Law's eyes fluttered open as he groaned deep in his throat. His fingers and toes twitched as he struggled to move his limbs. His entire body felt heavy with bone-chilling aches, the sort that made you despair of having survived.
He felt suffocating pressure in his chest and his lungs burned, desperate to take in a full breath. His hands struggled to coordinate their rescue effort as they tugged on the bandages constricting him. They burst apart and he gasped with such relief. It was such a high that it felt over-whelming and he closed his eyes as he tried to steady his pulse.
When he opened his eyes again, he blinked slowly as he didn't recognize his surroundings. He shook his head as he felt a bit disoriented. Where was…hadn't he just…hadn't Blackbeard…?
His eyes widened in horror as his memory caught up. That's right. He had lost the fight, the poneglyphs, his submarine, and his entire crew. His throat tightened as he choked up with bitter regret. This hurt worse than the too-tight bandages because there was nothing to relieve such heartache. He closed his eyes tightly, but he couldn't shut out the rush of memories. Each crewmember had done him proud despite their own recent injuries from Wano. Their unconquerable spirit was something he knew was rooted in their fierce loyalty. They had been tested time and time again in the New World, facing impossible odds, but this time…he had been the one to fail them.
He pressed a trembling hand against his face, only then he was aware of the tears that flowed. He stifled a short sob caught in his throat.
A soft snore rumbled nearby, startling him out of his sorrow. He turned to his head to see Bepo stretched out on the floor, fast asleep with a snore bubble rising and falling from his snout. He lay on his back with a small blanket barely covering his stomach. It was a bit of a comical sight, but he was so relieved to see him. He shifted his weight to roll off the bed altogether. The impact of hitting the floor made him a little dizzy but it was better than trying to stand right now. He carefully pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and slowly crawled towards him. He reached out to wrap his arms around the Mink's great neck, burying his wet face into his fur.
To be the one protected this time, to be saved, was a very strange feeling to come to terms with. While he felt grateful, he regretted the lengths Bepo had gone through to save him. Without a doubt, Bepo's sacrifice had been the most traumatic. He knew just how much the Mink feared his Sulong form, ever since he met him on Swallow Island. He had always been such a tender soul, timid despite his raw strength and immense size. No one could ever convince him to shift into Sulong, and he had never personally tried to. He felt more inclined to protect the Mink rather than to pressure him through his insecurities. He was immensely curious just how he managed to shift in daylight, but that paled in comparison to the reality that he had finally managed to master his fear of it.
Bepo mumbled wordlessly in his sleep. He shifted, wrapping an arm around Law to pull him into a snuggling position. There was no escaping now without waking him and Law smiled secretly as he surrendered to this fate. He shifted only slightly to get more comfortable. Then he let out a small sigh as his eyes closed once more.
Bepo stirred awake to the sensation of fingers sifting through the thick fur on his shoulder. Was it Sachie looking to play? He opened his eyes, blinking wearily, to see a mess of thick, black, spiky hair in front of his snout. His nose tickled at the familiar medicinal musk of his Captain.
Law could sense the Mink's muscles begin to tense beneath his expert fingers. "Hold still Bepo," he instructed smoothly. "I haven't secured these stitches yet."
Bepo rested his head against his. "Oh Captain…!" He softly gushed gratefully with a soft garchu nuzzle.
With his head bowed, Law allowed himself a small, pleased smile. Then he patted his snout with a gentle rebuff. "I said hold still," he reminded him. He finished the stitch with a secure knot and cut the thread with his teeth. He sat back on the stool and gave him a bit of a stern look. "You shouldn't have neglected your own wounds just to tend to mine. You're just lucky that you're so thick-skinned," he said dryly. Due to their close proximity last night, he had discovered small patches of bloody fur concealing deep, jagged cuts. He then decided that it would be best to move him onto the bed and begin treatment.
Thankfully it wasn't too much, just a few here and there scattered on both arms. He easily found a few basic medical supplies in the nightstand drawer and got to work. Shifting into a methodical, medical mindset did distract him from his grief. To help his friend made him feel useful, and it lessened the sting to his pride somewhat.
Bepo flinched a bit at the mild scolding. "It…wasn't that bad, Captain," he insisted. "I barely felt it."
There was a moment of silence as Law's mouth settled into a soft frown. There was a faint questioning furrow to his brow as his dark eyes looked as turbulent as a stormy sea. There was a lot he wanted to say, to ask, but where to start? Bepo knew that his Captain was a man of calculated words, and a long pause was never a good sign. He swallowed hard as he began to worry.
Just then the door creaked open, and the perfect distraction walked right in. Sachie's cherubic cheeks widened as she grinned broadly. "Mr. Heart woke up!"
Law openly stared at the child's approach, completely confused by her appearance. She reached up to trace along the heart-shaped tattoo on his chest with her little fingers. "Such a big heart-"
Law physically recoiled at her touch and nearly fell off the stool in the process. She looked crushed by his obvious rejection and Bepo felt the need to intervene on her behalf. He sat up and reached out to pick her up. He gently nuzzled her nose to nose, and she laughed as she patted his furry face. Once cheered up, he settled her down on his lap. "Sachie, this is my Captain, Trafalgar Law."
Her face scrunched up as she tried to repeat the name, but it sounded funny in her mouth. Law looked a little exasperated, surely his name wasn't that hard to pronounce.
"Huh, so he's finally awake," a man's gravelly voice hmphed from the doorway. "That's unfortunate because I didn't make more than one extra serving of breakfast."
"He can eat mine!" Bepo and Sachie both volunteered in unison.
"You're still a growing girl," he countered as he entered the room. "That overgrown bear could stand to miss a meal." He said flatly as he held out the plate toward Trafalgar.
There was a hard glint in Law's eye as he took personal offense to the comment against his Navigator. Bepo cleared his throat to distract, yet again. "It's alright Captain, I'm still full from last night's meal. It was very delicious, sir." He complimented the grizzled old man.
"Don't go calling me that either!" The grizzled old man barked in his usual ill-tempered manner.
Law's jaw set angrily as he rose to his feet, towering over their host. "How dare you-!"
The man wasn't the least bit intimidated. He grinned in a taunting manner. "Oh I do dare. This is MY house and if you don't like my hospitality," he sneered, "You're welcome to LEAVE!" He hollered the last part in his face.
Sachie launched herself off of Bepo's lap and threw her little arms around her Uncle's neck. She clung to him, wrapping her legs around his chest. "Apologize, Uncle!" She insisted with a pout. "Right now!"
"Please take it easy, Captain," Bepo whispered in turn towards his own. "You're still recovering, and he means no real harm."
Maybe he was on to something there. Law reconsidered as he watched the old man scowl in a sheepish manner at the girl's scolding. "Do what you want with it," he grumbled as he handed Bepo the plate instead. He shrugged the girl off, holding his arm out for her to climb down from. She landed lightly on her feet, and he turned to leave the room, grumbling under his breath.
"My Uncle can be a grouchy grump, but he's just lonely," she said matter-of-factly with all the innocence of a child.
Law found himself tongue-tied again. He didn't know how he was meant to respond to something that blunt. Bepo smiled kindly. "Please thank him for the food. We'll share this between us." He picked up the slice of toast and crunched into it.
She looked pleased with his answer and skipped out of the room. Bepo handed over the plate. "It is much tastier than it looks, give it a try," he encouraged.
Law sat back down on the stool and accepted the plate. He looked at it as skeptically as a food critic, but his growling stomach spoke for him. He took a small, hesitant bite and blinked in genuine surprise. His next bite was an eager one and Bepo watched on with a smile.