Chapter Text
Midoriya Inko sits in the hospital waiting room, eyes wide and face pale. Her hands twiddle with her phone, and her leg shakes.
"Midoriya-san," Hizashi says, slipping into the chair beside her.
Inko whips her head toward him with a jolt. "P-Present Mic."
"Yamada's fine. Or Hizashi. Shouta may compartmentalize but I've already—" Hizashi clenches a fist. "Sorry ... uh ... have you heard anything about Izuku?"
Inko shakes her head.
"He's a strong kid. And his genes are good. Shouta's survived an absurd amount of bullshit."
"I don't want Izuku to have to 'survive bullshit'."
Hizashi gulps.
"He's fifteen," she whispers.
Hizashi tenses as about four different emotions punt into his eyebrows.
"He's been stabbed. Villains tried to kill him. He was supposed to be safe."
Hizashi digs his fingers into his palm.
"Where's Aizawa?" she asks.
Hizashi inhales. "Surgery. They need to put his arms back together. And they said something about an elbow reconstruction. And his face .... I ... I don' know." Hizashi looks at Inko. "He protected the kids as best he could. Took on dozens of villains at once."
"Why is Izuku the only student hurt? In what ... fucking world ...."
"I'm sorry," Hizashi whispers.
Inko wipes at a tear. "It's not your fault."
"One of the villains has a teleport quirk. UA's already working on preemptive measures against it."
Inko sniffles.
"Can I hug you?" Hizashi asks.
Inko looks at him with wide watering eyes and nods.
Hizashi wraps one arm behind her and pulls closer, laying the other hand on the back of her head.
"Sh-Shouta promised me he'd protect him." Inko breaks out a sob. "And now they're both dying."
"They aren't dying. They aren't dying. I promise you ..."—a tremble rise into Hizashi's voice—"they aren't going to die."
"Midoriya-san?"
Inko pulls away from Hizashi, looking at the doctor with reddened eyes. "Yes?"
"Midoriya Izuku's out of surgery. He's in the ICU being monitored for bleeding, but you can see him now."
Inko looks to Hizashi.
"Go," he whispers.
Inko nods and stands up.
"The wound in his back is laced with stingray venom," the doctor explains as they walk away. "Which damages the tissue and prevents it from healing. Recovery Girl's quirk will help force it to recover ..."
They call Hizashi's name three hours later.
"Yamada Hizashi?"
Hizashi darts his head to the doctor. "Yeah?"
"Aizawa-san's surgery went well."
Hizashi nods and rises from the chair.
"We've set all of his broken bones. With Recovery Girl's aid, his arms might remain in casts for as little as two weeks. We've reconstructed the lost tissue on his right elbow, and his nerves are responsive. With physiotherapy he should regain full movement."
(His face—his eyes. His eyes! What about his fucking eyes!)
"The blunt trauma to his face caused fractures to his orbital floor in both eyesockets."
Hizashi inhales—
"The fractures will heal on their own, but we'll need to wait to see if any complications arise. The most common complications are nerve pain, double vision, and a posterior displacement of the eyeball, which basically means that the eyeball has shifted backward in the socket."
He nods. "So he can see? He's not ...."
The doctor nods. "He can see. He's not blind."
"And his quirk?"
"His quirk itself is unaffected. He may have a deficit in his ability to keep his eyes open and focused in order to use it, but that can improve with time and physiotherapy."
—and he exhales. "Can I see him?"
"Yes, follow me."
Hizashi sits in the chair by Shouta's bed, leaning against the arm.
(Seventeen years ago he sat in a chair too, waiting for Shouta to wake up.)
Shouta's only recognizable by the dark locks of hair splayed on the pillow beneath his mummy-wrapped face.
(Shouta was clean. His hair shone like it'd been shampooed and conditioned, and his face was as clean-shaven as the day he was born.)
Shouta's arms lie on his torso, entombed in thick plaster casts.
(Shouta's arms were strapped across his chest, and his body flattened to the bed with heavy fabric restraints.)
And he sleeps.
(And he slept.)
So Hizashi waits.
(So Hizashi waited.)
Until he stirs, shifting a leg and grumbling.
(Until he stirred, slamming against the restraints and sc r e am ing,)
Hizashi sits up. "Shouta, it's Hizashi. You're in the hospital. You're okay."
"The students," Shouta mutters.
"They're alive," Hizashi says. "Mostly scrapes and bruises."
"Define mostly."
"Midoriya's in the ICU."
Shouta takes in a sharp breath.
"He got stabbed in the back by a stingray barb—from a quirk. It didn't hit any organs, but they have to monitor him for bleeding. That's all I know."
Hizashi watches Shouta's chest rise and fall and rise, his encased arms moving with it.
"Anyone else?" Shouta whispers.
"Thirteen suffered severe lacerations to their back, but they're expected to make a full recovery. All Might exerted himself defeating the uh ... Noumu, and he's probably reduced his hero-form time."
"Okay."
"And then there's you. Everyone else is okay."
"Mm. Wha's ... my ou'look?"
"Good!" Hizashi says. "Uh ... your bones will need time to heal naturally, and you'll need physiotherapy, but you should be okay."
"M'eye hurts."
"You fractured your eye sockets. They'll heal, but you need to be gentle on them."
"Okay."
"Yeah." Hizashi's hand hovers.
Shouta's broken. He's too broken. Even a simple caress will hurt him.
