Chapter 15

Failure

"Do you have any idea what this is? I've never felt like this before…"

Sitting on the bed in the infirmary, Sanji watched the little reindeer examine his potion from his stool at his desk.

The blond had started to wonder two days ago when he had left the archaeologist's tea brewed too long. Busy tidying up his galley at the time, he had realized almost ten minutes later that the liquid in the cup had turned almost red when Robin enjoyed the subtle taste of the barely colored tea. Usually, he relied on the delicate scent of the rose that pervaded the room to warn him, but this time he hadn't noticed. At the time, he hadn't paid too much attention to it, cursing himself for his thoughtlessness, and he had put the water back on to heat.

The next day, he had asked Nami if the tangerine trees weren't sick when she had brought him several fruits for his next dessert. The navigator had frowned and studied the tangerines carefully before shaking her head in surprise. Sanji had stared at the fruits then, before bringing them to his nose. He barely smelled their usually so characteristic perfume and he could have thought that the fruits came from some stall where the tangerines had ripened in the hold of a ship rather than in the sun, making them lose all their flavors. In front of the questioning eyes of the redhead though, he had reassured her with a broad smile, assuring that he had simply spent too much time smelling his spices. It was true, and that was why he had felt nothing else. He had served a chocolate and tangerine mousse for lunch and everyone had enjoyed it.

It was this morning, when he had noticed that he was barely smelling the curry in the preparation of his lamb stew, that he had realized his sense of smell wasn't working properly. He hadn't waited long to find the little reindeer at the beginning of the afternoon and tell him about the problem.

"You have no other symptoms and all your tests are good," The doctor said, turning to him, "It's probably a virus that has swollen your mucous membranes; it's rather banal. Your nose doesn't feel obstructed?"

"No, I don't think so. Do you think it'll pass quickly? It's quite annoying when I need to cook…"

Chopper jumped off his stool and grabbed his stethoscope to walk back to his patient. "It's probably a matter of days at most," He replied after listening to his lungs. "Your airways are clear, there's no congestion."

"That's reassuring." Sanji buttoned up his shirt, relieved.

"I can give you physiological saline to clean your nose, but if you don't feel any discomfort, it's not necessarily useful," The reindeer continued while grabbing a bottle from his cupboard before offering it to the blond.

"No, it'll be fine. I'll be careful until then, I'll just have to trust my nose a little less when I cook. Thank you, Chopper."

The doctor nodded and the blond left the infirmary to find his galley. This symptom was a little strange but the reindeer wasn't worried about its evolution and Sanji trusted him completely.

The cook was now serene again and he reviewed what was available in his pantry and fridge for the next meal of the crew. He felt in a good mood and decided on a raclette. It wouldn't need much preparation, but his friends loved getting together and watching the cheese slowly melt before they could eat it. And if Sanji lived to cook, he enjoyed witnessing the happiness of the people he loved just as much.

"Is it a new recipe?"

Gathered in the Sunny's galley for lunch a few days later, Nami eyed her plate curiously and the blond turned to her, equally intrigued. "No, sweetie, it's the mustard and tarragon chicken I always make with spaghetti."

"It seems spicier," She wondered, bringing a new piece of meat to her mouth.

"I think she's right. Didn't you add a little more mustard than usual?" Usopp asked him in turn.

"Maybe it's the tarragon," Chopper suggested, focusing on the flavor, "Depending on how it's dried, the herb can reveal quite strong flavors."

"Cooking requires such subtlety!" Brook marveled.

"I love it when it's spicy like this!" Franky got enthused.

"It's quite tasty," Robin agreed.

Sanji stared at his friends before glancing at his dish. Luffy was devouring his share as usual and Zoro like Jinbei hadn't made any remarks but he didn't question the word of the rest of his crewmates. Yet he had the impression of preparing his recipe exactly the same way as the previous times. He had browned the chicken in a tarragon marinade then added fresh herbs to the mustard during the cooking with the pasta and asparagus. And since his sense of smell continued to play tricks on him, he had made sure to test his sauce throughout the stages and it had seemed similar to all the other times he had cooked it.

"It must indeed be the tarragon," He replied after a moment. "I bought a new variety on our last port of call and dried some of it. I also took thyme and rosemary; I'll need to check if their tastes differ too…"

"Thyme and rosemary are excellent herbs that can be used both in cooking and in medicine!" Chopper rejoiced.

The topic of conversation soon turned to the cultivation of aromatic herbs and Sanji busied himself reheating his caramel tartlets while clearing the table of the first empty plates.

Despite his apparent calm, his brain was running at full speed. Sanji knew perfectly well the ingredients he had used and the variety of tarragon may have been new but it didn't change anything. The blond knew every flavor inside out and every possible variation he could get from his dishes. Even with an unknown ingredient, he was able to get the best out of it by simply identifying its taste and texture. His friends couldn't know but this requirement was the very foundation of all the work he had done for nearly ten years with Zeff. The essential basis for any self-respecting chef. Tarragon had nothing to do with it. If his dish was different, it was because he hadn't used the same doses and nothing else. But why would he have changed his recipe without even realizing it and without even detecting it?

