Hello my dear readers!
Guess who's back! Wohooo!
First of all, I must deeply apologize to you for keeping you waiting so long. But a lot of things happened in my life so I just couldn't concentrate on writing. But that's not important now.
And also, thank you so much for your support! It's crazy how many new readers this story has gained, even though it hasn't been updated in so long. You guys are truly the best! I can't thank you enough!
Sooo I hope you are all well and ready for this chapter! This one is really long this time, but that's exactly what you deserve after this long break. I really hope you like it, criticism is welcome as always.
Well then, I hope you enjoy reading it!
Have fun!
Heart wrenching weeping echoed throughout the Sunny, followed by Sabo's inarticulate pleas for his little brother in his arms to open his eyes again. A world had collapsed for those present on the ship at the moment when the person each and every one of them cared for dearly had breathed his last.
Nami, Usopp and Franky tried to process what had happened before their very eyes and lingered in their state of shock, their tearful eyes fixed on the lifeless body of their captain in Sabo's arms. They could not cope with the nightmarish sight that presented itself to them, which made Usopp and Franky fall to their knees next to Nami, whose body was shaking with sobs with her fingernails dug deeply into the grass of the deck of the Sunny. Their shaky legs no longer able to keep their bodies upright. The burden of losing the one person who meant so much to them was too heavy. The realization that followed, despite the fact that their mind did not want to believe it, broke them, leaving a hollow, painful feeling inside. At the same time, a pang of guilt hit them like a train with full force.
They had failed.
And not just anybody.
They had failed their captain.
Their best friend.
Luffy
Heavy sobs wracked the body of the blond revolutionary who still held his lifeless brother, from whom not a single sign of life could be detected anymore, in the same position in his arms. His shaky left hand tightly gripped the strands of luffy's pitch black hair while he desperately shook his brother vigorously with the other one, hoping to look once more into the once vivid onyx eyes and banish forever the last blank dull look in Luffy's eyes that had burned itself into his memory. But no matter how hard he tried to bring Luffy back, his efforts were in vain, only it was not possible for Sabo's mind to accept this terrible fate. Not even the startling absence of the burning vivre card in his pocket could make him accept it. How could he?
Sabo simply refused to believe that his only remaining brother had just left him forever. They had just met again. Everything should have been fine again. He was supposed to have come to save Luffy from whatever trouble he was in and not let him die miserably in his own arms. Luffy, his beloved little brother, still had so much to do. His big dream had been within reach, so how could it be over now? Everything happened so fast and out of his control that it was hard for Sabo to understand what all had happened in the blink of an eye.
All he knew was that Luffy would never give up so easily, no matter how difficult the situation was. His brother would never give up. Regardless of whether illness or injury. What was that to him anyway? Luffy had been through far worse. He had already been through hell many times. Never could he be gone now, leaving behind his dream, his friends, and most of all, him.
No
NO
"LUUUFYYY!"
Sabo screamed over and over again, his voice almost giving up, already hoarse from constant wailing. But this was completely indifferent to him, he was no longer even aware. Overcome by grief and pain, everything in him resisted this fatal fate, so that he hardly had his own body under control, as it began to shake uncontrollably. Violent tremors raged through his body along with the unbearable feeling as if his heart was being crushed, squeezed so tightly that he even found it difficult to suck in another breath of air. His lungs were burning, his heart crushed into thousands of pieces and his mind lost. Lost in the darkness. The eerie darkness caused by the extinction of his light, his sun. Luffy had always been the sun in his life, but now without him he was doomed to the eternal darkness that he so feared. Especially after Ace's demise.
Sabo's scrunched up features twitched tensely, clearly reflecting the pain inside him as his tears continued to flow uncontrollably down his rosy cheeks. It was like a deja vu. Something he never wanted to experience again. It felt exactly like when he had read about Ace's death in the newspaper, if not worse. Learning about such news through a newspaper was hardly equal to going through such a horrible experience in person. The feeling and experience of holding the lifeless body of a very close person in one's arms was unlike any other kind of pain. It was killing oneself. A large part of Sabo died along with Luffy, never to be recovered.
No one would ever be able to bring Sabo out of this darkness, to close the hole his beloved brother had left in his already wounded heart.
Not even Koala, who had finally managed to arrive on the ship, only much too late, as she had to realize, and was startled to find herself in the midst of this horror scenario. Her gaze, of course, inevitably fell on her friend in mourning, who was cradling his motionless brother, which prompted her to immediately rush to his side. She tried to get through to Sabo with her comforting words, even though her voice trembled uncontrollably in the process, but all attempts seemed to be in vain.
Sabo was too deeply immersed in his sorrow and despair, so that he hardly noticed anything. His senses seemed to block out everything around him and his body gradually began to shut down. The pain tugged at his strength, but even someone as strong as he had a certain limit and this was more than just exceeded. Grief, anger, despair and also self-blame, all these feelings raged in him like a tornado, against which he had not nearly the chance to fight. It was simply too much.
Far too much
Sabo didn't notice as the missing Straw Hats trickled in one by one after Koala on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, only to be confronted with a situation that each of them had most likely experienced in their worst nightmares, which had to be no rarity for them in recent weeks and days as Luffy hovered steadily between life and death.
The young revolutionary didn't hear their agonized screams, which could possibly be heard across the entire island, and how they burst into tears one after the other. Even the tough-looking Zoro, who never shed a single tear except on very rare occasions in his life, had a few tear drops running down his cheeks, his expression a mixture of sadness and complete bewilderment. The rest of the members did not fare any differently.
The horrific sight just broke them all.
The sight they had been so afraid of all this time. The scenario that they had actually tried with all their might to prevent at all costs.
In the end, all their efforts had been in vain.
Sabo also didn't notice how the little reindeer hurried to his side, forcing himself to push his feelings aside for a moment, as a professional doctor would do in such a serious situation, hoping to somehow still be able to help his captain.
All the anguished cries, the grief and the rage that seethed at the same time in every single member of the Straw Hats were all things that happened outside of Sabo's perception. He wasn't able to turn his eyes, swollen and reddened from crying, away from Luffy's so peaceful face, on which a bittersweet light smile was still visible on the bloody lips and whose tears had long since dried up, their remnants still clearly noticeable through the traces they had left on his cold, pale cheeks.
