Ash arrived at the medical bay within half an hour, there didn't seem to be much point in waiting for the full time. She was surprised to find Penguin waiting just outside. He looked up to see her approach and turned to face her. "The Captain isn't ready quite yet. He'll open the door when he's ready for us." She opened her mouth to speak but he shook his head. "No talking either." She made a bit of a face as she folded her arms across her chest. He smirked at that and shook his head in exasperation.
He thought back to passing his Captain in the corridor this morning. He seemed in a great hurry, so he had to side-step with a bit of a hop to avoid being run over. This jolt caught Law's eye and he turned on him. "Change in plans, I need you to report to the medical bay immediately." The look in his eye had a hard glint to them. He looked upset but anyone less familiar with him would have thought he was just tense. "Ash requires surgery." He quickly explained in a terse tone that wasn't inclined to elaborate.
He nodded. "Yes, Captain, I'll be there," he committed as he gave a small salute. Law then turned to hurry on his way. He then noticed some faint scratch lines along his bare back and suddenly he was a bit suspicious. He checked his time piece; it was still quite early in the morning. How exactly did he know that she needed help at this hour?
She leaned against the opposite wall, across from him. Her fingers tapped a bit impatiently as she frowned down at the floor. She seemed pretty frustrated, upset even. That made him very curious. If they had spent the night together, you'd think that some shenanigans would have left some sort of positive effect. But then again both were pretty anti-social people to begin with, so that may explain it.
He was naturally curious since he couldn't remember the last time his friend had shown any such interest. He didn't have the patience, or charm really, it took to woo a woman. His usual mannerism was cold and abrupt, hardly conducive to winning anyone over even if he wanted to. He didn't know Ash well enough to have much of an opinion on her yet, but he frowned uneasily all the same. She was meant to leave them soon, right? If the Captain was beginning to have feelings for her, would he allow her to leave?
He recognized the clank of the door before it was cranked opened and turned to see Shachi already dressed in scrubs. "Get yourself prepped and suited up. I'll take over from here." He smiled over at Ash. "This way please."
She squared her shoulders; her expression had now settled into something more serious. She followed him into the great room. Law was off to the side, his back to them, as he stood over a small table. She couldn't see what he was working on. He was dressed in scrubs as well with another layer that resembled an apron. He shifted for a moment, and she saw a glint of the light on a collection of metal medical instruments. She felt a flare of fear begin to choke her. So this wasn't going to be like before during their appointments? Was he actually going to…cut into her? Shachi gestured over to one of the beds where a hospital gown was folded neatly. "You'll need to wear this, but you can store your clothes in one of the drawers underneath." He pointed over to what she had thought was just another closet. "You can change in there."
She snatched it from the bed and hurried into the small room. She struggled to manage her rising panic as she focused on the task at hand. Changing clothes was no big deal, just do it and don't think about where it leads to next. Shachi was seated by the bed prepping the equipment and Law approached him with an IV bag and a few other things. "We're nearly ready, where's Penguin?" He asked.
"Right here," he said as he emerged from another side room, dressed in scrubs as well. He couldn't wear his usual hat so instead he wore a surgical cap with a full-face shield.
Shachi shook his head in exasperation. "Seriously? You look even more ridiculous than usual."
Just then Ash burst back into the room and stormed back towards them. Law blinked in mild surprise while the other two just stared. She shoved her clothes into the drawer and slammed it shut. "I'm feeling much better now so let's just forget abo-"
Law clapped a hand over her mouth with a disapproving frown. "No talking. Didn't I make that clear already?" She glared at him, but he could see the fear in her eyes all the same. "And my diagnosis hasn't changed either. You require surgery, a relatively short procedure, but we should get started right away." He gestured for her to take a seat on the bed.
There was no arguing with him on this matter, she knew that. She sat down and folded her arms tightly across her chest. Law turned on his heel to return to his surgical prep table. Penguin hung up the IV bag on the intravenous pole and connected it to a thin plastic tube. She frowned as she watched Shachi chose a needle from his own tray of equipment. So he was going to set up an IV then and the thought of being stabbed with something sharp terrified her.
"Alright then, give me your arm," he said as he reached out to take hold of it. She slapped his hand away. This attracted the attention of Law once again. He turned to see Shachi gently explain that he was going to clean her arm with an alcohol wipe first before inserting the needle, but she shook her head furiously. She stared at the needle in his hand as if he were holding a hooded Lystren Cobra. Was she…actually…?
