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-)
Izuku's POV
The sound of sirens filled my ears as I watched the paramedics doing everything they could to keep my mother alive, who kept going into crisis. It was the only thing.
I could focus on, the only thing that existed for me at that moment.
That's why I barely noticed when we arrived at the hospital and entered the emergency room.
—A 39-year-old woman was trapped under rubble from a building after the final attack by the Villain Bomber. She suffered crush syndrome while waiting for emergency services to arrive. She has been given…— one of the paramedics explained as they hurriedly pushed the stretcher through the corridors.
"Son, you can't go into the ER," a nurse told me just as I tried to enter the room where they were taking Mom. "Come with me so we can treat your injuries."
Before I could protest or even react, I was taken to another wing of the hospital.
There I could see more medical staff members tending to the other victims of the Villain Bomber explosion.
The speed with which they moved was astonishing: doctors, nurses, and paramedics were constantly moving about, coordinating with each other, transferring patients, preparing equipment, and giving precise orders. Yet, even with all that organization, the sobs and cries of those who had been injured as badly as my mother made everything feel deeply unsettling.
And to think that they were all in a similar situation to hers… that thought hit me hard.
It was precisely that thought that prevented me from noticing how the nurse was treating my wounds. I could barely hear the questions she was asking me, so I ended up answering automatically, almost without thinking.
My mind was elsewhere. I was only thinking about my mom.
I didn't even notice when they finished treating me or when they took me to the waiting room, where other family members and some people with minor injuries were already waiting. It was as if time was passing without me actually being there.
Once the nurse finished treating my wounds, she left me there.The hours that followed seemed endless.
I sat in one of the plastic chairs in the waiting room, surrounded by murmurs, hurried footsteps, and the distant sound of medical monitors. All I did was wait for some news about my mother's condition.
Wait. And wait.
Until, several hours later, a middle-aged man appeared in the waiting room.
She had three eyes, reddish hair with platinum streaks, and wore a white medical coat. Her expression was serious and professional, like that of someone who had had to deliver difficult news many times before.
Then he said the name of the person I was most worried about in the world.
My mother's name.
— Are any of Inko Midoriya's relatives present?
"It's me!" I replied immediately, turning to the doctor. "How is my mom?"
There was an initial silence that seemed endless, and that moment only increased the worry I already felt. However, it didn't last long before he spoke:
— Your mother had to undergo major emergency surgery. She lost a lot of blood during the procedure, so she was placed in a medically induced coma to aid her recovery. Even so, she must remain under postoperative observation to monitor for possible complications, mainly to her head, as she suffered a severe blow from the debris.
"But she'll be okay? She'll recover soon, right?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"It's difficult to say," he replied. "Her condition is very fragile, and she will need to remain hospitalized for a long time. For now, the prognosis is not very favorable."
Those words only increased my despair. I could no longer hold back the tears I had somehow managed to suppress all this time. They began to stream down my face uncontrollably. The doctor continued his explanation, trying not to alarm me further:— But, with proper care, she will be able to make a full recovery.
Even through my sobs, I could sense the doctor's discomfort and sorrow as he tried in vain to calm me. In the periphery of my vision, I could barely make out the nurse who had treated my wounds whispering a few words to the doctor, as if offering silent support.
It wasn't until I managed to control the flow of tears a little more that the doctor spoke again:
— We can go see her. She's stable right now. Also, there are some important things I need to talk to you about.
Upon arriving at the room where Mom was, I couldn't help but notice all the tubes, monitors, and cables surrounding her, while she maintained a serene and impassive expression.
"Mom, it's me, Izuku. Can you hear me? I'm fine, I just got a few minor scratches, like always," I said calmly, as if I were telling her about a normal day at school.
Even so, she could feel a fresh cluster of tears threatening to fall.
— I don't know if she can hear you in her current state, but it's nice that you're speaking to her in such a sweet way.
— I just want her to know that I'm with her.
