A/N: Well, let's see…how long's it been? A few months? A year? *looks at last upload date*… Well, shit, it's been a while, hasn't it? Damn, hard to believe it's really been that long, and I wish I had a better excuse, but I don't. Luckily, I still had several chapters of this story written, but I had forgotten some of the details and had to reread this story from the beginning to familiarize myself with everything. I still get reviews for this story from time to time, and people really still seem to be interested. It's really made me feel bad for not continuing. My last review especially made me feel bad. My inspiration was sparked after kinda getting back into DBZ recently, thanks to rewatching some of the DBZ Abridged episodes. Also, I've only JUST now started watching Dragon Ball Super. I had drifted away from DBZ when the new series came out and never bothered to watch it. Also, I really need to rewatch DBZ from the beginning. I've already forgotten a lot of the details.

This story has been kind of a pain to deal with. Around the time I was still posting, my old laptop died, and I ended up getting a new one. I had this story on a USB drive but I couldn't get it to load on the new laptop. I ended up saving it to a different format in order to get it to work on this laptop but it really screwed everything up. All the text was still there but all the quotations and apostrophes were gone and I had to go through and add them all again…which was very time consuming and I still have a lot more to go. But…the story's still there at least.

Now, one thing I was struggling with when I was first writing this story was coming up with an ending, and I'm STILL undecided on how I'm going to end it. I did come up with one idea, but I'm still debating it. So...it still might be a while before this story is done.

Again, I'm really sorry for the painfully long wait. I hope some of you are still interested in this story.

Chapter VI:
Waiting and Hoping

Throughout the day, Gohan very rarely left the room. For the most part, he remained at the android's side, though he paced the room from time to time, stopping by the window to have a look at what was going on outside. His emotions never seemed to stay consistent. At times he felt angry, and minutes later he felt like he might cry, but no matter what his emotional state was, it never changed how helpless he felt. However, he kept reminding himself that he couldn't let himself get too engrossed in the idea that Carbon might die. He had to stay hopeful, despite the odds being seemingly stacked against the android.

Gohan turned away from the window and walked back to take his seat at the android's bedside. He noticed his companion trying desperately to sit up, and he quickly reached over to place his hands against his shoulders. "No, you shouldn't move," he told him, forcing him back down. The android grunted, glaring slightly. "You need to conserve your energy."

The android avoided the boy's gaze, his longing eyes traveling to the window. His restlessness was obvious. He didn't want to be confined to a bed, wasting away while there was still so much out there he hadn't seen yet. He wanted to see the things Gohan had shown him in those colorful pictures.

Carbon's eyes brightened suddenly.

"What is it?" Gohan asked, noticing the change in his expression.

"Pictures," the android stated simply.

"What?"

"I want to see pictures."

"Pictures? Pictures of what?"

Carbon shrugged, softly replying, "Everything."

Gohan gave a slight nod as he rose from his seat. "Hang on," he told the android, quickly leaving the room. Carbon looked back to the window, feeling his eyes growing heavy again, but he managed to resist. The fear that he would never wake again if he closed his eyes managed to keep him conscious, but just struggling to stay awake was in itself an epic battle that drained his reserves of energy.

When Gohan finally returned, the android immediately forgot his fatigue. He tried to reach his hand out, but his limited strength didn't even permit the simplest mobility. "It's okay," Gohan said, placing one of the books down on the floor. "I'll show them to you." The Saiyan pulled his chair closer to the bed, opening up the book and resting the base of its spine to the bed. "This one has exotic animals in it. I thought you might like it." Gohan held up the large book and allowed the android to see the first image. He gave his companion plenty of time to admire the photo before he would turn the page, sometimes giving a brief description of what the creature was and where it lived. The android just sat in awed silence, his eyes soaking in every detail. The only sound he ever made was a slight grunt of disapproval when he felt Gohan was turning the pages too soon. This sometimes earned a soft chuckle from the boy.

After about half an hour, Gohan had only managed to get through half of the book, and at that point, Carbon was struggling to stay awake. He whimpered and tried to protest when Gohan quietly closed the book and set it aside. "You're tired," he told him as the android struggled to sit up. "Rest for a while."

Carbon looked into the boy's eyes for the longest time before meekly replying, "I'm scared."

"Scared?"

"That I won't wake up."

Gohan leaned back into his chair, his gaze lowering. He didn't want to admit to the fact that he had feared the very same thing every time the android closed his eyes, but forcing him to stay awake would just be torture.

"I really don't think staying awake is going to help you. It'll probably just make things worse."

