Tom's Workers

KS: Hello again, my friends and readers! I hope you're enjoying! I think you'll enjoy the next few chapters and whatnot...we're starting a new idea. I've got a big list of ideas written out, and I'm always getting more (like last night I got one from Terverius, a friend of mine from DeviantART), so hopefully this will have good direction to it.

But, before I start on this chapter, I'm gonna do a little rant.

I see that there about five or six hundred hits on Tom's Workers, and there are only around twenty-five reviews. I don't know if that's because you people don't like it or aren't that far or something, but I do know that--since a large number continued to read--that you wanted to read. That probably means you like this story. But I don't know if you do...why should I continue to let you see it? Fanfiction is kind of like a movie. You pay to see a movie. For a fanfiction, you review. I appriciate reviews. Just review, please, even if it's unsigned (but if it's unsigned, I won't reply). To make it more enticing to review, I'm offering a SPECIAL STORY to whomever reviews--that includes people who have already reviewed. It might be put up on this site eventually for everyone to see, but if it is it won't be for a while. Think of it as a reward for reviewing!!

And I'm still open to requests for drawing scenes from this fic. I've got one so far on DeviantART (by the way, check out my DA gallery--it's my profile's homepage link), and I can do more. :)

DISCLAIMER: I have no connections or affiliations with Toei Animation, Shueisha/Jump Comics, or Eiichiro Oda.

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Chapter Nine: It's the Cold

Iceburg walked up to Cutty as he lay motionless on his futon. Cutty had slept yet again through Kokoro-san's wake-up call, and had even taken a very drowsy and weak swing at Tom-san when he had tried to wake him up.

Instead of the normally sprawled-out and noisy Cutty that he was used to though, he was almost completely covered by his blanket and not a snore could be heard. Iceburg paid this no mind though and nudged the blue-haired boy with his foot.

"Oi, Franky, wake up." he said. He waited for the usual 'Nn...lemme sleep Bakaburg' or something like that, but all that came from the little lump of covers was a small mutter.

Iceburg cocked his brow a bit, and did it again. "Franky, it's time to eat, get up."

There was a little movement under the covers.

"Nn..." Cutty mumbled.

His head poked out slightly, and Iceburg looked at him with a start. He was a bit red in the face and didn't exactly look well.

"Oi, Franky, are you okay?" Iceburg asked. Cutty's eyes opened a little bit and he sneered a little. "Leave me alone, Bakaburg..." he said hoarsely. Iceburg knelt down and put his hand on Cutty's forehead. He turned towards the kitchen. "Kokoro-san! I think Franky has a fever!"

Kokoro stuck her head around the corner. "A fever?" She asked. She walked into the room and over to Cutty, where she then proceeded to put her hand on his head as well.

"Mm, I think you're right." She said. "Do you feel sick, Franky?"

Cutty moaned a bit and coughed. He did feel sick, but if he didn't get up he wouldn't be able to work on his newest Battle Franky, and Kokoro-san would keep him cooped up inside all day for sure.

"I feel super today, Kokoro-san..." he replied with a cough. Kokoro didn't look convinced.

"Mm-hm. Well, whether you feel super or not, you're burning up with fever. I bet it's that cold bug going around." She said. Cutty groaned as he let his head fall back onto his pillow. It hadn't worked.

"Well, I don't feel great, but I feel good enough to go outside and work." he said as heartily as he could.

"Work on your Battle Franky, you mean." Iceburg said, rolling his eyes. "You never help Tom-san and me."

Cutty would have normally sprang onto him and tried to punch him at that, but all he managed to do was sit up quickly and point a finger. "You take that back, Bakaburg!!" he said, falling back onto his pillow weakly after he did. Kokoro looked at him, shaking her head a bit.

"It may even be the flu. Here, Franky, I'll go and fix you some soup." She said, standing and walking off to the kitchen. Yokozuna had come up at this point, a worried look on his face. "Gero geroh?" he croaked, concerned. He reached out a hand and put it on Cutty's forehead, but quickly drew it back and grabbed it.

"Gero gero!!" he cried out, dancing about. Aparently Cutty's head was very warm...

