Chapter Five

AN: So, hello! To those who read the update before it was replaced with this chapter, I apologize again for the wait that my life forced upon my writing. Too many things happening, I had to take 2 years off. But this and Two of Heart are my top updating priorities now. Also, I'm going to give another warning about this story. I don't like how light its gotten so quickly, expect a lot of darkness. This is not a happy story primarily. Also...Frank and Brook likely won't be mentioned again. I just don't feel like writing them so pretend they took a vacation on an island for rest of this story. Anywho...on with the show!

~.~.~

Chopper blinked at him, stunned by the desperation in the rubberman's voice. "I gave her a sedative to help with the pain. She may not wake up for some time."

A sigh shuddered out of the lean man's frame and he sank back down into the chair he had unconciously bolted up from. One hand swept over his face and up to rake through his hair, hunger forgotten at the rush of fear that had engulfed him from misunderstanding the little deer. Sanji bopped the doctor on the head, muttering something about being more careful with his choice of words before setting plates down.

"I'll go fetch the stupid Marimo." The blonde ground out his used-up cigarette, immediately pulling out a new one.

A heavy silenced settled in the kitchen, Chopper fidgetting self-conciously as Luffy continued to sit still with his head buried in his hands. Usopp continued to snore, oblivious to everything going on. "Chopper?"

The doctor squeaked and nearly ran for cover as the silence was broken, rooted to the spot as his captain stared at him through his bangs. "Y-yes?"

"Does she hate me?" Frantically, Chopper shook his head at the idea that Nami would ever hate them. He was cut off from voicing such by the captain's next words though. "I do."

A loud snort and sleepy moan interrupted them as the sniper groggily opened his eyes. For a brief moment, the doctor saw a level of despair and self-hatred in his captain's eyes he never thought possible, before it vanished as the young man snatched a bite from the sniper's plate. He remained silent as the two fought, wondering how no one else had noticed that the carefree smile...wasn't really carefree anymore. In those two words, he saw the light that had guided and lifted them through so many trials and hardships, simply vanish.

As the other two men entered the room, one sighing at the disruptive pair and the other simply sitting down, Chopper took the chance to really look them over. For all that he pretended to sleep all the time, Zoro's eyes were ringed nearly black with obvious signs of not sleeping. The doctor doubted he had gotten more than a couple hours for days, ever since that damned bird had brought Nami's eye. Sanji reeked of smoke, chain-smoking worse than the cigar-smoking marine who hounded them. Usopp had the least outward signs of the stress and despair they had all been going through, until one went into his workshop and saw piles of gadgets and inventions. It was his way of venting.

And each one was trying to hide it in their own way. Perhaps, they hadn't noticed how they were each suffering, because they didn't want too. Because addressing it and giving voice to it, just made it real. So they kept trying to delude themselves and everyone else on the ship that they were alright. Except, Chopper realized, he couldn't hide from it anymore. With two little words, his tiny bubble of protection had been broken and he saw clearly. And it frightened him to what the future held for them all.

~.~

Robin sat quietly beside the bed of her friend, watching the steady rise and fall of the younger woman's chest. She looked almost peaceful, sleeping under the effects of the sedative. If one could look past the bandages, splints, and gauze. Absently she took a bite out of a pastry, not even tasting it as she continued to look her friend over. The ginger-haired girl had always been petite, but now, bones stuck out under her skin creating sharp angles where before had been curves. She suspected every rib and vertebrae could be counted with no effort.

Unconsciously, she reached out to smooth back the bangs that had fallen over her closed remaining eye. The sleeping girl flinched back at the contact, murmuring in her sleep fitfully. "I'm sorry, Nami. I should have went with you when you asked me too." The dark-haired lady whispered.

