With different eyes

Awakening with consequences and a laughing fit for everyone

Lucia's POV

In the end, it was really decided to give Marco laxatives. I look back down at the crew because Marco insisted on taking me back to the nest. Ace is sulking downstairs because the birdie has flipped him off. Marco, on the other hand, is probably devoting himself to personal hygiene again, my personal hygiene! He keeps pulling my hair and rubbing himself against me. I just put up with it while I wait for the doc. "HEY!" I complain as Marco pulls my hair a little too hard. Marco chirps reassuringly and continues a little more gently. In the meantime, I continue to look down at the little people on the deck as Marco tugs at my hair with his claws and beak, trying to clean it up. Down below I see that Ace has gone off somewhere.

The question is, what does he do? But as long as the birdie cleans me, I won't be able to get down there anyway. The doc should hurry up, this is not a permanent condition. I'm not a bird! And even if I will deny that in front of any jury, neither is Marco! Marco rubs against me and pulls me away from the edge. Quite possessive, the turkey. I lean against the mast, in the middle of the crow's nest. Marco immediately comes up to me and then cuddles up against me. I scratch his head again while he coos. Tired, I let my head fall back and reflect on the situation. Somehow we always find all the oddities of the Grand Line. I hear a low chuckle over the edge of the crow's nest. Marco's head jerks up and he hisses again. Ace lifts his head over the edge and grins widely. "I've got something for you!" he says, lifting a small vial over the edge. "With regards from the Doc!" he notes, tossing the vial to me. I nod and clumsily catch the little thing. Marco looks up curiously and examines it. Ace himself lifts another lens over the edge. "Oh no? How long have you been filming us?" I ask, stroking my face. Ace grins diabolically and says, "Oh, quite a while!" I roll my eyes and open the small bottle. "Here Marco! I've got something for you!" I purr and want to pour the bottle, but fiddlesticks.

Marco goes back, walking in a circle around the mast like this, as I follow him. "Put, put, put!" I go, trying to lure Marco, but unfortunately, even with the brain of a bird, he's pretty clever and won't take the drug. And Ace, the ass, instead of helping me, records the whole scene. After three rounds around the mast, it gets too stupid for me too. I give up and want to go to Ace, but Marco pulls me back by the dress. He can't make up his mind either. I throw the bottle to Ace, who catches it effortlessly. He just grins. Then I tell him, annoyed, "Tell the doc that Marco won't take it willingly!" Ace nods and salutes, "Will do!" "Hold on, you idiot!" I hiss in horror. Ace just laughs and climbs back down the ladder. Marco still hasn't let go of me, but watches the whole thing suspiciously. The little bird must have fixed its protective instinct on me now. That's great. The instinct that normally fixates on the whole Moby is now concentrated on me.

Now I'm waiting for Doc to have an idea how we can give Marco the potion. After ten minutes Ace comes back up. Ace holds a fruit out to me, but Marco won't let me near it. So Ace tosses me the fruit, which I again catch quite unabashedly. "Great a fruit, what am I supposed to do with it?" I ask. "Doc prepared it, there's a sleeping pill and a laxative in there now. All you have to do now is make sure he eats it!" Ace answers me, already hogging the camera again. I take my dress out of Marco's beak. Now I turn around and hand him the fruit. He stretches a little and sniffs at the fruit. He pokes at it a little and looks at me attentively. I stroke his head with my free hand. "Come on, little one," I say gently and scratch his head. Marco takes the fruit and eats it. I calmly stroke his head as Marco becomes restless after eating the fruit. I sing him a song that I have known for a long time. It's an old English folk song. Scarborough Fair!

Marco is slowly getting tired and sways slightly. After a few minutes he lies down and I let myself sink next to him. His head rests on my lap and I cuddle him until he is fast asleep. "Come now!" Ace tells me and holds out his hand. I let Ace pull me to my feet and he lifts me over the edge. I claw at his shoulder and he climbs down with me. At the bottom he sets me back on the ground and I turn to Doc. "I want to examine you too in a minute. I don't want anything to happen to you in all this stress!" he warns me and wants to climb up the mast to examine Marco. "Wait!" I say quickly and then ask: "How did you come up with the idea of the fruit?" the doctor grins slyly at me and then says: "How do you think I always give Ace his medication? He always refuses, only with him it's meatballs!" I snort, while Ace lets out an offended 'HEY'. I should have guessed that somehow. The doc is already halfway up the mast when I ask myself: "How come the drugs work, Marco is a phoenix, isn't he?" I ask him, but he is already too high. But I get an answer from someone else: "The doc developed some medication especially for Marco a long time ago. Just in case he needs help. Not that it was necessary until now!" the voice comes from Vista. I turn to him and say in amazement, "Such a thing is possible?" he nods with a laugh. "I hope he gets better soon!" I say and look up to where Doc is climbing over the edge.