It almost seemed like Luffy was asleep.
But not as usual in his chaotic sleep where he drooled over his pillow, no, more likely when he fell into a peaceful sleep after a hard tiring battle.
So quiet and gentle.
Yeah...Luffy had always been a sleeping beauty in Sabo's eyes…
Then all of a sudden the few little words came out of Chopper's mouth that confirmed the apprehension and that none of them wanted to hear. How could words be so painfully cruel?
"H-he...L-Luffy has no pulse...he is...dead…."
…
"Sabo you have to let go!"
A voice rang out.
Koala's voice, which finally managed to get through to Sabo after countless attempts, echoed painfully in the ears of the blond revolutionary. The words that left his friend's mouth were so intrusive and above all unacceptable.
"Please, I know it's not easy, but you have to let go now!"
Letting go?
Why should Sabo do that?
Why was he not allowed to admire his brother while he slept?
Just for a little while longer…
He had missed him so much.
But suddenly when Koala, noticing Chopper's desperation, tried to help the reindeer by trying to free Luffy's body from his big brother's iron grip, the latter clung even tighter to Luffy, still denying that his brother had actually lost his life.
"Sabo, Luffy is…Luffy is dead! We...we have to bu-" Koala tried to speak to her mourning friend, but was interrupted when suddenly swollen eyes, wet with tears, flashed at her. Out of reflex, the brunette backed away, not breaking eye contact with Sabo, even though it was hard for her to look at him in this state. It caused her tremendous pain in her heart to be rejected by Sabo in such a way, not to be able to help him. She knew that no matter what she did, she could not help him in any way. No one could. No one in the world could bring Luffy back.
"N-no you're lying! L-Luffy...h-he...he's not...he's not d-dead! H-He c-can't die!" Sabo spat back, voice still hoarse and shaky. He immediately shielded one arm protectively over Luffy's body, thus preventing him from being taken away from him.
"B-But Sabo-"
"No, stop it! L-Luffy is not dead...He...he can't be dead!" Sabo hissed, his voice sounding painfully scratchy.
"I'm begging you...let go..."
"N-No!"
"Let go…"
"No!"
"Please…"
"NOOO!"
—
Sabo sat up with a loud gasp, suddenly startled awake in the middle of what felt like a mere nightmare.
His hand flew to his chest, which was rising and falling rapidly due to his frantic breathing. He could also feel his restless heartbeat underneath his palm, as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest at any moment. It took Sabo a while to get his breathing back under control and for his senses to finally kick in.
The very first thing he noticed was the pungent sterile smell that unpleasantly filled his nostrils. This was also the decisive factor that told him where he actually was, in a sickroom. The blond revolutionary had to blink a few times until his vision, which until then was still blurred, gradually began to clear. Before he had a chance to look around, still breathing a little heavily, a hand delicately placed on his shoulder, causing him to look up in surprise in the direction of the owner of said hand.
Sabo gasped in surprise when he saw the face of his best friend, who promptly wiped her tear-stained face with her other hand and put on a relieved smile.
"Koala...?" Sabo croaked, his confusion evident in his voice.
"Thank God Sabo, you finally woke up! I was worried sick!" No sooner had these words passed Koala's lips than she jumped up from her place on a wooden chair next to the bed to wrap her arms tightly around Sabo's torso, catching him quite off guard. Just before all the air was squeezed out of Sabo's lungs and he started gasping for breath, he felt a hard blow on his head, which was already throbbing with pain, making him cry out in agony.
"Ouch! What was that for now?" Sabo protested as he rubbed the already forming bump on his head.
Koala snorted. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? I thought you were going to..." The brunette stopped, unable to say the word, especially not after what had occurred. She slumped back in her seat, head down with her hands clenched over her knees. She was obviously distressed, which was immediately apparent to the confused Sabo.
"W-What happened and where are we?" He wanted to know and wiped the sweat from his forehead before running the same hand through his blond hair. At the same time, he tried to recall his memories, rummaging through the strange emptiness in his head.
Koala's throat dried the moment this question reached her ears, not knowing how to break the news to Sabo. She bit her lower lip, unable to look Sabo in the eye. But just as the revolutionary opened her mouth to speak, a pained gasp escaped Sabo's mouth and he winced as he held his head, the mild throbbing suddenly replaced by a twinge. Along with the pain, all his memories and moreover what he had seen in his dream came flooding back to him, hitting him like a huge wave.
"Sabo!" Koala cried out in panic as she looked up at him again. The scenario before her eyes seemed all too familiar, and it was by no means a pleasant memory. Sabo broke out in a cold sweat, his breathing shallow and his dark pupils dilated. The pain ran through his entire body, but what was projected before Sabo's inner eye was worse than all his pains combined together.
"Sabo, w-what's wrong? Calm down, look at me!" Koala's voice trembled, not knowing how to help her friend. She tried to understand what was happening to Sabo, but she feared the worst. Just as she was about to put her hand on his arm to get his attention, the blond haired man reflexively slapped it away, which felt to Koala like a stab in the heart. What followed was a deafening scream on the part of Sabo, who was also just about to tear the hair from his scalp.
"WHERE IS LUFFYYY?"
"Sabo I beg you to calm down!" Koala pleaded with her friend, who was anything but willing to listen to her. "Where is my brother?! You were going to take him away from me, so where the hell is he now?!" Sabo growled at Koala instead, confusing dream and reality, which obviously puzzled the brunette, but Sabo gave her no chance to explain it to him. He energetically pushed the bedspread aside, making his way to the door on wobbly legs in the same moment. At that instant he didn't care if his legs were about to buckle under him, all that mattered was to find his brother, so he forced himself further through the ship.
Before Koala could react in time to stop him, not that she would ever have the strength to do so, the blond haired young man had already torn open the door behind which the galley of the Thousand Sunny was located. Greeted by complete emptiness, he continued to rush through the galley to the door that led outside, ignoring Koala's shouting. The brunette limped close behind him, trying hard and with desperation to prevent him from going through the door by pulling on his shirt, but she was unable to do so, and he inevitably broke free of her grip, only to open the door that would reveal everything in the next moment.
