With different eyes

A new life in the world

Lucia's POV

I'm cursing Ace in the extreme right now, even though I can't say anything at the moment because I have to grit my teeth. Probably I'll leave nice bloody marks on his shoulder. He doesn't seem to care though, he keeps looking worriedly at me and carrying me through the corridors. "Everything will be fine!" says Ace and gives me a kiss on my sweaty forehead. I feel like hissing at him, but another contraction comes and I curl up in his arms again. "Can't you do something?" asks Ace the Doc, who shakes his head. Ace looks agitated and nervous. We finally arrive at the infirmary and the Doc opens the door. Ace takes me to the bed and lays me down there. Carefully he strokes my forehead. Doc lifts the dress. I cry out again and hold my stomach. One thing is clear, this child is already grounded until she is eighteen!

"Now do something already!" Ace yells at the Doc, who just looks at him angrily. Ace fidgets around and gets in everyone's way. "GET OUT!" yells the Doc after a few minutes at the end of his nerve. "But...!" complains Ace, but is grabbed by the scruff of the neck by Marco and pulled out. "You're just interrupting!" says Marco more calmly than he probably feels.

Narrator's POV

Ace sits fidgetily on the deck, no longer distracted by Luffy. He just wants to get to Lucia. Marco initially just wanted to pull him in front of the infirmary door, but after Ace wanted to run back inside every time Lucia screamed, Marco dragged him onto the deck and sat provocatively in front of the door. Ace himself is nervous, he keeps feeling waves of pain spilling over from Lucia. He has even tried to take the pain away from her, but it doesn't work. He feels it like an echo. Ace stands up and paces the deck. All the men on deck are quiet and even Whitebeard is not drinking sake but listening. Everyone is waiting for the relieving news that both mother and child are all right.

Ace stands at the railing and claws into the wood. Does a birth always take this long? Is there perhaps something wrong?

Then a bad thought occurs to him: what if Lucia doesn't make it? His mother died giving birth to him. Ace turns pale and starts shaking. Marco seems to have a nose for it and goes to Ace. He puts a hand on the shaking man's shoulder and says, "Don't worry it's going to be okay!" says Marco calmly. From around a corner Luffy comes and jumps around Ace's neck. "They're both fine!" says Luffy with a grin. Ace feels relieved by the statement. When his brother says that, it's usually true. Ace's gaze is already wandering to the door again. He walks towards it and hopes that Marco will let him through. But Marco grabs him by the chain, "Where are you going?" he asks smugly. "I want to see Lucia, she needs me!" Ace begs. "No she doesn't, you're just interrupting! She has to bring the child into the world on her own!" says Marco calmly. Ace looks at him with wide eyes. "I can hold her hand." says Ace and pulls on his chain. Marco doesn't let go and then says, "You're so nervous you'll only disturb the Doc, so you stay up here nicely. Go play with your brother!" Marco has a slightly mocking tone and gets a nasty look from Ace. Which misses its mark because his eyes keep darting nervously to the door.

"How long is this going to take! I want to see my niece!" Luffy complains naggingly and gets a direct headbutt from Nami. "Have a baby of your own before you complain!" she says, growling. Usopp, who is also standing nearby, says: "Not that he has any problems, after all Luffy is made of rubber!" This statement earns him a nasty look from Nami. Usopp immediately hides behind the sleeping Zorro. Zorro is lying against the mast of the Moby, snoring to himself. He doesn't care at all. Ace starts pacing nervously back and forth again. He swallows hard. He is handed a bottle. "Have a drink, it will calm you down!" says Jozu, but Ace doesn't want to drink. He wants to go to Lucia!

How long does a birth actually take? Ace turns to Chopper and asks, "How long does a birth actually take?" Chopper looks up and gives Ace a reassuring look: "It can always take different amounts of time. Sometimes it's very quick, sometimes it can take hours!" Chopper pats Ace's leg soothingly with one hoof. Hours, are Ace's horrified thoughts. Lucia might have to endure this for hours? He swallows hard.