A/N: Yes. I edited this chapter. A LOT. There are major changes and I apologize for rushing this chapter before. I don't have an excuse. Anyway, thank you and please enjoy.
Omen
Seventh Sign
Trafalgar Law quietly watched Elka tidying up the books and papers on the rack that was standing right beside her computer. Seeing the titles printed in the books, Law figured they were medical volumes and manuals, possibly the papers were also medical notes. He was relatively interested about the comparison of his medical knowledge with the woman despite knowing she was a freshman - meaning she had just started studying the course. Law wanted to give her books a read, a skim, just a quick peek to learn any of Elka's world's advancement in science. Of course, Law was only assuming the world he was currently in was more developed compared to his world, taking into account the evolution of their technology.
"Elka-ya, may I see your book?" Law asked, unable to hold his thirst for knowledge.
Elka paused, throwing him an inquisitive look. "Er, which book, doctor?"
Grey eyes glided over the books stacked on Elka's arms, squinting in an effort to read the topmost title. "...Medical Physiology."
Elka was frozen for a moment. She almost questioned Law's motives until realization hit her, pursing her lips as she handed him the said book. She observed Law for a while, anticipating questions regarding the said title but minutes had passed, yet she received no query. Instead, Law skimmed through each chapters, faintly nodding his head as he flipped through the pages before finally voicing out his opinion.
"I'm surprised." he simply said, his eyes still glued at a certain page.
Elka waited, but the Warlord did not seem too eager to expound further. "Surprised at what?"
Law took a moment to shift his gaze towards Elka. "It's almost similar." he gently closed the book and returned it to the girl. "May I see another?"
Elka looked as if she was suppressing a smile. "You're curious if we have similar medical knowledge, is that it?" she sounded confident.
Law smirked. "Yes. I can't rule it out yet, after all, that was just human physiology."
Elka nodded her head in agreement, handing the Warlord another title. "If you want, you can scan my books." she offered, laying down the stacks of books in her arms over her bed. "Take your pick. It's still early anyway."
Law looked briefly at the gal before taking a seat over the edge of the bed. He took the liberty to spread the medical titles closer to him and began to inspect and read each of them. Elka seemed to enjoy watching the man study her books as she kept glancing back at him while she continued sorting her notes and reviewers.
Silence took over and the two didn't seem to mind at all. Law was immersed in Elka's books as he found a few tidbits of modern medicine that fascinated him. There were also a few notable diseases that seemed to be new to him. Admittedly, the dark doctor enjoyed the knowledge Elka's books offered. Once he finished one to get another volume to read, he would mentally tell himself to 'bring this(title of book) back with me' and at the same time, he would look at Elka as if he found treasure.
Meanwhile, the raven-haired woman was preoccupied with the current arrangement of her things. Elka kept moving her papers from one side to another, until she settled with arranging them in a descending order of 'difficulty' - classifying them as the 'hardest subject' to 'easiest subject'. Not later, she was marking her mini calendar. She then took out her planner and scribbled a time table on it. When she was done, she just placed the calendar and the planner over her computer desk so she would easily be reminded of her tasks once they get back.
Elka twirled in delight as she praised herself mentally for managing to make a time table. She stopped halfway, catching Law's grey eyes glued on her. He didn't even bother to look surprised.
"Oh, are you done?" Elka inquired.
"Sort of." Law breathed. "I only skimmed through them, but I wish to read them properly." he gave her a pointed look. "It would be a pleasure to have them in my shelf."
Elka raised an eyebrow at his implication. She placed her hands over her hips, and with a cheeky grin, she told Law, "Those are pretty expensive. You'll have to earn the money if you want to own one."
"Or you can just lend them to me."
Elka sighed. "You do understand I read them, right?" she paused for a moment, comprehending Law's suggestion. She frowned at the idea. "Actually, you can't borrow them. For all I know, you want to take them with you back to your world."
Law smirked. "You're also..someone I would like to take with me."
"No." Elka firmly replied, gathering her books and arranging them on her shelf. "I already explained to you, I don't want to go with you."
"I never really mentioned it has to be voluntary."
Elka glared back at the man. "You wouldn't."
Law only leered at her but eventually, he shrugged it off. "Still, I'm a bit surprised to know that your medical advancement is almost the same as ours." he gently closed his eyes as he tried to recall all sorts of medical publications he had read. "Besides a few discoveries and variations, I think I can safely assume I have the same knowledge as your world's physicians."
"I can't really tell, I don't have enough knowledge to call myself a legitimate doctor yet." Elka flatly said. "But I think your world is more advanced with regards to medicine - or knowledge in general."
