Field Doctor

Helping Hand

Reese P.O.V.

There was so much ringing in my ears that I couldn't think straight. I curled further into myself as the world around me continued to shatter. Screams from others carried through the café. I had to do something! I couldn't just sit there! I also knew if I got hurt, I couldn't help anyone. I stayed in my place on the floor as the ground quaked. I kept my arms tightly over my head as I tried to peer around the shop and assess the situation.

A younger girl in a yellow dress laid on the floor next to me, tears streaming down her face. I quickly shot my arm toward her. She was mostly out of my reach, but I was able to grab her small bicep. I pulled her toward me, careful to avoid the glass shards that now littered the flooring. I pulled my other arm to cover both of our heads and scooted us against the wall of the coffee counter. The girl looked no older then eight or nine, and her green eyes looked terrified.

"It's going to be okay," I told her, using my quirk to calm her mind. The girl relaxed in my embrace and slowly stopped shaking and crying. "Just breath, okay?" she nodded slowly well looking at me. I turned her so she would only see my face and the counter wall. She didn't need to see whatever hell was happening outside. There was no need for an innocent child to see whatever horror had caused this.

"Keiko!" A voice called out. I knew the voice was Jackson.

"I'm okay!" I called back. I couldn't see him. The shaking of the ground, the screaming, everything breaking still hadn't ceased. Was this an earthquake? Or was this the work of a villain? I didn't know. I just hoped heroes would show up soon. "Are you okay Jackson?"

"I think so! Can anyone else hear us?" he called into the rest of the store and received a few replies. I sighed deeply and turned my attention back to the child I was gripping in my arms. My quirk was still activated to sooth her. I knew I couldn't keep it up forever. If I overused my quirk, I would be hit with all the anxiety I had taken from people. That was never a good time, but for this little girl it would be worth it.

"What's your name?" I tried to ask softly, even though I had to speak loudly to get it over the sound of the world falling apart.

"A-Alison," she told me. I nodded and hugged her tighter to me as another thing crashed to the ground a few feet away from us. There was going to be people who were hurt after this, I needed to help them. Once everything had settled, I would go and see if I could help anyone.

"Alison, did you have anyone with you?" I questioned as I let more of my quirk affect her, so she wouldn't panic after realizing someone she cared about might be in danger. The small girl nodded her head.

"My cousin was with me," she spoke. Her head was now hidden tightly in my shoulder, but her body language stayed calm. My quirk had been doing its job well, hopefully this would end soon, and I could help more. As if my thoughts were heard the quaking started to drown out and the earthquake seemed to stop. I held in place still holding the girl just waiting to see if another wave would hit.

I'm not sure how long I stayed put, but it felt like forever. People's screaming had grown more panicked and the whole town seemed to erupt into another wave of pure panic. I stood from my spot on the ground well picking up the girl with me. I turned to see Jackson, who had also taken a shaky standing position. I walked closer toward him as I glanced around the café. Gray thick soot, glass shards, beams from the shop ceiling, and loose asphalt coated the area making it look like a bomb had gone off. I turned to see the two baristas that had been working had huddled back toward the opposite side of the counter, and other from some scratches seemed to be unharmed. I continued looking around the shop. From what I could remember there were four other people in the shop when Jackson and I came in. An older couple, that seemed to be safely crouched together on the left side of the building, a young man, and the young girl. Right, the girl.