"As you can see just behind me, this is where the Keihin confrontation between heroes with the Edgeshot agency and villains from the Mamushi group occurred just four days ago," A young woman wearing a turtleneck dress spoke with confidence on the television screen, "They still have the area cordoned off as residual particles may still be present from Viper's poisonous gas. Authorities have released a statement saying that while Viper was able to escape, they believe that the clues left behind in the warehouse further behind me will be able to help them bring this wanted criminal to justice."

"And that is the latest from our ground crew in Keihin," The screen switched to another woman sitting at the same silver desk that Mina recognized from four days ago, "There is still no official word from the Edgeshot agency on the condition of Uravity, the gravity manipulation hero that single-handedly took down Constrictor, a high profile villain with a death toll of well over twenty. The latest update we received from her family was that she is still considered in critical condition. From all of us here in the studio and on the streets, we wish her all the best and look forward to her return to hero work." She nodded her head in recognition at the screen before flipping a page on her desk, "Now for the weather forecast."

Mina groaned loudly and slid down in her chair. She felt like she'd made this sofa chair her second home over the last four days. The sounds of hospital announcements rang in the background and she stared around the room at all the people that had spent the majority of their time here since Keihin. She caught sight of Uraraka's parents coming down the hallway from Uraraka's hospital room. They looked tired and stressed and she felt for them.

"Hey," A familiar voice grunted before falling into the chair beside her. "How are you holding up?"

Mina glanced to her left to see Kirishima flopped haphazardly in the chair beside her. He also looked tired and stressed. "I can't lie to you… Not great." She patted the red-head's arm. "How's our favorite hot-head?"

Kirishima huffed a sigh, "Same as yesterday. I found him sleeping at his desk this morning." The red-head finally straightened in the light green sofa chair and seemed to tense. "He literally won't listen to a single word I say."

"I know," Mina breathed out softly. "That guy is taking this way too far."

Kirishima grunted and stared down as he clasped his agitated hands in his lap, "He'll never forgive himself if she dies. He'll kill himself trying to bring Viper in." He scrunched his eyebrows at his hands, "I've tried everything, Mina. Literally everything. He won't even acknowledge me."

"I know," Mina breathed and rolled her head over the back of the chair. She reached her hands over the top of her head to stretch her aching shoulders and her eyes landed on a green-haired man that was slumped in a chair that was on the edge of the hallway toward Uraraka's hospital room. "Midoriya is just as bad."

Kirishima snorted at her comment, "Wonder why."

Mina reflexively slapped Kirishima's chest, "Shut the hell up!" She leaned her head over the arm of the chair so she could whisper to him, "He'll hear you, Kirishima. He's already taking this harder than Bakugo."

The red-head turned his eyes on the pink girl harshly but spoke with a hushed tone, "You can't be serious right now, Mina." He turned his gaze onto a Deku that looked utterly broken. "Yeah, he looks bad but Bakugo is literally working himself to death."

"Look at him, Kirishima," Mina tried to subtly indicate toward the man that was their topic of conversation, "I'll give you that Bakugo is working himself to death, but you can't argue with the fact that Deku is putting the entire blame for this on himself. I'm genuinely worried about him."

A nurse came from the hallway that Deku was stationed near and she cast a worried look down on the man that seemed crumpled up in the green hospital chair. Mina nodded her head at the one-sided interaction, "Looks like I'm not the only one who feels that way."

"Whatever," Kirishima muttered, his mind somewhere else. "Is there any news on Uraraka?"

Mina shook her head solemnly, "I wish there was. They still won't tell us anything."

"What about from her parents?" Kirishima saw the couple standing at the nurse's station. They'd been flown in by the Edgeshot agency the same night that Uraraka had been admitted to the hospital. Uraraka's mother was always crying and it never failed to break Kirishima's heart. The hospital waiting room had been chock full of people ever since. Everyone from high school had made an appearance, U.A. teachers brought flowers, and a bunch of Uraraka's old coworkers had stopped by as well.

