Chapter 3

Sanji groaned as he forced his eyes open. The dusky ceiling swam in and out of focus, as Sanji's head pounded at the same time as his heart. It took him several minutes to sit up and look around the room. The blinds that had been pulled shut the previous night were thrown open and the blond squinted against the bright light pouring in. He ran a hand through his unkempt hair and took a deep breath. He immediately regretted it, as the smell of sex caused his stomach to flip dangerously. He dashed to the ornate bathroom and emptied what little food was in him into the white toilet. He groaned as his head continued to pound and his heart refused to slow down. After several painful minutes, he stood in the shower and let the scorching water flow down his tired body. Sanji stared at his reflection in the glass walls of the cubicle. There were bloody marks all over his body, some darker and bloodier than the rest. Callista had turned out to have a far more.. wild side to her than the cook had anticipated. Not that he hadn't found pleasure in their escapades, it was just that waking up to an empty room, feeling used and worn just didn't sit well with him. He laughed darkly. What was he, a woman? He traced a long scratch mark that went down from his right shoulder to just over his heart. He flinched when it smarted. He eyed several other similar scratches, bite marks and the like and felt all emotion evaporate from him. He sighed, turned off the shower, slipped in to his rumpled suit and walked out of the room without a second glance. To his surprise, no one was there to greet or stop him as he exited the building. Sanji looked up and down at the reasonably empty street which was scattered with a few bar owners here and a few laughing woman there and Sanji had a sudden urge to Diable Jambe the whole place into smithereens. He always prided himself on his ability to control his urges though. He made his way to the apartment, barely 30 steps from his work place, and with a tired nod at Orwin – he noticed that the other man returned his nod but did not smile, something to worry about later – and trooped up the stairs to the second floor. The second he slid the door to room 201 open though, he knew something was wrong. Sanji scrunched his nose and then his eyes widened with alarm as the familiar scent registered in his tired brain.

The scent of overflowing blood.

Sanji hurried in and unceremoniously tripped over something and crashed to the floor. Swearing, he rubbed his head and turned to glare at what he had tripped over right at the entrance – except the sight made his blood run cold.

Zoro was slumped against the wall, his arms and head hanging limply. Sanji's chest tightened as he noticed that a large bit of carpet around the swordsman was a much darker shade than the rest. When he crouched beside the other man, he saw the horrendous wounds on his torso and arms. Sanji choked and his fingers immediately flew to the other's wrist. Heart thudding loudly in his chest, he almost cried out when he felt the faintly fluttering pulse beneath his cold fingers. Knowing there was not much he could do, he carefully hooked his arms under Zoro's and dragged the man to the bedroom. He tried not to stare at the dark trail that followed. He gently flopped Zoro on the bed and frantically looked around at anything he could use to bandage his wounds. Not finding anything clean enough, he took off his jacked and ripped the arm of his shirt with his teeth. His eyes went to Zoro's chest and he froze.

Now that the man was lying on his back, Sanji could see the extent of his injuries. The flesh on Zoro's torso was hanging from several long and deep gashes. The ones that looked the deepest and the most dangerous were the ones that ran along the long scar on Zoro's chest and the one that led from his left ear to mid-chest. A faint dripping sound snapped him out of his stupor and Sanji stared wide-eyed at the crimson liquid dripping down from the near black sheets. He swallowed. Mere bandages were no use here. He opened his mouth and breathed, his voice barely audible,

"Stay alive Marimo. I'll be right back." And he was zooming out the door and down the stairs and to the reception. Orwin didn't even glance up or flinch when he smashed his hands down on the desk.

"Orwin! I need a doctor! Is there a doctor around here?! My friend, he's injured really badly and-"

"I shall check to see if any of the doctors are free." Sanji froze at the cold and low voice that left the short man's mouth. He would've frowned and wondered what the reason for the man's sudden change in behavior was, if his heart wasn't beating erratically and blood pounding in his ears. He nodded slowly, mouth still open, breath coming out in gasps and turned to go back to the room. It took him less than ten seconds and Sanji looked down at Zoro's figure helplessly. The bile rose to the back of his throat as he carefully examined the man's wounds. Zoro's breaths were shallow gasps, but Sanji could only pray that he held out until the doctor arrived. Not knowing what to do, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He walked to the far corner of the room and slid to the floor even as he lit the rolled up paper between his lips. He took a deep breath and was dismayed when even the nicotine didn't help dissolve the boulder sized lump in his throat.