Dreams tortured her every night, of how if she had just gone with the navigator, she could have saved her. Her breath hitched as her composure slipped enough to allow two tears to trail down her cheek. Viciously she swiped them away before relaxing and maintaining her vigil. It was painful to see the damage that had been done to that frail body, but she was still alive! Something they had all feared was not the case. She was alive and they would protect her from anything ever happening to her again. Fists clenched and teeth ground together, thinking of what monsters could have done this to another human. And what she would do to them in return.

Sunlight streamed in briefly as the door opened and shut silently, followed by the soft tapping of hooves. "Her hair is still dirty."

"Aa."

"The bleeding hasn't stopped." Robin pointed to where red had leaked through enough to stain through the gauze and sheet.

"There's too much infection, I can't close some of them with stitches until I get it out." He moved around the woman, going to his cabinets and browsing through them. "I need supplies, proper supplies. I'm not...I'm not equipped for this."

"I'll help you categorize what you're out of." Long legs unfolded as she stood up to move behind him. "Did you tell Luffy?"

Chopper nodded, jotting down notes as Robin perused the higher shelves and relayed what they were out of or low on. They focused on the task, keeping their minds occupied and away from darker thoughts. The sun had begun to descend when they finished cataloging everything, the doctor wordlessly moving to prep the next shot of antibiotics and preparing fresh gauze to replace that which blood had leaked through. The historian watched him for a moment before moving to retrieve a large basin, filling it with water and grabbing a towel.

She pulled a chair up beside the bed, soaking the hand towel and wringing it out before lifting a lock of matted hair and begining to wipe it clean. She tried not to notice how fast the water turned red, tried not to look up everytime a wound was exposed before being replaced with clean white, tried to not hear the painful moans coming from the frail body who's hair she washed. Most of all, she tried to not stare into the gaping void in the young navigator's face as Chopper cleaned that particular spot. And if her hands shook, no one was there to notice.

"She'll be waking up soon." Chopper stated, reaching out to take the bowl of crimson-tainted water and cloth from her hands. "She's not herself when she wakes. It may be best to leave and not overwhelm her."

Wearily she nodded, standing up and striding towards the door. Robin paused, one hand on the door and looked back briefly, before whisking herself outside. And nearly tripping over a pair of long legs sticking out near the door. Dark eyes stared at the floor, no indication he had even noticed her flickering in the troubled depths. "Captain?"

A slow blink before he tipped his head back against the wall, gazing up at her. "Yosh."

"You should get some rest." A hand patted him on the shoulder. "She's alive."

He hm'ed in response, rolling his head to the side to look at the door she had just exited from. If she said anything more, he neither heard nor saw, too focused on his inner thoughts. Yes, she was alive. But she wasn't the Nami he knew anymore. His navigator had been so bold and full of life, carefree like himself. Now, all that remained was a frightened, tortured shell of a woman who had her eyes cruelly opened to the evil of the world.

Exhaustion dragged his eyelids down, the last week's events catching up to him. I should sleep. After I check on her one more time. He thought drowsily, not even noticing as his head followed the same path as his eyelids, drooping down until his chin rested on his chest. The young man never realized he had dozed off, sitting there next to the infirmary, until something caused him to startle awake again. There was no noise, nothing out of place, except a deep sense of urgency and panic.

He pushed himself to his feet, swaying lightly before the adrenaline pushed the last of his weariness aside. Softly the young man prowled around his ship, brow furrowing at the nagging feeling insistently telling him that there was something wrong. He scanned the inky horizon, but no ships or islands could be seen. Luffy paced past his first mate, noting the man too was subtly looking around from where he sat against a wall with his head bowed as if in sleep.

"You too?"

"Aa."

"I'll keep an eye out." Zoro muttered, cracking his back as he stood up and wandered over to the crow's nest. He grabbed the first rung, halting immediately as a blood-curdling shriek lit up the night. He met his captain's eyes, both wide in alarm and panic.

"NAMI!"

AN: Sorry also for long wait and shortness of this chapter. Hopefully next one will be longer and up much sooner :)