Neko Pirate

37~ Sick Navigator

37~ Sick Navigator

Mira

After we managed to get Sanji to calm down, we got Nami to rest. She assured us she was just tired, but her cheeks were red. I promised her that Vivi and I would be back in the morning to check on her. She protested, saying she was fine, but the way Herman had reacted earlier said differently.

The next morning, I was the first one into her room. I wet her cloth once more and draped it over her forehead. She was still panting and sweating, but it didn't seem as bad. Vivi soon joined me and used another cloth to wipe down Nami's body.

Sanji soon followed after. He had tears and snot running down his face as he chewed on a napkin. "Is Nami-san gonna die? Is she, Vivi-chan, Mira-chan?"

I glared at him. "She should be fine. She might just have a cold."

"Mira's right," Vivi agreed as she sighed and wiped the sweat of Nami's cheeks. "It must be the climate changing. One of the obstacles all sailors who enter the Grande Line run into is illness caused by abnormal weather." She explained as Usopp and Luffy entered her room. They stood behind Sanji, who continued to sniff and shed tears as he stared at Nami.

I sat on the edge of Nami's bed and gently traced my fingertips along her her neck, feeling for a change in her body temperature. "There are countless stories of tough, notorious pirates suddenly dying from this. Carelessness makes even the slightest case deadly."

Sanji whimpered as he pulled at the napkin between his teeth. "Nami-san!" He tried to wipe at his tears.

"Is there anyone on this ship with any medical knowledge at all?" Vivi asked to us.

We all pointed to a barely conscious Nami. A worried look crossed Vivi's face as I pulled my hand away.

"But eating meat makes sickness go away!" My eye twitched at Luffy's suggestion. "Right, Sanji?"

"I can make some basic food meant for sick people." Sanji sniffed as he put the napkin back in his pocket. "But that's entirely in 'nursing' territory." He explained as he stared down at Nami.

"There's no guarantee it'll make her better..." I glanced up to him to see him staring sorrowfully down at Nami. He looks utterly depressed. "Besides, I normally put 100 times more care into Nami-san's, Vivi-chan's, and Mira-chan's food than I do yours. I serve them fresh meat and vegetables, for balanced nutrition. I give all the other rotting stuff to you guys."

"And yet it still tastes good to them." I thought to myself as I trailed my fingers along Nami's cheeks. I heard a slap as Usopp cried out in protest.

"In any case," Sanji continued as Vivi and I tried to work over Nami. "As long as I'm this ship's cook, there will be no problems whatsoever in terms of getting a balanced diet. But there are different kinds of meals for sick people. What are her symptoms? What are her needs? I can't make that call..."

"Then she can just eat it all!"

"Luffy, you're not helping." I said to him before turning back to Nami.

"Exactly," Sanji and Usopp gave him a deadpan look. "Besides, she's sick because she doesn't have the energy for that!"

I tuned the guys out as they bickered some more. "Vivi, what's the thermometer say?"

She pulled it out from under Nami's arm. "40 degrees Celsius?! Her fever's gone up again! (104 Fahrenheit)" Vivi cried out in shock.

I bit my lip. "Not good..."

"There's gonna be doctors when we get to Alabasta, right?" Usopp asked worriedly. "How much longer will it take, Vivi?"

She hung her head and sat back. "I don't know, but one week is out of the question."