Chapter Seven: Explanations


Line breaks indicate flash back


"So what is this King's Evil?" Usopp repeated.

"It's a disease." Zoro said lamely. He looked at Usopp. "I see you've dressed up as well."

"Of course I have. I wasn't going to be the only one who looked out of place." Usopp said. "I'd stick out like a sore thumb."

Zoro rolled his eyes. //Usopp, with that nose, you'll always...stick out.//

"Ne, I don't think I stick out." Luffy said. Luffy, as always, was in the same attire.

"Whatever. I know it's a disease. Details man, details! What kind of disease is it? How do you contract it? Is it contagious? How long-"

"Back off the man Usopp. He just woke up from a coma. I wouldn't want to answer a barrage of questions either." Sanji snapped. His back was to the group. He was stewing some vegetables in a soup.

"What crawled up your-"

Zoro coughed loudly. He glared at Usopp. "If it will get you off my back, I'll answer your damn questions. King's Evil comes from a certain type of bacteria and attacks in three stages. The first one is similar to a cold, with a fever, and shitty bouts of nausea. Second stage causes the victim to fall into a comatose state that could last anywhere from three days to five months. The final stage happens a few days to a few weeks after the victim has woken up. The disease will go into hibernation, causing the victim to think that they have recovered. During this time the bacteria is actually mutating into a new bacteria that begins to attack your organs. Then it's the usual hemorrhaging and coughing up blood. Some victims have been known to bleed through the skin, or cry blood instead of tears. So in the end you bleed to death. If you've begun bleeding, there's no hope. Luckily both times I've been infected, I was been treated during the coma stage."

"But if you've had it once, shouldn't you have built up a resistance to it?" Usopp pressed further.

"Well no actually. During the time you acquire the disease, to the time you're in the coma, your immune system is thrashed. It only begins to recover after the vaccine has destroyed the disease. And you only need a very small amount of the vaccine to obliterate the disease. So your immune system isn't fighting the bacteria, and therefore can't build a resistance to it."

"How do you know so much about this disease anyway?" Luffy said.

"I was at this very island the last time I was infected which is how I know Kell. He treated me that time too. He made sure I was well informed." Zoro said, yawning.

"But if you knew so much about it, why didn't you recognize it?" Luffy said.

Zoro frowned. "Mainly because I'm an idiot. But also because I never experienced the first stage like I did this time. Last time I was stabbed with an infected needle and the shock of the pain knocked me unconscious. I slept through stage one and went right into stage two. So when I became sick this time I just thought it was another cold."

This seemed to explain things suitably enough.

"So Kell treated you, even though you were ruining his business?" Sanji said.

Zoro paused. "Yes. Something about not- "

"-compromising my position as a doctor. At least, I think that was it, wasn't it Zoro?" Kell walked in and sat beside Zoro. He smiled. Zoro returned the smile with a stony glare.

"Something like that. I should be fine to leave in a day or so-"

"However, if you value your nakama's life, you will encourage him to stay here at least a week. I have no doubt that Zoro is very strong, but last time it took him a month to recover, and I doubt he's become that much stronger that he would be good to leave in a couple days." Kell said to the rest of the crew.

"You might be surprised." Zoro said through clenched teeth.

Sanji turned around. He saw Zoro glaring at Kell, who was smiling somewhat suspiciously at him.

//I don't like that guy. He looks slimy. Wonder if he would notice if I put anthrax in his soup.//

Sanji grabbed six bowls out of the cabinet and placed them at the table.

"Luffy, you know my rules. Eat at the table, not on, or underneath."

Luffy whined. "But-"

"No buts."

Luffy huffed and got off the counter. Nami suddenly got up and grabbed Usopp.

"What?"

"Luffy, Usopp, I forgot to bring a suitcase off the ship. I need it . Now. You guys come and help me."

"But Nami, we're about to-"

"I'm sorry Sanji, don't let it get cold!" She dragged Luffy and Usopp out the door.

"We've been here for three days and she's just NOW remembering this?!" Sanji said. He finished setting the table in silence. Kell continued to grin at Zoro.

"So maybe you can tell me, Mr...Jax, was it?" Sanji said suddenly.

Kell looked away from Zoro to look at Sanji, who was pulling something out of the oven.

"Dr. Jax." He corrected. "And you're...Sanji?"

