Me: I usually put any comments or concerns I have at the bottom of the chapter, but I just want to take this chance to thank all the people who have reviewed, favorited, alerted, or even just clicked on the link. I seriously never thought my story would get this much attention! I'm going to assume it's because people love Law and not inflate my ego too much. 49 reviews, 45 favorites, 93 alerts... I love you guys. And for that, I hope you enjoy this chapter! TAKE IT AWAY, DISCLAIMER!
Disclaimer: Shiningheart blah blah doesn't own blah blah One Piece.
Chapter 5: Creepy or Crazy?
In the past, Nadeen had been woken up in some pretty strange ways. She's been shot at, yelled at, had things thrown at her, been thrown off her bed/perch, and at one point, before she'd eaten her devil fruit, had even been thrown off a boat. But never before had she been woken by a 150-something pound blond-haired fool slamming open a door and trying to throw himself at her with a shout of, "NADEEN! TIME TO WAKEY WAKEY!"
Instinct was the only reason he didn't completely crush her ribs. Nadeen threw her hand up with a shout of surprise. Her powers stopped the intruder in mid-air a mere foot from her bed. Adrenaline surged through her and she acted without thinking. "PISS OFF, FUCK FACE!" she snarled. A twitch of her hand slammed him into the floor, and a shove to the air sent him back towards the door.
Laughter was what broke her from her rage. Two people had been forced to dodge to the side to avoid being hit. Nadeen had to stare at them for a moment before memories of yesterday made her wince. The two laughing were Shachi and Penguin, and the man she'd just sent through the door was Derek. Penguin had his hands on his knees, half-bent over in laughter. Shachi was leaning on his friend, and he was the first to speak. "Dude, did you see his face when he flew passed?" he said to Penguin.
Penguin nodded, apparently too overcome to speak. Thankfully, Nadeen didn't have the same affliction. "What the Goddamn hell do you idiots think you're doing?!" The IV line was the only reason she hadn't already lunged for their throats, cracked ribs and health problems be damned. "If you wanted to wake me up, a simple shake and 'rise and shine' would have done!"
Her tone did nothing to calm them down. If anything, they just laughed harder. Nadeen sneered at them and looked at where she'd sent Derek sailing. He was crawling on the floor toward her, whimpering like a kicked puppy. He sent her a teary wide-eyed look that completed the image. "That was completely uncalled for! I didn't do anything! I claim abuse, dammit! ABUSE!"
Another flick of her wrist sent the three pillows on the other three beds at him. They hit him in the face one after the other. "You want abuse, I'll give you abuse! Unless you idiots actually have something to tell me, get the HELL out of here and let me freakin' sleep!" She pulled the pillows back to her to emphasize the threat and sent a dark look at the other two, letting them know that they would not escape her wrath.
Penguin realized it first. He stepped away from his best friend with a clearing of his throat. Shachi yelped as he fell over and crashed to the ground. He grunted as he got to his knees and cradled his jaw. "Dude, ow! I bit my tongue." Penguin shrugged apologetically and lifted Shachi by the back of his boiler suit. "Thanks." He turned to look at Nadeen and crossed his arms. She got the very distinct feeling he was narrowing his eyes at her. "Feel special. It's eleven in the morning and the captain is only now letting us wake you up."
Nadeen stared at him in shock, unconsciously letting her powers go so that the pillows all fell to the floor. "... No shit?" All three, even pouting Derek, nodded. "... Well, fuck me, that's why I have enough energy for my devil fruit powers." For someone who'd just been howling at them in anger, she'd calmed down way too quickly. The men inched away in bewilderment and exchanged wary glances. "I guess that means I missed breakfast. How about lunch?"
Penguin scratched the back of his head nervously and shuffled back a half-step. Nadeen wondered if they thought she'd attack them again if she didn't like what they were going to say. That depended almost entirely on what they were saying. "Well, that won't be for a few hours still... but Captain had Coryn fix of a plate for you to eat once you woke up! It's waiting in the kitchen. Coryn can just pop it in the oven and you'll get it in no time at all!"
He continued to babble on. The red-haired female watched in interest and wondered if this happened a lot. A glance at Shachi revealed the man to be rubbing the bridge of his nose, and a second glance to Derek showed him to be hiding his face in his hands. Nadeen deduced that this, indeed, happened a lot. Shachi solved the problem by slapping Penguin upside the head, silencing the unending stream. "Ignore him." Shachi said to her with a scowl. "He gets like that around girls, no matter their state of health."
