By mid-morning, the sun had burned the fog away from Libitina's beaches and the humid jungle air was already becoming oppressive. The island echoed with a cacophony of bird calls and shrieking insects, but the din failed to effect Sanji as it previously had. He barely even registered all the noise, so caught up in his own thoughts as he ran full-tilt through the jungle.
He had been going at that pace for at least an hour. His legs burned. He could feel blood seeping from the cuts in his thigh, the overall sting of the many insignificant injuries he had obtained. The rough terrain made running a challenge, but rather than slowing he pushed himself harder, willing himself to run faster, telling himself over and over that it wasn't much farther, though the jungle seemed endless.
He had to hurry, he had no other choice; despite his best efforts to keep Zoro awake the swordsman had lapsed into a disturbing sleep, his breathing so shallow Sanji had to concentrate to feel it against his back.
So Sanji kept running despite the pain in his legs, and despite the need for a chance to catch his breath.
Trees flashed by, merely dark blurs in a dark landscape, and the unchanging scenery provided a pang of hopelessness. Could he have taken a wrong turn somewhere? He no longer had the map; it had been in his pack and that was still in the cave somewhere far behind him, so he couldn't check his course.
Stupid, stupid! What kind of idiot leaves their map behind? Sanji cursed at himself bitterly, and for a moment he failed to notice how the jungle had changed. The jungle floor was slightly softer underfoot, the ground cover more grassy and thin, foliage rustled by a light breeze. But Sanji hadn't felt a real breeze since he entered the jungle...
Sanji blinked and then lifted his gaze to look straight ahead. There, just ahead of him beyond the trees was a streak of blinding white, bright sunlight reflecting off pristine sand. Now that he was paying attention, Sanji could hear the wash of waves over the din of his surroundings.
Sanji made a sound that could have been a laugh as he stumbled on, trying not to trip. A few more yards and he was stepping free of the jungle and suddenly standing on soft sand, momentarily blinded by the sunlight and ruffled by a strong sea breeze. He'd never been so grateful to feel sea spray in his life.
Visible eye narrowed against the bright sunlight, Sanji scanned the beach, and to his growing relief he could see the Thousand Sunny anchored just offshore a short distance down the beach from where he stood. There were figures moving around on the lawn.
He started running that way, yelling as loud as he could for someone's attention.
On the Sunny, already preparing the Mini Merry to head to shore to start the search for Sanji and Zoro, the rest of the crew was startled to hear the cook's voice over the sound of the ocean. It was Luffy who rushed to the railing and spotted the pair on the beach, but his happiness at seeing his nakama dried up when he heard what Sanji was saying. He was yelling for help.
"Chopper!" The captain whirled and startled the little reindeer. "Someone's hurt!"
Chopper's eyes flew wide and he immediately turned to run to Franky and the Mini Merry.
~ ;3 ~
Sanji finally stopped yelling when he saw the small boat rushing toward shore, and sank to his knees in the warm sand to catch his breath, his throat burning from screaming. He didn't put Zoro down yet, though he knew help was coming. He just... couldn't.
The Mini Merry reached the shallows and Chopper and Luffy vaulted onto the beach to rush to their nakama, Luffy's sandaled feet kicking up sand as he ran. Chopper was already in his human form when he reached Sanji and he skidded to a stop to kneel down to the blond. "What happened?" The question was directed at Sanji, but the doctor's eyes were fixed on Zoro.
"This plant thing--" Sanji began, but stopped when Chopper carefully lifted Zoro from his back. In his larger form, the doctor was able to lift the swordsman like he weighed nothing, and the sight of Zoro's unconscious and bloody form laying in the doctor's arms made Sanji's throat close up.
Chopper gave Sanji a brief look before turning away to hurry to the Mini Merry.
Luffy was still at Sanji's side and he offered the blond a hand, startling Sanji back to reality with the gesture. His eyes flickered up to Luffy's face and he took his captain's hand, simply because he was too tired to stand up without it, and the two of them followed quickly after Chopper to return to the ship.
~ ;3 ~
"Oh my god, what happened?" Nami gasped as Chopper rushed by her toward the infirmary. The doctor didn't reply to her question, but Sanji stopped long enough to make a fast apology and say they would explain later before he followed Chopper out of sight.
Luffy was unable to answer the questioning looks the rest of his crew sent his way; he knew as little as they did about what had happened. He hadn't gotten a chance to ask. So they were stuck with waiting, wondering what was going on, all eyes on the closed infirmary door.
In the infirmary, Chopper settled Zoro on a bed and worked to cut the makeshift bandages away from the swordsman's shoulder and leg to examine his wounds. Sanji did what he could to help, which wasn't much. Mostly he just passed Chopper whatever tool he needed and gave the doctor space to work.
"Now tell me exactly what happened," Chopper said, without looking at Sanji.
Sanji raked a hand through his hair and and hissed out a breath. "It was yesterday, in the jungle. We found this clearing and he started saying something was wrong" - he gestured vaguely - "and we ended up in a fight. I didn't see what happened because I left the clearing. He stayed behind, and when I realized he wasn't following me I went back for him, but when I got there he was just... laying there. This plant did something to him. I've never seen anything like it. It was huge, and it had these weird vines that dripped this disgusting black gunk."
