Rose POV
She awoke with a yelp, sweating, tears already streaking down her face. It took her a long moment of panicking to realise where she was. But that gave her no comfort. The room was much darker now. Only one of the surgical lights was on, and it was facing towards the ceiling. The main lights were off, and there was a biting chill in the air.
Crying silently and clutching the blanket to her chest, Rose sat up, despite painful protests from her body, and looked around. The room seemed empty. Her eyes travelled to the stool next to her bed, half dreading yet half wanting the doctor's presence.
She tried to steady her erratic breathing as her ribs were protesting with stabs of pain, but she couldn't stop. Burying her face in the blanket, she shuddered in fear. The dream was still replaying in her head. The doctor...he had hurt her.
God... She sobbed quietly, wrapping the blanket around herself, eyes squeezed shut. I hate this... The medication seemed to have worn off completely as she no longer felt it's calming effects in her system. Her back felt very stiff from the uncomfortable bed and her head was throbbing. Shivering at the cold, she wiped at her eyes to clear her blurry vision.
Looking around once again, she saw that the trolley that had held the medical equipment was next to her bench; it now had upon it a cup and a bucket. She felt her throat burn with thirst as her eyes fixed on the water in the cup. Reaching out a trembling hand, she brought it to her chapped lips. She closed her eyes as the cold liquid washed down her throat. It felt good, and it calmed her somewhat. After gulping the whole thing back, she set it down.
"It was only a dream," she told herself in a shaky voice. "He wouldn't hurt you. He said so." Even though it made sense, she couldn't make herself get over the dream completely.
Rose quickly performed a check up of her body. Her head hurt, but seemed to be healing. Her ribs were still very tender and it was agony to move. Her foot throbbed too, much more than before. The familiar pangs of hunger were also present, but she couldn't focus on that now. What she needed to do was to find a way of escaping this hell hole.
She heard a muffled sound coming from the corridor outside. She jumped, startled, and twisted to look at the door. It was shut, but from the small space underneath the door, she could see the shadows of two figures moving closer. She heard voices conversing in low tones. As quickly as she could without hurting herself, she lay back down on the bench, pulled the blanket over her, pretending to be asleep.
The voices hushed before the door was pushed open. Rose lay still, her heart pounding, waiting for the people to speak.
"But isn't she asleep, Captain?" Rose recognised the voice of the bear, Bepo, as he spoke quietly. But she couldn't quite relax when his last word revealed the other person.
"She appears to be." The image of his terrifying face from the dream flashed through Rose's mind as the doctor spoke. Suppressing a shudder, Rose listened to the conversation. "The procedures won't wake her. I've already done them several times without disturbing her sleep." As they drew closer, Rose shut her eyes. "The medication seems to be an effective tranquilizer. She's been asleep for ten hours."
"What are her injuries?"
"A deep cut to the hip, a bleeding head wound, two fractured ribs, a sprained ankle, a first degree burn to the arm. There is severe bruising to her torso and neck, I assume from strangulation. She has various cuts on her knees, hands and arms, but they are of no great concern."
"How can I help?"
"Check her hip. Make sure it is clean and the stitches are still in place." He spoke softly. Rose felt the blankets being lifted from her body. She shivered slightly from the cold, but remained still. A furry hand touched her stomach, and she flinched away slightly. This was apparently deemed normal behaviour, because the two of them said nothing as the side of her trousers were pulled down a few inches to reveal her hip wound. The movement caused her hip to throb, and a small sound of pain escaped her.
"She's close to waking up. She's responding more to stimuli." The doctor spoke as a familiar hand touched her forehead. Rose tried to keep up her sleeping act as her head was turned slightly, then let go. She felt very exposed and vulnerable, being examined like this.
"Her hip is alright, Captain."
"Good. Now, get two ice packs. Put one on her right ankle. It will help the inflammation and relax her." The sound of shuffling, then crackling as ice packs were picked up. After a few moments, Rose felt an ice pack being pressed to her foot. The coolness instantly relieved some of the pain, and Rose relaxed, a small sigh involuntarily passing her lips.
