DedicatedFan: Hopefully this chapter clears up some confusion – or not. :D It's funny you mentioned the Vinsmokes.

Alasse-m: it was only a coincidence. He never expected to run into Sanji in this place, but it's convenient for him.

Pokipo: Ah! Thanks! This chapter might clear up some confusion, or cause more. Either way, it's not ended, yet!

: 10 :

Dr Hina bowed her head low, lighting up a cigarette as she watched law enforcement leave with the last body. They would not be back – whatever forces were at play at Wickem Sanatorium, the police chief refused to lose anymore men to it. Supernatural or not, whoever was killing these men were not going to be stopped. After seeing the bodies of the last nightshift orderly and Dr Akainu, she did not blame them. All the patients were found locked in their rooms, and two of them could not answer for last night's actions. They were both sick after the dosages Dr Akainu had given them, Luffy protesting about being rendered a zombie. Ace was surprisingly very calm and quiet, but there was rage in his eyes. Dr Hina had a feeling he knew what had happened, but he wasn't saying a thing.

Dr Hina wondered if he could.

Law was unusually different from all the time she spent with him – not threatening or suggesting, just subdued and hollow. Asking her to find power in prayer for all of them. It was the first time she'd heard of him having a religious side, but it did nothing to prompt anymore thought. Her bias wall was much too high for him. Sanji was very quiet and would not look at her. She wasn't sure if Sanji's family would pick him up after Dr Akainu sent out the notice yesterday, but she was expecting an answer, today. She figured it was that that kept the third son very quiet and still, dreading the answer he'd hear.

She was wrestling with her options, and none of them were the best for the patients. If she let them go, that caused danger to themselves and to others around them. She kept them locked up because she was the only staff on hand, and she left for the First Floor, overwhelmed with the situation. Luffy protested and banged on the door, pleading for her to let them out, but she had to ignore it. She stared out at the pathway leading up to the house, listening to the wind rustle through the trees. Without anyone to guide her, she didn't know what to do. She knew that one of them was the killer – she knew without a doubt that it was Law. That was Law's doing in the medical ward, with Dr Akainu. That room would not be viewed the same.

She closed her eyes in an effort to block out the sight of Dr Akainu's insides spreading away from him on the operating room table. She tried not to picture the sight of his blood staining the floor, his face forever twisted with some sort of expression – teeth bared. All the medical tools were lying around him, handprints everywhere. 'Your turn!' was written in Dr Akainu's blood on the main wall. The kitchen was a total loss – she knew the patients were starving, but she hadn't any way to feed them. The remnants of what was left after the building burned down was a confusing wonder as to how it even was accessed in the first place.

She smoked her cigarette in silence, trying to think of what to do for the patients.

: :

Near mid-afternoon, she heard the knock on the front door. She cringed at the thought of interacting with anybody outside of the sanatorium's perimeters, but at the same time, she was expecting Sanji's family, and anyone from town to deliver supplies. With a short exhale, she pushed up from the desk and took her time walking to the front door, noting that the orderly's bloodstains were still visible. The smell of bleach was heavy, and it made her sick as she unlocked the door and pulled it open.

The snooty face of the first son of Vinsmoke greeted her stiffly, holding up a folded set of documents. She couldn't remember his name, opening the doorway to admit him in. he didn't say anything, but he did note the smell in the hall. With the way sunlight streamed in from the First Floor windows, he did not see much of the stains behind him as he shut the door, following after her.

"Will you be escorting your brother home?" she asked woodenly. Feeling guilt build within her at the loss of a patient that needed care and understanding; but knowing it would be safer if he left Wickem.

"Where is all your staff?" Ichiji asked curiously. "This place is usually so busy. Are they out on holiday?"

Dr Hina didn't know how to answer that. She was silent as she led the way to the visiting room, looking over the documents he'd given her. Judge didn't want Sanji released from the sanatorium. He could not provide the needed care to 'save' him, and after the last jailing incident, Judge felt his son's behavioral problems were more than the family could endure. Other options on his treatment needed consideration. Conveniently, Judge was also out of town, island hopping for fundraising efforts for the town's militia, so he'd sent his first son in his stead. Ichiji had the power to make decisions on his behalf – the sealed documents from their family lawyer was proof of this.