Mina shook her head, "I don't think they know any more than we do."

"At least they're able to see her," Kirishima mumbled frustratedly. He hadn't seen Uraraka since he had collapsed with her in his arms in front of a bunch of medical personnel heroes that had arrived on the scene of the Keihin battle shortly after Bakugo had left them.

"I'm sure she's in bad shape," Mina breathed. "It's probably to help keep the media blackout."

"Yeah," Kirishima agreed with a shortened tone, "But we're her best friends!"

Mina ignored Kirishima's griping because she'd seen a few familiar faces come around the corner from the elevators. "Guys!" She smiled and waved.

Todoroki seemed stoic as ever when his eyes fell on the disheveled Deku. Asui's gaze soon followed and she patted Yaoyorozu's arm and pointed. Momo looked shocked and she elbowed Todoroki hard before dragging him along with her to squat in front of Deku.

Asui let the pair comfort their green-haired friend, opting to head Mina and Kirishima's way instead. "Hey guys," Her tongue poked out from the side of her mouth as she waved a hello. "Deku doesn't look good, does he?"

"We were just talking about it," Mina hushed her tone and sat up in her chair, gesturing to the one beside her. "Come sit with us."

Asui nodded and took the offered seat, "Where's Bakugo?"

Kirishima snorted and shook his head, "Working."

"Really?" Asui glanced at her phone's lock screen, "It's eight at night on a friday. Why is he still at work?"

Kirishima looked miffed, "You know how he is." The red-head tilted his head away from the pair of women and rested his chin on the palm of his hand.

Asui caught Mina casting a sad look at their male counterpart and the frog hero felt herself peak with confusion. The last time she'd spoken with Uraraka, she was under the impression that Bakugo was harboring quite the crush on her floaty friend and it was clearly reciprocated. "Has he come to visit the hospital at all?"

Both the man and woman that Asui was seated with were completely silent and they seemed to avoid eye contact with her at all costs. "Guys," Asui pressed with a questioning tone, "What's going on?"

"Asui," Kirishima spoke in a low but clear tone, "Bakugo is working through something right now. He'll join us when he's ready."

Asui sat still for a moment as she mulled over Kirishima's reply but eventually she slowly nodded her head and didn't press the issue any further. "Is there any news?"

"Nope," Both Mina and Kirishima murmured but Mina is the one who carried on to say, "We still don't know anything. I really hope that she'll be alright."

"Uraraka is a fighter," Asui shrugged, "She'll pull through. She always does."

The frog girl's simple response seemed to lighten the gloomy mood between the three heroes. Kirishima lifted his face out of his hand and Mina finally pushed herself to sit in her chair upright again. The conversation seemed to hit an awkward stage where nobody knew how to respond but Asui reached for her purse and smiled at everyone in the waiting room, "I brought some cards, who wants to play a game? I think we all need to lighten up a bit."

Everyone in the room seemed to glance at each other for approval but Yaoyorozu was the first to speak, "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Asui. I'll play!"

"Oi."

The call went unanswered as Bakugo blinked his eyes hard to focus on the open folder in front of him. It was the latest intelligence report he'd received from the ground crew in Keihin. The folder was full of photographs from the crime scene but he seemed stuck on one photo in particular. There was an evidence photo marked exhibit 44 that showed Uraraka's helmet from her costume. It was smashed underneath a long sheet of concrete and the earpiece was snapped in two as it poked out from the edge of the concrete. His stomach flipped at the sight and he felt sick as he crumpled it in his hand.

"Oi!" The call came again but remained unanswered.

The blonde reached up his hand to rub his forehead and his palm covered his eyes. How the fuck did he manage to let Viper escape? The scene replayed over and over in his mind and then it played once again for good measure. It was an unending, self-tormenting cycle.

