Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Neither Luffy nor Zoro are dumb per se. Maybe a bit dense or blockish at times but still. However, when it's the two of them together? Any trace of even a single brain cell they have on stock usually disappears. Luffy’s crazy and downright dangerous ideas get overly encouraged by his perpetrator of a loyal best friend, Zoro goes along with just about anything the raven college student suggests. So much so that tonight it ended up with a ride to the hospital by Zoro's older sister Perona and a wet kitchen towel pressed over the greenette’s bleeding left eye.
The trip to the emergency room was a blur of chaos, even though out of the three people in the car, it was the lethally injured and likely blinded jock that was the most calm and nonchalant about the situation. Luffy wouldn’t stop babbling apologies and yelling at Perona to drive faster, getting yelled at back by the goth designer to sit back down.
By the time they got there, Perona’s mascara was running down her cheeks from the stress and frustration. Her brother’s injury was ironically the least of her concerns. She let the two out of the car, telling them she’d find a parking spot and didn’t get out before she’d collected herself and fixed up her messy face with some makeup wipes she’d left in her bag and the makeup she always has in her bag just in case. After having made a quick call to Mihawk, explaining the situation and informing him that Zoro would probably be fine, Perona also made her way into the hospital.

Although Perona hadn’t planned it, she just couldn’t in good conscience leave before hearing something back from the doctors and so ended up sitting in the waiting room in one of the hospital hallways even past midnight. She’d sent the worried Luffy home, promising to call him as soon as she could tell him something regarding his best friend. Fortunately, she’d brought her iPad along so she could at least make use of the time and work on some of her designs while watching Wednesday on a split screen. Now, there’s no type of people Perona hates quite as much as those who watch their shitty shows or music out loud in public, but given she’s entirely alone and can use the excuse of “Oh I’m so terribly worried about my dear baby brother”, she did watch it with sound, albeit quietly.
Now invested in her work and in the Addam’s Family spinoff, the pink-haired designer didn’t notice another person passing through the hallway in a turquoise suit and pants, walking towards the coffee machine where Perona had already gotten two hot chocolates from during her wait, the two empty plastic cups on the coffee table evident of that. The tall worker in the hallway patted themself down in search of some change as they approached the dispenser. Perona flinched a bit at the sound of coins clicking and tossing but settled down again once she saw it was just some staff member getting a drink, her attention back on the device in her lap.

Meanwhile, a distressed surgeon was waiting for his coffee to come out so he could relax at least a little before the end of his 15-minute break. The waiting lounge in this hallway was typically empty, so it’s where Law likes to spend his breaks, away from his overly energetic colleagues in the communal room. Seeing the young lady sat where he usually would be sitting, he contemplated taking a break somewhere else, but the aching in his joints begged to differ. Once he was close enough, he eyed the woman on the couch, smiling politely for a brief moment when she looked up before taking a seat furthest away from her. As his aching body hit the lounge, Law couldn’t help the utterly exhausted groan that left him immediately after. It’d been over 12 hours since he last sat down for even a moment, having been forced to work overtime since the Grand Line central hospital was currently severely understaffed with two surgeons unavailable and several nurses on holiday.
To top it all off, Law had to see his friend-of-a-friend Zoro as he was hurrying through the ER, mask and rubber gloves still on, the greenette definitely high on pain meds and with a gauze the size of a fist plastered over his eye and yet he had the audacity to wave at the surgeon all casually.
Perona‘s gaze tilted upwards, looking across her device‘s top edge at the tattooed stranger slumped back in his seat, arm draped over his eyes in an exhausted manner. He looked like he definitely did not want to talk to anything or anyone at the moment. Too bad that Perona doesn’t care.

„You look like you‘re about to collapse. Pretty pathetic for a doctor“, she quipped, loud enough for him to hear. The other lifted his arm briefly, his golden eyes misty, the bags under his eyes dark enough to rival his tattoos and a few strands of his black hair covering them. „Thanks for the medical advice”, he muttered, voice dry and raspy. Perona shrugged carelessly. “Overworking yourself is dumb. You’ll end up your own patient soon.”
Law didn’t respond or react, even though the words stuck with him for reasons unknown to him. Minutes passed and the only occasional sounds were Law sinking deeper into his seat, dreading the moment he’ll have to get up again. Something was bothering Perona and so a couple minutes later she groaned softly and turned off her iPad, rummaging through her Juicy Couture bag to take out a protein- and candy bar that she tossed into Law’s lap.
“Here. You look like you’ll pass out before your next surgery. Don’t kill someone with your sleep deprivation.”
The raven’s eyes cracked open, startled. His eyes flicked between the offering in his lap and its sender, unsure whether to be annoyed at how this brat was acting or… grateful. He considered thanking her, but her attention was already back on the device in her lap, hunched forward slightly. So, after a pause, Law unwrapped one and ate it, silent. He didn’t thank her, but the thoughtfulness of the gesture hung heavy between them.

