A/N: I'm still updating my other stories, but I wrote this particular story for a friend of mine, ShadowHawk28. Hope you all like it too!
Warning: Will contain adult themes. That's all I'm going to say.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own One Piece! Wish I did, but I don't. It is what it is.
Summary: Zoro hates hospitals. But after an act of stupidity puts him in one, he has no choice but to face the pain of losing the person he loved most in the world and accept the blame. It seems the only one who can lift the heavy burden of guilt from Zoro's heart is a man with an equally heavy burden named Sanji.
~X~
Zoro hated hospitals.
It was the hospital that took his mother away and tormented his father until he could endure it no longer. It was the hospital that made him an orphan. As far as Zoro can remember hospitals caused him nothing but endless pain and suffering. So when Zoro finally awoke in one and discovered himself lying on a hospital bed he was beyond being upset. He tried to move and hissed as a flood of agonizing pain flowed from his right leg to the rest of his body. How long had he been unconscious? Zoro felt so exhausted and sore and by the looks of it his right leg had been enclosed in a white plaster cast for some time. Ignoring the pain (as he always does) Zoro started yelling at the top of his lungs as he thrashed around on the bed, like a fish being denied water. Three doctors and a male nurse were required in order to hold the athletic, green haired patient down.
The doctor on Zoro's left uttered otiose reassurances while firmly pinning his arm to the mattress. The doctor on Zoro's right was grunting with effort by attempting to do the same thing on his side. When Zoro seemingly paused in his wild behavior the doctor thought he had finally gotten through to him, emitting a breath of relief. Zoro's face drastically changed as it suddenly dawned on him that something was amiss. To everyone's surprise he began thrashing around again, even harder as he screamed a girl's name, demanding that he be taken to her. There was another doctor situated at the foot of the bed whose job it was to hold in place Zoro's unbroken leg, but he appeared to be younger and less experienced than the other two based on his wary and terrified countenance.
During a moment of weakness the youth accidentally released his sturdy grip to wipe away pearls of sweat that settled on his brow, and Zoro took advantage of the opening. Utilizing whatever remaining fountain of strength he had, Zoro bent back his leg and, like a wind-up spring toy, pushed it full force into the doctor's face, shoving him backward into the wall behind him. The youth emitted a bloodcurdling shriek as blood gushed nonstop from his busted nose and lip. He could hardly touch it, even to stop the bleeding, without crying out in pain. One of the doctors cussed beneath his breath, while the other loudly ordered the male nurse to do something rather than just stand there with his mouth agape like an imbecile. Roughly snatched from his stupor, the male nurse jumped into action, promptly escorting the injured doctor from the room.
A female nurse that was passing by with a medicine cart overheard the gratuitous brouhaha from down the hallway and stopped the male nurse, who had just exited the room in question, to enquire of him, "What the bloody heck is going on, Tommy?" She possessed a strong Australian accent that cut through a pair of plush lips which both destroyed and caused many a man's nether regions to rumble with covetousness. Tommy proceeded to explain the crazy situation and accepted a box of tissues from her before leaving. Waving over another nurse so they can resume passing out the meds, she knew what she had to do. As she entered the noisy room she noticed the two remaining doctors were still struggling with the uncontrollable patient. The man was constantly yelling what she presumed to be his girlfriend's name, ordering the doctors to let him go so he can find her. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. Such a fuss and over a single girl.
Guess he must really love her.
After spotting her target the nurse calmly strolled over to a metal cart where a small tray of materials still rested on its reflective surface. Picking up a syringe filled with a translucent liquid, she attempted to administer the medication, but kept missing since Zoro refused to lie still.
"Keep him steady," she demanded.
The doctor who failed to console Zoro earlier glared at the nurse and snapped, "What do you think we've been trying to do?!"
The nurse took no offense to his comment; she had neither time nor the desire for arguing, not when she had many other patients under her care. Finally fed up, she slammed Zoro's arm down with little help from the doctor and growled, "Enough of this nonsense!" before firmly jabbing the needle into the pulsing flesh. Zoro roared in pain, looking very much like a pissed off lion, and had every intention of choking the bitch for stabbing him, but he could feel the sedative working its magic as it surged throughout his bloodstream. Soon all the anxiety, anger and paranoia simply vanished as Zoro's vision began to wobble and fade away. Against his will he was falling into unconsciousness with no idea of when he'll wake up again. He managed to whisper one last word before everything turned black.
"What'd he say?" asked the doctor that helped the nurse, as both he and his colleague took a seat in order to regain some strength after such an arduous episode. They were panting like dogs in heat, dabbing at the thick layers of perspiration on their chests and faces with a packet of disposable wipes they shared.
"Nami," said the nurse. "I think he said Nami."
"Isn't that the chick the paramedics brought in, along with him?" asked the other doctor, jerking his head toward the peacefully sleeping Zoro.
"Yes… the one in a coma," replied the first doctor. Written on the badge hanging around his neck was his name: Elliot Shepherd. "Based on his reaction I'll assume that's his girlfriend."
"Isn't she, like, brain dead or something?"
"Yeah Johnny… she is. Poor kid… She'll never wake up again."
"Damn shame," the one called Johnny whispered sorrowfully. "She was so pretty too. Fuckin' drunk drivers!"
"It was him."
"What did you say, Olivia?" said Johnny.
Both doctors looked to the nurse, who had been busy staring at Zoro since he drifted off to a world of dreams.
"It was him," she said, more clearly this time. "He was the one behind the wheel when they suddenly crashed."
"Shit…" muttered Johnny.
Elliot just gazed at a painting on the wall in front of him, saying nothing. His mouth formed a tense line, an indication that he really wanted to give his input but knew it'd be better if he kept his thoughts to himself.
Before Olivia retreated, she stopped in the doorway and stole one last glance of Zoro, enquiring of no one in particular, "When he wakes up I wonder how he'll handle knowing that it's his fault his beloved girlfriend is dead?"