Law raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why would you say so?"
"Your world is vast, no, it's humongous!" Elka exclaimed. "Compared to our world, yours is brimming with so many islands, so many places and so many magical and mystical things. There are so many plants which possess potential medicinal property, so many creatures that may produce products with potential therapeutic quality. Just thinking about the countless possibilities, the endless learning your world has to offer drives me mad!" Elka looked and sounded dreamy and excited as she spoke. Her feelings of love and devotion for the series clearly showed.
Law smiled, pleased with Elka's enthusiasm towards his world, and more importantly, her unexpected hunger for knowledge and passion for learning. "It seems to me you would love to sail the seas with me."
"But I can't." Elka sighed. "It's just..a fantasy of mine."
Law frowned. "I keep telling you I'm going to take you with me."
"And I keep reminding you how I'm struggling to draw the line." Elka retorted. "Doctor, this is my reality. Please understand." she was almost pleading the man.
Law only looked at her, vividly annoyed by her stubbornness. It didn't help that the woman was vague with her reasons as to why she was fervently refusing his invitation. He understood her reasoning regarding her identity and character, but he never understood why she kept saying 'reality'. It sounded as if Elka still believed he was fiction - that he was not real. It did not sit well with Law, as he was confident he showed her how perfectly alive and real he was. Heck, he protected her and he killed her people. Law was a very capable man, a man powerful enough to earn the title of a Warlord and he was practically the best doctor alive in his world, considering him possessing the ultimate devil fruit ability. It was a big mystery to him - Elka's attachment to her world and her immunity against his devil fruit powers.
Regardless, Law took no offense and didn't dwell on the issue at hand. After all, he was a pirate, and in the end, Law knew he will get what he wants.
=/=
The clock just struck eleven in the morning when Elka was done dressing up. She let her hair hang freely down to her shoulders, clipping up her bangs so they don't obstruct her face. She wore a textured knit, long sleeved burgundy turtle neck dress to hide the mark and the bruises that were still visible on her neck and arms, pairing it with a brown, mid-calf boots. She also wore a white wristwatch and she carried a brown satchel that contained her wallet, a maroon automatic umbrella, two face towels - one green and one blue - and finally, her room key.
Trafalgar Law wore a black hooded yellow shirt with a print of his jolly roger in its front, overlaid with a white button-up jacket, which of course he left undone, to hide the tattoos on his arms. Law also wore a fleshy orange tartan jeans, and the same black shoes he wore yesterday. He didn't wear his dotted hat yet, as Elka was fixing him up.
"It feels nice to be able to dress you up like this." Elka muttered merrily while she fixed the buttons on Law's jacket sleeves.
Law heard her, making him suppress a laugh as he found her silly for liking such a thing. "I can see you're having fun. You would be given more opportunities like this if you come with me."
Elka chortled at Law's persistence. "I never would have thought you're the insistent type." when she was done, she moved a few steps back to marvel at Law's current look. Nodding her head in assent, she smiled, "Man, you look good."
"When I see a clear and solid benefit, I won't give it a second thought." Law gave her a knowing smile. "I'll expect something good in exchange for allowing you this."
Elka sighed, closing her eyes in resignation. "Yes, I understand." she cleared her throat and acted as if she was on stage. "You shall be in command today. In times of danger, I shall not interfere nor pose as a burden to the great captain of the Heart Pirates, the Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar Law." she recited these words a bit like a fifth grader reciting a poem, almost teasing and sarcastic.
Law was amused by Elka's feisty attempt to goad him. Smirking dangerously, he proceeded to take his sword with him and challenged, "You won't complain, right?"
"Hey, that's not part of our agreement!" Elka quickly retorted, her face distorted in panic.
Law chuckled at her reaction. "You're adorable when you're scared."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Now let go of your sword so we can go, please." Elka grumbled, frowning at the realization how Law just baited her. Despite it, she was thankful that the Warlord had graced her this one request, although she knew he only allowed her so he could hold it against her when he attempts to take her with him back to his world.
Elka was a bit restless somehow, and hesitant about her current plan. Law came with bad luck, and she prayed hard nothing serious would happen to them for the day.
When the two got out of the room, they were met with Elka's neighbor, a girl of long chestnut hair tied into a ponytail, and brown eyes. Law recognized her as she was one of the girls who stalled them last night, and he also knew how Elka was fairly close with the gal as they talked the longest that time.
