Everyone knew that it wasn't strange for Zoro to get lost, what would be strange is if he didn't get lost. The problem was that it was a snowblizzard on the island they had docked at and Zoro had yet not return after 7 hours of raging snowstorm.
"Shouldn't we start looking for him?" Brook asked.
"Stupid marimo always causing problems." Sanji closed his eyes in annoyance before pouring Robin a cup of coffee.
"It's one hell of a storm outside." Franky said looking out the window from the kitchen.
"We can't go outside." Nami said with finality. "If we go outside now we will end up lost ourselves."
"Even on drum island we never went outside during storms like this one." Chopper said with worry.
"Zoro-bro can usually handle himself." Franky said and drank some more cola.
"When the storm stops we will start looking for him." Luffy said and stared out the window without his usual energy.
The strawhats sighed and Sanji complained about the stupid marimo and most of the crew then went to bed.
Earlier that day….
Zoro stretched his body as they docked to the island. All around them was fluffy white snow and the idiot trio was running around and laughing happily. Zoro didn't waste any time as he said bye to the others and went out for a stroll.
As he walked Brook called for him asking if he had forgotten his swords as they didn't hang on his hip as usual. The swordsman waved it away and said that they were drying from the steel and oil treatment he had done that morning. Before anyone else could stop him he strolled on the only path leading to the village. Still… somehow… he didn't end up in the village … Walking as he did he ended up in a forest and he stopped outside a small little cot. Feeling the cold creeping on him he decided to knock on the door and ask for directions to the city.
He knocked and waited, nobody came so he knocked again, still no answer. He tried the door but it was locked. With annoyance he turned his back on the little cot and began walking. Zoro had managed to get quite far almost reached a mountain when the wind had begun to pick up. The snow did no longer fall as fluffy clouds but more like icy bullets. Zoro cursed under his breath as he trudged on but then the snow under his left foot gave way and he fell in a weird angle, as he tried to catch himself with his hands the ground below wasn't as even as he had assumed and he could hear a loud crack from his ankle and left wrist.
Pain accompanied the crack and Zoro clenched his teeth as he cradled his hand, from what he could see it didn't look deformed but his foot on the other hand… He let a breath out and steeled himself as he stood up. Quickly he realized that there was no way of him putting weight on that left ankle and he did what he could to limp and jump back to the forest.
Sitting down by a tree he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He hated to admit it but he was in serious trouble. Admitting to himself he realized that he was lost. Most likely his ankle and wrist were fractured and the weather was cold, real cold and by now it was hard seeing one meter ahead.
Zoro wiped more sweat from his forehead. That was a bad sign, most likely he was having a fever as he felt warm and clammy. Knowing he couldn't give up and had to get back somehow he stood up and started walking. Tears were on the brink of falling as he put pressure on his most likely fractured ankle. The wind was now so strong that it now was hard to stand straight. Without realizing Zoro was laying flat on the ground, his breathing ragged, the cold seeping into his bones and his sight turning black as he passed out.
Slowly he came back to conciousness. His body was mostly buried under the snow and he felt something sharp tug at his side. With effort he open his eye and sees two wolves towering above him. The sharpness comes back and Zoro understand that the wolves are currently eating him as he see some flesh dangling from one of the wolves teeth. Luckily he had been wearing warm clothing so they wolves hadn't had time to really chew him up.
He shouts and roll on the ground so that he is now laying flat on his back. The wolwes attack and jump on him but he uses his right fist and knocks them both down easily, they whimper and runs away with the tail between their legs.
The snowblizzard is still raging on and Zoro manages to get on his fours and crawl a short distance. His sight is hazy, his vision changing between white and black. By now he can barely feel his own limbs and every breath he takes feels like the edge of a sword as the cold air enters his lungs. He stumbles forward and his world goes black as he lays facedown with the snow piling on top of him.
Back to present…
"Everyone it stopped snowing!" Usopp yelled, effectively waking the rest of the crew up.
