Usopp entered the bathhouse a little cross. He wasn't happy that Nami had ordered him to check on the two in the middle of an experiment. She had complained about a loud racket and wanting them to keep it down. Usopp didn't give a damn what they were doing, as long as they quit bugging Nami so she would quit bugging him then everyone would be satisfied.
As he was about to knock on the door, it occurred to him that there was water leaking from underneath the space in the door. Strange, did they spill the water out of the tub? What were they doing splashing water about anyway? Did he really want to know? No. All he did know was that Franky and Nami weren't going to be too happy about that. He knocked a few times and waited. No reply. He could've sworn he heard someone walking towards the door, but that may have just been his imagination. He knocked again and waited. Still no reply.
Growing concerned, Usopp leaned against the door to hear inside. There was a sound. Someone yelped. "Sanji?" he called. The job was supposed to be an easy one. All Sanji had to do was take Zoro up to the bathhouse and be the lifeguard. Since Zoro had a fever he couldn't be left alone. "Zoro?" he knocked again.
There was a thumping sound and a crack of a tile. Franky definitely isn't going to be pleased. He heard Zoro's voice say something inaudible and then another voice, loud and clear.
"I'm not-!"
And then there was a splash that cut the cook off. The sounds of water slapping the tiles could be heard and strange banging noises. Maybe they were having one of their little escapades again. If they damaged anything, Nami would probably have them pay out their-
"USOPP!!!" a voice cried desperately.
The sudden shout made Usopp jump and briefly shook up his wits. He recognized the shout to be Sanji's voice.
"Sanji!?" he called as he knocked again.
He began to pound on the door then ramming it with his shoulder in an attempt to open it. Shit, he didn't have any of his tools on him! Whatever was happening inside, Sanji needed his help and Usopp needed to get in there fast. What on earth was Zoro doing??
The door suddenly burst open behind him.
"What's going on, Long-Nose-kun?" Robin asked worriedly.
"It's Sanji and Zoro!" Usopp exclaimed. "Something is not right!"
Robin crossed her arms and with a click the bathroom door came unlocked. The marksman swung the door open as quickly as he could and rushed inside without regards to what the consequences were.
He and Robin stopped short at the sight before them.
There, at the side of the tub, they could see Zoro with their back to him. No sight of Sanji. A drenched Zoro had both arms in the water like he was holding something down, he was trembling from the effort. No sight of Sanji. The water's surface was rippling wildly as the clear fluid flowed over the edges of the tub. No sight of Sanji. A feverish look was on Zoro's face, a look that could kill. Where was Sanji? A pale hand suddenly surfaced and clawed at Zoro's shoulder weakly, gripping on to the fabric and pulling. Sanji, where could you be? The hand went lax and slipped from Zoro's shoulder, coming to a rest on the tub's edge and lay still. Sanji, come out and say that isn't you.
As if some strenuous task had been complete, Zoro keeled over and passed out.
"Zoro!!!"
"Cook-san!!"
Usopp sped to the bathing tub and dragged the man out of the watery grave, water poured past his lifeless lips in a stream.
Robin couldn't believe what she had just seen. Zoro strangling Sanji. Zoro strangling Sanji. Zoro strangling Sanji. No matter how many times she repeated it over in her head she still couldn't get over it.
Usopp hauled the man onto the tile floor. It was evident Sanji was not breathing. He checked for his heartbeat and pulse and found nothing.
"Shit." the marksman hissed. "Robin! Get Chopper for me, please!"
"Right." The woman nodded. She dashed for the door.
Usopp immediately administered CPR and mouth to mouth resuscitation. He heard Robin calling Chopper in a panicky tone. That would definitely make the doctor rush if Robin was in a state of panic. He was still doing CPR when he heard Chopper's voice yelling frantically.
"What's the matter?? Did something happen to Zoro!? Is he alright!?"
Zoro was probably the least of their problems right now.
"What happened!?" Chopper exclaimed.
"Doctor-san, we found Cook-san submerged in the tub-"
"How the hell did that happen!?" the reindeer continued to panic. He set to examining the cook as Usopp continued his efforts of resuscitation.
Robin hesitated. "Swordsman-san did it."
The reindeer faltered for a brief moment before continuing to check the cook's vitals. "I can't find a pulse and his heart is barely beating!"
The others were suddenly standing by the door, looking in with worried and concerned expressions.
"What's going on? What happened?" Nami asked. "Is Zoro hurt?"
Brooke gasped, "What happened to Sanji-san??"
"Zoro's going to be fine, it's Sanji who's in danger now."
Usopp began to push harder on Sanji's chest. Damn it, he still wasn't breathing!
"What happened?" Luffy asked, repeating the other two's questions.
"Usopp found him in the tub, unconscious and not breathing," Chopper said. "I don't know how long he could've been in there!"
Robin glanced at the reindeer for putting it so vaguely, but the others need not know about what really happened until things came under order again and their friend was out of danger.
Usopp breathed into Sanji's mouth, Nami watched as the cook's chest rose but the man did not stir. Usopp continued to push then breathed air into his mouth once more. Sanji coughed weakly as water, enough to fill a glass, flowed from his mouth.
"I've got a pulse!" Chopper exclaimed. "It's faint. Keep going!"
A minute passed and nothing more happened. Usopp continued to perform CPR till he was worn out but not ready to give up. Sanji's pulse was growing fainter and Chopper was beginning to panic. The others stood by helpless as they watched.