—And I think she knows it. But I can't help thinking that you're the only one here with her, and that's a little worrying, considering you're underage. Is there anyone you can contact who can take care of the medical paperwork and let you stay with them?
"I…" The words failed me. Hearing the question, a sense of alertness was triggered, and I answered with the first thing that came to mind. "My father is abroad."
"I understand. Even so, we need an adult to take responsibility for all the paperwork: health insurance, surgery bills..." As I said that, a lot of thoughts raced through my mind. Should I contact Dad for financial support? Would he even help us? Or would I have to handle all of that myself?
But it was the following words that finally triggered my alarm and completely stopped my thought process:— Similarly, we need to check if you will need to log into the system while your mother recovers.
Panic completely flooded my mind. I couldn't get into the system any way, not being Quirkless. I had read about what commonly happens to Quirkless kids within the system, so I was always grateful to Mom for loving and caring for me so much, and for not abandoning me despite my lack of a Quirk…
No, I can't say I have no one, but... who could take care of me? Or the paperwork?
"Izuku?" I heard someone call, breaking my train of thought once again. When I looked at the doctor, I could see he wasn't muttering, but I had been silent for far too long.
- Yeah?
— Your name is Izuku, right?
- Yes that's how it is.
— So, Izuku… do you have someone who can take care of you and your mother's paperwork?
Come on, Izuku, think fast… who could help?
"I have an aunt," I say aloud, almost automatically, as a spiky, blond hair comes to mind.
"Can you contact her?" he asked, interested, while reviewing the papers he had brought; I sensed that he was looking for a trace or evidence of my aunt.
— Yes, give me a moment and I'll call him.
I took out my phone and looked through my contacts for Aunt Mitsuki's number. With the few I had saved, it was a very easy task. I just hoped she'd be able to answer at this hour, so without further hesitation, I pressed the dial button and just waited.
After the fifth ring, she answered, which brought me great relief when I heard her voice.
"Izuku? Why are you calling so late?" she said on the other end of the line, her voice a little tired; I'd probably woken her up. I felt bad for doing so, but I still had to keep talking to her.— Aunt Mitsuki, I need you to come to the hospital.
— To the hospital?! Which hospital?! Izuku, what's going on?!
— Aunt Mitsuki, I can't tell you everything over the phone. All I know is that Mom and I were in the Villain Bomber attack. She's in very bad shape and needs your support, just like I do. Please, just come.
— … —I heard a long silence on the other end of the line.
— I'm on my way. Just tell me which hospital they're in.
With that, he hangs up. I quickly ask the doctor the name of the hospital, since I hadn't bothered to find out.
"Hosu General Hospital," he answers.
I'll send it to Aunt Mitsuki by message.
So it was only a matter of time before she arrived, which was very noticeable, since I could hear her unmistakable voice at the end of the hall demanding to see us.
The flood of questions began as soon as she entered the room. At first, she addressed me, but when she noticed I wasn't responding, she turned to the doctor, who could barely keep up with her questions, before she snatched the papers from him to review them and began signing them as soon as she finished reading them.
— Anything else? — he said instantly, once he had made the last signature, while handing the documents to the doctor in a slightly calmer manner.
"No, for the moment that would be all regarding the current paperwork. Even so, there's the matter of where the youngest will stay." As she said this, both their gazes turned towards me, before Aunt Mitsuki quickly replied:
— With me, it's obvious.
— I can guess that's the case. All I need to know is her relationship to the Midoriyas, since the documents obtained from Mrs. Midoriya don't mention any other relatives beyond her husband and son who are here today.
"Inko and I have known each other since high school, so we're practically sisters at this point in our lives. That's why I'm this boy's aunt," she said, pulling me into a hug as she finished speaking.
— I understand. So you'll be responsible for him until his mother recovers?- Exactly.
That answer seemed to please the doctor enough, as he asked no further questions about it.
— Okay, so to wrap things up, I would need you to fill out one more form, in case the police need to contact you or the boy regarding the attack, and also so that we have a record of this.
