One Piece: Sorrow's Cold Embrace (SSW Backstory)

Chapter 14

Saphira's POV

The atmosphere was thick with tension. The old lady hasn't said a word yet. Ralph looked ready to explode if the old lady didn't start talking. I shift around in my seat nervously as the silence continues. "Saphira, let me explain first what it is I do." I sat up straight as the old lady's full attention was on me. What the old lady said didn't please Ralph. "What about my questions!" Ralph slammed his fist on the table.

Granny Lilo didn't flinch from Ralph's outburst, "Patients. If you continue to interrupt me, I'll give you a good spanking." Ralph immediately shut up. 'I honestly wanna see Ralph get disciplined.' Granny Lilo turned her gaze on me again, "I work as an assistant for the town doctor. He's a terrible excuse of a doctor, so I'm usually the one who does all the work." Granny Lilo pulls her briefcase closer to her. She open it and took out a thick pile of paper.

"These are your results. From what I can tell, the virus is indeed running through your veins." The room became defeaningly quiet. I didn't even dare breath. 'What does this mean? Are we going to die?' Granny Lilo broke the silence, "Calm yourself, there is no immediate danger." I let out the breath I was holding. I clasp my hands together in a white knuckle grip. 'I swear, she can definitely read my mind.'

"What virus?" Ralph's voice trembled as he looked at his shaking hands. He finally realized what a mistake he made. "The virus has no name. We don't even know where it originated from. All we know is that it has no cure." Granny Lilo's words only frighten Ralph more. "Do not worry, you are not infected Ralph." Ralph and I, both looked up in shock at her words. "What do you mean?" I was ready to drop to my knees and beg for Ralph's forgiveness.

I was sure I just doomed his life, intentional or not. "If any one of you were really infected, you'd be dead by now. No, I believe there is something else at play here." Granny Lilo scans through the papers. She stops by one and holds it out for me to take. I try to understand what I'm ready, but I couldn't. "Your bloodcells seemed to have accepted the virus as part of your body. In other words, the virus became another cell that functions with the rest of your body."

She points to the paper, "That shows how fast the virus cells are rapidly multiplying. Once there are enough of the virus cells, it will change your body to be able to carry it." The old lady's face turned grim as she continues to explain, "It's like the virus understood that it won't be able to leave Idan, so it found another way to do it. By making you its host." I couldn't understand. This was becoming too much. My head is throbbing from the load of information it's recieving.

"So, they are like zombies? Like from those books we read." Ralph's comparison made me feel sick. 'Are we even still alive?' Granny Lilo considered his words, "Yes and no. They carry the virus like zombies do, and if their fluids were to enter a living person, that person becomes infected too." She shakes her head, as if the thought of us being zombies are ridiculous. "But, they are still alive. Being a host for a virus doesn't mean the host needs to be dead. The virus would have to do a lot of work changing the bodies of his hosts to be able to live and carry it."

Granny Lilo points to my arms, "That is the evidence. Your skin colors are changing, and soon the rest of you would change too." I look down at my arms. Charlie noticed our skins changing, too. "What do we do? How do we get the virus out of us?" My skin was crawling at the thought that the virus is running through my veins. "There is no cure, so there is no way to extract the virus. The only thing you can do is be very careful that no one consumes any of your body fluids."

I saw Ralph shiver from the disgusting words, "So, skin contact doesn't count, right?" Granny Lilo shakes her head. "No, it needs to be saliva or blood. Even tears can infect you. So long that you don't get these things in your mouths or eyes, you'll be fine." Both Ralph and I sighed in relief. 'That means that I haven't just ruined a life. Thank goodness.' Granny Lilo gathered up her things and started packing them back into her briefcase. "From now on, be extra careful. Ralph, that means no more physical fights."