"Oh, morning Maribelle." Elka greeted as she locked her door. "Going somewhere?" Elka asked upon noticing how the woman looked all dressed up.
"Elka, morning!" the older woman greeted back, smiling. Her eyes found Law who stood behind Elka and wondered,"Oh, you two going somewhere too?"
Elka smiled. "Yeah. What about you? Where are you going today?"
"Oh my, you two are dating!?" Maribelle excitedly exclaimed, completely ignoring Elka's question.
Elka felt awkward at the older woman's remark. "Uh, Maribelle? We're cousins."
The older woman gasped. "Oh! That's right! You're cousins!" her eyes darted from Elka to Law more than twice as if assessing the credibility of Elka's statement. "Elka, if you never told me you were cousins, I would seriously think you two are going out. He seems to be your type of guy and you're all dressed up. You look real good together!"
Elka blushed at the woman's remark. "Oh come on, Maribelle. You really need to do something about your eyes."
"So I'm your type of guy, huh?" Law's voice came smooth like silk, as if coaxing Elka into replying honestly.
"Yeah. Tall, tan guys have a special place in my heart, and-" Elka immediately stopped herself when she realized she was actually stating her thoughts aloud. Embarrassed, she almost wanted to dig a hole and bury herself right there and then. Her whole face turned bright red, even her ears, and this amused both Law and Maribelle.
Maribelle winked at Law, jabbing her thumbs up to the man in mirth. "Smooth! Teasing Elka had always been easy but making her blush all the way to her ears is a great feat, mister!"
Elka quickly slapped off her hands and glared at her. "I seriously hate you, Maribelle. Must you tease me every chance you get?"
"But of course! You probably just don't want to admit it but you're so cute when you turn red as a tomato!" Maribelle was laughing by then, pinching Elka's both cheeks as she tried to forcefully replace her scowl with a smile.
Elka found it hard to stay mad at the brunette. Maribelle was an easygoing, cheerful kind, carrying a sunny atmosphere around her. Elka knew she was just probably trying to cheer her up, but she wished the brunette had done it in a way she could have avoided confessing such shameful secret to the one person Elka never really expected to exist.
"Anyway, we're going to GreemBills today." Elka decided to start a new subject.
Maribelle gasped in surprise. "Sweet! I'm also going there to meet my friends!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "This is a great opportunity! I'm going to introduce you to Renton!" she placed both hands over Elka's shoulder, almost shaking her in excitement. "He's tall, dark, handsome, and loaded! He won't disappoint, I promise!"
Elka let out a short, hesitant laugh. She was unsure what to feel about her friend's doltish character. "Um, what are you talking about?"
"I'm helping you to get a boyfriend, sister." the brunette bluntly replied. "Renton's fairly cool with anything, and anyone, so I bet you'll have a chance! You look especially beautiful today, too!"
"I don't know what to feel about that." Elka gently removed Maribelle's hands from her shoulders.
"I'm actually complimenting you, Elka! No joke!" Maribelle was staring intently at Elka, scrutinizing her from head to toe. "Just look at you, girl! You rock that dress!"
Elka blushed. "Damn. I know you're just teasing but I keep falling for it."
Maribelle giggled at Elka's reaction. She then glanced up at Law who quietly watched the two of them in the background. "Sorry, mister, it was rude of me to just steal Elka away from you." Maribelle playfully smiled at the man.
Elka cleared her throat and glanced at Law. "Maribelle, this is Law." she then gestured at the brunette next. "Doctor, she's Maribelle."
"Wait wait wait! He's a doctor?" Maribelle instantly asked upon hearing how Elka addressed the man.
"Yup." Elka nodded her head proudly. "A legitimate doctor."
"Wow!" she quickly approached the man. "Where did you finish your studies? And where do you work now? And what's your type of woman?" she eagerly asked, putting emphasis on that last question she dropped.
Law was surprised, and somehow amused with the brunette's actions and words. He was still contemplating how he'd answer the questions thrown at him when Elka beat him to it.
"He studied abroad and worked overseas. He came here for vacation." Elka blatantly lied, but she stated it so confidently, no one would be able to doubt her words. She then crossed her arms, a mischievous grin plastered on her face, "And asking a guy his type of woman is just plain wrong in your case, Maribelle. Daniel is going to hear about this."
Maribelle equally grinned, placing both hands over her hips and proudly announced, "Ha! Nice try, Elka, but Danny knows I love him and I know he loves me as well. And we trust each other." she huffed in derision and continued, "I was asking for reference. Usually, guys like him tend to have similar tastes. You should be grateful instead."
