The doctor and the cook sat slumped on the hallway floor, shoulder to shoulder, each with a bottle in their hands. They stared with weary, drooping faces at the tiger from behind the safety of the glass doors. The room beyond looked as bad as they felt.
The table lay scattered in splinters all over the floor, accompanied by scraps of material that used to make up the futon. The metal beam dented outwards where the chain pulled. Scratches and fist-shaped marks littered the walls. In the midst of it all sat Zoro, face scrunched into a snarl, fur bristling and tail lashing from side to side. A continuous growl rolled from his chest as he pulled against the chain. Thankfully, that remained intact compared to everything else in the room.
Sanji butted out what must have been his tenth cigarette that morning and promptly lit up another one.
"Remind me again why you need these tests so badly?" he asked.
Law sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I need samples so I have a base health report before we begin. We should probably give him the standard vaccines too. What if he caught some disease or parasite en route to here?"
A splintering smash interrupted them as whatever sizable chunk was left of the table flew into the glass. The tiger roared and kicked at the metal beam.
"He looks perfectly healthy to me," said Sanji.
Law held out his hand and the cook was quick to slip a fresh cigarette stick between his fingers, followed by his lighter.
"What the hell set him off?"
Sanji shrugged. "Between the casual glance you gave him, or the tiny baby step I took towards the tape, who knows?"
"Jesus, I know Vegapunk said he'd be temperamental, but this is fucking ridiculous."
"Oi, kitty," Sanji yelled to get his voice through the glass, tapping the toe of his shoe on the door. "You done with your tantrum yet?"
Another piece of the table met its splintery end against the glass.
"Not helping," Law grumbled.
The click of Sanji's apartment door had both men glancing into the living room. Robin, in all her eternal grace and beauty, strode into view. In her arms, she cradled a small file and a round, opaque orb that gave out a faint blue glow.
The soft clamping of hooves accompanied her entrance. From behind the tall woman peered a small Companion covered in soft, brown fur and sporting small, dull antlers from under a pink hat. His blue nose twitched in greeting at the two men.
"Ah, Mrs Nico," Sanji beamed at her. "What an amazingly beautiful sight for a couple of sore eyes!"
"What took you so long?" groused Law, earning him a sharp kick from the cook.
Robin smiled. "I hope you two aren't getting drunk on the job." She turned to observe the tiger in the room. "How is he?"
Law stood and moved to her side in front of the glass. "Well, we're still cowering on this side of the room, and he's still in there bent on clawing everything into dust."
Robin placed a hand on the Companion hiding behind her, clutching the bottom of her skirt between cloven hooves.
"I brought Dr Chopper with me," she said. Chopper jumped a little at the mention of his name. "Perhaps the tiger would be more willing to co-operate with a fellow Companion."
"Worth a try," said Law.
Robin held out the orb. "I also thought it would be best to record our interactions with the tiger. Is there anywhere I can set this up, Mr Black?"
"There's a panel in the room," said Sanji. "I'll set up it up."
He took the orb just as Law handed Chopper a small white box.
"We'll need blood and urine samples," said Law. "And he needs some vaccines. Everything should be in there."
The little reindeer Companion nodded. He turned to Sanji, who had his bangle ready for the sensor.
"You may want to go big for this," said the cook. "He's developed a habit of throwing things at people."
Chopper took a long look at the tiger before glancing back up. "I'll stay like this for now."
With a nod, the blonde touched the screen of his bangle to the sensor. The door slid open. Zoro hissed. Fortunately, he'd flung most of the things around the room out of arm's reach.
"Let's try this again, kitty," said Sanji.
"Try anything and I'll kill you."
Chopper suppressed a squeak and froze by the doorway, ears pressed flat against his head and clutching the white medical box to his chest. Zoro's glance moved from the cook to the little reindeer. His growl lessened. Sanji gave Chopper an encouraging nod before turning to the wall to his right. He ran a hand across the surface until a panel popped and slid out, revealing a small spherical slot.
"I-I'm Chopper," stuttered the reindeer, approaching the tiger with small steps. "I'm… I'm just here to do a health check."
Sanji paused in installing the orb when he heard the tiger's growl rise.
"I'll be quick!" added Chopper. "And it won't hurt, promise."
The growl faded, but Zoro still held his snarl. "Piss off."
"Language," Sanji tutted.
"Fuck you."
Chopper knelt on the floor, at the edge of where the white tape was torn off. He popped open the box and pulled out a syringe.
"Look," he spoke calmly, gesturing to the flesh at the bend of his arm. "I just need to take a blood sample from here. It won't be for more than a few seconds. I'll also need a urine sample, but you can do that yourself. Then I need to give you some shots so you won't get sick, okay?"
The tiger was silent, scrutinizing Chopper. Robin probably made a good choice in bringing her Companion. The reindeer had an effect of calm on people and other Companions alike. Taking Zoro's silence as an 'okay', Chopper moved closer again. No reaction. He was now and arm's reach away from the tiger.
