Title: Loyalties
Author: AstroKender
Pairings: nothing clean cut. You can pretty much see what you want to see.
Warnings: Blood...lots of blood. and some gore...and a bit o'language. Spoilers: Not really.
Notes: Arghh...I've discovered that I like names like 'Nami-san' a lot better than 'Miss Nami'. But I'm not going to change it now, so bear with me. This chapter was meant to make up for having Sanji knocked out for so long, but Usopp somehow stole the stage. Sanji goodness next chapter, I promise!
Feedback: or use the comment bar at the bottom of the screen.
Archived: Ask and ye will probably receive.
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece or it's affiliates. This fic is written for entertainment purposes only and is not meant for sale. Don't sue.
Chapter 6
"Hand me that scalpel—Wait! Wash your hands first!"
"Keep up the pressure on his leg. Depending on where the bullet hit, he could bleed to death before we can get the more serious wounds sewn up."
"He's losing too much blood! We have to turn him over!"
Beads of sweat ran rivers down Usopp's face as he struggled to follow Chopper's orders. His stomach churned as a sickening squelch sound was heard when the two of them rolled Zoro onto his stomach. There was just so much blood. Usopp's hands were covered with it. It dripped off the wobbly table they were working on and onto the floor, making it treacherous to move about. The sharpshooter tried not to freak out as Chopper prodded at one of Zoro's wounds and a new stream of blood spurt out.
"Usopp! I said hand me that scalpel!"
Usopp swallowed the bile rising in his throat and quickly did as he was told. He watched squeamishly as Chopper cut into Zoro'' shoulder, searching for a bullet that had left no exit wound. As he worked, the reindeer kept up a murmur of commentary in a dispassionate voice. Judging from the host of medical jargon, Usopp reckoned that the doctor was doing it more out of habit than trying to appraise the sharpshooter of the situation.
"It looks like there were indeed five shots; the first of which passed harmlessly through the trapezius, missing the clavicle and the cartariod artery. The second bullet appears to be imbedded into the right scapula, causing no serious damage." Chopper muttered to himself as he attempted to pry the bullet free with a pair of wicked looking tongs.
"That's good, I think…" Usopp chuckled hesitantly.
Chopper nodded and, with a final pull, managed to yank the bullet free. Examining the projectile, the reindeer's eyes widened. "This is no ordinary ammunition." He stated as he tossed the offending shrapnel into an empty pan.
Looking down at the bladed musket, Usopp felt a shiver run up his spine. His tan skin grew pale as he wondered just who could possibly create such a sinister weapon. A shot like that could pierce even the toughest of armor—it could even pierce rubber. Usopp's eyes widened as bit and pieces of conversation from earlier that day flitted through his head. Just maybe Zoro had gotten these wounds by—
Chopper mistook the strain tightening Usopp's face as worry and was quick to offer his reassurance, unwittingly destroying the dark-haired boy's train of thought.
"Usopp, you're familiar with ammo, right? Whoever made this didn't know much about guns because adding a blade like that would greatly slow down the speed of the bullet." The doctor explained and Usopp nodded hesitantly in agreement. "Not to mention a round bullet with a heavy point would hardly fly straight with any accuracy. Zoro's wounds are not as bad as they seem. Look, his leg has already stopped bleeding."
Usopp looked down at where he held Zoro's shirt, which had to be cut off, against the wound in the swordsman's leg. "You're right." He smiled. Indeed, no fresh blood seemed to be staining the green-haired man's haramaki, which was pressing against the exit hole on the opposite side.
"The fourth bullet punched cleanly through his side. There may be some damage to his left kidney but, barring infection, it shouldn't be life threatening." Chopper stated as he swiftly sewed up the wound. Glancing at Zoro's bloodstained back, he frowned. "It's the last bullet I'm worried about."
"Why is that?" Usopp looked up worriedly from trying to wipe off some of the crimson liquid from the swordsman's skin, which felt unnaturally hot for having lost so much blood.
