Chapter 12: Talking to the Witch Doctor
*_+_*
"Yosh!" Luffy said as he donned on overalls, a white shirt, and had a white bandana on his head. "Let's get painting!"
"Aye!" Called out the kids donning their own worn out clothes to paint with.
_/\/\/\_
Zoro was in the doctor's office as they went through some basic tests before going into the lab for more in-depth tests.
"So, how are you and your friend doing?"
"Really well surprisingly."
"I've noticed you're having more emotion to your voice these last few weeks."
"Really? I haven't really noticed."
"I bet you're taking more than a few pills each day."
"It's worth it."
"Oh? I haven't heard that one before." She said with a witch like giggle. "Must be a special case, isn't he?"
Zoro smiled a bit. "He is…"
"And your heart isn't acting up from the times you've been together?"
"No, not at a grand scale at least. And he's also careful of what he's doing around me, which he doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all."
"Were you concerned?"
"I thought he was an idiot being around me. I still think he's an idiot, but there's no way of getting rid of him now."
"You're still friends, right?"
"Of course. We agreed that it was better that way. He's not going into relationships and I can't even be in one."
"There are different forms of relationships, you know."
"I know, but I'm sure about this."
"Are you?"
Zoro looked at his doctor. "Are you trying to say something to screw with my head, again?"
She giggled. "Ah! You know me all too well!" She said as she crackled.
"How you became a doctor I would never know." He said wondering just how he got her to be his doctor for so long.
"So, what is your friend doing today?"
"He said he was going to give those kids a field trip and paint."
"Did he say where?"
"Never asked. He's a pretty reliant guy to those kids."
"You've seen him work?"
"Yeah, the kids look up to him a lot." He smiled. "Even they know he's an idiot, but that's what they like about him. They can easily understand him when other adults try to communicate with their own kids, but couldn't."
"Sounds like he never grew up."
"Oh, he did, but his way is different than most. He's forever a pirate that guy."
"A pirate? Is that what he wanted to be?"
"Kinda dumb, but then who am I to judge? I wouldn't be able to hold up one in my condition."
"Yet you're able to do so well."
"He's just easy to be around with I guess. If I'm with someone else then it can go either way."
"I can tell where I fall in that."
"You're my doctor, you're paid to torment me as well as make sure I have a fighting chance, if any."
"So far you are in your own way."
"Huh?"
"About a couple months ago you would've stayed in that apartment, rotting away what's left of your life without so much as a fight. I'm surprised you didn't decide on overdosing yourself."
"I have too much pride to kill myself."
"I know that. But now you have something to live for, someone you want to stay with for awhile."
Zoro just stared at the doctor as he thought about it. "That's true…" He said finally.
"We're almost done here."
"Take your time. Luffy will be off in another hour."
She smiled. "I see you already got the scheduling down."
"Be quiet."
She smiled. "I just love screwing that hard head of yours."
"When you really want to annoy me to death."
"Then I would be an executer, not a doctor."
"But you want to be both."
"Nah, being a doctor is more awarding. I get to see people squirm longer as they slowly recover from any aliment."
"You're a sadist…"
"And you're hardly any fun because one wrong move and your either dead or hooked up to a tube."
"If I'm going to die then let me."
"I would, but would your friend?"
"He would probably mourn my death than anyone else in this life."
"And I won't?"
"You're a doctor, you see people die all the time."
"True, I have immunity to the mortal patient."
"You're human too…"
"That makes my reason all the more awarding by making sure you don't die before I do."
"But you should've been retired about a hundred years ago."
"You want to die badly you brat!?"
"I wonder how you would deal with Luffy blaming you for my death."
"I'll kill him if he complains."
"Then you would lose your license."
"Damn you annoying thorn in my side."
"Probably should've killed me when you had the chance, huh?" He said with a grin.
"Don't you be cheeky with me! You will one day either die or go under the knife on the operation table!"
"Until then I'll continue to be the thorn at your side."
"The results will be done in a few minutes. Stay right there for at least a half an hour."
"I know." He said as he closed his eyes and started to take a nap right there.
_/\/\/\_
A couple hours went by before Zoro made it up to his apartment and entered, only to sense something different about his room. He turned on the light and saw that his room had been painted with color.
The walls were a blue color of various shades, some of the paint got onto the ceiling, and he saw that there were child-like pictures on the walls depicting ships and people on them. He even noticed the horribly painted pirate flag on the ship but he couldn't help smiling.
"A field trip huh?" He said as he looked to see that it was only the living room that was painted on. He went up to a phone and called Luffy.
"Hey Zoro!" Luffy said.
"Hey Luffy. I got to see what you and the kids do today."
"You like it?"
He chuckled. "It was quite a surprise, but I find that I do like it." He said as he heard the other laugh.
"The kids wanted to do the other rooms, but I didn't want to mess up your place that much."
"Thanks." He said with a chuckle. "So, what adventures you have planned next time?"
"Zoro! Adventures are never planned!"
He smiled as he chuckled. "You're right my bad."
"How was your day?"
"Long and uneventful."
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, hanging around with you hasn't made my condition worse."
"Oi!"
He chuckled as he looked at the wall painting. 'Everything has become an adventure since we met.' He thought as he saw one part of the picture with a kid drawing of Luffy and Zoro together at the front of the ship.