"Show me your left arm," Chopper requested, preparing the syringe and a ball of cotton.
To Sanji's surprise, the tiger complied, extending his arm out to Chopper palm side up. Deciding not to spoil whatever spell the reindeer had over Zoro, the cook simply turned and placed the glowing orb in the slot on the wall.
He had his back turned for one second. A roar shook the room, followed by Chopper's piercing yell. Zoro lunged forward, gripping the reindeer by the arm and the neck. Claws dug into brown fur, drawing blood.
"Chopper!" Robin cried from the doorway. Law scrambled for the tranquilizer gun.
Sanji ran to get between them, but Chopper's instincts reacted quicker. His body grew, large and more muscled, throwing the tiger off. In a blink, he changed again. Scrawny, long legged with larger antlers. Yelping, Chopper scrambled out of the room, hitting the glass door and the hallway walls with a smack as he fled into the living room.
Zoro roared after him, pulling at the chain.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" shouted the cook, as he stood before the tiger and matched his glare.
Zoro snarled, amber eyes burned fiercely, but he didn't answer. Sanji's expression softened.
"Why are you being like this?"
"Why do you think?" Zoro growled, pulling at the chain until it groaned and rattled under the strain.
Sanji slipped his hands in his pockets, glancing at the chain and back at Zoro's fierce gaze.
"If it's irritating you, then you should know that we keep you chained because of stuff like this," said Sanji, gesturing to the hallway. "You can't just lash out at people when you feel like it."
"I do what I want, blondie," Zoro grumbled. He turned around and sat on the pile of tattered material and scraps of cloth that used to make up the futon.
Sanji sighed, following him across the room. "You know this would all be over by now if you just co-operated. Hell, we would've been done in the first hour."
"And then, what? Jabbing me with more needles? Strapping me to machines? You all keep saying 'this is the last time' but you never stop."
They exchanged hardened stares for a long, quiet moment. Sanji could hear Law and Chopper's conversation faintly coming form the living room.
"Listen," Sanji started. "We don't need to do tests like that here. Just the few Chopper mentioned. Just today. Then that's it."
Zoro chuffed. "Sure. 'That's it'."
"If we don't finish it today, we'll just keep trying again tomorrow, and then the next day. We don't want to waste our time doing that. Do you?"
The tiger looked away, swaying his tail dismissively. That's the end of that conversation. Sanji turned to the hallway, spotting Robin watching them from the glass doors. Her wide, unblinking eyes sent a shiver down his spine.
"What is it?" he asked as the door slid shut behind him.
Robin's expression changed ever so slightly. "Nothing of importance, yet."
She walked to the living room, leaving Sanji to follow her, confused and intrigued. The cook knelt beside Law, who finished patching up Chopper. The reindeer was now back in his original form.
"You alright?" asked Sanji. Chopper sniffed, blinking back tears and nodded.
"Yeah, I think so. He didn't have time to scratch too deeply, and he missed the arteries on my neck."
"Let's call it a day," said Law, sitting up and rubbing his eyes again. "I think the longer we push it, the more frustrated and aggressive he'll get."
"I agree," said Robin. "We'll let him cool off. At least the recording transponder is installed now. I'll collect the footage and analyse it every week."
Sanji nodded. The silence that came after was too heavy. He got up and clapped his hands together. "Who's hungry? I can make us all something to eat."
"Yes please," Law nearly gasped out, making a beeline for the fridge. "And tell me you have more beer."
Sanji rolled his eyes. "At least wait until Robin's had something first. What can I get you, my lady?"
Robin smiled, picking Chopper up from floor and settling him on her lap as she took a seat on the barstool in the kitchen. "Coffee's fine, thank you."
With his three friends having lunch in the kitchen, Sanji took a plate of food to the tiger room. Zoro still sat where the cook had left him, glaring at the medical box that lay closed in front of him. With no table left in the room, Sanji crossed to the other side and placed the food down where the tiger could reach.
"You do it," Zoro growled, just as Sanji turned to leave.
The blonde raised a brow at him. "What was that?"
"You do it. Do the stupid test thing."
Sanji glanced between the box and the Companion, mulling his words carefully in his mind.
"Let me get Law."
"I didn't say get someone else to do it," Zoro raised his voice, a rumbling accompanying his words. "I said you do it."
"I'm not a doctor, Zoro. I don't know how-"
"You saw how he did it, right?" Zoro opened the box and took the syringe, pointing the needle end at the bend of his arm. "You draw it form here."
He held the needle out to Sanji, but the blonde didn't move.
"How do I know you wont rip my arms out the second I touch you?"
"You don't," growled Zoro. "Now do you want my blood or not?"
He stared at the cook, pupils shrinking until his eyes were nothing but amber. With a tentative step, Sanji took the syringe and crouched beside the tiger. He was still alive. So far so good.