Two sweet snacks and a watery black coffee later, Law felt reborn and energized enough to at least survive the rest of his shift. Perona didn’t look up when Law pushed himself off the lounge, but the faintest smirk was plastered across her face even after he’d left.
Law’s long strides, usually fast and in a rush, were just a little slower than usual while he’s cracking his knuckles and neck, stretching arms and upper back. Now recharged, he was ready to deal with the chaos and pressure again, but the approaching sound of chunky heels clacking across the hospital floor made him frown and come to a brief halt. Despite the platform boots, Perona was barely tall enough to reach his jaw. Big lashes blinked up at him with an overly sweet smile and Law already felt uneasy. What could she possibly want or demand? Did he fuck up and mistake an exploit attempt for a kind gesture?
“I’m coming with you”, she proclaimed firmly, her bag in front of her, handle in both hands. He stared at her blankly, lips mildly parted in disbelief.
“Why”
“Because I’m bored. And because you need someone to make sure you don’t die from exhaustion mid surgery”
Law shut his eyes firmly, brows furrowing into a frown for a couple seconds before sighing exasperatedly. “You’re not allowed to be in restricted areas”, “Then I guess I’m your unofficial intern now. Congrats” Law blinked at the sheer determination the goth carried in the way she talked and stood there next to him.
“You’re- okay. You’re not even wearing scrubs. Or flat shoes. Or a badge.”, “Technicalities. Besides, I brought snacks and fed you. That makes me more qualified than half your staff today.” He looked at her deadpan. Then he squinted his eyes, as if challenging her.
“You’re not setting foot into my OR”, “Oh relax doctor grumpy. I won’t touch your scalpels and tools, I’ll just haunt the hallways and make sure you don’t collapse onto your patient mid-procedure.”

Silence. Then, against his better judgment -and definitely against protocol- Law turned in defeat and kept walking. Perona shrieked excitedly and marched alongside him, her steps quick paced so she could keep up with the taller. They did get quite a few confused looks with raised brows walking through the hospital halls. The sight was a bit odd afterall... A gloomy, serious looking doctor accompanied by a very informal, overdressed young lady with bright pink hair isn’t something you see all the time in the hospital.

Gradually, throughout the next nearly two hours, Law picked up on patterns of Perona’s behavior. Not that he was watching her or something, god no. But he did notice her chewing on her lip or the insides of her cheeks between “haunting the hallways” and checking on Law and once he talked to his colleague that was taking care of a patient with an injured eye by the name of Roronoa, he could pin the goth’s mildly anxious and clingy behavior to a reason. While Law was filling out some paperwork, Perona was chatting with an alternatively dressed teenage girl somewhere nearby. A nurse came up to the surgeon and updated him on some patients, including about how the green-haired patient was conscious and stable. Law, though he wouldn’t admit it, felt a certain amount of relief hearing that. His momentary distraction led to him flinching when two slim, cool hands suddenly appeared on each of his shoulders.
“Hey baaabes, how’s it hanging?”, she sang, way too close in his personal space. Law tensed up, frowning a bit. “God, you’re way too touchy.. And ,babes’? What the fuck’s- okay, whatever. Zoro-ya’s awake and well by the way.”
Perona blinked, eyes glinting with a hint of vulnerability before overdramatically clearing her throat and patting his shoulder like he was some kind of dudebro to her. “That’s um… good to hear. I’ll go see what he’s up to, yeah? Room 417 I think- okay, okay, your intern will be back soon, promise. Don’t die while I’m gone.”
Despite her attempt at seeming nonchalant and uncaring, Law noticed her fast-paced steps down the hallway and the smallest smile snuck onto his face.