"It seems to have entered from an angle into the ventral cavity." Chopper pointed to the wound midway down Zoro's back. "There is no exit wound which means the bullet probably ricocheted off of one of his ribs, possibly causing extensive internal injuries."
Wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, Usopp's brow furrowed in confusion. "So, what does that mean?"
The reindeer gazed up at him, his expression troubled. "The bullet is still in there, somewhere."
"What are you waiting for, then? Get it out!" Usopp demanded with a scowl. He was hot and exhausted and afraid and all of these feelings combined to make the sharpshooter more irritable than usual.
Chopper suddenly felt all the worry and frustration well up inside him and the little reindeer automatically lashed out. "I can't just cut around until I find it, dumbass! That would just make things worse!"
"Then what can you do, Doctor?" Usopp shouted back, his voice laced with sarcasm on the last word.
"I—I--" Stuttering, Chopper whimpered before hanging his head. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I just don't have the equipment I need to perform an operation like this. I'm sorry." He repeated.
Usopp looked down at the desolate figure and immediately felt a rush of shame flood through him. He Chopper was, trying to save one of their comrade's life, and all Usopp could do was yell at him. The sharpshooter carefully walked around the table where Zoro's unconscious form lay and over to where the reindeer stood. Smiling apologetically, Usopp knelt down, uncaring of the blood that soaked into his overalls.
"Listen, Chopper. I know you can do this. You were taught by two of the greatest doctors in the world, right?"
The little reindeer looked up, tears welling up in his round eyes. "Even if I get the bullet out, he is probably going to die anyway. Whatever poison that's in his system has almost run its course."
Usopp reared back in shock. "Poison?" He asked as Zoro's words from right before the long-nosed boy was knocked out echoed in his head.
'I've been hired to kill you. If I don't, I won't live to see the sun set tomorrow.'
"He mentioned something about it this morning," Chopper sniffled. "But I didn't know he was talking about himself until we got him back to the ship. Fever, increased rate of breathing, pin-point pupils…Whatever toxin is in his body is killing him inch by inch."
'As if being shot nearly half a dozen times wasn't enough.' Usopp thought to himself wearily before he shook the worried thoughts from his head. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. It won't do any good to worry about a drought when you're trying to survive a flood. For now, let's just do what we can." He stood up and looked over at Zoro. "Now think, is there any way to find out where exactly that bullet is?"
The doctor quickly realized that Usopp was right. They would tend to Zoro's wounds first and then the reindeer could work on trying to detoxify the swordsman's system. Chopper knocked his hoof against his head softly as his brow furrowed in thought. Within moments, however, his expression brightened. "The seventh level transformation; Brain Point! With it I should be able to see the bullet!"
Usopp grinned and clapped the reindeer on the back so hard that it almost knocked him over. "That's great!" he exclaimed.
"But," Chopper's face showed a good amount of hesitancy. "I don't know the effects of taking two Rumble Balls within such a short amount of time from each other. There is a good possibility that it could render me immobile…or maybe worse."
Usopp stared at the small doctor helplessly, unable to tell Chopper to possibly risk his life to save Zoro. On the other hand, the reindeer was probably Zoro's only hope for survival. The sharpshooter bit his lip as he studied Chopper carefully. Chopper had only been with them for a short time. Were the ties they developed strong enough to sway the doctor's indecision?
"I'm sorry, Usopp," Chopper whispered and the dark-haired boy's heart sunk.
"But do you think you can follow my directions if for some reason there is a significant side effect from the rumble ball?"
Usopp's eyes widened as he stared at Chopper's now determined face. Elation and fear warred within him as his eyes slid over to Zoro's still form. Zoro, who had saved him more times than he could count. Zoro, whom Chopper was prepared to risk his life for. Zoro, whose fate now rested on Usopp's shoulders.
"N-no problem." Usopp smiled waveringly. "What do I need to do?"
Chopper gave him a small smile in return before his eyes turned serious. "You'll have to follow my instruction's precisely. Now, here is what you need to do…."
