: 1 :

Wickem Sanatorium was located within a thick grove of trees, nestled so firmly within the crevice that most of the second story windows overlooked grey, mottled cliff walls. The road leading to it was obscure, hairpin turns ensuring its isolation. Funded by the government, it housed those that were labeled 'insane' and untreatable – a drop-off for mental illness cases whose family members could no longer provide assistance for. The institution was enveloped within high stone walls formed by man, and allowed for a few gardens, a separate housing for laundry and kitchen staff, and a smaller guardhouse near the main gates that kept an eye out for possible escapees and incoming visitors.

Surrounding islands contributed to the funding of the sanatorium by sending over 'unclaimed' persons, or were paid handsomely by wealthy families to take care of someone they could no longer care for, themselves.

Wickem's design was the result of a reclusive millionaire, who left behind his mansion and his riches to the treatment of 'handicapped' patients – the moderations to the building were made eventually. The First Floor was comprised of metal doors, bars over windows, locked corridors, with a hallway that extended clear through; only accessible by two keys in the hand of a guard standing post. The front lobby was encased within wood and glass, where the public or those visiting their family members could only access. It was cared for and decorated lavishly – it looked more like a parlor than a carefully guarded visiting room.

Also on this floor were the doctors' shared offices, a staff break room, and a small, general medical ward. The staircase was accessible through heavy metal doors, opened by a pair of keys at the same time. That staircase lead to the Second Floor, where the patients' rooms were located, as well as their break room, a dining room, and an entire medical ward dedicated to patient care and experimentation. The lavatory had no doors, no privacy, and all the patients were closely monitored as they used them. Their rooms were comprised of approved things; with small slots for windows near the ceilings. The doors were locked in open position during the day, and locked at night, for 'patient safety'.

Kitchen staff could access the dining room through an elevator that, too, was opened by special key. Electricity was made available using winding machinery that took some time to charge by hand. They were located too far away from the main town to have poles necessary to carry electricity.

Deep within the mansion's basements were solitary cells for the most unruly. It was concrete walls, damp floors, and light only accessible by winding the generator box near the main door. Three padded cells with bars faced the main door. While some illnesses of this time had been identified, the patients here hadn't any definite treatment; there were still some examinations to do, tests to perform to see what worked best.

These were the 'unsavable' patients, unfit for society.

Dinner was a small affair; for six patients, the table was large enough to fit them all comfortably. Staff distributed a plate in front of each man, all instructed to sit still until all were served. The two guards on hand shifted into monitoring stances throughout the dining room, clutching batons as the two kitchen workers worked quickly. Two large, burly orderlies stood with their arms crossed at the windows, measuring the tension in the room. here was one nurse present, fumbling with the hem of his shirt as he worried nervously over possible reactions. There were currently six registered patients in the asylum, but one of them had been confined to solitary for nearly a month due to 'bad behavior'. Presently released, the sixth patient agitated the others.

Most of them wore what remained of the clothing their family sent over; a couple of them wore plain wool clothes that staff provided. While the asylum was considered their home, most had hopes that it were only temporary, until a 'cure' could be found. While restless, most knew exactly what they were there, for.

Dinner was simple and plain – containing an item from each food group, steamed or baked, with nothing special on the side. A tin cup was filled with milk for each man, and kitchen staff retreated without a glance back. The single doctor on duty looked over the servings with a critical eye before giving an impatient, "Eat."

As he usually did, Monkey D. Luffy tore into his plate without using his utensils, stuffing handfuls of mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli in hastily. His disorder was unnamed for this time – but he suffered from intense delusions, one of them being that he was an 'invincible rubber man'. He was currently working with a broken arm, a bandaged head, and a casted left foot. He tended to think he could smash through walls with a punch, or break furniture with his head. His human body was easy to break and split, giving medical staff a hard time in keeping up with these injuries. His hyperactivity was too much for one person to handle – he couldn't seem to 'slow' himself down to operate. He wore a plain, weighted vest each day – then switched to a heavier one at night, in hopes of wearing him down.

