(A/N: They are teenagers in this one. This is also a continuation of the last chapter)

(Warnings: Underage smoking)

"Is anyone out there?"

Penguin shushed him and Shachi covered his mouth. He took a moment to peek out of a small crack in the door to check if the coast was clear.

"It's clear but keep your big mouth shut." Shachi nodded frantically.

They needed to get back to their room and change their clothes; if they didn't clean up, they'd be caught for sure. They learned the hard way that smoke tends to leave a horrible lingering smell. It also didn't help that Bepo had the nose of a hunting dog. That made it a necessity to take a shower in order to get the residual smell off. It took time that they didn't have but it was required to keep their captain off their backs.

The two dressed together, trying to hurry in case Law was already stomping through the halls in search of them. Their smoke break had taken longer than the two had hoped; naturally, they blamed each other for this which only wasted more precious time.

Why were they in such a rush anyway?

Law was probably occupied; he is the captain after all.

The two teens knew better though. They knew that around this time, Law came in to check up on everyone. After what happened to Penguin a few weeks ago, daily check-ups became a requirement and as predicted, Shachi and Penguin regret ever agreeing to the idea. Now Law was just so bothersome about it, never skimping on the 'daily' part of the daily check-ups.

The two boys parted ways after they had hurriedly showered and threw on their backup jumpsuits. There was hardly any time for goodbyes, the two rushing back into their spots to make themselves appear busy, hoping it appeared like they hadn't ever left at all.

Penguin was working in the kitchen today. No one on the crew was a particularly great cook but Penguin was the least egregious of them all so he had this position the most common of anyone. In his rush to get back, he could barely even remember what he was supposed to have been cooking. Awe, hell; when in doubt, make it a stew.

Shachi on the other hand worked in his usual station of the controls. Bepo worked one tier above him which steered the actual sub while Shachi worked down below where most of the dials and meters were. It wasn't super complicated; just keep an eye on the dials and meters to make sure they stayed where they were supposed to. In fact, he was doing such when Law came to check on him.

"How was that break of yours?" Shachi yelped, his heart jumping up his throat and running away, leaving him breathless. Swiveling around, he spotted Law standing in the doorway. Of course, he was on time like always but his sudden presence had alarmed him anyways. His presence spooked him so bad that he hadn't even realized what he had been asked until he saw that Law was watching him expectantly for an answer.

"Uh, fine.."

By his feet was a med-kit, much larger than it looked like Law could carry but he had lugged it all the way here so it must not have bothered him that much. Now that he took the time to actually look, Law was kneeling on the floor, clicking open the kit to pull out a fresh pair of disposable gloves and slap them on.

Even Shachi knew that Law didn't need to carry that thing around with him. He's never seen him take more than a band-aid or ibuprofen from that case. Why not just carry a bottle of pills and a box of band-aids in his pocket? He'd asked him before and all he got in response was "Just in case."

He was motioned to scoot closer to him, making him notice that he had swiveled back with the back of the chair pressed against the wall. Now, he didn't fear his captain but he was so on edge about being caught smoking somehow that he was acting strangely. This wasn't the first time he's gotten a checkup after smoking but that whole situation with Penguin earlier had really rattled him up. Before he had thought there was no way anyone could catch him but if Penguin can find him out, Law can easily. Now the idea of getting caught was fresh on his mind.

His face flushed but he complied, knowing the check-up drill well enough by now to feel secure.

Except, apparently he didn't know the drill well enough because somehow he had forgotten that everyday Law checks inside their mouths for any growths, cavities, or inflammations.

"Are you okay?" It was simple enough question to answer but Shachi could only nod, his throat feeling too tight to talk.

See, he had just been trading smokes with Penguin in the storage room so his breath probably reeked of tobacco. If he let Law get a whiff of his breath, he'd know all about their little operation going down right under his nose. He only thought of it right as he was going to let him peek in his mouth. The second exactly what was coming next, he kicked the floor with both feet, shooting him back until he hit the wall.

Law was flabbergasted, clearly right in the middle of checking him. He had the little annoying flashlight out and everything.

"What're you doing?" Honestly, at this point, Shachi didn't know either.

"ACTUALLY! I-uh. I think I'm good today. I'm feeling extra super today and y'know I-I am REALLY busy right now so I think you should check Penguin and Bepo first before checking me." Wow. That was a worse answer than he thought he'd give. And way to throw Penguin under the bus. Law closed the space between them easily, approaching him with the full intention to smell his breath(Or at least that's what Shachi felt like he was doing).

"I already checked those two. You're the only one left I have to check so stop being stubborn and let me check your mouth." By then he had run out of places to roll away so he was trapped against the wall.

What? How? How had he checked Penguin and not realized he had been smoking? He knew he had forgotten to brush his teeth as well. He had been right there with him from the point they entered the bathroom to when they left. Had he gotten caught and was already being punished?