"Come on there's no time to waste!" Chopper yelled with sleep in his eyes as he had clearly been deep asleep.
"So how are we doing this? Are we splitting up?" Sanji asked.
"No, I should be able to trace him even if it has snowed." Chopper answered before anyone else could say anything.
With Chopper in lead they all headed out. Usopp and Luffy were playing around in the background throwing snowballs at each other but after one missed hit landing on Nami they quickly ended their game. While walking Nami cursed under her breath how they would make him a vivre card after this so they wouldn't have to search for him constantly. Robin on the other hand was focused as she used her ability to sprout eyes around their location in hope of seeing anything. The others were walking on silently as they had a feeling of that something didn't feel quite right.
After much walking Chopper stopped by a litte cot. He followed Zoro's scent to the front door and then looked away to the mountains. "He was here but never went inside."
"Do you mean our bro has been outside the entire night?" Franky asked gravely. Chopper nodded and told the rest they should hurry.
They now continued to walk in a much faster pace, everyone feeling that they were somehow racing against the clock. Almost by the mountain Chopper stopped and sniffed an area on the ground.
"What is it Chopper?" Luffy asked.
"It's the scent of blood. Zoro's blood but he's not here any longer he went… that way!" Chopper shouted the last words and went off in a run towards the forest that wasn't too far away. Under a certain tree they could see a snowpile that looked different from the rest. Their hearts stopped for a moment as they all thought the same thought.
Luffy, Sanji and Chopper were the first to reach him and drag him out of the snow. What scared them was that they didn't get any type of reaction out of him. Luffy was on the verge of tears when Chopper pushed them away from Zoro. He quickly cut off Zoro's clothes and laid his head over the swordsman's heart. The crew waited anxiously as the two remained imovable. And then they could see a change in Chopper's eyes.
"There was a heartbeat!" He said eagerly, "but it's faint, we need to move quickly. Robin my bag."
Robin immediately took out the things he wanted from the bag and laid it out for him. Without wasting time he added a bag of warm fluids to an IV catheter in his right arm and gave him an injection of adrenalin in his left. It didn't take long for his eye to flutter open.
"Zoro can you hear me?" Zoro seemed to be staring up aimlessly at the sky his body limp. Chopper gave him a tentative slap in the face and Zoro switched his gaze to the reindeer. At first there was no recognition but then they could see a spark in his eye but as that happened he took a deep breath causing his face to contort in pain and sending him on a coughing spree.
"We need to take him back. Franky do you have that blanket?" Carefully Chopper took the heated blanket and wrapped the swordsman up before starting to run back without jostling the swordsman too much. Brook picked up the discarded clothes on the ground and then the group headed back in a light run.
When they returned to the ship Chopper had already managed to put Zoro in a warm bath, but the swordsman was slipping in and out of concioussness. With the help from the others they warmed him up and dried him before moving him to the sick bay. Chopper took a look at the nasty injury to his side where it literally looked like something had taken a bite of him. He bandaged the side and then continued with his inspection. With a frown he examined Zoro's left ankle that was clearly dislocated and fractured. With a sigh he asked for help with holding the swordsman down and then he started to pull the foot into place causing Zoro to wake up and swear and trying to get away. Having it where he wanted he quickly put on a cast and then he also noticed that his left wrist was unaturally swollen. Inspecting it, it didn't seem to be dislocated but it was clear that Zoro was in pain when touched there. Chopper made a quick desicion and put a cast on that arm as well.
Having taken care of the worst all that remained was to wait for Zoro to make his recovery. Obviously it wouldn't be easy as he now had a high fever and collapsed lung. Seeing that the swordsman had fallen asleep the little doctor left the room and entered the Galley where the others were softly talking while waiting for Sanji to serve lunch.
"Is he doing ok?" Nami asked with a hint of worry as Chopper sat down.
"He's stable now at least but honestly we were close to losing him. If it wasn't for his stubborness he would have died for sure." He blinked a few times and the others could see that he was fighting to keep back the tears.