Almost two minutes went by when their determination finally paid off. Sanji's hand twitched ever so slightly before his whole back arched and a gallon of water spewed from his mouth. He coughed and choked and sputtered, gagging here and there, but all that mattered was that he was breathing. Given it was ragged and harsh but at least he was breathing. Whether or not he was conscious however remained unclear for his gaze was dull and unfocused.
"Usopp, help me lift his head real briefly," Chopper said. "Careful."
The marksman slipped a hand underneath the cook's shoulders and the back of his head and gently lifted him up enough for the reindeer to see.
"He's bleeding badly," the reindeer observed. "He's suffering from head trauma."
"Do you think that's what caused him to fall unconscious in the tub?"
Chopper, Usopp and Robin all glanced at each other.
"What?" Nami eyed them. "What is it?"
Brooke and Franky were beginning to grow suspicious as well now while Luffy remained oblivious.
Chopper had Sanji placed in the infirmary and Zoro in the men's quarters.
Meanwhile, Usopp set on explaining what had happened to the best of his knowledge and Robin was there to back him up.
"No way!" Luffy was outraged. "There's no way Zoro would have done that! He wouldn't hurt a friend!"
"Luffy, Zoro did have a high fever when we found them," Chopper explained. "He may have not been aware-"
"I still don't believe it!"
"Calm down, Luffy, please," Nami begged. "I don't see how it's possible either."
"Look, I'm not lying about this, why would I?" Usopp asked. "I know what I saw, like it or not, that's what happened."
"Captain-san," Robin spoke. "You saw the scratches on Cook-san's neck and Swordsman-san's hands and arms."
Luffy nodded.
"Those are signs of a struggle. You can't deny the bruises on Cook-san's neck either."
"I know." Luffy sighed.
"Give it time," said Chopper. "We won't know the truth until one of them wakes up."
Zoro's fever began to recede and he was showing signs of getting better. Sanji, however, was only declining into the side effects of strangulation. His throat was swollen so bad he could hardly breathe. Chopper was afraid that he might swallow his tongue any second now.
Zoro awoke first. The very next morning.
Dazed and confused, the man was surprised to find himself lying in the men's quarters in his own bed. Strange, last he remembered he was in the infirmary courtesy of Chopper. Hm, maybe he had been diagnosed well enough to be back in his own hammock. Hell yeah.
He stretched, noticing that the others were sound asleep in their beds, save two people. The doctor and the cook were absent.
Well, Chopper probably had the watch and Sanji was probably already set on breakfast.
As he pushed himself out of bed he found the skin on his arms to be rather irritated. He looked down and was shocked to see long, angry red scratches covering his entire arms. There were a few spots where the skin had been broken but that was where band-aids had been placed. What in the world? Did he do this to himself when he was sick? He was definitely going to ask Chopper about this later, but first, breakfast. He felt like he could eat an entire cow and then horse or two.
Missing a few days felt odd, he really didn't know how long he had been out but it felt like a while now. It was kind of discomforting, he felt out of the loop.
Not bothering to change his clothes, Zoro headed to the galley of the Thousand Sunny. Maybe Sanji would be in a good mood and serve him an amazingly huge breakfast. Tch, yeah right. He was probably going to have to tie Luffy down so he could eat everything off his plate in peace.
Zoro entered the galley but was surprised to find that no one was in there. Did Sanji have watch instead? If so, where was Chopper? Was he in the infirmary?
He tread quietly for the sick bay door. The curtain was drawn so he could not see inside. Strange, the curtain was only ever down when Chopper had a patient. He decided to knock.
There was a small snort, Chopper, and a thump. Zoro could hear Chopper's little feet tapping against the wood. The door opened just a slight crack.
"Zoro!" Chopper opened the door further now, his eyes staring up at the swordsman in shock. "Y-You're awake!"
"What are you doing in here, Chopper?" Zoro blinked.
The reindeer seemed to fidget under his gaze as he avoided eye contact. Zoro stared at the reindeer in confusion until a sound reached his ears. The sound of harsh and ragged breathing that was coming from the bed.
Chopper saw an astonished gaze take over Zoro's features as he looked past the doctor.
"What the?" Zoro said in a quiet voice. "What's he doing in here?"
Involuntarily, Zoro took a step forward. Chopper leaped back in surprise but then made to stop him. "Hold on there, Zoro!"
He saw the cook lying in the bed.
"What happened??" Zoro's voice grew angry.
Chopper shuddered. "Wait a minute, you don't remember?"
Zoro blinked. "Remember what?"
The doctor faltered. "Ah, well, it happened when you were sick so-"
He was interrupted by a bout of abrasive coughing from Sanji which aroused alarm in the little reindeer. Zoro got a good look at the large bruises that marred the cook's neck and tiny little abrasions that looked as if he were attacked with sandpaper. His eyes had red spots underneath them and his face was bruising as well.
"What the hell?" Zoro took a step forward as his hand reflexively went to his sword. "Who did this?"
Chopper glanced to Zoro's sword. "Let it be, Zoro. It won't do any good to point fingers."
Something about the doctor's words forced Zoro to relax. He released his sword and examined the cook's neck.
"Those... Those bruises on his neck," Zoro started. "They're shaped like hands. Did someone try to strangle him?"
The doctor's expression grew sorrowful. "Yes."
The swordsman stood there for a little while longer before silently leaving the room.
I haven't written/planned a chapter 3 yet.
No one likes to review. No chapter 3 unless I get a few reviews. You don't even have to be nice, just tell me if I didn't include enough details or something. You can even tell me what you'd like to read in the next chapter. I'll type it.
It's a little droll and bland, I'll admit that.