At this distance, Sanji could feel Zoro's body heat coming off him in waves. The growling in his chest was much louder. The cook was once again struck with awe at the creature sat before him.
"Oi, hurry up," Zoro's voice snapped his mind back to the present.
Sanji took a deep breath and tried to recall all the times he'd seen Law giving Companions vaccinations. He supposed it was the same process, but backwards. Syringe in one hand, Sanji lifted the fur of Zoro's arm and pulled the skin underneath taunt. He felt Zoro twitch under his touch. When he glanced up at him, the tiger's eyes were focused on the white box. Sanji pressed the needle into flesh, deciding quicker was probably better.
When he was finished, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and sat back. Sanji pressed a cotton ball to the mark the needle left, but Zoro shook him off.
"The deer said I needed shots too," Zoro grumbled.
Sanji glanced inside the box at the myriad of tools he was unfamiliar with. "Now that is something I definitely don't know how to do."
"It should go the same way."
"Not necessarily…"
The tiger looked in the box too. "What does the bottle say?"
Sanji's eyes fell on a small bottle connected to a green syringe. He picked it up. "FVRCPC," he read out the label. "Feline viral protection."
Zoro's each twitched. "You jab it here," he said, pointing to the spot on his arm below his shoulder. "They've given it to me before."
Sanji squinted uncertainly, but Zoro just responded with a hard, determined look. With a sigh, the cook picked up the green syringe and pressed it to the spot where the tiger indicated. He held it there until the liquid from the bottle drained.
"What's the other one?" asked Zoro when Sanji withdrew the needle.
The cook read the label for the last syringe left in the box. "It's for rabies."
Zoro's hand moved behind his neck. "That goes here, right in the middle."
Sanji repeated the procedure. There was more fur around Zoro's back that it took a while for Sanji to find the right spot. Within minutes, they were done, and Sanji was carefully placing all three needles back in their slots in the box.
"There's a box of pills in there too," said Zoro. "What are they for?"
Sanji glanced at the big blue letters of the logo. The realisation hit him then.
"You can't read," he said, voicing his thoughts more than anything.
"I was never taught how to," Zoro growled, defensively.
"It's worming tablets," answered Sanji, before the tiger could get any angrier. He took the box and turned it in his hand. "Take twice a day for five days. Preferably after meals."
Zoro nodded. "Fine. Here," he placed a small, plastic tub beside the box, filled with yellow liquid. The urine sample. "That's all you need from me, right?"
"Uh, yeah," Sanji took the tub gingerly and placed it with the syringes. "Thanks."
As the box snapped shut, the tiger's arm shot out and grabbed Sanji. His first instinct was kick the tiger away, but he froze when Zoro didn't make a move beyond gripping the front of his shirt. He met Zoro's fierce glare, feeling the amber burning the surface of his skin.
"That better be the last time, just like you said," Zoro snarled. His tone was lower this time, and somehow, that made it seem more deadly. "If you push another needle through my veins, I'll break out of here and kill you all."
He shoved Sanji back and turned around to lay on the floor again, completely ignoring the cook's presence. Shaking his nerves to work, Sanji straightened his tie, took the box and swiftly left the room. He bumped into Law in the hallway.
"Ah," said the doctor. "I was beginning to think you'd been eaten."
Sanji shoved the box into Law's hands. "Here," he huffed and pushed past him, striding into the kitchen and rinsing his hands at the sink.
He heard the box pop open. "The samples?" said Law. "How did you…?"
"Zoro did them all," said Sanji. "By himself."
"And how did you get him to do that?" asked Robin, her eyes piercing through him again.
Sanji shrugged, drying off his hands with a towel. "I don't know. I just went in there to feed him and found that he'd done everything."
Robin narrowed her eyes at him, but the snap of the medical box interrupted whatever she was about to say.
"Well, we're no longer at a setback," said Law. "I'll run these back to my lab. We should probably take a break for now anyway. No use riling him up again."
Robin stood up, placing Chopper gently on the floor before checking her bangle. She hummed in thought.
"Yes, I have work I should probably get back to. Same time tomorrow, gentlemen?"
Law shook his head. "We're testing the new cell species tomorrow. I'll be stuck in my lab. But carry on with whatever you were planning. We've all got access to the recording transponder anyway."
"I'll be home by the evening," added Sanji. "Daytime hours for me tomorrow, but make yourself at home, Mrs Nico."
A smile spread slowly across Robin's face. "Then I shall meet you in the evening, Mr Black. Something tells me I'll fare a lot better with the cook around."
There was something in her tone that suggested she knew something even Sanji didn't catch. But before he could think about it anymore, he was seeing them off at his front door.
"Try not to get killed," said Law in a mocking, sing-song tone. Sanji's mind wandered to the tiger's, low feral growl and threat whispered through gritted fangs.
"I'll try," Sanji called back, followed by the most forced and hesitant laugh he'd ever heard himself give.