She set the documents aside.

"I was expected to talk to Dr Akainu," Ichiji said, seating himself across from the window. "Is he available?"

"No. Just I. At this present moment, I implore you to disregard the concern for his behavioral problems. This sanatorium has actually lost funding to continued care, and we are trying to send our patients elsewhere to continue their treatment. It is – it has been decided that its doors will close very soon. Which is why you don't see staff," she added bitterly, twiddling her thumbs. She did not want to explain the real actions as to why the building was 'shutting down'.

"If Sanji could be included in that 'elsewhere', it would be appreciated. We cannot take him in at this time. We lack the proper response to his behavioral issues. We can't get him to eat, we can't get his cooperation to behave. He's caused us many problems with in-family fighting, and father feels he is unqualified to care for him, any longer. He simply can't do it."

"The situation is a little more drastic. I am imploring you – take him home. After tonight, these doors will be closed and locked forever. The others will be shipped off island to another facility, where they will not receive the best possible care – their faculty is cruel and indifferent, and won't treat them very fairly. If you don't take your brother home today, he will return to you later in a body bag."

"I'm sure it's not that dramatic," Ichiji scoffed, crossing his arms. "Father wants nothing more to do with him after that last incident. He is destructive and careless and we were humiliated when he chose to act out at dinner, prompting police response and jail time. People on the island were whispering."

"Such snobbery. Perhaps it's time to look at yourselves," Dr Hina snapped at him. "Perhaps you are the issue!"

Ichiji gave her a startled look, then snorted. "Where is a male doctor? My brother is very disturbed, and needs a lot of care. It wouldn't be fitting if he was returned to us in the same state he left us. Father cannot be expected to be my brother's personal psychiatrist. It would be unwise to allow him home. Perhaps a male doctor can better understand what I am imploring."

"Dr Akainu took leave, recently, and the only time you'll see him is in Hell."

Both of them startled, looking back. Dr Hina paled as she realized Law was standing in the hall, wearing one of his pleased expressions. Ichiji stood up from the couch with a confused frown, seeing that Dr Hina looked entirely unnerved.

"How did you get out of your cell?"

"'Cell'? I understood it to be a 'room'," Law said lightly, hands gliding into his pockets. He looked to Ichiji. "This is big brother Vinsmoke, isn't it?"

"Please leave," Dr Hina said hastily to Ichiji, gesturing at the other door near the side. "Please. Go. Quickly. For your own safety."

"This is a patient?" Ichiji asked, bewildered to the change of mood. "Where is your staff? Shouldn't they be monitoring this sort of thing?"

"It's funny how you all have some similarities, but you don't look alike. Tell me, brother Vinsmoke, what does it feel like knowing the exact reasons why Vinsmoke-ya feels he can't go home, again?" Law commented, watching them make their way across the visiting room for the side door he'd taken out to the kitchen last night. It was an easy action to pivot, watching as Dr Hina fumbled with her keys to find the appropriate one. She wouldn't find it – he had it in his pocket. Ichiji just looked at him with bewilderment, unsure of the panic she reacted with.

Dr Hina released a noisy curse, not finding the key. Now that she was looking at it, three keys were missing from the ring. She paused, lifting her head as she acknowledged this. Then looked back at Law with alarm.

"How?" she repeated, teeth gritted as her breath grew choppy.

"It doesn't matter," Law said lightly. "What matters most is that there's no one here to stop me. I'm curious. How does it feel to have people just…turn and abandon you when you need help the most? It's a most difficult feeling to accept, I don't think people of your standing could fully understand it until it's actually happening to you."

Ichiji realized Law was addressing him, and he looked at Dr Hina for some sort of direction. But the woman looked utterly frightened, frustrated, and he started to grow aware of the danger. The lack of staff had been curious, but now it was just overwhelming how they were very alone. He had a carriage outside, but only a driver and a servant accompanied him. He had to leave the place, warn the authorities of the danger.

"Who is this?" Ichiji asked Dr Hina. "Is this one of your patients?"

"You must escape. You must somehow get out of here," she said, moving back towards the visiting room. "That man is dangerous. He's already caused so many deaths – you must escape!"

