Incomprehensible

Chapter 6: Rescue

Chopper and I wasted no time in bodily picking up the three dying people and hauling them back to the castle. I got to see the reindeer's "human" form for the first time when he went to grab at Luffy and the blonde haired man who had to be Sanji. Though calling it a human form was a bit generous. He grew to be over seven or eight feet tall, towering over my six-three frame, with a build that would make professional wrestlers jealous. The fact that his shoulders and back remained covered in fur also detracted from the "human" look. He appeared more like what I would attribute a sasquatch to look like.

'And once again, the clothes change to match. Seriously, where is all that extra mass coming from?'

I shook my head to clear it of the distracting thoughts. They were something I could ponder later. Instead, I refocused on the task at hand and picked up the unmoving bundle of cloth that contained the orange haired Nami. A task made more difficult when I realized that the only way to effectively carry her would be a fireman's carry. Her coat was simply too bulky for any other hold to not risk an accidental drop in the snow. It wasn't graceful, nor was it comfortable, but it did the job well enough.

We began to quickly head back towards the castle, trudging through the snow at a hurried pace but not so fast that we risked taking a fall. With how weakened these people were, there was a good chance that one bad landing would be all the excuse their bodies needed to completely shut down.

As we approached the castle entrance, my thoughts wandered to how I would proceed during the next several hours. I knew for a fact that within the next day, Luffy would somehow be back to near full strength, Nami would be given treatments for her infection, and Sanji would be given the world's fastest spinal surgery. And at some point during all of that, Wapol and his two misfit minions would show up, wreck the place, get Chopper to face his fears, and eventually be thoroughly trounced by Luffy and Co.

Except for the fact that Chopper wasn't the same reindeer as he was in the original timeline. Now he was semi-trilingual, was friends with someone that shouldn't exist, and knew that not every human was a bad person. Which made me question how affected he would be at Luffy's eventual declaration of friendship. Would he even want to go with them when he realized that I'd be staying? If he didn't go, the chance of the Straw Hat Pirates surviving their trip to Alabasta would be reduced considerably. And were they not to survive, I could only shudder at the implications of what would happen if they didn't make it through Skypiea, or Water Seven.

'That's the last thing this world needs, a man made of lightning with a god complex running around and the World Government finding the blueprints to one of the three ancient weapons. I have to find a way to push Chopper towards exploring the sea to achieve his dream of becoming the world's best doctor, even if it means saying goodbye to my only friend.'

My chest constricted at that last thought. I hated to admit it, but I selfishly didn't want to see him leave. It was hard not to get attached to him when I regularly took the role of a second teacher. Of course, calling him my student didn't feel appropriate; he was Kureha's student and adopted son before I even showed up. The fact that he was the only other living being on the planet that I could talk to also made getting attached pretty easy. But life was all about making tough decisions, and making the right choice often meant doing things you didn't want to do.

I had just finished with my depressing inner monologue when we reached the medical ward. Conveniently, Kureha was already in the process of restocking one of the many cabinets filled with medical supplies when we arrived. It was Chopper who got her attention first, speaking with a surprising lack of panic but urgent all the same.

"Doctorine! We have three new patients in need of immediate treatment! One has a worse case of frostbite than Noah did when he showed up, his hands and feet are shredded. Another has what is likely an injury to the spine if my initial examination is accurate. And the girl Noah is carrying is unconscious. Her face is flushed and her breathing shallow. No obvious outward injuries, likely some form of illness."

After an initial moment to process what her protégé had just told her, the good Doctor dropped what she was doing and got straight to work issuing orders. The bandages she'd been putting away falling from the open cabinet in the process.

"Put the two males in the operating room. Noah..."

I jerked my head up at being addressed by name. It was the first time she'd said my name that I could remember.

"Put the girl in the bed by the window, she can be dealt with later after the other two are stable."