"Bakugo!" The voice was sharp as a blade and Bakugo felt a flick of pain against his right shoulder.

"What the fuck do you want?!" The self-loathing hero snapped and dropped his hand to turn angry eyes on his unwelcome guest.

Edgeshot was halfway unwoven as he seemed to float beside Bakugo, one of his tendrils had flicked Bakugo moments before. "Go home."

"No," The blonde replied with a short tone. "I'll go home when the job is done."

Edgeshot hovered for a moment as he watched one of his best employees turn a tired gaze back to the folder splayed across the desk. "It's not a suggestion. It's an order."

"I said no," Bakugo snapped with a little more bite in his tone. He subconsciously reached up to rub his left eye and run a hand through his hair that was losing its perky spikes in place of droopy flatness. "I'm not done yet."

Edgeshot slowly weaved himself back together until he was standing beside the blonde's desk. The top-ranking hero sighed heavily and circled around to sit in Bakugo's guest chair that was opposite the blonde. "I know how this feels," The hero started as he leaned into the back of the chair and attempted to catch Bakugo's gaze, "You're blaming yourself for Uraraka's condition. We have all been there, Bakugo. It comes with the job."

The explosion hero ignored the other man and glared hard as he discreetly hid the photo of Uraraka's broken helmet in his cargo pants pocket. He grit his teeth and decided against a reply.

"Capturing Viper isn't going to fix her, Bakugo." Edgeshot cocked his head and stared hard at the blonde. "She's fighting for her life right now and you haven't clocked out in four days. You haven't even taken off your costume. Don't you think you need to go and support her?"

"Stop." Bakugo breathed and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Why?" Edgeshot held out this hands questioningly. "What's the point in working this hard? What is so important about capturing Viper that it trumps her recovery?"

The blonde slammed a closed fist on the top of his desk and breathed out a shaky breath, his left hand covering his eyes. "I… I can't go see her until the job is done. I have to bring that son of bitch in myself if I don't kill him in the process."

Edgeshot was silent for a very long time as he looked at the subtly quivering blonde. He seemed to consider his options before speaking again, "We captured Cameo and Constrictor is dead. That's a huge win. Sure, it would have been the best case scenario to capture Viper as well, but we can't always have our cake and eat it too. That's the way the world of heroism works, Bakugo."

"I know that!" Bakugo snapped and raised his voice. "If that fucking dipshit Deku hadn't intruded on the fight, none of this would have ever happened!" The blonde suddenly rose from his desk chair and turned his back to Edgeshot as he glowered through the window at the city that was now cloaked in darkness. "I have to finish this. I have to be the one to bring that fucking noodle-neck in. I… I promised…"

Edgeshot sighed deeply and watched Bakugo's fists clench and unclench a few times. His eyes fell to the grenadiers that were toppled behind the desk and he saw the scorch marks lining the sides. If the state of his costume and his person were any indication of the unresolved turmoil in the blonde hero's mind, then it was Edgeshot's responsibility to prevent it from surfacing in a way that could harm the agency as a whole.

"You need to rest, Bakugo." The top-ranking pro leaned forward in his chair to rest his elbows on his knees. "I cannot allow you to remain at work any longer. You're becoming a liability. You need a good night of rest, a good meal, and some time to recover from a traumatic experience."

"I'm fine!" Bakugo turned suddenly, his red eyes sparking with betrayal. "I can handle this shit!"

"No," Edgeshot stood up and shook his head, "I'm calling an audible on this, Bakugo. You will go home and rest. I'm also going to require you to get a psychological examination before returning to work again. You need to learn how to cope."

"That's such bullshit!" Bakugo tensed and felt his hands asking for an excuse to spark. "I'm not leaving!"

Edgeshot crossed his arms, "This is not a request, Bakugo. You will take at minimum two weeks of rest as well. You need to recuperate. You can leave this case in the capable hands of the agency. It's your turn to take a break."

