Hey everybody,

I hope you're all doing well and aren't too busy during the last two weeks of the year. This week my whole family had to stay in bed with stomach flue, so I had to get to my parents' place to take care of the animals, which is nice every once in a while, but I'm slightly worried I might catch it, too o.o
That being said, I plan to upload next week as usual (if the flu doesn't get me first...), so till then, have a good time and stay safe and sound ;-)

Sharry

Chapter 13 – Waiting

-Zoro-

"I think everything's been said now. See you in a year, then I'll beat you. Don't get in my way until then."

Be on time tonight, Ren, I want to eat at dawn. And behave, do not be a burden to the workers.

Then we meet tomorrow morning before training at the hill behind the temple, okay? Don't be late this time. See you tomorrow.

I can wait. We all can. No matter for how long or for what reason.

"I think... something is... wrong with me."

"Mihawk!"

The next moment he rushed forward and caught the other as his legs gave way. Breathing stertorously, Mihawk struggled for air, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"Hey... hey!" Zoro didn't know what to do. "What the hell...?"

The other raised his head and looked at him while trying to stand up again, but whatever he wanted to say was interrupted by a coughing fit and he spat blood on Zoro's sleeve, a lot of blood. One moment they just looked at each other, then the other bent over again and coughed up even more blood.

Chopper!

Without knowing what exactly he was doing, Zoro threw Mihawk over his back, ripped the locked door off the hindrances and ran off. A small voice in his head told him that spitting blood without external injuries spoke for internal bleeding, but he could hardly listen to this voice while Mihawk struggled for air in his ear and Zoro's coat gradually became damp and heavy.

Probably poisoning. What a shame; if she had been found earlier, she could probably have been saved.

Zoro ran through the hotel, from the back exit into the alley, not giving a single thought to whether anyone would see him. He had to get to the Sunny, as quickly as possible to the Sunny.

Is this her boy? Did he find her? Get him away from here, no one should have to see his mother like that.

Damn it! Hadn't Chopper said he had wanted to go ashore? What if Chopper wasn't back yet? What if there was no one there to help?

Mihawk on his back was still breathing heavily, trying again and again to say something, but only incomprehensible sounds and far too much blood came over his lips.

"Don't you dare to pop off," Zoro growled as he rushed around a corner, "don't you dare, you bastard!"

Zoro! It's terrible! It's Kuina! She fell down the stairs to the temple! Zoro! She's dead! Kuina is dead!

On the other side of the corner, he almost stumbled into the cook, who was able to jump out of his way at the last moment and almost dropped several shopping bags.

"Marimo! What the hell?! Where have you...?!

For a second, they looked at each other in astonishment.

"What the...?"

"Get Chopper!" Zoro yelled at the other and ran on. "Get the hell Chopper, cook!"

"O... okay, I will!"

Once again, it was the damn cook! With Zoro's damn luck, it was once again the damn cook! Every time the damn cook! Like with Kuma, like in the G-6, like on Sarue, it was the damn cook every damn time!

Zoro turned into another street and suddenly noted the sea at the other end. He was almost at the port; he had almost made it.

"We're almost there." He didn't know who he was talking to, didn't even know if Mihawk was still conscious. Was he still breathing? "We're almost there, Mihawk. Over there is the Sunny and Chopper will help you. So don't you dare to pop off, you hear me?!"

He could feel blood sliding down his chest, his coat already soaked, probably dripping from his sleeve to the ground. But he didn't want to think about that, he couldn't think about how much blood the other had already lost.

Successful marine maneuver at the Sabaody Archipelago – the pirate crew 'Straw Hats' was defeated and wiped out as part of an operation led by Admiral Kizaru.

Arriving at the harbor, he ran straight towards the Sunny, which had docked not far away, did not take the time to climb up the rope ladder, but simply jumped on board, tried to absorb the shock with his legs.