"Fine. When I see Daniel, I'm going to tell on you." Elka grumpily replied, to which Maribelle readily accepted, glaring back at the raven-haired woman.
Not later, the two were chatting and giggling as if Law wasn't even there. They met Daniel who was waiting by the gates of the dormitory. He was also dressed up in such fashion that complimented Maribelle's outfit.
"Hey, Elka!" waving a pale hand, Daniel greeted the gal as he saw the trio approaching. "I didn't expect you to be out today." he added, worry creasing his forehead.
Maribelle kissed the man as greeting and replied in Elka's stead, "Danny, Elka's tough." she then glanced back to the girl in question. "Moping around isn't her at all."
Elka gave them a coy smile. "I appreciate the worry, Daniel."
Daniel's green eyes glided over to the Warlord. "I take it you're Elka's cousin?"
Law only looked at the man as if sizing him up, taking in his image.
"Daniel, he's Law." Elka took it upon herself to introduce the two. She then gestured at the Warlord and continued, "Doctor, this is Daniel."
Daniel smiled and nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Law."
Law only nodded back without saying anything.
=/=
Their travel to the shopping center went smoothly. Under an hour, they reached the GreemBills Shopping center. It was a massive structure composed of several buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers with interconnecting walkways that enable customers to walk from unit to unit. The establishment was designed so that department stores and hypermarkets for the masses were in the lowest floor and as you go up a floor, specialty stores and more expensive stuff were being sold. The same went for food - food courts were situated at the lowest floor while one may find specialty restaurants at the higher floors. GreemBills was a super-regional center in their city so it was not surprising to walk past a celebrity at a gold label fashion center, a political figure eating at a luxurious restaurant, or a government official looking at expensive watches.
The four of them had just entered the mall's premises when Maribelle received a message from the friends they were about to meet, saying they were going to run late because a vehicular accident occurred at their area. Daniel called them and confirmed that everyone was fine and unhurt, only the traffic was heavy due to a truck getting involved in said accident, eating up two lanes in B-Highway. With that information, the lovers decided to stick around with Elka and Law.
It was half an hour past noon when they found themselves standing right in front of Elka's favorite shop: Flay Giants. Elka always thought the shop's choice of name was sort of weird, considering how there were also small figmas and nendoroids being sold in their shop. Elka glanced at Maribelle, who in turn urged her to just get it over with while she and her boyfriend look around outside. Elka lightly pulled on the hem of Law's jacket, imploring him to enter the shop.
Trafalgar Law quietly looked around while Elka spoke with one of the staffs. He still found it uncomfortable to find a few statues of himself, boxed with a price tag stuck over it. He scrutinized the figures, almost considering of destroying the entire place when he found a completely topless of statue of him.
"Doctor, bad news." Elka spoke, taking his attention.
Law frowned. He wanted to express his displeasure of seeing merchandise of himself sold in such manner but managed to restrain himself.
"The master says they were all sold out." Elka looked disappointed. "I know there are other figures of you being sold in here but I don't think they're going to work. It has to be that specific figure."
Law rolled his eyes. He had enough of Elka's statue/figure shenanigans. "Frankly, I couldn't care less about it." he muttered under his breath.
"I'm really sorry this turned out to be a waste of time and effort!" Elka hurriedly bowed her head in regret. "Let's think of another way."
"Is this the only shop?" Law asked, staring blankly outside. "Aren't those toy shops as well?" he gestured at the boutiques lined up in that lane.
"That's true. We can check them." Elka acceded.
The duo checked each stores to no avail. Later, they were reunited with the lovers but it seemed their friends hadn't arrived yet so the four of them decided to just eat lunch together. It was already past one and they hadn't eaten yet. Daniel just sent their friends a message about it, saying they'd be eating on ahead and reminding them not to arrive later than two as the show they bought tickets for will be shown at that time.
=/=
Soon, the four of them found themselves sitting on leather chairs inside a seemingly modernized restaurant specializing in Aisan food. The whole place was cozy and warm, and fairly unique due to the brown wood shutters serving as the wall windows of the shop. The beams of sunlight peeks through it, lighting up the whole room better even with just one large chandelier hanging on the center ceiling of the place. The wooden flooring complimented the wooden tables, and sitting over it were white ceramic dishes, silver utensils and stemless wine glasses.
"Wow, this is my first time eating at a classy restaurant." Maribelle remarked as they were each given the menu by a male waiter who introduced himself as Tim, who shall be assisting them to their table.
"What would you like, Mari?" Daniel nudged the girl sitting beside him, gesturing at a certain meal.