"I thought we were closed, for the day," Robin commented with a chuckle, both Dr Hina and Ichiji looking confused as Law's mannerisms and voice changed completely to that of a woman's. 'She' folded her arms behind her back, taking long, sultry strides towards the main staircase. "You're allowing visitors, doctor? Who is this young man? A secret lover?"

"Who the hell are you?" Dr Hina demanded, utterly aghast.

"Oh, never mind me, I'm just looking around," Robin said airily. "I grew curious when we were left in our rooms for so long. Without food, water, medication…Luffy is up there wearing his voice thin trying to call for you. Zoro's upset about the buzzing noises he hears, and Ace is…well…trying his best to dig through sheetrock around his own window. I'm not sure what he's using, but he's digging a nice hole. You should really go upstairs and see this."

"Doctor, what is happening?" Ichiji demanded impatiently, unsure of what to think as this tall, thin man adapted the mannerisms of a woman. Dr Hina looked so pale and scared that her eyes nearly took up most of her face. He started making his way towards the front door, but he remembered that a key was needed to open it.

"Law! Leave them and this man in peace! They've done nothing to you! It was staff you were upset with - !"

"My name is Robin," came the smooth interruption. "I am not that man. I came down here for some food. I was very hungry. Also, I couldn't help but overhear the conversation between you two. Vinsmoke-kun is leaving us?"

"You burned the kitchen down, last night, what do you expect?"

"Oh, dear, so that did happen," Robin murmured, finger to her chin. "I thought when Akainu escaped it, it hadn't entirely done so. I completely forgot to return to it to see if I could've saved it, last night. Oh, but I am not a fireman! I wasn't sure how I could save anything!"

Dr Hina didn't know what to say, gaping at 'her' as she walked away from them, hips moving from side to side. But it gave them space needed to get to the front door. She found the key and jammed it in, 'Robin' turning around to look at them. She then began walking back, but that womanly stride was gone. His face twisted with glee. Dr Hina fumbled with the key, her hands shaking. She managed to unlock it, moving to push the door open when Law kicked out and shut the door, then lunged at her, laughing.

She screamed at feeling his fingers wrapping around her neck, falling backward, but Ichiji quickly stepped in, grabbing Law around the neck and head, yanking him back from her. Kicking at them, her legs flailing around her skirts, Dr Hina quickly pulled away, using the wall to get up. But she'd unlocked the door. She pointed at the door, screaming at Ichiji, "RUN! GET OUT!"

He didn't hesitate – he shoved Law away from him, and ran out the front door.

Law picked himself up from the floor, brushing himself off. Then looked over at Dr Hina running for the staircase, keys in hand. He giggled slightly, reaching out to shut the door.

"Nobody gets to go home," he said, smirking.

: :

Once on the Second Floor, Dr Hina raced for the patients' rooms. She unlocked the first three doors, breathing heavily, upset. She knew that if they were to escape, all of them would have to work together. Once released, Luffy pushed out and raced for the lavatory with a happy yell, Zoro following with a relieved expression. Ace grabbed her arm as she'd made her way to Sanji's room, pulling her with him towards the break room. She screamed, frightened for her safety as he pushed her to the elevator.

"Get out of here. You can't trust any of these guys! Not Sanji, not Penguin, not Law. Get out! Us other guys, we'll be fine, we'll be right behind you," he said, tapping at the lock next to the elevator. She fumbled with her key ring, finding the one she needed missing. Once he realized this, he pushed her to the dumbwaiter. She opened that, but gaped at it as he forcefully removed the shelf, throwing it aside. He helped her climb in, feeling frantic. It would take her downstairs, near the kitchen. But that access door was locked – on one hand, if she could just hide…if she could just stay still, perhaps she could - !

Before she could say anything, he shut the door, and lowered her down, and Dr Hina had to concentrate on how she was going to escape, instead. Once faced with the access door that would take her outside, facing the ruined foundation of the burnt kitchen, she tried the door. It was locked, and her keys rattled as she fumbled with them. Her panic made her breathe heavily, head swarming with thought, thinking that she was on the same floor as Law was. He must've heard the dumbwaiter being lowered. She examined the locking mechanism, realizing all she had to do was lift the latch. As she did so, she pushed the door open, emerging out into the backyard with a cry of relief. She then began running, determined to find help.