Bakugo felt his heart surge to his throat, "Edgeshot-"

"Stop it, Bakugo." Edgeshot held up a hand. "Keep it up if you want, but I'll only make it harder for you to return to work." He met Bakugo's pleading gaze, "I'm sorry to do this, but you have a lot that you haven't processed yet. You need to take some time."

The blonde shook his head and hid his expression behind his hair, "I promised… I promised Uraraka that I'd finish this for her. I can't leave now. Not when I haven't been able to do that one thing."

Edgeshot's face didn't hint at the pity he was harboring for Bakugo's situation, he simply began gathering up the folder of photos on the desk. "There is no shame in taking a little time to rest and start fresh. I'm sorry to do this, but I can't let you continue like this."

Bakugo felt like a stone had been dropped on his chest as he locked eyes with his serious boss. The unspoken words that passed between them made Bakugo realize that no argument would change Edgeshot's mind. The blonde suddenly felt tired and defeated as he grit his teeth and snatched his grenadiers off the ground to shove them into his duffel bag. "Whatever," He grumbled and let a quiet string of curses leave his lips as he stormed out of his office, kicking the door on his way out.

The entire journey out of the building felt like a blur as he grappled with the reality that he couldn't do any hero work whatsoever for two weeks at the minimum. But that wasn't the worst part of his predicament. Now he had all the time in the world to think about Uraraka. He'd managed to push her situation out of his head for four days now and not thinking about it is exactly what he wanted.

Kirishima had tried to talk to him about it several times all week long but Bakugo had pretty much ignored him outright. Bakugo couldn't bear to even think about her smile because the image of her smiling at him with a bloody mouth and clouded eyes would always take over his mind. He could still feel her fingertips in his hair and he could still smell the sweet smell of her hair when he kissed her forehead. It was literally eating him from the inside out.

Now he had ample time to do nothing but sit around and regret. It was an unbreakable curse.

He knew that everyone was basically standing guard for her at the hospital but the blonde couldn't bring himself to join them. They were all just sitting around and waiting on her to get better but he knew himself well enough to know that he couldn't do the same. At least he was able to distract himself at work but that was no longer an option. Bakugo also knew that Deku would be at the hospital and the blonde knew that he wouldn't be able to prevent himself from hurting the green-haired asshat if they crossed paths. Bakugo was done letting Uraraka down so he'd stay away from the hospital for her sake.

When the blonde finally pushed open the agency doors and exited to the street, his eyes fell on a man and woman before he saw anything else. The man had a camera hoisted onto his shoulder while the woman was talking and laughing with him. Bakugo quickly averted his eyes and began a brisk walk away, praying they wouldn't see him. Unfortunately, his luck had completely run out for the day.

"Ground Zero!" The man called suddenly and he began to give chase, the woman hurrying ahead of him.

"Ground Zero!" It was the woman's voice now and she had nearly caught up to the hero. "Could you please provide a comment on the Keihin encounter?" She caught up to the hero and waved to the camera man to hurry up. She pointed her microphone at the blonde but when he didn't reply, she brought it back to her lips, "What about Uravity? Are there any updates on her condition? Will she make a full recovery?"

Bakugo sneered at the reporter and glared at her with a fury he couldn't put into words, "Fuck off."

The woman ignored him and pressed on as she tried to keep up her pace beside the fast moving blonde, "Are there any leads on the whereabouts of Viper?" She cocked her head as she finally observed the state of Bakugo's person, "Have you been working non-stop?"

"I said fuck off!" Bakugo snapped at her and glared daggers at the camera man. "I'm not going to answer any of your fucking questions. Leave me the hell alone."

"Can you at least provide a comment on Uravity's condition?" The journalist pressed hard and shoved the microphone closer to Bakugo. "There has been no word from her family or the Edgeshot agency. You're her partner, are you not?"