Carbon tried to respond, but he lost his will to stay awake before he could so much as utter a word. Gohan leaned forward and folded his arms over the edge of the bed, laying his head down. He drifted in and out of slumber, never knowing just how much time had passed since he last closed his eyes. Each time he woke, he would spare a quick glance to the android, making sure he was still breathing before laying his head back down again.

There came a sudden knock at the door, which immediately jolted the young Saiyan awake. "Come in," he said groggily, rubbing his eyes. The door slowly opened, and a smiling Krillin popped his head in.

"Hey there."

"Krillin…hey."

"Man," the bald fighter sighed, "you look like you've seen better days."

"Thanks a lot," Gohan mumbled, turning away from his friend.

"Eh, sorry. I stopped in to see if you were still where I last saw you, but I saw that you were gone. When I saw that you had left all your stuff behind, I knew something was up." Krillin slipped the backpack he had been carrying from his shoulder and dropped it onto the floor, along with the rolled up sleeping bag. "I packed everything up for ya that you left behind."

"Thanks."

Krillin shoved his hands in his pockets, looking towards the sleeping android. "Bulma told me what was going on," he said in a more serious tone, a slight hint of pity etched in his words. "She didn't really give me the details, though."

Gohan leaned over the bed, propping his head up against his hand. "We think it might have something to do with being separated from Cell. It's possible he can't live for very long outside of Cell's body. That's the best theory we have, anyway."

"Oh."

Krillin took a step towards the bed, not feeling nearly as intimidated by the creature as he once had. "Umm…how did everything go with him? You know, before all this happened?"

Gohan sniffed and straightened up again. He chuckled as he replied, "He was pretty stubborn. I couldn't even get him to take two steps out of the cave, but I knew it would take a little time. He had every reason to be afraid of me; but he finally came around after a few days. He's not bad, Krillin. He just doesn't understand. He was nothing more than a puppet meant to serve its master. The only thing he understood was how to follow Cell's orders. That and fight. It wasn't fair. I wish I could have seen that from the beginning before I took my rage out on all of them."

"Gohan, the situation called for action. Lives were at stake. There wasn't any time to stop and think everything through."

"You think I don't know that? It still doesn't change how I feel."

"Well, we all have those moments where we wish we could go back and do things differently." Krillin rubbed the back of his head as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "When Cell reached his perfect form…all I could think of was how stupid I had been for not shutting down Eighteen when I had the chance."

"Do you still wish that, though?"

Krillin blushed slightly, averting his gaze. Well…no." He suddenly looked back to his friend, appearing guilty. "Does that make me a bad person?"

Gohan laughed. "No, Krillin."

"I could have saved everyone a lot of grief, though. I mean…if I had just-"

"It's over now, Krillin. There's no sense in torturing yourself over thinking about it. I guess the same can be said for me." The boy suddenly smiled. "But while we're on the subject…how's your android project going?"

"P-Project?"

"Yeah, you and Eighteen."

"U-Ugh…well…" Krillin simply could not hide his blushing. "I…haven't seen her. I can't sense her energy, so I don't know where she is. She could be on the other side of the world by now."

"Well, she knows where you live at least. She can always come to you."

Krillin touched the tips of his index fingers together. "Do you think she will?" he squeaked.

"Sure. I think she likes you."

Seeing Krillin turn even redder, Gohan almost expected steam to start spewing out of the man's ears.

"Heheh, really?" he giggled. Gohan rolled his eyes, smiling softly. Seeing Carbon begin to stir, the Saiyan immediately rose, leaning over the bed.

"Carbon?" he asked with concern, seeing that his companion s expression almost looked pained.

"Carbon?" Krillin repeated the name with a raised brow.

"Yeah…it's his name now."

The earthling chuckled, placing his hands on his hips. "Well, you know what they say…once you name something, that's when you start getting attached."

"Yeah, except I didn't choose the name," Gohan laughed. "He picked it out. He liked it for some reason."

Krillin moved a bit closer to observe the weakened creature. "Will he make it?"

"I don't know," the boy sighed, noticing the android had relaxed again. "I don't know if he'll get better, and what's worse is there's nothing I can do. It's a matter of waiting and hoping." The boy shook his head. "I've never been good at just sitting and waiting."

Krillin looked at him solemnly. "Just don't give up. He hasn't given up yet, so you don't, either."

0ooooooo0

The room was much darker when Gohan awoke. He sat up slowly, looking towards the window and seeing that the sky was a bright shade of orange. He rose from his chair and went to turn on the lamp next to the bed, immediately bathing the room in a soft light. He then walked over to the window and drew the curtains closed, taking a moment to admire the sunset before it vanished from view.

As Gohan walked back over to the bed to check on the sleeping android, the door suddenly opened, revealing a smiling Bulma. "I made soup," she said cheerfully. "You haven't eaten all day. I know you've gotta be hungry."

