Work Text:
Medicine
It was early that morning on the Thousand Sunny, and the Straw Hat Pirates were about to head to the galley to eat breakfast. However, only the navigator seemed to know that something was amiss.
Where was Luffy?
Usually, he'd be the first to stampede to the galley and at least try to get most of the food, but Nami didn't see him.
Suddenly, Nami heard a pained moan, and it was coming from the men's quarters.
That sounds suspiciously like Luffy, she thought before she went to investigate.
She peeked inside and saw that her thoughts had been confirmed.
Monkey D. Luffy was lying in his bed, hiding his face in his pillow. Nami saw small beads of sweat forming on his brow, and he seemed to be trying not to lay on his belly.
"Luffy?" Nami called.
The captain peered at her. She could see the discontented look on his face.
"You okay?" asked Nami.
"No..." Luffy moaned.
"Aren't you gonna come and eat breakfast?" the navigator asked, pointing a thumb over her shoulder. "Sanji's making pancakes."
"No...not hungry..." Luffy moaned.
Nami gasped silently. Luffy would never, EVER, in a million years, turn down a meal...
Unless...
He's sick, Nami concluded in her head.
"Luffy," she called. "Why don't you wanna come eat?"
"I woke up and my tummy was hurting," he said, putting a hand on his stomach for emphasis. "At first, I thought it was nothing, but then it started to hurt really bad."
Nami placed her palm on Luffy's forehead. It was warm. Too warm.
"Luffy, I think you might be sick," she said before she began to help him up. "C'mon. We're gonna go see Chopper."
"Okay," said Luffy, clutching his stomach.
XXX
Nami brought Luffy to the sick bay so that Chopper could get a look at him.
Luffy had a temperature of 102 degrees. He was constantly complaining of a sharp pain in his stomach, as well as feeling nauseous. He would let out a small burp occasionally, but when he did, he complained that he had a slight burning feeling in his chest. He got up to go the bathroom only once, but when he was finished, he couldn't even take so much as two steps without tripping on his own two feet. Nami had to help him back to the sick bay.
Chopper came up with one diagnosis.
XXX
"Stomach flu?" Usopp repeated, questioningly.
"It's a disease that attacks the digestive system, mainly the stomach and intestines," Chopper explained.
"Are you sure?" Nami asked.
"He's got all the symptoms," Chopper answered her. "Nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pains and cramps, heartburn, loss of appetite, weakness and fatigue, and a high fever."
"What could've gotten him that way?" asked Franky.
"Well," Chopper began, "it may've been some tainted water or improperly prepared food."
"Are you saying my cooking might have to do with Luffy being sick?" Sanji questioned, feeling somewhat offended.
"No, no!" Chopper answered, waving his hooves defensively.
"Now that I think about it," Nami began, "Sanji, didn't you accidentally give Luffy a steak that wasn't cooked all the way?"
Sanji froze. Last night, Sanji was grilling a steak for dinner, but Luffy, ever the impatient glutton, snatched it before he could prepare it fully.
"I-It's not my fault!" the cook stammered. "The pig snatched it before I could finish it! If you ask me, he brought it on himself!"
Zoro seemed to snicker.
"It was only a matter of time before your cooking actually got our captain sick," he said.
Sanji stamped his foot into Zoro's toes, making him grunt in pain.
"What did you say, Moss-head?!" growled Sanji.
"You heard exactly what I said, Dartboard-brow!!" Zoro barked.
Before the argument escalate into a full-scale fight, Nami brought her might fists upon her skulls, leaving Sanji with hearts in his eyes.
"Will you two idiots shut up?!" Nami snarled. "Luffy's sick, so he needs to rest, and you two getting at each other's throats won't help him!"
"She's right," agreed Chopper. "It's probably gonna take him a week to rest. I'm gonna put him on probiotics for his stomach pains. Some antacids will help with his heartburn, too."
As everyone talked about Luffy's condition, Nami entered the sick bay to check up on him.