To his left was Ussop – his disorder refused to let him do anything without repetitive gestures and movement. He could not pass through doorways, halls or the like without tapping in perfect orders of three to six; three to pass, six to return. He could not eat without doing so, and tapped three to six depending on his choice of food. Six for meat, three for vegetables, six for sides, three for bread. Each tap had to be controlled and perfectly 'sounded' – if not, he had to repeat the tapping until it was to his satisfaction. He tapped six with his four fingers of his right hand before taking a bite of his chicken.

Next to Ussop was Ace, Luffy's brother. A pyromaniac that nearly burned down half of his hometown, his parents had been desperate, as any sight of flame happened to 'control' him; he was captivated by it, controlled by it. He had to be closely monitored, as he tended to try and 'steal' it whenever he passed by candles. The ones in the dining room had his attention until he was allowed to eat, which he did with the same enthusiasm shown by his brother.

Across from Ace sat Roronoa Zoro, who heard voices from people who weren't there, reacted to hallucinations in a flat, heavy manner. He sat in his chair and stared down the table, head tilted slightly as he listened to somebody that wasn't there. Occasionally, he'd grunt or mutter, but no one was sure what he'd said. The jumbled sentences he offered had no relevance to the subject matter, and occasionally, he spoke of something that one had yet to reveal. He was sensitive to insects and anything that was 'unclean'; but if he weren't closely watched, Zoro had a tendency to let himself go uncared for, offending those standing or sitting close to him.

Next to him sat Sanji Vinsmoke. As soon as his plate was sat down in front of him, he picked up a fork, but found every dissatisfaction he could with the content. He struggled to keep himself in perfect order, hoping that the next time his family visited, they'd finally approve of him. As a result, he came off as uncaring and selfish, not bonding with any of them. Unlike everyone else, he wore a stiff dinner jacket over meticulously pressed clothes; slacks that looked brand new, and a pair of loafers, as shoelaces were forbidden. He looked as if he were only stopping in for the night, if not for the unhealthy appearance he carried.

Next to him sat a catatonic man that stared blankly ahead, operating stiffly. His blue eyes barely blinked until one of the nurses set his hands onto his utensils and forced his hand onto his plate. Mechanically, he ate without looking at his food, scooping content without examining it. Once his mouth registered the heat of the potatoes, he set his spoon, still full, down on his plate and didn't move another inch. Most of the staff called him 'Penguin', for the waddling action he made as he walked. His mute state made it difficult for the asylum's doctors to reach him, other than treat him as the others.

At the head of the table sat the only man that unsettled the asylum's staff. Recently released from solitary after convincing another patient to kill himself, Trafalgar Law examined his plate with a cursory frown before looking at the others at the table with a snooty expression, standing out in a faded red shirt and faded red linen pants. He sat in his chair with his legs crossed atop, leaning over the table with both elbows. His lip curled as he watched Luffy demolished his plate, and Ussop tapped out his beats, and Penguin stared at nothing with bits of mashed potatoes on his chin.

A month in solitary had left him pale, dark circles around his eyes standing out harshly, his frame thin. No longer allowed around society because of his selfish, sadistic actions, Law was fated to spend the rest of his life in the sanatorium; escaping several brushes with the justice system that demanded a proper answer to the crimes he'd committed previously. But his family money paid for his release and funded his treatment, and instead of preying on the unsuspecting public, he preyed on the patients that were trapped in with him.

He looked at each patient with careful assessment, hands settled on each side of his plate. He lingered the longest on Penguin, who did nothing in response to the noise or stimuli around him. The nurse that touched him earlier prompted him to eat again, and he mechanically scraped his plate with his spoon.

"I am expected to eat without a utensil of my own, Dr Smoker?" Law asked, startling Ussop out of his tapping. Frustrated, he tapped out six before taking a careful bite of his meat. Luffy glanced over at Law's plate, already finished with consuming what was on his. Ace hissed at Luffy to catch his attention, and held a finger up with warning.

"You don't need one," Dr Smoker said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared down at the man. "You went a month without, you can do it again."

Law looked down at his plate once more, and then looked at the others. It was an unidentifiable mess – as if someone had mixed all the contents of dinner into a bowl and slopped it onto the plate without care. "Mine is…different. There is something a little extra about it."