She couldn't decide if that was sweet or creepy. It certainly explained why he got all nervous when he thought he'd insulted her outside of her prison. Like before, she decided it best to not react. "Well, in any case, any of you know how to take out this little thingamajigger?" She raised the arm with the IV needle still inside of it. Penguin immediately came over and expertly tugged out the needle. Nadeen blinked at him in surprise as he put a cotton ball on the spot where her skin had been punctured. At that moment, Shachi brought over a roll of medical tape that Penguin took without a word. The cotton ball was bound to her arm with only two wrap-arounds.
Shachi caught the look of surprise and grinned crookedly at her. "What, you thought the captain was the only one that knew how to do this stuff?" Nadeen nodded sheepishly, her smile small and embarrassed. "Well, that's partly true. He's the only real doctor onboard, but he's pretty adamant about the senior members of the crew- that's us three, plus Bepo- knowing at least the basics as well. You know, just in case something happens to him that leaves the rest of us floundering."
That actually made perfect sense and she was ashamed of herself for not thinking about that before. Nadeen didn't get much time to throw a pity party because Derek suddenly threw clothes at her. Reflex had her catch and examine them. It was a fairly simple outfit; a plain black short sleeved t-shirt and dark blue sweatpants that would be a little long on her, but that could be solved by rolling the ends up. She looked at Derek questioningly, and he answered without prompting. "Captain said he told you last night you'd be getting new clothes. He told me to just choose an outfit from the clean clothes in the laundry room and bring them to you. The shirt is his, but the pants are Sam's. He's our resident midget!"
Nadeen laughed at his words and shook her head. "That's not nice. The legs of the pants are longer than my own, so he's probably taller than me." She stared at the guys for a few minutes, trying to tell them without words to shoo and let her change. They stared back, blinking in confusion. This became apparent to her, and she sighed heavily. "Well, beat it! I'm not changing in front of you, you perverts!"
That got them scrambling over each other towards the door, yelling apologies over their shoulders as they went. Nadeen couldn't help but laugh again. They weren't trying to be funny, but she needed to laugh. After a month of being starved and beaten, everything seemed funnier. Nadeen changed swiftly, not wanting to keep the boys waiting. The bandages Law had wrapped her in made maneuvering difficult, but she'd be damned if she asked for someone's help taking off and putting on clothes. Her first instinct had been right; the hems of each pant leg went to her toes. The shirt, though, fit perfectly. The fact that it was Law's didn't even matter to her. It was comfortable, and that was all that was important.
Once she was finished, she practically skipped to the door and threw it open. Derek, who'd been leaning against the door, fell through the opening and collapsed at her feet. Nadeen snickered and stepped over him to reach the grinning Shachi and Penguin. "So, while I'm thankful and grateful and everything for the new clothes, who do I pester for socks?" She lifted each pant leg slightly and wiggled her toes for emphasis. "The metal floors make my feet cold."
The men blinked at each other, as if contemplating her question and who was going to answer her. Shachi waved his hand in the air, like he was brushing off her question. "Meh, I don't think you want to borrow any of our socks. Remember, most of us work as engineers. Coryn, Cyrus, Captain, and Jake are the only ones who don't. Our feet are all sweaty and icky and gross."
Nadeen made a face at his description. "Bleh... Yeah, I see your point." She hadn't even registered that they'd been walking until Shachi opened the door to the galley. There wasn't anyone there now, and it felt eerily silent to her. The last time she'd been in this room, the Heart Pirates had been a rowdy bunch. "Creepy." The word came out before she could even try to stop it, and she gave the three with her an apologetic look. They just looked amused.
Derek smirked at her and put his hands over her ears, ignoring the startled protest. "OI, CORYN!" Nadeen flinched when a loud crashing sound came from the kitchen, even with the sound muffled. Derek removed his hands just in time for the door to swing open and the man within to stomp towards the little group, curses spewing.
