Katsuki Noumu (Krbk)

Pt9. Malady

Katsuki woke around noon the next day, a nurse telling him he was discharged now. She removed the chords and syringes that monitored his vitals. "Your uncle is waiting for you in the lobby, change and you can go," she said, placing clean clothes on the corner of the bed and leaving.

He takes a few deep breaths after she's gone, just staring at the blank ceiling.

He's troubled, not that it's anything new really, but he knows he's messed up quite a bit recently. So even more troubled than usual.

He hears his phone go off and leans over to the bedside table to reach it, feeling his stitches pull at the movement. It's from his uncle, 'hurry up, kid. I'm not gonna wait in this lobby all day.'

Katsuki sends a quick response before getting out of the scentless hospital bed. He took off the plain blue shirt and elastic-banded pants he had been put in the night before and found himself looking at the stitched up puncture wounds. He frowns, his skin is weirdly puckered and pulled closed in those places and seemed like they were already healing (which only made it look grosser.)

With a sigh, he ignores it, they're not the only scars he has and he's sure they won't be the last he'll get. He puts his new clothes on easily and leaves the hospital room with his phone in his back pocket.

Satsuki stands from his chair when he sees the blond approaching. "Hey, kid," he says and puts his hand on his shoulder gently as they begin walking out. "How're you feelin' today?"

Katsuki shrugs. "I'd be better if I'd slept in my own bed last night," he groans.

"Oh? Hospital mattress feel like a rock, then?"

"Yeah."

Satsuki shakes his head with an amused grin, as they get close to the car he lets go of the boy. Once they're seated, he doesn't pull out of the parking lot right away and keeps his hands on the wheel, thinking.

"Satsuki? You still with us?," Katsuki said, looking at him from the passenger seat.

"Listen."

Katsuki flinches, his uncle rarely, almost never, takes on such a serious tone. Not with him at least.

"I was going easy on you yesterday," he says and turns to him. Katsuki's nervous, just a bit. "'Cause your friend was there and you needed time to relax after all that had happened."

Katsuki nods. "So, what are you saying?" He's finding himself being cautious like he is around Masaru, though, less so.

"You were stupid, Katsuki," he says and his face not wavering, this wasn't some joke or playful banter that the two of them usually shared. Katsuki swallowed, his eyes locked onto his uncle's and didn't dare to look away. "I went easy on you yesterday like I always do, because I know you're already beating yourself up about it. But you need to hear it from someone you trust. You screwed up, firing your gun and using your quirks in front of someone outside of our circle. It's the most reckless thing I've ever seen you do."

Katsuki's heart is pounding and he nearly thinks it's a dream. But he believes every word, so why wouldn't it be real? He finally tears his eyes away and looks down to the floorboard. "I know,.." he says.

"Katsuki, I don't want to make you feel worse, God knows that's not what I want. You just really shouldn't have taken action in that parking lot, even if Masaru was-"

"He attacked," Katsuki breaks in, stealing the mic. He looks back to his uncle, "he attacked us. I was trying to get Kirishima out of there when he showed up, besides..." he pauses. "I didn't know it was him that killed her."