"Poison," Chopper murmured, almost to himself as he started carefully cleaning the wounds in Zoro's shoulder.
"Can you help him?" Sanji asked quietly.
Chopper paused, very briefly, then set to wrapping Zoro's shoulder in clean bandages. "I'm the doctor." And that was apparently all the answer Sanji would get, because Chopper added, "You should go; I have to concentrate now."
"I'm fine. Let me--"
Chopper cut him off and looked at the blond over his shoulder. "No, Sanji. I'm sorry, but you can't help right now. Go and take care of yourself, all right?" He said this firmly but gently, brooking no argument without being harsh.
Sanji's shoulders sagged as he gave a resigned nod, then turned and left the room.
The rest of the crew had gathered outside the door to the infirmary, waiting for someone to emerge, but the volley of questions they all wished to launch was stopped when they saw Sanji. Battered and bloody, the cook looked completely exhausted.
"Sanji, you alright?" Luffy asked, voice full of concern.
Sanji just nodded and turned to walk away, needing to rid himself of Zoro's blood, but stilled when a hand settled lightly on his shoulder. He blinked and glanced back. "Nami-san?"
The navigator offered him a tentative smile of reassurance. "He'll be okay, Sanji."
For a moment, Sanji was struck silent. Was Nami trying to... comfort him? He didn't get a chance to finish processing the situation before Nami was turning to the rest of the crew and issuing orders, "Usopp and Luffy, help Sanji get patched up. Robin and I will do the cooking tonight" - she pretended not to hear Sanji's objections to this - "and everyone else, do anything Chopper says. Other than that just hold the ship down. We can all find out what happened later on."
Usopp and Luffy ducked by her to take Sanji's arms and half-dragged him away as he continued to protest Nami and Robin doing any sort of work. But his struggling was futile and soon the blond gave up and walked with his captain and the sniper to the men's quarters to get cleaned up and get some fresh clothes.
Once Sanji was out of sight, and Nami was sure he wouldn't hear them, she turned to the only other person left standing outside the infirmary door. Robin was watching the door in silence, and Nami let out a tense breath. "You think he'll be all right?"
Robin blinked faintly, as if jarred from her thoughts, and turned to give Nami her full attention. "We can hope, navigator-san," she said. "And have faith in Chopper."
Nami nodded, because she had nothing else to say, and then she and Robin left the hall in silence.
~ ;3 ~
Later, after Sanji had relayed a brief version of what had happened to ease everyone's curiosity, the crew - save for Chopper and Zoro - was gathered in the dining hall. The silence that followed Sanji's story was thick and almost uncomfortable, everyone seeming lost in their own thoughts, distracted from the rest of the group. Not one face lacked a worried cast.
Sanji exhaled a slow breath and got up from his seat, muttering something about needing a cigarette as he left the room. He had to drop by the men's quarters to get a new pack, since he'd left his other one in his suit jacket and that had been forgotten back in the cave. But after he'd retrieved his cigarettes he found himself wandering back to the infirmary without even thinking about what he would do once he got there.
He stared at the door in silence, his expression unsure. He wanted to know what was happening, why it was taking so long, but he knew he shouldn't disturb Chopper if he was working...
Finally the blond made a frustrated sound and just took a spot on the floor to one side of the infirmary door, one leg stretched out before him and the other drawn up to his chest. He drew a cigarette and his lighter out, then set the pack on the floor next to him, sure he'd be going through a few more as he waited.
As he lifted his lighter, the scene from the clearing played over in his head; his annoyance, his fight with Zoro, and then the swordsman glaring at him after Sanji had landed a heavy blow and effectively ended the fight.
Sanji's hand stopped before he even lit his cigarette, lighter held up but unused. The scene replayed again and Sanji's visible eye widened as realization hit him.
He'd kicked Zoro into that thing. He'd thrown him right into it. And then he'd just left, and Zoro had...
The cigarette fell from Sanji's lips and rolled a few inches on the floor before coming to a stop. It was his fault.
The back of Sanji's head connected sharply with the wall behind him and he cursed at the empty hall. If he'd just fucking listened, then none of this would have happened!
"Shit," Sanji muttered, his face in his hands. What was he supposed to do? Apologize? What if he never got the chance to?
The silence in the hallway was deafening, and after a few moments Sanji exhaled a slow breath and leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes and letting his arms fall to his sides. He was so damn tired...
It was Nami who found him there a short time later, having herself decided to drop by the infirmary to see if anything had changed, and she was surprised to see Sanji there. She just sighed when she realized the blond had dozed off in his vigil.
For a time she was silent, just standing in the hall lost in thought and watching Sanji sleep, but then by some impulse she turned and left. She returned quickly with a blanket draped over one arm, and she walked with light steps to Sanji's side to carefully lay the blanket over the cook's sleeping form without waking him.
In silence she took a spot on the floor next to the sleeping blond, her legs drawn up and chin on her knees. It wouldn't hurt, she thought to herself, to keep him company. At least for a little while.
! ~ ;3 ~ !
:\ I really struggled with this chapter, and I'm not exactly happy with how it came out: I had a much different scene in my head when I started. None of the characters feel right to me. ._. -mope-
If you see any typos I missed, could you please copy the sentence into a review for me? :3 Thanks!