Usopp listened to the reindeer intently, doing his best to appear totally confident as he clasped his hands behind his back to hide how badly they shook.
OOVVVVVOO
"Mr. Sanji…Mr. Sanji, please wake up."
Two eyes blinked open behind a wave of messy blond hair and Sanji gave a bleary grin. "Ahh, a beautiful angel has come to take me to heaven…" he sighed dreamily.
Vivi gasped and began to frantically slap the cook's face. "No, Mr. Sanji! Do go with her. Hang on! Don't go towards the light!"
"Owowow—OW!" Sanji sat up suddenly and desperately shielded his face. "Ah…I meant you, Princess." The blonde said sheepishly through the crack of his arms.
Vivi sat back in relief. "You're not seriously injured, are you?" she asked, just to make sure.
"Princess Vivi's slaps are a blessing to this unworthy soul!" Sanji rubbed his swollen face as hearts danced in his eyes. "You may slap me anytime…anywhere you want!" The cooks smile turned a bit perverse and Vivi quickly jumped to he feet as she waved he hands in a swift negating motion.
"I meant from the fight, Mr. Sanji."
"Fight?" The blonde's face turned serious as he tried to piece together the events before he was knocked out. A stab of pain brought his attention to his torso where he felt a long welt crossing his chest. The welt rubbed uncomfortably across the inside of Sanji's suit. His favorite blue suit, which was now stained black with dried blood. Realization struck like lightning and Sanji scowled.
"That bastard…."
Ignoring Vivi's questioning stare, Sanji painstakingly rose to his feet as he did his best to dust off his mangled clothes. Flashbacks of the fight with the green-haired swordsman rolled through his head like a series of film negatives. Rapidly flying feet, the eerie gleam of sword blades in the sunset, Nami lying in a corning, unconscious…or worse.
Nami…
"Shit!" Sanji's head shot up as panic filled him. Brushing past Vivi, the blonde stepped into unfamiliar surroundings. His eyes darted frantically across a small clearing until finally coming to rest on a kneeling figure about a quarter of the way towards a large swamp. The darkness of the night was only slightly banished by a small string of lanterns and the blue glow of moonlight, but Sanji would recognize that figure even if it were pitch black.
"Nami…." Sanji exhaled the name as he would a lung-full of cigarette smoke. His legs took two stunted steps before he found himself running across the clearing, despite the ache in his chest.
"Miss Nami! Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Sanji kneeled next to the redhead as fear suddenly paralyzed his speech. Dark splashes of what could only be blood spattered over the navigator's skin, most of it coating her thin arms and saturating her shapely hands and deft fingers.
At his yell, Nami looked up as she ran the back of her hand over her eyes, unknowingly leaving a smear of crimson on her cheek. The redhead smiled at Sanji tremulously before rising to her feet. She looked around in a daze as she idly tried to wipe her hands off on her pants.
"I'm fine, Sanji. I just…I hate guns, you know?"
Confused, Sanji watched her stand and suddenly noticed something that seized his heart in a tight grip, threatening to make it explode into a million sparkling pieces. "Miss Nami…"
The navigator looked over distractedly. "What?"
"You don't have a shirt on!" Sanji's heart throbbed out of his chest as he beheld his gorgeous Miss Nami in noting but tan capris and a lacy blue bra. Sanji's fingers itched to touch that pale skin that glowed like marble in the moonlight. Hearts taking over his eyes, the blonde tiptoed closer, his hands outstretched.
A fist quickly slammed into his already sore chin. "Back off!" Nami barked out with her teeth gleaming, sharp as a shark's.
Sanji was saved from further masochism by the appearance of their captain. Luffy's straw hat was titled low over his face, hiding most of his expression. In his hands he held two awfully familiar swords. Sanji frowned, his hands automatically darting into his pocket for a half-crushed cigarette. He watched carefully as Nami's expression bled into one of sheer exhaustion.
"I couldn't only find the two," Luffy muttered. "I think that grease guy has the other."
