Paralyzed (TodoBaku)

Wake up...Please

Third Person Pov:

The sterile white walls of the hospital room blurred into a kaleidoscope of pain. Shoto Todoroki blinked, his vision hazy. He felt a dull ache in his head, a pressure building in his chest. He tried to move, but his body felt heavy, unresponsive.

"Where am I?" he rasped, his voice scratchy.

A worried face appeared above him. 'You're in the hospital, Shoto. You've been in a coma for a week." The voice was familiar, yet distant.

"A...week?" He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his head. "What... what happened?"

"You were fighting a villain." the voice said, "The one with a spider-like quirk? She buried you alive. Some of your friends got you out, but... it was close." She pauses. "When you woke up the first time the doctor had to put you back in a coma like state so you wouldn't further hurt yourself."

Shoto's heart hammered. He remembered the fight, the burning acid, the suffocating weight of the earth. He remembered... Bakugou.

"Bakugou?" he choked out, his voice barely a whisper.

The face above him softened. "He's in the next room. He's... he's not doing well."

A wave of panic washed over Shoto. Bakugou. He had been right beside him, fighting the villain. His mind flashed back to the moment the ground closed over him, the feeling of being trapped, the last image of Bakugou, his face contorted in a silent scream.

He couldn't remember what happened after that. He couldn't remember if Bakugou was alright.

"Can I see him?" Shoto rasped, his voice hoarse.

The nurse, a kind-faced woman with gentle eyes, nodded. "He's stable, but... be careful."

Shoto barely registered her words. His heart pounded in his chest as he was wheeled through the sterile corridors, his gaze fixed on the door marked 'Room 203.'

The sight that greeted him was a nightmare. Bakugou lay in the bed, hooked up to tubes and machines, his face pale and drawn. The skin stretched taut over his bones, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling shallowly.

Shoto's throat constricted. He moved closer, his hand hovering over Bakugou's arm. It was cold, the skin stretched thin and lifeless.

"Bakugou," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "Wake up."

He squeezed Bakugou's hand, but there was no response. No flinch, no movement, no sign of life.

A wave of despair washed over him. He had been the one buried alive, but it was Bakugou who had been truly buried. Buried under the weight of the villain's attack, buried under the weight of his own fury.

Shoto felt a sudden, sharp pang of guilt. He had been the one not paying attention during the fight, he kept risking his life to protect me. And now, Bakugou was paying the price.

He sat by Bakugou's bedside, his heart heavy with sorrow. He didn't know how long he sat there, his hand clutching Bakugou's, his thoughts a swirling storm of guilt and despair.

Days passed

The plain white of the hospital room felt like a cage, each tick of the clock a hammer blow to Todoroki's chest. He sat in a wheelchair, his hand clasped tightly around Bakugou's, the thin, pale fingers cold against his own. Bakugou lay still, his face pale and drawn, his chest rising and falling with the mechanical rhythm of the respirator. Days had passed, each one a needle pricking at his hope. Todoroki was stuck in a nightmare he couldn't shake. But the stark reality of Bakugou's unconsciousness was a constant, a tangible reminder of his own negligence.

He'd barely left Bakugou's side, the insistent whispers of his friends falling on deaf ears. Iida, his eyebrows furrowed with concern, as he tried to pull Todoroki away for a meal or just for some rest. Momo was one of the only composed enough to offer words of encouragement, but they were hollow in the face of Bakugou's stillness. Kirishima, usually boisterous and optimistic, looked defeated, his usual grin replaced by a somber frown. He couldn't even bear to look at Midoriya, knowing the guilt he carried would be amplified by the green-haired boy's unwavering faith in Bakugou.

He couldn't face them. He couldn't face anyone. All he could see was the closed red eyes he loved so much, the ever-so-slightly parted lips, the gentle rise and fall of his chest, a testament to the life he desperately wished would return. He prayed, a silent plea to the heavens, to the gods, to whatever force might listen, begging for Bakugou to wake up.

He'd whisper apologies, confessions of his guilt, his fear, his helplessness. He'd tell Bakugou about the fight, about how he'd been wrong, about how he'd let him down. He'd recount their arguments, their rivalries, their moments of begrudging respect, each memory a painful reminder of the bond they shared, a bond that felt like it was hanging by a thread.

More time passes

The darkness was suffocating. It pressed down on him, heavy and cold, like a shroud. Bakugou tried to move, but his body felt like lead. He opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh light of a hospital room. A rhythmic beep filled the air, a constant reminder of his situation. He was alive. But how? Did the heroes get to him in time? Was Kakori's cure an actual cure? Bakugou questioned.

He clenched his fist, trying to move, but the effort sent a wave of pain radiating through his entire body. He was weak, his muscles atrophied, his skin pale and clammy. He had been in a coma. For how long?

Bakugou weakly turns his head to the side and notices how dark it was outside his window.  Bakugou tries to move his hand to run his fingers through is hair but that's when he noticed the warmth of another. Bakugou saw Todoroki sleeping with his head resting on his arm while also holding onto Bakugou's hand. Even in his sleep his grasp was pretty tight. 

Bakugou contemplated waking him up but Bakugou noticed how sickly and tired the other looked. Bakugou lets out a small sigh before rolling onto his side facing Todoroki. A small smile grew on his face as he carefully moved Todoroki's hand a little closer so that he was basically using it as a pillow.
Bakugou continues to stare at Todoroki before drifting back to sleep.

End Of Chapter:
Word Count: 1040