One Piece: Grand Endeavours

Chapter Eighty-Nine: Fading

Chopper
Let's start with the worst injuries. Start with the most life threatening and make it slowly up to the ones that aren't going to do as much. First things first, the worst stab wound. We'll also need to do a blood transfusion...luckily we have some in storage. Which really sounds more creepy than it is. We all tend to get into a lot of fights so having some available just in case is a good idea. I put the tubes with painkillers and the one transfusing the blood into the arm with the least gashes, add the oxygen mask given how weak his breathing is and get to work.

The stitches don't take long, nor does wrapping a bandage around the stab wound, but what is worrying is how fast I had to get to work. He may still be vaguely aware of the pain, even though he is deeply unconscious. Guilt stabs at me: like everyone I helped contribute to the extensive injuries and because of that he could now easily die. I force myself to not get too emotional. There is nothing wrong with emotion but when I need to focus on ensuring he has at least a chance at life? As horrible as it makes me feel, and as difficult as it is, I swallow down my feelings to focus on the task at hand. I am a doctor and that means sometimes doing the difficult thing. I move on to the shoulder stab wound. Whilst not quite as serious as the one in his side it will be harder to sort out. It did some damage to the muscle which means fiddling and interior stitches. I do so, being careful to make sure there isn't too much blood loss, and keep an eye on the bag I am doing the transfer with. I keep the injury open and carefully stitch the damage then let it close and stitch the opening. I then change the bag of blood and step back to decide what to do next.

The cuts would be the best place to start: I need to stop the blood loss as fast as possible given how much he has loss or the transaction won't be enough in time to prevent him...dying. Plus that means the painkillers will be enough in his system for him to not feel me reset the severe break. I don't think he is going to be too impressed or happy at me when he wakes up because he is going to need an almost constant flow of painkillers to counteract how much pain the poison will probably cause.

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Hours pass and I am finally done, including with blood transfusions. The poison though? That I haven't managed to start on because I have to study it yet apart from knowing it is one that'll cause pain...Two weeks deadline isn't good.

Kuro is still so pale that his pallor almost blends in with the sheets and the oxygen mask is the only thing that stopping his breath from faltering into nothing. How am I going to tell them all, especially Luffy, that he is extremely unlikely to make it if I don't work fast and even without the poison the damage is severe? Lowering my own hope with a patient is bad enough but Kuro is also a friend. Not just to me but to everyone and so much more to Luffy. I sigh and open the door, jumping slightly when Luffy falls into the room. Has he been leaning against the door the entire time? Really?

"Ow," he mumbles, rubbing his head and sits back up. "Is Kuro okay? Is he going to live? How did it go? Will you be able to make an antidote? Will his injuries heal? He isn't dead is he? He is dead, isn't he! Why is he dead..." Tears begin to flow down his cheeks as the rest of the crew come in from the side door, all of them having stayed up way late to find out as well.
"He's alive, Luffy," I say, gently, to assure him somewhat. He looks up with a hopeful expression and I hate that I have to break that up. "However he is in a coma...barely hanging on. And the antidote may take a while to make." His expression instantly drops.
"So odds are he could very easily die?" he asks weakly. Reluctantly I nod. Luffy's expression drops even more and the crew's expressions fall.
"I'll start looking for an antidote right away!" I promise. "I just...didn't want to lie and say he'd certainly get better because if he didn't it would make it worse."
"Is he allowed visitors?" Luffy asks and I nod. If Kuro does end up not making it then people may as well spend as much time with him as possible whilst his life still has some left.

Luffy
I head in the room and try to hold back tears. I have done enough crying today. I sit in the chair by his bed and sniffle. I reach over and, by habit, tuck his hair behind his ears getting some sense of normality despite the awful situation. The amount of bandages and his motionless form remind me how there is no normality to this. I swallow and gnaw on my lip. The bruises around his throat are extremely prominent and I remember the moment where, under the control, my hands applying more and more pressure. I think I may have shattered the trust between us and our relationship. There are more important things now though, despite how much I adore every part of our relationship. Kuro's life is in jeopardy; fading away...Will he probably break up with me for nearly killing him? Yes. Do I think I'll get over it? No. But as long as Kuro us happy, especially after this, it'll be okay. He absolutely is not allowed to die.

I gently take Kuro's colder than hand and run my finger along the back of it. His fingers don't even twitch. I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand and glance over at where Chopper is running some tests on the poison.
"Does he need the specific hospital ones or could I grab a more comfy blanket and pillow for him?" I ask. Maybe some colour would make him look less dead. Even black given black and white are a nice contrast he tends to like. But him blending in so much makes him already look dead.
"That would be fine, Luffy," Chopper replies.

I run as fast as I can because I don't want to risk him dying in the time it takes me ti grab it. I get the book pillow I got him for our first date and the fluffy green blanket we use when it is really cold. I brought it (although he doesn't know this) because the deep green is very close to his eye colour. That I may never see again...I may never see them light up as he starts on a new book. I may never see how wide and cute they get when he is puzzling over something again. I sniffle again but now is not the time to cry. I rush back to the hospital area to make sure he is still alive.

When I re enter everything is how I left it. I replace the square flat pillow with the plump pillows from our bed and his book pillow. I then tuck the blanket around him. He still looks on the verge death but at least now he doesn't look completely dead.

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The next day drags into existence and I am not leaving Kuro's side. Chopper looks up from his work with a mix of relief and worry.
"Good news or bad news first?" he asks, getting all of our attention.
"Good?" I ask because I cannot cope with any more bad news yet.
"Good news is I think I know how to make the antidote," he says and I cheer slightly. "Bad news is that it will take a while to make. The base is derived from the poison itself but the other things I think I need to add I don't have in stock. If we don't land on a cold and hot islands that have them? No chance..." The hope I had fades instantly.
"Plus it is only think so even if you make it there in no guarantee?" I ask, flatly. Chopper nods. "So there is hardly point in trying..."
"Well it is not like he can get much worse," Robin points out. This time nothing I do can make me hold back the tears that form yet again.