The blond revolutionary literally stumbled through the door the second his eyes settled on what was happening in front of him down on the grass deck. His already wobbly legs finally gave way and he was just able to catch himself on the railing, because the sight that played out before his eyes drained him of all the strength he still had. His heavy breathing stopped and his heart skipped a few beats as he clung to the railing with sweaty hands, his fingertips turning white from the sheer force he was exerting.
"No..." Was the only word that came over Sabo's lips no louder than a whisper. He shook his head in disbelief and was sure that his eyes were playing a trick on him, because what he saw could not be reality. In no universe could this be possible. It made no sense.
Luffy, his brother…
In a coffin in the middle of the deck…
Surrounded by his comrades crying their eyes out…
As they said their final goodbyes
Sabo's mouth opened in a scream, but no sound escaped his dust-dry throat. The next moment, everything went black.
—
Sabo found himself gasping for breath as he opened his eyes in the next instant. The first thing he noticed was a constant beeping noise that beeped in a slow rhythm, almost drilling into his head, as intrusive as it sounded. Second was a dim light until the outlines gradually sharpened before his eyes and an all too familiar face appeared. Slowly but surely, he realized what an uncomfortable position he was in as his head rested on Luffy's chest, his brother's heartbeat audibly thudding in his right ear.
Abrubtly, he straightened his upper body, half of which was on top of Luffy, while the other half of him was sitting on a chair next to his brother's bed, to scrutinize his brother's face. He blinked a few times, trying to make sure this wasn't another bad dream he was in, fervently praying that it was not something like that again. As he did so, Sabo could still hear his own racing heartbeat in his ears, which just wouldn't settle down. His panting gradually improved, however, the longer he looked into Luffy's peaceful pale face.
A breathing mask lay over the black haired boy's nose and mouth, though Sabo felt it was far too large for his brother's delicate face and didn't fit him at all. Sabo also discovered two thin tubes, the end of which were buried in Luffy's veins in the crook of his arm, each supplying him with blood and another transparent fluid. Both his arms and the parts of his body that were not covered by the blanket were adorned with white bandages all the way up to his neck, with a few small red spots here and there. Sabo's eyes shifted to the heart monitor, which was obviously emitting the shrill beeping that he had first noticed, reliably recording Luffy's heartbeat in a steady rhythm, the sound of which Sabo could barely block out.
Still dazed and trying to calm his wildly beating heart, he let his gaze wander around the entire room, the fear of having woken up in another nightmare still lingering. But to his surprise, he then realized that he was not alone with his brother. It was actually quite the opposite, as the room that turned out to be the Sunny's sick bay was quite crowded. The corners of the revolutionary's mouth curled into a slight smile as he caught sight of every single member of the Straw Hats sleeping around him, most of them on the floor.
Chopper had fallen asleep sitting on his small swivel chair, while Robin was sitting on another chair at the end of the bed, her upper body also resting on the bed like Sabo before. A book was lying carelessly not far from her head on the white bed sheet, pages that the archaeologist must have read last lay open. Sabo's tired eyes darted from Robin to the door leading outside, against which the first mate of the crew was leaning, both arms folded in front of his chest, looking as if he were guarding the room. So did the blond cook just across from him, leaning against the respective other door leading to the galley, his head hanging down and his face obscured by the shaggy blond strands.
Right next to him lay Nami, using Sanji's right thigh as a pillow, lying with her legs bent close to her body with one arm wrapped around them. Her normally immaculate long orange hair also looked disheveled like Sanji's, with single strands sticking to her forehead. The exposed areas that were not covered by her skimpy clothes were pretty much completely wrapped in bandages, hiding all the wounds inflicted on her by the Navy. In short, like most of her comrades, she looked like a mess.
Lastly, Sabo turned to the trio that consisted of Usopp, Franky and Brook. All three of them were lying half on the floor and half leaning against the wall next to each other further to the right of Sanji and Nami in the corner of the room. Usopp was in the middle between the musician and the ship's carpenter, his head resting on the cyborg's shoulder in an oblique and certainly unhealthy position for his neck. His right leg lay stretched out from his body, while he had the other bent. Together, the three friends made a strange picture, but it was obvious how exhausted and drained they looked as they dozed peacefully, each with a bubble coming out of their nose.
Sabo was so overwhelmed by the sweet behavior of the crew and was prouder than ever that Luffy could make such great friends. Each of them had given up their own cozy bed to be by their captain's side, to stand by him. And Sabo knew full well that this entire crew of wonderful members would even go through hell for Luffy without hesitating for a single second.
When the chief of staff of the revolutionary army let his gaze roam the room a second time, he immediately noticed that Koala was not among the people present in the room. Moreover, there was no trace of Jinbei either. Sabo frowned thoughtfully for a moment and came to the conclusion that the two of them would have to guard the ship, since the rest of the crew was in the sickroom and it could quickly become dangerous to leave the ship to its own devices.
The worry Sabo had felt for a brief moment vanished when his eyes fell on his brother again. The captain of the Straw Hats still seemed to be sleeping soundly in the same position. He had not stirred, not even a little bit, which was quite strange for Luffy, who had never really had a peaceful sleep since childhood, as far as Sabo could recall. The only thing that indicated that Luffy was still alive was the slight movement of his chest as he silently breathed in and out.
In and out
In and out
It put Sabo into a kind of trance, even managed to calm him down a bit. The young man was so incredibly grateful to witness this moment. However, at the same time, bad memories tried to enter his mind, tried to replay themselves in his mind's eye, but he did his best to suppress them with difficulty. Fresh tears made their way down Sabo's cheeks in this attempt.
The wet stain on Luffy's snow-white duvet told Sabo that he must have cried in his fitful sleep earlier, too. The nightmares he had would probably plague him for a very long time, because the blond haired wouldn't be able to process it all so quickly, if ever.
Since it just seemed impossible to suppress it, Sabo squinted his eyes as the traumatizing event played out in his head. Everything from beginning to end, until he had lost consciousness at some point and he hardly remembered anything that happened afterwards.
Quickly his hands sought his brother's limp wrist hanging over the edge of the bed to find a hold on reality and escape the clutches of the bad memories that were trying to completely take over his mind, pulling him back into the worst of his nightmares.
