As the sun broke the surface ones again in the morning.

Every-thing was surprisingly quiet at the ship thousand sunny and its souroundings.

Quiet in the corners, quiet in the sleeping quarters, there weren't even any-one there, quiet in the galley. The only place with a sound were in the small infirmary.

And in there, it was only the sounds of peoples breath there were to be heard.

Many of the straw-hats had ended up falling a sleep due to sheer exhaustion, Chopper was barely awake as he laid on Usopp's chest, streching his small hoofs out, towards Usopp's face.

The only one whom seemed to be fully aware, was Luffy, as he sad by Usopp's bed-side, holding Usopp's hand firmly, looking sternly at the sniper, with shining, wide open eyes, and a mouth that was bit together.

That was the picture Nami woke up to, Luffy sitting there, as if he hadn't moved an inch the entire night, and then her eyes fell on Usopp.

And immediately Nami gasped, holding a hand towards her mouth.

He didn't look like last night, he looked even worse.. his skin had a weird look to it, that looked more like vax than skin, and its colour was weird, his cheeks were sunken in, his lips cracked, his hair was caked in salt from sweat, and Usopp was soaked to the bone, soaked in his own sweat.

And Nami, were unable to tell.. whether he was breathing or not. It was to damn quiet. It didn't look like he breathed.. it didn't..

"Luffy.." Nami whispered, then she swallowed as she stood up.

A couple of eyes opened, and ended up following Nami as she stood up, and slowly went to the bed, then she laid a hand on her Captains shoulder. Though it was impossible for her to take her eyes away from Usopp.

God did he look thin! Usopp had always been thin, as far as Nami remembered, he had been of the lanky kind when they first met, but had gained some wide on his shoulders in the two years they had been apart. That though wasn't very obvious right now, it just looked like poor skin, streched over the Snipers bones. How could that happen? He had looked so good and healthy, just one little month ago. "Luffy.. are you okay?" Nami asked in a whisper.

Luffy didn't move an inch.

"You erh.. I think you can let go now." Nami whispered.

"No." Luffy stated.

Nami swallowed, then nodded slightly. "Okay." She whispered, and looked at Usopp's poor face, then felt an urge, as she saw a strain of his blach curly hair, fall down in his eyes, an urge to remove it, gently Nami put forward a hand, to touch, that little strain of hair, though the moment she did, the Sniper under her hand took in a deep breath, almost as a gasp, and exhaled deeply and loudly.

"ARGH!" Nami jumpde up, not having exspected that, now shaking all over her body.

"Na-Nami-swan!?" Sanji asked. "What's the matter!?"

"He, he's alive!" Nami exclaimed pointing a shaking finger at Usopp, whom was now breathing rhythmically and heavily, obvious for any idiot to see.

"Huh?" Chopper blinked then looked at Nami. "Why wouldn't he be, if he had we would have known." he muttered.

"But.." Nami swallowed. "He looked so.. so.. Look, his blush is compleately gone! He doesn't look like he did yesterday!" she exclaimed.

Chopper blinked, then looked at Usopp's face, then he blinked again.

"Chopper?" Luffy questioned.

Carefully, Chopper crawled over the snipers chest, then reached forward a little hoof, and placed it on Usopp's forehead, then Choppers eyes widened. "Oh my god." He whispered.

"Chopper what is it!?" Luffy exclaimed.

The rest of the crew get to their legs and flocked the little reindeer.

"Is he okay?" Franky asked in a frustrated voice. "What's going on?"

"Thir… thirty-nine." Chopper stammered.

"Huh?" Nami blinked.

"Degrees!" Chopper exclaimed. "Thirty-nine degrees, none-threatening, it hasn't been that low for over a week… it.. it broke." He stammered. "The fever broke!"

Stunned the entire straw-hat crew looked at Chopper, there was absolute quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

And then a big shout. "YYAAAAAAYYYYY!"

"Oi Chopper, does this mean he is going to be all-right, neh? Neh?" Luffy asked excited.

"Yeah Luffy." Chopper told in a smile. "At least it means it's not this illness that is going to kill him."

"HURRAI!" Luffy exclaimed picking up the little reindeer and embraced him in a crushing embrace. "YOU'RE THE BEST DOCTOR EVER CHOPPER!" he exclaimed.

"You shit head I am not happy just because you praise me!" Chopper cried. "And I am not crying just because I am so happy." he wailed, into Luffys shirt, soaking it with his small tears.

Nami embraced Robin. "Thank god!" she cried into the older womans embrace. "I was so scared!" she exclaimed, as Robin lightly padded the orange haired girl on the hair.

"Haha! I was never in doubt!" Sanji stated. "I knew the shit-head was to stubborn to die."

"Yeah right." Zoro rolled his eyes.. but smirked any-way, a relieved happy smile.

"YOHOHO!" Brook exclaimed. "I am so happy I could sing!"

Then a groan sounded from the bed, and every-one turned to the patient, as Usopp, slowly opened his eyes.

Confused the sniper looked at all of them, but Nami couldn't help but notice, his eyes that had seemed so glazed earlier, like.. they had been sort of distant, now looked clear as two black crystal orbs, and clearly saw what was right in front of them, even if he did look both tired and confused. "What's.. what's going on?" Usopp asked in a hoarse voice, grabbing his head with his hand.

"Usopp!" Luffy exclaimed at ones, supporting the sniper up in sitting position. "How do you feel?" he asked conversed.

