In the back of her mind she hatched a plan.

Once she was sure Izuku was fine on his own- he'd settled down to play video games- she slipped out under the pretense of running errands. A different nurse had called to let here know there were complications with Shouta's skull fracture, and that he'd need to be held overnight for observation. Checkout was set for late afternoon, so she thought she might have time.

She set a few things out on the counter and left a note for Izuku in case he needed something urgently. They were always well stocked on medical supplies, and she'd written Toshinori's number down in case there was a more UA-related emergency. Inko was a worrier. And she worried that Izuku might not 'bounce back' as well emotionally as Recovery Girl had estimated. Somebody like Toshinori could help him. He'd seen the full spectrum of Hero life, and he seemed to take a liking to Izuku at school. It would be fine.

She hoped it would be. The train was quiet, as was the walk to the front desk at QHC General. Inko was informed that Midnight had stepped out and Shouta was resting, but she could see him. Room 428. She walked the halls mechanically in search of the door. Once, she would've had a clipboard and lab coat and a good idea of where she was. Not that it was difficult to find 428.

It was much harder to breathe. As a former doctor, Inko knew what every chart, every blip on the monitor, every tube, every bandage crisscrossing her friend's face meant. She could tell at a glance the level of medication, the various supports, and the utter agony Shouta had to be in when he was awake.

But he wasn't. And that was almost worse.

Inko crept up to the bedside. Shouta was breathing on his own and that was a good sign. Despite being utterly swaddled in bandages, it did look like the worst of it was over. There were no bulky casts or wires suspending limbs. He was on the road to recovery. But it didn't mean he was 'fixed'. She knew the difference.

"Shouta, it's me." She said softly. People were remarkable- the human body attuned to surroundings in ways the conscious mind didn't often grasp- and this person perhaps more so. Shouta had taken all this hurt for his students. What had Izuku said? Even after fighting far too many villains, he had still come to their aid?

His head and arms were both heavily bandaged. Inko knew better than to make any contact there. While it might be normal to hold someone's hand in recovery, in this case it would probably do more harm than good. She placed a feather-light hand on his shoulder, free and clear of the damage. Still, she was careful.

"I owe you a debt I can't repay. You saved my son. And while you may have put me as your CC thinking you'd never need to call, you great fool of a man, I'm going to do everything I can to help you get better. Even if I have to come up to the school myself to make sure you-"

Someone knocked on the door. Inko turned quickly, thinking it might be Midnight. The door slid open a crack and it was a student. Inko recognized the frog girl from the open house- very sweet parents- but had trouble placing her name. Tsu, Izuku said? Was that short for something?

The girl's eyes widened. "I'm sorry- ribbit." She said. "I didn't know anyone was here. I'll leave."

"No, wait!" This was the child Shouta had saved, besides her son. She deserved to be here. "It's alright. I'm Izuku's mother. You can come in. He's… resting."

The frog girl held one hand on the doorknob a moment before entering. It looked like she had hurried out to visit the hospital as well, wearing casual clothes and looking fairly nervous.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, Mrs. Midoriya. Izuku told us about how you and Mister Aizawa were friends." Her eyes caught on the bed and the conversation effectively lulled. Even to a civilian eye, he looked horrible. Inko could only wonder what the poor girl thought.

She placed a hand on the young lady's shoulder, momentarily forgetting her own grief. "I've talked to a few doctors- and I was a doctor once myself if that means anything- and his prognosis is good. By all reports he should be fine, although it will take him a while to heal up and regain his normal stamina."

The student took this in quietly, scanning her teacher with those large, inquisitive eyes.

"If I hadn't been so scared-…" She started, sniffling. "If I hadn't been scared, I could've moved before the villain got to me. Th-then Mister Aizawa wouldn't have had to use his quirk again, and then the villains wouldn't have-… they wouldn't have had to-…"

Inko patted the girl's shoulder. There seemed to be so little comfort to provide. What did you tell someone with survivor's guilt, even when it only meant 'surviving' unscathed?

"Not to be rude, sweetheart, but it's no good thinking like that." Inko looked down at her brave, reckless, selfless friend lying in the hospital bed. "Even if you could go back and change it, who knows what would've happened? But at the same time, you know something now you didn't know before."

Inko thought back to her youth, when she was young and frightened by the world. In some ways, she was still that scared teenager fretting about whether the coast was clear enough to cross the street. What this young lady had to be dealing with was unimaginable.