I had no idea what she said, but the way she had violently pointed at the bed by the window gave a pretty clear indication as to what she wanted to be done. Chopper and I headed to our designated areas with haste, not daring to waste time questioning her orders. Gingerly, I set Nami down on the bed and began to get the winter coat off her. While I had no clue how to cure her infection, I did know that she had an immense fever. Even through the thick winter clothes she was wearing, I could feel the heat radiating outward. Leaving the coat on would only trap the heat and effectively roast her alive. I needed to try and cool her down as best I could, ironic given I'd just rescued her from the world's greatest natural freezer.

"Hey! I need some ice over here! Ice, now!"

I called out to the two in the adjacent operating room and heard Chopper reply.

"Kitchen!"

That was all the information I needed before I began a frantic search for an ice pack. I dashed out of the medical ward, not bothering to close the door on my way out, and headed towards the kitchen. I didn't know why I felt so rushed, logically I knew that even without my help everything would turn out fine. But being part of an actual medical emergency made it pretty easy to tell that logical part of my brain to go jump off a bridge. Especially when each passing second felt like one more nail hammered into the coffin of the girl I was trying to save.

Taking the stairs down three at a time, I made it to the lower floor containing the kitchen faster than I expected. I stumbled to a halt and took a moment to orient myself before the search could begin anew. Behind me were the stairs, to my left was the door leading to the frozen foyer, and to my right was the hallway leading to the kitchen. I turned to my right and sprinted forward, shoulder checking the door open and bursting into the kitchen.

"Oww… Not my smartest decision."

I rubbed my now sore shoulder gingerly. All the doors in this castle were solid wood and were easily an inch or two thick, meaning that they were far more resilient than I gave them credit for.

"Right, the freezer. Gotta get to the freezer."

Getting my mind back on track, I proceeded to the walk-in freezer at the very back of the kitchen. I was immensely glad that Kureha had shown me the combination to the lock on the freezer door several weeks earlier, as now I could get inside without issue. The freezer itself was brilliantly designed. Rather than using the standard cooling systems that took immense amounts of energy, a series of vents leading directly to the outside allowed the natural cold air to do all the work. And because the vents outside faced downwards, there was no chance of snow building up on the grates and blocking the air flow. Of course, that also meant I was effectively walking back outside wearing only my standard day clothes.

"Oh Christ on a cracker this is freaking cold! Gotta hurry before I start needing my own treatment."

Thankfully, my two housemates/landlords were habitual organizers. All the meats were in the center, either hanging on hooks or in sealed packages. Perishable produce was on the right side, again in sealed packaging to prevent freezer burn. On the left wall was what I desired. Shelves and shelves of medical supplies, most of which I had no understanding of, including a large number of ice packs. I had no idea how long one would last, nor how many I would need, so I used the tried and true method of going completely overboard.

Grabbing an empty box from one corner of the freezer, I proceeded to throw a dozen ice packs into it and left the freezer with my haul. In my rush, I chose not to bother putting the lock back on the door. I could get to it later when less pressing matters were at hand. As I hurried back up to the medical ward, my breathing began to get more labored as the running around and excitement started to catch up to me. I was forced to slow down as I ascended the steps, and wished that I'd kept up with my exercise routine after college. I had loved being able to run around, vaulting over benches and railings on campus like it was nothing, especially since raw strength had never been my strong suit. Being able to avoid crowds by climbing over walls and going where others couldn't had been a pretty nice bonus as well.

"I should… really… get back... into shape. The snow… would make an… excellent cushion… for when I screw up… and fall."

Restarting my free running routine would have to wait though. Right now, there were bigger issues to deal with. Namely, the orange haired girl who was shivering like a chihuahua while sweating like a sumo in a sauna. It appeared that in the few minutes I was gone, either Chopper or Kureha had managed to get her into the standard patient attire of light blue pajamas.

Acting quickly, I set down my box of ice packs next to the bed and removed one. I placed it on her forehead, grabbed another one, and placed it under her neck. They would hopefully be enough to bring the fever down to a manageable level while the two actual doctors in the vicinity took care of the two males on the brink of death in the other room. They weren't saying anything while they worked, and I wasn't planning on going into the operating room to look, so anything they accomplished would be unknown to me until they were finished.

It was at this point that I started to realize how little I could actually do to be helpful in this situation. The two males in the operating room were in too severe a condition for me to do anything other than get in the way, while the girl in front of me was sick with an infection I had no clue how to help. Symptoms like the fever I could treat, but unless the underlying cause was fixed then they would only come back worse than before.