The Saiyan placed a hand to his stomach, his pangs of hunger suddenly realized upon hearing the young woman remind him that he hadn't eaten in hours. "Yeah…I guess I am."

Bulma held the steaming bowl of soup out to the youth. "Then eat up."

As the boy busied himself with the food, Bulma took a step towards the bed to check on Carbon's condition. She frowned, reaching out a hand to turn the android's face towards her. "He doesn't look so good," she said, placing a hand against his cheek. "I mean…he looks worse."

Gohan immediately looked up, dropping his spoon against the bowl. "Worse?" he asked, standing up and placing the half-eaten soup on the table by the bed.

"Yeah, he feels warm."

Gohan moved in to have a look himself. He noticed the android's cheeks were flushed a light purple, and he looked far from relaxed. "Carbon?" he asked as he placed a hand to his friend's shoulder, not sure why he was bothering to wake him, but he was now more uncomfortable with the android sleeping than he had been previously.

Carbon whimpered as he managed to slowly open his eyes.

"I'll go get a wet rag," Bulma said as she quickly left the room. Gohan continued staring down at the creature worriedly, a lump in his throat.

"Go…han," he said so softly that Gohan almost thought he was about to take his last breath right then and there. The boy pulled his chair as close to the bed as he could, leaning over the bed. "I'm…ti… tired." The words were barely audible, but it did not affect their impact. Gohan had to completely look away this time as he felt tears well. This was it, he knew it. The android was likely in his final moments, and he had no choice but to just sit back and watch it happen. It's not like there was any hope of gathering the dragon balls to wish him back, as whatever was wrong with him would likely qualify as a natural cause, even though Carbon was anything but natural.

As the thought of the dragon balls crossed his mind, he then wondered if he could use them to restore the android's health, but he wasn't about to leave his side, and he didn't think any of his friends would be able to gather them all in time.

Gohan hastily wiped his tear-stained cheek against his shoulder, refusing to let his friend see. When he heard Bulma return, he swiped the underside of his arm across his other cheek and blinked away more tears as he turned to look at her. His despair was obvious to the woman, but she didn't say anything. She held out the cold, damp cloth to him and he quickly pressed it against the android's forehead. Bulma hugged herself as she heard Gohan's shuddering breaths. She couldn't be positive if Carbon was in his final moments, but if he was, she felt like she shouldn't be there when the moment finally came, as it was possible Gohan would ultimately fall apart. He was having a hard enough time keeping it together as it was. With this in mind, she slowly slipped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

The boy continued catering to the android's fever, dabbing his cheeks and forehead with the cool cloth, which seemed to soothe him at least. He slowly turned towards the half-Saiyan, looking mildly curious. "What…will…happen…?" he began weakly, struggling to complete the question.

"Happen? After what?"

"What…happens…when I…die?"

Gohan cringed. God, why'd he have to ask that? "Well…when a person dies their spirit crosses over into Otherworld."

"Other…world?"

"Yeah. There that person's life will be judged…and a decision will be made on where their spirit will dwell for the rest of eternity. If a person is good, they'll go to Heaven, and if they're bad…they go to Hell."

Carbon looked troubled now. "Will…I…go…to H-Hell?"

Gohan's eyes widened. "No!"

"But…I…was…bad."

"N-No, Carbon. You're not bad. You just…didn't know any better. You made a mistake. It wouldn't be fair to send people off to Hell just because they did one or two bad things in their life. The people who go to Hell…they re really bad people."

"Is…my father…in…Hell?"

Gohan hesitated to respond, but he ultimately nodded his head, replying, "Yeah…I'm sure he is."

"And…my…brothers?"

The boy looked startled this time. He wasn't sure how he'd answer that one. Unlike Carbon, the other Cell Jrs hadn't had the opportunity to consider their options and really think about what they were doing. Their situation had truly been unfortunate. Would they still be punished given the circumstances? Would that have been fair? While their first and only actions during their brief few moments of life had been harming others, they never had the chance to do otherwise, as they hadn't been taught such things. Like any other young child, they did what their parent asked of them, as they viewed their parent as being infallible. Why question what they were told?

The bigger question was whether or not they even had souls to ascend into the afterlife. Gohan had vaguely wondered about this ever since Carbon had become weak, but he was almost certain they did. What difference did it make how he came into existence? He had the same emotions that any other living, breathing human being did. But if they were really an extension of Cell, did that mean they would just reunite with his body once they died?

"I…really don't know, Carbon," Gohan replied honestly. Seeing his friend's despair, he almost wished he had just lied to him. "But you won't, I'm sure of it."