"It turned out better than it could have this time. And if there's ever a next time, you can use this to help you." Inko sighed. "I know it's all just words, but I don't think he would want you to worry either. He'd probably say something sarcastic like 'well then don't do that anymore' and move on."

The girl gave Inko a gurgling laugh through tears. She was painfully aware how young this class was, and how traumatic this experience was for them.

"Thank you, Mrs. Midoriya." She wiped her eyes with one of those big froggy hands and turned to look at Inko. "I don't like being scared, but I think he was more scared. For us. If it hadn't been for him and Thirteen and All Might…"

Thoughtless of whether or not Izuku would be embarrassed if he were here, Inko pulled his classmate into a hug. This poor girl had seen too much as well. This was a tragedy that could haunt these students for the rest of their lives. At least it hadn't ended worse.

"Thank you." The young lady said again earnestly. "But I should go. I snuck out of the house to come here. My parents won't be happy if they find out."

"Are you alright to get home? Do you need someone to go with you?" Inko looked around for where she had dropped her purse in clumsy haste.

"It's alright. I'm friends with the train officials- ribbit." She gave Inko an odd smile. "They make sure I'm safe when I have to run errands when my parents are out of town. It'll be fine, I promise."

Inko bit her lip, glanced back at Shouta, and let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. She turned back to her son's friend and smiled.

"Then we'll both get a chance to say hello." It's what Shouta would want. It was her first instinct as a mother. Whatever was in store for her friend tonight, he had his Pro contact watching over him. This young lady was in need of a chaperone home.

And Inko… Inko had to get back home to her son. He needed her now most of all. This young lady Tsu had been in desperate need of someone to talk to. She needed to open up, unburden herself of the guilt that no doubt came with being a target. Hopefully, she'd be able to discuss with the other students and they could all benefit from the experience.

But that was going to have to wait a minute. Right now, Inko was busy running face-first into an opening door.

"I am h- Oh, crap!"

"All Might!"

Inko staggered back from the doorway. She didn't know if her brain was stuttering to a halt from the shock, or if Tsu had really just said 'All Might'. The encounter went from bad to embarrassing as a very large hand steadied her shoulder. Oh yes. She'd been worried about her first impression before, but this just sealed it. No way All Might would take her seriously after walking into a door! Oh poor Izuku- why did he have to have such an embarrassing mother?

"I'm- I'm sorry, All Might, I wasn't w-watching-…"

"Just like a Midoriya to apologize where they have no fault!" All Might said, in what may have been an attempt to diffuse the situation. He gestured with a very hideous bouquet of flowers before he realized he was dropping petals all over the floor. Quickly he switched gears. "I should have been more observant! I could have caused you or Miss Asui greater injury!"

Inko had acclimated to the sheer terror and tried to find her voice again. "It's really n-no worry… We were j-just leaving! He's- Mister Eraserhead is still sleeping." No need to call him 'Shouta' in front of his student… and colleague, after what happened last time.

"Ah! I see. Ahem…" All Might seemed nervous. It would have been comical were it not for the circumstance. "Young Asui, would you mind giving Mrs. Midoriya and I a moment?"

Tsu- Asui? nodded and retreated into the hall. For whatever reason, it was just her and All Might. And Shouta. But he'd better be asleep or she was going to kill him.

"Mrs. Midoriya…" He started again. "I would like to apologize not only for… just now, but also about the USJ incident. If it weren't for my-…. Needlessly busy schedule that morning, I would have been in time to prevent anyone from being injured."

Inko could sweat she went white as a sheet. All Might? Apologizing for his busy schedule? She could slap him, had she not just been hit with a door. And were she not more than a foot short of his face.

"Mr. All Might, no offense, but I'm tired of talking people out of survivor's guilt." She said with all the courage she could muster. "It's not your fault villains attacked! Just-just like it's not the victim's fault for being mugged on the street. Or a bank's fault for being robbed. So-…so please stop thinking that way!"

She straightened up to her full height, still trembling. "I-I'll take Miss Asui home and tell Izuku you said hello." With that she walked out the door, light-headed from the sheer stress of it all.

Her footsteps faded down the hallway and All Might stood there in shock. That is, until the silence was broken by a hoarse but exuberant laugh.

"You-you-… you hit her with the door!" The bandage-buried patient was shaking- coughing with undisguised glee. "Oh, I wish I could see the look on your face."

"Aizawa! You cad!"