But then Sabo felt the steady heartbeat under his thumb, dragging him out of the darkness he was involuntarily drawn into with every single strong beat. The same heartbeat that had ceased to exist in his arms, and that he thought he would never get the chance to hear or feel again. He had almost lost Luffy. He had been so close, so damn close...
No, he had lost Luffy for sure. He was practically declared dead. But miraculously he came back. Sabo had never really believed in miracles, but this changed his view on it forever. He had never been so grateful in his entire life as he was now to whatever force had helped bring his brother back.
Still drained from everything that had happened, from the struggle for Luffy's survival, Sabo, after stroking the black strands from Luffy's ashen face and briefly placing a probing hand on his forehead, slowly lowered himself back to his original position on Luffy's chest. He then gradually let his heavy eyelids fall and let the gentle rhythm of his brother's heartbeats lull him into what he hoped would be a more restful sleep. A small tear full of relief rolled out of the corner of his eye and sucked itself into the thin fabric of the bedspread.
—
Sabo shivered in his slumber and a small moan escaped his lips when he was suddenly gently shaken awake by a small hoof. The reindeer, who had hopped onto Luffy's bed, looked expectantly into the blond's face, whose closed eyelids twitched before slowly lifting to reveal charcoal-colored eyes.
Sabo was startled from his semi-recumbent position when he saw Chopper's face so close to his, which also startled his counterpart, who at the same time almost lost his balance and would have fallen off the bed had he not caught himself in time.
"Woah, that was close...Oh uh Sabo you're finally awake!" Chopper smiled softly at the young revolutionary, as he stared at him with squinted eyes, confusion clearly evident in his expression. Sabo's features matched his tangled blond hair and the bit of dried drool stuck to his chin.
"C-Chopper...what...did something happen?" Sabo asked frantically, reflexively turning his gaze to Luffy, his pulse quickening out of concern. But he calmed down after a short while when he noticed that Luffy seemed to be in the same condition as before, which was relieving but a bit disappointing at the same time. Sabo didn't know why, but he had somewhat expected that his brother had already woken up, was well and acted like himself, as if nothing had happened. Because that's how it had always been. Luffy had gotten through everything in his own way, as if it were no big deal. However, Sabo had to realize that this incident, along with the illness his little brother was suffering from, was probably too much to handle this time, even for someone as inhuman as Luffy.
This sudden realization sparked an uneasy feeling in Sabo and negative thoughts began to swirl around in his head.
What if Luffy never came to again?
What if he never recovered?
What if-
His unsettling train of thought was interrupted by Chopper, who also gave him a worried look.
"It's all right, it's just I need to examine Luffy and you're still the only person in the room, so..." The reindeer doctor paused for a moment. "Are you okay? Are you not feeling well?" Sabo shook his head in the negative and wiped away the drops of sweat that had formed on his forehead with a swift movement.
"It's nothing...I'm fine, don't worry." It surprised him how rough his voice sounded. He swallowed hard and bit his lower lip before avoiding Chopper's stare, turning his attention back to Luffy.
Chopper narrowed his eyes suspiciously. As a doctor, it was impossible for him to block out his alarm bells, and since Sabo had collapsed the day before due to the traumatic experience and still seemed to be quite mentally unstable, he couldn't help but worry.
Chopper sighed, resigning himself to the answer for now, hopped off the bed again and reached for a glass and the half-full carafe next to it on his work table and poured a glass of water. He stopped pouring for a second when a murmur sounded behind him, the question catching him off guard.
"I'm fine, but how is he, Chopper?"
Chopper's grip on the carafe's handle tightened and he gritted his teeth as he tried not to lose his composure in response to this question. He opened his mouth, only to close it again, not finding the right words to answer.
Did Chopper even know a proper answer to this question? An answer that would satisfy the young revolutionary? Could take out the endless worry in Sabo's voice? Chopper wasn't sure, in fact he was damn unsure, and that uncertainty was eating away at him, slowly but surely. The only thing he could be sure of was that he had done everything in his power to keep his captain, his friend, alive.
Sabo's stare of bitterness as he once again watched over Luffy made Chopper feel a twinge in his heart. Knowing that every single one of his friends out there on the deck wasn't doing any better only made him feel even more guilty, putting him under enormous pressure.
Chopper handed Sabo the glass of water, which he gratefully accepted without turning away from Luffy and then gulped it down greedily. The slightly chilled water did wonders for his scratchy throat, soothed the burning sensation, and additionally helped him clear his head.
"Luffy is in stable condition." Chopper finally interrupted the uncomfortable silence, in which only the sound of the respirator and the shrill beeping of the heart rate monitor could be heard. Sabo took the now empty glass from his lips, almost smiling in relief, if it weren't for the big but he felt after those words.
Frustrated, he put the glass aside on the small table next to the bed and took Luffy's limp hand in his, not daring to inquire further about the condition. The pallor of Luffy's hand alone was a great contrast to Sabo's own, with its blue veins standing out. Luffy's resemblance to a corpse through his paleness already gave some indication of his condition. His heart was beating, he was breathing and his hand felt warm, different from that moment when he had lain dying in his brother's arms. But for how much longer? How much longer could Luffy hold out?
Sabo swallowed before speaking up again, tightening his hold around Luffy's dainty hand. "I know there's a but, so what exactly is the status of Luffy, Chopper? Is he...is he going to be okay?"
Meanwhile, as the situation in the sickroom was tense, a certain swordsman sat outside at the other side of the room's door and listened to the conversation with his eyes closed and his arms crossed in front of his chest, hoping that he would learn something new about Luffy's actual state.
Zoro looked quite calm from the outside and one could even think he had fallen asleep again, but that was not the case. Not in the least. Normally he would look for a nice spot outside on the deck to take a nap, but the green haired couldn't think of that for a long time. To be more precise, since the whole drama around his captain and his illness had begun.
Zoro may not have let it show, but a storm of despair and fear was raging inside him. Something he had never really felt before, at least not to this extent. And he knew that it was the same for the others and he feared that the crew was slowly but surely breaking apart because of everything that was happening. They had never been so close to losing their captain as they were yesterday. Almost everything was over, their journey, their dreams, their goals, simply everything.