"Oh, you were right! How did you know?" He whispered.
"As I've told you, I've done this several times." Bepo paused.
"How many times, Captain?"
The hem of her T-shirt was tugged up, displaying her bruised torso. "Around a dozen." An ice pack was placed gently against her ribs. The cold was uncomfortable against her skin, and she winced in pain.
"A dozen in ten hours? Isn't that being a bit too careful?" There was a determined silence from the doctor. He continued to hold the ice pack against her ribs.
"You wouldn't think that way if you had been the one treating her." He said with a tinge of venom which was not directed at the bear.
"How bad was it, Captain?" Bepo pressed anxiously. "I mean, I saw a lot of blood, but..."
"They assaulted her. Physically and sexually."
There was a deafening silence in the room.
"They...raped her?" The bear murmured in shock. "I thought we got there in time..."
"So did I, until I saw the blood." The doctor's voice was a quiet monotone. "They beat her up, then one did it whilst the other four held her down. I thought I'd arrived just before the first man had got a chance to...harm her. Turns out I was, in fact, too late."
Rose's heart began beating faster. As the doctor spoke, the words seemed to come alive behind her eyelids.
"That's...that's horrific! The poor girl..." There was silence for a few moments, during which Bepo loosely tied the ice pack to her ankle. The doctor continued, almost as if he hadn't heard Bepo.
"She was terrified of me whilst I treated her, at first. She couldn't look me in the eyes." He paused, turning the ice pack over and pressing the cooler surface against her side. When the doctor spoke again, his voice was less empty. "I was the one who locked the girl up with those men. It's only fair that I take care of her properly."
"What are you going to do when she wakes up, Captain?" Bepo asked, almost as if to change the subject. The doctor hummed in thought before responding.
"Give her food and water." Rose's mouth started salivating a little at the mention of food. There was a long pause, during which Rose felt Bepo fiddling with the hem of her trousers. "What is it, Bepo?" The bear was silent, before he spoke up hesitantly.
"Have you checked her for sexually transmitted diseases?"
"No." He paused. "I scanned the body of the man however. He was clear of anything that could have been transferred to the girl."
"Oh, I see. Did he put up a fight when you checked, Captain?" Rose felt the doctor's hands tense up a little.
"...He wasn't in a position to put up resistance." There was a pregnant pause in which, Rose sensed, the doctor and the bear looked at each other. Then she heard an incredulous sound come from Bepo.
"You killed him!?" The doctor remained silent. Rose's heart skipped a beat in fear. Bepo stuttered before prompting, "Captain?"
"You're aware that I've killed men before for less - why does this surprise you?"
"N-no, but...you don't normally kill men without having a purpose."
"You're questioning my morality because I killed a man who beat, harmed and raped a girl and who was prepared to aid another four in doing the same?" The doctor rebuked sternly.
"Sorry, Captain, I just...didn't think you cared that much."
Rose's heart was quivering in shock. The doctor - the same man who had saved and healed her - was a killer? She couldn't grasp the idea. Who is this man?
"Forgive me, Bepo." He muttered. "I understand it may have been a little...impulsive of me. I'd prefer it if the others didn't know, either." The ice pack was removed from her body and her top pulled down.
"It's okay, Captain, he deserved it. A good person wouldn't have done what he did." Bepo spoke up, spreading the blankets back over Rose. "Anyway, we have more important things to worry about."
"The girl isn't in the clear yet." Rose felt the doctor's other hand brush her arm. "I still have to run some more tests, although I should think she'll be fine." The hand moved to her forehead, checking her temperature. Rose shifted at the contact, her eyes fluttering open. Blinking at the bright light, she looked up at the doctor and Bepo, who were both watching her.
"Ah! You're finally awake!" Bepo exclaimed. The doctor held up a hand to quieten him.
"Bepo, go get some food and water. Something plain is probably best." The bear nodded. Rose blinked, then sat up slowly so as to not hurt herself as much, even though her body was aching all over. "Turn the lights on as you leave." Rose kept her eyes fixed on the bear as he left. The room was lit up, the dim lights above flickering into action. Rose then turned to meet the curious stare of the doctor. She had a lot of questions burning in the back of her mind she wanted to ask.
