Blossoms of the Dark

XI Selene: Hospital

I feel groggy.

My head hurts, and I can't move my limbs. It takes so much effort just to open my eyes. And the moment I open my eyes, I immediately close them.

Where am I? It's so bright.

I open my eyes again and see that I am in some sterile setting. White surfaces all around me and a light fixture above me. I'm in a hospital, I realize.

I'M IN A HOSPITAL!

I start panicking. If my tormentors find out that I am in the hospital, my current condition will be worse than it is now. Much, much worse.

I lift myself into a sitting position with immense difficulty. My appendage joints sting. I groan and I don't notice the fact that I have a companion in the room with me.

"You're awake," I hear a familiar voice say.

I turn my head to the source of the sound and it's the boy. Todoroki-san. I stare at him in confusion and fear. Why is he here? Does he know something? What does he want from me?

He pours a glass of water from a jug sitting on a table adjacent to my bed and gives it to me. As I drink, he starts talking. "You passed the second part of the entrance exam. But once you reached the finish line you passed out. You've been passed out for four hours now. I called for help and the examiner brought a lady over. She called herself 'Recovery Girl,' and she tried to heal you on the spot. Of course, that didn't work. Or else you wouldn't be in the infirmary right now. You were set on a gurney and taken into the school infirmary. Recovery Girl said that you should wait and recover here."

His story makes sense. I remember collapsing and falling into unconsciousness.

"What about the final portion of the exam? The interview. I must have missed my time slot. What will I do? Do I have to retake the exam? Is there even a retake? Did I -"

He cuts me off. "Don't worry about the interview. Because of a medical emergency, your interview time slot was postponed. You can take your interview now or reschedule it."

"Oh. Okay. Thank you," I say softly.

He stares at me for some time. "I'll call Recovery Girl over and she'll release you." He leaves the room and I watch his figure go.

A short but kind-looking woman enters. She ties her ash grey hair in a high, tight bun and walks with a cane-shaped syringe. She introduces herself as "Recovery Girl" and hands me a paper listing the room where I can take the interview.

"Your condition seems stable so you're good to go. But there is something you should know."

I say nothing and wait for her to continue.

"When I use my healing quirk, I can diagnose all the illnesses and injuries a patient has. Your body is wrapped in bandages and you walk with a cane. You suffer from arthritis and your quirk harms your body, am I correct?"

I avert my eyes and whisper, "Yes."

"Don't worry, child. I won't reveal this information to anyone else. Not even to the other U.A. staff. This remains entirely confidential. However, if you are accepted, you will have to inform the principal and your teachers of your conditions."

I understand, Master.

"I understand."

Once she dismisses me, I take my cane and walk as fast as I can to the listed room.

The interview goes smoothly. Questions about my passions, interests, daily life, ambitions, and values are asked. By the time it ends, it is sunset.

As I make my way home, my thoughts circulate around Todoroki-san. And I can't help but return to one question over and over again.

How long was he in the infirmary with me and why did he stay? 

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