: :

Ace shut the door and looked back at the room. He knew Law was downstairs – all of them had watched him leave. Ace marched in the direction of Sanji's room after a cautious look towards Penguin's. He looked through the window, and saw the man sitting at the edge of his bed, still wearing his good clothes, ready to leave. He searched for the key to his room – all of them required the same one. He found it, unlocked it, and shut the door to just a crack as Sanji looked at him with question. Quickly, Ace was on him, snarling out his name as he took the few steps to him, grabbing his jacket.

"You knew! You knew what sort of person he was!" he snapped, keeping his voice low, to not rouse Penguin if the man were awake. Sanji grabbed him with alarm, intending on rising to his feet but he wasn't strong enough to take on Ace's strength. He could only take Ace's harsh shaking, growing frustrated with his own lack of action to defend himself. "How could you do this, knowing what they're doing? You're just as sick as they are! I heard enough to know that you have every involvement with him! With them! I heard everything last night!"

Sanji's lips tightened a little. But he refused to make eye contact, eyebrows furrowing together.

"Do you mind explaining what the fuck this guy's capable of?"

"I…it's not…it's him, it's Penguin. Something – there's something inside of him that's making Law do all this - !"

"How do you know this? He has multiple personalities, he has – different people talking for him! And which one is the - ?"

"There's five of them, really. That one, the dominant one – he goes by Law's name, but it's not him. The real one – is a very religious – he wasn't always like this. He doesn't speak up often unless they let him, or…"

"Then you know them….you know them."

Sanji didn't answer, but he still didn't look at Ace.

Ace shook him with frustration, hissing, "Answer me! They mentioned gettin' revenge against your own fuckin' family!"

Sanji pushed him away, sitting back down on the bed with a reluctant expression. "It really has nothing to do with our family, it…but…"

"If we're gonna make it out of this alive, I'm goin' to need information," Ace growled at him. "I don't plan on dyin' in this place at his hand! At any of their hands! And for you to run off because daddy's calling you home ain't fair! So you might as well as tell us why they're fixin' to kill us!"

Sanji gave the doorway a cautious glance, fiddling with his thumbs. Then he muttered, "I might not get to go home, anyway."

"Just tell me!"

Exhaling heavily, Sanji kept his voice low, focused on his entwined hands.

"My brothers and I were born the same day. On our ninth birthday, father hired a man to entertain us. He'd thrown a very small party, mainly for the adults, and a few of the kids that showed up weren't interested in a creepy, slow talking clown that often forgot what he was doing. Father was getting impatient because my brothers are very hard to please, and the clown kept…anyway, Law was one of these older kids. He had two friends – Jeffery and John. Being older, they left the garden party early, wandering off as boys do. I don't know if they took one of father's liquor bottles, but I do remember the servants being anxious when they discovered that a very expensive whiskey was missing.

"I remember father casting out the clown for his ineptitude, and the man was very confused as to why he wasn't being paid. I was…I felt sorry for him, because, at the time, he seemed mentally incapacitated. But once he realized what was happening, he grew angry. I remember us kids were herded off to safety once he started yelling at my father…then he was forcefully escorted off the property.

"That night, word went around that those boys were missing. I remember they sent out search parties to find them. They asked all of us if we remembered seeing them. Sengoku – "

"You knew him, too?"

"He was a detective for a very long time, everyone knows Sengoku! That clown happened upon those boys, hiding away to drink. He found them in an isolated shack at the edge of the property, tied them up, and pulled one at random." Sanji grew reluctant to talk, looking at his shaking hands.

Ace kicked at his bed to get him to continue, and he did so, his voice low.

"He did terrible things to that kid, making the other two watch. Rumor was, by the time he was finished with the boy, his…his innards were out, and he was still alive, and…but before he could claim another victim, police found them, alerted to activity in that area. There was a shoot out. He died. The boys lived. Father burned down the shed after the remains were…removed.