"Anything to take into consideration regarding his meals?" Sanji asked while adding the last touches to his cooking.
"Only broth for now, I think his entire system got a shock from the cold so it's good to start slow."
"Noted." Sanji then began to place out the dish for everyone.
When lunch was taken care of Sanji began on the broth for Zoro. He waited for the broth to cool down a bit before taking it to the patient. Sanji felt awkward seeing him laying there with a casted arm and leg. His face was sweaty and a bit red. The cook took courage and then sat down next to Zoro. While trying to wake him he understood that the swordsman was fucked. His eye was fluttering open but remained unfocused and he didn't seem to know where he was. Sanji helped him sitting up, making the swordsman lean on him. When he brought the bowl to the other's lips Zoro turned his head away whispering something in the line of not wanting it. Sanji frowned and put his hand behind Zoro's head to keep it in place and then once again brought the bowl to his lips. This time Zoro couldn't do anything but accept. The procedure didn't pass fast and for once Sanji kept his patience. It was clear Zoro was not in his right mind in fact Sanji could see that he was sick. He kept himself from berating the swordsman and when the bowl was empty he helped Zoro lay down again. His head hadn't even touched the pillow before he was sleeping again.
A few days passed before Zoro got out of his fever induced delirium. It was Nami who was in the room when he properly woke up.
"Nami?" Zoro asked in a cracked voice. Nami rasied her head from the book she was reading and looked at him in surprise.
"Zoro you woke up!"
"What happened? Why am I feeling like shit?" He asked. Nami reached out a hand and put it on his forehead.
"I think your fever went down a bit that's good." She was quiet for a moment before continuing. "It was a snowblizzard a few days ago and it seems you got lost on the island and decided to sleep in the snow… You almost died Zoro, you're lucky we found you when we did."
"I wouldn't let some snow kill me." He said stubbornly and Nami didn't know if she wanted to punch him or smile.
"Also if you didn't notice your left ankle and wrist are fractured and you need to have the cast on for a couple of weeks accoring to doctor Chopper.
"We will see about that." He mumbled and Nami pretended not to hear.
"You also have a wound on your side, Chopper says it seems like some animal had been eating on you." To that Zoro didn't reply.
Only a moment later the door opened and Sanji came in with Zoro's food. His eyes widened a bit in surprise seeing that he was awake.
"You're awake." He said it more as a statement than a question. "I brought you food…" He said a bit carefully.
"I will inform Chopper that our sleeping algae has woken up." Nami said and gave Zoro a kiss on his forehead. This caused Zoro to lose his speech and becoming redcheeked. Sanji took the chair Nami had left and sat down.
"Do you want trying to drink it yourself or do you want me to help you?" Sanji asked unusually placid. Zoro glared at him a bit before reaching out his good hand to the bowl. Midair he stopped as he noticed how his hand trembled and he let it fall to the bed while mumbling.
"It's fine I don't want it." Still with a neutral face Sanji moved to sit on the bedside as he had now done so many times before and hosted the swordsman up to lean on him.
"What are you doing?" Zoro asked embarrassad.
"You need to eat." Was all Sanji said as he clasped Zoro's hand in his own before putting both their hands on the bowl and bringing it to Zoro's lips. Feeling his own weakness he couldn't do anything but comply in total embarrassment. He finished quickly and Sanji said nothing as he put the bowl on the sidetable and put Zoro back on his pillow before returning to the chair. "You know we were all worried about you."
"I don't know what to say…" Zoro said in honesty as he didn't recognize this neutral Sanji.
"You don't need to say anything, just recover…" Sanji stood up and then put his hand on Zoro's forehead causing the swordsman to freeze up. "That's good the fever did go down a bit." After that he didn't say a thing more, just took the bowl and left Zoro in shock.
