Chapter 20: Heartache Truth

*_+_*

The day went on like normal for Zoro. He wakes up, looks at the time and knows that Luffy was working, gets up, dressed, and decided to go out for a walk, which wasn't long as he realized that he was short in his prescription.

"Damn, I have to go asked that damn witch." He said as he went there, got the pills he needed and walked in the park.

It was a gloomy day out, but he enjoyed the cool breeze either way and returned back to his apartment to take a nap.

_/\/\/\_

When he woke up a couple hours later, he saw the time and was confused as he got up to see that Luffy had yet returned to his apartment.

"I'll try his cell." He said to himself as he gave the other a call, but didn't get anything. "What's going on?" He was going to try the apartment phone when his phone went off with his doctor's number on it. "What is it?"

"Get your ass in here now! We found you a heart!"

"What?"

"Get in here or it will go to someone else!"

He didn't have time to hang up as he got down to the hospital, found his doctor and went into the E.R., shedding his clothes as he did until he was in his boxers. "What's the deal with this guy?"

"Car accident. Some moron decided to not see the red light and slammed against the guy."

"Is he really going to die?" Zoro said.

"His body is in tacked, that's all I know."

"Shit, I couldn't even get a hold of Luffy…" He said as he saw the room he was going to be in and got on the operating table.

"How are you?"

"Just a little stressed."

"Take anything?"

"No."

"Good, makes the process a lot easier."

"If Luffy does come and ask about me-"

"I'll let him know…" She said as she got herself ready as a mask was over his face.

Zoro was feeling slightly drozy before he groggily heard another group coming in with another person on the operating table.

"Doctor! Are you sure of this procedure?"

"The brat ask that if anything happened to either of them, this will how it will go."

"But-"

"There's no time for 'buts', now get moving!"

"Doctor, the donor's name is…"

He barely caught the rest as he looked to see the other next to him before falling into darkness.

_/\/\/\_

"Zoro… Zoro!"

He woke up to see Luffy above him. "Luffy?" He said as he got up and looked to see that they were in a field that he was sure he had never been too. "Where are we?"

"Dunno…" Luffy said with a laugh. "But does it really matter?"

"Kind of…" He said. "I mean, I remember being in the E.R."

"The E.R.?"

"Yeah. Apparently they found a heart for me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, some bastard ran a red light and hit the guy that I got the heart from. By the way, why weren't you answering your cell when I called you? You weren't home like you usually were."

Luffy smiled sadly as the clouds started to come in and the area was dulled by the lack of sunlight. "I don't know… It happened so fast…"

"What are you saying?"

Luffy held out his hand. "Walk with me."

Zoro grabbed the other's hand, got up, and walked side by side in the unfamiliar world. "Mind telling me what's going on? And how we got here?" He asked as he looked to the other, only for him to be gone. "What the hell? I was holding his hand tightly…" He looked around to see that the clouds darkened and the field seemed to be experiencing some violent wind, but he didn't feel a thing. "Luffy…" He said as he started calling out and running.

'Wait! I'm running? When did I…? Never mind! I have to find Luffy!' He thought as he soon found himself outside the care center that Luffy worked.

"See you tomorrow!" Luffy called as he was exiting the building.

"Luffy!" He called. "What the he-" He started when the other went through him. "Wha-" He turned, only to find himself in the other's car. He looked to see the other driving, driving towards his apartment. "Luffy! Can't you hear me?" He reached out, only for his hand to go through. He looked to see a street as the car stopped at a red light. "Don't tell me…" He whispered as the light turned green and Luffy moved forward.

Time seemed to slow down as Zoro watched as Luffy drove out into the intersecting street and saw the bright headlights of the other vehicle as Luffy looked and before the other could say or do anything, everything became bright and he felt the impact.

_/\/\/\_

"LUFFY!!" He shouted as he sat up in the hospital bed, the sound of the heart monitor going crazy as his doctor came in.

"You're finally awake!" She said as he panted.

"Wha- Where…?"

"You're in the recovery room, you dumbass."

He looked around and he did register the room and looked at his doctor. "Where's Luffy…" He said.

She gave him a sad look, a look she rarely shows.

"Where is he…" He asked as she brought out a wheel chair.

"Get on." She said quietly.

He didn't want to question her as he grabbed a robe, put it on, and got on the wheel chair.

They moved down the hallway as he realized that they were closing in on the urgent recovery room, the room where the serious injuries go to have special care. He knew because he spent a lot of time there before moving into the apartment.

_/\/\/\_

They entered the area and went down to the end of the hall, where there was a display window, meaning that the person in critical condition was to stay there without any foreign germs, but allow family and friends to watch as the specialists do the daily caring.

"Stop." He said as the doctor stopped pushing and he stood up. He walked to the window and he could see who is exactly in the room. "Dr. Kureha… The guy who was in the car accident…"

"Is Monkey D. Luffy…"

"And the heart…"

"Was his and now inside you."

"And him…?"

"He has yours…"

"You've got to be joking…" He said as he was sure that he was breaking. "My heart isn't suited to be inside in another person…"

"He wanted to be your donor and only you."

"Why? I have the worst heart in the world. Even a smoker's heart would be suitable if it's still able to function… But mine…"

"He asked me months ago to test him for a good match. It was."

"But why did you switch hearts?"

"It was his idea."

"What?" He said, still looking at the other in the clean room attached with numerous tubes.

"He said that if it was a good match, and if something were to happen to you, he will be your donor and do a heart switch. He gives you his, and he'll have yours. I told him it was risky, but he insisted. And I ran a lot of tests, but all of them were positive for a successful operation."

"But he was in an accident…"

"That's why he's in that room. The heart would be able to accept him if he was healthy and free of any injuries, but he lost a lot of blood when he came in. As you can see, we're using all the blood you've donated for him." She said as Zoro placed a hand on the glass. "Good news, he's stable despite what happened."

"Why do I sense a bad news there?"

"He's in a coma. He might not wake up for a long time." She said as she saw the other shaking as she looked to see the friends and family quietly walked in and saw the sight before them.

"Why Luffy…?" Zoro said as he choked and tears fell down. "Why did you go and ask for this stupid switch? Even after I told you that my heart was killing me since the day I was born…" The tears didn't stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Because that's how much he loves you."

He turned to look at Sanji. "You…"

"He wanted to do this because he loves you, even when you two decided to be a bit more than friends." He said. "He also wanted you to live. Because you didn't for the last ten years and he wanted to help you in anyway, even if it meant his end."

Zoro turned to look back to see the rest of the group including Ace and Smoker before looking back to see Luffy. That's when he heard it, beating against his eardrums. The feeling of a strong heart beating in his chest as he another round of tears fell from his eyes as he cried out.

"Luffy! You stupid idiot!" He shouted as he fell to the ground and cried, while the others didn't know what to do and just stood there and watched the strong man wail like a child who lost something very dear, and they don't blame him.

Please don't sue me for this.

Zoro: I know I am.

I got no money...

Zoro: Tough.

You're still in debt!

Zoro: Damn it!

And you can't kill me either!

Zoro: (glares)

I got Nami on speed dial.

Zoro: (continues to glare)

So... yeah, sorry to leave it like that everyone.