Chapter 4: Hospital

(Hey guyz~! I'm here again with a new chapter~! Like I said on Brothers Returned, next week and the week after are probably going to have weird updating schedules due to me having Saturday School, being away from internet, and the fact that I update this on Mondays which are school days. Hopefully not too much gets messed up. On to the crap!)

Once they arrived at the hospital, Ace and Sabo went up to the receptionist and found the room they needed. As soon as they opened the door, they saw two people; Thatch and an unconscious Luffy. When Thatch didn't turn to face the door, Ace immediately presumed the man was the cause.

Immediately, Ace walked up to Thatch, grabbed his shirt, and picked him up off the chair he had been sitting on. As Ace raised his fist to punch the man, Sabo grabbed his wrist.

"Let go Sabo!" Ace shouted angrily.

"He didn't do it. You don't need to injure innocent people." Sabo said calmly.

"How do you know? You weren't there." Ace growled.

"You weren't either." Sabo reminded. "Also, if he did this to the kid then why would he be here?"

After a few moments of thinking, Ace released Thatch. "What happened?" Ace asked bluntly.

"He was rambling… Then he just… fainted." Thatch said.

"Rambling about what?" a voice asked from behind Ace and Sabo.

Immediately, everyone in the room – except Luffy – turned to the doorway and saw Law standing there. He looked bored, causing the three conscious men to wonder why he was there.

"What are you doing here Lance?" Sabo asked calmly.

"First of all, you call me Law. No other name is of acceptance. Second, I felt like it. I can't fully explain as to why. Third, answer my previous question. What was he rambling about?" Law stated.

"Weird stuff. Most of it was incoherent. But there was something he kept repeating, almost like he was worried, scared, or sad. It was a name." Thatch explained.

"And the name was?" Ace asked with frustration.

"Yours." Thatch stated simply. "He kept repeating 'Ace'. Each time he said it, it looked like he was about to cry. Right before he passed out, he muttered something that sounded like a shocked and horrified question. He said 'Ace died'."

"Che. I'm sure he'd be happy if that happened." Ace muttered, turning his head away from Luffy and Thatch

"He had tears in his eyes dumbass!" Thatch shouted.

"What'd you just call me?" Ace questioned quietly as he slowly turned his head towards Thatch.

"He was worrying about you. He looked like he was about to cry because he thought he saw your dead body and you say he'd be happy to see you dead? How stupidly selfish are you?" Thatch questioned.

"Call me that again. See what happens." Ace threatened.

"Both of you, stop this. We're in a hospital in case you've forgotten." Sabo scolded.

"Have the doctors said anything yet?" Law asked as he walked over to Luffy's bed.

"Nothing at all." Thatch said sadly.

"I wonder why…" Law muttered to himself as he looked over Luffy and the few documents that were in the room.

For the next few minutes, nobody said a word. The only sound being from the men as they sat in a chair and waited for the boy to wake. The only person who chose not to sit was Law, who was too busy looking through the folder of Luffy's past medical issues and other information. The silence was so heavy that even the sound of Law turning a page echoed within the white walls. Soon enough, they all heard the sound of footsteps heading towards the room they were in. When the footsteps quieted at their door, they all felt as if they needed to cover their ears at the sudden voice.

"Luffy…" a man whispered as he slowly entered the room.

As the small echo faded from the room, the conscious occupants all turned towards the owner of the voice. He had wide black eyes that were partially covered by his bright red hair and three scars that ran over his left eye. His mouth was partially open due to shock causing the light beard and mustache to be noticed by the men. He had a partially opened white shirt on with a black jacket on top of that along with lose dark brown pants that stopped a little below his knees and just above his sandals.

Quickly, the man ran into the room and went straight to Luffy. "What happened…? Is he going to be alright?" the man asked quickly and worriedly.

"He'll be fine." Law said, not looking up from the documents in his hand. "There's nothing wrong with him physically. He hasn't woken up yet so they aren't sure of his mental state. So far it looks like he collapsed due to anxiety. They aren't fully sure because they haven't been able to question him."

