, a sleepy Ou snored lightly. Bardock edged up slowly,
mindful of the chibis. The small ones purred in repose, tucked in
tight.

"EERARUUGHH!!"

Growling, Bardock listened attentively. "What foolishness." he
murmured.

Sharp teeth glistened as Vegeta Ou yawned to
wakefulness. "Foolishness?"

Bardock pointed in the dark. "Hai. Listen."

Both saiyans fell silent as the unmistakable sounds of roaring filled
the hallways.

The King stared hard at nothing. "That's Kakarot."

Bardock was worried now. "Didn't Glerunn's draught and medication
settle him?"

Vegeta slipped a robe over his shoulders, standing. "We'd better
investigate."

Bardock cradled the sleeping chibis. "Summon the naa'ti, Vegeta. I
don't want to wake the babies."

The Ou pulled a green cord. "Done."

****

Two concerned elders walked the eastern corridors. Guards chatted in
clusters, curious at the noisy uproar.

Vegeta Ou had no patience for their curiosity. "Clear out and return
to your stations!" he bellowed.

Several bowed and scattered, returning to their posts. Another watch
commander approached cautiously, pulling his moustache.

"Eventide, o King. The oujian Kakarot appears to be in distress. The
retch fever has-"

"I know this, Gerbodd. Is it so fascinating that everyone must leave
their station to observe?"

The commander coughed. "Not exactly, but restraining him has proven
difficult."

Bardock stepped up, irritated. "Where is the prince?"

Gerbodd pointed down another hallway. "Follow the noise, Regent
Bardock."

****

They came upon a bizarre scene. Kakarot hung from a high chandelier
by his tail, howling and fuzzy. An exasperated ouji glared up at his
ill mate, accompanied by Glerunn and two assistants.

Bardock took up the gauntlet. "What is this?!" he yelled to be heard.

Vegeta no Ouji turned. "We hoped to coax him down, but I may have to
fly up."

The King rounded on Glerunn. "Well, physician?"

Glerunn stared up at his patient. "I'll need to make an adjustment on
the sedative for his metabolism. I forgot Kakarot isn't through his
first majority yet."

The prince spun. "Well if I'm not, he certainly wouldn't be!" he
snapped. "Krukka, it's hard to believe you've practiced medicine for
a century!!"

Glerunn motioned to his assistants. "Be silent, young one."

"You dare-"

The Ou pulled him aside. "Enough, this won't accomplish anything.
Glerunn, what do you plan?"

The grizzled physician held out a small pipe. "This."

The ouji was incredulous. "A blow gun?!"

"Just use the damn thing already!!" Bardock shouted, holding his ears.

Glerunn spoke to his assistants. "Isexx, Berduc. When he falls, catch
him and wrap."

"Ai, Glerunn." the two younger saiyans unfolded packets of material.
Glerunn placed a small pellet inside a dart.

The ouji cursed. "Is that necessary?!"

Bardock grabbed him. "Do you feel like wrestling Kakarot until his
fever breaks? Be quiet and let Glerunn do what's needed."

The prince shook his head, watching his mate howl nonstop. "But-"

The Ou was stern. "Vegeta."

Yanking himself free, the ouji glared in silence. Glerunn pointed the
blow gun and fired. With a bloodchilling shriek Kakarot dropped like
a stone, landing into a soft tent of material. The assistants quickly
wrapped him in a cocoon, holding him safely.

"Be careful!!" the ouji shouted again.

"He'll be fine, prince." Glerunn reassured. He reached in his bag
again, pulling out another giant pill. This one was green.

Even the Ou stared. "Krukka, that's worse than worm medicine."

Bardock closed on the group as they restrained his son. "What's that
for?"

Glerunn stuffed a pill between Kakarot's teeth again. "It will help
him rest, for one thing. Part of the problem is his metabolism. It's
causing the fever to come in bursts."

The Ou glanced down. "But when will it break?"

"I'd venture the next sixteen hours or so...he'll be weak enough when
it does."

The ouji pointed. "Wait. Look!!"

Hairy Kakarot crunched the huge pill in anger, growling. Suddenly, he
shifted. Red eyes turned dark. The shaggy mop and tail turned normal.

Bardock grinned, scratching behind his son's ear. "Well, that's a
start."

The attendants held their patient firm in his restraining coat.
Kakarot blinked in weary confusion.

"What's going on? Why the hell am I wrapped up like a cooking boar?"

The ouji laughed, bending down to hug him. "You're sick, don't you
remember?"

"Sick..."

"Ai, the retch fever. It's been going around."

Kakarot leered at him. "Hn. Well, I've got another kind of fever. Get
rid of everybody so we can go someplace dark!"