Granny Lilo's words confused me. "Wait. Aren't you going to kick us out? Or call the marines on us?" Granny Lilo raised a brow at me, "Now why on earth would I do such things?" I stood up along with Ralph, "Because we're/they're dangerous!" The fact that Ralph and I agreed on something isn't what bothered me, it's the warm smile that Granny Lilo was giving us that's bothering me. "It's not your fault that fate made your lives so difficult. I can't be angry or blame you for something you have no control over." Granny Lilo walked around the table to stand in front of me, "I know you have a kind heart, and I'd be damned to let this world destroy it." She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in gently for a hug. I went stiff in her arms. How long ago was it that I last felt the embrace of another? I didn't even realize I started crying. I fisted my hands in her patched dress and baried my face in her chest. My body was shaking from the hiccups.

"Tsk, whatever. I guess it's fine if they stay." Ralph's mumbling didn't go unheared, and it brought a small smile to my face. 'Does this mean, we finally found a new home?' Don't get me wrong, this place is not of the best. The living conditions of the town are worse. But, that didn't matter to me. Having someone to care for us is what mattered. It made the weight on my shoulders feel a bit lighter.

"I'm going to bed." Ralph felt awkward just standing there as we embraced. Granny Lilo bid him goodnight. Granny Lilo rubbed circles into my back as my hiccups started to calm down. After I finally calmed down, I pulled away from the embrace. My cheeks felt hot from the embarrassing episode. "Go to bed. I can tell you're very exhausted." I know she was just being kind, but I did not look forward to sleeping in that chair.

"She can share with me." Both me and Granny Lilo looked to the ladder where Ralph was standing. 'I thought he left already' My face got even hotter after I processed his words. "Like hell I'm sharing a bed with you!" Ralph didn't except my sudden burst. "I was just trying to be nice, what the hell is your problem?!" He shouted back. He was getting red in the face too. He obviously didn't think this through before asking me. "Your my problem!" Our banter might have woken the others up, but we were so lost in our own embarrassments, that we didn't notice how loud we were being.

"Shut up, you fools. People are trying to sleep." Granny Lilo gave a quick wack on both our heads. I fell to the floor, groaning in pain as I cover the aching spot she hit. Ralph at least stayed on his feet as he rubs his head. "Grow up, would you. I'll be taking your bed, Ralph. These old bones of mine would break if I slept in a chair." She didn't wait for any protests, as she climbed the ladder up to the upper level. "Just great." Ralph walked to the nearest wall and slumped down on his ass.

"Are you going to sleep there?" I was still rubbing the bruise that Granny Lilo left on my head. 'She's one scary old lady.' Ralph leaned against the way, crossed his arms and closed his eyes. I was ticked off by him ignoring me. I got on my hands and knees and crawled to him. I frown at his serene face as he tries to sleep. I had the urge to poke him, so I did just that. One of his eyebrow twitched, "What do you want?" His grumbling didn't sound angry.

"I wanted to thank you, for offering your bed." I could see, from the small twitch in his features, that he didn't except my gratitude. "Doesn't matter, Granny took the bed anyway." His ears were red. I smile at the sight. He wasn't so bad, atleast when he's not being a complete jerk. I shuffled to sit next to him. He didn't complain of my nearness. I try to find a comfortable way to sit against the wall, but every position made my back ache. I sighed as I gave up on trying to get comfortable.

'What a day. After everything that Granny Lilo told me, my world feels like it's been flipped upside down. She said the virus would change our bodies to be able to carry it. Will it change us into monsters? That's a scary thought.' My eyes started closing as my mind kept on making up fake scenarios of what we would look like in the near future. The exhaustion of two sleepless nights finally caught up to me, and I fell under a deep slumber.

Ralph jerked awake when he felt my head fall onto his shoulder. He frowned down at me. He contemplated pushing me off him, but in the end desided to leave me be. The dark circles under my eyes made him feel sorry for me. He let out a big yawn and closed his eyes. It wasn't long after he fell asleep, too.

The art is mine. Thank you for reading~