And again it's been ages, I know. I'll use this little spot here for a tiny remark: my updates will be irregular at all times *laughs* Whether I can write or not depends a) on the time I have at hand, b) on my inspiration for the ficlet and c) simply on whether I feel like writing or not. So please don't be disappointed if an update takes months. I won't forget about the story, I promise.
Again, thanks for everyone's nice comments!
Kid sounds like a steam train.
Even though they had set off in the late morning, they seem to have been walking for ages. It's not the walk that's putting the Captain even further off his non-existent good mood, it's the heat that has started to rise since midday. The sun is burning down mercilessly and while Law hopples along, leaning on his katana, Kid is slowly melting under his thick fur coat.
"Oi, lame duck."
The redhead huffs and puffs silently, trying to prevent Law from noticing that he's actually quite breathless already.
"Would you finally get your fucking arse in gear? I didn't plan on dying on a fucking country road."
Law glares at him and Kid responds with a questioning look. What? He did ask nicely after all.
"I'm sorry that my mouldering leg is such a nuisance to you."
"Well you fucking should be."
The Doctor sighs and hopples on.
Until a while ago, it actually was quite fun to piss the Captain off bit by bit, watching him growl and grunt and pull faces like a bulldog, whose favourite toy has been taken away. But the heat, combined with the pain in his leg are slowly taking over and the walk becomes insufferable for the raven haired man.
"You could carry me, you know? We'd be quicker then."
"I could just leave you and I'd be quicker then."
"Do you even know where we're going?"
Kid remains silent and pouts. Of course he wouldn't know. And he doesn't care much either to be honest.
The heat is not helping their wounds to heal. Law feels the blood pulsating in his veins, rushing through them at a mad speed. He feels his leg burning and a thick mixture of blood and puss is leaking out, soaking the cloth wrapped around the wound. Kid's cut on the forehead has sprung open again and started bleeding a little, which the Captain doesn't seem to notice though, probably believing it to be sweat, rather than blood.
"Didn't you say you wanted to reach a village by midday?"
"Yes. So?"
"Where is your fucking village then?"
"I don't know. Would you mind watching your language a little? You sound like scum."
It's amazing how Law can still scold the bigger man, even though his leg is nearly killing him. Kid, who has hoped that Law might eventually collapse sometime soon, knits his non-existent brows.
"What do you care about my fucking language?"
"See, that's just what I'm talking about. Try and say something nice for a change, I'm sure you're creative enough to do that without using the f-word."
Kid seems to ponder for a while, staring up at the pale blue sky. Law glances over his shoulder to watch the Captain and can already imagine that guy to have been totally unable to cope at school, if he ever visited one that is.
"So?"
"Bite me."
"Still rude!"
"But no f-word."
Kid grins smugly and passes Law, feeling a little accomplished actually.
"It's no wonder that people try and stay away from you. After all you are – Cat!"
"I'm a what?"
The redhead stares at Law in disbelief until he notices that the doctor is pointing at something. Something that Kid would've gladly overlooked, if it hadn't started rubbing its head against his leg a second later.
A small grey tabby cat is weaselling around his feet, rubbing it's head against the Captains legs and purring.
Kids face is of mere disgust, while Law cannot supress a grin.
"I never knew you were good with animals."
"I like them roasted, usually."
The cat earns a small kick in the side and Kid hurries on, exhaling sharply. Today everything seems to be pissing him off, most of all Law, who's still grinning at the broad, fur coated back.
"I'm coming in!"
Killer shifts to an upright position, placing the mask beside him on the bed, just in case. He shouldn't be sitting like that, his wounds immediately remind him, but he hates lying down all day.
The door to the dark hotel room opens and a narrow beam of light hovers over the wooden floor.
Penguin is packed with shopping bags, some crammed with food, some with first aid stuff, bandages, plasters and disinfectant.
"You sure are spending a lot of money on me."
The heart pirate leaves the bags on the couch table, going through them one by one. He's gotten used to not looking directly at his patient, unless he's wearing his mask. Though he still does wonder why Killer won't let him look at his face.
"Most of the stuff is for me anyways. But I thought you might be hungry."
He had bought some sandwiches, fruit and water supplies for at least three days.
"How long are you planning on keeping me here?"
Killer sounds suspicious.
Penguin cannot blame him. He'd very much prefer searching for his crew and captain as well, but since both of them had it rough, rushing out might be a bad idea right now.
"Until you're distinctly better. And since I'm the doctor here, I'll be the one to tell you when that's happened."
Killer blinks, unseen by Penguin. That guy surely doesn't mince matters.
"Are you even a real doctor?"
"I wonder."
The Kid pirate watches Penguin walking in and out of the bathroom, putting everything away orderly and neatly and decides that he must be some sort of a neat freak. Possibly even suffering from an OCD, considering that he's been busy flattening his blankets over and over again last night.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Tired."