Nami nodded and ran a hand through her hair, wincing as it was quickly entangled in a mass of snarls. "We should head back to the ship to get cleaned up and to see if Tony needs any help." Her eyes caught Luffy's and a smile forced its way onto her face. "Though, he might be done already and just waiting to tell us the good news!" she added quickly.
Luffy stared at he for a long moment before breaking into a wide smile that caused his eyes to curve up like crescent moons. "You're right. Maybe they are even cooking dinner!" The rubber boy ignored Sanji's sudden scowl at the mention of someone else using his kitchen.
"Nami, where is Carue?" Vivi asked in confusion as she walked up behind them. "And Mr. Bushido and the others? They didn't go after that man without us, did they?"
Sanji looked at the others, a frown marring his handsome features. "What 'man'? What exactly is going on?"
The smile suddenly left their captain's face and he suddenly faced away from them as he peered intently into the night. Staring at Luffy's silent form, Nami sighed. The navigator looked up to the stars for a moment to get her bearings, before she began to walk out of the clearing. "Come on," she waved over her shoulder. "I'll fill you in as best as I can while we walk."
OOVVVOO
"Nghnnn…"
Usopp nearly jumped out of his skin at the swordsman's moan. Panicked eyes held in by the iron and glass of the sharpshooter's goggles darted quickly over to meet Chopper's worried gaze. On the table between them, Zoro stirred once more; his forehead lined with marks of pain.
"The anesthesia is wearing off. You'll have to work more quickly, Usopp."
Sweating, the dark-haired boy shook his head. "C-Can't you just give him some more?" he pleaded.
"Ngh…No. We didn't have enough time to set the equipment up properly—ah! We would be carelessly endangering Zoro's life if we…nuuhh…if we tried to put him under again." Chopper panted the words out as he fought to remain conscious. "Besides, there is only ninety-four s-seconds left until the R-rumble Ball's effect ends."
Despite the press of time, Usopp spared the doctor a worried glance. The reindeer was standing tenuously on a wobbly stood next to the table. His front hooves were pressed together firmly, creating a small window in which Chopper stared through as beads of perspiration dotted his fur.
The Rumble Ball had indeed effected the doctor adversely and Usopp winced at every audible creak of the reindeer's bones; at every pop of his joints. The rumble ball was straining Chopper's body to its limits and it was a testament to the small animal's strength of will that he hadn't already collapsed.
"Eighty-two seconds…what are you waiting for? Make the incision!" Chopper's strained voice barked out.
Usopp blinked and, heaving a shuddering breath, turned his head back to the small line drawn on Zoro's stomach, right below the rib cage. Taking a clean scalpel, Usopp slowly traced that line, making sure to go deep enough to penetrate the muscle and diaphragm, as per Chopper's instructions. Blood welled up slowly from the cut and the sharpshooter gave his makeshift patient a sympathetic wince. Once the task was completed, Usopp allowed the knife to drop from nerveless fingers where it landed with a clatter on the floor before skittering under the table.
"Sixty-seven seconds." The enormity of the task before his caught up to the Long-nosed boy and revulsion clenched its firm hands around his stomach. "I can't do this…" Usopp whispered, taking a step backwards.
"You have to. There isn't any other way."
"B-But—" Usopp's breaths were coming out in small, panting gasps as the sharpshooter found himself on the verge of hyperventilating.
"He's gonna die, Usopp! Doctor's don't abandon a patient on the operating table!"
"I'm not a doctor!" Usopp cried out. His fists clenched tightly as he retreated yet another step.
"The minute you picked up that scalpel," Chopper growled through a haze of anger and pain. "You became a doctor for this man….nhhh…You always talk about how brave you are—well prove it! He's your friend, isn't he?"
Usopp's mouth worked, but no sound came out as he stared at the reindeer in stunned silence. Tears brimmed his eyes, held back only by the seal of his goggles. One stark question pounded through the sharpshooter's brain as he struggled for something to say.