The small android almost looked angered. "If…" he began with a great deal of difficulty, struggling to speak above a whisper, "…my…brothers a-are…in Hell…I'd… rather…go there."

Those words were difficult for the half-Saiyan to hear, but he wasn't entirely shocked to hear them nonetheless. If he knew someone he cared about was in Hell, he'd gladly choose to go there instead of Heaven. He could never truly reside in eternal bliss if someone he loved was simultaneously being punished, even if that person may have deserved their eternal fate.

"Try not to think about it, okay?" he told the aqua-colored android, though he knew it was rather silly to suggest that. He was battling death, after all. If he only had hours, if not minutes, to live, thinking about the afterlife was only natural. What more was there to think about? "I'll be right back," Gohan assured as he stood up. "I'm going to wet this again."

Gohan stepped outside the room, finding his way to the washroom. He ran the washcloth under the ice cold water, wringing out the excess water. Noticing a stack of cups residing next to the sink, Gohan snatched one up and filled it with water. He rushed back into the room and sat the cup of water aside. He folded the rag in half and rolled it up slightly, draping it across Carbon's forehead. "I don't know if you're thirsty," he said as he reached over to pick up the cup of water. The android didn't respond, which Gohan took as a 'yes.' He slipped his hand behind his head and lifted him up slightly, placing the cup to his lips. He drank every last drop.

Gohan sat down again, reaching out to take the cold rag in his hand. He dabbed the android's forehead and cheeks with it, unable to do much else. It seemed to relax his friend, but he knew that was the most he could do for him.

0ooooooo0

Carbon's condition hadn't changed in well over an hour. Gohan didn't know whether to be frustrated or relieved. On the one hand, he wanted the android to hold on and pull through, but on the other hand, he was suffering every minute he struggled to survive. The half-Saiyan really didn't know what he wanted at this point. If he knew that there was no hope whatsoever that his friend would survive, then he may have wished the android would pass so that he wouldn't suffer any longer.

The android had drifted off to sleep again about twenty minutes ago. His rising and falling chest was the only thing that indicated that he was still alive. His cheeks weren't quite as flushed as they had been earlier, but they still felt warm when Gohan touched them. He continued mopping his face with the cold rag, as it at least offered him something to do instead of just sitting by and watching him lie there, which he just couldn't stand.

Hearing the door open, Gohan glanced over his shoulder, expecting to find Bulma, but he saw that it was Dr. Briefs who had entered the room. "I take it nothing much has changed," he said as he glanced at the bedridden creature.

Gohan shook his head, looking back at the android. "He's been running a fever," and it sounds like he's struggling to breathe now. How much longer does he have to suffer this?"

The elder man stepped towards the bed, studying the small android with calculating eyes. "He should have been dead by now," he stated with certainty, placing his hands behind his back.

"What?"

The man shook his head, though his eyes seemed to show a certain level of amazement. "This creature has declared war with his own body."

Gohan just stared at the man, still not understanding just what he was getting at.

"If you had left him alone…if you hadn't bothered to spend any time with him, I'm almost certain he would have died hours ago. He would have had no reason to continue on. He clearly wasn't intended to survive, and he would have known that and accepted it without a struggle, but you stepped up and took the place of Cell. You introduced a life worth living to him. Now he's struggling to hold on to that life. His body wants to shut down, but he refuses, and it s probably causing his entire nervous system to overheat, for lack of a better word.

The boy wasn't sure what to make of hearing this. "So…he really is fighting it," he said softly.

"With all his might. Remarkable creature, truly." Dr. Briefs reached up a hand to scratch behind the ear of his feline companion. "I certainly hope he makes it. It'd be a shame if he didn't, unique as he is."

Gohan slowly looked back down at the android, feeling sick at his stomach all of a sudden.

"I think I might turn in early tonight," Dr. Briefs said as he made his way for the door. "If you need anything, let me know."

The half-Saiyan leaned in closely, placing his hand to Carbon's arm. "Carbon?" he said softly as he tried to rouse the android from his sleep. "Wake up…Carbon?"

Carbon finally stirred, his magenta eyes slowly opening and focusing on the young Saiyan.

"Listen to me," Gohan began with a shuddering breath. Don't start crying again. "If…You don't have to fight anymore if you don't want to. If…If this is too much for you to handle, then don't. I know I told you to fight, but…you don't have to if you don't want to anymore. It's okay to let go."

Gohan noticed his friend's eyes flash, his rebuttal eminent. "I…don't…want…to…die." The android managed to force the last word out with every ounce of strength that he had. His words were his only strength at this point, and each one held unshakable determination.

"But-

"No," Carbon rasped weakly, his fingers grasping tightly at the sheets. "I…won't."