Chapter 08
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Law tossed and turned in his bed but could not fall back asleep. He saw it again. The pink shirt adorning a torso riddled with bullets, black feathery coat cushioning the large man gradually going as cold as the snow beneath him, the satisfied smile on his face, fading as he embraced death knowing Law would be safe now.
Fuck this shit!
Throwing aside his blanket, Law got up. It hadn't been long since they came to Flevance and he had yet to explore the place. Thinking he had nothing better to do and since everyone was asleep, Law decided to leave for a walk. He grabbed his coat and made for the infirmary first. Luffy was asleep and his vitals were alright so Law could afford to leave him unsupervised for a few hours and even if anything happened, the boy had the call button handy, somebody would tend to him. But he thought he'd already be back by the time Luffy would wake up so he pushed the other thoughts aside.
Law pulled on his black coat and was about to exit when he remembered something important. There might be somebody who could recognize him based on his hat and golden eyes as the signature features of a Trafalgar boy who used to thrive in this city before it fell to ruins. He thought anybody with enough brains might recognize his resting bitch-face and the infamous scowl he had been wearing since childhood and that caused him to groan. He put his hat aside carefully in his room and grabbed two masks, a surgical mask and a cloth one, pulling them on his face before finally leaving the building.
It was cold. Law's previous impression of a few days ago when they arrived was changed to this, he did not like the weather. It was cold. He pulled his coat closer and stuffed his hands in his pockets before continuing out of the door. He was just roaming about, no particular destination in mind before he spotted a cafe and knew where to start. Law went into the cafe and ordered a coffee to-go.
"You're new here?" The cashier asked as Law was pulling out his wallet to pay for his drink. The boy didn't look over fifteen. This confused Law. Normally he was above small talk but he wanted information and this seemed like a start and the cafe was completely empty so he could afford some time.
"I am. What about you? You look young, I heard labor laws here said work only after legal age?" Law asked, appearing oblivious. The old Flevance had the legal age of twenty and nobody was allowed to work before that, it was a wealthy city so nobody had to send their children out to work anyway. It prevented a system of unjust child labor but now Law wasn't so sure.
"You are really new, aren't you? Labor laws changed. If you can secure work, you can. Age doesn't matter anymore." The boy answered, amused.
"And why are you working?" Law couldn't help himself asking. He had a childhood where he didn't have to worry about finances and stuff so he was able to focus on his interest and education but this boy, out to work this late, he just had to inquire.
"My parents can't afford me education, so I'm trying to do it myself." Hearing the boy's answer suddenly made Law feel privileged even though he obtained money through illegal means.
"What do you plan on doing in the future if you do get education?"
"I heard what happened here, so maybe I'd like to be a doctor or at least a researcher so well, I can help if something like that broke out again."
"They said it was contagious, what was it, Amber Lead? Why put yourself through a research for something that was contagious and could kill you too?"
"How can I be sincere in my research without putting myself in the field?"
Law was quiet. He quickly paid for the coffee and left a huge tip, something that might give something away if he wasn't careful.
"Education is important, sure. But live a little too." Picking his coffee, Law left before the boy could say anything else.
With coffee starting to warm his system up, Law decided he would walk till the library, see if he could dig up about what happened in Flevance after he left and also some medical journals on bacterial pneumonia for Luffy as well as about rehabilitation and stuff. Sure Law was a genius but that did not mean he could slack up on his medical readings and research. Luffy was presenting an excellent opportunity for Law to test his skills.
He quietly walked to the library five blocks away, clutching onto his cup of coffee, the contents long gone but the cup was still a little warm. Law fished out his library passes, the ones his group got in his alias before he came back, and showed the necessary card where applicable and adjusted for in-library reading.
The librarian was an old man who looked really happy to see him for some reason. "Young people these days don't come to the library as often. They have this internet of theirs but books, books are still genuine information."
"Agreed."
"What was your name again?"
Law expertly sneaked a look at his cards before saying, "Antonio."
Antonio? Do I look like a fucking Antonio?! Those guys are getting it when I get back.
"Ah yes, Antonio. Well, son, I will leave you to your reading." The old man waved walking back to his desk at the entrance.
Law flipped open a few years' worth of newspapers he picked from the shelf and started scanning for relevant information. He started with the year he had to flee - 1506.
Amber Lead breakout in the prestigious White City, Flevance - death toll over one thousand every day. No cure in sight. Is the disease contagious? The Government does all it can to help the Flevance souls trapped in a diseased hell.Flevance set for doom! Citizens refuse government help!
What the fuck?
What the fuck?!
Law's blood boiled at the headline. This was from a time where the disease was so widespread that nobody had the time to look at newspapers anymore. Law remembered he was just eight and helping his parents, full-fledged doctors, with patients in and out. Lami was sick too and needed constant care and he had volunteered for the job as well. This headline though... there never was any help from the government, much less help that his people refused!
Switching to the next set of newspapers, Law read the headlines from the end of the year 1506 and the beginning of 1507.
Civil War over Medicine in the White City!
There was no civil war! We were quarantined and attacked!!