'If it were Zoro, do you think he would hesitate to do this for you?' A voice in Usopp's head asked quietly.
Chopper watched in relief as resolution took the place of the tears in Usopp's eyes and his feet lead him to stand once more beside the table. "I ain't gonna run away." Usopp stated firmly as he raised his left-hand and slowly inserted his fingers into the incision he had just made.
"Okay," Usopp dimly registered Chopper's voice as he watched his hand sink further into Zoro's body. "Be careful not to jar the liver. Try to slip in behind it…that's it…we've got twenty seconds for me to guide you to the bullet, that's plenty of time so don't get too rushed."
Usopp grimaced as, with only a little resistance, his hand disappeared up to the wrist. His blood pounded in his ears as he struggled to blindly feel his way around Zoro's organs, knowing that one wrong move could be fatal for the former bounty hunter. Usopp's fingertips brushed against an irregularly textured surface and he fought back the bile that churned his stomach.
"I think I've reached the right lung." He stated between clenched teeth. "Now what?"
Chopper nodded and, fighting off an increasing wave of dizziness, stared intently through the window of his hooves as he waited for that little something that would reconfirm the bullet's position. The reindeer's muscles felt as if they were on fire, which threatened to dissolve his concentration. But sheer will persevered and a faint glow behind Chopper's eyes created a sort of diagram of Zoro's torso.
"It shouldn't be but a few inches further. It grazed the lung about halfway up, near the center of the thoratic cavity…. But be careful," Chopper hissed as he wobbled on suddenly unstable legs. "If you cause the bullet to fully puncture his lung, Zoro will drown in his own…." Usopp's head shot up as Chopper fell back unexpectedly.
"Chopper? Hey, Chopper!" Usopp couldn't see Chopper from his side of the table and the reindeer wasn't answering. Chopper couldn't give him any more instructions, which resulted in Zoro's fate resting wholly on the sharpshooter's quivering shoulders.
It could have been minutes or hours that passed until Usopp's middle finger hit something solid and decidedly alien to Zoro's body. Biting his lip so hard that blood ran unknowingly down his chin, Usopp strained carefully forward until his fingers brushed that something once again.
Gently, oh so gently, the sharpshooter tugged on the slick, round pellet. The bullet gave a few millimeters and Usopp let it go, before extending his fingers to grasp the object further up. Blood-soaked fingers scrabbled for purchase on the bullet's slick surface before the index finger caught on something sharp and thin that evoked a small wince on Usopp's face as he brushed against it. Despite this pinprick of pain, Usopp painstakingly worked the bullet downwards until the deadly projectile was enclosed safely in his closing palm.
Now that the danger of inadvertently cutting Zoro was gone, the dark-haired boy slowly inched his arm out into open air. He didn't even dare to breathe as more and more blood-soaked skin appeared. With a final, wet plop, Usopp's fist emerged.
Panting as if he had run a marathon, Usopp forced his hand to unclench around the bullet as he dropped it into the pan with the first one Chopper had taken out of the swordsman's shoulder. His hand throbbed with pain, but the sharpshooter couldn't tell if he were bleeding or not. Not that it would matter, in comparison. Usopp took a quick peak over the table to make sure Chopper was okay and saw the reindeer was unconscious, but breathing peacefully.
Taking deep breaths to quell his urge to vomit, Usopp fought the urge to rub his face and released a shuddering sigh. He didn't know what exactly was keeping him from just collapsing across Zoro's chest and joining the two in their dark sleep but, whatever it was, told the dark-skinned boy that he wasn't finished with his task.
"I still have to sew you up, don't I?" Usopp asked the pale face below him. "Don't worry, it could be worse. It could be Luffy doing it." His words were lighter than his body felt at the moment, but the long-nosed boy couldn't help the small upturn of his lips as his hand reached out to rest reassuringly on the swordsman's shoulder.
A large hand gripped his wrist, however, before he could reach his destination. A terrified yelp escaped Usopp's throat as his eyes met Zoro's own. Being the focus of the green-haired man's intense, though slightly unfocused stare, had Usopp frozen in place as his heart hammered in his throat.