Luffy lay in the sick bay's bed with Blizzard sititng beside him. He had a damp rag on his forehead to reduce his fever. He let out a slight moan as he clutched at the sheets covering his belly.
He looked downright miserable.
Nami walked up to Blizzard, pulling up a chair as she did.
"Blizzard, why don't you go eat?" she asked the wolf-dog. "I can take it from here."
In spite of his concern, Blizzard obeyed and left the room to eat his breakfast, leaving the captain and the navigator to be alone.
"You okay?" asked Nami as she gently laid a hand on Luffy's stomach.
"I feel crappy," said Luffy.
"I know," Nami said. "Being's sick's really not fun, huh?"
"Uh-uh," Luffy answered. "My tummy feels all hot and icky and bubbly inside."
"Chopper says you're tummy's gonna be like this for a while," Nami said.
"For how long a while?" Luffy asked.
"About a week," answered Nami.
Luffy's eyes widened in disbelief, and then he sank his head into his pillow. Just what he needed. To lay around in bed for a whole week with a stomachache the size of the ship.
"Are you hungry?" Nami asked. "Can I have Sanji make you something?"
"No thanks," Luffy replied. "Still not hungry. Tummy hurts too much to eat."
Nami gently pat Luffy's stomach.
"That's okay," she said. "Listen. Chopper's gonna give you medicine to help you feel better, but if you need anything else, let me know, okay?"
Luffy nodded his head in response.
"Get well soon," Nami said, with a smile before she left the room, leaving poor Luffy to rest.
XXX
For the next couple of days that week, Luffy laid in bed, and his sickness was causing him a lot of discomfort. He would try to sleep sometimes, but because of his stomach pains and cramps, he couldn't get comfortable, whether or not he was lying on the offending area.
He was also very bored. He couldn't go outside and play with Usopp, Chopper, or Blizzard. He couldn't eat any of Sanji's delicious food because he didn't feel like it. He couldn't see anybody, except Nami, who would occasionally come in and check up on him, and Chopper, who only came in to give him his medicine.
Surprisingly, however, Luffy wasn't complaining or whining about it as much as everyone thought he was going to.
XXX
Chopper entered the sick bay, a glass of water in one hoof and four small tablets in the other.
"Time for your probiotics, Luffy," he said.
Luffy moaned, not just from the pain in his stomach, but also because of the medicine. It was so hard to keep it down.
"Here," Chopper said, handing Luffy the pills and water to Luffy. "Take the pills and drink a little water after them, and this time, try to keep the medicine down."
Luffy nodded in understanding before he threw the pills in his mouth, followed by a big sip of water, and swallowed.
A pause came.
"See?" Chopper said, smiling. "I knew you could keep it down-"
It appeared that Chopper spoke too soon, for Luffy started feeling warm bile rising in his throat. He gagged and threw his hands over his mouth, trying hard not to vomit again.
"Uh-oh," Chopper muttered before he hand Luffy the bucket that he had left for him in case he threw up.
Luffy hastily took the bucket and wretched into it. Once he was through, he gave the bucket back to Chopper and lay back into bed, moaning at the burning feeling in his gullet.
"Luffy," Chopper said, "how do you expect the medicine to help you if you keep throwing it back up?"
"I'm sorry..." Luffy moaned. "I try to keep it down, but my tummy won't let it."
"Well, do you think you can take the antacids?" asked Chopper.
Luffy shook his head.
Chopper just sighed.
"Chopper," Luffy said. "Could you get Nami for me?"
"Nami?" Chopper repeated. "Why?"
"Please?" Luffy begged.
A pause came before Chopper decided to comply and headed out the door.
XXX
Nami had just finished completing another one of her maps.
She heaved a sigh.
She was worried. She hasn't been hearing any complaints from Luffy as of late. Perhaps he was so sick, he couldn't speak up much.
"Is there something wrong, Nami?" asked Robin, who was currently reading yet another book.
"Well," Nami said, "it's Luffy...I'm a little worried about him. He isn't really complaining or making a big fuss about his stomach flu as much as I thought he was going to."
