What If…
Disclaimer: I don't own One piece
A/N: Okay so I've had this idea stuck in my head for a while. What if the doctor hadn't died? Would Chopper still have joined the straw hat crew? Well I hadn't planned to write it for a while but tonight me and a good friend watched the 9th One Piece movie. He started crying and then I started crying so I told him I would start writing this for him. Anyway, I don't really expect reviews but hey at least maybe people will read. On with the story I guess
Prologue
Doctor Hiluluk coughs miserably, his chest rattling violently. Pulling back his hand he sees blood splattering the skin. Hiluluk looks to Dr. Kureha, his eyes looking strangely shallow in his face.
"I'm dying," the man states his voice harsh and gravely. Kureha gives a cackle despite the fact, behind her sun glasses there is haunting sadness in her eyes.
"Yeah you're a goner," the woman says. Hiluluk grimaces and runs his hand along his worn face.
"How long do I have," Hiluluk says very ready to hear that he may drop dead the next day. Kureha takes a deep swig of her booze and tips her glasses up her nose.
"You've got four days at best," the female doctor says. "But I can trick your body into living for another ten days or so. Sadly for you it would cost ya an arm and a leg." Hiluluk whips out his 'gun' and points it at Kureha.
"TREAT ME DAMNIT," The man screams only to be bashed upside the head with a bottle. Kureha cackles again.
"Why don't you go back to the land to west," the woman smirks. "Maybe those Cherry Blossoms will give you another miracle."
"No," Hiluluk growls. "I'm going to make them bloom here."
"You're a fool and a quack," Dr. Kureha mutters taking a glance over her shoulder. "What's that weird little thing creature that's been poking around since you got here?" Hiluluk jumps a bit and glance out the window, but Chopper is already gone.
"He's," Hiluluk pauses. "He was a patient of mine…more like a son. I throw him out after a year with."
"That seems out of your nature," the female remarks. "More like mine really."
"I'm the only friend he's ever known," the doctor sighs. "If he saw me dye before his eyes, it would be a terrible shock for him. I wished to spare him that. But before I go, I'm going to show I'm miracles are real. I'm going to show him the cherry blossoms."
~One Piece~
Chopper runs through the snow at top speed, his heart racing. The little reindeer squeezes his eyes shut as he runs, which only makes him run head first into a tree. Chopper looks up at the snow falling as blood drips from his blue nose.
As the snow falls into Chopper's brown fur it sinks in; his only friend is going to die. The human reindeer feels tears well up in his eyes and he sits up.
"No," Chopper says. "He's not gonna die." Chopper shifts into walking point and charges through the snow to the doctor's house in the side of the mountain. The reindeer goes inside and starts pulling book after book off the shelf. Chopper can only read as much as the Hiluluk was able to teach him, but he certainly knows the picture of a mushroom. The boy turns the pages as quickly as he can until he's eyes fall on the picture of the skull and crossbones.
"That's it," Chopper exclaims, leaping to his feet. Chopper makes quick work of packing a blue beg before heading out into the snow. A storm is picking up and the wind whips through Chopper's fur, chilling him. The little reindeer shakes his head and pushes on.
~One Piece~
Two days pass for both Hiluluk and Chopper and neither find success. The doctor is faced with explosion and failure as his body slowly gives out on him. Chopper pushes on across the snow covered moment without stop or company looking for the Amiudake mushroom.
Chopper keeps track of days and with each passing one the twisted, sick feeling grows tighter and tighter in his stomach. The little reindeer knows that the doctor's time is running out. with that thought Chopper shakes his horned head and pushes forward.
On the four day Chopper has reached the half of the island where the Amiudake mushroom lies he is stopped in his tracks as a sight hits his eyes; his old herd. Chopper swallows deeply and transforms into Walking Point as he makes the trek down the steep incline.
Chopper keeps his head bowed low though his eyes are wide and fearful. The young deer makes it only half way across the frozen field before he hears hoof's stamping against the snow. With that as his only warming pointed horns make solid contact with his side, puncturing his fur and the skin beneath. Chopper is sent flying, skidding though the snow.
Shakily Chopper gets to his feet and grits his teeth. For once he knows he has to be strong. The boy chargers at the scarred reindeer and their heads collide, their horns locking. Chopper hears a violent crack though he's not entirely sure what it is. Again Chopper is thrown back but this time far enough back that he can make his escape to the far side of the field.
Panting and bleeding Chopper takes his normal form and drags his injured body to the end of a cliff. Across from him he can clearly see the red and white mushroom but it's too far for Chopper to jump in any of his forms. He swallows, as his mind races as he tries to think of a way to get across when the sound of deep, snorting breath. Chopper turns to see the lead reindeer getting ready to charge him and smiles. As horns slam harshly into Chopper's body he is sent off the ground. he sails though the air and smashes hard into the tree on the small, cut off portion of land.