Zoro, meanwhile, had just woken up, still pretty high but only enough to have his speech and head a little groggy. His left eye was tightly taped over with gauze, machines beeping all over the place and his phone buzzing nonstop. The greenette groaned and reached over, blinking at his phone, holding it closer, further, having to squint his eye in the end so he could see it properly. Jesus, Luffy must’ve been worried to shit if he was texting him every minute for over an hour now… he sighed and sent back a single sticker with a thumbs up, the message immediately getting two blue checkmarks. Zoro smiled, scoffing out a chuckle to himself. Moments later, the hospital door absolutely flung open and he dropped his phone, stuck somewhere between his upper body and the mattress beneath him. A flash of hot pink and black was all he saw before feeling all the air escape from his lungs, a heavy weight being dropped onto him. A sobbing heavy weight.

“You’re- s-so dumb- I hate you! Ugly, stupid-! Stupid! Who pla-plays with a fishi-ing hook-?!”, the familiar voice shrieked and sniffled while hitting him repeatedly, although it felt more like being slapped with a flyswatter. Zoro sighed and patted Perona’s back with a sheepish smile. “I’m alive, aren’t I? With um- slightly worse vision.. But still. Can you call Luffy ‘n tell him not to worry so much? Homeboy’s blowing up my phone…”, Zoro rasped, not minding his sister’s crying, but a little surprised over how dramatic she was being.
Perona sniffled and raised her head off him to look at Zoro’s taped up face. “...Now you’re even uglied than beforeee-!!”, she cried out and put her sleeve over her mascara- and eyeliner smeared eyes, Zoro glaring at her in a mock-offended way.
“...You’re crying harder than I did when it happened”, he hummed, pulling at her pink braid playfully. Perona slapped his hand away in turn, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “You probab-probably didn’t even cry, you- rock-head.. Probably just went ,ohh, oh no my EYE, guess I’ll go take a nap and then call my beautiful, smart older sis to take me to the hospital’”, Perona mocked her brother, making her voice go as deep as she could to mock Zoro’s. The other simply scoffed and shrugged. “I actually did take a nap”, another hit against his arm, harder this time. “That’s not funny! I thought you were gonna die!” Zoro's grin dropped just a bit, taking a second to respond. “...Didn’t plan on it.”
A heavy silence followed, Perona staring up ahead blankly, Zoro staring up at the ceiling, slightly (more than already usually) disoriented with only one working eye. “I hate hospitals”, “Yeah, me too”, “...But they have good vending machines. And pampering treatment”, Perona couldn’t help an amused scoff, followed by a sniffle and her wiping her nose with her sleeve like a little kid.
“..You better heal fast. You still owe me- like- 17 years of trauma since Mihawk adopted you”, “Make that 18, round it up.” Perona dropped herself into the chair next to the bed dramatically, crossing her arms. “Fine. But I’m raiding your closet while you’re here, fyi”, “Absolutely not. I know damn well you’re gonna steal my favorite hoodie with the bleach stain”, “Uh, yeah, duh. That’s the first one I’m taking, let me tell you. There’s nothing you can do about it, womp womp, cry me a river.”

Zoro stayed quiet, eyeing Perona’s overly worried and pensive expression, despite her cocky comments. The entire reason why Perona had been adopted at ten years old in the first place was the car accident three years prior to that. Both her parents died, with no other relatives to take care of her. Perona doesn’t fuck with hospitals whatsover. Just picture the seven year old girl, sitting in a waiting room with nothing but her stitched up nurse-bear plushie while nurses were arguing about who was gonna go tell that little baby she was now alone. Zoro knows that, Mihawk’s told him before, but doesn’t comment on it.
“Reckon Luffy’s on his way here as we speak?”, “I’m betting ten bucks he’s already at the front desk”, Perona groaned, muffled by her hands over her face. And by god was that guess good because mere minutes later, the door flung open a second time, but to both Zoro and Perona’s surprise, it two hectic voices. “Oi you can’t just run in a hospital-! And it’s family open past 10!”, “I don’t care! It’s my fault and- I’m basically family, who cares-!! Stop- Torao quit that!”
In came two ravens, one an entire head taller than the other, yet failing miserably in preventing him from bursting inside without knocking. And then a third, quietly following in suit with a lazy smile across his freckled face and a motorbike helmet in hand. “Fucker woke me up so I would drive him here.. You holding up?” Ace grinned at the familiar face, also smiling politely at Perona for a moment. Zoro swayed his head left-right, a wordless ,so-so’ response. “Just make sure he doesn’t jump at me and break a rib on top of making me lose an eye”, “Zooorooo-! I’m so sorry this is all my fault please don’t dieee!!” As if Zoro hadn’t heard enough wailing, he now had to watch Luffy cry while being slumped forward, nearly falling over if it weren’t for Law gripping the back of his hoodie so hard the veins in his tattooed forearm popped out from under his skin.
“You’re seriously crying even more than my actual sister was a minute ago”, “Am not-!” Luffy hiccuped, tripping forward as Law let go of his hoodie, looking like he aged an entire ten years when he was forced to watch Luffy blow his nose into his bright red sweater, Perona making a similar, slightly disgusted face. Ace had meanwhile strolled over to the window, pushing himself to sit up onto the windowsill. He set down his helmet with a soft thunk, looking at his brother’s best friend. “Nah, look at the guy, he’s built like a brick wall. He’ll be fine”, he yawned mid-sentence and rolled his shoulders backwards. Law had given up on making Luffy leave, knowing him well enough to know he’ll keep stubbornly refusing, and so he turned on his heel to take care of other patients. He didn’t notice Perona hurrying after him though…
Luffy had gone unusually quiet, fiddling with the hem of his hoodie, eyes glued to his dirty Converse. “Zoro…”, he mumbled like an ashamed little boy, making Zoro raise a brow at his buddy. Luffy’s voice was quieter now, almost.. Serious. “Even if you uh.. Can’t see as well anymore- because of me- uh- will you still… like- want to do dumb stuff with me? Like.. Like going out, training.. Pestering Nami?” Even Ace’s smirk faded a notch, soft brown eyes flicked from Luffy to Zoro. After a few seconds of quiet, he spoke, voice raspy but sure: “Yeah.. I’ll just be running into walls more often.”
Luffy finally looked up, dropping down on top of Zoro, making him groan out loud, laughing between little sobs. “You’re the worst, man…”, “Says the guy whose fault this entire thing was in the first place.”