He couldn't help but chuckle. She had braved countless dangers on the Grand Line, far more deadly than a tiny needle, and yet this was what she feared the most? Her face twisted into a scowl at his obvious amusement. Despite Shachi's gentle coaxing, she still wasn't having any of it. She flinched, edging away from him, as she hugged her sides. She didn't want that needle anywhere near her skin. She averted her gaze towards the massive doors, the only exit from this room. As a child, she used to run away from doctors and nurses whenever they tried to give her a shot or take a routine blood sample. But it would be difficult to escape for long, even if she managed to unlatch the door before they could catch her. As Captain, Law would have eyes everywhere on the Polar Tang and without a doubt his crew would turn her over in a heartbeat.
"It's alright, lemme handle this," Law said as he stepped forward. "Come now, Ash, be reasonable about this. A small prick is nothing compared to the procedure itself."
She abruptly stood up, now having made up her mind to make a run for it. Shachi or Penguin she could likely overpower, but the Captain himself? She didn't stand a chance.
He narrowed his golden eyes at her. "Sit." He ordered in a firm tone.
She bolted towards the door; her speed was most impressive as she made it halfway across the room before he took his first step. His legs were much longer than hers, so he quickly closed the gap between them. He caught hold of her by the shoulders and she tried to shove him off. "Now hold on, don't be so-" He started to say, surprised by her sudden strength.
"Forget it! I can't-" She blurted out hysterically. Her words ended in a coughing fit, and she crumpled as she struggled to catch her breath again. Law hugged her close as he hushed her soothingly. She clung to him as she trembled with quiet sobs. His face fell as he realized just how over-whelming her fear was. However, there was no escaping the inevitable, it had to be done. But to have to force her through it made him feel sick. He looked up to see his friends watching awkwardly. "Send for Bepo," he quietly instructed.
They nodded and Penguin turned towards the communicator set in the wall. Law carefully gathered her in his arms. She hugged his neck tightly, keeping her face buried as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "It'll be alright, I promise." He whispered.
Bepo was on the bridge, overseeing the morning maintenance routine, when the call came in for him. He was confused by the request; it wasn't often that he was called to assist in the medical bay. "Huh, what for?" He asked in bewilderment.
"Ash needs you," Penguin said softly into the receiver. "Apparently she's so afraid of needles that she tried to make a run for it."
Ash? Scared? And even with the Captain there, he was the hero she needed? His chest puffed out as he saluted to no one in particular. "I'll be there, straight away!" He left Masato in charge as he hurried out the door.
Meanwhile, Law wrapped a warm blanket securely around Ash. Then he took a seat and pulled her down onto his lap. Shachi and Penguin withdrew a discreet distance to give them a measure of privacy. "Do you think something's goin' on between them?" Shachi whispered close to his friend's ear.
"Oh for sure, but she's set to leave right? Or do you think he'll ask her to join our crew?"
Shachi looked a bit skeptical overall. "I dunno, what would she even do here?"
Penguin watched as she cuddled close to his neck, and he rested his head on top of her own. There was a softness about his face that he'd never seen before. "Does she need to have a real role though?" He mused aloud.
Before Shachi could reply, they could hear thundering footsteps and they face-palmed in turn as they realized that Bepo was approaching at top speed.
"Great, just great," Penguin grumbled as he hurried over to the door as it clicked and whirred with brilliant speed. He held up his hands to calmly explain the situation, but Bepo barreled right through him. Shachi managed to slow him down some as he braced himself, but it was Law's sharp glare that stopped the polar mink in his tracks.
"Calm yourself Bepo," he scolded as he rose to his feet. "She's just fine, as you can see for yourself." She looked up with tears sparkling in her eyes, but her expression lit up to see him.
"I'm here to help," he reassured her as he smiled in turn. He unzipped the front of his uniform and shrugged off the sleeves before tying it around his large waist. She cocked her head curiously to the side, not sure what he was up to. Law carefully set her down on her feet and gently pushed her into his large, waiting arms. He hugged her close, encouraging her to snuggle into his thick fur coat. It was incredibly soft and plush, just like hugging a stuffed animal. Law gently smirked as she fell under his cuteness spell. And he didn't blame her one bit, not at all. Bepo was very hard to resist at his fluffiest.
This wouldn't take long and soon she visibly relaxed, her arms fell limply down to her side. Law reached out to take one and rubbed it with the alcohol wipe. The slight and sudden chill made her squeak as it startled her. Bepo rested his great paw behind the back of her head, and he nuzzled against her hair. She relaxed with another sigh, even as Law swiftly inserted the needle. Penguin handed him the plastic insert to clip in and started the IV flowing.