"What time is it?" She said, her voice a little croaky from lack of use. The doctor seemed satisfied to answer.
"Just after dawn. You've been out for ten hours." Rose's stomach then gave a loud growl. She clutched at her stomach, avoiding the doctor's eyes. He turned away from her to the other table which held the supplies. Rose was surprised to see the table had more contents than last time she had seen it. "What woke you during the night?" He suddenly asked. Rose stared at his back, shocked.
"H-how did-"
"The glass of water is empty." The doctor replied smoothly as he turned around, holding a clipboard. "What woke you?"
Rose fidgeted nervously. "A bad dream." She mumbled. Just mentioning it made her feel cold inside. She heard the click of a pen, then scribbling as the doctor wrote something down. Looking up, she watched him questioningly. He lifted his eyes to her face as he set down the pen and paper in his hand.
"I still have some tests to perform. I trust you'll cooperate." Rose nodded, shifting in her seat. The doctor moved behind her. "Sit up straight." Rose straightened her posture, wincing painfully as her ribs twitched. "Tell me if there is any pain." The doctor said as he lifted the back of her T-Shirt.
Her fear of the doctor produced from the dream had faded somewhat, but she couldn't help tensing up a little. It wasn't that Rose didn't feel safe with him, but her body's wariness of his touch had heightened since the nightmare.
Although the doctor had been the one to lock her up with the men in the first place, she didn't feel any anger or bitterness towards him. The only emotion she had felt upon meeting him was fear. She hadn't trusted him at all, but that had changed when he had treated her. The fact that he saved her told her that he wasn't a man with bad intentions. If he had truly been heartless, he would have left her to the men in the dungeon. Now, she trusted that he wouldn't hurt her, and she was grateful to him for healing her.
That didn't mean that she wasn't still a little intimidated by him.
His fingers kneaded her back, tracing her spine. It was strangely relaxing and not at all painful. His fingers became gentler as he reached level with her broken ribs. Rose tensed up in anticipation for pain, but was surprised when none came. The doctor seemed to have avoided the tender part of her back.
"What are you checking for?" She asked timidly.
"Disturbances in the neurological pathways." He replied. The medical terminology threw Rose slightly, until the doctor explained. "Your nerves." He felt the bones a few more times before pulling down her top. "Do you have any dizziness, confusion or blurred vision?" The doctor asked as he moved back into her field of view. Rose shook her head.
"No." After she spoke, there was a pause in which the doctor didn't speak. He seemed to be contemplating something, staring down at the pen on the table. Then he lifted his eyes.
"Can you remember what happened after your head injury?" He asked, watching her carefully. His eyes flickered around her face, reading her expression. Rose's heartbeat picked up in panic. He's not going to make me tell him...right?
"Yes, but...it's a little blurry." She murmured, trying not to recall it. The doctor's mouth tightened. He pulled a small object out of his pocket.
"Look me in the eyes." Rose anxiously raised her hazel eyes to his grey ones. Almost instantly, she felt the same sensation she had felt last night - the weird trance. Something was drawing her to this man again. "Try not to blink." He raised the object up to her face and flicked a switch. A bright light flashed in her right eye.
She instinctively squinted, but kept eye contact with the doctor. After examining one eye, the light switched to the other.
"It looks like no serious damage was done to your brain." The doctor hummed in satisfaction, lowering the small torch. Rose felt herself let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. The news that she was alright was a huge relief.
The man turned and picked up a stethoscope. After moving behind her again, Rose felt something very cold slip under her shirt and touch her shoulder blade. Flinching away, she looked over her shoulder. The doctor had the stethoscope's earphones in and was frowning as he listened.
"Breathe normally." He told her, focusing his attention on her back. Rose turned forward again, slightly apprehensive, but doing as the doctor said. After repeating the check-up, this time with Rose breathing deeply, the doctor came back around the table to write down the results. She watched him closely, examining his elegant script.