"Kitchen staff might still be a little upset over your last stunt. It can't be helped."

Law frowned, shaking his head slightly. He did recall sending a plate back to the kitchen with a complaint about how unappetizing the meal looked, but to further express his dissatisfaction with it, he'd included a friend of his, too; a carefully dissected mouse, with its insides decorating the entire plate, splayed out over the meal. Staff had felt that he'd threatened them. He considered reaching out to snatch someone's utensils, but they were seated at least a chair width away from him. If he made a sudden move, the guards would be on him quickly. He couldn't risk his freedom, just yet.

He leaned onto his palm, considering where to start with his plate. Then looked at those seated in front of him. Luffy was reaching over and taking some of Penguin's food; Zoro was mumbling under his breath to someone sitting next to him; Sanji was staring at his plate with a curled lip of disgust, using his fork to separate half bites to the edge of the plate and pushing it all back for something else; Ussop was counting beats to his next bite; and Penguin had stopped shoveling mashed potatoes because of Luffy's action.

Law then looked at Ace, finding the freckled face pyromaniac looking at him with narrowed eyes. He found reason to abandon his plea for a fork or spoon.

"Ace-ya," he drawled, smiling slightly. "Long time no see, buddy."

"Don't get friendly with me," Ace warned him. "Ain't nobody here that wants to talk to you."

"Yet, you returned my very polite extension for some dinner conversation."

"Tch," Ace muttered, glaring at him venomously. "Ain't nobody here forgot what you did to poor ole Apoo."

"I did nothing to Apoo-ya. Everyone here has free will to act on their own choices, and he chose to act on his own decision. But you say 'forget'? Penguin-ya, do you remember what happened?" Law asked, watching for any sign of recognition in that blank face.

Penguin said nothing, nor reacted to the attention set upon him. Law shrugged.

"He doesn't count!"

"You gonna eat that, Ace?" Luffy asked him, gesturing at his leftovers.

"Yes, Luffy, I am."

"Zoro-ya," Law called, watching the green haired man slowly turn his attention his way. Upon seeing the squint the man made, he asked, "What happened to Apoo-ya?"

Zoro was quiet for a few moments, then said, "For awhile there, it was a little testy. The coroner wasn't quite sure how to rule out his manner of death. But he wasn't instructed to write in what he thought best – he just told kitchen staff to make more."

"Ah, fascinating."

"You can't ask him, either! He don't even know his own name, half the time!" Ace shouted.

"Portgas, lower your tone," Dr Smoker said, teeth chomping down hard. He missed the taste of his cigar, but he couldn't risk bringing it with him while he was amongst certain patients. "You know what he's doing. We talked about this."

"Ah, I know," Ace grumbled, sitting back in his chair.

"What about you, Nose-ya?" Law asked, interrupting Ussop in his count. Ussop restarted it, finished his bite, and took his time to answer.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied nervously. "I wasn't there."

"Of course not. Vinsmoke-ya? Why aren't you eating?" Law then asked with concern in his tone, looking at the too skinny man. "Chicken not to your taste?"

Sanji narrowed his eyes, frowning at him. When he spoke, Law could see that he had taken a bite – but the mashed carrots were tucked under his tongue, where he would let the food liquidize before he swallowed. "I don't care to talk while I eat."

"You should swallow. You're dribbling."

"We talked about this, Vinsmoke," Dr Smoker interjected. "You even had hand in the menu."

With a stubborn set of his jaw, Sanji glared back down at his plate. He separated a piece of carrot from the rest, and cut it into three before picking another piece up and directing it to his mouth, adjusting the fit of the piece to one side. Law then shifted his position in his chair to look under the table, and saw two bony knees jiggling fast, the motion stopped when Sanji noticed him looking. Law was fixed with a darker glare as he straightened up in his chair.

"I'm concerned about the spices used in this dish," Law said, looking at the unrecognizable slop on his plate. "I tend to be allergic to most of them. Having a tingling mouth might earn me a visit to the medical ward."