Within a matter of minutes, Ash's head tipped back as she fell unconscious. Bepo carefully gathered her limp form into his great arms and gently laid her down on the bed. Shachi stepped forward to adjust her as needed while Penguin clapped the Polar Mink on the back and gave him a thumbs-up. Law smiled gratefully in turn. "Thank you Bepo, you are dismissed back to your duties."
His face fell in disappointment, his ears drooping slightly.
Law gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. "As navigator you are trusted with the safety of us all. It's not wise to keep you from your post." He said to rally his spirits. "However, I will send for you when she's moved into recovery, just in case."
Bepo brightened at that considerably and went merrily on his way. Penguin shook his head in exasperation. "Don't you think you were laying it on a bit thick there?"
"The truth is praise enough," Law said as he turned aside to collect his surgical gloves and pull them on. "Exaggeration is both excessive and unnecessary."
"Besides, it's not like you could handle the truth," Shachi teased as he elbowed Penguin playfully with a chuckle.
Law cleared his throat to regain their attention. "Places please, gentlemen. It's time."
When Ash stirred awake, she felt her hand swallowed up in Bepo's great paw. His thumb gently rubbed along the back of her hand. She opened her eyes to see his wide smiling face leaning in close.
"The Captain has assured me that the surgery was a great success!" He was quick to mention. "However, you can't speak for twenty-four hours as a general precaution."
She looked curiously about the room, it was curtained off from the rest of the medical bay, giving a sense of privacy from the great room. For some reason, she was both relieved and disappointed to not see Law. Her cheeks burned at the thought of him inadvertently figuring out her fear of needles. She didn't want to think that he thought less of her now because of it.
"I can't stay long, but I can send for Shirazuki if you'd like someone to keep you company." Bepo offered as he stood up.
She shook her head, definitely NOT interested in that either. He came around to her other side by a nightstand and went through one of the drawers. She was surprised to notice a vase of fresh snowdrop flowers set there. There was a dark purple ribbon with a note attached. She pointed straight at it and Bepo turned his attention towards it. "Ah yes, these are from the Captain." He handed it to her. "I think he felt bad about before," he mused off-handedly as his attention went back to the drawer.
She removed the card to better read his concise handwriting style.
I'll be by to check on you later so stay in bed and don't go wandering about. ~ Law
Her eyebrow twitched in irritation, what a waste of a perfectly good notecard. Surely, he could have left such instructions for Bepo to repeat. But still, she brought the card up to her nose and enjoyed the scent left behind: natural musk with a medicinal hint. He wasted his time, but it was on her behalf and so that pleased her.
Bepo handed her a white board with a marker. "Use this to communicate in the meantime, ok?" He had scribbled a little smiley face in the bottom corner. She smiled at that as she sketched fur about the face and added bear ears. He chuckled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I'll see you later then. Take care and get some rest."
She hugged him around the neck, reluctant to have him leave. He gave her a brief squeeze but soon pulled away. She watched after him, the curtain swept to the side to reveal Shachi waiting outside. He approached with a warm smile. "I'm here to check your vitals and replace your IV bag." He noticed how white she turned and quickly reassured her that he wouldn't need to insert another needle. That's when she noticed that one of her hands was wrapped in a mitten apparatus with plastic tube coming out of it. She scowled angrily at that. He cringed a little. "Yes, well, after what happened it seemed best to take all precautions." He turned to switch out the IV bag. He felt her glare bore into the back of his head, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up.
When he turned around, he could see her writing furiously. She turned it towards him, and he felt a bit exasperated as he turned his head curiously to the side. "I...uh…I can't read that." He confessed. In her haste, most of the words were illegible and the rest misspelled.
She turned it around, erased, and tried again. He swallowed hard when this time it was a doodle of Law being impaled through the chest. "Ah…well…I…" He tugged on his large collar awkwardly. "I'll pass on the message for you."
She nodded resolutely and tossed the board aside. She slouched back against the pillow in a terrible sulk as Shachi quickly finished up his medical check. Normally he would've explain the process, but he wanted to get out of there quickly. If she had the energy to be pissed, then odds were she was just fine. For his last task he included a mild sedative into her IV, best to be on the safe side.
"One last thing before I go," he said as he turned back towards her. "In that drawer is a panic button if you have a medical emergency. Penguin is on standby if you need any assistance."
Her face fell at that, disappointed that Law wasn't available. Then again she should have known, no doubt he was very busy. She didn't notice him leave and soon was left all alone. The sedative was beginning to make her feel drowsy, so she snuggled in for a rest.