“Todoroki, Midoriya is barely hanging on after battling against a Nomu alone. It was my fault for not moving faster, and not defeating the villains fast enough that suddenly attacked me when I saw Midoriya wasn’t following me. The doctors did the best they could to stabilize him, but they can’t say he’ll live from how massive the injuries were. We’re sorry Todoroki, but we don’t know if he’ll make it.”
‘This is a joke right? It had to be a joke. Midoriya did what? Was he insane? Wh-’Remember this as well little brother, with every win you get, there will have to be sacrifices to be made…’ ‘
“No...No...Nonononono! You’re lying! YOU’RE LYING!! HE’S NOT DYING!! HE’S OKAY!! HE HAS TO BE!!”
“Todoroki, I understand that it may not seem like it’s real, but it’s not a joke either. Midoriya is-”
“NO!! SHUT UP!! He’s not...He can’t...STOP LYING TO ME!!”
“We don’t want to believe t either Todoroki, but there’s nothing else we can do.”
“No...This can’t be happening…”
Shouto gripped his hair tightly in his fists, pulling his legs up closer to his chest biting back his screams as the words continued to repeat inside his head. He couldn’t hold back the tears anymore as the realization of losing Izuku was too much. Izuku was going to die, and there wasn’t anything they could do. Resting his head against his knees, Shouto opened his eyes noticing the letter laying folded on the small table next to his hospital bed. Wait. The letter. Touya. He did say something about trying to save Midoriya, right? Right? It was his fault, it was his fault Izuku was going to die. It was his fault! His fault! HIS FAULT!!
‘It’s your fault.’
What? His fault? What’s going on?
‘You’re the one that followed Touya. You’re the one that confessed your feelings to Midoriya. You’re the one that decided to make him worry in the first place. It’s your fault. You did this.’
No, none of this was his fault.
‘Stop lying to yourself. Midoriya is on a hospital bed dying because of you. He’s dying! Do you not understand? He’s dying, and it’s your fault!’
Shut up. Shut up. It’s not his fault. It can’t be his fault...Can it?
“Shouto? Hey Shouto, I need you to breathe for me. Calm down, come on, breathe.”
“Is it true?...Is Izuku dying?...”
Everything looked so dull in his eyes now like as if the colors were slowly being drained out of everything, just like the life slowly draining out of Izuku’s body. When he turned to look at Aizawa in the eyes, Shouto could see he was trying to avoid him too. Everyone was avoiding to look at him in the eyes now. He took in another deep breath as he tried to following regain his breathing, moving to sit normally on the bed like he was supposed to. Tears still fell down his face as he raised his hands to wipe them away, flinching when the needle to the IV tugged against his skin. The room was silent beside the heart monitor beeping a few times, and the muffled voices of doctors and nurses outside the room doing their work.
“He’s dying...Isn’t he?...”
“The doctors said-”
“I KNOW WHAT THE DOCTORS SAID!!....I just-It can’t be real. This can’t be real. He was supposed to stay with me. He promised. He promised. It’s all my fault.”
“Shouto, it’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself for something you-”
“IT’S MY FAULT!! DON’T YOU GET IT?! IT’S MY FAULT HE’S DYING!! IT’S MY FAULT ALL THIS HAPPENED!! IT’S MY FAULT!!”
“Shouto-”
“NO!! DON’T!! IT’S MY FAULT!! STOP SAYING IT’S NOT!! IT IS!!...It’s all my fault…”
“Sho-”
“It’s okay, Shouta. He’s just...overthinking things, and needs some time to think things through. Just give him time.”
Soon he started to tune everything out, staring at his hands with half lidded eyes not bothering to answer if they called his name. He was stuck in his thoughts all over again. The chains slowly were coming back to wrap themselves around his wrists to hold him back. The bright smiles of the freckled boy were replaced by images of a mangled body, barely letting out huffs of breath lying somewhere around Mutusafu. Such a thought made Shouto’s stomach twist, closing his eyes to try and think of something else, but the images only continued to form. A hand touched his shoulder causing him to flinch, and open his eyes to look right at red, tired eyes filled with worry as frost melted off his sheets soaking it wet. Aizawa gave him a look of understanding as his hands loosen their grip against the soaked sheets, letting them lay limp on his lap as he stared back down at his hands.
“I-I can go see him...right?”
“I don’t know if the doctors would let you since you’re still reco-”
“No, I don’t care if I’m still recovering. I...I need to see Izuku...I need to see it myself to know this is real...Please…”
“Ugh, fine. I’ll ask to see if you’ll be able to go, just relax for now, okay?”
Nodding his head slowly, Shouto glanced up a bit to watch the retreating form of his two guardians before looking back down at his hands to wait. Iida and the others must have left when he wasn’t paying attention, now the room felt more empty with the lack of voices and people. Half of his classmates were there to greet him, even Bakugou surprisingly, but he appreciated their presence nonetheless. They distracted him long enough before the realization of Izuku’s condition was told. Fuyumi would talk with one of her classmates, or with one of his guardians, mostly Hizashi since he was the social type. It felt like he never left the hospital in the first place as he sat on the bed listening to his classmates chattering than being stuck in some abandoned building for a week with nothing, but the screeching of the disfigured beings outside to keep him company most of the time. The door opened revealing a more tired Aizawa as one of the nurses comes in to help with the wires, and the IV attached to his arm.
“The doctors said it was fine to go visit, but we’ll be outside just in case you…”
“Just in case you need us buddy, okay?”
“Okay…”
Soon enough, he was off the bed onto his feet limping before taking the crutches the nurse was nice enough to provide for him. Shouto didn’t expect using crutches to be so difficult, but got the hang of it as they moved slowly down the hall towards the elevator to get to Izuku’s room. The walk was silent as Aizawa pressed the button to open the elevator, helping him walk in before pressing another button inside. Once the door opened, two doctors moved aside as he stepped out slowly, nodding towards them as a greeting limping slowly towards the room. What Shouto didn’t expect to see was Mrs.Midoriya sitting outside the room holding a tissue to her eyes as she wiped away tears. He stood there frozen, stuck between whether to say something or not, but she beat him to it before he could say anything.
“Shouto! I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect you to be here since you were still recovering, but it looks like you can walk about on your own now. I-Izuku is, um, he’s-”
“It’s okay, Mrs.Midoriya, I...I know, that’s why I’m here.”
Mrs.Midoriya froze before nodding quickly, wiping away newly formed tears making a shooing gesture to him towards the door. Shouto felt a ball of anxiety form in his stomach as he gripped the door handle tightly in his grasp, pausing for a brief moment before opening the door.
YOU ARE READING
Light In The Darkness
Fanfic"Mom...I know it's not right, but I can't do it anymore. The children, they're...like him more and more every day. And Shouto...his left side. Sometimes I look at him and hate what I see." Shouto drew closer, just enough for his left side to be seen...