Just then, the door opened, and both Rose and the doctor turned their heads. Bepo entered carrying a small bowl. Rose's stomach made a loud sound as an enticing smell met her nose, but she barely noticed. Her eyes fixed themselves on the food as the bear approached. She didn't even care what she looked like or how she was acting. She held out her hand for the bowl.
As soon as Bepo had handed it to her, she began to eat ravenously. What she was eating barely registered in her brain, but it tasted like rice and fish and she spooned it into her mouth. Her jaw ached as she chewed, and she found swallowing painfully hard, but her eating pace remained the same.
Just having something in her stomach made her feel better. Warmth seeped from her core out to her fingertips. Her shaky limbs felt stronger already.
It was only when she had nearly finished her bowl of food that she realised she was being intently examined by the doctor. He had sat down on the chair a few feet to her left, the paper on which he had been writing in front of him on the metal bench. He was surveying her quietly from underneath his furry cap. It was such an intense look that Rose halted for a second, her spoon hovering in front of her mouth. She felt like an animal in the headlights, almost frozen under his gaze.
"You might want to consider taking your time eating, or it will not stay in your stomach for long."
Rose blinked, then looked down at her bowl, before finishing her food - slower than before.
"Here," Bepo said as he held out a glass of water. Rose took it gratefully and began to drink it, letting it wash down her food. She set down her bowl and glass once she was done, and watched at Bepo took it away to the sink. Her eyes fell once again on the doctor, who was still watching her carefully. He then leaned over the paper and began writing quickly.
"I have some questions to ask you. It is very important that you tell me the truth." It was a command. His tone of voice sent alarm bells off in Rose. Can I trust him?
"Will you know if I am lying?" She asked. The doctor didn't seem surprised by her question. The smallest of smirks appeared on his face.
"Not straight away, no..." He murmured. "But I always find out sooner or later." It was said casually, but the small hint of a threat was enough to convince Rose that lying to him was a big mistake. "Bepo, you are free to leave." Bepo nodded as he turned and left. The doctor waited until the door was shut before speaking.
"Name?"
"Rose." She said hesitantly. The doctor scribbled.
"Age?"
"17." She answered him, keeping her voice neutral. At her answer, the doctor looked up at her, almost as if he doubted her.
"17?" He repeated with a hint of surprise. Rose gave a small nod, wondering why the doctor seemed unsure of her response. His mouth tightened, and a frown tugged at his eyebrows as he looked away from her. "Where are you from?" Rose hesitated at his question. Even though it was yet again giving more precious information away, he could potentially find a way to bring her back home.
"It's a little island called...Agea." The doctor's eyebrows furrowed further. Her hands fiddled anxiously with the hem of her T-shirt.
"Agea?" The word sounded strange coming from his mouth. Rose nodded, eagerly waiting to see if the doctor knew of its whereabouts. Her heart sunk at his next words. "I'm not familiar with it." Rose looked down at her hands, which were clasped together. Does this mean...I'm never going to get home...? "How long were you in that boat for?"
"Two days...I think. I can't remember." Her voice was feeble.
"What do you know about the Marines?" He continued to ask. Rose shook her head.
"Nothing really. I've heard of them, but I've never seen one. They were the only visitors of my island – apart from that, nobody ever disturbed us."
"Oh?" The doctor sounded interested. Rose turned her gaze to him. He was watching her closely. "So your island is very isolated?" Rose nodded. "What do you know about pirates?"
"Pirates?" Rose repeated, confused. The doctor just watched her. "N-nothing at all. My parents told me they existed, but... I know nothing about them."
The doctor remained quiet then, watching her almost incredulously. After a few moments, he averted his eyes, staring pensively across the room. His thin jaw was working slightly as he concentrated hard on his thoughts.
He suddenly spoke after a pregnant pause, his eyes returning to Rose. "I understand the sensitivity of the topic, but I need to know what happened in the dungeon." Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt the blood drain from her face. The doctor turned in his stool so he was facing her directly.
"Okay?" She whispered. He still wore the frown.
"Is there any chance you could be pregnant?"