"What? Do you have a cavity or something? You know you're not supposed to hide any pain. It's a rule."

Law was getting frustrated, he could tell. He was giving him the look that said for him to just do as he says.

That's it. He was caught. Just lock him up. Take him away now.

His mouth fell open in defeat, allowing Law to wander his mouth with a cotton swab and a flashlight. He pushed around his tongue and checked all his teeth, even the molars in the back. The whole time it pained him not to breathe as if that would help to keep the smell at bay. With his mouth open like it was, it was impossible not to have smelled it by now.

Eyes stayed on Law, watching his face carefully for any changes or indications of suspicion. Now he was just waiting for him to notice.

Soon enough, he was finished with his oral examination. Nothing had been said and Shachi began to wonder if either he had forgotten that he had brushed his teeth or if Law had no sense of smell. Surely not the last one because he knew he couldn't be that lucky.

The rest of his examination went smoothly. Law checked his all of reflexes, his pulse, blood pressure, temperature, and for any scratches or bruises. Besides his heart rate being a little high, he was fine. With the check-up over, it left Shachi reeling while Law packed up his annoyingly large med-kit. Glancing to his turned back, he wondered if he was actually going to get away with this. Maybe he had just been overreacting.

"You know - smoking isn't healthy for you."

Shit.

Shachi's mouth gaped open, his eyes widening behind his lenses.

"Wha-" Law turned to him, walking right up to him. With him sitting down, the two were now at eye level and his captain was just as intimidating - if not more - than usual.

"I know you've been smoking. Your breath reeks of tobacco."

It wasn't a familiar smell but he surely knew the smell well enough to identify it. His nose was scrunched, attempting not to breathe in the foul odor any more than he needed to. Shachi's heart dropped, forcing his breathing to quicken in order to catch up with his poor anxious soul. If he took his pulse again, he'd guarantee that it had doubled by now.

Damn! He knew Law was too smart not to catch on.

Law held out his hand, folding his other arm under it like a petulant child.

"Hand it over, please." It wasn't a question and Shachi knew that.

His hand was so sweaty as he dug around in his pocket for the almost empty pack of cigarettes. He wiped his hands on his suit enough that the packet wouldn't slip out of his hands before handing it to Law.

With his cigarettes in Law's possession, he let his head dip down to his chest, face flaring up in a shade that matched his hair. He grabbed his hat and pulled it down to hide his eyes in hopes it would hide him from his captain; there was no doubt he was absolutely going to scold him for this. He was a doctor! Why would he not?

"I'm not going to lecture you about this, Shachi." He allowed one eye to peek from under his hat hesitantly. By now Law was stagnant by the door, med-kit in hand as if he would leave at any second.

"Huh?" He couldn't have heard him right.

"You already know the risks of smoking. Cancer, breathing problems, fatigue, death. I could go on forever but I won't because you wouldn't have been so nervous for me to find out if you didn't know these things." Shachi said nothing, simply floored that Law was just leaving.

"I am your captain and while I don't want you and Penguin to smoke, I can't force you not to. No matter how long I punish you, why is it that I sense you'll find a way to smoke behind my back anyway?" Well, knowing the two of them for as long as he has made them more predictable it seems.

"Law, I-" Law shot his hand up, snapping his mouth shut in an instant.

He hated when he did that, not letting him defend himself. Law didn't need his input though. Apparently, he knew everything that he needed to and never wanted to hear any more than that.

"Like I said. I can't force you two but I can help. If I catch you with cigarettes, I'm going to confiscate them. If I can't find you where you're supposed to be, I'll have to assume you're smoking somewhere. Understand?" Shachi opened his mouth to say something but he hesitantly shut it, nodding instead.

Satisfied, Law readjusted his grip on the med-kit before turning heel to leave.

"Wait-!" Shachi jumped, not able to resist the urge to say something. Law turned slightly, just enough to let the other know he was listening.

"Penguin - you caught him too?" He needed to know if he had got them both caught because he had been careless. The corners of Law's mouth turned upwards, nodding.

"Yes. His breath was as foul smelling as yours." It got a chuckle out of him at least.

"Oh, and just so you know - you two will be working down in the boiler room for a week. Every time I catch you, you'll get a week. Think of it like a game, hm?"

Then, just like that, Law was gone, leaving Shachi astonished. He had to sit back down and let the silence wash over him, the shock finally passing.

Even though he had gotten in trouble, he laughed.

It was a hearty laugh that came from deep in his gut. He felt lighter knowing that Law was aware of his smoking but also guilty that they were now going to constantly be bothering him with it. Shachi definitely wasn't looking forward to having to hide this nasty habit from Law; it almost took all the fun out of smoking knowing that Law knew and was going to be breathing down their backs about it…almost.

So what he's gathered is that either his habit will eventually kill him or Law will.