"There is nothing included that offends any imaginary allergies you claim to have," Sanji snapped at him, shredding his chicken. He took the tiniest sliver, mixed it with his carrots, and tucked that bite against his other cheek, so he spoke clumsily. "This shitty food is plain and bland to suit the tastes of everyone here."

"Then why aren't you eating it? Hmm?" Law then stared at him for several long moments, noting the details of his overly defined jawline, his neck before lifting his eyebrows with understanding. "Ahhh…I see."

"There is nothing wrong with this food!" Sanji exclaimed, taking a moment to swallow before maneuvering his last bite to the other side of his mouth. "Like I'd fuck with anyone's palate with anything unreasonable!"

"Vinsmoke, you know exactly what he's doing," Dr Smoker said gruffly, giving an exasperated look at the pair of them. "Don't give him the power he's looking for."

"I don't like shit being said when I made sure everything was cooked to my specifications. I don't want shit said about my efforts! Everything here is fucking perfect! I've done everything right!" Sanji insisted, voice cracking slightly. Dr Smoker could just see his inner pressure rising, and winced, hoping that the man could rein in that terrible anxiety. After a moment, he did, exhaling slowly. Visibly sucking on whatever it was he had left in his mouth. Luffy watched him with fascination, mouth open before Sanji caught sight of him, and Luffy looked elsewhere.

"I was only trying to appeal to him in a friendly manner," Law said with exasperation. "I see that in the month since I was gone, he's gained a few pounds. I was trying to compliment him, but I wasn't sure how without offending him."

"You're only saying that shit to make me feel someway! You never have anything nice to say!" Sanji snapped at him, reddening in the face as he gripped his fork tightly, neck tensing.

"There you go, startin' shit five minutes before you even had time to settle down with the rest of us!" Ace snapped. "Don't let him get under your skin, stupid! You know what he's doin'!"

"Don't let them convince you otherwise," Law said to Sanji in a low, exaggerated whisper across the table. "They're not telling you the truth. My eyes are fresh to the new differences around me. For example…"

He looked across the table to Zoro. "Who's your new friend, Zoro-ya? You've yet to introduce me."

Zoro gave him a puzzled look, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's not that I haven't. I just don't think it's necessary. The world government doesn't want us to know these things. I've got extra paper, if you need it. But I don't think we'll be needing it in the caves."

"Goddamn it! Smoker!" Ace yelled, startling Ussop and Luffy.

Dr Smoker gave a hard sigh, taking a seat at the table while Law looked at Zoro with amusement, seeing him pat himself down for the paper he'd mentioned. When he didn't find it, he lifted his plate, then looked over at Ussop suspiciously. Ussop looked at him, nervously regarding that expression. Luffy looked over at his brother, seeing the expression he wore.

"What's wrong, Ace? Are you still hungry?" Luffy then asked with concern, rocking hard in his chair. One casted arm rested on the tabletop, the other drumming with energy over the edge of the surface. "We can ask for seconds…"

"No, Luffy, Law's being an ass, again, and I don't want any of us bothered by him," Ace said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair.

"What's your problem?" Luffy asked Law, frowning. "Aren't you tired of being locked up all the time?"

"Yes," Law answered him. "But I'm afraid my people skills are severely lacking as a result of it. I cannot seem to get along with anybody without offending them. How am I supposed to learn my boundaries if I cannot be allowed to interact?"

"That's true," Luffy said, looking at Dr Smoker. "How can he learn to be human if he can't play with us?"

"Let me play with the others, Doctor," Law said with a mock pleading tone.

"Everyone here is allotted a certain amount of freedom to make their choices, upon approval," Dr Smoker said gruffly. "Some of these choices are denied, due to bad behavior or bad choices. Everything that Mr Trafalgar tends to cause are products of these bad choices."

"Like with Apoo?" Luffy asked with a grimace.

"Apoo's situation was Apoo's choice to make," Dr Smoker said slowly. "In the end, he was by himself."

"Bullshit!" Ace cut in, standing suddenly and pointing at Law. "He was the last one to talk to him. Everyone here saw them talkin', and everyone here can say that he put that idea in Apoo's head!"