"I'm not," He snapped. "We went into that fight together by chance." His nerves frayed as he realized he'd just answered one of her questions. "This is over." He shoved away the microphone and adjusted his duffel bag.

The reporter waved off the camera man and indicated for him to turn it off, "Off the record?" She put the microphone down. "Will she be alright?"

"Look," Bakugo stopped to turn the full fury of his gaze directly on her, "I don't fucking know and I don't fucking care. All I know is that Viper is still out there and I'm going to fucking get that asshole. Leave me the hell alone before I blow you across Tokyo." He sneered at them before turning away and mumbling, "Fucking pests."

"Geez," The reporter muttered and crossed her arms, "What a jerk." She turned to the camera man, "Did you get any of that?"

Bakugo willed his tired body to hurry down the sidewalk. An exhaustion was taking over him and he still had a long walk home. He stopped to wave down a cab, figuring it would be the better option.

"Hey," The woman reappeared beside him as he tried to flag down a taxi, "Everyone is worried about Uravity, so I'm sorry for pushing it so hard. We all just want to know if she's going to be alright."

Bakugo ignored her and felt a spike of annoyance that was brimming on actual anger. He finally managed to catch the attention of a cab driver and was satisfied to see the car making its way toward him.

"She did a heroic thing," The reporter tried to get Bakugo to look her way, "And so did you. We're not trying to annoy you, we're just trying to inform the public."

"Well you're annoying me and fuck the public," Bakugo snapped harshly. "Get lost, extra."

"It must be nice to be such a jerk to everyone you meet," She commented back dryly. "But I'm not so easy to get rid of."

The cab pulled up to the curb and Bakugo popped open the door to toss his duffel bag in, "Listen lady," He rested his forearm on the top of the open door, "I don't give a fuck what you think of me. If you really want the full story, ask her fucking stupid-ass boyfriend. Not me." The blonde jeered at the woman one last time before climbing into the back of the cab and slamming the door shut. He glared at her through the window as the driver pulled away.

He mulled over the encounter from his place in the backseat. He felt a semblance of satisfaction at the fact that the reporter called Uraraka by her hero name. He hadn't really thought about 'the public' that much since the fight on Monday night but as he whipped out his phone to check the news, he was surprised to see that the fight was still on every front page.

"Uravity Still Fighting for Life": Sources close to the Keihin Heroine say

Viper on the Loose while Uravity Condition is still Unknown

URAVITY: The Origins of the Keihin Heroine - Who is she and where did she come from?

Unseen and Unheard - Where is Ground Zero and Uravity days after Keihin incident?

Deku puts America on hold: "I'm staying for Uravity" American source confirms

Bakugo grit his teeth as he scrolled through the headlines and stopped on a screen-grab of himself fighting Viper after he'd left Uraraka with Kirishima. Keihin had been his greatest failure as a hero and he reflected on the ending of the fight.

Deku had given chase as the Mamushi leader began his escape. Bakugo had caught up to them while Deku tried to find a good opening to smash him. The blonde regretted his actions at the time. He'd been too angry and hurt to think rationally. In hindsight, he should have tried to work with Deku to bring Viper in but their anger with each other over Uraraka's downfall had worked against them. Both men felt like they had to be the one to bring down Viper as a way to make it up to her but in reality, they both spent more time trying to beat the other and Viper was able to slip away.

Bakugo loathed himself for his naivety. As much as he hated Deku, the guy was a damn good fighter and they both knew better than to let their emotions over Uraraka get in the way of what was most important. It was because of their anger for each other that they lost and they had nothing to show for it but Uraraka's plight.

"Sir," The cab driver started hesitantly and glanced at his passenger through the rear-view mirror. "I just wanted to say that I-"

"Save your breath," Bakugo growled and turned his gaze out the window. "I don't want to hear it."