Bardock rolled his eyes. The king coughed. "Well, he certainly sounds
like himself again."

The ouji sat back. "Fool. Go to sleep, you need rest."

Kakarot licked his lips. "No I don't!"

The attendants laughed. Glerunn shushed them. "Enough, take him to
the med chambers. He must be isolated until the fever breaks."

A cursing Kakarot was carried away, resembling an oversized cocoon.
The others watched until they disappeared down a long corridor.

Glerunn held out a needle. "Now, for the rest-"

"The rest of what?!" Bardock backed away. He wasn't fast enough.
Glerunn jabbed his arm, getting the ouji and king next before they
could react.

"Hedradda!!" the King yelled, holding his arm. "Are you insane?!"

Glerunn smirked, pocketing his syringe. "You've been exposed. As
royal physician, my duty is the preservation of royal health. So be
it."

The ouji grumbled, likewise rubbing his poked arm. "I won't vouch for
YOUR health, physician. What a stupid stunt!!"

The grizzled saiyan held his head high with typical saiyan
arrogance. "My duty is plain. File a formal complaint prince...after
your mate recovers!!"

The ouji spluttered in shock. "Shiksha k'degge..."

The Ou glared. "Return to your duties, Glerunn. I'll hear no more."

A deep bow. "As you command."

****

Bardock watched him go. "Hn...he's got gall. Why do you put up with
that, Vegeta?"

"I make allowances since he saved my father several times."

"Oh? You never told me that." the ouji was curious.

"I told you many things, cub. More times you ignored me!"

Bardock rubbed his jaw. "What did he do?"

"When Gedok was often wounded in war, Glerunn would heal him almost
miraculously."

The dark commander snarled. "That still doesn't mean I appreciate
being stabbed like a puffed meat pudding."

The Ou laughed. "You make a good pudding. Come, let's go have a
drink!"

"I'd just as soon fight." the ouji snapped, still glaring at the
direction Glerunn departed.

Bardock chuckled. "That's hardly fair. Fighting an old doctor, boy?
The guards would never let you live it down."

The ouji patted his bathrobe down. "Let them talk, then. We'll see
how smug Glerunn is with his nose pointed the wrong way!"

"Enough" Bardock cuffed his son playfully. "Fight later. For now, the
halls are quiet and it's late. Besides, I feel mellow."

The ouji still growled, tail puffed. "He stuck me."

The Ou scratched behind his son's ears. "Krukka, what high bloods.
Quite a batch we have, eh, Bardock?"

Bardock smoothed the ouji's tail. "Agreed. Perhaps more than one
loon, even."

The prince sniffed, composing himself. "_I_ am not a loon. Go tell it
to Kakarot."

The Ou put an arm around his mate and son as they headed down a
hallway. "Well, at least he has an excuse!"

****

The ouji had calmed nearly an hour later. Mellow from conversation
and drink, he gathered the chibis and headed to bed.

Not that Nuru and Tezar were ready for sleep. They clucked and
chirped nonstop. In vain Vegeta tried to quiet them, bouncing and
playing. It all proved futile.

"Krukka, what crazy cubs. You miss your father, eh?"

Screeches filled his ears. Vegeta rolled his children into fur
blankets, placing them on their huge bed. He plopped alongside,
fluffing a pillow before resting his head.

Bardock poked his head inside heavy curtains. "Hn...I told you not to
disturb the chibis once they're sleeping."

The prince covered his ears, shouting over happy shrieks. "Ai, and
now they'll be awake all night. I'm beginning to regret taking them
from the naa'ti (nursekeepers)."

Bardock grinned, scratching thick little mops. "No you don't. After
all, what's parenthood without noise?"

Both adults nearly jumped as Tezar let loose a bloodcurdling screech.

The elder winced. "Of course, I could be wrong."

Vegeta smiled slyly. "Wouldn't you like to spend a quiet evening with
your chikki?"

"Don't give me that, Vegeta. First of all it's the middle of the
night. Second, I don't know about the 'quiet' part."

"They'll run out of energy soon enough."

Bardock waved, smiling. "Maybe by dawn. In any case, I'm going to
sleep. I hate to keep a bedwarmer waiting."

The ouji was smug. "I'm certain father wouldn't like being called a
bedwarmer."

Bardock winked on his way out. "All right, then. A heater!"

Vegeta laughed at the mental image. "That's terrible."

His elder stood in the doorway, grinning. "Don't worry. I plan to get
good use out of him."

The chibis started another round of high pitched squeals. Bardock
purred gently at them before leaving.

Vegeta sighed at his noisy children, cradling them into bed. "The
joys of parenthood."

THE END