Gently, Chopper let the piece of wet cloth, rub up and down his patient, trying to wash off the blood on the big armadillo-wolf on his infirmary bed.
"How's it doing?" Nami asked nervously as she clutched her clima-tact in her hands. "It's still under isn't it?"
Chopper sighed. "It's a he." Informed firstly and then looked down. "It's hard to tell how he's doing, I really can't get under that panzer, so I can't check his back at all, and his fur is really thick, so that makes the front problematic."
"Hmm." Luffy frowned as he sat backwards on a chair, leaning his arms on the chair-back. "You can't tell any-thing?" he asked.
"I am pretty sure he has a slight concussion." Chopper told as he used his hoof to open the eye of the wolf-armadillo, which show-cased a wide-pupil on the red iris, that only retracted very slowly. "And I am counting on the panzer actually did protect his back and inner organs, he has lost a lot of blood though, he was bitten several places, and he took some punches to the stomach and throat, that'll require plenty of rest."
"That's fine." Luffy nodded. "We'll take care of him, he saved you and we hunted him down without even knowing what he wanted, maybe he can even tell us about Usopp."
Nami nodded, though she looked pretty nervous in the present of the beast, her hand raised to her dressed shoulder as she swallowed. Then she looked at the big beast again on the bed, it didn't look that big any-more laying there, even when the tail fell down of the bed, and the paws barely was inside of the bed, it looked pretty pathetic as it breathed it's big shallow breaths, Nami glanced at its face, and then she screamed in shock. "ARGH!"
"What, what?" Chopper asked confused.
"Its eye!" Nami exclaimed pointing at the beast with a shaking finger. "It's looking at me!"
"huh?" Chopper blinked then turned to the beast, where true enough, the one visible eye was blinking and looked at Nami, then it turned to Chopper, and blinked. "Oh, you're awake!" he grinned.
The beast grunted as he tried to move, which made it grunt even more.
"No no! it's fine! You're safe now!" Chopper assured holding the wolf-armadillo down. "I promise, we wont hurt you! I'm sorry about how we behaved before, we were being very stupid."
At that the creature relaxed and fell back on its side looking wide-eyed at Chopper, then at Luffy whom had stood up.
"That's right." Luffy nodded as he reached forward a hand, and then scratched the wolf-armadillo on the head. "We're sorry, all of us, I hope you can forgive us some time."
The creature looked wide-eyed at Luffy as Luffy retrieved his hand.
"So" Chopper whispered as he laid a hoof on the Wolf-armadillos front leg. "Do you have a name?" he asked quietly.
The Creature blinked, then looked at Chopper, letting out a slight growl.
Luffy blinked. "What is he saying?" he asked.
Chopper hesitated. "He said.. he think that he does but.. for some reason he can't remember it."
"Huh?" Luffy blinked. "He doesn't remember his name?"
"Well, he does have a concussion, isn't that right Chopper?" Nami asked.
And Chopper nodded. "That can be a explanation." He acknowledged. "Wait." He frowned as he listened to the creature, and then translated. "Mistress calls me Sirius, but that is not my name." he told.
Then the creature grabbed it's own heads with its paws, as it let out a bunch of pathetic sounds.
"That is not my name, why can't I remember my name, it feels so important! Why can't I remember." Chopper translated before he jumped forward. "Stop it!" he begged holding the paws of the creature down. "Don't hurt yourself! We just call you Sirius for now okay?" he asked. "Then you can tell us your real name when you remember in time." He stated. "Sirius relax!"
What was this? Sirius? Was that his name? No, no.. that felt wrong!
But Chopper said, and he could trust Chopper, some-thing in his guts told him that, like the other two.
Even if the orange-haired girl looked pretty frightened and ready to attack him, even if the Captain was just there to make sure Chopper wouldn't get hurt.
Sirius blinked.. he knew that the black-haired boy in front of him was the Captain.. but he didn't know how he knew it. It was all a bit confusing.
At last he decided to relax and looked at the reindeer doctor in front of him.
"That's right." Chopper nodded in a smile. "You're going to be just fine, don't get disturbed if you suddenly feel dizzy and squishy, you have a concussion." He told. "You all-ready know I am chopper, this here is Luffy and this is Nami." Chopper presented them. "We have other people here, but they are out-side.. I know they hurt you before, but they wont now!" he told. "I promise."
Usopp nodded as he swallowed. "So.. you wont cook me into dinner?" he asked.
Amused Chopper shook his head. "No, definitely not."
"Well that's good." Usopp sighed. "I'm not really a pig, you would be disappointed if you tried to get bacon from my back."
And Chopper chuckled amused. "Listen, I know you are tired and probably scared, but Luffy would like to ask you some questions." He told.
And Usopp nodded. "Okay."
At that Chopper turned ot Luffy. "He says it's okay for you to ask." He told.
And Luffy nodded as he sat down on his knee, in front of Usopp, first though, he reached forward a hand and scratched Sirius behind the ear. "First of all, you saved my Nakama, thank you." He told. "Even after we hurt you, I owe you, if you need any-thing, ask." He asked. Then Luffy sighed as he removed his hand. "I know this is difficult but.. You attacked Nami at some point, remember?" he asked gesturing at Nami and her wounded shoulder.