Rose fell silent. It took her a few seconds to process the question. She understood what he was asking her in theory, but back home, the subject wasn't discussed much with girls her age - she was still considered to be young on Agea. And her fuzzy memories weren't helping.
"Um..." She stammered. "W-well..." Her voice failed her, and she felt her cheeks heat up. "I don't think so..." She said quietly, looking away from the doctor, embarrassed and trying not to show her lack of knowledge of the subject. It wasn't as though she had been paying attention to if the man had finished anyway. Her memory was blurry due to her head injury.
Her attention was drawn back to the man as he stood up and moved in front of her. Rose looked up after a second, meeting his curious gaze.
"Come off the bench." Rose blinked, completely taken aback at his request.
"What for?" She couldn't help asking.
"More tests." He replied, his vague answer confusing her more, but he didn't wait for her consent. He took her hands in his. Her hands seemed tiny in comparison to his, and his skin was surprisingly soft. Pulling her ever so slightly, she slid down onto the floor. "Only put your weight on your good foot."
Rose still too bewildered to question him. Her leg wobbled as she stood, using the doctor's hands to keep steady. She was having a hard time balancing, so she squeezed his hands as she attempted to stay upright. It was only once she was comfortably steady that she realised how close he actually was - there was only a few inches between their bodies. Looking up at him, her cheeks warmed up more and her heart fluttered. Uncomfortable, she leaned back to create some distance between them, but then lost her balance and began to fall.
"Wa!" With a gasp, she felt an arm loop round her waist and catch her. Blinking, she looked up. The doctor had caught her, one of her hands still clasped in his.
"Careful." He muttered, pulling her back up gently, arm moving to avoid her tender ribs.
"T-thank you..." Rose's tried to hide her deepening blush as she leaned against the doctor's chest for balance. Why am I reacting like this!? She thought to herself. She didn't understand why she felt oddly...lightheaded. Was it the warmth of his body against hers, or his strong arm holding her up...?
"Your balance is a little off." His deep voice sent small vibrations through her. Rose let out a shaky sound of agreement. "Try again." He said, stepping back a little from her so that she only had his hands for support. Rose was very aware of how close he still was, and how tightly he was holding her hands.
"What do I do?" She asked, looking down so he couldn't see her blush.
"Try and keep your balance." Rose nodded slightly, and began to focus on keeping her balance. It was alright, although she did come close to falling a few times. The doctor began to tug gently on her hands, forcing her to adjust her body position to remain upright. After a minute or so of testing her, he hummed in approval.
"Now, put as much weight on your injured foot as you can." Hesitantly, Rose lowered her bad foot towards the ground. She gingerly placed it on the ground - it was already beginning to hurt slightly. Wincing, she managed to put a little bit of pressure onto her heel. Then, with a yelp, she lifted her foot.
"That's all I can manage - it hurts too much." She said, clenching the doctor's hands between hers as she wobbled.
"Alright." He said as he helped her move her way back to the metal table. "Your balance should improve in the next few days. It must be the blood in your head wound."
Rose just nodded, gripping onto the bench for support. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding, and she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. He took his seat again and resumed his note-taking. After a few moments, Rose felt a sudden pressure in her abdomen. It took her a few seconds to realise what the urge was.
"Do you have a bathroom?" She asked. He lifted his gaze to her, then after a few moments, stood up. Rose watched him in confusion as he turned to the supply table and picked up a long wooden stick with a handle at the end. Then turning around, he held it out to her.
"Use this as a crutch." He handed her the stick. Rose found it awkward to use, but it meant her injured foot wasn't put under any strain. She managed to make her way to the door without any help from the doctor. As she approached it, she felt some of the weight on her shoulders lift. The corridor ahead was white, plain, but to Rose is screamed freedom. She hated this room, she wanted out of it.
The doctor reached around her and pulled the handle to open the door. Even the air outside was different - colder, yes, but cleaner and crisper. Rose took a deep breath as she entered the hallway. Her survival instincts kicked in, and she quickly scanned the corridor. It branched to her left and to her right, but she couldn't see much further as both wings turned around a corner.
