Drabble Ten: Repair

It's not like she was acting unusual or something, but out of all the times they bumped into each other, she would make small talks and he would reply promptly. The atmosphere between them turned almost awkward and frosty, though maybe that was just Midorima. (It was also partly the reason why he did not mention her forgotten test at all - he was not prompted. But again, Midorima does not need prompting. He doesn't. He really don't.)

He had went home (and his OCD activated) and corrected all the answers for the test with a horrendous score (it's not OCD, nanodayo). He took it as extra revision (it really was, trust him) for Biology. After all, one can never be too good at something...

(...except perhaps basketball, but that's a different story.)

Now, he roamed the hallways, trying to find the girl who had stupidly yet genuinely forgot to retrieve her test from him. (Did she even realise she left it with him?) Just like Oha-Asa predicted his good luck for the day (as Cancer was ranked fifth), he caught the edges of long wavy brown hair turning a corner at the second floor of the main building.

Midorima speed-walked to catch up, the test clutched in his hand and the other holding a toy rabbit (that he did not nick from his sister's room).

He turned the corner, puzzled to see that there was no one but a dead end and windows to meet him. He looked at the only door by the hallway - recognising it as what leads to the infirmary. (Unless she jumped out of the window in that five seconds Midorima took to catch up.)

(But why?)

He pushed away that little thought, opting to try the infirmary when he heard two thuds, one louder than the other. His heart quickened - (had her clumsiness finally got her in deep trouble - even in the safe confines of an infirmary?)

And he slid the door open.

"Inou - " his eyes widened.

A wheeled office chair lay on the floor, its wheels still rolling with whatever kinetic energy it had retained before the air molecules would eventually slow them to a stop. She lay there limply, half-curled up in a ball, whimpering weakly. Something - something was wrong with the picture -

"Inoue?" He spoke, and she cracked an eye open. He realised what was wrong - a trail of blood trickling down from her head, some brown strands already dyed a deeper shade of magenta.

Panic seized him and the test dropped from his hand, the plush toy retained only by an inch of its ear.

"Inoue? Can you hear me?" He immediately crouched down by her head, dropping his lucky item at the side, his medical knowledge running loops around his mind.

She clutched her head tightly, brown strands getting tangled in her fingers.

"Hurts..." She breathed out.

"Okay," Midorima replied calmly, that was the expected answer, he told himself, "can you stand?"

She nodded a little, wincing. He watched as the girl forced herself into the sitting position, and he helped her to the nearest bed where she collapsed with a pant.

Just where is the nurse? Midorima thought irritably as he checked the weekly schedule pasted to the table at the side, frowning in contemplative silence as he spotted that it is lunch time for the nurse.

...should he?

Midorima made his way back to the girl. "Let me see it," he asked, inspecting the cut on her forehead. It was not too deep, so there's no hurry then... (He had no idea where the medical supplies were anyway. It's not like he wanted to help her or something, but it's common courtesy to at least try, nanodayo.)

"You might want to lie down," he suggested, going to the entrance to retrieve his lucky item and the test, sliding the door close.

She smiled weakly in reply. "Do I have to? It's just a small cut..."

He gave the fallen chair a pointed look.

The smile turned sheepish. "And a trip over the edge of the chair."

(It is truly a skill.)

Straightening the chair, he fixed his glasses. "Dummy," he grumbled out softly without bite, catching the time on the clock, seeing that it was near the end of lunch break. She didn't seem to hear it, too preoccupied with the pain it seems.

"I should get back soon," he said as he walked to the side of her bed. She was quick to reply.

"Ah, yes! Yes, you should, Midorima-kun. Sorry for troubling you..." She trailed off. Midorima just let out a small huff, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He placed the corrected test on the sidetable.

"You forgot this," Midorima said. Her eyes widened at the test, like she had just received a surprise present for Christmas. He went on his way to the door when she had no reply, only a slight gawk and long stare at the paper.

Then, recalling what their last proper conversation entailed...

"Inoue," he started, successfully catching her attention.

"Y-You're not...hard to...talk to," he muttered quickly under his breath, before escaping the room faster than one could say 'basketball'.