An agonizing 20 minutes and a pack and a half later, he heard a sharp knock on the door. He was up and opening it before whoever was on the other side could even put their hand down. He stared at the woman standing outside. Her long white lap coat and straight long hair coupled with her half rimmed glasses and button up shirt told Sanji Zoro was in good hands. He ushered her in and she walked around the dark patch like it was something she did on a daily basis. He followed her as she went into the bedroom and stood beside Zoro. Her face was carefully devoid of emotions as she surveyed the damage. Nodding to herself, she cast him a side ways glance and bent to dig in her back. Sanji took that as his cue to give her space and let her do her work. He settled back in his corner as he placed another cigarette in his mouth, but didn't light it. He chewed on the end as he watched the stoic woman sanitize her hands, slip on gloves, pull out what looked like a needle and thread and started sewing Zoro back together. Again, Sanji found himself forcing the bile back down as he refused to tear his eyes away. Thankfully from where he was sitting, he couldn't actually see her sewing the flesh back together, just the white thread going down and when she pulled back it was crimson. Sanji realized he was barely breathing, his body stiff and rigid, the mental and physical stress wearing into his body slowly and draining the life out of him. The maroon bed covers were black, Sanji noticed and he wondered how much blood Zoro had lost. That led him to wonder other things and Sanji shut his mind off before it wandered into dangerous territory. After what seemed like agonizing hours, the doctor finally stood up, pulled off her bloodied gloves and let out a slow breath. Sanji was on his feet and by the door in a heart beat. She picked up her bag and stepped in front of Sanji. She eyed him for a second and her stoic mask immediately shattered into something kinder and sadder. He saw the pain and grief that he felt reflected in her eyes and he realized that this woman must not be here by her own free will either. When she spoke, he started.

"He's lost a lot of blood. Too much to be honest. I'm surprised he's even alive. I'll head back to the hospital and bring back some blood and an I.V line. I shouldn't take too long. I've sutured his wounds and stopped the bleeding. Thankfully none of his internal organs were harmed. Only muscle and tissue."

If what she was saying was supposed to make the blond feel any better, it didn't. The second the words came out of her mouth, the feeling of dread enveloped him completely with it's smothering darkness. He realized that whoever did this to Zoro must have left him to bleed to death. He couldn't breathe. He felt like his chest would burst. His heart hurt so much, he wanted to rip it out of his chest. His throat was constricted and he hadn't even realized he was crying until the woman gently wiped away a tear. The simple gesture comforted him so greatly, he gave her a grateful smile. An unspeakable emotion flickered in her eyes and she stood up straighter. When she spoke her voice was clipped and devoid of the warmth or gentleness it had but a minute ago.

"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Doctor Amelia. I shall be back in a while. Good day."

So saying, with a swish of her lab coat, she disappeared out the door – making sure to step around the dark patch in the carpet without a second glance. Sanji found his knees buckle and he collapsed heavily on the floor. He landed on his elbow and winced painfully. His mind was a mess, his body was a mess and he didn't know what the fuck had happened to Zoro. This was like Thriller Bark all over again. And Sanji was the one to find him. Except this time there was no one else. He took several shaky breaths, the lump in his throat refusing to budge. He pulled himself onto his rear end and sat staring at Zoro. His breathing had atleast gone from short gasps to longer ones. Sanji wanted to tear at his hair at the pained expression the swordsman's contorted face bore. Again, it seemed like hours passed as he sat there waiting for Amelia's return. When he heard the sharp knock, he didn't hesitate in throwing the door open and hurriedly ushering the woman in. She struggled with the bags in her hands and Sanji grabbed the I.V stand. She shot him a grateful look and they trooped into the bedroom. Amelia set the stand down beside the bed and went about connecting the I.V line to Zoro's hand. With a jolt Sanji noticed that Zoro's normally olive coloured skin was almost translucent. His heart clenched painfully and he felt his vision blur again. He watched the crimson liquid flow down through the tube and into Zoro. Amelia turned around to look at him. He noticed that her face had lost it's hard mask but her eyes were still expressionless. Before she could say anything though, Sanji's chivalrous nature kicked in.