I began to pace around the room, nervous energy preventing me from sitting down. My mind whirred with activity, and I unconsciously started to talk to myself in an attempt to get my jumbled thoughts in order.

"Gah, this is so aggravating! Here I am, one of the only people with the capacity to help this girl, only to be unable to do anything because I can't freaking talk to the two medical doctors in the other room. And even if I could talk to them, it's not like I could just say 'Oh hey guys! I just wanted you to know that this girl was bitten by a prehistoric tick and has a disease that should be all but extinct. I even happen to know that it's called Kestia.' Because then, of course, they'd ask me 'Well gee Noah, how'd you know that? You're not a doctor like we are.' And I'd have to reply 'Oh, it's because I'm a guy born over eight hundred years ago and just so happen to have watched a TV show detailing the life of a certain black haired man with a straw hat and his misfit crew of friends.' Because that totally wouldn't get me a one-way ticket to psychosis therapy."

I paused to take a breath, and rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands to try and alleviate a growing headache.

"And again, I'm going to actively avoid thinking about how Oda somehow knew the future, now really isn't the time for that. Though considering that in his timeline I didn't exist, I feel pretty certain that multiverse theory can be moved into the "Fact" category. Meaning that he wasn't seeing THE future, but just one of near infinite possible futures. As for how that could even be physically possible, maybe it was some kind of uncontrolled Observation Haki. Or maybe he was from that original future and somehow came back in time and... Didn't I just say I wasn't going to think about this?!"

My pacing came to a halt in front of the raggedly breathing girl on the bed, and I started to nervously run my hand through my hair.

"I swear, if I don't have a stress-related aneurysm by the end of the day it'll be a miracle. I mean what can I even-?"

The start of another monologue was cut short when I heard the door to the operating room open up. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that Kureha was walking towards me. Though what really caught my attention was the fact that she had a rather large hypodermic needle in her hand.

While being in the presence of the two doctors for several months, I had of course seen them with needles before. But what made this situation different was the fact that this was the first time the needle was coming directly towards me. As such, there wasn't any hope for me reacting calmly to the situation. Especially with how much I had worked myself up in the moments prior.

My eyes widened, my chest clenched, and it was all I could do to remain standing. Even still, I had to grab on to the nearby bedframe with shaking limbs for support. I couldn't stop the quiet pleas for mercy that escaped my lips.

"No, no no no please God no…"

Upon seeing my sudden fear, the old doctor stopped on her path towards me and narrowed her eyes. She simply watched me for a few seconds, examining my reaction, before she looked towards the hypodermic needle in her hand. Then to me. Then to the needle again. It was at that point that the confusion that had contoured her face drained away. With an exasperated shake of her head, she mumbled something to herself.

"How the Hell has the kid managed to be here this long, and we're only just now finding out he's afraid of needles? And what happened to give him such a fear in the first place?"

Slowly, she placed the needle in her hand on the table next to her. With the implement of death safely disarmed, I was able to get my ragged breathing under control and loosen the white-knuckle grip I had on the bed frame behind me. Which meant that I was fully capable of bolting to the opposite side of the room and preparing myself for an escape into the interior of the castle should that be necessary.

Thankfully, it wasn't. Upon seeing me get as far away from the needle as possible, Kureha picked it back up and began walking to her original destination. Which, to my immense relief, was the girl I had been standing in front of and not my own person. I breathed a sigh of relief and had to chuckle darkly at myself, embarrassed at what had been a complete overreaction. Though a small voice in the back of my mind said that it was justified.

"Of course she doesn't want your blood you idiot, not when there's a girl with an unknown illness standing directly behind you."

My muttered self-deprecation was ended when I saw the doctor preparing to insert the needle. Despite being on the opposite side of the room, I still had to look away when she injected the needle and took a blood sample from her arm. How anyone could stand to be near those things, let alone use them, was beyond me.

Regardless of how I felt though, I did understand the importance of the blood sample as Kureha took it to the adjacent lab. Without it, the two Doctors would likely not be able to understand what was wrong with Nam- the girl, until it was too late.