As Law was scribbling on his clipboard and walking down the relatively quiet hallway, he picked up on the quick steps behind him, recognizing the thick, heavy heels. “Perona? What, did you need something still? Or did Zoro-ya kick you out..?”, he spoke up, his voice a bit more gentle, albeit sleepily raspy, and clearly surprised. Perona just tilted her head as she looked up at him. “Huh? No, I said I was gonna be your intern, so I’m committed to my role. Zoro’s fine, clearly, and he’s got Luffy with him now”, she declared resolutely. Law was honestly stunned, so much so he just stared at the pretty, mascara-smeared face for a couple seconds silently. Then, he chuckled softly, his brows relaxing into the prettiest smile. He raised a hand up, placing it onto the top of her head for a moment. “I appreciate it, genuinely. But if you ask me, I’d much prefer to see you go home, get some rest. And I swear that I’ll be going home very soon too, alright? And tomorrow, if you truly so desperately want to, you can come back, in flat shoes, and fulfill your role as my ,intern’. Sounds like a plan, shortie?”
Perona gazed at him from under her lashes, black, doll-like eyes foggy from how sleepy she was. She then sighed and slapped his forearm playfully. “Well.. if you insist. I should get my beauty sleep, you’re right, I need to look my best and all cute when I’m already standing next to a walking corpse. And you better go home soon, don’t you dare lie to me”, the goth called all while walking off, heels clicking across the linoleum floors. Law didn’t move until she wasn’t only out of sight but out of earshot. He then rubbed an eye, glancing at the greyish-white patterns on the hospital walls before letting out an amused, exhausted chuckle, looking like a schizophrenic when he took out his phone to take a picture of it. The grey pattern looked like a liver... Okay, now he’s going crazy.

Chapter Text

Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, the waiting room smelling like antiseptic and old coffee. It was near silent in the gloomy hospital, the only thing that eased the tension, like a light of hope was the little girl sitting in a cushioned chair, swinging her short legs back and forth, humming a song. Her sparkly pink shoes clapped together each time her legs met in the middle, her black and white striped socks showing under her frilly skirt. As she sang softly, she played with the bear plushie in her lap, making its brown paws clap together in sync with her song. Somewhere down the hall, someone was crying. But not here. Not in her little world. Perona didn’t even know the name of the song she was humming, but that didn’t bother her. She didn’t even look up when a young nurse crouched down in front of her. Perona was sure she was kind, but her face was a blur. She didn’t want to hear it. “Hey babes…”, the lady started, her voice gentle but horribly shaky. The little girl sank into her chair more, knowing what was to come…

