#haruta

Marco will be taking a position above the Captain and Dokucha, so he can step in when necessary. Ace and Haruta will be taking positions below the Crow-nest in case Dokucha decides to leave the nest.

Vista and Fossa will be at the bottom to ensure any handovers that need to take over proceed smoothly. Jozu will be at the lower deck to ensure that those not included in this operation maintain clear passage towards the clinic and also to mitigate any unnecessary stressors to Dokucha.” He recited, arms tucked into his kimono as he went over the plan.

“Thatch and Tate will be waiting for us at the clinic-yoi, Tate will help me with the procedure and Thatch will be there to offer refreshments and comfort to Dokucha after everything Is completed.

Does anyone have any questions regarding the plan?” Marco finished, glancing at one of the newest recruits who had hesitently raised his hand.

“Umm, Commander Marco, I don’t mean to overstep, but is this really necessary? Can’t we just hold them and give them the vaccinations that are due?” He questioned, nervously scratching his cheek, letting out a frightened sound as Fossa let out a slight growl at his words, seemingly wanting to launch at the recruit.

“I ‘m sorry!” He squeaked

“Fossa; Stand down,” Whitebeard Grumbled as the former begrudgingly stepped back, but continued to send glares to the young man.

“It’s only normal for those who have not been here long to question the way we do things,” he explained, leveling his son with a stern gaze as Fossa’s anger continued to flow about. As the Captain continued to ease down his hostility, Marco turned to the recruit with a nod.

“It’s alright-yoi. You are more than welcome to ask questions; you might not have known this, but we have to approach this with caution. Dokucha has bad memories relating to needles, and that unfortunately has prevailed to this day and has generalized to all kinds of injections, including the necessary vaccines they must have at their age. Because this is something we are actively working on, the thing we want the least is to do something that would cause their fear to grow or even for distrust towards us to grow.”

“If we were to force them, it wouldn’t really make us any better than the people who caused this in the first place. That’s why we have Pops trying to coax them first before we have to go in,” Jozu piped up, joining the discussion, Izou following suit

“Although any extra intervention necessary if that were to go downhill will not be a walk in the park, we ensure that every step is full of encouragement to make sure we do not feed an augmentation of the phobia that simply holding them down would cause. As Marco mentioned, Dokucha is still healing from past experiences, and we have gone through great lengths to show them we are no threat and simply want the best for them. Forcing him would crush that relationship and would likely cause Dokucha to engage in dangerous behaviors, attempting to distance himself.”

“Does that answer your question-yoi?”

“Yes, Commander!”

“Alright, it’s time,” Whitebeard sighed, dismissing everyone to initiate the small yearly operation.

-

“Dokucha,” Whitebeard called, watching as the boy poked their head over the railing of the nest at the call.

“Yes,” he mumbled, his shy voice barely being heard as it continued to be carried away by the wind. It would be hard to believe for recruits to know that this boy, a soft-spoken and skitish little critter, had actually made tremendous progress from when he first joined the crew.

But those who were part of the expedition that had first found him were very well aware that simply being able to speak and stand in front of them was a vast difference from the broken shell of a boy he had been a year prior.

“It’s soon to be the end of the year,” Whitebeard began, knowing that that information alone would be enough for the child to understand what he was trying to hint at, and sure enough, Dokucha shook their head furiously, backing away from the captain, eyes welling with tears at the idea. Knowing that this would get them nowhere, the older man decided to make the decision to move forward with the plan and hoped for the best.

“It’s okay, Dokucha-yoi.” A voice soothed behind them as a gentle breeze collided with him, prompting him to turn around, wrapping his arms tightly around himself in an attempt to relieve the growing anxiety.

“I apologize-yoi but I Promise we will be quick and we won’t do anything until you say you are ready. However, we cannot delay these any longer; it would be dangerous to travel to so many regions without proper protection.”

Dokucha just shook their head again, ignoring the man in favor of skittering away. Despite being a bundle of trauma and anxiety, the boy’s abilities were not to be denied; something that was clear as he nervously evaded Marco and made his way off the nest, only for another pair of hands to halt his descent.

“Whoa there!” Ace exclaimed

“Let go!”