Chopper stands but his body crumbles under his now broken leg, so he drags himself to the mushroom. Chopper's nose is at leave with the Amiudake when its scent catches his nose; something isn't right. Despite not being a normal animal anymore Chopper still has his instinct and something about that smell; it's not safe.
The boy feels his lip quiver as tears well up in his eyes, he was wrong. It's been six days and in four more the doctor will be dead, his father will die. And now Chopper is stuck by himself on a crumbling chunk of land. Chopper peeks over the edge and sees at the bottom there is a small strip of the Drum island equivalent of a beach connecting to the main island.
"Guess I'm climbing down," Chopper says as he shifts to heavy point because fingers seem much better then hoofs in this situation. Still his leg is broken and one eye is swelled completely shut; Chopper highly doubts he's going to make it out of this alive. Chopper weakly makes his way down the frozen rock, his fingers and toes scrapping and bleeding. The would be reindeer grits his teeth as the pain in his body surges when something occurs to him; he doesn't really care if he dies here. What's the point? Soon his only friend in the world will be dead. And with that thought, Chopper let's go.
Wind whooshes past Chopper's ears as the ground gets closer and…smashes. The air rushes' from Chopper's lungs as his eyes shoot open. Apparently he even fails at dying because he now sees he only feel about eight feet. The boy shifts back into Brain Point and shakily gets to his feet, making sure not to put much weight on the broken limb.
Chopper guess maybe he should go back to the doctor's house now, say goodbye. As he slowly drags himself across the snow covered stone Chopper sees something tiny and peeking out of the snow. The boy limps his way over to whatever it is and pushes the snow away from it. It's a mushroom, the color of the cherry blossom pelts on the doctor's flag. Chopper's heart beat speeds up, this mushroom doesn't smell bad or dangerous.
"Maybe," Chopper whispers.
~One Piece~
Hiluluk hacks up blood into his head as he watches the reaction in the glass which is still not the one he's seeking. The man lets his head hit the desk as a broken, dead laugh comes up from his throat almost out of bitter defeat. Hiluluk's eyes fall shut and he is still for a moment before someone knocks on the door. The doctor doesn't move until the third knock. Hiluluk drags himself to the door and slowly opens it.
"CHOPPER," the man cries out as he stares at the bloody reindeer before him, his eyes completely missing the mushroom in his hoofs. "What Happened to you?"
"Mushroom," Chopper smiles weakly. "Please get better Doctor. I want to be a doctor too, or can't a reindeer be a doctor?" Hiluluk doesn't hesitate to draw the boy close to him, clutching him to his chest.
"Of course you can Chopper," Hiluluk sobs. "You've got the biggest qualification; a big heart." The two sob together for a long time before the doctor realizes it's probably in Chopper's best interest to be patched up very soon. As the doctor sets Chopper carefully on his bed he looks at the mushroom that has been transferred to his hand. It's certainly not a type of mushroom he's familiar with, for all he knows it could kill him. Then again that's going to happen anyways he decides perhaps it's worth a try, if nothing else he can spare Chopper's feelings.
Once Chopper is patched up the two cut up half the mushroom and make it into soup. Hiluluk drinks drink's the soup and Chopper looks eagerly at him.
"How is it," Chopper asks excitedly.
"BLAK," Hiluluk gags. "It tastes terrible, but that's okay, all good medicine taste bad. I'm feeling better already!"
~One Piece~
"Well," Hiluluk looks to Kureha who is completely silent. The man left Chopper to rest as he went to say good bye to his old friend. Rumors have been flying about the twenty doctors under Wapol's control have fallen ill. Hiluluk means to make it his final act to save them.
"I don't really know how this happened," Kureha mutters. "But the bacteria that's been infecting your body is dying."
"What," Hiluluk mutters. "I'm healed?"
"Aside from a scarring on your lungs," Kureha begins. "You seem to be making a recovery." Hiluluk's eyes widen.
"The mushroom," he whispers. "He…" the man stands off the female Doctor's bed and walks towards the door.
"Where are you going you old Quack," Kureha demands.
"If I'm not dying then then there's still something I have to do," Hiluluk growls as he does out into the snow. The doctor makes it a good twenty yards before a hulking shape comes from within the snow. Hiluluk tenses up as the figure gets closer until a man, Dalton much to the doctor's shock, appears.
"Hiluluk," Dalton's deep voice is as calm as ever, yet there is a hint of urgency. "Listen to me; do not go up the mountain."
"If a patient is sick I must treat them," Hiluluk says. "That is my oath." Dalton shakes his head miserably.
"No one is sick," Dalton says. "It's a trap. Wapol knew you come to try and save them and when you do, he will kill you. Please, just go back to your home and live."
"Dalton," Hiluluk whispers. "Do you realize, if Wapol ever finds out you did this…?"
"Enough people have fallen to his madness," Dalton says firmly. "I refuse to see another innocent life lost, even if it's at the cost of my own." Without another word Dalton leaves Hiluluk alone with the information that has spared him his life, the second thing this night to have done so.