The cab driver shut his mouth and seemed to take stock of the blonde's attitude. The drive continued for a while in silence but the cab driver worked up the nerve to speak again as they neared Bakugo's apartment building, "You're a fine hero, Ground Zero. Even though Viper got away this time," The driver glanced in the mirror again to see Bakugo's red eyes glaring at him, "He won't get away from you again. Just know that I'll be rooting for you when that day comes."

Praise was the last thing Bakugo felt like he deserved and the expectations that this simple cab driver was putting on him was the straw that broke the camel's back. "You don't fucking know me!" He half-shouted at the man, his palms growing hot with sweat. "You don't have a fucking clue what it's like to do my job! All you do is drive a shitty cab so what would you know about watching your friends die? Do you have any idea what it's like to be powerless? Or powerful? No, you're just a shitty cab driver."

"So you say," The driver rounded a corner as the apartment building came into sight. "You're right that I drive a cab every day but I know a hurting person when I see one." The driver shrugged and glanced in the mirror again to see Bakugo gritting his teeth and hiding his eyes behind his hair. "Uravity isn't dead, you know that right? The Ground Zero I know wouldn't be this hard on himself. He'd get back on the horse, accept what happened, and kick some villain ass."

Bakugo had no response to this so he only sniffed as the driver pulled over in front of his apartment. The blonde grabbed his duffel bag and kicked open the door. He dug in his pockets for his wallet but the driver waved his hand at him, "Don't worry about it. Just try and remember what I said, eh?"

Bakugo blinked at the man for a moment before digging out a few bills and tossing them onto the driver's lap, "Don't tell me what to fucking do."

"That's more like it," The driver quirked an eyebrow but took the cash. "And tell Uravity to get well soon. I can't wait to see her get back to kicking some villai-"

"Yeah, yeah," Bakugo growled before exiting the cab and slamming the door shut. He didn't look back at the cab driver as he walked toward his building. He simply mulled over the short conversation. That fucking idiot had been right. Uraraka isn't dead, at least not yet. Truthfully, he had to give her credit for it too. That woman is one tough chick and he hadn't really considered the bravery it took for her to continue fighting in the face of certain death. And she had smiled the whole damn time.

"Fucking hell," Bakugo muttered to himself as he unlocked the door to the apartment building. Perhaps he was right to think that she was foolish for willingly going into the poison fog but damn, that took guts that he doubted he even had. He took the crumpled photo he's stolen from the folder out of his pocket as he walked down the hallway. She'd sacrificed everything to help him take down Viper and that was enough for him to finally accept that she deserved his respect as a hero.

When he'd finally made it into his apartment, he dropped the duffel by the door and stripped off his costume before collapsing on his bed. His curtains were open and he looked out at the moon from where he lay. Seeing it somehow made him want to see that roundface girl even more. As his eyes slowly closed, he promised himself he'd stop by the hospital tomorrow. Not to see the others, but for her.

When Uraraka's brown eyes opened, it was dark and quiet. Everything hurt and her eyes felt crusty. She tried to rub them but the moment she tried to move her arms, her entire body seemed to jolt with pain. Her teeth clenched together and she groaned in discomfort. Her chest hurt more than anything and her throat felt scratchy. Despite how badly everything hurt, her mind felt foggy and she wondered where she was.

She slowly turned her head, fighting the agony to do so. She could hear a quiet and methodical beeping before he eyes fell on a machine that measured her heart rate and an assortment of IV bags that were attached to her arm.

She was in the hospital... She furrowed her eyebrows at the machines beside her bed. Her mind seemed muddled and fragmented as she squinted at the machines. She tried to move her arms again but found it to be too painful and her torso seemed to throb with every breath. "Why…" She tried to speak and found her voice to be hoarse and strained.

The door to the room opened up a bit and let in a blinding white light. A nurse poked her head inside and smiled widely. She hurried in and shut the door behind her before turning on the light. Uraraka snapped her eyes closed as she adjusted to the brightness.