"Whatever Apoo-ya chose to do that day was absolutely his own fault," Law said calmly.

"YOU TOLD HIM TO - !"

"Ace, if you don't calm down, you're going to be excused early, and you'll miss out on dessert," Dr Smoker interrupted, lifting his voice a little. "Strawberry shortcake, today, wasn't it, Vinsmoke?"

Sanji took another bite of his potatoes, taking a moment to tuck that piece under his tongue. "I whipped the cream myself. Sugared the strawberries very lightly. Added extra to the angel cake. Not enough to whip Luffy into a frenzy, but just enough to appeal to the palate."

"Will you be having some, Vinsmoke-ya?" Law asked lightly. "I'd trust your opinion if I saw you eating it."

"Fuck off."

"Oh, boy!" Luffy cried, jumping from his chair. "Oh boy! I haven't had that in awhile! Can I have extra cream? I want extra cream!"

"I don't know about that sugar," Zoro muttered. "I don't trust it."

"You guys don't have to fucking eat it if you don't fucking want it!" Sanji snapped at all of them, reddening in the face. His eyes watered for a moment, battling the rising anxiety that flooded him every time he felt insecure with appealing to others.

"I want it," Ussop said in a low whisper.

"Vinsmoke, eat!" Dr Smoker snapped, noting that the blond hadn't yet taken another bite. "Stop sucking the life out of your food, first!"

"I bet you've never been told that, before," Law whispered, Sanji glaring at him.

"Of course, we want to be careful of any extra pesticides," Zoro said with concern. "Last time, there was just a hint of salt in my pastry. I felt uneven after that. Kuina mentioned that the laundry soap was changed, as well. I have concerns about worms in my sheets."

"Have you tried wiping your ass, lately?" Law asked him. "Flies tend not to lay their larvae by anything clean."

"SHUT UP, TRAFALGAR!" Ace shouted at him.

"Flies?" Zoro asked, eyes widening. "I thought there weren't any flies, here."

"There's not!" Sanji snapped at him.

"They're too loud. They're too loud, I can't sleep if there's any. I can't- my skin tends to crawl – I don't like them buzzing by my ear," Zoro continued, rubbing his arms, and then flicking his ears uncomfortably. "I don't like their voices. I don't like that buzzing noise."

"Dr Smoker!" Ace yelled, still standing.

"All of you are excused!" Dr Smoker snarled, hitting the table with a fist. Penguin started to eat again, Law covering his smirk with his hands as he folded them in front of his face. He watched Zoro twitch, looking for flies while Ace seethed next to him.

"But I wanted dessert!" Luffy cried. "You promised us dessert! Sanji made us dessert! He made the cream! He made it for us, special! I want my dessert! You can't just tell us to go when we're expecting it!"

"Vinsmoke, stay," Dr Smoker growled as the thin man attempted to get up. "Not until that plate's cleared. Trafalgar, eat. You spoiled dinner for the rest of us, you might as well as enjoy the pig's slop you brought upon yourself."

"Can I have a spoon, at least? I can't possibly do anything dangerous with a spoon," Law said, looking at his plate once more. "Using my fingers is highly unsanitary, considering you never even let me wash my hands before coming in here. I apologize in advance, Zoro-ya, the flies might be following after me."

"I can hear them coming around me," Zoro complained, swiping past his right ear. "I can hear them buzzing. My skin is crawling. I feel like they're in my hair."

"Goddamn it," Dr Smoker muttered, watching the man scratch furiously at his scalp before hitting his right ear. "Give him a bath. Make sure he stays away from anything small enough to insert into an orifice."

"Maybe it's not wise, saying that out loud to some of these orderlies, here," Law murmured, looking at the two men standing nearby. "They tend to enjoy challenging that sort of thing."

"Enough with your shit, Trafalgar. I wouldn't urge any more strange ideas from you, considering you're only an hour out of solitary. Vinsmoke, for fuck's sake, stop playing with your food! Eat!"

"It's gone cold!" Sanji snapped at him, scraping a piece of carrot from his fork. "This shit is disgusting when it's cold!"