"Sanji, is there any left?!" His captain suddenly wanted to know. He handed him his plate for the third time then, a beaming smile on his lips.

"Yeah, yeah… I'll get you some."

"Awesome!"

The cook quickly brought his portion to the straw hat boy, then opened the oven door to grab his tartlets to the delighted cheers of the table. Sanji smiled as he heard his friends smell the air with relish. Maybe he was just tired. The stress he had been subjecting himself for long weeks was probably catching up with him and he thought back to the disaster he had narrowly avoided on the last island they had visited. Moreover, he hadn't had a new panic attack since Zoro had surprised him but he felt the anxiety following him with every step. The secrecy and guilt were becoming too much to bear. He definitely needed to slow down.

"Usopp, can you come for a minute?"

The sniper looked up from the grass of the Sunny where he had settled down to do some tinkering in the sun the next day. The afternoon was well advanced and it was rare for Sanji to ask for his presence in the galley. But maybe he needed him to fix something even if Franky was usually the best person to take care of the Sunny and its installations. Yet the sniper was alone on the deck right now so whatever the blond wished, it was also possible that Sanji called him because he was simply the closest.

"I'm coming."

The young man left his tools and stood up before heading towards the galley. As soon as he crossed the threshold, Sanji closed the door behind him and gestured to the muffins he had placed on the table.

"Try this."

Usopp's eyes lit up and he quickly approached the treats before pausing. Sanji never asked him to test his dishes. On the contrary, the blond did everything to protect them from his crewmates until the appointed time and those who always benefited first were the girls.

"You didn't… poison the muffins, did you?" He couldn't help but ask.

Sanji raised an eyebrow behind him. "Do you think I'd spoil food knowingly?"

"No, of course not!" The sniper corrected himself immediately, "Well, that's not quite the answer I was hoping for, but hey…"

Usopp reached out and grabbed the first muffin in front of him before biting into it. Immediately, the flavors exploded in his mouth and he couldn't suppress a moan of pleasure. "These muffins are divine!" He gushed, turning to the cook with his eyes shining. "The chocolate chips are melting and the texture is the most perfect I've ever eaten!"

The blond didn't move from his spot and just pointed to another set of muffins next to the first ones. "Try one of those."

This time, the sniper took a green cake sprinkled with powdered sugar, forgetting his mistrust. A few seconds later, he closed his eyes under the avalanche of sensations, definitely convinced.

"These are the best matcha tea muffins I've ever eaten!" He exclaimed. "They're so light that I could eat dozens of them!"

He then turned to his friend who was still posted near the door, his two muffins in his hand. "If I need to choose between the two, it's gonna be hard," He admitted, swallowing another bite of the chocolate chip muffin to focus. "Maybe this one… Although the matcha one is really mellow…"

He shoved the rest of the muffin in his mouth, still undecided, but Sanji interrupted him. "You don't need to choose, that's fine. Thanks, Usopp."

"You sure? All right." The sniper headed for the door, licking his fingers, and as he reached his friend, he winked at him. "If you need a taster for your next dishes, think of me!"

Sanji only nodded and Usopp headed back to the deck while whistling, now pleased with the interruption. Still completely under the spell of what he had just tasted, he missed the closed face and unusually stiff posture of his crewmate. He would have understood that the quality of the muffins wasn't the reason why Sanji had called on him then.

"Tell me I'll recover."

The little reindeer met his patient's steel blue eyes fixed on him and he forced himself to hold his stare without blinking. Sanji had been remarkably calm during all these hours that the doctor's examinations had lasted and Chopper hadn't considered for a second that the reason was to make his task easier. The blond's low voice and neutral face might evoke calm to an outsider, but the reindeer had been a doctor too long not to recognize the restlessness lurking deep in his eyes. Sanji was worried and he understood.

When the cook had come to find him a little earlier, he had explained that he was no longer able to use his sense of taste and that his sense of smell had now almost entirely disappeared. The blond had tried to hide his trembling hands at this evocation but his too rapid breathing had betrayed him and Chopper had asked him to take deep breaths to prevent his heart from racing. The little reindeer had got down to checking all the elements at his disposal then and his results weren't as conclusive as he had hoped.

His eyes fixed on him, Chopper opened his mouth to answer but before a single word was exchanged, he had the feeling that his friend had already guessed what he was about to reveal because the cook stiffened. Yet he strengthened his will.

"I don't know. But I'll do my best to make it happen, you have my word."

Sanji's gaze escaped him when he looked away, and the blond just got up and left the infirmary in the direction of his galley without a word. As the door closed behind him, the little reindeer couldn't help but feel awfully guilty.

"What's going on, Chopper?"

The Straw Hat Pirate's crew had settled on the foredeck awaiting news of their two friends and as soon as he appeared, Usopp questioned the doctor with concern.

Sanji had been locked up with Chopper for a long time and snack time had passed by when he came out. His crewmates had had time to gather and wonder then, but all the questions they had wanted to ask had died on their lips the moment they had seen the blond cross the threshold of the infirmary, paler than ever. Nobody had dared to question him and Sanji had given them their muffins in silence before leaving to lock himself in the pantry. Chopper had appeared shortly after, but he hadn't opened his mouth either, obviously worried.