Cutty sat up again and waved everyone away. "Would everybody stop touching my head?" he asked. He turned his legs out and got up out of bed. "See? I'm fine--" he said, getting interupted by a huge sneeze that slammed him backwards onto his butt. Iceburg and Yokozuna couldn't help but laughing, and Cutty shot them a glare.

"Franky, go back to bed. Your soup's almost done, I'll bring it to you." Kokoro called from the kitchen. Cutty pushed out his lip, pouting. "But Kokoro-san! I'm fine! I'll be in there in a minute to eat it!"

"Oh no you won't! You'll stay in there!" Kokoro called back.

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Cutty had managed to get Kokoro-san to let him eat at the table, but he still couldn't convince her that he wasn't sick. How could he when there was a line of snot coming from his nose? He could wipe that away, but he was coughing and sneezing a lot, too. Couldn't do anything about that. And he had a fever of 99.8 degrees. It wasn't too high, but high enough he couldn't hide it. And it was climbing.

He was still seated at the table, his chin resting on the surface as he looked dejectedly at the bowl of soup in front of him. Being sick was no fun. When he was sick, he couldn't go out or do anything, and when he could go out he had to button up his shirt and wear pants so whatever he had didn't get worse. And Kokoro-san wouldn't let him have any cola, either. That was the last nail in the lid of the coffin, the last straw on the camel's back...being sick was the worst. He got up and sauntered over to the window to look out.

Tom-san and Iceburg were out there, working hard but enjoying it. Yokozuna was out there, too, so there was no one inside to give him company but Kokoro-san. He looked over at his latest Battle Franky; it was just calling to him to go out there and work on it. He banged his forehead against the glass irritatedly.

"Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored." He muttered, saying the word every time he hit his head against the window.

As he wiped his nose on his arm, he got an idea. He looked around quickly; no Kokoro-san in sight! He made his way to the door quietly, buttoning up his shirt and picking up some shorts to put on (he wasn't going to overdo it with pants). If Tom-san or Icebaka asked, he'd just say that Kokoro-san let him come out after all. He walked backwards for a while, keeping his eyes on the kitchen so he'd know if Kokoro was coming. As he walked backwards, he bumped into a table.

His eyes widened, and knowing what table it was, he spun around quickly and grabbed a small vase just before it it the floor. He sighed with releif, and that's when he heard the table itself fall with a clatter. He snapped around and righted it and sat the vase back in it's place as well. He turned to the kitchen and froze, listening.

No noise; either Kokoro wasn't in there or she hadn't heard.

Cutty breathed a sigh of releif and continued on his 'mission.'

He opened the door carefully and ducked outside. Good! Now he was in the clear, for the most part. He watched the door for a little bit as he walked away, wanting to be sure he could either run or hide if Kokoro-san came out after him. After being sure she hadn't noticed he left, he turned with a pleased smile on his face to go and take care of his new Battle Franky.

When he did that, he almost ran straight into Kokoro-san.

"Franky..." She started. Cutty jumped up with a start.

"Ah! Kokoro-san!! I didn't see you there..." he started. Kokoro put her hands on her hips.

"Now, Franky, you're sick. I told you that you couldn't come out. Now what would Tom-san say if he saw you out here?" she asked. Cutty thought for a minute. What would Tom-san say?

"TAHa ha ha ha ha!!." he replied. Yep, that's definetely what Tom-san would do.

Kokoro smiled a bit at that. "Hm hm...well, you still have to go back inside. I just called the doctor, and you need to be in bed."

"Aw, but Kokoro-san..." Cutty whined.

"No buts. Go."

Cutty moped all the way back to bed. He didn't like being sick, and especially didn't like doctors. They were always poking, and prodding, and asking questions...telling him to stop chasing after Sea Kings, telling him to cut back on the cola...

But, there wasn't much he could do about it. He crawled down onto his futon and under the warm covers, awaiting the coming doctor visit.

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KS: There's that chapter. Review, because like I said, I'll send by e-mail a special story. NOTE: if you review annonymously, you must leave your e-mail if you want the story. Don't expect to get it unless you do that!) Here's a clue as to what the special story's about: elephant. And yes, it pertains to ONE PIECE about the same area as this story. If, for some reason, you don't want the story, you'll have to tell me in your review. I may do this every now and then for my fics and then compile them later into a sectioned fanfic itself (but like I said, not until later, so if you want it YOU MUST REVIEW).

Later! ;)