"You're awake!" The nurse said excitedly. "Oh my, that's wonderful!" She rushed to the bedside and glanced at the screen projecting her vitals. "Your heart seems to be getting better."

Uraraka finally let her eyes reopen and she licked her dry lips, "What…" Her voice was scratchy and her throat felt gummy so she tried to clear it, but it only aggravated the pain in her chest. She tensed with discomfort as a fresh wave of pain washed over her.

"Don't speak," The nurse cautioned and rested a cool hand against Uraraka's arm. "You were in a battle with the villains from the Mamushi group. Do you know what I'm talking about?" The nurse indicated for Uraraka to try and nod her head as an answer.

The brunette tried to use her brain but found the task difficult. She knew what the nurse was talking about but the memory as so… muddy.

"Don't worry about that right now," The nurse mumbled softly. "You just need to focus on getting well. You sustained major injuries and you inhaled poison gas."

Poison gas. That rang a bell that Uraraka wasn't ready to ring. Images of purple fog swirling around her choked her mind. She thought she was dead. A thick tide of memories seemed to flood her head and her heart rate soared in her chest.

"Miss," The nurse grew anxious and rested her hand against Uraraka's forehead. "You need to relax. Everything is okay. You are alright." She nodded reassuringly, "You survived. Ground Zero and Red Riot saved you."

Uraraka felt tears brimming in her eyes, "I…" Her voice felt like it was broken. "They…"

"Shh," The nurse pat the top of her head and smiled softly, "Everyone is alright. You need to calm down and try to rest. You're badly injured and you need your rest."

Uraraka gulped painfully and tried to relax her labored breathing. She quietly watched the nurse cross the room to open a drawer and retrieve a syringe. "I'm going to give you a sedative to help you sleep."

Uraraka shook her head and felt a severe pain travel down her spine at the action. She grit her teeth as she rode the pain out before staring back at the confused nurse. "No," She coarsely muttered.

"You really need to let your body heal," The nurse urged as she came closer.

"No," Uraraka felt another wash of agony but she held her ground. "Water…"

The nurse blinked at her for a minute before she walked over to the sink on the other end of the room and filled up a paper cup with water. She carried it back and set the syringe down on a tray before putting the cup to Uraraka's lips.

The taste of fresh water was a godsend and Uraraka drank the entire cup. Everything hurt but at least she felt like she could manage to speak without so much effort. "What day is it?" Every word was a challenge to say and her voice was still hoarse.

"You've been here for four days," The nurse replied. "It's around four in the morning right now." She glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Your parents are outside, would you like me to get them for you?"

"No," Uraraka replied quickly. "I just…" She grit her teeth and let another wave of pain pass, "I want to be alone for a while." She breathed hard after finishing the sentence, her chest seemed to tremble with every breath.

"Well," The nurse seemed to accept her response, "Thankfully we were able to counteract Viper's venom with the help of a local hero's quirk. However, you had already sustained quite a bit of damage from it. We're still not sure just much is beyond our help at this point. You may have irreparable issues after you're done healing. We suspect that your lungs will never be what they were," The nurse gave her a bleak smile. "We also couldn't fully repair your ribs and arm," She indicated to the cast on Uraraka's left arm. "But with time, we expect to see those return to normal. You're not out of the woods just yet, Uravity, but we are feeling optimistic."

Uraraka took a shaky breath and nodded her head slowly. "The battle…" She tried to get another full sentence out.

"Viper managed to get away," The nurse knew what Uraraka was alluding to. "Ground Zero and Deku made it out alright." The nurse glanced back at the door. "Actually, Deku has been waiting for you since Monday. He hasn't left even once. He's very anxious to see you."

"Please," Uraraka shook her head, "Don't tell him."

"That you're awake?" The nurse raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"No one," Uraraka wretched over the effort it took to speak. "I just want to…"

"Be alone." The nurse finished for her. "I understand. I'll keep my mouth shut," She patted Uraraka's good arm lightly. "The doctor will be around shortly to check on you, okay?"