Everyone in the room soon let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good to hear." Sabo muttered before turning his attention back to the man. "My apologies but I didn't quite catch your name."

"That's because he didn't say it. Also, you did it again." Ace stated.

"Shut up." Sabo whispered to Ace.

"My name's Shaun Karls. I'm sorry but who are you? Luffy doesn't talk much about his friends." The man said with a small amused smile.

"Law." Said mad muttered, not looking up from the papers in his hands.

"Tony Hatcher. Thatch." Thatch introduced.

"Che. Yeah right I'm his friend. Stupid Monkey…" Ace muttered, saying the last part quieter than the rest.

"I'm guessing you're Spade?" The man asked with a small smirk.

"Oh? So Monkey talks about me? Great." Ace said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah." The man said with a small chuckle. "He says you're a jerk half the time."

"Half the time?" Sabo questioned with shock.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Ace questioned angrily.

"He told me 'Half the time, Spade is a jerk. But then there's also a good side of him. I'd hate to see him without Sabo'." the man said with a chuckle.

"I would hate to see him without me as well." Sabo said with a chuckle.

"Shut it." Ace muttered.

"I'm guessing you're Sabo?" the man asked, turning to said boy.

"Correct. Nice to meet you Mr. Karls." Sabo said with a smile.

"Please. Call me Shanks." The man, Shanks, said.

"If I may ask then, how do you know Luffy?" Sabo asked.

"He's my son." Shanks said with a smile.

"Wait, what?" Thatch asked with confusion and shock while everyone else had wide eyes.

"I'm his father." Shanks stated.

"But… You don't have the same name." Ace said.

"When he was born, his mother and I decided to use her name." Shanks said with a sad smile.

"Why isn't she here?" Law asked.

"She died a little after Luffy was born. It was a horrible car accident. She died immediately." Shanks said sadly.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Sabo said with some shock.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. It was some drunk driver on the wrong side of the road. I'm just happy Luffy was with me at the time." Shanks said as he looked at his son.

"Sorry to interrupt but… Do you know if he's been spacing out lately?" Thatch asked.

"Not at all. He's been perfectly fine until now." Shanks said.

"Strange… If you don't mind, I'd like to question him when he awakes." Law said.

"What would you be asking?" Shanks questioned.

"Are you going to do the same thing you did with Ace?" Sabo asked.

"I would like to. So far it sounds as if they're having the same experiences." Law stated.

"What are you talking about?" Shanks asked.

"I'd like to say a few names to him and see how he reacts. Simple as that." Law informed.

"Why?" Shanks asked.

"If my presumptions are correct then he is going through the same issue as Spade here." Law said, only to be cut off by said man.

"You never fully explained that. You said I hit my head." Ace commented.

"That's because I didn't want to tell you what I believed before I found out for certain. I also didn't want to tell you something complex and be forced to explain it for the rest of the day." Law stated.

"Hey!" Ace shouted with annoyance.

"Would you be willing to state your belief?" Sabo asked, holding Ace back.

"Good sir, I do believe you are doing it again." Ace said teasingly.

Sabo sighed before hitting Ace in the head and looking at Law. "Please explain."

"Of course. Judging by Spade's reactions to the people I mentioned, I believe he's gaining the memories of his past counterpart. Meaning, he might as well be turning into Portgas." Law explained.

'Very close. I expected nothing less.'

Ace immediately started looking around the room for the owner of the voice. "Did… you guys hear something?" Ace asked cautiously.

"And he ignored what I said…" Law sighed.

"No, I'm talking about after you finished speaking. It sounded like someone saying 'Very close. I excepted nothing less'." Ace said.

"I didn't hear anything." Thatch stated.

"Who did it sound like?" Law asked.

"Not sure… I could hear the words but no voice… That doesn't make sense does it?" Ace questioned.

"Congratulations. You have voices in your head." Sabo said.

"Are you calling me crazy?" Ace asked.

"Very." Sabo stated.