Eyes flickering around, she tried to take in every detail, hoping it would be some use for when she escaped. But when she turned around again, she found her vision blocked.
The doctor was looking down at her, his eyes glinting. A frown tugged at his eyebrows. Rose was sure her wide eyes were an instant giveaway of her thoughts.
"What were you thinking about doing just now?" He spoke, his voice quiet but slightly threatening. Rose's heart clenched. The doctor wasn't tensed up, as if ready to attack, but the confidence and the authority he exuded truly intimidated her. The strange feelings she had felt towards the doctor beforehand were shoved brutally to the back of her mind, and fear took their place. Quick, don't let him know!
"Where the bathroom was." She replied, her voice surprisingly level despite its quietness, even though her heart was hammering up a storm, and her palms were sweating. The doctor's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared her down. Obviously, her lie hadn't worked.
The sound of footsteps tore their concentration away from each other. Rose looked over her shoulder, an irrational fear taking over her. Judging by the heaviness of the feet, it must be a man approaching. Just as she saw a figure round the corner, she felt her heart drop.
The white uniform was all that registered in her mind before images of candles and dark corners flashed before her eyes. Her body screamed RUN!
She grasped the crutch in a trembling grip as she automatically took a step back, away from the figure in white, away from danger. Then, her other hand found a warmth covered by soft material behind her. For some reason, one word sprung to her panicked brain.
Safe.
Rose acted without thinking. She ducked behind the object her mind was too startled to register, seeking comfort and protection from the man in white, and a terrified sound escaping her.
"Captain! Is that the girl prisoner you were talking about?"
It was only then she realised it was the doctor she was hiding behind. Her hand was curled into the side of his hoodie, her face buried in the centre of his back.
The doctor himself was tensed up, his arms raised slightly in surprise. He ignored his companion, turning to look over his shoulder at Rose. The one eye she could see was wide with astonishment, but no trace of the anger from before remained. She stared back at him, shocked and embarrassed.
"Captain?" The voice made them both start.
"Yeah," The doctor's voice was distant as he turned away from Rose. His posture relaxed slightly, but Rose could feel the undercurrent of uncertainty in his muscles. When he spoke again, he did so stronger. "Yes, she is."
"Shouldn't she be in the dun-"
"No." A heavy pause ensued in which Rose untangled her hands and peeked out from behind the doctor's arm, observing the other man. He was wearing a white jumpsuit and a black hat with a fluffy bobble on the end. The word 'PENGUIN' was written across the front of his hat. Rose trembled. The most terrifying thing was that she couldn't see his eyes. She wanted to let go of the doctor, but found herself too struck with fear to move.
The man's head turned slightly towards her, and Rose knew he was looking straight at her. She ducked behind the doctor again.
"Why is she so scared?" The other man asked quietly.
"I assume it's because she doesn't trust you, Penguin-ya." The doctor spoke. Penguin?
"But why!? I haven't done anything!" He seemed almost upset. Rose hoped that the doctor wouldn't say what happened to her. It still shocked her to just think about it – it would be awful to hear it come out of someone else's mouth.
"I'm sorry, now is not the time to introduce yourself. Did you need something?"
"No, but..."
"Then could you please move out of the way? I need to get past." After a pause, Rose heard some shuffling.
"Yeah, sorry." Then the doctor stepped forward, his hoodie pulling from her grasp. Rose started forward and followed at a close distance, but turned to look at Penguin. He seemed to be frowning. Rose turned back forwards as the doctor turned a corner.
"Here," he said, nodding towards a door on the right.
"Oh, thank you." She pushed on the door, a sweet smell hitting her. After hobbling in, she pushed it closed behind her. As soon as she heard the door click, she finally relaxed. Finally out of sight from everyone.
She went about her business, then washed her hands and face in the sink. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw the dark marks on her face and neck were extremely noticeable. Her usually blonde hair was a brown-ish colour, stained by blood and dirt. The sight shocked her down to the core, and she gasped. Then, with a trembling hand, she lifted up her shirt to display the red and blue blotchy skin of her torso.