"Could I offer you a cup of tea?" the woman looked shocked for a good minute before she slowly nodded. He smiled – or atleast tried to – and headed to the kitchen. He paused half way there and almost screamed in frustration. They had no food. Still, he continued to the kitchen and pulled open the cupboards. He stared in shock at the stuffed cupboards, with all kinds of food and ingredients Sanji could possibly need to prepare a banquet for a queen. He rushed around the reasonably large kitchen, pulling open doors, sliding open drawers and in general thanking the gods for giving him something to thank them for. He pulled out a mug, thought better of it and pulled out another one and set about making tea. Ten minutes later he was placing the tray down on the low living room table in front of the worn sofa. Amelia was sitting awkwardly on it, her back painfully straight, her feet stuck together and her hands draped one on top of the other on her knee. Sanji pulled a chair up and settled down on it. He made a motion to the steaming cup of tea.

"It's not poisoned." He didn't know why he said it, but the way she flinched told a whole other story. She eyed the mug warily for another moment, before letting her manners take over and picked it up. She took a small sip and a second later her eyes lit up with a strange light. She took another, longer sip and her shining eyes fell on Sanji. The blond felt his lips tug upwards as he saw the expression on her face.

"Chamomile." The cook said simply, as an answer to her wid-eyed gaze. Amelia started and flushed slightly. She nodded and once again surprised Sanji with her warm, gentle voice.

"It's very… calming. I've never drunk anything like it before." She took several sips as she spoke and her frame visibly relaxed into the sofa. She relaxed her knees and sunk lower into the comfortable couch. Sanji couldn't help himself, as he started to explain about the tea.

"Chamaemelum nobile comes from Rome and Matricaria chamomilia comes from Greece. They have similar appearances and uses. Only the fresh or dried flowers are used to produce the aroma and give it it's wheaty texture. It has a soothing effect and is mildly sedative (Amelia sat up straighter but was still reasonably relaxed) which helps to relax the tired mind and body after a hectic day or as an aid for a good night's sleep. It can even be added to a tubful of warm water to create a soothing chamomile bath that will take away all the stress and strain from the body." Sanji ended proudly and he raised his head higher at the look of amazement on Amelia's face.

"That's- You really know a lot.." She said slowly. His breath caught at his mistake. He nodded and flashed her another smile.

"I didn't decide to work here by choice." Amelia's eyes flashed and Sanji thought for a moment she would get up and leave. But then she seemed to calm down and stared at the ripples in the tea.

"I-" She started, unsure and insecure if she should even be talking like this to a stranger. Especially considering where they were, but maybe for exactly the same reason, she continued, her voice slightly bolder. "I didn't choose to work here either." Her voice dropped so low by the end of her sentence; Sanji almost missed what she said. Then she took a deep breath and wide brown eyes locked onto sky blue ones.

"But you.. You're lucky.." Sanji didn't bother asking what the woman meant. He was sure he wouldn't understand the sentiment behind that statement. Just as abruptly as the conversation had started, it ended. And Sanji was actually thankful. He was too drained to think of topics to converse about. And he found himself chiding the fact that for the first time in his life, he was unable to comfort a woman. Several moments later Amelia placed the mug down, picked her bag up and stood up to leave. She turned and walked straight towards the door without another word. Sanji watched as she angled her body and he expected her to walk around the patch on the carpet, but to his surprise she stopped and turned to look at him. Her expression looked like she wanted to say something, but then she abruptly turned around and went to the door. Again she surprised him by stopping and turning around. The woman had a desperate look on her face and Sanji found himself smiling gently, if only to soothe her. He was alarmed when tears pooled in her eyes. She let out a choked sob.