"One of the survivors was Penguin. Jeffery. They were stricken, of course, but nothing unusual happened at first. Then, he just stopped talking. He stopped participating in sports, in school, in everything. I remember seeing him back then and thinking that his soul just walked away from him, abandoned him after watching what happened to his friend. Law had turned to religion to deal with it, and we ran into him at church, many times. I'd asked him if he found comfort in God – he said he was hearing voices, and he would exist in the face of his family, but have no memory of what he'd said or done. The pair of them were involved in troublesome things, but…I knew Law would never do these things on his own. He told me himself that he caught trouble doing some terrible things he never remembered doing. He expressed uneasiness being around Penguin, but he couldn't seem to leave him. Then those…those other voices started talking to me. I didn't realize it, at first, but it…it was frightening. Talking to strangers inside of someone that I knew, I didn't know what to think.

"Once I grew aware of who was whom, Law and I traded code phrases. He didn't think that the 'others' inside of him was aware of the other's choices or decisions, and none of them seemed aware of the times he spoke to me. None of them had any idea that the other was talking to me," Sanji explained with hesitation. "At the time, I was getting into trouble with my own…issues, and Law would often encourage me to come with him to church. But church wasn't saving him – I saw less and less of him.

"The last time we truly spoke, he told me Penguin had suggested that they try and contact their friend, whom they named 'Shachi', via spirit board. They tried to do so, but he said Penguin had started acting strangely afterward. And the shadows wouldn't stop moving. He knew it wasn't Shachi they were speaking to, but no one would believe them at this point. They'd caused too much trouble for anyone to consider them seriously, and Rosinante was doing his best to try and keep them separated. He somehow managed to have Penguin sent away – clearly, he was forced here. Church was the only place Law felt somewhat safe in. But he was clearly losing his mind, and he needed help. I stopped talking to him when he started taunting me with the things that only I …thought, I never spoke of these things, and he knew them, so I felt it was supernatural – if I don't care, or don't think, I feel safe from them," he finished.

"Which is why you're always 'not caring' when he does something shitty. You could've told that to the rest of us! You could've warned us!"

"I have nothing – I can't fight them. I can't…my own problems are…are all I think about, now, and, I just…never thought anyone would believe me, and I don't want his attention – I don't want him reminding me why I'm here – if I'm silent, he won't bug me. He only finds amusement in those that oppose him," Sanji said tightly. "Which is why he focused on the doctors, why he focuses in on you."

"He's going to kill all of us here," Ace repeated impatiently. "He's going to kill all of us! You have to help us get rid of him!"

"Killing him is impossible with Penguin near," Sanji told him. "I don't understand his illness, I don't know how it works. But all those people aren't the man, the boy, that I knew. They retreat when they sense danger to themselves. If you kill him, you're killing him. It's not fair. He needs help, not death."

Ace couldn't understand Sanji's reasoning. He didn't understand, and he couldn't see it his way. If it meant that a man died so others could be saved, then Ace thought it pertinent to remove the one responsible for it all. "So be it. Then we kill Penguin, and Law will leave us alone! Easy! Or vice versa! Or both!"

"It won't be that easy! Don't you see what's happening, here? He makes them real. He can make those people real! They'll stop you from getting close to him, they always do."

Ace thought about it. He did remember seeing the shadows, seeing the figures that often trailed after Law. The boy, the man – but was it Penguin he'd seen the night Law killed Ussop? The half legs in his room – who did those belong to? And the ghost of Apoo, Sengoku – were those things he could control, as well?

"He has creepy ghost powers, then," he decided. "Because of the spirit board."

"I don't know how that thing works, but, yes, something otherworldly took over. That terrible tragedy had warped them both. But whatever it was they released, it helps them. Prayer, God, it doesn't work against them. It only provokes them. Whatever you plan, you can't expect me to help you," Sanji said tightly.

Ace looked at him incredulously, but at that moment, Luffy called for him, venturing back towards the rooms. His whining for food gave him an anxious tremble.

"Why not?" he asked of Sanji, straightening away from him.

Sanji didn't answer. He looked away.

"You have to! You have to care! We want to get out of here alive!" Ace shouted at him, grabbing his arm. "You have to care about this! None of us want to die!"

"Maybe I don't want to," Sanji mumbled. Ace wasn't sure what he was referring to – wanting to save his own life, or wanting to help. Either answer wasn't the right one for Ace.