Elka and Law silently browsed through the menu. It was also Elka's first time in such restaurant, and she only opted to pick that particular place because it looked fresh and peaceful to her. Another thing she considered was that she wanted to try something new for a change considering she rarely went out.
Seconds later, Law set down the menu over the table. "I'll take anything with rice." he told Elka. "You can decide the rest."
Elka nodded her head without looking at the man. She kept her eyes on the menu as she mentally calculated the amount she'd have to prepare for payment later on. She wasn't exactly tight on budget, she just preferred keeping up with the calculations when it came to ordering, or buying anything at all.
"I never get tired seeing you all serious like this." Maribelle remarked, making Elka jolt in her seat.
Elka shot her a glare but didn't retort back. She turned to Law and told him her picks, to which the Warlord easily agreed. As soon as their orders were finally taken and were being processed, the four began chatting as they waited.
"So, what are you all meeting up for? Research?" Elka began.
"It's a long weekend, Elka." Maribelle answered pointedly. "We just want to unwind. Being a third year is no joke. We're seriously stressed out and we need the time off."
Elka laughed. "Well, I'm guessing you're going to watch a movie. A horror film."
"Of course! Medical students can only find comfort on watching movies!" Maribelle exclaimed, eliciting laughs from both Elka and Daniel.
"I remember you telling me food was your comfort." Daniel commented, a smirk plastered on his face.
"Don't you go implying I'm getting fat." Maribelle glared softly at the man. "When one is stressed, one may find way more comfort from simpler things." she recited this as if she was pulling off a magnificent quote from the bible.
"I'm amazed at how you can stay sane with all your studying and partying." Elka stated. "I mean, you still have time to socialize with all those case reports and CD ward duties?"
"Oh, Elka, my dear child. You're lucky you're still a freshman. You gotta savor your time now or you'll regret it." Maribelle rubbed her forehead, wincing at the memory of her hectic weeks. "When you become third year, you gotta sacrifice a lot. And I mean a lot. Of sleep."
"In case you don't know, I've been sacrificing sleep for a while now already." Elka told her. "I'm trying to keep my scholarship so I'm burning my eyebrows in my spare time."
"That's not spare time anymore!" Daniel claimed. "I can relate since Architecture can be very tough and punishing too. I'm just glad I'm over it now, but finding work is more dreadful."
"And when you do get some work, you really had to focus on it." Maribelle ended. She then glanced at Law and asked, "You've been quiet for a while, Law. How about you tell us about your work? Are you a specialist? Actually, how old are you?"
Elka's body tensed when the two were focused on Law. She tried her best to keep their attention from the Warlord but she knew she couldn't do it forever. She just hoped Law wouldn't say anything extraordinary.
Law sensed Elka grow stiff by the mention of his name. It was true he would like to test Elka's patience but he didn't fancy trivial chitchats, so he simply replied, "I'm 26. I'm a surgeon."
Elka released a sigh of relief once Law paused. She was glad the man didn't say anything weird - anything pirate-related.
The two asking looked awfully surprised.
"You're already a surgeon at 26!?" Maribelle incredulously stared at the man.
"It's four years specialization, right? Assuming you finished a four-year course by 19 and immediately took medicine so, 23, plus four more years... 23, 24, 25..." Daniel trailed off as he counted on his fingers. "No way, it doesn't add up."
"You're practically telling us you're a genius!" Maribelle declared, slapping the table in the process.
"Hey, calm down!" Elka hissed low, placing her index finger in front of her lips as in 'keep quiet' sign.
Daniel rubbed his chin and bobbed his head in understanding. "That's not surprising, now that I think about it. You are related to Elka, and she's brilliant."
Elka blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, Daniel. I'm not that smart, though."
"But man, Elka, your family's no joke." Maribelle stared at Law in awe. "I mean, just look at him! Why do most male doctors look so handsome and fit?!" she was directing a hand towards the Warlord. "And he's even smart!"
Elka giggled nervously. "Yeah... I wonder why..."
"If you don't mind me asking though, is it really okay for you to have those tats?" Daniel asked, looking curiously at the tattoos on Law's hands and fingers. "I mean, they look ominous, especially the word on your knuckles..."
"They don't get in the way of my work." Law flatly stated, his voice a bit rough implying not to press him further regarding the matter. He disliked questions directed at things that may probe into his past, and his tattoos happened to be one of them.
Daniel quickly picked up from Law's tone his dislike about the subject. "I guess if your patients are okay with it, then it's cool..." he remarked, his voice weak.