"Zoro?!" Barely six feet in front of him stood Nami, Robin, and Law – Surgeon of Death Trafalgar Law! – and looked at him with wide eyes. "What is... What happened?"

"Where is Chopper?!"

Mihawk on his back felt heavy, like lead weight, and with every second he seemed to get heavier, way too heavy.

"I... No idea. I..."

"He is not back yet, Zoro," Robin replied calmly, while Nami was obviously still taken by surprise.

Zoro's gaze fell on Trafalgar Law.

I told you that the title is losing more and more value, Roronoa. After this clown, they now seem to really take everyone in. Tze, Trafalgar Law, surgeon of death, very funny. This cub discredits the Shichibukai and even dares to claim to be a swordsman.

It wasn't as if Zoro trusted Law, and he was aware that the Shichibukai on his back would probably rather die than owe something to this cub, but it wasn't as if Zoro had any choice either.

Nevertheless, he hesitated. What if...?

He felt Mihawk's head drop against his ear. He had no time for doubt.

"Law, can you...?"

"Zoro!"

"Chopper!"

At that very moment, reindeer and cook climbed up the ladder and the crew's doctor immediately seemed to grasp the situation, as he transformed into his huge form and rushed towards Zoro.

"What happened?" Chopper asked almost a bit too matter-of-factly as he motioned Zoro towards the hospital room.

"I don't know. He suddenly just started spitting blood and collapsed. I was there, but..."

"Law, Robin, please come along and help me, we can't have enough hands. So no external injuries?"

Chopper took Mihawk off his back and suddenly Zoro got cold as the fresh air caught his damp clothes. Almost stunned, he looked at Chopper, who placed Mihawk on the sickbed, then he stared at his teacher, the shirt discolored by all the blood, he was even paler than usual, his eyelids fluttered nonstop, but otherwise he did not move, blood on his lips, in his beard, on his neck, his hands.

"No," whispered Zoro, "he had no injury. It is Mihawk, he has no injuries, it is almost impossible to hurt him. I've tried, I've already tried."

Around him, Robin and Trafalgar Law rushed busily back and forth, each of their movements safe and swift, firm routine, while Chopper cut open Mihawk's shirt and Zoro felt absolutely useless and helpless. Then Chopper looked up and seemed to notice that Zoro was still there.

"Okay, Zoro, you have to go out and let us do our work now. We will take good care of him."

For a moment, they just looked at each other.

"He can't die, Chopper, I was there. He just can't die!"

The young doctor nodded.

"Then let us do our job. That's the only way he has a chance to survive."

As if guided by foreign hands, Zoro left the hospital room and suddenly stood in the galley when the door was closed behind him as if by magic.

It was impossible. Mihawk was one of the most powerful and strongest people in the world, fought simply for passing the time against opponents such as the Red Shanks, had almost fallen asleep due to boredom during the Battle of Marine Ford. In the past two years, Zoro had hardly been able to scratch the other, had not even once seen him bleed. He couldn't just... It was impossible.

Nothing could harm Mihawk, after all, he was one of the most powerful people in the world, Mihawk Hawk Eyes Dracule, one of the seven Shichibukai, the strongest of the seven Shichibukai. No one could defeat him, still no one could defeat him! What the hell had just happened?

Blood and saliva indicate internal bleeding. Probably poisoning. What a shame, if she had been found earlier, she could probably have been saved.

"But I was there," whispered Zoro and sank onto a chair. "I was there."

-Sanji-

Sanji met Nami's gaze questioningly as Chopper and the Marimo rushed to the hospital room, followed by Law and Robin, who exchanged urgent words with each other.

"What happened?" Nami asked him, pale as a corpse.

"I have no idea," Sanji murmured, feeling exactly how Nami looked.

After losing sight of Zoro, Sanji had come to the conclusion to pursue his actual activity, grocery shopping. But suddenly the Marimo had reappeared in front of him some time later, covered in blood, a lifeless body on his back.

