I Will Always be by Your Side (ZoSan)

Chapter 5

Sanji sprinted down the hall after Chopper with nothing but worry and fear flooding through his body. Something was wrong with Zoro, and if it was enough to get the doctor shaken up then it had to be bad.

Chopper frantically dodged corners and furniture as Sanji did the same after, his chef instincts to help kicking in. Even if that person was an idiot shitty Marimo.

Finally the two reached the infirmary where Zoro resided. Chopper shoved open the door and dashed inside, Sanji following close behind. All of the other crew mates were there, surrounding the single bed in the room with worried expressions. Sanji became very nervous.

"Oi," Sanji announced, "what's going on?" Everyone looked up at him with worried eyes. Nami broke from the circle and walked over to Sanji with a pained expression.

"Chopper didn't tell you?" She asked in a soft voice. Seeing Nami so worried made Sanji's heart ache. He resisted the urge to wrap his arms around the navigator and pull her into a hug. It was not the time for that.

"Tell me what?" Sanji asked, his worry showing in his voice. Nami's head lowered slightly.

"Chopper discovered what bacteria caused Zoros wounds to get infected and-" Nami paused. "...and he said he doesn't have a cure." Sanji's mouth fell open. He was speechless. He could not believe what he was hearing.

"N-Nani?" Sanji stammered shamefully. Nami sighed, obviously not in the mood to explain again.

"What she means Sanji-San," Brook chimed in, "is that Zoro-San's infection is far worse than we imagined." Sanji turned his face to the young doctor who was talking in a hushed tone to Luffy.

"Is this true?" Sanji asked. Chopper turned his attention from Luffy to the chef, his eyes were sad. Her face scrunched up in worry.

"I...I'm afraid so Sanji." Chopper said quietly. "I did some blood work on him and discovered that the infection he has is one of the worst I've ever seen. The bacteria that reside in his blood stream are unlike any I've ever dealt with before. I'm afraid that...I don't have a cure." The room fell silent as Sanji processed what Chopper had just said. As soon as he had taken it all in he felt sick to his stomach. He had no cure? How was that even possible? Sanji blinked a few times before his eyes landed on a gap in the circle of crew mates, showing the swordsman.

Zoro was still laying on the infirmary bed. His coat had been taken off and the covers had been thrown over him. Sanji would be lying if he did not say he looked horrible.

His skin was pale and covered in sweat. His entire face was flushed a dark red along with his ears and collar bone. His breathing was labored and the expression on his face showed Sanji that he was in a lot of pain, even if his eyes were closed.

Sanji finally looked away and sighed deeply. He thought he could not feel more guilty than he already did, but apparently he had been extremely wrong. He balled his hands into fists in his pant pockets and let out a slow shaky breath. Sanji mentally groaned and decided to accept the fact that he cared far more than he did before about the swordsman. Spending so much time together at the Marine Base had brought them closer together and opened up Sanji to the damn Marimo a little more than he was used to, whether he liked it or not.

"-ficult, but I might be able to pull it off." Choppers voice zoned in, disrupting Sanji's thoughts. He had no idea what the young doctor was talking about until Nami chimed in.

"There's an island not far from here. We can go there and get the proper ingredients." Chopper nodded in approval. That was when Sanji realized they were talking about a cure for Zoro. From the way the reindeer spoke about the ingredients and the process to make the cure after Nami's claim, it defiantly did not seem like an easy thing to pull off, especially since he was making it only from his knowledge of medicine to aid him. Books would not be of any help.