Ameliorate ✦ One Piece

66

The infirmary was quiet after Luffy left, Kureha abandoning her seat not long after. Sanji had stayed the longest before leaving to reheat the soup after some time had passed. The fire crackled steadily in the hearth, filling the space with warmth and the occasional crack of the wood, and beyond that there was nothing, no wind or creak of a ship, no voices from another room.

Akira sat with her knees drawn toward her chest, her back against the metal back of the bed while her eyes remained focused on the steps and path leading into the halls beyond them.

"You should try to sleep," Nami said from the other bed, eyes watching Akira for a while now. "You've barely had any."

"I'm fine." The other girl gave a small shake of her head.

"You're not, actually." Nami sent her a rather pointed look to which Akira wasn't sure how to respond. They both knew she was right, after all. "Is it the castle?" Nami asked as she glanced around, taking in the stone walls and the high ceiling and the general enormity of the place. "It is a bit much."

"It's not the castle."

Nami's eyes went back to Akira at that. "Then what?" Her brows furrowed. Clearly there was something, she'd gathered as much by now.

Akira was quiet for a moment longer, weighing it and thinking of which answer to give. "It's her," she finally said honestly, her eyes moving to the door again. "Kureha."

"She's strange," Nami nodded, not bothering to deny that part, "but she helped us," she reminded at the same time, voice reassuring as she tried to convince Akira of what she herself believed. "I don't think she'd do anything to hurt us. She's had her chance to."

"I know." It didn't come out like an argument, but rather like something she'd already tried telling herself and found it only partially effective. "I know that."

"Then what is it?"

The prodding made Akira give out a small sigh as her eyes dropped to the IV in her arm, staring at it for a moment before tearing them away just as quickly. "When people find out what I can do... it never goes well. Doctors especially." She started to explain. "Jarha was a doctor. Did I ever mention that?" She revealed. "He never actually treated anyone after he got me though. Why waste time when my way made him more money quicker?"

"I didn't know that." Nami's voice was quiet, her words short as she didn't want to interject too much and discourage Akira from saying what she needed to.

"There was another one. Before him." The way she said it, the small hitch in her voice, it made it clear this one was the one she actually thought of when it came to doctors. The one who caused more damage than Jahra had. "He wasn't interested in using me, though. He was interested in understanding it," she went on. "Whether it could be... replicated. Without needing a devil fruit, I mean..." She stopped herself after that, shaking her head to dispel the memories of the time. "It doesn't matter. The point is that when doctors get involved, they stop seeing me and start seeing the ability. And I..." She glanced at the door. "I don't know that she won't do the same."

"She doesn't know." Nami reached over and took her hand, making her look back. "And she's not going to find out." She held her gaze, steady and certain, firm in that way she made it when she wanted her to not just listen but hear what she was saying and believe it. "Not from me, not from Luffy, not from Sanji." Nami indirectly reminded her of all the times they'd kept her secret without ever discussing it in advance. "You already know that."

Akira looked at her for a moment. "I do." She nodded, letting a small smile appear on her face. She'd never doubted them, of course. Just Kureha.

"Good." A beat, and then Nami shifted in her bed, pulling on Akira's hand so they both moved at once, ending up sitting facing each other across the narrow space between the beds. "Then let me say something else."