"It's your own damn fault for letting it cool off while you were contributing to this shit. EAT."

"Just a few bites," Law said to Sanji comfortingly. "I'm sure it won't show up that quickly if you start your routine early, tonight."

"Fuck off, dick jockey."

Dr Smoker gave Law an impatient glare. "For fuck's sake…If you don't eat your goddamn food, I'm going to have someone shovel it in, and hope you choke."

"If only one were so lucky!" Law chuckled, digging his fingers into the slop and raising it to his mouth.

: :

The next morning, breakfast was served simply – oatmeal with milk, pieces of fruit. When they were all allowed their seats, Law yawned noisily as Luffy rocked in his chair, Ussop's fingers drumming in beats at the edge of the table, Zoro staring blankly to their right; Ace's fists were clenched on the table top while Sanji glared at the steaming bowls, jaw tight; Penguin sat with his hands between his knees, eyes focused on the utensils alongside his bowl.

Dr Smoker sipped at his coffee, looking forward to the end of his shift. Zoro's medication had been upped after last night's panic attack over flies he heard buzzing in his room, so the man was basically a functioning zombie. Having two zombies in the group tended to cause more reports, and Sanji was nearing his last strike – he'd taken only one more bite of his carrot last night, and was caught jogging in place after midnight, convinced that he was carrying extra weight.

Luffy was sullen about being denied dessert, but he was looking forward to the break room – he and Ussop had a chess game going, and rumor had it, Dr Hina had arranged for a day outside. Day shift was a little heavier than night shift, and Dr Hina had a different outlook for the patients as 'humans'. With word that Law was out of solitary, she had made sure to bring on extra orderlies to keep the group controlled.

"Let's not perform a repeat of last night," Dr Smoker said, setting his cup of coffee to a side tray. "Trafalgar promises to keep his trap shut for the duration of breakfast, so all of you should be fine to eat. Vinsmoke…your meal was prepared specially for you. To your design – "

Law raised his hand, and Dr Smoker ignored it.

" – So there should be no excuses as to you rejecting it, today," Dr Smoker continued. "Luffy, there is extra fruit for you this morning, because you missed out on dessert. Anybody else with any special requests? Excluding Trafalgar, of course. He needs to earn his privileges."

Law waved his hand impatiently.

"A cigarette?" Ace asked hopefully. "Not much I can do if someone lights it for me."

"I'd like one, too!" Sanji chimed in, lifting a spoon and digging it into the bowl with an enthusiastic gesture. He wore a navy jacket on his shoulders, over a white pullover and slacks that seemed as if they were made ten sizes too big for him. His hair was neatly combed to one side, and Luffy was trying to mimic it. "Look, I'll eat right now."

Law propped a leg underneath him and waved his arm extra wide, sitting up tall in his chair.

"Sure, why not? I'm sure Dr Hina will allow this."

Both of them deflated and resumed looking at their breakfast, Dr Smoker looking over their heads to Penguin. "What about you, kid? Any special requests?"

"Extra snacks!" Luffy said from the corner of his mouth.

"Eat," Dr Smoker muttered, reaching for a stack of paper, Zoro looking at it with vague interest. "I got my reports to do. And don't bother, Trafalgar. I've enough of you."

Disappointed, Law sat properly in his chair and looked at his oatmeal. He still wasn't allowed any utensils, so he picked up a piece of toast to use it as a spoon. He blew on it carefully, watching the others eat. Sanji was stirring his, and when he lifted the spoon, he dumped the content from it and placed the spoon in his mouth, essentially only tasting what was left.

The dining room was quiet, and Dr Smoker watched them eat with a critical eye. Ussop's constant tapping was wearing out his side of the table again, so he made a note for Dr Hina to read later. Trading places at the table wasn't easy for those used to the routine. Zoro would throw a fit if he were moved; Luffy and Ace had to remain separated, but close, because they tended to rough house. Law needed space from the others because he was unpredictable; Sanji refused to sit by Luffy or Ace. But Ussop's constant tapping was wearing thin on the wood, and they needed to adjust.