Usually, they all knew how to fight their way through when they found themselves in a hopeless situation. Fighting and sticking together had always been the solution. But how could a crew fight, let alone defeat, an enemy that was invisible, yet so strong that it could mean the downfall of the Straw Hat Pirates?
No matter how many times the first mate faced this question, the result remained the same. There was no solution. They were solely dependent on trusting Luffy and believing in him. To believe that he would win the fight against this seemingly invincible disease, which he had to fight without the help of his crew. The only thing the Straw Hats were capable of doing was to help their ship's doctor where they could. But the rest was up to Luffy. A heavy sigh escaped Zoro as he continued to try to keep his calm and listened attentively to the conversation in the sickroom.
Chopper had meanwhile put on his stethoscope and had thus switched to his doctor mode when Sabo's question reached his ears.
Would Luffy ever be okay again?
The question buzzed around the room for what felt like an eternity until it was finally answered by the reindeer, even if he didn't know where exactly to start with his explanation.
"Well…the disease he has is progressing inexplicably fast to me." Chopper spoke hesitantly, and at the same time approached Luffy's bed to begin the examination. Sabo gave the small doctor enough space and moved his chair to the side while his eyes followed Chopper's actions closely.
"However, what weakened his immune system even more was the pneumonia he had recently." Chopper continued. The fact that Luffy had recently had pneumonia was new to Sabo and surprised him in a negative sense. The blond gritted his teeth when he heard this, while he nodded in understanding and continued to listen attentively.
"But the fact is that Luffy got pneumonia precisely because his immune system is weak. The disease that he has affects his cells. At first, it was his tissue cells, but as time went on, it affected his blood cells as well." Chopper explained, careful of his choice of words, so that Sabo could follow him. But the reindeer recognized the confusion in Sabo's facial expression out of the corner of his eye, which led him to go into more detail about the illness. The whole crew knew about Luffy's sickness, but Sabo was still in the dark about it and he also had the right to know every single detail that Chopper had researched so far.
Sabo nodded slightly, as a sign that he had understood the explanation, and turned his gaze back to Luffy's face, watching it regretfully. The revolutionary could not believe how much his little brother had to suffer from this nasty disease. Sabo wanted nothing more at that moment than to take all his pain and suffering away from him and lie on the bed in his place. Unfortunately, this was not possible, no matter how much he wanted it. The only solution seemed to be this little reindeer doctor whose dream was to cure all the diseases of the world.
"And you are quite sure that you can make such a medicine?" Sabo incredulously asked, his eyes once again following Chopper's nimble hooves. Chopper smiled tentatively as he carefully removed the blood transfusion needle from the crook of Luffy's arm and disposed of the empty blood bag in the garbage can that already contained the previous three empty bags.
"Of course! I'm not only sure, but I know I'm going to make it…I have to do it… After all, it's also my big dream." Chopper's serious and confident expression clarified his statement, so Sabo also had no choice to believe him, to trust him. Not that he had any other choice at all.
The young blond haired man smiled trustingly at him and let his gaze wander back to Luffy, the corners of his mouth pulled back into a frown. There was a short silence between the two, while Chopper continued to follow the medical examination, until he spoke again, taking Sabo by surprise.
"The damn marines also inflicted quite a few injuries on Luffy. Many of them harmless though..." Chopper ran his hooves over the bandage on Luffy's chest, beneath which was a fresh stitch running across his burn scar, and grimaced bitterly before continuing.
"He had lost a lot of blood, which ultimately led to cardiac arrest. It was lucky that Jinbei and Koala were there to donate enough blood. Otherwise..." The reindeer immediately discarded the last thought, not wanting to imagine what would have happened if things had not turned out the way they had.
"We just have to hope that the countless puncture wounds don't cause an infection. Because if that were to happen..." Chopper paused briefly to change into his human form at the same time, making it easier for himself to put Luffy in an upright sitting position.
"His chances of survival would drop drastically and I'm even afraid that I wouldn't be able to do anything for him." Sabo swallowed hard at these words before he almost reflexively rose from his chair to help Chopper with what he was about to do.
"Can you help me? Hold him up like this while I change his bandages." Chopper instructed as he transferred Luffy's limp form into Sabo's hold after temporarily removing the breathing mask from his captain's face. The blond haired nodded, taking special care not to grip his unconscious brother's shoulders too tightly. His grip was so soft and gentle, in fact, that you'd think Luffy would break like a porcelain doll under his hands if he gripped any tighter. The slight fever he could feel under his fingers on Luffy's sweat-damp skin worried him, but he hoped it wouldn't rise any further. It had to be more than normal after what his brother's body had gone through and was still going through because of the relentless illness.
It was anything but easy to hold the completely unconscious Luffy upright, as his slack body automatically slumped forward towards Sabo, subconsciously shifting his entire heavy weight onto his big brother. In order not to let Luffy's head dangle uncomfortably, the older brother leaned his head against his own shoulder, now feeling the ragged but steady breathing of the younger one against his neck. Just as Sabo was about to bury his nose in the black mop that was Luffy's hair to inhale his scent, hoping to reassure himself that Luffy was indeed with him and clearly alive, he noticed that his hair was sticky with partially dried blood. His little brother needed a bath as soon as possible, but his wounds were more of a priority at the moment. Sabo wondered whether it would even be possible to give Luffy a bath with his serious injuries without causing him unnecessary pain.
The sight of his countless wounds as Chopper removed the blood-stained bandages piece by piece made him feel uncomfortable again and his mind forced him to look away, but his eyes were transfixed on what Chopper was revealing. So the revolutionary watched the whole process as Chopper carefully removed the dirty bandages, smearing a greenish and rather foul smelling ointment over the wounds, before wrapping them again in clean white bandages. The process continued until all the wounds on Luffy's entire body were thoroughly checked for infection and freshly bandaged.
Chopper let out an exhausted sigh and wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked at his finished work after a while. The reindeer doctor had been so tense the whole time that Sabo could now visibly see him relax. The fear that he would be confronted with infections or the beginnings of infections had been far too great for Chopper.