Sirius's eyes widened by the sight, he did remember! And before that? He.. he.. THAT FELT IMPORTANT! But suddenly as he tried to retreat that memory, it hurt, a lot!
"Hey easy!" Luffy exclaimed laying his hands on Sirius's side. "I didn't mean to distress you, it's okay! You're forgiven!" he told.
And Sirius took a deep breath, then fell down.
"Okay." Luffy nodded. "Before that, you came from a place, where one of our crew-mates were supposed to be. A young guy, with dark skin, black curly, hair and a long nose." He told. "Do you remember seeing him?" he asked.
Wide-eyed Sirius looked at Luffy.. yes.. yes that did sound familiar, very familiar indeed, but.. Siris frowned, it was like he was so close, so close to knowing, but there was some-thing blogging that memory part for him.
"This, belongs to him." Luffy told holding up a white and blue stripped wrist-band. "Some-how you managed to transport it all the way to where Sanji, Franky and Brook was." He told. "How did you get it? Did you just pick it up from the ground or is there another explanation?" he asked.
Sirius grunted as he curled together, almost curling into his ball.. that wrist-band, he felt like it was his, that Luffy had no right to question where he got it from!
But that didn't add up, then he looked up and realised, there were goggles on top of Luffys straw-hat but… they didn't belong there.
Luffy blinked. "What?" he asked. "Oh these!" he realised reaching up to lightly touch the goggles. "This also belongs to Usopp, our missing crew-mate, I am just safe-keeping them right now." He told. "Until we find him, any little clue would be a big help Sirius! If you know any-thing!"
"Sirius is not my name!" Sirius exclaimed. "It's some-thing else, it's! ARGH!"
"What's he saying?" Luffy asked in a blink.
"He is back at the name again." Chopper told. "Saying Sirius is not his name.."
The Sirius couldn't help it, he wanted that wrist-band in Luffys hand, no particular reason, he just wanted it! And longingly he looked at it.
"Huh?" Luffy blinked then looked at the wrist-band in his hand. "Oh no, you are not getting this!" he told. "It doesn't even belong to me, it belongs to Usopp!"
"Please!" Sirius begged.
"He says please." Chopper informed, then looked at Luffy. "Why not just let him see it, we did beat him up pretty bad you know. I'm sure Usopp will understand."
Then Luffy sighed. "All-right." He finally mumbled. "Here." He told putting the wrist-band on top of Sirius's paw. "Just.. be careful with it all-right?" he asked. "It's pretty important to Usopp."
Nami nodded. "He told me, it supports his wrist when he is shooting." She informed. "And well.. his dad gave it to him." She told.
"Oh he did?" Luffy asked looking at Nami. "He never told me that."
"That's because when he is with you, you two are busy fooling around. You are not the greatest conversationalist Luffy!" Nami pointed out in a annoyed frown.
"Well sitting around talking is boring!" Luffy proclaimed.
"Usopp don't think so, he likes to sit down with a cup of tea talking normally until you come and drag him away." Nami stated in a pout crossing her arms and looked away.
"He can do both." Chopper then pointed out quietly. "It's like he just knows, when it's time to play and when it's time to just sit down and have a quiet time.. I.. I.." the little reindeer sniffed as he wiped his eyes. "I MISS HIM!" he exclaimed.
And the two other crew-mates wiped away their own tears as well. "ME TO!" they both exclaimed.
Stunned Sirius looked at them.. that Usopp guy, he sure sounded like a great person! He just.. he just wished he was able to help them some-how. "I hope you'll find him." He then quietly told the three.
And Chopper sniffed looking at Sirius. "Thank you." He whispered. "he says he'll hope we'll find him." He then elaborated to the others.
Luffy though exhaled disappointed. "So you really don't know what happened?" he asked. "Havn't you even see him?" he asked. "His nose is like this!" he told pulling out his rubber nose so suddenly it stuck in place.
Sirius frowned as he looked at Luffy.. there was some-thing.. some-thing.
"Hey come to think of it." Luffy blinked as his nose slammed back into normal seize. "You have a long nose to! Look!" he laughed poking at Sirius's snout. "Usopp would be proud!"
"That's a ordinary armadillos nose." Chopper pointed out. "That's just how they look."
"We got to show that to Usopp when he turns up!" Luffy grinned. "Neh Sirius, will you stay around to say hallo to Usopp when we find him?" he asked.
Sirius looked at Luffy.. Usopp, that name.. it sounded.. really really important! And.. really really familiar.
It made Sirius entire body itch to just hear it, then he nodded.
"GREAT!" Luffy grinned as he dug forward and wrapped his arms around Sirius's neck. "Welcome to the Sunny Sirius! You can feel right at home just.. you know.. as long as you don't wreck any-thing or attack any-body. If you do that, I'm afraid we have to tie you down.. and I don't want to, so just behave okay?" he asked.
And Sirius nodded again, showing his understanding.