Tears welled up in the back of her eyes as she stared at the broken girl in the mirror. That was her. She bit her lip, her mouth quivering. Then she let out a silent sob, covering her mouth with her hand as a single tear escaped onto her cheek. They were right. The world is dangerous. I should never have left.
~ x ~
Law POV
He stood with his back against the wall, staring at a spot on the wall as he began processing his thoughts. In all honesty, the fact that Rose was so sheltered from the outside world shocked him. He would have at least expected her to know some of the Worst Generation names, such as the Straw Hats, or at least Blackbeard. But the fact that she had never encountered a Marine or knew anything about pirates was very strange indeed. The name of her home island echoed in his thoughts. Agea...
"Captain?" Law blinked out of his pensive state at the mention of his name. He pushed off the wall and turned the corner where Penguin was still standing.
"Penguin-ya." Law greeted him as his crew mate approached. He seemed to want to ask him something.
"So that was her? Why was she with you and not in the dungeon?"
"Because," Law said after a pause. "It is safer for her up here than with those men." Law explained briefly to Penguin the situation, and what had happened. Penguin wore the same expression Bepo had – one of pure horror and indignation.
"That's...unbelievable." He muttered quietly, rubbing his chin. "So is she...?"
"Stable? Yes. Alright? I don't think so." Penguin cocked his head to the side, indicating for Law to explain. "Judging by her earlier behaviour with you, I think she's developed serious trust issues." Penguin frowned then.
"Trust issues?" Law nodded. "But...does she not realise who you are? Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death?"
"No," Law said, a little quietly then. "You were right, Penguin. She's not a threat to us at all. I see that now." His words made his stomach clench a little. He didn't like admitting he was wrong anyway, but the fact that his paranoia had cost this girl such a great deal made him feel guilty, an unusual emotion for him to experience. "The island she's from is very remote – I've never heard of it before." Just then, Bepo came down the stairs.
"Ah, Captain!" He said, approaching the pair. He looked between them for a second. "What's going on?"
"Bepo-ya, I need to know something." Law turned to his navigator. "Have you ever heard of an island called Agea?" Law watched his first mate closely as he spoke.
"Agea?" Bepo shook his head. "I've never heard of that one. I'm certain it's not on the map."
"That's what I thought," Law said, frowning, "but it can't be far. She was out at sea for about two days in a tiny wooden boat. It must be close."
"If it's not on the map, you don't suppose it's undiscovered?" Bepo ventured.
"That's possible," Penguin voiced, "but that doesn't mean the Marines are unaware of it." Law scratched his chin.
"They are. She said they visited the island sometimes. But what is strange is that the Marines are the only outsiders to visit the island. Apart from that, it is completely isolated. She's never heard of any pirates before." They stood there for a second, thinking. Then Penguin spoke.
"So in reality, she can't harm us?" Law shook his head. "So what are we going to do with her?"
"Look after her. For now, she's my responsibility. After that...I don't know." They fell silent again. Law's mind travelled to the girl in the bathroom. Whoever she was, she certainly intrigued him. "How's the submarine coming along?" Penguin sighed in response to Law's question.
"There's still a lot to do. We need at least another week. So far we've managed to salvage the lower floor – luckily the water didn't reach the top level. We're reattaching the wing now. Then we need to repair the underside and fix the breach." Law nodded.
"I'll help out. Give one of you a break to watch her. It's to my understanding that Bepo-ya has been working on it every day?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Switch with me for the next day or so. I'll come check on her often, but you'll guard her and look after her." Bepo seemed anxious about this news.
"M-me? But..." Law waited for him to continue, watching the bear closely. "You're the only one she trusts." Law unwillingly froze at that.
"Even so," he muttered, looking down. "I need to help fix the submarine. It'll only be for a day or so." Bepo nodded then, still uncertain. "Just remember – although she doesn't know who we are, its best that it stays that way. The less she knows, the safer she'll be."
~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Whew! I'm really writing fast to get this out to you! Thanks so much for the support you are showing so far! Next update soon (hopefully!).