"Patients don't really care as long as you get the job done." Maribelle explained. "I mean, I also have tats on my right leg, but I do make it a point to hide them at times."
The three kept chatting until the waiter finally came to deliver their food. As he laid down the dishes over the table, no one spoke nor moved. They quietly watched the waiter, their eyes intently staring at the food presentation. They weren't really ignorant, they were just captivated by its uniqueness.
The four of them quietly ate their food. None had the initiative to start any conversation. Maribelle and Daniel equally felt awkward when they deduced that Law wasn't the chatty type. The brunette kept glancing at Elka, but the girl comfortably ate beside Law, her focus on her own food. She opted to nudge her boyfriend to start something, but Daniel refused, whispering he was 'bad at conversations', making Maribelle irritated but she relented and eventually gave up.
Not later, Maribelle found herself watching Elka and Law eat. She wondered what was going through their minds and she was partly surprised to know that Elka could stay quiet. She had known the girl for a while back already and when they get lunch together in the school canteen, they always had something to talk about so she never really knew. She was about to ask Elka about it but stopped herself when Elka suddenly gestured at Law, offering her bowl filled with mushroom soup. The man spared her a glance and wordlessly dipped his spoon over said soup, bringing it to his lips and nodding his head in approval after. Their silent exchange tugged Maribelle's heartstrings, pulling her lips into a wide smile.
"I'm glad you're getting along really well." she abruptly announced, her tone laced with a certain fondness like a mother to her daughter.
Elka and Daniel looked surprised while Law cast a sidelong glance at her.
"After what happened yesterday, I was afraid Elka was only forcing herself to stay upbeat." Maribelle said, looking warmly at them. "But I can see Elka fared well." she directed her eyes on Law and gently bowed her head as in thanks. "I'm grateful."
Law felt his eyes widen at the brunette's gesture. "What are you thanking me for?" he was confused. Was she thanking him for Elka's well-being?
"I'm sure you helped her out. You were together, right? I'm glad you supported her." Maribelle explained, lightly clapping her hands together. "I'm just happy you two are as close as I assumed you to be."
"Thanks, Maribelle." Elka smiled, her nose slightly scrunching up in uncertainty.
Suddenly, Elka's phone rang. She took it out of her bag and checked who it was, and displayed on her screen was Ross's name. Of course she picked up.
"Hey Ross, what's up?"
"Where are you right now?" Ross asked in between wheezes. He sounded out of breath, as if he was currently running in a hurry.
Elka knitted her brows together in worry. "Didn't I say we're in GreemBills?"
"Elka, I want you to get out of there now." Ross firmly stated, catching his breath. "Five minutes, asap."
"...Okay." Elka mumbled after hearing Ross hang up. Although she didn't quite understand, she knew it was best to obey Ross when it came to instructions such as those. She looked at Maribelle, Daniel and Law respectively. "We have to go now."
"Who was it?" Maribelle asked.
"Ross." Elka quickly answered. "He said we have to get out of here under five minutes."
"Why?" Law asked, suspicious.
Before she could even answer back, there was an explosion. It didn't register on Elka's brain. There was a blinding flash, an awful noise of glass, the hoarse howl of people, the rushing men, the sudden gulf, the awful whirlpool of horror that is a ball of yellow flame billowing towards them - towards her.
Trafalgar Law was quick to respond. He cursed himself for failing to sense the impending threat. Summoning his room was easy but taking Elka away from peril was the tricky part.
Tact.
Lifting the wooden tables and chairs, Law motioned several objects to block the windows of the shop, shielding them from fire and debris that were sent flying to their direction. He covered for Elka using his body, shoving her down to the ground to protect her from the impact that the girl may receive from the sudden blow. There was a quake, and it seemed the upper floor was beginning to crumble. Law knew staying in place was a grave mistake, so he quickly grabbed Elka by her wrist and forcefully dragged her away from the spot.
Elka staggered to her feet, feeling shaky. She had trouble seeing and hearing, she was confused. She was running, Law was dragging her. Everyone was running and almost out of breath. There were a lot of people, muffled screams, shattering glasses and fire alarms going off. Then there was a loud crash, and another explosion. A great gush of flame caught up to them and the ground vanished.
Everything went blank.
Trafalgar Law was awake, of course he was. Although he was lean his body was pretty sturdy. He didn't suffer that much damage, in fact, he felt like he just got punched in the back and nothing more. He stood in slight confusion amid chaos as he tried to remember what it was he was clutching before his vision suddenly went upside down. He found himself standing near a broken staircase. There were debris of glasses and breakage, fallen pillars, chunks of rocks - beneath them were crushed bodies of once living, some still twitching, possibly alive but surely dying.