"…thanks…" Zoro croaked out.
"You were awake!?" Usopp choked in horror.
Smiling, Zoro released his grip on the sharpshooter's wrist. "…Tired…gonna sleep…" Usopp watched incredulously as the swordsman closed his eyes and quietly began to snore. Usopp slowly his head while again fighting that urge to just pass out and leave this business for those with stronger stomachs. Heaving yet another shaky sigh, Usopp grabbed a nearby spool of thread and very gently began to sew Zoro's wounds closed.
OOVVVOO
"Let me get this straight…" Sanji blew a cloud of smoke up into the night air. "Zoro knocked us out, covered us in blood—from some sort of water-skin, you believe," he inclined his head towards Nami. "And pretended to kill us all for some guy who has Devil's Fruit powers that can turn him into oil."
"Grease." Luffy piped up from ahead.
"Some sort of liquid," Nami grit out as she glared at the back of the straw hat. "That can do something to you if you are injured."
"Right." Sanji's cigarette wiggled up and down in agitation. "But why did that lame-brain do all this? What possessed him to act even stupider than normal."
Nami sighed as she forced her tired legs to keep moving forward. "You're right. All of his actions up to now have been out of character for Zoro. There must be something up." The redhead idly chewed on a fingernail as she tried to fit together pieces of an incomplete puzzle.
"He must know something that we don't." Vivi suddenly spoke up for the first time since they began their trek back to the ship. "For some reason he thought that guy was a threat and was trying to protect you from him."
"Ch." Sanji snorted. "Who asked for his protection?" the blonde peevishly kicked at a pebble in front of his feet. Beside him, Nami frowned.
"It's true, he didn't look that dangerous, but…." She trailed off as she remembered Zoro's blood covered body. Zoro didn't bleed like that fighting just anyone. Staring at Luffy's back she wondered, not for the first time, just exactly what happened while she was unconscious. Her eyes trailed over to the rubber-man's arm.
As if sensing her thoughts, Vivi let out a small gasp. "Mr. Luffy, you're bleeding!" The princess reached over to touch the black bandage covering Luffy's upper arm where two small streams of blood were trickling down.
"Don't touch it!" Luffy slapped her hand away before adding, more calmly. "It's fine."
Vivi did her best to hide her hurt as her steps slowed and the dark-haired boy passed her. "But isn't that Mr. Bushi—"
Nami put a hand on the blue-haired girl's shoulder and shook her head in warning. Worried brown eyes flashed towards her captain before she gave Vivi a gentle push forward.
"We're almost to the ship." She sent a small smile over to the princess. "We'll be on our way to Alabasta by morning."
Vivi smiled weakly back as she surreptitiously rubbed the hand that had been struck. The four walked in silence for awhile until they noticed a large trail of sand leading back towards the center of the island. A faint glow could be seen in the distance, confirming the way back to town.
As they reached this fork in the path, Sanji stopped, tossing the butt of his smoke to the ground.
"I think I'll meet up with you guys later." He said as he ground out the cigarette with his shoe. "I'm gonna head back to town for a bit."
"Huh? Why?" Nami asked, surprised.
"My throat's dry. It could use a drink." The blonde began walking down the alternate trail. "Besides, we still have supplies to pick up from the inn. Don't worry, I'll be back before morning." He called back before being lost in the darkness.
"Sanji, wait!" Nami took a step forward before glancing back at the others. "Luffy, do something." She half pleaded, half demanded.
But Luffy just stared at her silently, as he held Zoro's swords to his chest. On his face was that familiar non-expression with an underlay of stubbornness stronger than any steel. Realizing that no amount of arguing would sway him; Nami heaved an exasperated sigh. With one glance back to where their cook had disappeared, the redhead stomped her way past her two remaining companions.
"Men," she growled. "I swear your pigheadedness is going to kill you all one of these days." She predicted darkly.
OOVVVVVOO