"Careful." Chopper asked, as Zoro and Sanji held on to Usopp.

Zoro in Usopp's legs and Sanji in his arms.

"Slowly.." Chopper asked.

"We get it!" Sanji hissed, and together, the two men, lowered the sniper down in the basin of cold water, they just filled up inside of the infirmary.

"Incredible." Sanji blinked as he bowed down. "he is barely awake, even though he is burning up and we just put him into cold water!" he exclaimed.

"Is it really good to put him into cold water?" Zoro questioned. "Are you supposed to keep sick people warm?"

"Usually that is the case." Chopper admitted. "But in Usopp's case, it's the fever that's the trouble, his body temperature is about to become so high that the body wont be able to take it, and that is what is going to kill him, so we need to do the opposite, keep him cold." He told, putting a hoof on Usopp's forehead.

"It's that bad now?" Sanji asked..

Chopper nodded. "His temperature has been gradually rising, it wasn't life-threatening before, but now is the time we need to actively help him keep the body temperature as low as possible."

A slight knock sounded on the door and a voice. "Is it all-right I come in now?"

"It's fine Nami!" Chopper told, and the orange haired naviagor came in, holding a bottle of shampoo and a towel.

"Oh dear." Nami sighed looking at the barely conscious Sniper in the tub. His eyes were slightly moving, and some-times he was groaning, but it didn't really look like he was aware of what was going on around him.

Sighing Nami sat down on her knees, and cupped her hands in the water, to pour it over Usopp's head and hair, then she repeated the motion over and over, to really soak his hair through. Then she squesshed some shampoo into her hands, and slowly started to massage it into Usopp's big hair. "Wow Usopp." She sighed. "How do you keep all of that hair in order?" she asked.

Sanji shrugged from where he stood, holding a cigarette. "Maybe we should cut it, it would be a small pay-back for frightening us so much." He stated.

"Sanji that's mean!" Nami stated. "How would you feel if some-one came and cut your hair while you were defenceless?" she asked.

Immediately Sanji hung his head. "Forgive me Nami-swan!" he asked. "You're so beautiful when you are so caring!" he stated. "It's breaking my heart!"

"Sanji, honestly." Nami sighed as she rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't mind." Zoro shrugged. "If it's in the way it's in the way, no wonder a queer like Ero-cook would be upset though." He smirked.

"What.." Sanji hissed. "The hell did you just call me?" he asked.

"Oh, should I repeat it?" Zoro asked.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE NO!" Sanji exclaimed pressing his hands against his ears. "If you ever speak that word in my presence again! I swear I'll kill you!"

"Heh, the truth hurt doesn't it?" Zoro asked.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD I'LL KILL YOU!" Sanji yelled aiming a kick straight for Zoro. "You don't know what I have gone through, and what you are talking about!" he cried.

"Guys honestly." Nami muttered. "Take it out-side, maybe?" she asked as she still massaged soap into Usopp's hair. "This is an infirmary!"

"Pff." Zoro snorted. "then maybe shit-cook shouldn't be such a pussy."

"OI SAY THAT AGAIN!" Sanji yelled.

And then suddenly, Chopper turned into his big monster point, and stood in front of the two men, yelling into their faces. "OUT!"

Frightened both men jumped up.

Then easily, as Chopper now towered over the two, he managed to pick both of them up by the neck of their shirts, kicked the door open, and threw them right out, smacking the door after them. Then turned into his brain point form, exhaling deeply.

Nami blinked as she looked up. "Wauw.. some-times I forget how strong you are."

"Hehe.." Chopper blushed. "I wont get happy just because you praise me you shithead." He told.

Nami smiled, but then sighed as she looked down at Usopp. "And not even that woke him up.." she sadly pointed out.

"Well, I did see him focus a little bit on Zoro and Sanji.." Chopper swallowed, then stepped closer, then looked at Usopp.

"Chopper.." Nami swallowed as her throat tied together. "His.. temperature is life-threatening now?" she asked.

Chopper silenced, then looked down.

"So he could die any minute?" Nami asked.

"Depends on the temperature." Chopper sighed. "If it raises just a little bit more, then.." he bit his lip. "I don't know, I have given him all the medicine I got to lower his temperature, but it doesn't work."

Nami sniffed, then wiped away a tear, as she looked down on the sniper, then slowly began to rinse his hair from soap. "Now look at that." Nami stated in a broken voice. "He needs a shave!" she pointed out, as true enough, there was quite a lot of black stubbles on Usopp's chin currently. "Can you believe that Usopp actually shaves now? He really grew when we were apart."