Robin gave Nami her usual soft grin.
"Perhaps he just doesn't want to be a burden," she said, simply.
Nami paused.
What Robin had said sort of made sense. Maybe Luffy didn't want to burden everybody with his illness, so he was probably trying his hardest to keep quiet, despite how uncomfortable he was.
"Nami?"
Nami looked back and saw Chopper, standing in the doorway.
"Chopper," Nami greeted the little reindeer. "What are you doing here? How's Luffy?"
"His fever's gone down a little," answered Chopper. "He's still having stomach problems, though. Plus, he says he wants you."
XXX
Chopper led Nami back to the sick bay and slightly opened the door.
Luffy still lay in bed, a slight whimper escaping his throat as he rubbed his stomach, as if it were the only way to try and sooth it since he couldn't keep the probiotics down.
"Luffy?" Chopper called. "I brought Nami, like you asked me to."
"Could you send her in?" Luffy asked.
Nami felt a pang of sympathy in her heart.
He sounded a little pathetic.
"Go ahead, Nami," Chopper told the navigator.
She nodded her head and entered the sick bay, taking a seat next to the poor captain.
"Hey, Nami," Luffy greeted.
"Hey, captain," Nami greeted back, gently putting her hand on his now sensitive stomach. "How are you feeling?"
"Tummy still hurts," Luffy said.
Nami gently rubbed Luffy's belly. Usually, he loved getting rubbed there, and it would make him kick his leg like a happy puppy, but that didn't seem to be the case, today.
"Does that help?" asked Nami.
"Sort of," Luffy answered, "but it still hurts."
"Do you need something?" Nami asked. "Can I get you a drink?"
Luffy shook his head, again.
"Do you want me to fluff your pillow or massage your stomach?" she asked him.
Luffy shook his head a third time.
"Well, what do you want?" she asked, sounding a little annoyed.
Luffy looked up at Nami and gently took her hand in his. He looked deep and somewhat pleading into her tawny brown eyes. At that moment, Nami seemed to understand what her captain was physically trying to ask her.
"You want me to stay in here with you, don't you?" she asked him.
Luffy smiled softly.
"You're kind of like medicine, Nami," he said. "My tummy doesn't hurt as much when you're here."
Nami smiled back.
"Okay," she said before she gently planted her lips against his warm forehead.
Luffy's cheeks flushed a bright red and he giggled.
"Thanky you," he said.
XXX
For the rest of the week, Nami stayed by Luffy's bedside.
Luffy found it easier to take his medicine when she was near. When he managed to get it down, his stomach pains would momentarily end.
When they came back, however, Nami would comfort him by rubbing his belly and speaking to him softly.
At night, Nami would watch as Luffy slept peacefully, no longer moaning about the pain in his stomach. She often found herself falling asleep in her chair.
It was a nice week for Luffy.
XXX
"Good news, Luffy! You're all better!"
"YAY! No more tummy ache!"
It was the end of the week, and Luffy was finally feeling better.
The first thing he did was eat to his heart's content, much to Sanji's dismay.
The second thing he did was thank Nami for keeping him company while he was ill.
However, when he did, he saw that she was the one lying bed, this time.
XXX
"Nami's sick now?" Luffy asked Chopper.
"Yup," Chopper answered. "She's got stomach flu just like you did. You can go see her, if you want to, Luffy, but be quiet."
Luffy nodded before he entered the sick bay.
Nami was lying in bed, underneath the covers, a damp rag on her forehead.
"Nami?" Luffy called.
Nami looked up to Luffy in greeting.
"Sorry I got you sick," he said, apologetically.
"It's okay," she said.
A pause came. Then, Luffy smiled.
"Do you want me to be your medicine, Nami? Like you did with me?" he asked her.
Nami smiled weakly.
"Sure," she answered, "but be quiet okay?"
Luffy nodded his head and took a seat next to Nami, smiling his usual grin, and Nami somehow felt a little better, already.
THE END