Penguin had stopped eating and was staring up at the unlit candelabra atop of an empty shelf space on the far right wall near their heads, eyes following something. Dr Smoker looked up cautiously, and saw nothing out of place. It gave him a little sensation of unease to see it, through, because Penguin normally didn't follow anything.

So he wound up staring for just a little longer, looking for whatever it was that caught the catatonic man's eye. He saw only flickering shadows caused by moving utensils caught in the candle light – by the vague rays of sunlight coming from the small slots that counted as 'window space' near the ceiling. He thought perhaps he'd see a spider, or another type of insect, but there really was nothing that stood out. So he looked over at Penguin again, watching blank blue eyes lift up, stretch to the right, then back again.

Dr Smoker tilted in his seat, trying not to draw attention to his actions by those enjoying their breakfast. He saw movement from the corner of his eye, but he chose to ignore Law's impatient waving. He was not going to let that man ruin the end of his shift for him.

But Ace caught notice of Smoker's action, and turned in his chair to look up from his oatmeal with a final chomp, brow furrowing as he tried to see what it was that caught the doctor's eye. Sanji noticed Ace doing this, and looked up as well, frowning. Once Luffy noticed people were looking up, he followed, oatmeal dropping from his chin as he crammed in sliced pieces of apple.

Zoro tilted his head to the side, absently flicking at his ear.

There was nothing on the ceiling that stood out, and nothing crawled into view. Dr Smoker expected to see a spider, or even a mouse caught up in the wide spread arms of the candelabra. So he finally looked at Penguin again, finding the man still once more, focused on a point in the direction he'd been staring at.

Zoro laughed suddenly, all of them startled in their chairs. Dr Smoker straightened in his chair to look at him.

"What's so funny, Roronoa?" he asked gruffly, Ace embarrassed as Luffy giggled at his own reaction.

"Apoo," Zoro answered thickly. "Took his time coming out from the shitter."

Fuck, Dr Smoker thought with exasperation.

"I'd like to be excused," Sanji announced. He shrugged his jacket on. "I lost my appetite."

"But Apoo's dead, Zoro," Luffy said, leaning over the table to look at him. "He's been dead for over a month, eh?"

Zoro gave him a confused look, then turned in his chair to look up at the wall. His eyes started following the same motion Penguin's had, his brow furrowing with concentration. Law waved both arms impatiently, arcing them wide.

Ace grit his teeth, clenching his fingers into hard fists as he stared down the table at Law with renewed venom.

Zoro then straightened in his chair, flicking at his right ear. His shoulder twitched, as if it were trying to touch that shell. He exhaled heavily, his breath foul.

"Fuuuucccckkkk," he whispered, lips twitching into a grimace. "Fuuuuccckkkk….there's something buzzing in my ear, again. There's something inside of my ear that's bothering me."

"There's nothin' there, Zoro!" Ace said impatiently. "There's ain't anything in the air, there's nothing on the wall. It's nothing!"

Ussop started tapping again, but he was only repeating his patterns as he started to sweat. He was the only one that wasn't looking, focused intensely on his half finished bowl of oatmeal.

"All of you are freaky," Luffy commented, reaching for his milk. "There's nothing there. Maybe a mouse? Maybe there's a mouse in the wall. At home, they ran around everywhere. They would be inside of them. It's probably a mouse. Hey, you guys seen a mice? Haha! A mouse, have you seen a mouse? It's not a rat, it's smaller, it's really cute! They squish through anything!"

"There's something inside of my ear, right now," Zoro stated slowly. "It's buzzing in my ear. It's itchy."

"I can't eat this, Smoker," Sanji said firmly. "I can't eat this after that was said."

"Eat your goddamn apple!" Dr Smoker snapped at him. "You don't eat anything today, you'll be strapped to that table in the medical ward again. You won't get to go outside with the others!"

"But - !"

"EAT! And what the fuck do you want, Trafalgar?" Dr Smoker finally snapped, looking down the table at him.