Neighboring Countries extend their hands for help once again refused!
The guns they pointed at us weren't help!
Flevance Falls - Not a Soul Survived
Yeah you made sure of that didn't you? Murdering innocents over something that could be cured! It wasn't even contagious! Mother and father were so close to a cure too!
World Government Laments the Loss of a Beautiful City
Like hell they lamented... those pigs rejoiced!
Law closed the newspapers and rubbed his eyes to dissipate some anger. He sighed and picked up the next set of the papers noticing the year 1514. There had been no news whatsoever for the years in-between.
World Government Cleanse Diseased Grounds for Re-population! Flevance! Re-population Scheme to Begin! Immigrants Settle Without Fear! The White City, Flevance Sees Life Once Again
These were the news Law had read that made him come back to Flevance. He was angry at the World Government for taking everything from him. In the despair of losing his home and everything he had known from his birth, he had found Cora-san but he too, was taken away. The only thing left to do in this world was to destroy it but for that, he needed time and planning. He hoped in casual defiance that Doflamingo would never look for him in a place that Law had run away from.
Law photocopied a few of the newspapers then put them back, moving to his second objective of looking for Luffy's condition in some of the medical books the library had. He pulled out a particularly battered looking book reading the spine containing faded letters but he could make out 'pulmonary' so he decided to take his chances.
The cover of the book was equally battered so Law opened it and scanned its contents, coming to the conclusion that it might have some information of the topics he required. It did have various pulmonary diseases registered in it. Law noted every relevant information down in his phone, taking pictures where necessary. He made a memo to download a PDF version of this book later, if it was available.
Seeing he still had time, Law went through a few more books, same protocol. He was idly scanning information on heart diseases, all he knew, when the old man librarian came to him again.
"Still here son? What, medical books? Are you aspiring to be a doctor?"
"I already am."
"My granddaughter is very ill, can you help us?" Law narrowed his eyes.
"Why haven't you gone to the hospital?"
"The fees are too high and the treatment is not good."
"I heard that hospitals in Flevance were very advanced."
"That was when the Trafalgars were heading it. Right now, there are people from the government running the hospital and it is not good at all."
Law smiled under his masks at the mention of his family name. "Trafalgar? Where are they now?"
"Dead probably. Died with the old Flevance."
"If everyone died in Flevance, according to the newspapers, how do you know so much?"
"You seem like a curious soul. I will pay you back with knowledge if you take a look at my granddaughter." Law pondered over the offer for quite a bit then stood up and put the books back where he got them from.
"You got yourself a deal. Where is your granddaughter?"
"The house next door. Come, I will take you." Law stuffed his phone in his jacket and followed the old man out of the library after logging his exit. Once the library doors were locked, they both set for the old man's house.
The walk was short, they reached the house in five minutes. It was a small place, modest but not poor. Law entered the house after the old man and took in the surroundings for any threats or danger. He found none. The house was peaceful - like a house with a sick person should never be. They both took off their shoes and entered the small house.
"In here." The door to their left led to a smaller room and there was a deeply unsettling stench - one he knew very well.
Law pulled his mask better around his face and brought out his surgical gloves from the first-aid fanny pack he always carried. The room was overall clean or maybe that was mandatory considering the illness of the young girl lying in bed, wrapped in blankets. Her head peaked from under the covers. There was negligible light in the room and Law sighed.
"Do you have any additional source of light?"
"The bulb is busted and I haven't got the back to fix it."
"I will do it." Law found himself saying and watched as the man left and came back a few minutes later. For an old man, he wasn't that slow. Law took the bulb from the old man, dragged a chair to reach the socket, got on it quickly unscrewing the old bulb and replacing it. The old man turned on the switch and there was light. Even with the light though, he couldn't see past his shades so he cursed inwardly and took them off to assess his patient better.
He knelt by the bed and removed the blankets a little to see the girl's condition. She looked very weak and scared for a huge part that she refused to speak.
"What are her symptoms?" Law asked getting ready to bring out his thermometer, stethoscope and a portable sphygmomanometer. He was a doctor, he carried instruments around.
"There is fever, she coughs at night and vomits everything. Sometimes she says she can't breathe at all."
"And when did this start?" Law asked lifting the girl's arm and putting the thermometer there and started pressing the stethoscope to hear what seemed wrong.
"Since the cold winds started blowing."
"Is this a normal occurrence or has this happened for the first time?"
"She usually got sick during winters but this has been the worst."
"Chest is heavily congested. Fever, I bet it's recurring-" Law talked to himself, then turned to the girl. "Do you suddenly feel cold sometimes?" She nodded meekly and Law pulled his stethoscope back. "Got it. She's allergic to cold and dry weather." Law told the old man, tucking the girl back in.
"Will she get better?"
"With proper medication and care, yes."
"Thank goodness." Then something struck Law. Law texted in the Hearts group chat about the medicines he needed and where he needed them brought.
"Someone will bring the medicines along soon. But I have to say that I don't have a medical license, you shouldn't trust my judgment." He warned and the old man laughed.