"Uhu." Chopper sniffed, as he whisked away a tear with his hoof. "I don't know how to shave though, I can't help you there. Maybe Zoro or Sanji can."

"Zoro can grow a beard?" Nami asked in a blink. "Does that mean his beard is green as well?" she asked.

Chopper blinked as she looked at Nami, then suddenly, he chuckled as he whisked away a tear. "I don't know." He admitted. "He shaves before you can see what colour it is.. I wonder if Franky would get a blue beard if he grew it out..."

Now Nami couldn't help but chuckle as she held a hand towards her mouth.

"We would have to re-name them then." A weak voice sounded.

"Huh?" Nami blinked as she looked down at Usopp.

"Green-beard and blue-beard." Usopp smiled weakly, his fever ridden eyes fluttering. "Catchy.."

"Usopp you're awake!" Chopper exhaled. "You think you can eat?"

Usopp clearly wasn't all there, his eyes were glazed, and in spite of the cold water, he was still dripping with sweat.

"You have to try! Just a spoon-full would be good!" Chopper told turning into monster point, and grabbing the bowl with broth always available. "Come on!" he asked, quickly stuffing a spoon into Usopp's mouth now he had the chance.

Five spoonfuls after, Usopp was out again, and Nami was trying to brush his long hair. "There's so many knots in this." Nami pointed out. "And the sweat was all caked in this mane." She told. "How does he keep it in order?" Nami asked. "When he runs around like that, building machines and gardening!?"

"He keeps it in a horsetail." Chopper reminded Nami. "I ones saw him making it into a braid before going to sleep." He then told. "Then Sanji made fun of him and he stopped.."

"He could make small braids out of it, that would look cool." Nami pointed out as she fingered with his hair. Then slowly, she started to braid a little of the hair, into a small braid. "Chopper, could you go to my quarters into my drawer and find me the basket with small hair-elastics?" she asked.

"You think Usopp will be okay with that?" Chopper asked.

"I'll pull it out if he doesn't like it." Nami told in a sigh. "Promise."

"Okay." Chopper then nodded, as he hesitantly walked out, and towards the womens quarters, leaving Nami with her little project.

"Usopp.." Nami whispered as she slipped her hand through his black locks. And slowly braided his hair.

The Sniper didn't even react, just rested his head on his chest.

"Don't do this to me please." She asked. "You can't do this! Think about Kaya, she's waiting for you! Think about me, I am counting on you, you ass-hole." She muttered, pulling a bit in his hair, but not even that got an reaction out of him, and immediately Nami felt bad.

"Sorry.." she then muttered. "I know this isn't your choice, but Usopp. What is this crew going to do without you?" she asked. "What am I going to do?" she asked. "You're the only reason I am capable of fighting along-side our friends." Loosely she started to started with the climatact, attached to her belt where it always was. This wasn't a version Usopp had build, but it was based on his inventions. The weather wizards had marveled over Namis unique weapon, and started to manifacture a whole new line of objects, only based on her clima tact, the clima tact Usopp had build. If only he had known, that an entire society was praising his invention as a work of genius, why had she never told him that? Had she just forgotten? Nami swallowed as she looked at the Sniper, trying not to cry.

Then she spoke again, softly, in a croaked voice. "You know, there are certain things... you are the only one I can talk to, you're the only one whom understands, how it is to have to fight every day just to keep up. I can't do this without you!" she told in a cry. "Usopp! We started this journey together, at the eastern blue! We made it all the way to the new world, together! The damn least you can do is to end it with us! It's not like you not to see it through!" she buried her nose into his newly washed hair, and inhaled, before she sat up, wiping her eyes with her hand. "Don't give up now! We've come so far together, you've come so far!" she told. "I.. I never managed to tell you, but. I look up to you." She told. "You.. inspire me, seeing you growing so much, it gives me the strength to try as well. When I see you work hard, I know I can do it as well. I would have lost faith in myself a long time ago if it wasn't for you.. Usopp, you and I." she sighed deeply. "We are supposed to stick together, to beat some sense into this crew of ours, to keep them in reality so they don't die.. I don't want to see another person that I love die in front of me.. being absolutely helpless again, I don't ever want to be in that position again. I hate you for this you know." She told. Then shook her head. "No I don't.. unlike you I am not a liar." She muttered a little sourly. "Idiot." She then stated, splashing some water on Usopp's face.


The four stages of grief, if you are facing a big lose. Such as your own life or a dear friend.

Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance

Every-one goes through these fazes at different speeds and rates, a faze can last between two seconds and a month, you can jump from one to the other, or even feel two at the same time. It's a rough skecth, and usually happens in that order, but every-one is an individual, and each situation is unique.