Gleeful that he had a chance to speak, Law sat back down in his chair and said, "If I might point out, that's not a shadow on the wall, sir. Isn't there a crawlspace between floors? Perhaps there's something rotting up there, and its bodily fluids are permeating into the wood, allowing it to collect and drip. Human bodies are made of oil and water, and when –"

"Shaddup! There's nothing up there!" Dr Smoker snapped at him, noting that Sanji was pushing his oatmeal away with a disgusted look, and Zoro was swatting at his right ear again. Ace looked back at the wall with interest, Luffy turning in his chair to look with a squinting expression. "Vinsmoke, last warning before you get force-fed again. I know how much you enjoy it, so keep on rejecting your food."

Stubbornly, Sanji took a small bite of a slice of apple, but he ended up cramming it to the side of his mouth. Smug, Law started to eat again, replacing his soggy toast with another. Now that Dr Smoker was focused on that section of the wall, he looked over at Penguin. He tapped on the table near one of his hands to indicate for him to move, and Penguin resumed eating, missing his mouth a couple of times and leaving pieces of oatmeal there. Law tapped on the table again, and Penguin stopped, spoon clattering loudly on the bowl's edge. His eyes started to move back up to that spot once more.

Law looked back to his bowl just in time to see Luffy reaching for his sliced apple. In response, he made eye contact with the younger boy, who stilled in mid-motion. He retracted his hand cautiously, and Law stared him down, willing him to make another move. Ussop's taps grew louder, breathing a little heavier.

"Remember what happened the last time you touched my food, you little fuck," Law warned him low, unblinking.

"You think you're so high and mighty just because you get put into a room by yourself in the basement," Luffy snapped back. "If you're not eating your food, other people might want it. Don't let it go to waste."

"Luffy, stop talking to that jerk!" Ace snapped at him. "There's no reason for you to say anything to him!"

"Trade him chairs, Ace-ya," Law encouraged him. "I bet you and I can have interesting conversations. Grown up conversations."

"Both of you knock it off," Dr Smoker warned, setting his reports down. "Not another word. Eat!"

"Dr Hina is in the house!" the doctor announced, striding into the dining room at that moment, observing all the patients in front of her. Her skirts waved grandly around her as she settled a hand on her hip. She was just as tall as most of the men in the room, her light pink hair gathered up in a neat bun. Her glasses were pushed up atop of her forehead, slightly crooked. Dr Smoker stood up with a relieved sigh, gathering up his paper. "Anything interesting to report, Smoker?"

"Not much, but you'll see that Trafalgar is loose, again."

"Not that Dr Hina cares," she said with a scoffing expression. "Dr Hina refuses to give in to the demands of family money. He'll be treated accordingly."

"Right. Well. Also," he added, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Get that crawlspace checked out, please. There's been some activity up there."

"Interesting. Will do. Vinsmoke! Why are you not eating? It won't do for outside activities to have no energy to participate! Do you intend on spending your entire life napping?" she boomed, clapping her hands as she strolled away from Dr Smoker. "Luffy! What is with that eye of yours?"

"Hah ha! I fell off the bed, last night! I dreamt I was chasing after my dad's goats, again! It was great! The goats were bouncing all over the place! They were hard to catch! I couldn't keep up!"

"Wonderful! So much energy for us to burn! We're going to have a good time outside! Roronoa! I have some ear muffs made for you, to protect those cute little ears of yours! Ace! Do you have more freckles than you did yesterday?"

"Lady, I'm not in the mood for your shit."

"Ussop! Drumsticks stay inside the house, this time! Your hands need to be open and ready for other things! I have a project for you! Penguin! See anything interesting, today? You'll talk to me about it, later, when we're enjoying our tea! Trafalgar! …hmm, Dr Hina has nothing nice to say about you," she decided with a curl of her lip.

Law's expression clearly indicated what he thought of her – nothing pleasant.

Dr Smoker cut in with, "He's not allowed to talk at the table, today. My orders."

"I won't argue with that. Vinsmoke! Finish that slice, everyone will be waiting on you, today!"

"Fucking shitty ass rules you have…"

Seeing that Dr Hina had all of their attention, Dr Smoker felt confident leaving. But he couldn't help but glance up at that spot on the wall once more, finding that there was a different sort of shadow cast there. He hoped that Dr Hina would follow through with her promised investigation into it.