It wasn't until second glance that Sanji had realized who the Marimo had been carrying on his shoulders, and for a split second he had just thought, 'He did it!', but then Zoro's hasty voice had taught him otherwise. Only then had Sanji seen the other staring at him, and Sanji had never seen such a look, he had never seen Zoro staring at anybody or anything like this before.

"That was Hawk Eyes, wasn't it?" Nami made sure, and Sanji nodded only as confirmation. "Do you think he has...?"

"No," he whispered.

Get the hell Chopper, cook!

"I don't think there has been a fight."

Obviously uncomfortable, Nami crossed her arms.

"But then why is Hawk Eyes here?"

Sanji followed her gaze towards the galley and the sickbay behind it.

"I don't know," he admitted, "I have no idea."

For a moment, they were both silent.

"Have you ever seen him like that?" He turned towards Nami again as she raised her voice. "I don't think I've ever seen Zoro this freaked out."

She was right. Sanji as well had never experienced the other like this, not even then at the G-6, not even then against Kuma. Zoro always had a plan, always knew what to do – in case of doubt, using plain force to bulldoze his way through – never doubted, always setting the tone and controlling what was happening or at least his own emotions even in hopeless situations.

This behavior did not suit him, just like his whole behavior no longer suited him since he was back, since the crew was reunited again.

"I should take care of my groceries," Sanji murmured, slightly lifting up the various bags he still held.

"Sanji?"

"I don't know, Nami, I have no idea what to do with of all this. But I know that there are perishable goods in here that have to go into the fridge. So I'm going to do that now."

Sighing, he set out for the galley. He had wished for a day off, just a day off between all their adventures. Just one quiet day, before they would mess with a Shichibukai or one of the freaking Four Emperors, he had wished for and what did the stupid Marimo do?

Well, what exactly he had done, Sanji did not know, but whatever it was, it had ended with Zoro having brought along some blood-soaked Shichibukai, and not just any Shichibukai, but Hawk Eyes out of all. The scumbag who had told Luffy on Sarue back then that Zoro would come back without showing any evidence. The scumbag that had strengthened the side of the Marines during the war and opposed Luffy. The scumbag who had slashed and nearly killed Zoro in the East Blue. The scumbag who had branded Zoro for his enthusiasm for the rest of his life.

Disgruntled, Sanji entered his realm, immediately noting the Marimo, who was sitting at the long table on the chair closest to the door of the hospital room. He hadn't even changed his clothes, hadn't even wiped the blood from his hair, neck, ear, and chest. From the front, Sanji could see exactly how half of Zoro's coat was stained with blood, could see faint blood dripping down of Zoro's hanging right sleeve to the ground while the left – fortunately the clean one! – arm leaned on the tabletop.

Zoro had hidden his face in his left hand and everything about him radiated rejection and distance; he obviously didn't want anyone to dare to approach him. Not that Sanji would let such a thing stop him.

"Hey, Marimo," he immediately began his interrogation and put the bags in the cooking area, "what the hell is...?"

"Shut up, cook," the other immediately interrupted him, but his voice sounded unusually powerless and hollow, disturbing, "you're pretty much the last person I want to talk to right now. So just shut up."

What the fuck? How could this mosshead dare to shut him up like that?

Sanji opened his mouth to give this idiot his piece of mind, but then Nami put a hand on his forearm – where had she come from so suddenly? Sanji hadn't even noticed that she had followed him into the galley – and looked at him tellingly.

After a second, Sanji reluctantly followed her silent order and turned to his groceries.

"Zoro, would you like to change clothes?"

Sanji was surprised by how soft Nami sounded. Especially with Zoro she was basically not gingerly and Sanji had always had the feeling that Zoro had always preferred direct and harsh words to the gentle compassionate. So Sanji was already preparing tojump into the breach for his lovely Nami, should the Marimo now get shirty with her for her care.

"No," replied the swordsman as calmly as before, without even moving, worryingly, "no, I don't want to change clothes."