So Hizashi rests his hand back on the edge of the bed. "You're gonna be okay."
Hizashi watches Shouta's rising chest; watches his bulky arms shift with it; and listens to the steady beat of the heart monitor.
"Shouta?"
Shouta's chest falls and rises.
"I'll let you rest," Hizashi whispers. "I'll be here when you wake up. I'll always be here."
A doctor steps in some hours later, and Hizashi raises his head.
"Is he still sleeping?"
"Yeah. He woke up briefly and then passed out again."
"How long was he awake?" the doctor asks.
"A minute, maybe? He asked about everyone's injuries and zonkered out as soon as I explained."
The doctor nods. "Did he seem coherent? Aware of his surroundings? Retain information?"
"Yeah. He was really tired but mostly just concerned about the kids."
"Okay. Since he's still sleeping, we'll have to give him the night to rest before we can assess if he's fit to transfer to UA."
Hizashi nods.
"If he wakes up and seems to have any distressing complications—cognitive or respiratory issues—please press the red button. Press the green button for less urgent needs."
"Yeah." Hizashi nods.
"Do you have any questions?"
"Is it normal for him to be asleep this long? He had a surgery for a stabbing a few years ago and he woke up within a few hours."
"Every injury is unique. Healing a broken bone takes a lot of stamina, and healing the amount of breaks he has ... it's natural to take this much energy. Sleeping means he's healing."
Hizashi nods. "Okay."
"Do you have any more questions?"
Hizashi shakes his head.
"All right. Remember to press the button if you need anything."
The doctor leaves, and Hizashi turns back to his slumbering husband.
The next disruption comes a half-hour later. Hizashi jolts upright at a light tap on the door, turning to see Nemuri stick her head in.
"Hey ..." she says, sliding a chair into the space beside Hizashi at Shouta's side. She slips into the chair, placing a paper bag on her lap. "I brought some food. I know you haven't eaten."
"Didn't wanna leave him alone," he mumbles.
"I know." Nemuri pulls a white box and a pair of chopsticks out of the bag. "It's just some chicken teriyaki. Light on the sauce."
"Thanks." Hizashi takes the box and sets it on his lap. He rips open the paper wrapping and slides out the chopsticks. He cracks them apart, flips open the takeout box, and picks up a chunk of rice. He slides it in his mouth, chews, and swallows. It tastes like nothing.
"Aizawa's resilient," Nemuri says, pulling out her own takeout. "He'll bounce back from this."
"Yeah," Hizashi mumbles. "I'm more worried about the kid."
"I saw his mom. His wounds haven't reopened, so doctors are optimistic."
Hizashi nods.
Nemuri takes a bite. "Shouta ... back then ... that friend of his was named Midoriya, wasn't she?"
Hizashi inhales. "He can tell you himself when he wakes up."
Nemuri smirks. "He better."
Nemuri shoves an elbow into Hizashi's shoulder, and he startles awake. Hizashi darts his eyes over the room. The night sky sits outside the window, and dim light floats in from the hallway. Shouta's heart monitor beats steadily, and Shouta himself is flickering his eyelids beneath the bandages.
"Sho—" Hizashi starts exclaiming, before shifting into a whisper. "Shouta!"
"What time is it?" Shouta mumbles.
"Wah? Uh ...." Hizashi pulls out his phone. "4:32."
"Oh, okay. Wake me up when it's time for school ...."
Hizashi and Nemuri look at each other, and then back at Shouta.
"Hon," Nemuri says. "You splintered all of the bones in your arms.
"Don' need my arms to teach."
"You're exhausted!" Hizashi exclaims. "Healing takes energy!"
A red glow oozes out from between bandages. "Hizashi," he grumbles, "promise me you'll get me to work."
Hizashi sputters, "The doctor said—"
"Promise me."
"No," Nemuri says. "You aren't leaving this room until the doctors say it's alright."
Shouta blinks out his quirk and grunts.
"You're gonna be fine." Hizashi smiles softly. "They're hoping to transfer you to UA later today."
"What about Midoriya?"
"He's pulling through," Nemuri says. "Still in the ICU, but it's been about fifteen hours now and his wounds haven't reopened."
"Mm," he murmurs. "Thirteen?"
"Stable," Nemuri responds. "Recovery Girl was able to do a baseline heal on the lacerations, and they've been moved to a specialized facility for skin cell cloning treatment."
"Cat?"
Hizashi's eyes widen. "Oh shit."
Nemuri glares at him.
"She's still at UA! But she has food and water so it's okay."
"What about litter?" Shouta mutters.
"Uh ...."
"Sh'needs to shit, Hizashi."
Nemuri puts her hands on Hizashi's shoulders. "I'm sure Hizashi will love cleaning up Cat's solution to the litter box problem."
Hizashi turns to her. "Eh?"
Nemuri smirks. "Well, you're the one who forgot her."
"There were villains!" Hizashi exclaims.
"Could've gone back for her after. But noooooooo," she drolls, "you just had to go to the hospital."
"M'zashi, go ... take care of Cat," Shouta mumbles. "I'm sleep."
Hizashi drops his eyebrows. "Right ... now?"
"Yeah," Shouta mutters.
Nemuri smirks. "This is your life now."
Shouta emits a single chuckle and Hizashi sighs.
"Okay; I'm going. I'll be back as soon as I can. Nemuri, text me if there's an emergency."
"Toodles!" Nemuri wiggles her fingers into a wave.