Operation Code Red! The String of Fate! (Trafalgar Law Fanfiction)

Chapter 26: Noah

"Let go of me!" The boy screamed at her. He tried to push her hand off of him, but she was too strong. 

"It's okay! I'm not gonna ask you to return those!" Shanna shouted. 

"Eh?" His eyes widened. Why? His eyes seemed to ask her. Shanna studied his features. His skin was dark, but she didn't know whether it was because of the mud or his skin tone in general. The more she studied him the less resemblance there was with Law. Maybe she just hallucinated or something. Shanna put a reassuring smile on her face. 

"You can keep these. And I'll give you those as well." She pointed to the bags of stuff she left sitting there on the ground behind them. "What's your name?" For some reason she felt concerned for this boy. Maybe it was the little resemblance he had to Law, or maybe it was just because he looked so weak, like even the gentlest breeze could take him down.

"Noah...." the boy replied weakly. Shanna's brows furrowed when she noticed the incredible amount of sweat dripping down his face. He's all skin and bones, and his lips are really chapped. He barely ran 20 meters, there's no way he should have this amount of sweat. She gently touched his cheeks with the back of her hands. He's burning up.

"Noah, you have a fever," Shanna told him.

"I know," Noah hugged his bag of food tightly. 

Even though it was right in his hands, he wasn't eating. "Could it be, you took these for someone else?" Shanna asked.

"They're all sick...." Noah said, tears brimming in his eyes. 

"They?"

"Jessie, Kain, Patrick... And the others!"

"Wait here." Shanna turned around and grabbed the rest of her stuff that she left on the ground.  "Let's go! Where are they?" 

Tears started forming at the corners of Noah's eyes. Is she...willing to help us? His lips started to quiver. "Come on, stop crying! Let's go!" She turned him around and started pushing him to walk forward. The boy wiped his tears away and started leading her down the streets. Noah ran into a small alleyway, much darker and dirtier than the big streets. Once they were deep inside the alley, Shanna had the urge to cover her nose but her hands were full. 

It's hard to imagine that right next to the beautiful street of shops and restaurants and cheerful civilians, was a small alley full of trash and filth. "Jessie! Patrick! How are you guys?" Noah demanded once they reached a large group of kids. From ages four to fourteen, there were around ten of them. All of them thin as a skeleton, and looking almost like a living corpse. Shanna bent down in front of the three kids that were in the worst shape. They laid on the ground, coughing and groaning. "I brought food! Here! Eat this! You'll feel better!"

The kids started gathering around Noah as he handed out food to them. Shanna placed her hands on Jessie's forehead. Her fever was even higher than Noah's. She looked around, to see all the kids coughing and crying. Something's not right, she thought. 

"How long have you guys been sick?" she asked Noah.

"It was Patrick at first, he said he wasn't feeling good. And then Kain also started to get sick, and after a while, everyone started to feel horrible...." Noah replied.

"The adults in town, do they not help you guys?" Shanna asked.

"They only care about travelers who come in with money.... They don't care about us." Noah glared at the ground with hatred in his eyes. What?! Shanna's eyes widened. Something is definitely wrong with this place. Overpriced products and sick children?! This isn't normal!

"Well anyways, you guys need medicine. This isn't some sort of cold. From the way you guys are all affected, it's highly contagious. Whatever this is, we have to stop it before it spreads throughout the city! Law we have to hel-" Shanna turned around, but no one was there. Oh. That's right.... She felt a wrenching pain in her chest. Law's not here anymore. She was on her own. Shanna slowly turned towards the kids, who all looked at her with confusion in their eyes. Shanna smiled reassuringly at them. "I'm going to help you guys. Trust me."

"The most important thing about treating a patient is making sure their surrounding is clean."

"We need to get you guys to somewhere clean," Shanna told them. "Is there a hospital in this town?"

"They won't help us. We don't have money for medicine..." said a little girl about five or six years old. 

"That's ridiculous! What kind of doctors are they if they won't even help a few sick children!"

"It's true! They don't want us near them. They think we're filthy.... And they say we carry disease," Noah said through gritted teeth. 

Well they're not wrong, thought Shanna. She scanned their surrounding. She could tell by the stench in the air that there was a lack of air circulation. 

"Can't...breathe...." muttered Patrick, clutching his neck. 

"Patrick? Patrick!" Noah cried.

"Let me!" Shanna pushed Noah to the side. She placed her ear on Patrick's chest. His heartrate was dropping but his breathing was fast and unsteady. "Big breaths Patrick! Try to take deep breaths!" She started CPR the way Law taught her. She wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with them, but it was most likely some sort of swelling in the lungs, preventing oxygen to get through. They need fresh air. This place won't do! 

"I-Is he going to be okay?" The kids started to sob.

"Noah, is there a big, open, yet secluded area on this island?" Shanna asked.

"T-The forest. There are monsters in the forest so people don't go in there...."

"We're going there."

"What?! Didn't you hear me? I said there are monsters!"

"If we stay here you guys will all die! The bigger kids who can still move, help the little ones. Whoever can't move stay here for now, I'll come pick you up! Noah lead the way!" Shanna grabbed Patrick and Kain, the two who were in the worst shape. Noah hesitated, but still ran towards the exit of the alley, with Shanna and some other kids following right behind.