I had to remind myself not to think or refer to her by name until she properly introduced herself. If I screwed up, questions I really didn't want to answer would start being asked and the interest/curiosity that my two hosts shared towards me would only grow.

'Then again… if I were to tell people about my past and where I came from, no one would believe me. A guy with knowledge of the future, sent from hundreds of years in the past, via a machine that didn't work as intended, from a civilization that was in some ways more advanced, and other ways less. Yeah, the number of people who would believe that story is probably in the single digits. I wonder how this new world can be advanced enough to have things like cyborgs and lasers, yet still be largely reliant on winds and sails for transport.'

Having calmed down from my minor panic, and finally accepting that I would have to just let the professionals work and wait for instructions, I took a moment to sit down and ponder this new idea. It wasn't like I had anything better to do, and a break from all the excitement sounded like a good idea.

'If I had to guess, it probably boils down to the way land is spread out now. With the majority of the world's landmass now being made of separate islands, some only being the size of a city, priorities in technological advancement would obviously be different from in my time. Cars don't exist because rarely are islands big enough to necessitate them, and phones/phone lines aren't a thing because the Den Den Mushi exist. Throw Devil Fruits into the mix and suddenly things like fossil fuels aren't even a concern when people can literally generate crap like lightning or fire at will. Then there's also the fact that with the World Government in control, technological research is far, far, more focused on the creation of weapons of war than new modes of transportation.'

I leaned back in my chair and began to rock back in forth, still wrapped up in my contemplation. I barely even registered when Kureha came back into the room and headed to the girl on the bed, needle in hand. Safe in the knowledge that the implement of death wasn't for me, I was able to ignore it with relative ease.

'Speaking of weapons of war... the Three Ancient Weapons are of immense power and originate from a lost civilization. If I don't miss my guess, there's a greater than zero chance that they originate from my time. One's supposedly a battleship capable of wiping out an entire island. That means it could easily be one of the railgun battles ships being made right before I left. From the test footage I saw, those things could tear through steel reinforced concrete buildings like tissue paper from over a hundred miles out. And I have no doubt that the public was kept unaware of its full power.'

Kureha finished injecting the girl with whatever was in the needle at this point and headed back into the operating room. She gave me a sideways glance as she walked by, though what it was supposed to convey I wasn't sure. With her, and the needle, gone I decided to get up from my chair and tend to the girl. I figured her ice packs would probably need replacing soon if not already.

'Then there's Poseidon, the weapon capable of harnessing and controlling sea monsters. I know at the moment the weapon and its power are safely at the bottom of the ocean in the hands of the merfolk royalty. Though how/when it was created is beyond me. And while it has the potential to literally give someone control of the world by controlling the monsters in the ocean, I still feel like it's the weakest of the three. While control of the ocean is a massive boon for whoever has it, most islands have been shown to be largely self-sustaining, so most people living their lives wouldn't be affected too much.'

While I switched out the now melted ice packs with fresh ones, I was gratified to find that she seemed to be radiating much less heat than before. It appeared that my efforts in keeping her brain from roasting had been a success. Now I just had to keep it that way until one of the two doctors in the vicinity could give her the necessary medicine, if that hadn't been what Kureha had done earlier.

'And then there's Uranus, the weapon supposedly capable of bringing the world to its knees. Kinda wish I'd kept up with the show now, instead of losing interest after the Totland arc ended. I never managed to learn what form the weapon took, or what if could do. Which means that it's time to jump straight into worst-case scenario territory and assume that it's some kind of nuke. Or even a cache of multiple nukes. That's the only thing I can really think of that could be considered a possible world ending weapon from "ancient civilization." Though I guess technically my time really is ancient to the people of this time, eight hundred plus years is a rather large chunk of time in human history. Especially when history's been rewritten to suit the World Government's needs.'

I had just finished placing the last ice pack onto my patient, and was about to head back to my chair when I heard a groan emanate from her lips.

