His Deafened Dream

2

{Midoriya POV}

When I found out what had happened, an unexpected sense of relief washed over me.

Thank god I learned sign language!

Why am I relieved now? In this situation?

It was scary; Mom was crying but her voice was inaudible. There were clearly hospital machines near me, though I couldn't hear the beeps. It was as if I was in a TV show, and someone had pressed the mute button.

The woman signed to me again.

"I'm sorry for the loss." She signed. "But your other injuries are fine, according to the doctor. If you would like, they can prescribe hearing aids to aid your hearing."

"How did I lose my hearing?"

"It seems it was an explosion. A loud blast wave ruptured the nerves in your ears."

My immediate response was to turn my head to Kacchan. He avoided eye contact.

See, when it comes to childhood friends, words aren't needed to communicate.

I knew, at that moment, that he knew I had guessed why I was in this condition. He clenched his fists angrily and stormed towards the door. Instinctively, I leaped out of bed.

Kacchan!

I couldn't hear my voice, but my lips remembered his name like they were made to call for him. I felt a pressure on my neck; something my body had accustomed to whenever I spoke. Now it was so much more clear.

Wait! Come back!

I ripped out the tubes connected to me and ran after him, grabbing his wrist.

Kacchan!

He stopped. I could feel his wrist shaking. I was panting slightly, my chest getting heavier. I could the vibrations on the floor as Mom came to put me back onto the bed.

I resisted, clenching my hand.

Kacchan...

He said something, but nothing came out of his mouth. His lips simply moved, his voice gone.

I can't hear him...this is scary...

I felt my eyes sting as he threw my hand down and stormed off. I could feel his feet stomp against the floor as he turned the corner, disappearing.

My arm was bleeding because the IV the needles connected to me were pulled so aggressively. I didn't feel them though; I could only feel an overwhelming sense of worry as I was brought back to my room.

. . .

I received my hearing aids after being discharged from the hospital a week later. I didn't hear a single sound until then. The earpiece felt uncomfortable; like someone was constantly shoving something into my ear.

I wore the type of hearing aid that wrapped around my ear. It was black.

When I first put it on, the sound made me flinch. It's been so long since I've last heard something, it felt odd.

A low beeeeep was heard before that...how do I explain it? If, like, you record a video, there's that background noise? Like the sound of a low fan? That sound was the only thing I heard before it went silent again.

"Midoriya-San? Can you hear me?" I flinched as an unfamiliar voice rang in my ears. He sounded muffled for a good second before becoming clear again. I looked up at the doctor, who smiled. "Hello? Try saying something."

"Hello." I flinched at the loudness of my own voice, ringing so clearly. Mom started to sob, her familiar cries echoing in my brain. I smiled, relief washing over me. "I can hear...but it's loud..."

"Yes, you'll have to get used to that." He said, writing something on a box. "It's hard at first to get used to it so try not to listen to anything loud for the time being, such as music, explosions, etc."

"Yes."

"Remember, if you feel any pain in your ears, you need to report it, no matter how bearable it is." And then he went on and on, listing ways I can get used to these new accessories.

Mom hugged me on our way out, making sure not to cry too loudly. I could tell she wanted to scream, though.

"Izuku, I'm so glad..." She whispered. "I'm so glad you can hear me again..."

I hugged her back, thinking the same. As we exited the hospital, I could hear everything; the whoosh! of the automatic doors, the now clear sound of the cars outside, people talking...

It was as if my senses were ten times amplified.

"Let's go quickly. Are your ears ok?"

"Yeah, they're fine." I said. My own voice sounded funny. "But there's a lot of noise."

We walked to her car and got inside. I listened as the car started up. I could hear the engines rumbling, the sudden grunts of the stick as Mom drove backward, out of the parking spot, then forward again. The sound of the wheels as they rolled across the concrete, the gentle clink of my seatbelt...

Sounds I haven't noticed throughout my life were thrust towards me now.

It wasn't bothering, more like...it was fascinating. Who could've known this much sound was created just from driving a few feet?

"Is there anything you want to eat? Anything you want to do?"

"Can I go to the school dorms?"

She stayed quiet as I pursed my lips. I knew Mom was always skeptical when she first sent me to UA. Now that I was back with one of my senses lost, I knew she would hesitate.

"Is that what you want to do?"

"...Yeah."

"Alright then. We'll go home, eat, and you can pack whatever you need."

I brightened up, smiling. I made sure not to exclaim. "Thanks Mom."

"Anything for my son." She reached over to my face, caressing my cheek gently. "Just...You promised me you'll be careful. I can't help but worry."

"I'm sure everyone will help me adjust to the new adjustments." I said confidently. "And besides, Kacchan will be there, too."

She smiled. "Make sure Katsuki-Chan doesn't blame himself too much? He's a rough boy, but he'll try to take all the blame."

I nodded, clasping her hand comfortingly. My hearing aids rang for a split second as we went over a speed bump. "Yeah."