Illness

Characters: Penguin, Law. Rating: K+. Warnings: None

Penguin didn't really understand the kid at all. He'd decided, alongside Shachi, to leave Swallow Island and follow the brat, but there were times when he wondered what wisdom had been in that. Law was not open about anything at all. Just getting his name out of him had been a stretch to start with, and while they'd since pried out of him that he was younger than them and had no family after extensive prying, that was all they knew. The mysterious white splotches on his skin were a banned topic, and while Penguin was well aware that the kid both had nightmares and was not exactly the picture of perfect health, discussion of those was also shut down immediately.

It was probably because Law didn't want to think about it, but it made things frustrating for the rest of them. It had been useful the first time, when they'd been able to take advantage of it to force their way into his company, but while Law seemed to be generally getting better (he would shut himself away in the infirmary or the room he'd claimed as his own for hours at a time with orders to not be disturbed and Penguin didn't think that was unrelated), sometimes it transpired that he still had a long way to go until he was what Penguin would consider healthy.

It wasn't all that long after they'd acquired the Tang, her name freshly bestowed and her controls still a mystery to them all. They were learning through trial and error, and had crashed into the docks at a higher speed than maybe they should have done. To their relief, no damage had been done to the ship, and minimal to the wharf (at least, nothing that would be noticed until she'd gone and was no longer hiding the damage), and Law had disembarked, gesturing for Penguin to follow while Shachi and Bepo were firmly told to stay and guard the ship.

They had no money, just the odd beri Law had found in his pocket to their name (which, they very quickly learnt, wouldn't even buy them a meal. Back on Swallow Island, Penguin and Shachi hadn't needed money. The small community had largely worked on a trading basis). Law had seemed unconcerned, proving himself to be a highly adept pick-pocket so that by the time they reached the central market hub, they had enough beri to at least pick up some food. They'd need to find some way to earn honest money, Penguin mused, uncomfortable with the fact, but food, at the least, was a necessity they couldn't afford to go without, and his morals were loose enough to accept that.

Whether Law brought him along to be anything more than a pack mule, Penguin wasn't sure. The younger boy handled all of the transactions, simply passing their purchases to him as and when he finished at a stall. Maybe he was supposed to be watching and learning, but his mind was too preoccupied by the blatant thievery, leaving him on edge in case any of Law's victims came to hunt them down.

No-one did, but that quickly became the least of Penguin's worries as, between stalls, the smaller boy gasped, swaying lightly on his feet for a minute before crashing to the ground.

"Law!" he exclaimed, letting their shopping fall to the ground as he knelt besides him. Law was flushed, breathing heavily and, when Penguin put a hand to his forehead, clammy. The mysterious illness was back, and the only thing Penguin could think to do was to get him to a hospital. There had to be one around somewhere. "Hold on," he said. "I'll get help."

A hand gripped his sleeve fiercely, the strength of the grip catching Penguin off-guard.

"No," Law rasped. "Don't-" He tried to use his hold on Penguin's sleeve to pull himself to his feet but he was too weak, grip failing him and causing him to crash back to the ground. "The ship… Back to the Tang."

"Is he okay?" A worried looking woman crouched down besides them, and Penguin saw Law tense up. He seemed almost scared. "Do you need to get to the hospital?" Penguin had a brief moment to think. He wasn't a liar, had never been one (that was Shachi's job), and this woman was offering to help.

A tight grip on his sleeve drew his attention back to Law. The younger boy said nothing else, but Penguin doubted his opinion had changed much in the few seconds since he'd asked to go back to the ship.

Penguin tried for a smile, hoping to put the woman at ease.

"No, it's… it's okay," he said, fearing it was more a grimace than a smile. "My brother… he has these episodes sometimes. He's got medicine, he… he just left it back on our parents' ship." Even to his own ears it sounded pathetic, and the look Law was giving him was half shock, half resigned disapproval.

"if you're sure…" the woman trailed off, sounding dubious. Penguin nodded, despite the fact he wanted to shake his head. No, he wasn't sure. He didn't know what was wrong with the kid, or how to fix it. He wanted help, but Law seemed almost afraid of going to a professional.

"I'm sure," he said, returning his attention to Law. "Can you get on my back?" he asked quietly, and Law clawed his way into a sitting position, glowering at him.

"I can walk," he complained, but Penguin wanted to be away now and letting the ill kid walk would just slow him – them – down considerably. Turning his back, he grabbed Law's arms and wrapped them around his neck before forcibly grabbing him at the back of the thighs and lifting him. He didn't weigh much, and after he realised he wasn't about to be dropped, Penguin felt Law willingly hold on, burying his face in his shoulder and relaxing slightly.

Scooping to pick up their shopping – they needed that stuff and Penguin couldn't pick pocket anyone to get more money – he headed back to the Tang, taking grimy-looking back routes to shake the concerned woman before finding himself finally back at the dock. Law had gone suspiciously quiet on his back, and when he hurried onto the Tang, palming their shopping off on Shachi and depositing Law in their infirmary he realised he was barely conscious.

He didn't have a clue what to do.

"Hey… hey!" he tried. "Law!" He shook him, inciting a disgruntled groan from the boy as his eyes blinked open blearily. "What do I do?" he asked, and Law's unamused face faded away as he realised Penguin was serious.

"How… do you know… nothing?" he despaired, before taking some deep breathes and starting to direct Penguin. Penguin shrugged, even as he obeyed the instructions, watching Law get weaker and weaker in some concern. Finally, Law stopped giving instructions, and Penguin looked down at the younger boy, who looked much smaller without all his airs.

"You're not dying, are you?" he asked, despite the fact that Law actively discouraged questions relating to his condition. Law's response was a grin that looked far too sad.

"No," he whispered, closing his eyes and seeming to go to sleep. Penguin stayed by his side, waiting and hoping for a recovery. "Not any more," Law finished, so quiet Penguin barely heard it, and that gave him far more questions than answers. Not, he realised, that he would get any, so he had to make do with staying by his side, watching over him as he fought whatever relapse it was he was facing all by himself.

White Lead Poisoning was something so complex no-one could find a cure for it. I don't think Law would have been able to heal it all in a single stint, considering the complexity and stamina drain, so a relapse is probably possible.

Thanks for reading!
Tsari