Sanji cleared his throat. "Chef Sanji, if you please."

Zoro snorted in his drink.

"What can I tell you, Chef Sanji?" Kell said, somewhat annoyed.

"Why is it that you helped this pirate hunter back then if he was ruining your business?"

Kell sighed and went back to grinning at Zoro. Sanji placed a large, cooked turkey like animal in the middle of the table.

"Because I'm not the kind of man who would kill another man just to get ahead."

Zoro changed the subject. "I see you've done some remodeling to the old hospital. That was quite I sight I woke up to. And just where did you get the money to do all this? It doesn't even look like a hospital anymore."

"Well, after you left, business just...boomed, shall we say? And this is much more fitting for a hospital in Bertonneau, don't you think? By the way, why did you leave so suddenly like that? I never really knew why you just picked up and left after all we'd-"

Zoro cut him off. "Is that Poojoo Sanji?" He said without taking his eyes off the man.

Sanji cocked his eyebrow. "Ah, I wasn't sure if the vendor was shitting me or not when he called it that. Yes it is. I guess you would know because you lived here for a while, huh? Bet you never had one like this though. Zeff used to tell me about these things all the time, but we could never get 'em at Baratie's because they'd spoil over the long trip and for some reason sailors refused to ship 'em alive."

Zoro decided to ignore Kell for the time being and turned his attention to Sanji, since he was the only one left in the room. "I'd face ten Arlong's before I touched one of those alive. They're monsters."

"Don't tell me Roroana Zoro is afraid of a bird?" Kell said, cleaning his nails.

"I-" Zoro began but Sanji cut him off.

"And you're not? I saw the talons and nasty looking beak myself."

"Of course I am. One of those would rip me to pieces. I'm just saying that if Zoro's as strong as he says he is, he shouldn't be afraid of a little old bird."

"Trying to bait me into proving something?"

"Why not? You did it to me..."

//I hate this man.//

//Why don't you just chop his head off and put it in the soup?//

//Because I don't think Sanji would appreciate that very much. If the cook weren't here I could just give the bastard what's coming to him, but I don't want Sanji to know what happened between us.//

//I don't think Sanji really likes him very much either.//

"What did Zoro make you prove?" Sanji said, now curious. He realized, of course, that Kell had probably mentioned it so that Sanji would ask, but he was seriously starting to question the nature of Kell's history with Zoro.

Zoro choked on his drink. Sanji eyes narrowed.

"Nothing. I didn't make him prove a damn thing. You were the one who baited me, you stupid bastard, I was sick-"

"Really? Was I the one who said "Prove it." Hm? I don't think so Zoro. Quit acting like I tricked you-"

"You did and you know it-"

"You're the one who's lying! You're lying to yourself about what happened-"

"HEY! Does anyone want to clue me in here?" Sanji yelled. Silence.

Zoro was breathing heavily. His head was beginning to pound.

//I must be getting sick again.//

"It's nothing. I would prefer not to talk about it right here, or now. In fact, I don't want to talk about it at all. Ever." Zoro got up to leave, but immediately a wave of nausea passed over him. The room started to spin and his head felt like it was going to split. He clutched the chair, but it wasn't enough to steady him. He started to fall but an arm grabbed him around the waist and lifted him up.

//Please don't be Kell...I don't want him to touch me...I can't see...Sanji...//

Sanji pulled the unconscious Zoro into his arms.

"Follow me, let's get him to a bed." Kell said immediately. He flung open the door and rushed out, followed by Sanji.

//I smell...roses...//

//Wake up.//

//I don't know if I can.//

//I thought you had to be the strongest, and you're telling me you can't wake up?//

//I'm not sure if that's enough anymore.//

//Striving to be the strongest? Not even to keep your promise to her?//

//What am I really living for...a dying dream? It wasn't even my goal to begin with; I just wanted to beat her.//

//She wouldn't have given up.//

//She had a reason to live.//

//And don't you?//

//If you mean him, no. He doesn't love me.//

//But you love him.//

//I do.//

//And you want to die this way?//

//No.//

//Wake up then.//



In a couple of days, Zoro would be released from the hospital.

//I wonder if it will be over after this. Will things stay this way?//

He was now allowed to move around at his leisure. But a week ago Kell wouldn't even let him get out of bed. Of course, most of the time, Kell was in there with him. Zoro smiled.