"Screw you." Ace said before going over to his chair. After about five minutes of tuning out the coversation, Ace was asleep.

-x-x-x-

When he opened his eyes, Ace saw he was alone on a ship. He walked around the ship for a few moments before stopping at a door. He looked at the plaque carefully with curiosity.

"'Second Division Commander Portgas D. Ace.'" Ace read aloud before looking up and down the hall. "Where am I?"

"Moby Dick." A familiar voice said from behind Ace.

As Ace turned around to see who was behind him, his eyes widened. In front of him stood a copy of himself. The copy had on black shorts with two orange brown belts and a belt buckle with a red 'A' on it along with a small, light blue pouch around his left thigh. He wasn't wearing a shirt, for reasons Ace couldn't decipher. Soon he noticed the bright orange cowboy hat on the man's head and the bright blue medallions that decorated it; one smiling evilly and the other frowning. He then noticed the medallion that hung from the hat and laid perfectly in the center of his chest; the skull of a bull carved into it with two pieces of bamboo and a red tassel hanging from it. Next he noticed the orange elbow guard on the copies left elbow and the black tattoo above that.

"If that's supposed to be your name than you're either stupid or history teachers are wrong." Ace said.

"I did it like that on purpose. It's a tribute to the brother I thought died." The copy said.

"So you're him, huh?" Ace asked.

"Portgas D. Ace." The copy, Portgas, said with a tip of the hat.

"Spade D. Ace." Spade introduced dully with a shrug.

"Well that's original." Portgas said with a small smirk.

"Hey. Blame my parents. I didn't chose it." Spade informed.

"But you know what they say; Ace of Spades is the strongest card." Portgas commented.

"See! That's what I tell everyone and they just look at me like I'm crazy!" Spade said.

Immediately, Portgas had burst out laughing and was holding his stomach.

"What are you laughing at!?" Spade shouted.

"You're complaining about being crazy while talking to a past version of yourself. I'm sorry but the wrong thing is being called crazy." Portgas said after his laughter calmed.

"What?" Spade questioned.

"Which is crazier? Your name or the fact that you're talking to a man who was alive hundreds of years ago?" Portgas questioned.

"I have to say my name on that one. This is a dream so it's allowed to be weird." Spade stated.

"So what you're saying is, I'm just a figment of your imagination?" Portgas asked.

"Basically." Spade said.

"That is where you're wrong." Portgas stated.

"Excuse me?" Spade questioned with annoyance.

"You're wrong. Incorrect. What you said is false. That's a lie." Portgas listed but was cut off before continuing.

"What are you talking about?" Spade nearly growled out of annoyance.

"I'm not a dream. I'm not a figment of your imagination. I'm the real Portgas D. Ace. You are my reincarnation." Portgas stated.

"Bullshit!" Spade shouted.

"You really need to stop yelling. And stop with all the anger." Portgas muttered.

"What are you? A hippie?" Spade questioned.

"I'm as much of a hippie as you are kind and generous." Portgas stated.

"Screw you." Spade muttered. "Why are you here?"

"That's a good question. I'm here because of you and the others." Portgas informed.

"What do you mean? And who are you talking about?" Spade questioned.

"Do you know how rare it is for someone to meet somebody they knew in a past life?" Portgas asked with a small grin.

"Pretty rare right?" Spade asked.

"Very. And yet you've done it with more than one person!" Portgas said with a grin.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Spade asked.

"Luffy, Sabo, Thatch, Law, Shanks and so many others! You've done the impossible and met most of the people I've met! Same with the other five! You've all met more than one person from your past life. With each person you meet comes a little more of your past." Portgas informed.

"So?" Spade pressed on.

"So! You've met enough people to gain most of my memories and my consciousness! Because you've met so many people, you might as well be me!" Portgas stated.

"You're so original." Spade said with sarcasm. "Law already said that."

"Well it's the truth. My Luffy is most likely talking to yours. My Sabo is subtle so he's taking his time and waiting for the perfect moment. Thatch just met you so he should be finding out soon. Law hates people, even your Law because the kid is naïve compared to him, so he's probably trying to avoid it. Shanks… He most likely already knows but is playing innocent." Portgas informed.