Uraraka nodded weakly and let her head relax on the pillow propped behind her head. "Thank you," She croaked and finally let the tears in her eyes drip down her face.

The nurse smiled sadly at the female hero before exiting the room quietly, shutting the light off again on her way out. Uraraka watched her leave and the moment that the door shut again, she cried. It was the most pain she had ever endured but she couldn't stop the tears. Her heart was a mess of diverse emotions that went to war with one another.

She felt more alone than she ever had as she worked through the events of the battle in her head. She truly thought that it was the end for her and waking up again felt like a rebirth. A second chance at life. Somehow, she had gotten lucky. Something decided that her time on earth wasn't done yet and she felt a swell of solemness in her heart. It was time for change. Big change.

Her mind cleared steadily as the hours ticked by. The sun rose on that Saturday morning to a heartbroken Uraraka. The doctor and nurses made their regular rounds and every time they entered the room, they found Uraraka looking wistfully out the window, her mind somewhere else.

While the physical pain of her injuries didn't subside, her mind was at work. She worked tirelessly to clear the blurry moments in her mind after she had forced Constrictor into the fog. Her fingers seemed to tingle as she recalled Bakugo rescuing her from the poisonous gas. She blushed profusely as she remembered the way she'd run her fingers through his blonde hair and tickled her fingers over his cheek. The urge to do it had been overpowering and she hadn't even tried to stop herself. She just… did it.

What did that mean to her? The feelings she simply let loose in what she thought would be her last moments with a man she once resented. He'd held her so close to him and he'd comforted her as she weakened. He had refused to leave her.

"I"m not going! I will not leave her!"

She could hear his voice saying those words over and over in her mind as she considered their meaning. His voice had cracked and strained in his distress. She had to practically beg for him to go after Viper and he still seemed reluctant. She sighed a painful breath as she struggled to comprehend the way he'd been there for her in what they both thought would be her last moments. She hadn't wanted him to leave either, but she knew that the job they'd gone there to do wasn't done, so she sent him away.

What did that mean?

She felt a war within herself as her mind went to Deku. She hadn't spared a moment to think about him when she thought she would die. If she was going to be honest with herself, she hadn't cared. When she was laying across Bakugo's legs, looking down the barrel of death, she hadn't considered Deku at all. She hadn't asked to see him or wondered where he was. He'd been absent from her mind completely. Why didn't she think about him?

She stared at the city outside the window as the realizations and questions washed over her and she cried for a long time about them. She felt like she was grieving for herself. This was the only second chance she'd ever get and she wanted to use it properly. It was time.

It was late afternoon before she turned to look at the nurse that had greeted her early that morning, "I would like to see Deku please."

I'll be real with you all. This chapter was hands down the most difficult one to write so far. The writers block just wouldn't go away tbh. But I got through it and I think I am happy with how it turned out. It's a skeptical kind of happy but still relieved I managed to push through it. I swear, these chapters are getting longer and longer. The first chapter of this fic is like 5k words and now I'm averaging around 6500 words. It's crazy.

But with that, the cliffhanger is OVER. Yes, yes, Uraraka (best girl) does in fact live to fight another day. But only by the skin of her teeth :)

NOTE TO EVERYONE: I just want to give a quick shout-out to all of you as well. I got 27 reviews on the last chapter! I mean, wow! I am SO LUCKY AND I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH! You guys are so supportive, thoughtful, kind, and patient. I really can't stress to you how much I adore each and every one of you, even the readers who don't leave a review. I'm so glad that there are so many people who read this and enjoy it. It makes me feel so... whole. Thank you. Okay, I'll get off of my soapbox now. (i love you guys so much)

As always, I appreciate all of you and I do respond to all reviews (even guest reviews!) on my profile page! Head over there after this and let me thank you individually! I'll see you all very soon with Chapter 20!

XOXOXOXO