“Hey, Hey! C’mon!” Haruta called, bringing him into his arms, his usual mischievous smile now lessening into a softer one as he slid off the ropes that led to the crow-nest; holding tightly onto the struggling boy while Vista efficiently helped the Jester into the ground where he sat criss-cross on the wooden floors, plopping the boy on his lap.

What would ensue would be a complexing scene as Haruta began to prattle on different stories and jokes to the boy whilst rocking back and forth in soothing motion, words flowing freely as if the commanders was simply catching up with an old friend at the bar rather than narrating entertaining and story-like jokes to a panicking child who to their surprised had been growing more and more receptive to the single-sided conversation until eventually the joker had managed coax the child into a neutral state.

“Aha! So I see my incredible sense of humor has managed to bring you back to our world!” He beamed

“Though I enjoy my spectators’ attention more than anything, I am afraid I must halt the show and remind the audience that there is a task that must be completed for this work of art to continue!” He exclaimed, noticing the way the boy tensed at the reminder, he was quick to continue his monologue.

“Be afraid not, my dear spectator, for this is a task that will be promptly fulfilled, and because I am such A Gratious host, I will even convince the infamous First commander of the Whitebeard fleet to discard previous materials and opt for the grand butterfly needle, a tool most known to be but the smallest in the seven seas! For I will not give the public less than the most memorable spectacle their eyes can feast on! And how could I guarantee thy enjoyment if not by assuring your comfort?!

What say you, Dear spectator? Do thou dare to risk the small butterfly handled but by the fiercest Doctor out there?!” He boomed with a grin. Marco could not say he expected such an approach, but he could not argue with the results, as an enthralled but still cautious Dokucha nodded in agreement, prompting said ‘fierce doctor’ to step forward, ready to take Dokucha.

At the moment, Dokucha couldn’t help but hug Haruta tighter, something that caused the latter to let out a string of giggles.

“Oho! Fear not, Dear spectator! I admire you tenacity, though, know that you will be rewarded for your actions with the most magnificent of shows, and know that you are in the hands of the best of the best, as nothing less would be befitting of my favorite host!”

At his words, Dokucha looked up at Marco, who gave him a gentle smile before successfully scooping him into his hands, before making his way into the clinic, as Dokucha shyly waved the jester goodbye before holding tightly onto Marco’s neck.

“Scared’ Dokucha Muttered as the Doctor reached his clinic, gingerly placing him on a medical bed before situating himself in a chair, patting the boy's leg in a comforting manner as Tate moved behind them, bringing all the necessary materials within Marco’s reach, ready to be used.

“It’s alright-yoi, remember I won’t do anything until you are ready he assured him

Although it had taken virtually all day from the initial encounter at the crow’s nest to the moment Dokucha finally nodded their head and allowed Marco to proceed, the fleet had been successful in their mission, successfully delivering the needed medicine to the boy without having to compromise the fantastic progress the young boy had been able to accomplish throughout the months. In fact, the crew would actually dare say that their patience and assurances had actually expanded the relationship with the boy, showing the hard commitment they had to taking care of their family.

Taglist:

@Imaginarydreams

@amethystviolin

@h0n3y-l3m0n05

@hannahbarberra162

Great Babysitters:

Ace - great with kids and not afraid of getting his hands dirty; incredibly proud to be called "Uncle Ace"

Thatch - kids love him and he loves kids (Poppy makes him realize how badly he wants a child of his own); started reading up on recipes to make food for her when she starts solids (but dies before she does)

Rakuyo - not the most experienced with children but Poppy is obsessed with this man, she giggles every time she sees him (she thinks his face is the funniest thing in the world) and she loves to pull on his moustache

Izou - very patient and even tempered; soothing voice that lulls Poppy to sleep

Decent Babysitters:

Haruta & Jiru - good with kids from afar but when it comes to actually caring for them and cleaning up after them, they're both squeamish

Deuce - big time worrier; feels completely unprepared ("I haven't studied pediatrics!") but does a decent job all things considered

Tate - has the knowledge to take care of Poppy and will help when asked, but not the biggest fan of children in general

Refuses to babysit:

Namur - loves Poppy but is legit afraid to take care of her; she is so small and fragile and he worries he will break her

Simply too large to change an average sized baby's diapers:

Whitebeard, Jozu, Vista, Blamenco, Blenheim, Curiel, Kingdew, Atmos, Fossa