There were still a lot of people running around the area, screaming and panicking. Law scanned the area and carefully advanced until he found a familiar girl of brown hair, lying by the broken glasses that was previously a jewelry display, unconscious.
It was Maribelle.
Law's face turned grim when he realized Elka was nowhere near him. He was certain he grabbed the raven-haired woman with him, but when the floor cracked he was uncertain if Elka fell down with him or not.
"Elka-ya!" he called out. Due to the scattered cries and noises, he doubted Elka would hear him. He didn't even know why he tried calling for her, she was probably unconscious and lying somewhere, dying.
The thought made Law panic. He summoned his room in alarm, expanding his spherical territory as big as he could, covering the entire area of wreckage.
Tact.
Lifting his index finger up, all debris scattered around him began floating. He checked underneath them, leaving no stone unturned. There were people, girls and boys, young and old, some still breathing while others had already stopped. Those who could still move grabbed the opportunity to stand up and run, never wondering how those heavy objects began floating up. They were just thankful - thankful to survive.
It took Law a minute to clear off the area, but he never found Elka.
"Fuck!" he growled in exasperation. Law was never the type to easily lose composure but it was a time of total disaster. Losing Elka was the most grievous error he could ever make. "Damn it!" Law had never cursed so much since who knows when.
Glaring up at what was left of the upper floor, Law noted how the topmost ceiling was about to collapse, warning him that time was running out. He still had to check the upper floor - if Elka didn't fall down with him, she should be up there instead.
Should be.
With a slight gesture, Law arranged the chunks of bricks and broken pillars into a staircase and used them to climb up. When he reached the upper floor, he quickly found Elka not far off, lying down on the ground trying to get up, blood dripping on her face at her right temporal side. She was underneath a pile of pillars stuck at a cracked wall that was threatening to give in and crush her in any second.
Law wasted no time and applied his powers to said pillars. With a flick of his hand, he pushed away all objects that may harm the woman. He then strode towards her, relief washing over him as he realized he actually found her alive.
Elka flinched the moment Law touched her. She was dizzy, and there was pain over her stomach. She didn't seem to recognize it was the Warlord standing before her.
"Elka-ya, calm down. It's me." Law spoke, his tone moderate.
"Maribelle..." Elka mumbled, her eyes opened wide. "Maribelle fell down..." she tried to stand up but failed, prompting her to crawl instead.
Law immediately clasped her arm. "It's dangerous. Don't leave my side."
Elka didn't even spare him a glance. "Maribelle fell down, doctor..." she stated, obsidian eyes staring blankly into space. "She's down there, right?" tears began welling up over her lower eyelids.
"Yes." Law simply answered.
Elka's lips were trembling. She told herself it wasn't the time to grieve. Maribelle was tough, she should be fine. Elka knew she had to leave the area immediately. Recalling how she heard two consecutive explosions meant there must be more. It was a terrorist attack.
Before Elka could even pull herself together, crashing noises reverberated from above. Law quickly responded, lifting Elka over his shoulder and motioning an arm forward, assembling various rubble to make a path for him.
When Law began crossing the path he made, Elka began flailing about. "Put me down! Maribelle is still there!" she shouted.
"There's no time! Stay put, Elka-ya!" Law wrapped his arms around Elka's legs to prevent her from falling off his shoulder.
"No! Put me down! I have to help her! We have to help her!" Elka insisted.
"If we go back now, we'll be crushed. Think for a second, will you?"
"Doctor! Use your powers! You can stop the collapse, right? Please make it stop!"
It was true Law could stop the falling object midair but using his ability takes a huge toll on his body. Law was a careful man, and he disliked draining himself needlessly. "I can't." he simply said, tightening his grip over Elka's body.
"NOOOOO!" Elka screamed in anguish; a long, loud, piercing cry of despair and resentment. She watched the ceiling meet the ground, forming a shallow crater upon impact.
Elka just cried, drowning the crashing noises with her tearful melody, burning the image into her memory. On that day, Elka's world was painted in black and white, and she thought, what a tragic day indeed.
=/=
"SURVIVORS!"
Ambulances, fire trucks and the police were already at the shopping center's doorstep when Law emerged from the building. He was quickly assisted by EMS and military personnel alike, gently taking Elka from his arms and assessing the vital signs of them both.