After meeting Cyrus and Bepo and Derek, Nadeen wasn't all that intimidated or surprised at Coryn's appearance. He was the same height as Cyrus, but without platform shoes. He had blond hair shaved close to his scalp, and a short, scraggly beard on his chin. The dark scowl he wore only emphasized it. He had muscles on his muscles and wore a stained white tank top with dark blue jeans tucked into boots. He looked more like a mercenary than a pirate chef. Nadeen would have been impressed if he wasn't wielding two steak knives dripping something that looked suspiciously like blood.
She gulped louder than she would have liked, but Derek was the only one close enough to notice. Thankfully, he ignored it in favor of smiling innocently at the cook. "This is Nadeen." He pushed her forward, and she gave a nervous little finger wave. Coryn barely gave her a glance before going back to glaring at his crewmate. "Captain told you to keep a plate of food for her on standby, right? For when she woke up?"
The hulking mass of flesh and muscle literally spat at them. It made Nadeen draw back with an exclamation of disgust. Coryn didn't even bother to glance at her before answering. "Yeah, it's in the oven now. I just need to turn it on. Now did she wake up on her own, or did your retarded ass go and wake her up when Captain specifically said to let her sleep off whatever knocked her out in the first place?"
The woman in question huffed, drawing their attention. She scowled at the three men behind her. "'Letting us wake you up', huh?" At least they had the decency to look sheepish. She had to crane her neck a little to look Coryn in the face. "Derek tried to fucking body tackle me off the bed. If my reflexes weren't what they are, Law would have broken ribs to deal with instead of cracked ones."
"I would, would I?" At least Nadeen had the excuse of being a woman for screaming like a little girl. The other three who took shelter behind Coryn with her? Not so much. Law looked torn between amusement at their reaction and anger for... Well, Nadeen wasn't really sure what he could be angry at. She didn't break any of his rules, the infirmary was back to the way it was, and she got revenge for Derek's treatment of her. Or he could just be in a generally pissy mood and the amusement was of the darker variety. Oh she was so fucked, wasn't she?
-LAW'S-POV; EARLIER-
Law sighed, his head drooping downwards and his eyes closed. His shoulders were slouched and his hands stuffed in his pockets. He usually walked about the sub with confidence and, as Nadeen said more than once the day before, something akin to ninja-ness. Today, though, his footsteps echoed eerily through the halls. His entire posture oozed annoyance and tiredness. It'd been another restless night for him. He hated having insomnia. Even when he did sleep, he rarely got deep enough to dream. It was a blessing every time those mental images crossed behind his eyelids, even when they were bad dreams.
He was just going to check in on the infirmary. The doctor saw three separate paths for him. If Nadeen was awake and hungry, he'd take her for food. If she was awake and not hungry, he'd still take her for food, but he'd force-feed her. If she was asleep, he'd wait for her to wake up. Maybe even take one of the unoccupied cots for himself and relax, take a nap himself. If someone needed him, they knew where to find him. There were really only two or three places he spent his time: his office, his medical ward, and the galley. In Law's mind, his quarters were only to be used for sleeping and other... more pleasurable activities.
The Dark Doctor sighed once again as he walked through the open doorway of the infirmary. It took a few seconds for that to register, and he froze. Open doorway. He'd closed it after him when he'd come by earlier that morning. Law took a deep breath, held it, and opened his eyes. He let the breath out in disappointment. Nadeen's bed was empty. The sheets weren't made. The IV line was put properly in it's spot. Either Nadeen had suddenly developed somewhat intelligent medical skills or someone let her out without informing him.
'Che, let her out... She's not a prisoner.' Law covered his face and rubbed at his eyes. To do the responsible thing and go looking for her, to make sure she wasn't aggravating her ribs too much? Or do the lazy thing and kidnap her bed until she returned to find him lounging, possibly sleeping, on it? He imagined her reaction to it. Indignant? Angry? Annoyed? 'What the hell are you doing on my bed?' To which he'd reply, 'It's my infirmary.' Or maybe she wouldn't give a damn. Perhaps she was smart enough to notice, hey, there's more than one bed! She could go sleep on one of the other ones until he woke up. Then again, she could also turn that against him by saying he could just as easily have occupied those instead of hers.
Another option made Law hesitate. She could also join him in the bed. Nadeen had told him the other night she was a cuddler. If he didn't wake up before someone came in, they'd find them snuggled up together. His reputation would be ruined! Not to mention the teasing Shachi and Penguin would put him through... Law shuddered at the thought and did a 180, walking right back out the door and towards the cafeteria. If whoever released her was smart, that's where they'd take her. There was an unfortunate lack of intellectual crewmembers, but luck sometimes tended to favor him.