After the doctor had made sure that the healing process of the wounds was on the right track, it was now time to turn his attention to the more serious matter, the cause of all things: Luffy's illness.
Chopper had been working diligently day and night since his diagnosis and had managed to develop and improve his medicine with each new research and new herb. However, he was still some way from achieving his actual goal and perfecting the cure. Again and again he found out something new, which meant that the medicinal herbs he needed were constantly changing. Originally he needed 5 in total, but now he could probably complete the medicine with just two more herbs, if he was lucky enough to find them, of course.
After all, time was slowly but surely running out for Luffy and he had to create the medicament as quickly as possible, which is why he researched several ways. Unfortunately, as Chopper feared, there was no more time for an extensive search for the ingredients. The doctor hoped that at least one medicinal herb would be found on the next island, which they were already heading for at full speed. Luckily, Luffy's symptoms could be alleviated with his current version, but the problem was that each time it was only temporary and the illness only seemed to return stronger each time. Chopper simply couldn't understand how this was even possible.
Nevertheless, the reindeer had no choice at the moment but to give it to Luffy. The remedy wasn't perfect, but the effect should at least last longer than last time, which was better than nothing and gave Chopper a little more time.
"So I'm finished. Now I have to give him the medicine to relieve his symptoms." Chopper announced his next task and went back to his normal form. He grabbed the worn bandages to discard them and hopped from the bed over to his mini fridge where he kept his medicine. As he did so, Sabo gently placed his brother on his back again, careful not to irritate his injuries.
Luffy actually seemed to be completely out cold, as he didn't seem to notice anything, judging by the lack of any reaction on his part and the way his head rolled limply to the side on the pillow. Sabo didn't like this at all and this fact did nothing but increase his concern. Chopper didn't make any worrying comments about it either, which could only mean that it was probably normal, but the worry remained nonetheless. Sabo raised his hand to brush Luffy's fringe aside and scrutinized his face, desperately searching for any twitch or sign that might indicate that Luffy was about to awaken.
Sabo was actually aware of how absurd it was of him to expect Luffy to wake up from his coma so soon. After his near death it would be a miracle if this happened anyway. Sabo forced a slight smile onto his lips. No matter how much he wanted to look into his brother's joyful eyes, he knew he had to be patient. He had to give Luffy time to recover, because he needed that more than anything else right now. And maybe it was for the best, too, because knowing his little brother, the words rest and recovery were foreign to him. For now, the revolutionary tried to be content with the fact that Luffy was breathing and alive.
While Sabo moved his hand to Luffy's cheek, slightly flushed with fever, to caress his face, Chopper returned with a syringe in his hoof, which he had already filled with the liquid medicine. Sabo turned his attention back to the little reindeer with interest, who proceeded professionally, squeezing the excess air out of the syringe before carefully inserting the tip into Luffy's vein in the crook of his arm, clearly visible through his pale skin. Sabo shuddered at the sight of the needle penetrating the elastic surface of Luffy's skin. He himself could almost feel the unpleasant sensation, which he loathed to the core.
Eager for a reaction, Sabo's eyes automatically switched from Luffy's arm to his face, but was disappointed anew when there was not even the slightest response from the young captain. Luffy lay there as still as ever, like the angel he was, but the sight still took more than a little getting used to for Sabo. He was quite sure he would never be able to get used to it. Never.
After Chopper had completely emptied the contents of the syringe into Luffy's bloodstream, in the hope that it would have a quick effect, he withdrew the needle, only to apply pressure to the puncture site with a small piece of cotton to stop the little bit of blood that was leaking out. The reindeer then turned his head to Sabo, whose eyes were still staring at Luffy's face, the doubt and sadness in his gaze hard to miss. The sight broke Chopper's heart, as he knew exactly what was going through the revolutionary's head.
Chopper bit his lower lip as he felt the enormous pressure to do or say something that would at least cheer the blond haired up a little. But to his displeasure, he couldn't think of anything better than, "It'll be all right." Sabo let out a deep sigh at these words and looked the reindeer doctor in the eye. The small orbs radiated reassurance, even if there was a hint of despair in them. Chopper gave Sabo a smile to emphasize his statement, which his counterpart hesitantly returned.
"I know." Sabo whispered, maintaining his small smile. He then went back to staring at his brother, unable to take his eyes off him for even a second longer. Even if the chance was minimal, it could be that Luffy would come to after all and Sabo didn't want to miss that moment.
"He'll be fine, I promise." Chopper assured, more convincingly than ever. Sabo hummed in response. "I trust you Chopper." Sabo smiled. "And I have faith in my brother. He'll get through all this, he's strong enough." Sabo closed his eyes for a moment as the memories of his childhood with his brothers came flooding back. He thought back to all the times they had survived a lot of hardship. They were tough and this remained unchanged to this day. As a big brother, he was very proud of Luffy, of everything he had achieved so far. Sabo knew that he was far from finished, because the fulfillment of his great dream was yet to come. Nothing and nobody could stop Luffy, not even this damn illness. Despite the great fear of losing Luffy, which he simply couldn't turn off, he kept trying to convince himself of this. Everything would be all right again. It had to, because he would rather die than lose another brother.
Sabo grabbed Luffy's hand and squeezed it gently, mindful of the heart rate device attached to his index finger, to show his brother that he was by his side. He hoped that Luffy could sense this in some way, no matter how deeply he slumbered. A glimmer of hope that the younger man would squeeze back still lingered in Sabo's mind, but it was just wishful thinking that didn't happen. Instead, Luffy took a deep breath and let it out again, just as he had been doing the whole time without any change. Chopper's heart warmed at the sight, which only spurred him on even more not to give up and to find a cure as quickly as possible. The burden on his small shoulders was now heavier than ever, as he realized that not only his friends but also Luffy's brother were counting on him. Of course, there were probably also many other people they had met on their journey, even if they hadn't heard about this incident, they would still very much like to meet Luffy again.
With renewed determination, Chopper returned to his examination, as he wasn't quite finished yet. He put the empty syringe to one side, only to reach for his stethoscope with which he listened to Luffy's chest. Sabo made a little space for him and slid to the side, not letting go of Luffy's hand.
