Law looked at the girl before him. She definitely had amnesia. The poison must have affected her severely. He was positive he had removed it all, but it still must have left some impact. Lost in thought, he didn’t realize he was intensely staring at the poor girl.
“Um, sir?” Rena’s soft voice reached his ears.
Law was pulled from his thoughts as the girl spoke up. “Ah, sorry. I believe you are not from here. You were speaking a language I have never heard before and had a device I’ve never seen. You did something with it, and suddenly we were able to understand each other.”
“I did?” Rena tilted her head.
“Yes,” Law answered plainly, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Alright. So I must have known who I was then. How long ago did that happen?” she asked, looking at him.
“About five hours ago,” Law replied.
“And now I can’t seem to remember anything.” She sighed, turning her gaze to the floor.
“What is the last thing you remember?” Law inquired.
“I… I don’t know. My mind feels so… blurry. When I try to remember, it’s just… blank and fuzzy,” Rena explained.
“I believe you have a case of amnesia. It is likely because of the poison that was in your system,” Law said.
“Is… it permanent?” she asked, looking back up at him.
“It’s hard to say. I have a sample of the poison that I am going to analyze. That might give us more clues to finding out what happened to you,” Law responded.
“How… do I get my memories back?” Rena asked, her voice tinged with desperation.
“Hard to say. Each case of amnesia is different. Little things might trigger a memory to come back, or there is the possibility your memories will never return,” Law explained.
“Oh… okay,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Over on the desk are the rest of the things that were in the bag you had with you. Maybe one of those items will trigger a memory. Feel free to have a look,” Law said, pointing to the items on the desk.
Rena slid off the bed and slowly made her way to the desk. She looked at everything closely, but nothing seemed to trigger anything. She saw a small, thin black box. This must be the device he was talking about. She picked it up and examined it, flipping it around, unsure what to do with it.
“You hit a button and placed your thumb on the screen. Then the device seemed to work,” Law explained.
Rena did as he said, and the device unlocked, opening up to the screen. There were lots of things on the screen, but nothing made any sense to her.
“Nothing seems to be triggering. I’m not even sure what this device is or how to use it,” Rena said as she placed it back down on the desk. “Nothing here seems to remind me of anything.”
“That’s surprising, but it might just take a little more time. This isn’t something you can rush,” Law reassured her.
“Alright,” Rena said, nodding slightly.
“You should get some more rest. You were not in the best shape when we found you, and your wound is still fresh. If you don’t mind, I’d also like to give you a medical examination and run some tests,” Law said, picking up a clipboard and attaching a piece of paper to it.
“Oh… right. That’s fine,” Rena agreed, slowly sitting back on the medical bed.
Just as Law was about to begin the examination, there was a knock at the door.
“Captain?” Bepo’s voice called from the other side.
“Come in,” Law responded.
Bepo peeked his head in the door. “Captain, how is she… OH, she’s awake!?”
Rena looked up, her blank face suddenly one of pure surprise, bordering on terror.
“Um… what is…?” she mumbled.
“Ah, that is Bepo. My first mate,” Law answered her.
“But… he’s… a… talking bear?” Rena stammered.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” Bepo said, looking like he was about to cry.
“Oh no, I’m sorry! I just… I don’t think I’ve ever seen a talking bear before. You don’t need to be sorry,” Rena said, waving her hands, slightly embarrassed.
“Oh, that’s quite alright. How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?” Bepo asked kindly.
“Oh, um. Actually, could I have some water?” Rena asked.
“Yes, of course! I can get that for you right away,” Bepo said, turning to leave.
“Bepo,” Law said, stopping the bear.
“Yes, captain?” The bear turned back around.
“Have Blackleg-ya make her some food as well. She needs to regain her strength,” Law instructed.
“Aye, Captain!” Bepo hurriedly ran out of the room.
“So… a talking bear. That’s… um… new,” Rena said, still processing the situation.
“Never seen a talking bear then?” Law asked as he turned towards Rena to begin the medical examination.
“Not that I can remember. Um, can I ask you something?” Rena asked hesitantly.
“Sure,” Law replied.
“He called you captain, and you said he was your first mate?” Rena asked.
“Yes,” Law confirmed.
“Why?” Rena inquired.
“Ah. That’s because we are pirates,” Law explained.
“P-Pirates??” Rena exclaimed, her eyes widening.
“Is that a problem?” Law asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh. Well actually… I have no idea,” Rena admitted.
Law let out a little chuckle. “For a pirate, you seem really good at all of this… medical stuff,” Rena observed.
“I’m also a doctor, more specifically a surgeon,” Law said.
“Wow! So a pirate, captain, and a surgeon. Anything else?” Rena asked, impressed.
“Hmm, well I’m pretty skilled with swords and guns as well,” Law added.
Rena giggled. “Of course.”
Law finished up the examination and wrote down all the information on a paper, placing it on the desk.
“Now then, Serena-ya. I’m going to draw some blood. I’d like to make sure there are no lingering traces of the poison in your system, and I’d like to test for your blood type. You’re not afraid of needles, are you?” Law asked.
“No, I don’t think I am,” Rena replied.
“Alright. Here we go then. You’ll feel just a slight pinch,” Law said as he drew two vials of blood and set them aside for further investigation.
“Alright. We’re done. Bepo should be back soon with some food and water for you. Feel free to eat if you are hungry, but I do suggest you stay in bed for at least a day to recover. We don’t need that wound of yours opening up again,” Law advised.
“Thanks… um… what do I call you?” Rena asked.
“You can just call me Law,” he replied.
“Okay. Thank you, Law.” Rena looked down at her lap. “I’m sure I’m a complete stranger to you, but you helped me anyway. That… means a lot.”
Before Law could respond, there was a knock at the door again.
“Hellooooo, I heard the beautiful woman was awake and in need of some refreshments~~” a voice cooed through the door.
“Blackleg-ya… Where is Bepo?” Law asked, frowning.
As the door swung open, a tall blond man swept in, holding a tray of food and a glass of water. Behind him peeked Bepo. “I’m sorry, captain! He insisted on bringing it himself,” Bepo explained.
“I didn’t want to miss the chance to meet the wonderful mystery lady.” The cook placed the food on the bed next to Rena and grabbed her hand to kiss it. “Hello, my dear, may I ask what beautiful name I shall call you?”
“Um… Serena… I think?” Rena replied, a bit flustered.
“Serena… such a lovely name for a lovely young lady. You can call me Sanji,” the cook said with a charming smile.
“Um, okay. Thank you for the refreshments… Sanji,” Rena said.
“AHH!” Sanji suddenly fell backward with a nosebleed.
“Oh my gosh. Is he okay??” Rena asked, concerned.
Law rolled his eyes and frowned. “Tch. He’s fine. Bepo, remove Blackleg-ya.”
“Aye, captain!” Bepo picked up Sanji and led him out the door.
“Well, that was… interesting,” Rena said, still processing the encounter.
Law sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It just had to be the Straw Hats,” he whispered to himself.
“The Straw Hats?” Rena asked, curious.
Law looked up, not realizing Rena could hear him. “Ah yes, this is the Straw Hats’ ship,” he explained.
“Oh, it’s not your ship? I thought you were the captain,” Rena said, confused.
“I am a captain. Captain of the Heart Pirates,” Law clarified.
“So we’re not on your ship then?” Rena asked.
Law’s face turned dark, and he looked away. “No.” He headed to the door. “I suggest you rest, Serena-ya. I’ll have someone check on you later,” and he walked out the door.
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