Inheritance (One Piece Fanfic)

Mystery

The absence of sound was unsettling and yet there nestled in the silence there was a faint sore. Familiar and yet something so subtle was enough to elevate the mood, even if by a little. Still the atmosphere hung heavy over the room, keen to match the day. Thankfully there was a sense of relief that was beginning to spread through the crew.

Unfortunately they weren't by any means, out of the woods yet. They had no idea what they were dealing with. Surely they've treated Zoro numerous times before. A majority of the time he was so close to death and still he would manage to pull through. This time was different, a medical anomaly beyond reckoning.

Zoro flat lined hours before he came stumbling out that door. He'd died there in Sanji's arms mere moments before they could reach him. Chopper even called it, as painful as it was there was nothing they could do about it. He was gone. With all that in consideration there was no way he could be alive. Let alone peacefully breathing beside the cook an hour past midnight the day after his death.

The memory of the bloodied beaten swordsman plagued Sanji. He himself looked like he'd been through the ringer and then some. Presently he sat in Choppers comfy oversized desk chair which he was thankful for at Zoro's bedside.

He carefully looked the other over, taking in every detail. His body was bound in thick white cloth. It coiled around his arms and legs a faint tinge of crimson was already showing through. Even a thin piece wrapped around his moss covered head. Chopper being a thorough professional and frantic in the moment left no injury unattended.

Sanji wore a placid expression that was hard to distinguish. After everything I guess you could say the over lying emotion he felt was relief. But in truth he had no idea how to feel. Everything happened seemed to happen so suddenly leaving him traumatized and his mind scattered.

He held a welt of emotion in his throat the longer he watched the other take in calm steady breaths. Looking more alive the longer he stared at him. Sanji thumbed his bandaged hands, silently recalling his foolishness between him and the china earlier. He'd sliced both his palms with little disregard for himself. He'd allowed himself to break down then. Mere moments after they'd brought his body back.

He shuddered; choking at the thought of his companion's cold, limp lifeless body and the blood. There was so much blood. It was a given for Zoro to be bloodied anytime he fought but this time he bathed in it. The way it flowed freely refusing to let up even after the fact.

Sanji was covered in Zoro's blood hours on after. It was only when Zoro miraculously came back that he was able gather the motivation to clean up. Still it was enough to drag himself to the bath. He tore his clothes apart the instant he was alone, with little remorse for what was left of his blood drenched suit. Each piece more saturated than the last, finding it harder and harder to peel away fabric as it clung to his bare skin.

At first he thought he'd never be able to scrub away the filth.

He gently touched his shoulder feeling it freshly wrapped in thick white bandages to match Zoro. Once he'd washed up Chopper forced an exam and chased him down determined to look him over, after all the commotion Sanji had almost forgotten that he'd been stabbed. The dull pain pulsed in time to his beating heart. It ached even with the slightest movement. At the moment his arm lay limp across his lap as he sat cross legged.

He leaned back cozying up against the soft cushions as he watched his friend sleep comfortably beneath a plain sheet. Zoro's head was propped up and slightly lifted towards Sanji. He looked so peaceful nestled against a big fluffy pillow. Sanji sighed, flustered over his troubled mind.

Out of curiosity Sanji carefully ran his slender fingers over the thick bandages. Seemingly musing himself as he lightly touched the other as if he would break under the slightest pressure. This couldn't possibly be Zoro, could it? He'd been battling this ever since he showered. Whatever happened before was not Zoro; at least he didn't think it was. Sanji had no idea what to believe at this point. After all he could have sworn he'd seen the same man pull a sword from his chest and slaughter that guy.