Gone: A Portgas D Ace Love Tale

Chapter 17

Days went by, crawling, it does.

Even for me.

Letters came, but not enough for me. Knowing him, the letters are kept short and simple, and I've nevet got the chance to reply because he was never in one place.

Last I heard from him was when he met his younger brother and travelled together in Alabasta, the sand kingdom.

"How are you?" Grandma Han asked as I was window shopping through a catalog in her shop.

Grandma Han has few catalogs which we can view and she can order the items from neighbouring cities.

"I dont know Grandma Han. I'm just.... lonely, I guess." I looked at the jewelleries section and mouthed 'wow' at a set of exquisite diamond necklace

"Well I may not agree with it but there's a ship of young men docking-"

"Not that kind of lonely!" I laughed and she grinned.

"How many months has it been?" She asked and I stopped and think for a while.

"Almost 3 months?" I guessed and she nodded.

Haru who just finished his duty across the street came by to say hi, and sat with me, talking.

"Here, my daughter send another batch of mizu-mizu meat again. This time they make it bacon-like." Grandma Han came back from the backroom and handed a hot plate to Haru.

"Wowwww. I like this version of mizu meat...." he started commenting, picking a piece a apart.

But I can't hear him. The smell of the baconized mizu-mizu meat wafted through my nose and the only thing I can feel is my stomach lurching.

I rushed out of the store, staggered to the drain next to it, clenching my chest.

Haru and Grandma Han rushed towards me, as I vomited out my tea and snack.

Both of them shared a worried look as I wobbled and walked to the cart, led by Haru and he sent me to my house while I still curling on the cart's floor.

"Haru, go fetch the doctor." Grandma Han instructed as I lay on my bed and I grabbed his arm.

"No, I'm fine now." I said  almost whispering. Then the room swirled, I lost my grip and blacked out.

When I woke up, it was already middle of the night and I looked around the empty room,  feeling sick to my stomach.

"What happened to me?" I whispered and proceeded to went down to look around for some water and food.

"Oh  you are up." Haru said and i looked at him, surprsed that he is still around. He was lying on the makeshift bed of couch in the living room.

"Go and get some sleep. I just want to get some water." I told him and he nodded, snuggled under his blanket.

I poured a glass of milk and thought the snack yesterday caused this vomiting.

I leaned on the counter, suddenly remembered about him and wondering what is he doing now.

If Ace were here he would nurse me and cuddle me.  Suddenly I felt my tears ran down and I felt like kicking myself for being so fragile.

The morning came and I opened my eyes, the room is dancing again.

I tried to get out of bed but that effectively pushed me to the bathroom for another vomiting session. I literally dont have anything in my stomach any more other than water and acid.