A few minutes later, the doctor had gone back to the infirmary and the rest of their friends had naturally decided to wait together outside, nervous about imagining what such an attitude could reveal. Even Luffy had remained silent and he fixed his eyes towards the little reindeer at the same time as the others following the question of Usopp when Chopper finally joined them.

"Sanji is suffering from anosmia progressing to major ageusia. It could even be total within a few days."

The sniper looked at him, completely lost, and Chopper realized that his crewmates were staring at him in confusion and concern. "Anosmia is a disorder of smell which results in a temporary or permanent loss of smell. It causes ageusia which alters or even completely makes the taste of food disappear because these two senses are closely linked. The taste buds of the tongue identify taste and the olfactory nerves identify smells. These two sensations are communicated to the brain which integrates the information. It allows recognition and appreciation of flavors then. Some of them like salty, bitter, sweet and sour can be recognized without the help of smell. More complex flavors require the association of taste and smell though."

His friends shared puzzled looks at those words. "Does that mean the cook can't smell the food now? Neither by smell nor by taste?" Zoro asked.

"He keeps the sapidity, that is the distinction between salty, sweet, bitter and sour," The little reindeer specified," This is why his ageusia is partial. At least for now…"

"What terrible news!" Brook lamented. "For a chef, these symptoms must be particularly terrifying!"

"Sanji didn't take it well," Chopper confirmed, biting his lip.

"Isn't he just sick?" Nami asked. "Because of a cold, you can have a disturbed sense of smell and taste, but it doesn't last!"

"The loss of smell and taste is due to certain viruses sometimes but it's usually associated with other symptoms. If it doesn't appear at birth, it is necessarily linked to an external cause that triggers it. But in Sanji's case, I can't find anything. All of his blood and physical tests are normal so I can't assure him his senses will return. I have no idea because I don't know what's happening to him."

"Can the body trigger these reactions itself?" Robin inquired.

"I've never seen this scenario," The doctor admitted.

"Okay then what can cause this thing?" Franky asked, frowning.

"There are many known causes: poisoning, drug treatments, head injuries, tumors. I checked everything on that side. Poisoning is the hardest to detect, but since none of us are sick apart from Sanji, it's unlikely that the food contaminated him. I thought it might be harmful agents present in tobacco. This is my main hypothesis even if all the elements do not match."

"Tobacco is a dangerous substance for the respiratory system as a whole," Jinbei noted.

"Smoking can alter taste and smell but it's usually barely perceptible to those affected," The little reindeer explained, "Sanji has been experiencing these symptoms for only a few days and they started quite suddenly. The only explanation would be damage to the olfactory nerve then, but that wouldn't be a good sign…"

"How so?" Usopp was worried.

"It could be an autoimmune disease but there are too many possibilities to verify at this time. I'd need to establish a lot of differential diagnosis and for now, the loss of smell and taste are his only visible reactions."

His friends shared another concerned look and Chopper lowered his head.

"What if he quit smoking?" Zoro suggested, frowning, "Surely he could get his sense of smell back that way, right?"

"Maybe. I can't be sure until I see his nerve," The reindeer replied grimly.

"You don't sound very optimistic," Jinbei noted.

The doctor shook his head. "Given how quickly the situation has deteriorated, I just hope that's only about the receptors and not the nerve itself. The neurons of this nerve have the particularity of regenerate but if his brain doesn't send him the signal, his sense of smell and taste will never return."

"If Sanji can't cook anymore, he'll waste away," Nami realized, a hint of panic in her voice. "This is his whole life and even his dream!"

"It won't be good," Franky confirmed, looking serious.

"Not to mention that the consequences of a loss of smell and taste are multiple, both socially and psychologically or even in terms of personal safety," Robin added. "Our chef will be unable to manage many daily tasks and it'll probably affect his morale."

"You can't be serious, come on!" The sniper fumed, "It couldn't happen to someone else!"

"I'm absolutely appalled," Brook agreed softly. "Our friend has already been through a lot more hardships than he should have been in so few years…"

"How can we know exactly what he's sick with, Chopper?" Luffy interrupted them, staring intently at his friend.

"Well… First, I need to examine his olfactory nerve but without a scanner and an appropriate machine, it's impossible," The doctor answered with guilt, "We'll have to wait for the next port of call and even there, maybe they won't have the necessary equipment…"

"We can't wait that long," His captain decided while glancing at the closed galley door where the blond had locked himself again, "Sanji needs an answer now, he needs to know what he's up against!"

"Luffy, I agree with you but Chopper doesn't have this machine. He can't make one," Usopp sighed.

"I know exactly who will be able to know what it is," The straw hat boy ignored him, already turning in the direction of the heart of the ship.

"You know someone capable of replacing a machine?" Nami wondered behind him, "Who?"

"I'm sure he can help him. Torao won't let us down."

All bets are off on the reason for Sanji's condition!"

I'm not a doctor but I did some research so hopefully the whole medical side is credible enough.