Zoro now started to wonder what the hell had actually happened. Both the seawitch and dartbrow were acting strange. Only moments later the door slammed open and Zoro jumped in surprise. Just that showed how out of it he was for not even having noticed his crewmembers arriving. Usopp, Brook and Luffy flew on top of him and started bawling their eyes out saying they were happy he had woken up and to make matters worse Franky laid down on top of all of them and giving them a crushing hug. Zoro didn't know what to do. What the hell had happened for them to act like this. Not only that but Chopper had run in after all of them and cursing everyone from right to left to let him be and in the corner Nami and Robin were giggling. After much effort Chopper managed to separate Zoro from the rest only to jump on him himself while crying and hugging saying he was a bad patient and stupid.
Robin seeing that Zoro was beginning to be overwhelmed walked up lift Chopper up and placed him on the chair next to Zoro.
"Now doctor it would be a good time to talk to your patient since he woke up." Robin reminded him. Zoro cast her a greatful look before he turned his attention to Chopper that didn't talk to him at all. When he couldn't check Zoro for anything else he sat down on the chair and with a tight voice he asked.
"Zoro you really want to die? You don't want to sail with us anymore?" The room got quiet and serious and Zoro didn't know what to say. Sure sometimes he was overcome by guilt of what had happened to Kuina and sometimes he did feel like he didn't deserve to live. Sure he had had the thoughts but never acted on them so why were they… a flash of a memory passed in his mind and he stopped for a second as the memory came back stronger. He remember having been feeling incredibly warm and somehow stumbled out of the sick bay to the gallaey where everyone was having dinner. He had walked in and he remember their surprised looks and then Chopper yelling at him for standing on his foot. He had been in some kind of trance and walked to where Sanji keeps his tools. A sharp knife had caught his attention and just as he was about to perform seppuku Sanji had stopped his hand with his own with shock written all over his face while asking what he was doing. Sanji had pulled the knife out of his hand but Zoro was quick to take another and bring it to his own throat. This time Luffy was by his side and held his arm in vice grip. He remember Luffy asking what was wrong and he replied something in the lines of that he shouldn't live anymore, that nothing was worth it and that all that remained was for him to die and pass on. After that he must have fallen to the floor because he remember that they were looking at him from above. Breathing had been difficult and he had felt his sweat run all over his body. Chopper had put his hand on his forehead and cursed and then they had most likely returned to the infirmary.
"I… I'm sorry. It's just sometimes I think along those lines but I would never act on it. I wouldn't want to leave you guys. I'm sorry I hurt you."
"As long as you didn't mean it it's fine, but Zoro you almost died twice, your body is seriously messed up.
"I've noticed." Zoro said. "But how am I supposed to move around with this foot and arm?" He asked as he knew he wouldn't be able to stay in that room for long.
"As long as you have that fever you're not leaving the bed, end of discussion. As for after you can sit in a wheelchair and one of the others can take you around." Zoro looked over to Luffy and Usopp that were nodding eagerly and then to Nami whom had Beri signs in her eyes and he paled visibly making Chopper worried. Robin laughed and offered to help him around and at the same time also said that Sanji would help him as well.
Zoro felt embarrassed and weak and only thanked her quietly. Now that they knew Zoro was going to be fine they boys rushed out to continue with whatever they had been doing but not before Luffy ran up to Zoro giving him an extra hug saying that he wasn't allowed to leave him.
Zoro's fever stayed with him for another few days leaving him weak and sleepy and through it all Sanji never stopped being polite when helping him as he was at his most vulnerable. Then the day came when Chopper said it was fine to let him out for some fresh air and Usopp and Luffy were fighting about who to drive him around until Zoro firmly said that Robin had agreed to do it. The boys looked disappointed but Robin came to the rescue and helped him sit down on the wheelchair. Without much talk he finally got to breath the fresh air. It was cloudy outside and a bit chilly but it was still bright and he could see the horizon. He hadn't realized that he had been falling asleep until Robin put a blanket on him and tucked him in. She smiled and said that he should just sleep for a bit if he felt like it and he did feel like it therefore he dozed off on the chair. About an hour later he woke to Robin's careful nudges.
The End