Finding Love Again

Chapter 8

Izuku awoke bright and early. The sun was barely peaking through the window. It was cold for a morning in Tsushima. He never felt cold like this before. He had an unsettling feeling as he looked at Shoto. Shoto wasn't moving and was sleeping so quietly he seemed like a stone. Izuku didn't know why he felt a wave of fear wash over him. He held onto the other just wanting to be close to him.

Shoto was ice cold and seemed to not be breathing. Izuku looked at him, and playfully slapped his ass. "Babe! Don't play around like that, honestly you're scaring me. " Izuku sighed. He laid his head back looking at Shoto. Izuku knew Shoto was a prankster, but he wasn't good at acting. This was out of Shoto's normal behavior. Izuku turned on the lamp letting the dim light fill the room. "Babe, seriously this isn't funny. Babe? Shoto!"He shook him.

When Shoto didn't move or respond as Izuku panicked. He reached over and picked up their clothes off the floor. He was lucky they weren't too far away. He got Shoto and himself dressed the best he could. Izuku was pretty strong with his upper body, but, with his lower half being utterly useless there was not much he could do. Izuku knew something was wrong, he soon realized Shoto wasn't playing games. He reached for his phone calling for an ambulance.

As Izuku waited for an ambulance he could feel his memories flooding back. He knew he had to remain calm. He rolled Shoto over onto his back. He laid his head on Shoto's chest listening to his heart. Memories flashed through his head.

Shoto was staring at a plastic heart in the glass frame at a health museum. "Shoto is something wrong?" Izuku's voice echoed faintly. "No everything is fine. I'm just tired"Shoto whispered rubbing his hand on his chest.

Izuku and Shoto were sitting on the board walk. A booth on heart diseases and cancers was near the food court. Shoto turned pale as he turned away "I'm sorry I don't feel hungry anymore. "

Izuku and Shoto were going home, when they passed by the hospital. A woman was crying so Shoto went to her. "My husband needs a heart. He's dying"She sobbed. Shoto held her close looking at the ground gravely. "I'm sure they will find one ma'am."

All those memories he had with Shoto. How could he not see the signs? Perhaps it was heart failure, or something far worse. He felt his heart drop to his stomach. How could have been so selfish? He heard the paramedics outside, but he couldn't move to unlock the door. One of the paramedics crawled through the kitchen window, they unlocked the front door, then ran upstairs. Two more ran in with a stretcher.

Izuku couldn't barely think, as tears ran down his cheeks. The paramedics immediately put an oxygen mask on Shoto before putting him on the stretcher. They rushed Shoto to the ambulance. Another paramedic helped Izuku into the ambulance and rushed them to the hospital. Izuku held Shoto's hand while he watched the heart monitor slowly flatline.

The paramedics immediately rushed Shoto into the emergency side as soon as they reached the hospital. Izuku stayed behind tears rolling down his cheeks. "Please. Please be ok Shoto I need you. I really need you."He cried. He couldn't think, everything happened so fast. He seemed fine the previous night. Did Shoto over do it? Izuku gasped as he began blaming himself.

He called his mom. It was the only thing he could do at this moment. He called her a few times before she finally picked up. Her usual cheerful voice was groggy, her tone screamed that she was pissed off. "Izuku. It is 5 in the morning, why are you calling?" Inko groaned. Izuku could barely speak as a small sob escaped. Inko suddenly sat up "Izuku what's wrong? Are you in pain? What's going on?"

"Mama. I'm at the hospital. Shoto he...he wasn't breathing. I-I-I don't know what happened."Izuku broke down, his hands shaking so bad he nearly dropped the phone. "Ok honey, I'll be right there. Just keep talking to me if you need. "Inko got up. She didn't care that she was only in a tank top, and sweats.

She got in her van, and started driving to the hospital. She kept Izuku on the phone trying to calm him. Izuku kept pinching his arm wishing it was a nightmare. The thought of losing the love of his life, shattered him. He could barely contain himself, he was terrified. Inko arrived at the hospital 5 minutes later and ran to her son. "Shh, I'm here baby"She held his head gently in her hands. She kissed the top of his head, breathing in the soft scent of his strawberry shampoo.

Izuku clung to her, sobbing into her chest. "Mama. I can't ...I can't lose him"His voice breaking. Inko held her son close "I know he's gonna pull through." Hours went by, but, it felt like an eternity. Soon a doctor walked over to Izuku, her voice gentle but filled with remorse. "Are you Izuku Midoriya?" She asked calmly. Her red hair was short and in a bun, her freckles hidden by her glasses. She was kind of chubby, but her appearance was still healthy.

Izuku looked at her, his body trembling. "Yes. Yes that's me." She sighed and looked at her clipboard "I'm doctor Rosa Glades. I'm the top cardiologist in the country. I'm sad to say that Shoto needs a new heart. I can't say how much time he has left. It pains me to say this, but I don't think he will live another month. "

Izuku turned pale, the words he didn't want to hear were being said. He snapped "You're lying!! Let me talk to someone else!!" She shook her head "We are doing everything we can to find a donor." Izuku growled "How long has he been waiting for a new heart!?" Dr. Glades looked at him, her gaze darkening. "He's been waiting 6 months. It's not easy finding a donor that matches."

Izuku cried softly "He's been suffering for 6 months. He didn't tell me! I saw the signs but I didn't process them! I ignored them because I was selfish! Please! You must find him a heart!" Izuku felt like his world was falling apart. Why? Why wouldn't Shoto tell him? He suddenly remembered the times Shoto tried to tell him. He felt the room spin as he gripped his head. He wasn't about to lose Shoto.

Inko stood slowly and pulled Dr. Glades aside. She talked to her for a long time. Izuku was barely able to hear anything, his head hurt, his thoughts screaming out for clarity. Just one more minute with him. Just one more hour. One more day. Shoto needs more time. He didn't deserve to be suffering. The simple words his dad told him before he died echoed through his mind.

"If you love something, never let it go."