"Who's going to die?" Luffy asked, walking into the room. "What's going on? Ace? Are you fighting with Sanji?"

Ace released Sanji with an impatient fling of his arm, then turned to his brother. He grabbed Luffy around the shoulders, pushing him to the door. "Let's go. We need to get out of here. We need to get out of this place. It's dangerous."

"Well, Sanji has to come with us," Luffy said, pushing against him. "Sanji. Let's go. Let's all go outside. Ace, you have the keys, take us outside! I want to go outside! Doesn't that sound wonderful? Where's Dr Hina! Doctor! Doctor!"

"Hush, now," Ace said, covering his mouth, pushing him to the door and forcing him out. Zoro was watching them from the hallway, a little mystified by the things around him. "Let's go. We're leaving this place. Dr Hina said we need to get out of here."

"Why? Why though? What's going on?" Luffy asked, Ace pulling him with him as he made his way to the stairway.

"Listen, Luffy, listen to me," Ace said quickly, facing him. He held his brother's face between his hands, so that Luffy wouldn't be distracted by anything else around him. "We need to get out of here. We've been abandoned. Something terrible is happening, and all we need to do is get out of here. Law is a very bad man, and he intends on hurting all of us. I ain't gonna let that happen, so we're goin' to leave."

"Where's Dr Hina, then?" Luffy asked, eyes darting to the side. "Where'd she - ?"

"I helped her escape. But we need to go, okay?"

"Sanji! We're leaving!" Luffy shouted. "Let's go!"

"Leave him. He doesn't want to go with us."

"That's nonsense! SANJI!"

"Great," Zoro said suddenly, looking beyond them. "The moon is full, again. Ah, the air is getting hot. There are flies here."

Much to his horror, Ace felt the vibration in the air, the rising heat. He looked back towards the end of the hall with alarm, releasing Luffy. Impossibly, the shadows were thickening. Darkness was building around them, gathering with such intensity that it was as if someone were pulling the curtains closed. Metal began to vibrate, a hissing sound growing. The more he focused in on it, the more he realized that it was someone breathing slow and deliberately, as if struggling to calm themselves. He pushed Luffy ahead of him, grabbing Zoro by the arm. He found the stairway keys, and struggled with finding the two that would access the two locks at the same time. Once he found one, he quickly unlatched the other from the ring, and pushed it into the other lock.

"Twist at the same time!" he told Luffy, who followed the command, and the door swung open.

"Sanji!" Luffy called impatiently. "Sanji, come along!"

"He's not going with us," Ace said, pushing him down the stairs, Luffy catching himself hastily as Ace grabbed Zoro. "Let's go! All of us, let's go! If he wants to go, he'll go on his own."

"We can't leave him! We can't leave him, Ace! Ace!" Luffy shouted at him impatiently, pushing against him to try and make his way back upstairs, but his brother was stronger than him, wrestling him back down, nearly dragging him down the stairs. "Sanji! SANJI! Come out! SANJI!"

"We are just leaving? Without breakfast?" Zoro asked curiously. "Who let us go?"

Sanji listened to them take the stairs down. He felt the vibration in the air, the heat buzzing low in his ear. He looked to his door, knowing that Penguin was standing at his own, looking out. Whatever the man was thinking was something Sanji couldn't guess – but he knew the three weren't going to be able to leave the sanatorium. The pair were separated by a floor, and he knew Law was on the First, waiting to meet anybody risking the chance to come down.

He reached into his pocket, and withdrew the pills that Law had given back to him, last night. His father wasn't going to allow him home – and if he did, he knew things wouldn't change. Going home meant returning to that dark place, again, and staying here meant he was going to die. He'd given away Penguin's and Law's secret, and he knew Penguin heard him telling Ace of it. Whatever it was that the man was, he wasn't going to let anybody leave.

He watched the shadows on the floor start to build, lurching upward, like smoke. Coloring the walls, the window, rattling the planes of the glass. The ceiling began to vibrate, dust falling down, and something in the hallway scraped noisily. The smell hit him moments later – the shadows weren't all deliberate.

So Sanji looked at the pills in hand, knowing that he wasn't going to go home. If he couldn't save himself, what made others think he could do that for them?