"Not surprised. You must be all worn out since you got slashed pretty badly. Any wounds leaking?"
"I'm not sure."
"Put on your mask."
Penguin listens to the rustling in the dark and only starts stepping towards the bed, once he hears a low grunt from his patient, muffled again by the thick mask. It's a condition they had agreed on, even though Penguin is not quite happy with it. He still worries about injuries to Killers face.
"Alright! That's it!"
Kid turns around, blinks and shields his eyes from the sun burning down.
"What's what?"
He watches the Doctor slowly sitting down in the grass, nearly sliding down the length of his katana. Law looks pale, sweat running down his face and he shivers visibly. His leg is killing him, the cloth wrapped around the wound probably being even dirtier than the path they're walking on. He feels dizzy and his head is spinning at a mad speed.
"I can't… walk another step."
The Captain tilts his head a little, curiously watching the suffering man at his feet.
"You really are a wimp, huh?"
"Shut your trap. I wanna see you walking in the midday heat with a wound like that."
"You were the one wanting to set off and then getting lost! Don't blame me now, Trafalgar! Eh… Trafalgar?"
For a split second, Law looks like he's about to throw up, becoming even more pale than he already is. The dark circles under his eyes look direful and he falters a little.
"Oi, Trafalgar."
Eventually he keels over, half supported by his katana, half by Kids leg, before he can hit the ground.
The redhead looks down at the other supernova, leaning against his leg and fights a feeling of mere disgust. What's with this guy always being that touchy-feely, even when he's obviously in coma?
"Splendid."
Law has passed out cold.
The Captain, obviously displeased, ignores the nag leaning against him, while he takes another good look around. No town or village in sight, not even a single house, hut or barn. Just plain fields and the border of a small forest.
'Probably the trees that were towering above the beach', Kid ponders and shoots another glance at the unconscious man by his side.
He could just leave him here and run for it. After all, Law has only been delaying him since yesterday, being annoying with his constant babbling and know-it-all attitude. There is no reason in this whole wide world, why Kid should help him out. Not a single one. Not even for the Captains own benefit, since Law has proven to be more of a nuisance than an actual help.
He looks up as he hears a quiet "meow" a couple of feet away and sees the tabby cat sitting in the high grass, close to Laws feet. It meows again and sneaks a little closer, sniffling at the reeking wound covering Laws leg.
"Oi, piss off. That guy's a creep and he probably wouldn't be very happy to find his leg gnawed off by a fucking cat once he wakes up. If he wakes up that is."
Even in his sleep the concerned and pained look on Laws face is clearly visible. Kid sighs heavily. No reason to help this guy. None at all.
"Fucking nuisance."
He shoos the cat away, poking it with Laws katana until it reluctantly disappears in the field behind them, obviously miffed.
The Doctor gives a small sound of pain, as Kid lifts him up and throws him over his shoulder easily, like a lifeless flour sack. Surprisingly enough, the guy doesn't seem to weigh anything. He doesn't even stir as the taller man carries him over to the line of trees marking the beginning of the forest and – ruggedly – drops him at the foot of a massive tree.
It's refreshingly cool in the thick shades of the trees and Kid seems quite content to leave Law to rest for a while. He still believes the raven-haired man to be a pantywaist, but the heat even bothers him, though he'd never admit it.
He takes his coat off, carefully tugs the golden spikes under the thick fur and, after a moment of hesitation, plugs the dirty red cloth under Laws head. Thank god that nobody's around to see this.
"Just so you know Trafalgar, this doesn't change a fucking thing between us."
No response, as expected.
Walking on in the midday heat is no use, that much he knows. He might as well wait here until the sun has started setting and maybe Law will wake up again until then. Or die in the meantime; Kid is not sure and not too concerned either. He's not a doctor; he has no clue about the severity of the leaking wound. Even though his half working common sense tells him that some cold water and a clean bandage would help.
He glares down at the sleeping man. They should be far enough from the path for other people to see them, so why not leave Law for a while? And even if someone did find him, maybe that person would be nice enough to get medical help for that unconscious pain in the ass. Kid surely as hell isn't.
The Captain sighs and gets up again, stretching and ignoring the throbbing headache that derives from the pulsating laceration on his forehead. Just a little walk in the shadows, getting his head around the whole situation and cooling down a little would do him good. No talking, no disturbing sounds coming from the Heart Pirate.
He's not quite sure whether or not he will return to Law though. After all this could be his chance to blow this place.
As soon as Kid has disappeared into the woods, the little grey tabby cat scurries from some bushes nearby. It seems like it's been waiting for the redhead to make a move. Now it dares coming closer again, sniffling at Laws nose and eyebrows and eventually settling down by his side, curled up into a ball of grey fuzz.