"And you chose now, why?" Spade questioned.

"Because it seemed like the right time. You're slowly getting used to Luffy and you're trying to fight it. You're confused as to why and I figured I should explain. You like the kid because he was my little brother." Portgas stated.

"Bullshit. I hate Monkey more than anything or anyone! Always have, always will! This is nothing more than a dream and I refuse to believe anything you have to say otherwise." Spade shouted.

Portgas chuckled. "That's exactly how I was when I first met Lu."

Without another word, Portgas faded from existence as the ship faded into darkness. Spade stood in the empty void for a good few moments before he slowly started to fade.

-x-x-x-

Slowly, Ace opened his eyes and looked around. After a few moments, he remembered where he was. He stood out of the uncomfortable chair and stretched, trying to crack his back. He soon realized everyone in the room was asleep; Sabo and Law were asleep in their own chairs while Thatch was asleep in the corner on the floor and Shanks was asleep against Luffy's bed, his arms crossed and being used as a pillow.

Quickly, Ace left the room and started heading to a nearby coffee stand. The whole time he was walking, he had been thinking about his dream. Soon enough, he was annoyed of the thought and shook his head to lose the subject. When he stopped shaking his head, he realized he was at the stand he was looking for. He walked up to the counter and asked for a medium cup of coffee. Once he got his cup, he paid the worker and headed back to the room, talking sips of the brown liquid from time to time.

Once he was in the same hall as the room he was previously in, he heard voices coming from his destination. Slowly he walked up to the room and looked in to see everyone, even Luffy, was awake. He took a peek at his watch and saw he was gone for about ten minutes at most. Ignoring his question of how they all woke up so fast, he walked in.

"The hell are you doing here!?" Luffy shouted.

"Nice to see you too brat." Ace muttered sarcastically as he sat in his chair and took another sip of coffee. "How was your little nap?"

Luffy was gradually shocked. He had been expecting the man to yell at him but instead stayed calm. Soon his shock turned to confusion.

"He hit his head or something?" Luffy whispered to Sabo.

"I can hear you. And no I didn't hit my head. Why is that everyone's first question?" Ace said, muttering the last part to himself.

"He's fine. Believe it or not he was worried about you." Sabo said.

"No I wasn't." Ace grumbled.

"He's the same person right? The guy who hates my guts and would love to pick a fight with me at any moment?" Luffy questioned.

"Same guy, yes." Sabo stated.

"So… Why isn't he trying to kill me?" Luffy asked.

"Because I have enough respect to not hurt someone in a hospital." Ace stated with annoyance.

"I didn't know you had respect of any kind." Luffy commented with fake shock.

"Luffy." Shanks warned.

"Sorry…" Luffy said.

"What's up with you?" Thatch questioned curiously.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked confusedly.

"Earlier you were so happy then you started freaking out. All of a sudden, you started calling out to him and cried when you thought he was dead! Now you hate his guts? What the hell!?" Thatch questioned.

"Wait, what!? I don't remember any of that! And why would I cry about Spade!? I hate him! Always have, always will!" Luffy shouted.

"At least we can agree on one thing." Ace muttered.

"Stop it." Sabo growled with annoyance.

"But Sabo!" Ace and Luffy whined.

"No buts! Now stop whining!" Sabo commanded.

"Fine…" Ace and Luffy muttered, before looking at each other in shock then looking away.

(Aaaaaaaaaaaand done! How bad? How good? Sorry for it being short-ish. I still have a curfew. When trying to describe Shanks, I ended up looking up pictures of him and I saw one of him as a kid and he looked kinda like Luffy. So that's why he's Luffy's dad in this. What'd you think about Spade and Portgas' little chat? Almost everything Portgas said was made up. If it's true than awesome! If it isn't than oh well. Fave, follow, read my other stuff, and review. Bai~! c(X )

Start time – 1:30 P.M.

End time – 8:00 P.M.