'Is she seriously waking up that fast?! I knew that Kureha's medicine was good, but she just administered it about five minutes ago, at most! Then again… fast recovery may just be one more genetic advantage the people of this time have over me. And it probably won't be the last one I discover either...'

My worries were proven to be mostly unfounded though, as she simply rolled over and curled up in the bed. This, of course, dislodged the ice packs that I had placed on her feverish upper body. I rolled my eyes at the minor inconvenience, and once again began the task of putting the ice back where I could to keep her cool.

Only for her to roll over again the moment I was finished, undoing my work.

'Ok, annoying but still not an issue.'

It would turn out to be an issue as the series of events repeated itself several more times, my patience wearing more thin with each subsequent repetition.

"I swear to god, if this happens again I'm going to start slamming my head against a wall. It'd be more productive than this Sisyphean task at the very least."

Just as I was about to attempt my amateur nursing one last time, I was greeted with another low groan and the slow opening of the girl's eyes. Eyes that matched her bright orange hair in color.

'How about that… I wonder what genetic mutation occurred in the last millennia to make that a thing. I'll stick with my blue ones though. Well, time to call in the doctors, cause I certainly can't explain to her what's transpired in the last few hours.'

I walked over to the door leading into the room I believed my two compatriots to be within, and called out through the wood.

"Oi! Kureha, Chopper! Help please!"

Looking back towards the girl, I saw her now sitting up in the bed. Her head was facing me, but her eyes roamed the room, obviously examining me and the new surroundings she found herself in. It made sense, waking up to a guy shouting at a door in an unknown location would weird anyone out. I could empathize with her confusion quite well.

"Where… am I? And who are you?"

I didn't have to understand what she said to guess what the obvious questions were. The first thing someone asks when waking up in an unknown place with an unknown person is generally always the same. At least, it is when dealing with normal people.

I walked over to the center of the room, sat down, propped my feet up on the table, and leaned back in my chair. I was stalling for time, hoping one of the doctors would come in and take the attention away from me before I was forced to answer. But as the seconds dragged on, it seemed I would be forced to break the silence that had descended within the room.

"At the moment you're within the medical ward of Drum Castle, the home of two of the world's greatest doctors and an artist/physicist who's been teaching a dead language to a talking anthropomorphic reindeer for the last three-ish months. My name is Noah, the aforementioned artist/physicist/teacher, and I will be your host for the evening. Please, nod your head twice if you understood even one percent of what I just said."

The blank stare of utter incomprehension, and slightly agape mouth, told me everything I needed to know about the effectiveness of that method of communication. I sighed, and drummed my fingers on the table before trying again, this time in a much more simple fashion.

"Drum Castle."

I waved my arm around the room to indicate what I meant.

"Noah."

I patted myself on the chest.

She seemed to snap out of whatever daze she was in. Understanding dawned on her features before contorting into a mix of confusion and mild irritation.

"Why couldn't you just say that earlier instead of spouting nonsense at me like some kind of crazy person?"

This was a question I couldn't parse the meaning of via context clues, nor could I answer it even if I did figure it out. So I went to plan B.

"Sorry, I don't speak Dendai."

Over the course of my time at the castle, I had learned that the language was no longer called Japanese, even if the dialect was very similar. For some reason though, she didn't seem to appreciate my response, a look of incredulity plastering itself on her face.

"That doesn't make any sense! You just spoke it to tell me that! You seriously expect me to believe that you don't know the language you just spoke after you've answered all of my questions so far?!"

I was surprised to get such a strong reaction from her. It had to have been something I said, though what that could've been I couldn't fathom. Thankfully, I was saved from having to respond to the girl's outburst by the opening of the door I had called into earlier, and the arrival of Kureha.

"The kid's telling the truth. He's been here for over three months, and during that time has only said three things, his name, asking where the bathrooms are, and that he can't speak our language. Why he knows those three phrases and nothing else is a mystery. Though it's not the only one…"

The old doctor trailed off at the end, seemingly speaking more to herself than those around her. She snapped back to focus quickly enough, and continued to address her patient.