“Hey babes!”, the goth called out as she hopped up to Law, as promised, in flat shoes. Platform boots, but flat nonetheless. Law, not even in his slacks yet, was honestly a little surprised to see Perona actually showed up. And at the same time as him… “Huh.. hey, Perona- christ, did you get my schedule or something to be here so early?”, “Yeah actually. I went by the front desk last night and asked them to give me your schedule. Had to claim I was your girlfriend though because miss madam was suspicious of why I wanted to know that, fyi. Latté?” Front desk lady? Law prayed that it hadn’t been Pam, she’s such a chatterbox, and he really didn’t want it going around that he has a pink-haired girlfriend apparently… but the last word she said made the rest irrelevant. “...Did you get it with a huge load of sugar or something?”, “Nope, you look like you’d hate it. Oatmilk Latté with two shots of espresso because I wasn’t sure if you’re lactose intolerant or something.”
It’s shocking to think that a snappy brat like Perona was this thoughtful, but Law genuinely appreciated it. His lips curled into a faint smile as he took the latté. “I’m not, but I don’t mind oatmilk. Thank you. I see you’re in a new set of shoes? Still a bit uh.. Impractical, but A for effort”, “Babes, I’m five foot nothing, I need the platforms”, “I don’t do feet, I’m German. But I know that basically means ,I’m short’.” Perona tilted her head at him with a big, open-mouthed smile. “I didn’t know that! But yeah, I mean, I have to look up at you even wearing these things, alright? But that’s partially me being under average for a woman and you over average for a guy- whatever. You go change and I’ll be back in a bit, I’ll go pay a visit to my dear baby brother and give him a muffin.”
Law watched her hop away again, his eyes squinted, and despite his best efforts he truly could not comprehend how a girl could be this energetic and talkative at seven in the morning. But alright, whatever. The Latté’s something he wouldn’t even think of complaining about, so he simply shrugged it off and went to change into his slacks.

This time, two brief knocks announced Perona’s entrance. Luffy was lying in bed next to Zoro, forcing his best friend to watch silly TikToks. He didn’t mind it, but was half-asleep, his eye opening up when he heard his sister come in.
“Good morning, boys. How are we doing today?”, “Good… I mean, really high on pain meds. But y’know. Not a bad thing-” Zoro replied groggily. “Hey Perona!!” Luffy beamed, unfazed as always, like she expected him to be acting. Whatever. Good thing she bought multiple muffins for these fatasses. “I have breakfast and a chai for my little bro”, “Don’t call me that corny shit, you glowstick in leggings”, “Do not bodyshame me. I’m telling Mihawk.” Huffed Perona, in a bright pink and black cropped long-sleeve shirt and bright pink stockings, non-seethrough on one leg, fishnet on the other under her black skirt. “Come to think of it, where is he? Has he not visited yet?” Zoro tilted his head to nod towards his phone on the side of the bed. “Talked to him on the phone earlier, said he’s coming for a visit later…”
Perona hummed in acknowledgment and took out a brown paperbag from her big bag, handing it to Luffy. “Got some breakfast for you guys too.. bet Mihawk’s just too busy being a wine aunt or sucking off Shanks or whatever,” Perona muttered, sipping her iced vanilla macchiato. Zoro shrugged, noncommittal. Luffy leaned over and showed him a video of a raccoon washing cotton candy. “He’ll come. Watch this though, it’s important.”
Two knocks before the all so familiar pierced face emerged into the room. “Heeey, it’s Torao!”, “God, you’re still here? I thought I told you to go home, Luffy-ya..”, “Weeell, I did. But I came back.” Law couldn’t be bothered to argue with the energetic boy. He wasn’t here for him to begin with. “Zoro-ya, you holding up alright? Any complaints at all?”, “The morphine’s wearing off.. No complaints otherwise though” Zoro grinned lazily, quite liking the numbness the drug inflicted on him. Law’s lip quirked into a brief smile, understanding him all too well… “Well, gonna have to try and convince the nurses to give you some more. Try and flirt your way into getting it maybe”, Law clearly said that more as a pal than as a doctor, before his head turned from Zoro to his sister, “Now. Will my intern be joining me or would she like to stay with her brother?” Perona’s head shot up, her hot pink curls bouncing against her shoulders as she did. Being addressed in this acknowledged, formal way, almost like Law’s warming up to the whole intern-idea, made her heart flutter in her chest just a little.
She was up immediately, smiling enthusiastically. “No way I’m staying with this ugly, stinky mosshead, I’m coming with”, she declared while adjusting her skirt. Zoro just grumbled to himself in the background. Something along the lines of ,not you too.. stupid, shitty cook..‘.

