Tick Tock [Portgas D. Ace/Sabo Fan Fic]

Gathering the Pieces

Disclaimer: I do not own OP or any of the characters involved (IF I DID THEN SABO WOULD GET ACE'S FUCKING FRUIT) -coughs-

A/N: This one is entirely from Sabo's POV, and it's going to skip around a bit starting from when he first gets the text from Luffy and ending as it catches up to the current plot

Lu

[text] ace coughed up blood

[text] took him to hospital

The phones sat in the palm of his hand, texts bright as the light from his phone glared back at him. The lights flickered to life above his head, signalling the okay to unbuckle and rise. Plane etiquette required that he continue sitting and wait for his turn, but Sabo wasn't exactly worried about offending anyone right now. Another moment passed by, bright eyes still transfixed upon the device in hand as a voice cut through his thoughts like a blade through paper.

"Damn, that was a long flight..." There was a shift besides the blonde and he finally looked up, face pale and eyes wide as he turned to face the man besides him.

"Get up."

It was not a request and the stranger seemed to take note of that, shooting Sabo a rather irritated glance before returning his attention forwards. "Why? You need to piss or somethin'? We're gettin' off soon anyway. Just-"

"Get UP." Something in his gaze was enough to finally alarm the man, dark eyes widening a margin before he unbuckled his own seat belt and rose.

The second there was room to squeeze past, Sabo did so, not even sparing the man he had sat besides a glance as he hurriedly threw open the compartment above, snatched his bag ad stalked down the isle. Shouts and complaints were ignored as he pushed through the crowd, shooting glares when need be. He was sprinting before he even fully stepped off the plane.

Lu

[sent text] I'm on the way

So much for the surprise.

-

Panic was not an emotion Sabo was used to.

It was cold, desperate as it clung to his heart and ripped air from his lungs unexpectedly. It left his mind reeling, Sabo focusing on anything he could to pinpoint his own mental upheaval on something even remotely helpful.

His fingers flew across the keyboard, the tapping a merciful break in the silence of the waiting room.

Causes of coughing up blood-

The list was long, only egging his distress on as bright eyes scanned over each possibility. Sabo mentally cut the list in two as he filed away any possibilites to the back of his mind.

Bronchitis (acute or chronic), the most common cause of coughing up blood. Hemoptysis due to bronchitis is rarely life-threatening.

Bronchiectasis

Lung cancer or non-malignant lung tumors

Use of blood thinners (anticoagulation)

Pneumonia

Pulmonary embolism

Congestive heart failure, especially due to mitral stenosis

Tuberculosis

Inflammatory or autoimmune conditions (lupus, Wegener's granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, and many others)