The blond haired watched Chopper's actions closely and tried to understand from his facial features whether everything was all right or not. Chopper, on the other hand, mostly kept his serious, professional look, which didn't reveal much. After a few minutes, which felt like several hours to Sabo, Chopper put his stethoscope away and covered Luffy's upper body with his blanket again. Then he switched off the ventilator, which earned him a confused look from Sabo. Chopper noticed Sabo's confusion immediately and calmed him down.
"Don't worry, his breathing is stable at the moment, so I don't think he needs any extra ventilation." The reindeer explained, whereupon Sabo realised that Luffy was actually having no problems breathing, his chest rising slightly with each steady breath. The revolutionary exhaled with relief, as if he had been holding his breath the whole time.
"Phew, I'm relieved. At least there's some good news about his condition." Sabo exclaimed, but this joy didn't last very long, because Chopper didn't seem to be able to share this joy for a reason. "You can take it as good news, but this condition won't last long." It wasn't easy for Chopper to ruin Sabo's mood, but he had to stick to reality and it wouldn't be right to lie to him. "Unfortunately, his condition will continue to deteriorate inexorably, at the latest when the effects of the medicine wear off. That's why we can't leave him unattended under any circumstances." Chopper explained in a serious tone as he placed his hoof on Luffy's forehead to check his temperature. He hissed softly as he realized to his horror that his captain's fever had risen and appeared to be continuing to rise steadily. Chopper hoped it wasn't a sign of infection in his wounds, which seemed to be healing normally. However, the illness combined with the strain on his body was most likely the cause; after all, Luffy had been through a lot in his sick state and had almost lost his life in the process.
Whatever the reason, Chopper had to prevent Luffy's temperature from rising even more and causing him distress. "Sabo quick, Luffy's fever is rising! Bring me a bowl of cold water and a cloth. Both utensils are in the bottom drawer of my table." Chopper instructed Sabo, who didn't need to be told twice.
While Sabo took care of his task, Chopper hurriedly rummaged in one of his cupboards for his antipyretic, which, as soon as he had found it, he filled into a syringe to administer directly to Luffy. Sabo was then back at Luffy's side and carefully wrung out the cloth that he had previously dipped in a small bowl of ice-cold water and placed it on his brother's burning forehead. The older brother scrutinised Luffy's face and was surprised to see that it was now a little distorted, as if he was in pain. His lips were also parted and small puffs of his breath escaped them. His breathing was much shallower than before, but still stable and not a cause for concern.
The increased fever seemed to be causing him a great deal of distress and he was probably also in pain, judging by his distorted face. Everything suddenly happened so quickly for Sabo. One moment everything was fine and the next everything seemed to go down the drain again. Fortunately, it was just the fever spiking, nothing that couldn't be brought under control immediately. Now it made sense to Sabo when Chopper said that Luffy should not be left unattended under any circumstances. The reindeer had meant it. Luffy's condition was fluctuating enormously and there was no way they could rely on the worst being over. Sabo couldn't shake off the sickening thought that this might have been the least of it. He had no idea what Luffy had been through in the last few days and weeks, but the description of his illness was enough for Sabo to imagine the extent of it.
"I think he should be fine for now." Chopper sighed contentedly after checking Luffy's temperature one last time. "I'm glad to hear that." Sabo was just as relieved and stroked Luffy's knuckles with his thumb, never letting his brother's slack hand out of his grip.
Luffy actually seemed to be better, his rapid breathing had calmed down and his facial features had relaxed. Whatever Chopper had injected him with seemed to be having a quick effect, which impressed Sabo quite a bit.
"Wow Chopper, you must be some kind of super doctor, that's amazing!" The blonde revolutionary praised the ship's doctor, to which Chopper responded in typical fashion. "Don't try to compliment me, you asshole! That doesn't make me happy at all!" The reindeer scolded him, but was flattered on the contrary and blushed as he did his funny happy dance. Sabo couldn't help but grin at the doctor's cute reaction, even a little chuckle escaped his throat.
Their sweet little moment was interrupted by the sudden opening of the door. An orange mop of hair peeked through the gap between the door and the frame, which of course turned out to be Nami. Chopper and Sabo were taken by surprise as they looked at Nami with expectant glances.
"Am I interrupting something?" The navigator asked in a quiet tone, almost whispering, careful not to disturb Luffy. Her eyes immediately sought a path to her captain and her mood dropped noticeably when she couldn't see any change in his condition at first glance. What had she expected? That he would be safe and sound in his bed, chatting with his brother and Chopper as if nothing had ever happened? However, she could not deny that the sight of him now was far better than the sight yesterday when he was believed to be dead. Thanks to the incident, she was traumatized and would probably never be able to erase the scene from her mind for the rest of her life.
Sabo and Chopper shook their heads at the question simultaneously, whereupon Nami allowed herself to close the door carefully behind her as she entered the room completely. Sabo studied the young woman and the first thing that caught his eye were the large dark circles that had formed under her eyes. No wonder, because it had been quite normal due to all the stress, especially as everyone on board had not had a proper night's sleep last night due to the circumstances. In addition, the endless worry had of course also gnawed at their psyche.
The second thing he noticed was the tips of her damp hair, which indicated that she had recently showered. She had taken off her bandages, so her half-healed wounds were exposed.
It was quiet in the room and only the regular beeping of the heart rate monitor pierced the silence as Nami stood uncomfortably staring at Luffy's barely moving body. She would almost have declared him dead again if she hadn't noticed the gentle rise and fall of his chest. The only thing, along with his pulse echoing through the room, that proved he was still alive.
"What's going on? Has something happened Nami?" Sabo broke the awkward silence.
"Huh...um...no, nothing happened." The orange haired girl answered with a delay and tore her gaze away from Luffy's body to look at Sabo.
"You know, we're worried about you, especially Koala..." Nami continued, rubbing her arm. "We should take turns looking after Luffy and you should finally get some proper rest. You know, that's how we've always done it." The navigator said and approached the bed while Sabo and Chopper made room for her.
"Yes, exactly, you should lie down for a while, Sabo." Chopper agreed with Nami's words.