"Regardless, his lack of speaking capabilities isn't important right now. The more immediate concern is your illness. You have what's known as the Kestia virus, an infection caused by the bite of a specific type of tick that is supposed to be all but extinct. It causes flu-like symptoms at first, fever, chills, fatigue, and nausea. But after twenty-four hours the infection will spread, causing temporary loss of consciousness, muscle cramps, and intense fever. Forty-eight to fifty-six hours later, all but the strongest victims will enter a comatose state and the body will begin to cut off nutrients to the extremities as it attempts to protect the vitals. And on the fifth day after infection, the patient will enter cardiac arrest and die. You got lucky and arrived here roughly six hours before the coma set in. If I didn't keep Kestia antibiotics on hand just in case the tick ever re-emerged, you and I wouldn't be talking right now."

Shock at Kureha's words was evident on the girl's face, and I could only imagine the wonderful and pleasant things about her imminent demise that she must have heard. She pulled herself together enough to ask a question in an only slightly shaky voice.

"But I'm fine now right? I don't feel all that sick anymore, like I have a mild cold. I even feel like I could get up and walk around-"

The moment she had started moving to get up, I knew how this situation was going to turn out. Personal experience had left a rather deep impression on me, even if I had actively disobeyed at the time.

Just as I expected, the orange haired girl was halted in her attempt to leave by a rather disgruntled Witch Doctor, doing nothing more than putting a single bony finger to her forehead.

"You may feel fine, but that's only due to the fact that my medicine is currently running through your system. The infection is still in your system and won't be completely gone for another three days. Until then, you're staying right here. No one leaves my care until they're either fully treated or they're dead. Now, enough trying to get out of bed!"

She punctuated her final sentence with a shove to the girl's head, forcing her to flob backward into the bed. I had to stifle a chuckle at that, the deja vu of my own experience coming to the forefront of my mind. It felt good to finally be able to relax and reset to my normal state of being after all the excitement and panic.

"Noah, make sure she doesn't leave her spot while I'm gone. I'm going to go check inventory."

I stiffened slightly at being directly addressed, and paid close attention to her hand movements. She pointed to me, then to the girl, then to the bed. I had to take a moment to think before giving her any sort of response.

'She either wants me to get into bed with the girl, or to make sure she doesn't leave it. And I'm pretty certain the former option would end up with me being castrated so let's assume it's the latter.'

I gave a sarcastic salute from where I sat to my apparent commanding officer. She rolled her eyes at my blatant disregard for her authority, but was used to it enough after the several months I'd been around that it was all she did as she left. It helped that despite my distaste for orders, she knew that I'd still follow through with the commands I was given.

As such, I proceeded to move my chair in front of the only viable exit in the room. While one could use one of three different doors to get out of the medical ward, one led into the operating room while another led to the frozen foyer. That left only one door that lead into the main interior of the castle and therefore only one exit that truly needed guarding.

I could tell that my new ward was gauging my actions, probably trying to see if I could be persuaded to disobey my orders if I had to guess. But the cocky smirk I shot her as I leaned back in my chair against the door told her the futility of such actions. She visibly deflated at that, realizing that she wouldn't be escaping the medical ward any time soon. Resigned to her fate, for the time being, she curled up under her covers and seemed to decide a nap was the best course of action.

If I had to be honest, a nap sounded like a good idea to me too. I'd just keep watch for a few more minutes to make sure she actually went to sleep and then rest my eyes for a bit. It wasn't like she could go anywhere with me blocking the only real exit after all.

"_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_"

AN: Holy christ this was close. I promised myself to write one chapter a month minimum over the summer and almost missed my deadline for June. To be honest, I had about two-thirds of the chapter done about two weeks after chapter five was posted. But then the ranch I'm working at this summer caught fire and it's basically been pure chaos since then. But hey, I still got it done and managed to meet my self-appointed deadline. Now to just hope that July is more relaxed than June has been. Regardless, I would just like all of you wonderful readers to Review, Follow, and learn some basic first aid skills. You never know when they might come in handy.

AN pt. 2: This chapter was proofread and edited by the wonderful Syrisna. She's continued to be a big help with making this story better than I could make it on my own. Check out her stories if you want; I personally quite like ReunionS, a story about what Sabo was up to when he regained his memories after the War of the Best.