Elka had already fainted by then. With her pulse becoming rapid, she was put on a stretcher and immediately placed inside the ambulance. Law, of course, went with them and he even participated with Elka's management in the vehicle. Explaining he was an actual doctor and showing expertise, convincing the team to allow him to take part in their protocol.
Elka's life looked like in danger. The symptoms she was showing were typical of circulatory shock: pulse was rapid, weak and thready, cool, clammy skin, rapid and shallow breathing. Besides the blood dripping from her head which suggested concussion at the least, there wasn't any serious cuts or wounds that should cause shock, unless it was internal.
Upon lifting her dress, there was hematoma spreading over her midsection. This alarmed Law, he didn't expect internal bleeding. They had to get to the hospital fast or the consequences would be damn high.
Soon they were on the hospital, Elka was immediately brought to the operating room. Emergency surgery took place within minutes after arrival.
Frankly, Law wanted to perform the surgery himself but as a 'victim', he was instructed to patiently wait by the lobby.
Like he would.
Trafalgar Law walked around the hospital observing the people around him, from patients to nurses, hospital staffs, janitors and finally finding who he wants: doctors. He needed to be allowed to get inside the operating room so he went ahead and pulled a doctor over into a corner, hitting him unconscious and 'borrowing' his coat. He left the knocked out doctor by the lockers and quickly went back to the operating room.
Before Law could even step inside the room, a nurse met him who told him to wear the prescribed scrubs prior to entering the operating room. It seemed she didn't realize he was a different person by then, but he appreciated the help.
Clad in full green scrubs, green hairnet, green mask and green surgical gloves, Trafalgar Law entered the room and found Elka on the operating table with her stomach already open. It seemed the surgeon was actually doing a pretty good job on managing Elka's internal bleeding - it even looked like he was already about to suture her abdomen close. Law quickly approached them, letting the whole team know of his presence to which they readily welcomed.
"Ah, the new PGI." the surgeon greeted, sparing a quick glance over him. "I was told there were two of you."
Law wondered for a moment but quickly dismissed the issue as how he recalled he 'borrowed' someone's coat for a while. And to think the coat he wore was actually for interns - Law knew he could exploit it.
"How's the patient?" Law simply asked, peeking over the surgeon's shoulder.
"I'm almost done. You missed it." the surgeon replied before asking for a surgical scissor.
"How many blood vessels were torn?"
The surgeon paused for a moment, seemingly surprised. Even the nurses that were present looked just as surprised.
"Three." the surgeon finally answered. "Well, well, young doctor, I didn't expect you to know the case just by seeing the patient's state."
Law only smirked, good thing he was wearing a mask. "Will you allow me to do the suturing, doctor?"
The surgeon looked pleased. "All right, I'll coach you." he let Law move closer to the patient, allowing him to carefully inspect Elka's open abdomen.
Law scanned through the organs and blood vessels and quickly found the three torn vessels the surgeon was referring to. It looked to him that the man was quite skilled, making him breathe in relief. Certain it was all good to close up her midsection, Law began the procedure swiftly and finished flawlessly. The attending surgeon praised him plenty while the nurses admired his prowess. The surgeon explained to him that the patient will have to be confined for a whole week at the least, and that they will have to monitor her platelet count just in case before the whole team cleaned up and left.
As Law waited for the nurse to take Elka to her patient room, he contemplated whether it was worth the shot - performing a surgery without harming her body. Law admittedly utilized his devil fruit powers in a few surgeries he performed back in his world and he wanted to know if it'll work if there was no hostile intention.
Room.
Holding a scalpel, the dark doctor sliced into thin air, but Elka's body remained intact. He tried again, but nothing happened. He positioned the scalpel closer to her body and carefully made a vertical cutting motion but the scalpel was repulsed, making Law retract his hand as if he was burned.
"Damn it, Elka-ya!" Law groaned in frustration. He sank down on the floor and grabbed his head with both hands in vexation. Although he knew Elka was going to be fine, he considered the possibility of Elka getting in a similar situation but different conditions. If it came to a point where Elka needed a surgical procedure that may equally kill her if done wrong, his ability was the answer to avoid error.
But Elka was still unaffected. She was immune. In fact, it was like she was rejecting him.
Law took a deep breath in an effort to compose himself. He slowly stood on his feet and stroked Elka's black tresses lightly as he watched her peaceful sleep.
"At least let me treat you." Law sighed in exasperation.
Note: PGI = Post-graduate intern; They are still considered as students despite already graduating Medicine. In my country, they are not allowed to take the Medicine licensure exam until they finish their one-year internship as PGI.