Firestorm (Ace x OC)

Chapter 33: Looking Up

Ryoko was on her feet quickly and running over toward the man, tucking her gun into her sash, "I shot his gun not him!" She exclaimed before looking over to the reindeer doctor who ran forward to check on him as well. Her eyes scanned over the man, checking visually to see if she had some how hit him, but seeing no blood she was no longer worried about that. What did worry her was that fact he had dropped unconscious so quickly.

"We should get him inside so I can try to make sure he is more stable." Chopper says, knowing that him being on the ground outside in the sun would not do him any favors. Before anyone else could move, Ryoko picked him up in both arms, craddling him and quickly heading inside. She was very careful as to avoid letting any part of him hit any obstacle, and she put him down on the table in the center of the room. 

Ryoko's eyes scanned the room as she immediately went to the cabinets and pulled it open before grabbing a bowl. She then retrieved a small hand towel and what she could only assume was rain water from a barrel in the corner. She could hear Chopper starting to work on his diagnosis, and brought the bowl over to his side. Dipping the cloth in the water, she rung it out and neatly folded it and placed it on the man's forhead. "Chopper, I didn't scare him into shock did I?" She asked quietly, pulling her mask to the side to look down at the man.

The reindeer shook his head, "No, this is something else. I think he might be suffering from decompression sickness." He explained looking the man over, "It occurs when the body doesn't have enough time to decompress before surfacing after diving to great depths. I think he will be alright, but it is a very serious illness."

Ryoko frowned, "I think I heard it be called the bends when I was a marine, I guess it was said that way instead of the full sickness title to save some time." She says thinking back to one of the lessons, "It can be lethal. If you say he is gonna be alright, I'm gonna go back to the ship." She then heads out the door, and back onto the Going Merry.

As she climbed back onto the Merry she flinched hearing two very loud voices yelling, muffled only slightly by the walls of the home. She chuckled to herself before heading below deck and into the women's room, where she got changed out of her sea-soaked outfit. She retrieved a towel and dried herself off before pulling on a t-shirt and knee-length shorts. 

Pulling out the chair that she had under her desk, she sat down and leaned back into it for a moment. She then pulled the padded layer off the table and set it down behind the desk. She then rubbed her hands together, almost excitedly before she opened the top drawer of her desk pulled out the largest of her transponder snails, and set it on the desktop. She then moved and grabbed the extra equipment out of the bottom drawer and set up the snail for a call. "I gotta make a call, but not before a little treat!" she tells the snail before reaching down and bringing out a piece of dried apricot which she had rehydrated after the stay on Alabasta. She held it to the snail's mouth and let it eat the snack at its own pace while she happily petted the creature behind the eye stocks. 

Ryoko smiled warmly as she could hear the snail almost purring as it finished the last piece of fruit. "Alright little buddy, I'm gonna give my friend Ace a call." She says before beginning to rotate the dial on the shell a few times, "01-01-06-20."

"Purupurupuru," The snail drones, looking up at Ryoko with its normal tired expression. "Purupurupuru," Ryoko holds the transmitter in her hands waiting anxiously. "Purupurupuru-gacha." The snail finished before freckles formed on its cheeks and a wide grin formed on its face. "Yo!" Ace's voice greeted, "How's it going Ryoko?" 

Ryoko couldn't help the big grin that formed on her own face at the familiar voice, "It's going. How's the sailing going?" She asked resting her chin on her hand as she looked at the snail.