Awakening

Is it cloak 'n' dagger
Could it be spring or fall
I walk without a cut
Through a stained glass wall - These Dreams by Heart

Shoto

I paced the floor. In the recovery ward, the tiles were different then the ones in the ICU. Twenty-three steps from Ochaco's door to the window at the end of the hall. There was one door in between. The room held a man who likes to listen to baseball games very loudly and complain about how his family doesn't visit him. They probably were at home enjoying a peaceful holiday.

Twenty-three steps back to her door and the little messed up tile that tells me to walk twenty-three more steps. Irrationally I take meaning in these meaningless steps. That maybe if I wear out all the tiles then she'll wake up. I plunged my hands into my cardigan pockets and continued pacing.

"Ribbit," Tsuyu croaked as she followed my progress, "You're making everyone nervous." She lifted the hand holding a bottle for Kai-chan as he tried to decide weather he wanted to sleep or eat.

I nodded, I'm sure I was.

"Dear," Mrs Uraraka, she'd told me to call her by her name, but... "Shoto, please."

"I'm sorry." I took a deep breath and stilled my feet long enough to re-direct them to one of the chairs that littered the hallway. My toes bounced, I couldn't calm my nerves so easily, but at least I didn't want to bother her family.

It had been a week since Ochaco's parents and I had started basically living at the hospital. I'd gotten us rooms at the hotel across the street. With so much time to wait around, I managed to get into contact with everyone I thought might care about Ochaco's condition, and nearly the whole class had come for a little waiting and chit-chat. And to see Kaiden. Who was just as sweet as his grandfather had said. He rarely cried and loved to be held and talked to. And to eat. Just like his mom.

New footsteps made us all quiet as Dr. Ishida entered the hallway. He came to us, "Mr. and Mrs. Uraraka. You know we'll call if there's any change at all. You should take baby home and get a good night's sleep." He smiled at Kai-chan and wiggled his fingers at him before opening Ochaco's room and disappearing inside for his mid-day rounds.

"You should get some sleep too, Tsuyu, Shoto." Mrs Uraraka ran her thumb over Kai-chan's curly hair. "Everyone being here is good, but we could all use some rest."

Tsuyu pulled back the bottle which she then capped and put back in the hot pocket of the diaper bag, and then handed over the baby. "I'll call and come back tomorrow. Let me know when she wakes up, ribbit."

"Of course." Mrs. Uraraka put the baby on her shoulder patting his little back, "Thank you so much for being with us. Both of you."

Mr. Uraraka stood, his dark blue eyes once again shadowed in grief and reddened by lack of sleep, "The doctor's been in there for a few minutes. I'll go talk to him. Shoto, if you're leaving, can I call you later? I'd like you to be here if we have to move her, or if she wakes up."

"Yeah." I rubbed my eyes, "I'm going to listen to Ishida-sensei and grab a nap. If you don't hear from me, feel free to knock on my door." I ran my hands though my hair, making it shift across my forehead. I should shower, too.

I turned to leave as Ochaco's dad went in her room.

Ochaco

It may have been the scents that woke me first. The acrid smell of disinfectant and that unique reek of a hospital tripped over in my mind, waking me enough to try and open my eyes. What is happening? Why am I here and not in Recovery Girls office? And why are my eyes still closed?

"Mister Uraraka," A voice I didn't know began, his voice low and soothing. "I recognize that she's your daughter and special to you, but she can't stay here forever. There isn't anything wrong with her, she's just doesn't want to wake up." He paused, "She can go to a facility specially designed to care for people in her condition."

Huh? People in my condition?

"Head injuries are strange, and no one understands what will happen from one day to the next."

Head injury? I knew that Suntachi had stolen my power. Had I collapsed? Maybe I'd blacked out. But... if I had, why was I here? I swallowed, a dull ache in my throat, but why? I struggled to use my senses. One finger was heavier than it should be, a pulse/ox machine? My head didn't hurt, in fact, except for the strange stinging sensation in my hand and the fact that my eyes feel glued shut... I feel fine.

My dad spoke up, "I understand. I'll speak with my wife, and we'll make a decision. Maybe we can just bring her home with us."

"That might be best," said the doctor. "Please page me once you've made a decision, and we'll work out what to do next."

I waited for the door to close, "Daddy?" My throat seized, the smells making my stomach roll uncertainly, "Where am I daddy?"

"Oh! Ochaco! You're awake! Hold on," He bolted for the door before I could even look at him properly, "Doctor Ishida! She woke up!"