"I know a Trafalgar when I see one boy. There is no doctor in the world I'd trust when there is a Trafalgar in front of me." Law was confused and now at full alert.
How did this old man know he was a Trafalgar? What gave him away? Will he tell the government or the local police?
"Ok old man. Time for answers." Law decided to play his hand at this game. This man seemed to have worked through his disguise quite easily and Law wanted to know how.
"I was only a young man when I arrived in Flevance to settle. If my old brain remembers correctly, your grandfather was the head of medicine back then and your father assisted him. You weren't born then."
"You are sounding awfully creepy but please continue." The old man laughed again, leading Law to the living room and dishing out tea.
"I never met you before but your father did convey that you would not be a typical doctor."
"What's that supposed to mean? Also, my father?"
"Yes, whenever I went to the hospital I would meet your father seeing as he was my attending doctor. A few years before Flevance as we knew it burned, your father told me how the successor is already a genius but very unorthodox."
"I might have been only five or six by then, I do not remember any of that."
"Of course you don't. But your father was proud nonetheless, already assured that the medicinal future of Flevance would be safe in your hands."
"Saw quite a wrong future, didn't he, my father? There is no Flevance and I am certainly not going to waste my time on medicine in this city."
"We will see about that son."
"That aside, how did you survive the...extermination?"
"Oh I had left quite some time before the situation started appearing widespread. My son had married somewhere in West Blue so I went to live with him for some time but he died an year back so I took his daughter and came back here."
"Not the best place for her though."
"Indeed. We might relocate but I am not so sure where an old man like me can go anyway."
"Your granddaughter would be healthy in any environment that isn't unnecessarily polluted or dry. Pick one of the scattered countries on the Grandline that has a stable near-tropical weather."
"I will think about it son, thank you."
Just then Law's phone rang, it was Shachi. "Where are you?"
"In front of the address you sent with the medicines."
"Ok, wait." Law faced the old man. "Your granddaughter's medicines are here." Law went to the front door and let Shachi in. Placing the box on the living room table, Law carefully took out the contents, examining if they were correct first then started explaining. "Give this one once every night, it's a non-drowsy anti-allergic that will help her budding bronchitis to ease. These drops, put an individual packet in steaming water and let her inhale it as long as she can, but do not exceed the already provided dose, these are medicated steroids and her body does not need more than these. Others are multivitamin and a tonic so she gets hungry and wants to eat, easy recovery. No restrictions on food but be wise and don't feed her ice cream or the likes which can constrict her chest, take these three times a day. Soup's a must every day, chicken broth whenever you can, eggs to keep her warm and lots of green leafy vegetables for blood." Law explained than pulled out a sheet of paper. "In case I wasn't coherent enough, this is a print out of everything I just said."
"Thank you so much son."
"It's Law."
"So it really wasn't Antonio."
"It wasn't. I don't know which idiot chose it. I do request you to keep my existence as a Trafalgar hidden from everyone."
"That much I can do. Thank you again."
"I am a doctor's son." Law smirked under his masks.
"That you are. Stay hopeful, good things will happen."
"Sure." And Law left.
"What was that all about?" Shachi asked when the two of them exited the house and started walking back to the apartments.
"He used to live in Flevance before, knew my parents, recognized me through my disguise." Shachi snorted.
"You call that a disguise? No wonder you were recognized."
Law grunted and pulled out his phone to occupy the walk back, not hearing what Shachi was saying.
"Cap you listening?" Shachi turned back when he heard no response from Law. The teenager had stopped a few steps back. "Cap?"
"There are three gyms here!!" Shachi groaned.
"Play Pokemon Go later, your patient is awake and wreaking havoc." Law reluctantly shoved his phone back in his pockets and matched paces with his friend.
"How is he wreaking havoc when he shouldn't even have the energy to stand?"
"No idea but when I was coming to get you the meds, the infirmary sounded very lively. Maybe he recovers insanely fast or something? Like you do, except when you catch a random cold." Shachi shuddered at the remembrance. "You're such a handful those times." He muttered under his breath.
"Maybe he does recover fast, I noticed it before too." Law commented then started his monologue that people could hear. "I would have to run some tests and depending on them, maybe he would be rid of that horrid cannula in his arm...the meds would persist though, but I could reduce or even do away with the painkillers and sleep meds slowly so he can begin healing and recovering in earnest...yes."
Shachi smiled proudly and fondly at the way his friend was lost in his thoughts, not even caring that he had spoken all of it out loud. He was a doctor through and through and even though he appeared detached, his soul was still a doctor's.
Law was worried about the reality check Luffy would most definitely have when he wouldn't be able to sleep once law would take away his sleep meds and pain killers.
Just like that, they arrived back and Law first removed his coat and bagged it because it contained who knows what contagions from outside. He dragged his feet inside and threw the bagged coat at the nearby person with the orders to 'clean and sanitize' the coat. He was about to ask where Penguin and Bepo were when Law heard the loudest voice he had heard. It was coming from the infirmary and the words rang in the entire building.
"GIVE ME MEAT!!"
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