Usopp groaned. "My head hurts." He told in that hoarse voice.. sounded like he barely had a voice. "Every-thing hurts.. Thirsty.." he told. "And.." suddenly he grabbed his stomach as he looked up. "I'm starving." He told in a blink. "I feel like I could eat like I was Luffy.."

And that at ones, made the entire crew brighten up in a smile and laughed whole heartedly.

Confused Usopp looked around at all of them. "What?" he asked.

"Usopp." Nami smiled as she sat down on the bed beside him. "Your fever broke, you are getting better now." She told.

"Huh?" Usopp asked squinting his eyes at Nami.. it seemed like it took a while for the coin to drop, but as it did, Usopp's eyes widened. "OH MY GOD!" he exclaimed, and held both hands towards his mouth as he looked at Nami, then the others. Then he swallowed, and suddenly.. tears started to stream down his cheeks. "Thank god." He cried. "Thank god!" and suddenly the tears just spilled. "I wasn't ready to go yet!" he wailed, tears streaming down, all those collected fears and doubts, now having been allowed to run free.

Grinning Luffy sat down and embraced the sniper as he cried as well. "OF CAUSE THIS WASN'T YOUR TIME!" he exclaimed. "BAKAAAA!"

And the rest both laughed and cried, as the tears freely fell down, until a light snore sounded from Luffys chest and Luffy looked down.

Usopp had fallen a sleep..

Amused Chopper shook his head. "Don't worry, he just exhausted himself, crying is a very exhausting thing to do." He told. "He's okay now."

Luffy smiled as he kept on holding the chopper.

"Neh Chopper, what should we do?" Nami asked.

"Usopp is full of his own sweat, some-one should bathe him, on top of that, I bet all of his muscles are sore and stiff, i'm sure he'll appreciate being soaked up in some hot water." Chopper chuckled. "This madras should be cleaned before any-one gets back into this bed. Sanji, would you."

"ON IT!" Sanji grinned giving the reindeer a thumbs up. "Should a prepare broth for Usopp again?" he asked.

"Njah, make some-thing Usopp likes." Chopper encouraged. "I don't think we have to force him to eat right now."

"Break-fast pancakes, with a hint of chocolate and chilli." Sanji thoughtfully trailed off.

"PERFECT!" Chopper grinned.

"I'll help bathe Usopp!" Luffy exclaimed at ones.

"Lets just take him to the bath-room this time around." Franky smiled as tears was still running down his eyes, and he carefully picked up the sniper in his massive hands, as if Usopp was made out of glass or some-thing.

"The rest help clean up this room and let in some fresh air!" Nami proclaimed.

"YOSH!" Chopper yelled as he jumped up in the air.

Around an hour later, the entire crew was laughing as Usopp was scoffing in break-fast pancakes, as if he had been starved for the last month.. which wasn't to far from the truth if you thought about it. "Man, it tastes so good!" he beamed, as he swallowed. "More!" he asked holding out a plate.

"Easy, let the food settle." Sanji asked. "We don't want you to get sick all over again." he told, but yet again, dished up the break-fast pancakes with a smile on his face, and over threw them with syrup, in a way he would usually call waste. But he also knew that a calorie was a calorie, and Usopp needed it all at that moment!

Usopp yawned deeply as he sat back. "No way.." he mumbled in a tired voice. "No more sickness, thanks very much." he stated, then looked at the others, and it was incredible how a bath could make a difference.

Usopp looked like a million as far as Nami was concerned, colour had returned to him, his hair was nice and held back, he was even nicely newly shaved. And his eyes were shining again.

It was almost like death had been an invisible shadow hanging over him for these past weeks, and now it was gone, and you could feel the relieve, as well as see the result merely by looking at Usopp. "Oi Nami." Usopp then muttered. "What did you do to my hair?" he asked pointing up at the selective small braids made in his hair.

"Oh erh.." Nami blushed. "I think it suits you." She told. "I could even put some pearls in some of them, that could be fun."

"Please don't." Usopp asked, making Robin chuckle.

Franky sniffed as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I feel like singing a song, the bravery that defeats dead."

"I'LL JOIN YOU!" Brook proclaimed at ones.

"AHAHAHA!" Luffy laughed. "You guys are so funny! Play! Play!" he asked.

"I'LL MAKE MY CHOP-STICK DANCE!" Chopper exclaimed jumping up on the table, stuffing two chop-sticks into his noses.

"YAY!" Luffy laughed.

"You are all idiots." Zoro snorted.

"That's just typical you, ruining the moment." Sanji muttered.

Franky, Brook, Chopper and Luffy didn't seem to notice though as they were playing there own game, Robin chukling softly.

Before Nami interrupted. "Shhhh!"

"huh?" confused all looked at Nami, and Nami pointed at Usopp.

Whom was sleeping ones again, now in sitting position, his chin resting peacefully on his chest, as he breathed deeply in and out, with a light smile on his face.

That made all quiet at ones.

"What do we do?" Luffy asked in a whisper.

"Usopp just needs to sleep, a lot." Chopper whispered back. "This is good for him, we just need to put him in bed."

"The infirmary?" Sanji questioned in a equal whisper.

"But it's so stuffy now." Nami muttered.

"Put him in his own bed." Chopper then encouraged. "He'll be happy to wake up there."

"Yosh." Luffy grinned, picking up the sniper, placing Usopp on his back, so Usopp's head ended up leaning on Luffys shoulder. "Good job my friend." He whispered at the sniper. And they all exited the galley and the plates.

All unaware of the spirit whom stood in the corner, but she didn't mind, she was laughing as she wiped away a tear from happiness, and then she vanished out of sight.