He heard voices when he neared the galley. One was definitely Nadeen's, and she didn't sound happy. The last time Law had heard that tone, Jake was telling her she didn't belong on the ship. Was that old bastard up to his old tricks again? Law sped up from a lazy walk to a trot, just in time to hear Nadeen go, "'Letting us wake you up', huh?" They'd left the door open behind them. The Surgeon of Death peeked into the room to find Coryn facing off against Nadeen, Penguin, Shachi, and Derek. Coryn's beefy arms were crossed over his chest and he was glowering at the group. Actually, no, that wasn't entirely true. He was more glowering at Derek than the other three. Nadeen was glaring at the other three males before looking up at the chef. "Derek tried to fucking body tackle me off the bed. If my reflexes weren't what they are, Law would have broken ribs to deal with instead of cracked ones."
Law leaned against the open doorway and said, "I would, would I?" Four out of five people in the room gave a high pitched scream before diving behind Coryn for shelter. It was a hilarious picture. As the shortest of them all, Nadeen had to lean the farthest from behind all of them. Then Shachi behind her, who was actually leaning on her back to keep from falling. Law scowled; the idiot either forgot about just why she was supposed to stay in bed or was just ignoring it. Derek was on his toes to look above the both of them. Penguin was last in line, but he was the smart one and leaned to the other side. Coryn hadn't moved, but Law noticed an annoyed tic to his face.
Nadeen had her mouth wide open, and she seemed to be having difficulties in deciding what to say. "You... Wha'... Bu'... I... How..."
The captain rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and said, "Call me a ninja one more time and I'm going to throw something at you." She squeaked a little and ducked further behind Coryn. Law looked at the cook and gestured with his head for him to move. He obeyed by going back to the kitchen, leaving the four idiots to flounder uselessly, trying to hide behind one another. Law let them scramble before raising a hand. They all froze at the same time. "You." He pointed to Nadeen, who swallowed loudly. He pointed to a random chair. "Sit." She hurried to did so, almost falling over in the process. "You three." His attention turned to his subordinates, who straightened themselves out. "I thought I told everyone at breakfast this morning not to bother her until she woke up on her own."
Penguin and Shachi pointed wordlessly to Derek, who glared at them and mumbled, "Traitors." Law raised an eyebrow for an explanation, and Derek rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well... It's already eleven... Normally the stuff you gave her wears off after only eight hours, and you gave it to her at... what, eight PM?" He paused, as if waiting for his captain to give comment. Law merely raised an eyebrow and waited silently for him to continue. "Right. Well, she slept until 11 AM. That's fifteen hours. Seven more than you were supposed to sleep, in case you didn't know." He added that last part looking directly at Nadeen, who flipped him off without a word.
Law smirked when Derek stuck his tongue out. "I see then. You were worried that, perhaps, she was reacting badly to the medication?" The blonde nodded sheepishly, not daring to look his captain in the eye. Law hummed in understanding. "You didn't want to... what, worry me? Wake me up? Bother me with it?" An almost imperceptible nod. Meaning he was right on all assumptions. Did this count as insubordination? He went against his orders, but not for selfish reasons. In fact, if anything, he was thinking about Law's own good.
Before he could decide whether to punish Derek or not, Nadeen broke her silence with a critical eye over his frame. "To be fair, you do look like shit. The bags around your eyes are darker than yesterday. You're leaning your weight against the door without even trying to hide it. Paler than before, even with that totally unfair tan of yours. Seriously, you spend the better part of a week underwater. And even when the sub does come up for air, you only come out when you have to, unless you're on an island." Law stared evenly at her, trying to ask without words how she knew that. It was true, yes, but how did she know? She shrugged sheepishly in response. "When Cyrus babbles, he babbles."
Fair enough. Especially since Law himself tended to be Cyrus's favorite topic of conversation. Nadeen probably knew everything from his age to favorite color to his blood type. Sometimes Cyrus scared him a little... Just a little, though. Law flipped a hand through the air dismissively, not letting her admittedly impressive observation skills get to him. "I have insomnia. Can't sleep worth a damn on most nights. I'm surprised Cyrus hasn't already told you about it, considering the entire crew knows."