"All right." One look from Nami was enough for Sanji to close his mouth again as she walked past him and filled a glass of water.

Resisting Sanji's staring, Nami walked around the counter and placed the water glass in front of Zoro.

"In case you are thirsty," she simply said and then went back behind the counter to Sanji.

"Thanks, Nami," murmured Zoro tonelessly, frighteningly.

With wide eyes, Sanji stared at the other, who was still not moving, but just sitting there, waiting. Who was this impostor and what had he done with the Marimo?! Zoro never thanked nobody, didn't know how to behave, didn't have any manners.

But then he had to think of his conversation with Robin from the previous day, of her words about how eloquent and sociable the unpleasant mosshead apparently had become over the last two years. Sanji had wholeheartedly disagreed with her point of view, and his following fight with the swordsman had only confirmed his view, and he decided that a single word was not enough to change this.

Calmly, Nami offered him her help and although he would have preferred to refuse rather than impose kitchen work on his lovely Nami, he again followed her silent request and let it go.

Almost in silence, they worked side by side, exchanged only a necessary word here and there, while Zoro sat unchanged at the kitchen table, whatever was going on in his mind.

At some point, however, the other raised his head and looked at the door to the sickbay. Seconds later, it opened, and Law stepped out, drying his hands and arms very accurately with a towel.

When the door behind him fell shut, he looked directly at Zoro and paused in his action.

"Well, he's alive," the surgeon grumbled unimpressed, "Chopper is currently adjusting his medication, then..." He interrupted himself when the door behind him opened again and Chopper stepped out, drying his hooves the same way Law had just done.

"What happened?" Zoro's voice sounded rough as he looked at the two doctors.

"We don't know for sure," Chopper replied unusually seriously. "He had internal bleeding, part of the esophagus broke through. We also found several ulcers and abscesses in esophagus and stomach and some of them had burst. It's good that you brought him here so quickly, Zoro. Just a few minutes later and he would probably have bled to death."

"Was he poisoned?"

"Unlikely," Law replied, "based on the condition of the mucous membranes, it is more likely that the inflammations occurred over a longer period of time, weeks, probably even months. A single administration of poison or acid would have to be so severe for such damage that the mouth and throat should have been injured in this way as well. However, their damage is much more subtle, so that the regular intake of an irritating substance over a certain period of time is more likely."

"Will he survive?"

Sanji watched the swordsman speak so coolly and objectively with the two doctors; if it weren't for the past few minutes, Sanji would doubt that the situation somehow troubled Zoro.

"Chances are good," Chopper nodded seriously. "He was very lucky. Thanks to Law's devil powers, we were able to operate and close the scissure in his esophagus without having to open him up, which reduces his risk of infection. In addition, we were able to remove further abscesses before they could burst. But he has lost a lot of blood and we won't see how well he's doing until he wakes up."

"And until then, there's not much we can do except wait," Law noted. "Nico Robin is currently monitoring him, but as long as his stats remain stable, there is no need for further action."

It was strange, they were currently talking about the state of health of a Shichibukai, and not just any Shichibukai, but about Hawk Eyes, Zoro's declared nemesis, not some ally or friend, and yet they all acted as if it was a good thing that they had saved his life.

"Nami," Law turned to the navigator, "are the others already back? We should get ready to leave, otherwise we won't arrive on time at Dress Rosa."

"No, Luffy, Usopp, and Momonosuke are still offshore, but they wanted to be back at sunset. Then we can leave."

Law, obviously dissatisfied, rolled his eyes, but only nodded and settled down at the counter, almost at the same time Zoro rose.

"What are you up to, Zoro?" Nami asked before Sanji could even open his mouth, and he was almost grateful for it, because the Marimo seemed to actually answer her questions.

"You just said we were leaving at sunset," he grumbled and walked to the door, "so that means I'm going to get Mihawk's stuff."

Then his gaze fell on Chopper.

"I also have a hunch about what might have caused the inflammation."