Another late post. I had to go to work! -rolls around like a burrito- I will try and get another post out tonight and get back on schedule. No promises though.
Take care! -Glomps all her readers-
PS: Yes I realized I had uploaded the wrong chapter! UUUUGGGG Sorry about that! Here is the correct one!
Smoker felt low. The trembling in the smaller woman's hand was enough to relay how badly she didn't want to talk about the waffle like scars under her shirt. They had gone from a normal conversation to feeling the heavy air in the room. In his moment of frustration, the captain had apparently asked a taboo question. His forehead wrinkled as he gritted his teeth.
"She probably can't say anything", Katie volunteered to break the silence in the room. "I'm ordered by the upper marine echelon not to tell anyone who isn't related to the incident. I can only imagine for many it's the same." The hospitalized brunette tried to smile. It was hard for her to admit there even was a past and that it happened to others, not just herself.
"I know not many have two grandpas who can kick anyone's butt, so they'll probably fear what would happen if they do tell you anything." Smoker could only feel the slow prickles of rage rising in his chest but he had to see where Katelyn was taking this. Any clue, even if it's rather small, would be better than poking in the dark.
The White Hunter's petty officer smiled warmly. "I'll go get some fresh muffins. Why don't you tell each other about your experiences while Smoker-san quietly sits and happens to hear what occurred?" The two women blinked and slid their heads to the side.
"Well that's a good plan but Katie's incident and mine vary. I was told to keep my lips sealed about what transpired or I can very well be sent to Impel Down. I do know someone I can talk to if it'll help with your investigation. I just really-really feel uncomfortable talking about it."
An hour ticked by and with the help of Tashigi, the group wrangled in the nurse named Liddy. Maya explained to the nurse she was having reoccurring nightmares from her past and thought it best to talk about them. The nurse wrote up a report but omitted some facts such as the other three being there to over hear the conversation.
After some time of chatting, the captain felt sick. He discovered Liddy had taken in and employed most of the young women who were victimized by the programs Kane and his sister overseen. It was the sole reason she was so protective of the other nurses. Garp and Sengoku's actions were made crystal clear by that point. Liddy proved she wasn't afraid to smack a fleet-admiral and a vice-admiral and they demonstrated openly they had no tolerance for the man in the hospital.
To make matters worse, the male victims had received worse punishments from Kane's sister as Maya explained. The young brunette lost her brother to suicide. The marines he trained with were relentless in their harassment campaign against him after graduation. So much so, the young man took his own life to protect his sister from the persecution and provocations she would endure while her time in the program. They didn't have to explain that it didn't work.
The Hunter also known as Chaser, wanted to look away but out of respect his eyes soaked in the scars on the woman's back when she was asked to reveal them to the masculine nurse. The waffle like disfigurement was large, covering nearly every inch of her back and he discovered quickly the origin of it. It's a grooving tool most marine engineers used on the bottom of their ships. The wood be deeply branded giving the slick surface something their boots could grip.
The patrol squad, or the special group of kids Kane or his sister would favor, would often push those that were targeted onto the searing metal; sometimes they would brand the child and claim it was an accident. Either way, the disgusting acts went on for years until Katie came along. The smaller brunette didn't utter a single word of her experiences to the nurse. She simply remained quiet. The heavy mood was already too much.
Katelyn stood to her feet and stretched before heading to leave the room. "You guys coming? They kicked back the painkillers and I could use something tasty… Like meat", she explained happily. "Even if I can't have any right now, I could still use some ice-cream or mashed potatoes with some thick meat gravy", the brunette nearly began to drool.
"Are you some kind of meat addict", Smoker asked with a half bark in his tone.
"Absolutely! Grandpa says meat can help heal all wounds!" Katie's voice sounded so sincere it made his head hurt.
"Well… That is kind of true. Eating meat does help fight off anemia and gives you plenty of strength to battle some pretty nasty diseases but she needs to eat more vegetables too. I swear she can be a kid at times", Maya breathed but was quick to smile as Tashigi adjusted her glasses and nodded in agreement.
Three of the four members of the little woman squad made their way into the hospital's cafeteria. Katie was already at the counter drooling at the sizzling food on display but before she could say a word, Tashigi ordered for her. There was some protests but quickly became muted when she began to consume her lunch.
"You know you're not supposed to be eating solid food right now. Be happy they had chicken noodle soup", she softly scolded before putting her glasses on top of her head.
Like a child, the vice-admiral's granddaughter was all smiles. She nearly sang between bites. "Hai!"
The room was nearly empty. Smoker could enjoy this. He didn't like crowded places or people in general. It was a bit irritating to his ears to hear his petty officer and the little brunette speaking so much but the captain was surprised to spot Maya sitting next to him. She seemed to be the type to keep to herself.