Sabo considered the words of the two comrades as Nami half sat down on the bed next to Luffy and ran her hand through his hair. The fact that they were soiled didn't seem to bother her. Her question about how her captain was doing remained unspoken, not daring to ask about his condition. The fear of a negative answer was too great. All that mattered to her now was that she knew he was still among the living.
Sabo didn't like the idea of leaving his brother's side at all, but he couldn't deny that he was completely exhausted, after all he was starting to see double and his vision blurred slightly from time to time. His body was literally forcing him to rest while his mind and heart would not allow it. Then he remembered that Nami had mentioned Koala's worry and he knew that she was not to be trifled with. Because when Koala got angry, she knew exactly how to get him to do something, and not in a gentle way. To get around this, he decided to leave Luffy to his friends for a while.
"Alright then..." Sabo started hesitantly and gave Luffy one last look to make sure that everything was still alright with him and gave his hand a final squeeze. Then he stood up all at once.
"I'll try to get some rest. Is Koala on the deck?" Sabo asked at last, as he was already standing at the door to the galley with his hand on the door handle.
"Yes, she got a call earlier. You should check on her." Nami replied and turned her attention back to Luffy as the blonde haired disappeared behind the door. The last thing Sabo heard behind the closed door behind him were Chopper's panicked words that he had to take care of Nami's wounds.
Sabo let his gaze wander haphazardly through the empty galley. He didn't know his way around the ship and didn't know where to go. Where could he sleep? Where was it most comfortable? Without a second thought, he simply let his legs carry him outside onto the deck. There he saw Koala with her transponder snail in her hand, who also noticed his presence the moment he stepped onto the grass deck.
"Sabo!" Koala shouted, her eyes shining as she looked at him, happy that he had made it out of the sickroom on his own without her having to force him to.
"Wait a minute Dragon-san, Sabo's here." The brunette spoke into the snail's receiver. "There you are at last. Is...you know...everything alright?" Koala then asked cautiously and examined her colleague from head to toe. Sabo looked terrible. His hair was disheveled, there were circles under his eyes and Luffy's dried blood was still all over his clothes, which he probably didn't even notice.
Sabo nodded half-heartedly at the question, suddenly drained of energy to say more.
"Good, I'm relieved." Koala smiled slightly, even if she wasn't entirely convinced by Sabo's answer. Then she remembered again that she was actually talking to her boss and it wasn't good to just leave him on the call like that.
"Oh Dragon-san, you wanted to talk to Sabo about the matter. I'll give him to you." Koala said before passing the snail on. Sabo took the transponder snail while Koala left him alone on the deck so that the two of them could talk to each other in peace.
"Dragon-san?" Sabo began as his legs subconsciously led him across the deck up to the bow. "Is he all right?" Was the first question Dragon felt it right to ask. Sabo nodded automatically, even though his counterpart couldn't see him, and bit his lower lip to keep from crying. However, he lost the fight against his tears, which made their way down his cheeks bit by bit.
"He... L-Luffy is…in a s-stable condition." The young revolutionary tried to speak between sobs. Now that he was out of the sick bay, he was overwhelmed by all his feelings, which he had unconsciously suppressed the whole time. A relieved gasp could be heard at the other end of the line.
"Good to hear." Dragon added curtly.
Sabo, meanwhile, found himself on the figurehead and decided to settle down here, unaware that it was Luffy's favorite sacred spot. The blonde haired wiped the snot and tears from his face with the same arm he held the receiver with after sitting down and tried to focus on what the leader of the revolutionaries wanted to talk to him about.
"What did you want to talk about, Dragon-san? Is it important?" Sabo asked in a still quavering voice, waiting for a response from Dragon, which came belatedly, as if he were hesitating.
"It is, actually...It's about a war in a kingdom that has really come to a head and we need reinforcements there...but..." Dragon paused briefly and sighed heavily before continuing.
"But I guess you need a little more time where you are right now, don't you?"
Sabo sniffled and was surprised at his boss's understanding, not that he would be merciless otherwise. Nevertheless, Dragon was strict when it came to the revolution and his missions. Sabo was all the more surprised by this rather serious-sounding case.
"Yes, it wouldn't be right to leave Luffy in this condition now. He's still unconscious and... his illness is getting worse." Sabo gritted his teeth at his last sentence. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes again.
"I understand..." Dragon grumbled in his deep voice. The leader of the revolutionary army stared at the small piece of paper in his hand, which was smoldering dangerously.
"If he needs something, a better doctor, then I will ask every doctor in the world that we can." Dragon added and closed his hand around his son's vivre card, clasped it firmly.
"That won't be necessary, because they already have the best doctor in the world." Sabo countered proudly that his little brother had found such a great member like Chopper. A small smile came to his lips.
"But... thank you so much for your understanding, Dragon-san!" Sabo thanked him and then hung up with a curt goodbye.
Sabo dropped the transponder snail on his lap as he leaned back against the figurehead and wiped away the fresh tears. He closed his eyes, swollen from crying, and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh sea air that somehow calmed him. His heavy eyelids lifted again to take a look at the endless blue sea in front of him, when suddenly a blurred figure appeared before his eyes.
"Huh...?" Sabo had to blink a few times before he finally recognized a person in an all too familiar straw hat. He would recognise it anywhere.
"L-Luffy?" Sabo gasped in surprise. The person addressed looked him in the face, puzzled, and giggled. "Shishishi, there you are Sabo! I've been looking for you!"
The exhausted blond haired blinked lazily a few times before his lips finally curled into a broad smile.
"Come here little brother." He whispered and made a small gesture with his arm. Luffy, whom the revolutionary's tired mind was only imagining at the moment, sat down next to Sabo, who put an arm around him and snuggled up tightly.
"Love you." Whispered the Luffy in Sabo's arms, followed by another little giggle that resounded in the older brother's head.
"Love you too, baby brother."
With these last words and a slight smile on his lips, Sabo finally allowed his eyes to drift shut and surrender completely to fatigue as he fell into a deep, restful sleep.
TBC
Yayyy Luffy is alive! (For now )
That's it again for this time. I really hope you enjoyed it!
I know this chapter focussed more on Sabo, but I promise the next one will be more about the other Straw Hats and their views. I can't promise when the next chapter will be released, but I promise it won't be a long wait like this one. Please let me know your thoughts!
See you next time!