Law hadn’t expected Perona to be particularly active, figuring she was still mostly joking about the whole intern thing. And she was. Which doesn’t mean that she wasn’t helpful or productive. Quite the opposite, actually. She proved to be quite useful, in the few ways she could be…
One of the things the surgeons sometimes talk about is what kind of patient is the most irritating, specifically early in the morning. Some said hypochondriacs, some could handle those just fine but not patients with minor injuries demanding to be taken care of immediately. But what they can all agree on, is that the absolute worst is hysterical little kids, toddlers most often. At seven in the morning, when every last member of the staff is severely sleep deprived, they genuinely couldn’t handle the loud shrieking of a little kid. Some of the nurses feel bad for the mothers, trying to get their kid to shut up frantically. Law couldn’t care less. „Don‘t have brats if you can’t teach or control them“, he always hissed to himself. Just like today.
Perona isn’t particularly fond of having kids, calls them gross and „baddie-killers“, but doesn’t mind occasionally watching them or playing with them. It was to everyone’s surprise when the little girl suddenly shut up and when Law looked up from behind the front desk, it was Perona, sat next to her and braiding the girl‘s hair. „God, look at you, now your pretty hair‘s all messed up. Why are you throwing a tantrum anyways? None of the people that are here want to be here, not only you. But you‘re kinda making it less bearable for everyone, no?“, Perona really tamed a brat by out-bratting her. As long as the kid shut up…

Later that day, it was clear that the lack of sleep last night did get to Law, at least enough so that he ended up forgetting important documents among other things on his living room table. He also couldn’t go home and get them, since he was about to go into surgery for at least an hour or two. „Uh, what do you have an intern for? Give me your keys, I‘ll go get you stuff. No, why the fuck would I steal anything from you?“, so, in her pink Mini Cooper, maybe half an hour later, Perona returned. Documents neatly placed in her bag, Law‘s reading glasses packed neatly somewhere in there too. And a Too Good To Go bag packed with an unreal amount of sushi in her other hand too.
„Mh, you should really bring along your intern more often, Law“, one of the few men they have in the team of nurses spoke up a while later in the break room, his face stuffed with sushi. Law, fresh out of surgery, hummed in acknowledgement, picking up a Temaki from the neatly arranged platter that was left on the small table, a sticky note attached to the side, reading ,leave some for Dr. Trafalgar!!‘ in glittery pink letters…

„You cannot be serious. Perona, give it here“, „But Laaaw, I need to look professional if I‘m gonna be hanging around here.. plus, you don’t need this anyways!“ On numerous occasions throughout the day did Perona attempt to steal Law‘s stethoscope. He tried explaining it‘s actually expensive and delicate equipment, contrary to popular belief. Perona couldn’t care less. „You- Look at you, you look like a- walking confetti bag or something and you‘re worried about ,looking professional‘? Nuh uh, give it“, „Ugh! You’re no fun. Fine. Here.“
With his stethoscope back around his neck, Law was walking down a particularly long hallway, back to the ER. Law‘s blinks were getting increasingly slower the more tired he grew, even resting his eyes closed for a couple of seconds while walking. Working overtime to this extent should really be illegal. It probably is… but Law couldn’t exactly not come into work. He saves people‘s lives on a daily basis. A deep sigh left him and he reached up with both hands, rubbing his scalp and forehead with a firm grip while eyeing Perona walking beside him. Law’s narrow eyes squinted in focus, getting a good look at her face. She seemed a bit… off.
„You doing alright, shortie? You can go home if you‘re tired, you know?“, „What? Oh, no, it’s not that, don’t worry.. no, I‘m perfectly fine. Really. Just uh..“, Perona cleared her throat before continuing, tugging at the skin-tight sleeve of her black top, „A uh.. A lot of- death and sickness around here, y‘know? Makes me a bit- queasy“, „Oh.. yeah, no, that‘s totally understandable if it makes you uncomfortable. I uh… I’m used to it, you could say. I’m just not a sensitive guy in general, but one day I actually had three patients die- had me a bit under the weather the whole day too.”
Law was going to add something else but when he noticed Perona looking even more uncomfortable, he shut up instead, realizing he wasn’t exactly helping…

“Sorry, I’m not the best at comforting people”, Law hummed, followed by a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Perona just laughed quietly, bumping into his side slightly. “No need to comfort me, no one likes being in hospitals”, “Yeah, I heard you talking to that girl. God, I don’t wanna say I hate kids, but I hate kids…”, “I don’t hate them, but like- I would never have kids of my own. Ever.”