"You're not going to join them", he inquired curiously as he tried to wrap his head around their dynamic.
Large green hues turned up and blinked. "I have", the long-haired woman answered before reaching in her bag and grabbing a black hair ribbon. "I'm not big on talking and they are a bit… tom-boyish. Tashigi-sama wants to be the greatest swordsman and be seen as an equal while Katie is… well... Katie. She wants to open a coffee café to show her support for the marines and her two grandfathers. I just own the flower shop from across the way."
The young woman smiled gingerly. Smoker had to admit she kept on point and didn't ask anything herself. The company he was keeping wasn't too bothersome. They didn't needlessly argue or be too loud. His grey eyes watched Maya tie her hair neatly into a pony tail. She propped her chin into the palm of her hand as she watched his marine officer and their little friend converse.
"Katelyn… Laurel M. Katelyn…", there was a hiss from the other side of the room. Katie had lifted her head from her seat from on top of the circular table of the cafeteria. "You're looking spry for a woman who supposedly got stabbed...", a mocking tone came forth from the red headed liaison.
Katie felt the weight of fear crawl up her back. She swallowed hard and tried desperately to not reveal how shaken she was to see Kane making his way to her little group. Instead of hearing her own heartbeat in her ears, she heard a voice. It wasn't Kuzan's and it wasn't her grandpa's either.
"Hey dummy! What are you doing", Ace's voice entered her mind.
"Don't be so mean to her", Luffy could be heard protesting.
"She's our sister; I can be any way I want", he announced with certainty. "If someone can't hit you, isn't it stupid to be scared of them? I tell you who's scary… That old man", the boy shouted before the three of them heard grandpa yelling he heard that.
The memory that had surfaced warmed her heart. Katie had experienced nightmares that night and Ace being Ace, wasn't so subtle with his opinion. Grandpa had come to visit on a holiday and tried to beat the boys for wanting to be pirates; distracting her from her fear. The little brunette had tagged along that weekend and enjoyed training with the three of them.
A bubbled chuckle dislodged from her throat and soon followed one by one until her laughter filled the entire area. "Oh god! Of all the times to remember that", the female breathed between each outburst. Each thump, strike, bellow, and chase Garp gave the boys rolled back into her mind. The young woman couldn't stop laughing.
Doubled over, Katie held her ribs. "Crap… Now I can't stop thinking about it." In her attempts to cease laughing, the brunette was desperate in her quest. Soon thoughts of Kuzan played up in her mind which worked to a degree until she remembered how that man's lips felt. Blood rushed to her cheeks. Her ears nearly lit on fire but one thing was for certain, she felt safe and wasn't bothered by Kane.
The female swordsman wondered if her friend was going to be ok. The man was beginning to anger. His cheeks and ears began to blister behind his half mask. The flame-haired liaison brows had pressed together with a clenched square jaw. His short spiky hair seemed to add to his intimidating features as the prior marine stood at his full height.
The large bowl the brunette was using for her soup had been shoved towards Tashigi. "More please", Katie asked. The woman's dark eyes cautiously darted towards the man in white. "Don't mind him", the little woman continued with a wide brilliant smile. "If he tries to pull something, I can easily dodge it. He's not fast at all. Plus if I yell it will summon, not one, but two really great grandpas." The young female further explained. "He can't hurt me anymore and for the first time I've come to realize it. It feels great to be free", the granddaughter added wholeheartedly.
With a gentle nod, the petty officer got up and fetched the woman some more soup. Katie was relieved Tashigi got out of the way. Smoker could easily grab Maya. If the brunette's memory served correctly, the man was actually quite fast. The young woman could safely bet not much had changed. His temper was short and most likely still a control freak. She was no longer under his thumb and just like her friend, the twenty-three year old knew exactly how quickly this was going to escalate.
"Maya…", Katie spoke tenderly with her back to her friend. "Things might get a little rough from here but only for just a little bit. Remember it's silly to be scared of the things that can't hurt you. We're not kids anymore. This man only excelled at using the love children had for others, against them. He's more vile than a lot of pirates but if that's not enough. There's a marine next to you who had taken an oath to protect the public against all foreign and domestic offenders. So sit this one out and don't get involved."
The florist with dark mocha shaded hair nodded. Her friend's calm demeanor had touched her heart. A delicate hand clasped over her lips as tears began to well up. Katie's blue hues watched the towering man roll his shoulder back before lifting his arm. He was going to strike and it was going to be fast. She just hoped he wasn't as quick as her grandpa or she was going to have a really rough day.