I managed to get an eye open, the other one was swollen shut. I must have really banged myself up something fierce. I watched as my mother crowded the men coming back though the door.

The man I didn't know -the doctor?- spoke softly to my parents, "Give us a few moments, then she's all yours, alright?" Mom and dad backed out of the door, and he closed it with a loud click. He took a few steps to my side and looked at my chirruping machines and smiled, "Miss Uraraka, please calm down."

I was crying, the eye that was stuck closed gummed open, "No!" I tried to move my hand, but it was too slow. "Where am I? What happened?"

The doctor blinked uncertainly at me, "We'll get to that in a minute. You hear that beeping? That's your heart and breathing going wild. Now, please, can you just take a deep breath for me?"

"O-okay," I mastered myself with great difficulty. Everything was wrong!

"Good morning, I'm Doctor Ishida. You've had a head injury, and we need to check a few things, alright?" I nodded, I couldn't help the way my brows knotted, "I'm going to ask you some questions, and based on your answers, we can figure out what to do next."

He came close and pulled a tiny flashlight out of his pocket, "Can you answer some questions for me?"

"Sure, okay." He raised a finger and I followed it with my eyes.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Uraraka Ochaco." I looked at my hands, the index finger on the right had been taped over, a wise precaution. The pulse/ox meter on the left jumped as I wiggled it.

He made a note, "Good. Do you know why you're here?"

"Villain attack, I think, but I don't remember hitting my head."

"That's normal, the brain tries to protect us from harmful stimuli." Ishida-sensei gave me a small smile, "Too bad you don't remember more, you were saved by Endeavor. He's kind-of a big thing here."

"Endeavor?" I lifted a hand, it looked the same as always, but other things... "I was? Endeavor?"

"You remember him, don't you?"

I lifted my eyes, and tried to process Dr. Ishida's face. He looked slightly perplexed, as if I'd said something he'd not expected. I mean, who could forget Endeavor? He was number one for the second year in a row. But why would Endeavor have cared enough to take me to a hospital? The closest I'd been to Endeavor was Shoto.

"Where am I? I mean, I know I'm in a hospital, but where?"

"Do you know Endeavor?"

I nodded impatiently, "Of course, I go to school with his son."

"You mean you went to school with his son?" Ishida frowned again, his brows drawing down, "Miss Uraraka, how old are you?"

"I just turned 17, I'm in the Hero course at UA high..." The heart monitor started to beep more rapidly as my eyes welled in scared confusion, "Where am I?"

Ishida's eyes widened, "Miss Uraraka..."

"What? How long have I been out?"

He put on a sympathetic face, "You need to try and breathe for me again, alright? Please calm down so we can talk."

I gulped down air, desperately trying to stop crying, but Doctor Ishida must have been encouraged my progress for he leaned forward, "This is going to be difficult to hear, but please listen carefully." He took a deep breath as well, "Miss Uraraka, you're 22 years old. You were brought in with a head injury, and were asleep for about a week. There's more, but your family will help with that when the time comes."

I stared at him, not believing what he'd said. Then I felt a tremor run though my arm, and I looked down, something warm and wet was running over my ribs. "What's happening? Where am I? Am I bleeding!?"

"I'll call a nurse to come in and help you. You're not bleeding." He swallowed, "I was hoping that this news would wait, but it's breast milk. You have a child."

I shook my head in a daze. This couldn't be. I have a child? I'd never even had a boyfriend! I was over twenty? Wasn't I a hero? "I'm not a hero?"

He shook his head, "I'm sorry. It seems you have some amnesia, which is not uncommon with head trauma. It may subside on it's own, or you may have permanent memory loss. Do you understand what I've said?"

I shook my head, this was a dream of some sort. I couldn't be all what he said. A joke! But not even Kaminari had this warped a sense of humor. My skin felt tight and I gave in and cried. I lifted my hands to my face an sobbed like a lost child.

Doctor Ishida stood, "I'm going to call Doctor Nakamura for a consult. Would you like me to send in your parents?"

I nodded, and I heard the door open and footsteps. My mother and father racing for the bed. Being gathered into my mothers arms as we both cried on each other's shoulders. I felt my dad reach in, and hug us together, his own breath hitching with tears.

AN/ Ishida is a common last name in Japan, and of course, is an homage to Ishida from Bleach. Glasses FTW. Mr Mosevic, thank you for the encouragement!