It took Law a moment to see the triumphant light in her expression. He understood just a second before she opened her mouth. "If the entire crew knows about it, then you can't really fault Derek for worrying over you. Everyone must've seen it was another one of those nights for you earlier, when you told everyone to just let me sleep. So while, yes, he could have been a bit gentler with me," she sent a scathing look to the sole blonde in the room, "he was doing so with your benefit in mind."
Everyone stared at her. Law wondered if she caught the hidden innuendo in her words. Nadeen's face didn't change, so she probably hadn't. He debated bringing it to her attention, but decided against it. As fun as her reaction would be, he wasn't in the mood. He sighed and rubbed his face, more to bring color back to it than out of actual aggravation. "Okay, fine. I won't punish him." Shachi and Penguin cheered while Derek breathed a sigh of relief. Nadeen leaned back in her seat, radiating satisfaction. Law brought their mood down by continuing. "You, however, are going to be on bed rest until I deem you fit. And if I have to handcuff you to the bed, I will. I'm pretty sure at least one of these guys has them hanging around."
He gave both Shachi and Penguin a meaningful look. They waved their arms in front of their faces and exclaimed at the same time, "No way! We're not into that kinky shit!"
Law gave them an innocent look. Or as innocent a look as he could fake. He was pretty sure he heard Nadeen give a giggle before audibly swallowing it. "I didn't say anything about kinky shit. Why on Earth would your minds jump to that? Is there something you two would like to tell me?" Because seriously, with the way those two acted, he sometimes had suspicions.
The two jumped away from each other with twin exclamations of disgust. Nadeen pointed at them and gave an obnoxious laugh, looking like she was trying to piss them off. Law kept quiet at the display, watching the scene in interest. The four of them bickered playfully amongst each other, seemingly forgetting that he was even there. It was a curious thing, really. The way the men were treating her, even Penguin, was the way they would treat each other. Like friends. The more he watched, though, the more he understood. She didn't tease Penguin when he had one of those awkward 'foot in mouth' moments. She defended Derek when the other two started picking on him. She even let Shachi put her in a headlock, though Law noted he kept his touch gentle so as not to irritate her wounds.
Honestly, it looked more like she was a sister than a potential romantic interest. Especially when she asked Derek about his stitches. The blonde waved her concern away, much like Law had earlier about his insomnia, but his was more grateful and shy than Law's easy dismissal. "It's fine. Captain'll look at them tomorrow. He always looks at stitches every other day after they're given, since we all heal at different rates of growth."
The door to the kitchen opened, admitting Coryn with a steaming plate in his hands. Nadeen snapped her head towards him and her eyes zeroed in on the food, staring at it intently. "It's more of an early lunch than a late breakfast." the buff man explained as he put the plate in front of her, looking up at Law. "I didn't want her to be too full when dinner comes around, so I made extra for her to keep her stomach satisfied until supper." Nadeen didn't even seem to be listening, as she'd started to stuff herself as soon as Coryn's hand was a safe distance away.
Law chuckled as he watched her and nodded at his chef. "That's fine. Aside from getting nutrients and proper hygiene, her body needs to start regulating itself again." Nadeen paused in eating and gave him a curious look. "Getting food on time, going to sleep without being forced, etcetera." She hummed in understanding before diving back in. "As soon as you finish, I'll lead you to your new room."
Well, at least she didn't choke this time. Doing a spit take, however, was slightly more disgusting. Nadeen stared at Law, and he realized she wasn't the only one. Even his own crew was blinking at him, though Coryn was quick to narrow his eyes instead of blinking owlishly. "I'm getting my own room?" she blurted out, wiping the back of her hand across her face.
The doctor sighed heavily in exasperation. He couldn't decide whether her naivety was mockingly adorable or just irritating. "Yes, Miss Nadeen, you're getting your own room. You didn't think I'd let you occupy my infirmary for your entire stay here, did you?" She shrugged half-heartedly, eating much slower than before. "I had Jake clear out one of the storage rooms near my own quarters, in case you needed help in the middle of the night."
She flashed him a sharp grin, and Law decided he liked the feral vindictiveness in the look. She was happy about her indirect revenge. "Fucking. Awesome."
Pages: 8
Words: 4408
Me: Not much I want to say here... I'm sorry it took so long, though. Review, please!