It's when the paperwork is finished that Aunt Mitsuki asks me if I want to leave or if I'd prefer to stay a little longer with my mom. But when I look at the doctor, I can tell that visiting hours had ended long ago, and his silence was only out of fear of Aunt Mitsuki.
So I ended up telling him that we could leave now, even though deep down I wanted to stay there a little longer.
The car ride began with a heavy silence for the first few minutes. It wasn't until we reached a red light that Aunt Mitsuki spoke.
— Izuku, why did you ask me to come alone?
I knew Aunt Mitsuki was very intuitive, but I didn't expect her to bring up the subject so quickly.
— Izuku, I need you to answer. I know you had your reasons, and that's why I came alone, but now that we have the chance, I want to know. I'm worried about you and Inko, and I don't think I can help you enough if you don't explain everything.
— . . .
Okay, I understand you don't want to talk right now, and maybe it's the wrong time. We can have this conversation at my place, over a relaxing cup of tea.
- No!
It happened suddenly. Aunt Mitsuki slammed on the brakes, then parked on a corner of an empty street.
—No? Why not?! Izuku, what's going on?!
"Kachan!" I shouted immediately, letting the tears I had held back for so long finally explode with all the emotions I couldn't express before."What does Katsuki have to do with this?" she asked, this time more calmly.
"It was..." It was difficult to say and to explain, especially to Aunt Mitsuki. Even so, her worried look compelled me to speak, though it was painful. Between tears and sobs, I began my explanation, still without revealing the whole truth:
"He's not as much of a friend as he used to be. We drifted apart a long time ago, and he... it's hard to be on good terms these days... and I understand! I'm a useless, quirkless person, that's what everyone says, and I can understand that. I couldn't do anything to stop Mom from ending up like that, and I only got a few scratches.
Now I'm being a burden because you have to take care of me..."
Her shocked reaction was expected when I started to unburden myself, but I didn't stop. I didn't even give her time to question my statement; I continued explaining everything that had happened in the last ten years after my non-peculiar diagnosis, omitting some details.
She already looked worried as she narrated it, but she remained silent, listening attentively.
The worst part was that I was telling her, not Mom. When the initial silence that had been there before she asked ended, an awkward silence returned to the car, punctuated by my sobs, which were quickly joined by Aunt Mitsuki's. Suddenly, she unbuckled her seatbelt and hugged me.
"Forgive me, Izuku, I didn't know everything you were going through," she apologized, as I could feel the dampness of her tears on my shoulder. It reminded me of the day I received my non-quirk diagnosis.
After a while, she broke the hug, a little calmer than I was, and spoke again:
— Now I understand a little more, but what can we do? I know you don't want to be a bother to us, but we need to be on the same page. Any suggestions?
"I don't know," I answered honestly, since I didn't expect her to actually take into account what I said about not wanting to go to her house, even though it seemed rude. Still, it seemed she used the silence I left while I thought something to come up with a plan."I can drop you off at your house right now and visit you on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to see how you're doing. I can even help you with the housework." His offer was good, and it was easy to accept.
- That sounds good.
— I'll also call the school to ask them to give you some time off, is that okay?
"I think that would be fine. I don't know if I can come back on Monday after everything that's happened, thank you, Aunt Mitsuki," she replied with a small smile before continuing to drive.
The rest of the trip was uneventful, which allowed me to calm down enough by the time I got home. I was grateful that Aunt Mitsuki even offered to walk me inside. Even so, before she left, I asked if I could keep the paperwork related to Mom's hospitalization. At first, she refused, saying that she would take care of the expenses and that I shouldn't worry about them. I had to persuade her to let me see them, explaining that neither Mom nor I wanted to owe her anything, and that I would need them to inform Dad. Still not entirely convinced, she handed them over, but not before telling me not to be shy about asking for money and that she had already taken care of the first payment as a favor.
It was only when she said goodbye and I found myself alone in the apartment that I could feel how empty it felt without Mom.
Could you give me some power stones? :)
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