//Things don't get much better than this. Do they? Then why does something feel so off? Guess I'm just used to worrying…/

/
Zoro made his way down the hall, hoping to run into his lover and convince him to take a break from paperwork. He had been looking for about ten minutes now, making his way from the top level of the hospital to the bottom level in search of the doctor. Usually, Kell was nearby. He never strayed too far from Zoro, and if he did, he always told Zoro where he could find him. But for some reason, this morning, Zoro woke up alone. It didn't bother him too much, but Kell hadn't been by to see him all morning.

//Maybe a ship came in with wounded passengers. Probably a ship load of pirates. Wouldn't be surprised. But the second and third floors aren't any fuller than they usually are...and this level doesn't seem to be busy. None of the nurse aides seem to know where he is either. Not even Cathy.//

Cathy, of course, was the head nurse. She was a short, stocky, round, red faced woman with a good heart. Her only flaw was her nose-to-the-grindstone attitude about the hospital and its patients. She wasn't especially happy with Kell's tendency to spend every waking moment "tending" to Zoro either. But she was still a kind woman. She knew every nurse's and doctor's move in the entire hospital. She knew the name of every patient, their room number, and memorized their charts by heart. So for her to not know was indeed an odd occurrence. Especially since Kell was the owner of the hospital.

Zoro had now reached the boiler room and he was started to get angry and worried.

//...Where the hell is he? If he was going to leave the hospital he would sure as hell tell me at least. Maybe there was an emergency and he had to- //

Zoro heard voices coming through a metal door to his right.

//Ah, he must be in there. In the boiler room. Something isn't right…//

Zoro came close to the door and put his ear to the small crack. The first thing he heard was a rasping, horrible laugh.

"You know, you should really let me take a look at that. Sounds nasty." Came Kell's voice.

"No thanks. I know what you blokes always say. Nix the smokes is what you stiffs always say. So tell me, what about the pirate hunter? What are ya gonna do 'bout 'im?"

"Don't worry about him Fiscal, I've got him taken care of."

"How do I know that, uh? Jus' 'cuz you says he's not gonna-"

"Look, I've got the fool wrapped around my finger. Have there been any mass pirate slaughters around here lately?"

"Well, no but that doesn't mean you can keep 'im like that forever. Pritty soon the bloke is gonna figure out he's healed and when he does, he's gonna go back to knockin' us off!"

"Tsk tsk. Fiscal my friend, have you no faith in me? When I say he's "wrapped around my finger" I mean I'm fucking him senseless. The idiot is in love with me. I can manipulate him any way I want."

" Well...I'm still not sure 'bout this, but when you put it that way, it does make me feel a stitch better. You just keep 'im tied around that...finger of yours. If he makes one move at any of my men-"

"Yes yes. You can go ahead and kill him."

Zoro didn't hear the rest. He was running. Running back up to the top level and to his room. He grabbed his swords and changed back into his old clothes.

//Don't think. Don't think. You can do that later. Just get out of here.//

He was back down on the bottom level. The doors where getting closer-

"Zoro! Where on earth do you think you're going?" Cathy blocked him from the doors.

"I'm sorry Cathy...I have to go-"

"I'm sorry Zoro, but I can't let you leave, you're still sick-"

Zoro smiled on the inside.

//Cathy, you were always good to me. You even gave me extra banana pudding.//

He pulled Cathy into a tight embrace.

"Thank you...for everything."

He pushed her gently as he could out of his way and ran through the doors. He bolted down the path and leaped over the wrought iron gates.

//Why...why- Don't think about it right now. What's the use? Just get out of here...//

Zoro shook himself mentally and concentrated on pushing his way down the market street and through the busy crowds. He was out of breath and feeling light headed.

//I must not be fully recuperated yet...//

People were yelling angrily at him, but he neither saw nor heard them. He was reaching the end of the street, where the city opened up into a large harbor. The site that met him angered him more than anything.

//Pirates.//

The docks were filled with dozens upon dozens of pirate ships. The streets were full of them, walking around as though they had no worries in the world.

//This is why. That bastard...I'll tear him apart for this. No, I don't even need to mess with that slimy bastard. Today... today I bring in the single biggest catch the marines have ever seen.//


Zoro walked out into the middle of the street. He pulled his bandana off of his arm and tied it over his head. He unsheathed his swords slowly. By the time anyone realized what was happening, it was too late.