1 – The author does not own One Piece, it's characters and likenesses

2 – Tale for entertainment purposes only

3 – Opinions welcomed

4 – 5 meters = a bit more than 16 feet

The reindeer small hands ran here and there over his captain's body.

"Luffy, for once, your rubber organs could stay in one place, to make my job easier."

The leader of the Straw Hats managed to half-smile, before coughing and moaning. Chopper fixed the last piece of bandage.

"This will do until we go back to the Sunny. Now, Zoro. Franky, throw some light over here, please."

Brook watched as the little doctor ran from one crew member to the other, almost nonstop. Just like he did past week. And, very likely, just like he will do the next. And the next.

Half-hour later, the crew was safely back to their ship what, in the Straw Hat tradition, mean pass through a 5-meter fire-and-ice breathing chimera with poisonous tail.

Arriving at at the ship, the usual arguing about who should be the first on infirmary. Sanji saying Nami because, of course, ladies first; Luffy, Usopp, Franky saying Sanji first because, of course, they were hungry and there's no use of having the cook passing out in the kitchen. It was need a lot of convincing to avoid those four to do even more damage to themselves.

After some hours, everybody was patched and in the kitchen. Brook got his violin and produced some notes.

"Fellow nakamas, today I noticed I am Choppers favorite crew member. I am the only one who don't give him any trouble fixing my fleshy wounds because I don't have flesh!"

Some other happy notes.

"No, really, we should thank our little doctor. Without him, the crew would not be able to survive this far, and believe me, those eyes here never saw so much danger. Yohoho."

The crew raised mugs to the reindeer, who closed his face

"Jerks, this don't make me happy or anything, I am just doing my job"

And rushed under the table, everybody hearing his giggles and squees of joy. The skeleton kept going:

"Yohoho, this song if for Chopper. Lend me your ears, since I have none! Yohohohoho."

Later that night, the skeleton entered the Thousand Sunny infirmary, where the doctor was still mixing some herbs.

"Still working, nakama?"

"Just making more cicatrizing cream. Heavens knows this crew uses a lot of the stuff."

He looked around.

"I don't think I ever be in this room."

"Are you feeling something? Rheumatism?"

"No… just… I couldn't get a shut-eye, yohoho. And saw the light here. What you said earlier is true? About Luffy's organs?"

"Sure, he does not have kidneys, he has oversized jumping beans."

Both laughed a little.

"Do you ever got tired, Chopper?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you know they all will end here next week, right?"

"Yes, they will. Zoro's already on the 5th layer of stitches. Every swordsman aim for the same spots, you know."

"Don't you feel your work is kind of… pointless?"

"Nope. Doctor Hiluluk taught me the value of a medicine person. No matter what, we can cure people. We must endure, even if odds are against us. Our captain is a prime example of determination."

"Or not having enough brains to realize the implications. And I understand a bit of lack of brains."

"Maybe. But no, I don't feel I am doing a pointless job. You sung for us today, right?"

"Yes."

"And will do it tomorrow."

"Ah."

"Now, funny you ask me that. Doctor Hiluluk was chased away from house after house, lost several patients, got prison – or worse – threats, and he still went on. I asked him something similar once. He taught me about the values of medicine, the values inside a Jolly Roger. But that was later on. First, he said something that I am just now understanding."

"I am all ears."

"He said 'Because I am a doctor'."

Some weeks later, Luffy was rushed to Thousand Sunny's infirmary.

"Robin" said Chopper "I can use an extra hand or three."

Brook sat just outside the door, listening to Chopper

"Come on, spleen, stay there. Robin, press right there or his intestines will make yet another impersonation of 'snake in a nut can'."

He got his violin and started to play. Swordmen, cooks, navigators, doctors. Most just play their part. Some understand their own music. Brook was lucky to be surrounded by virtuosos. Happy virtuosos.

THE END