"They're not going to let you go. Whoever did that to him-" She motioned towards the bedroom. "-left him for dead. I don't know if they'll come after you next, so make sure to keep in their good books. The only way to leave the island is to get sold off as a slave, or to be kidnapped by pirates, (Sanji almost laughed at that) or by death." Her face was deathly pale and she was doing all she could to not break down. He nodded gratefully, assuming she was done. She shook her head and the same strange expression passed across her face.

"I'll state in my report that he died from blood loss. I'll be honest with you and say I do not know if he'll survive the night. But if he does.." She had a stricken expression on her face. Like what she was about to tell Sanji could cost her her life. And it just might, he thought worriedly. He tried to stop her, but she waved him off.

"I'll feel better if I do this. You're a good man and I'm sure your friend is too. I'll state that he's dead so make sure that he somehow escapes without alerting suspicion. He might not leave the island without you, but atleast he'll be free." Amelia choked on the last word, like it was taboo.

"Your life will be in danger until you end up in the same situation as him, or escape somehow. Either ways, I'll tell them he's dead so you don't have to worry." The implications of what this woman was saying hit the blond hard. She was saying that even if she was tortured – or worse, raped – she would still say Zoro was dead. He gulped. He wanted to refuse her offer for the sake of her life, but he knew that would be like slapping her across the face or worse, making her dance naked in the middle of the street. This was a matter of one's dignity and he would never insult a woman even if his life was on the line. So he did the only thing he could, he kissed her hand and hoped his smile showed her how grateful he was. Apparently it did. She blinked away the tears and offered him a small smile.

"I'll be back again later to change the packet of blood." So saying, she disappeared out the door. Sanji trudged upto the couch and collapsed on it. He was sure it was nearly nightfall and that he would have to get ready for work, but his body wasn't listening to him.

'Just for awhile…' was his last coherent thought, before his mind sunk into the abyss of sleep.

Aoaoaoaoaoaoaoaoa

Sanji woke up with his heart pounding and his ears ringing. The smell of dried blood was proof enough that none of it had been a dream. He shuddered and suddenly a jolt ran through him. He was feeling just one emotion as he walked up to the bedroom and looked down at Zoro's unconscious form.

Rage. Cold, mind-blowing fury. He wanted to kick the people who hurt Zoro and rip their bodies apart slowly with his hands. He watched as Zoro's heavily bandaged chest rose and fell slowly. He couldn't leave him. He was too afraid to return to an empty room. Amelia had said she'd come back later, but he wasn't sure when later was. He couldn't risk losing Zoro. He was the only person here Sanji trusted with his life and his life was already hanging by a thread, as was Zoro's. But he knew that not going would escalate the problem. He was in no mood to fight fifty blokes when he was half dead and could barely stand. As he pondered on what to do, there were two short raps on the door. Sanji stiffened and the back of his neck tingled. He slowly moved to the door and reached for the lock. His breath stilled as he pulled it open by an inch. Sanji almost sighed in relief when he saw Orwin –almost, because Orwin's face was pale and emotionless and his eyes were cold and unfriendly. Sanji almost didn't recognize him - outside the door. The man didn't wait for Sanji to speak.

"Lady Ravena and Master Oberon would like a word with you." The bespectacled man hurried away and Sanji almost called out after him. With one last weary glance down the corridor, Sanji changed hurriedly, shot a look at the bedroom and locked the door. He hurried downstairs, but just as he passed room 207, there was a sharp cough and someone cleared their throat. Sanji paused mid stride. He turned his head slowly and saw a long red finger gesture from a slit in the door. Sanji's breath caught again, as he steadied himself and walked towards the door. As Sanji neared, it swung open and he carefully entered. The second the door shut behind him, the back of his neck prickled.

"It's good to see you again Prince." The low, silky voice made him shiver, but Sanji found a smile forming on his face with practiced ease. He swirled around and pulled Ravena's gloved hand to his mouth in one smooth and fluid motion. He noted with satisfaction that the woman seemed impressed. Once he had let go of her, she motioned inside. The apartment was the same as theirs, except more poshly decorated and instead of a bedroom, it was just one large hall with several couches and tables. Sanji eyed the farthest couch with apprehension. Oberon sat on it and he looked none too happy. Actually, as the duo neared, the man began to openly scowl. His small eyes followed Sanji like a predator, as he moved to sit in front of him. Ravena sat beside Sanji, as though to make sure Oberon wouldn't shoot him suddenly. Sanji found little comfort in that fact.

"Now now, there's no need to look so furious." Ravena's voice was low and gently chastising, yet it held an authoritative undertone to it. Oberon shot her a look but the scowl lessened. He turned to Sanji again.

"We have a slight problem on our hands Prince." Sanji smiled tightly, trying with all his might not to kick the other man's face in.

"And that is?" He was surprised at how calm his voice was. Oberon raised an eyebrow.

"Your friend-" He hissed the word with so much venom, Sanji thought he could've killed him with just that. "-has caused a lot of problems for my establishment. We had to teach him a lesson, I'm sure you know-" And Sanji almost lost it, when a nasty grin spread on Oberon's face. "-but that doesn't change the fact that I've lost quite a lot of customers." Oberon made a clicking sound with his tongue and glanced at Ravena before continuing.

"So Lady Ravena and I, have come to an agreement." Sanji didn't fucking give a rat's ass about what agreement they had come to. He just wanted to smash the tattooed fucker's face in so bad, he'd be unrecognizable.

"We decided that you will work for both of us and take on whatever job we give you without question." Sanji's eyes widened. He opened his mouth, but Oberon raised his hand. His eyes were hard and had a deadly shine to them.

"I just got a report from Dr. Amelia saying your friend perished. I'm so sorry for you. He'll be missed." Sanji stood up abruptly, his face burning, his fists clenched, teeth gritted and eyes wide, as he stared down at the other man. The mocking tone with which Oberon had said it, was what triggered Sanji's rage. But a hand that slithered up his arm, made him catch himself. He didn't even need Ravena to say anything for him to sit back down. He leaned forward, arms resting on his knees and clasped, a challenging smirk on his face.

"Is that right? Yes, I heard the same thing from her when she arrived at my door step." Sanji's voice was low and threatening, he watched with immense satisfaction as Oberon looked uncomfortable. He knew that their farce had failed. The blond could tell just from the tone of voice, that the whole thing had been planned. Zoro's injuries were not enough to kill him, was something even Oberon knew. And Sanji knew exactly what he had to do here. If he wanted to let Zoro live, he had to go with whatever Ravena and Oberon told him. Sanji snorted out loud and two pairs of eyes watched him – one with amusement and one warily – as the blond ran a hand through his hair. Then he nodded at the burly man, the challenging smirk never leaving his face.

"I accept. I shall do whatever you ask of me without question." Then he stood up and adjusted his tie.

"Is that all?" Oberon grunted and Ravena smiled at him. Sanji briskly strode out of the room and down the corridor. When he reached room 201, he stiffened, hand on the knob, as he felt it turn easily. Sanji was sure he'd looked the room. He entered slowly, surprised that the lights were on. When he heard noises from the bedroom, he hurried inside, mind and body on high alert, but he immediately relaxed when he saw a figure in a white lab coat straighten up. At the noise, Amelia turned and offered him a small smile. Sanji couldn't help but think she looked so much younger when she smiled. Amelia gestured to Zoro.

"His breathing has stabilized. He should be conscious in another couple more days." Sanji found himself relaxing at the news.

"Amelia san, forgive me if I'm being rude, but how did you get in?" The woman flashed him a look of surprise.

"Orwin let me in. I assumed you had told him of my arrival, because when he saw me, he escorted me here and gladly opened the door for me."

"And how long ago did you arrive?"

"Barely a minute before you did." She wasn't lying. Sanji had felt the warmth on the doorknob as he had entered. She had to have arrived just before he had. He found himself smirking again. She gave him a bewildered look. He shook his head. He knew that the only reason Orwin had let her in so graciously, was because Ravena and Oberon had told him to. They had known Sanji would accept whatever they had to say without a fight. He wanted to kick himself. They had been playing into the enemies' hand right from the beginning. Amelia's voice interrupted the blond's thoughts.

"I'll stay here tonight." Her voice was soft when she said it, but the implied meaning caused Sanji to smile gratefully at her.

"I'll stay here tonight, so go do what you have to without worry."