So, I accidentally fell asleep editing this so it's technically not Tuesday anymore. Oops, I'm sorry about that.
I wanted to not brush off the emotional effects this had and I think I've managed fairly well and I can't wait for the next and final chapter :D
As always thank you all so much for reading!
Todoroki is moved out of the ICU halfway through 6th period, and once classes get out for the day it's chaos. The entire class is rushing around, changing out of their uniforms, and getting cleaned up to visit the hospital.
They gather anxiously in the commons area and draw straws. It's the only way they even got permission for a group of UA trouble magnets to leave grounds. They've got to go in medium-sized groups, and no one goes off on their own. Despite having to wait their turn, anticipation has them staying in the commons, fiddling with get-well gifts, and passing around cards. After they drew straws the first group took off almost immediately, and now Midoriya is bouncing from foot to foot waiting for the second group to come back. He's a little miffed he pulled the third and last group to go.
Uraraka on the other hand pulled the first group and is now laughing at Midoriya's antics, "You've showered, gone for a run, showered again, reorganized your journals, and asked everyone about the weather at least three times. Calm down."
Midoriya quickly jumped to his own defense, "The weather's interesting today!"
"No. It hasn't changed all day"
Midoriya sighs dramatically, leading Kaminari to lean over one very confused Momo to pat him on the shoulder. Kaminari makes a face and quickly changes tone "No need to rush, no one's going to steal your boyfriend in the next twenty minutes"
"Kaminari!" Midoriya shrieks, swiping at the arm on his shoulder. He overdoes it and ends up tripping on the coffee table. As he hurtles to the ground he makes a sound he didn't even know was possible. Kaminari and Iida are hovering over him in an instant, all be, for very different reasons. Uraraka and Jirou share a suffering look.
Jirou shrugs, "At least he's distracted"
"It's for the best," Uraraka sighs nodding along.
Kaminari and Midoriya are still trying not to snicker too obviously while Iida lectures them when the second group returns. The sound of the door opening acts like a dinner bell and everyone still waiting pops up like they were starving.
Midoriya's brow wrinkles, "Where'd Sero and Shoji go?"
"Sero wanted to stay a little longer, Shoji stuck around so he wouldn't be alone" Sato sounds halfway between worried friend and tired dad. The room nods in understanding, but they're quickly distracted. Everyone in the last group jumps to action, scurrying to the door where they bunch up and make sure no one's forgetting anything before they leave.
There's press crowded all around the hospital when they get there, the hospital's even had to set up a perimeter tapping off the ambulance bay. Midoriya's really starting to understand Aizawa and Mic's disdain for the press.
Instead of having to wade through the crowd, they get lucky and a nurse lets them sneak in through the ambulance entrance. Shoji ends up running into them on the way to Todoroki's second-floor room. He's coming back from the cafeteria with lunch for him and Sero and Ojirou cracks a joke about getting Bakugou to make something other than hospital food. Todokoki's hospital room is much warmer than the hallway. As Shoji holds the door open, a wave of warmth washes over them.
Midoriya can't help but look anywhere but his classmate. His eyes flit around the room, taking in the various medical equipment and get-well-soon cards piled up on the bedside table. Someone, Midoriya's willing to bet money it was Momo, even brought balloons which float in the far corner. Sero is sitting in the chair next to the bed, he looks pale but more relaxed than he has in a few days, there's a small pile of manga with a bright pink sticky note curling off the top in his hands as he talks idly with Ojiro. Sero nestles his books between a bag of cookies and a card with a very cute seal on it before leaning into actual conversation with his other classmates. When he finally has nowhere else to look, Midoriya's eyes finally come to rest on Shoto.
His friend stands out against the dulled hospital linen, even despite his stillness. With Todoroki still out there's not much to do. Everyone finds some way to sneak their own cards onto the bedside table, Hagakure forgoes the table to put the stuffed cat from her and Ojirou onto the bed next to Todoroki. The conversation fades and they prepare to leave getting their coats and standing up.
Midoriya decides to stay a little longer and Sero offers to stay with him so Shoji can go back with the rest. Midoriya pulls up a second chair and as he settles down into it.
Leaning back further into his chair, Sero looks over at him, he's silent for a moment before speaking "This helped you know," his voice is quiet.
"Good, that's good."
"You know, Aizawa's saying Todoroki might be staying with him for a bit. Once he wakes up and all"
"Really? That's great he needs to get out of that house." Midoriya frowns, "Wonder how his siblings feel about all this"
"Actually uh, Fuyumi's going to get her own place, then he might move back with her"
"Did they stop by or something?"
"Yeah, a while ago. They didn't stay long, I think they're coming back later" They sit in silence for a little longer, not uncomfortable silence but a good type of silence.
The quiet is interrupted when the door pushes open. Midoriya and Sero are halfway scrambled out of their seats, preparing to give any doctors that might be coming in space, when they realize that there's no doctor. The Dodoroki siblings followed closely by a set of guards and Dabi step into the room.
Fuyumi notices them first, "Oh, hello you two" The boys wave awkwardly and sheepishly finish the rest of their scramble to hand over the seats.
"Hey, well. I'm- We'll get out of your hair" they both say talking over each other, Midoriya mumbling and Sero nervously almost yelling. Dabi's shoulders are shaking slightly as he barely keeps from cackling. Midoriya and Sero step around the guards and give the siblings their space.
They make it halfway down the stairs when Midoriya realizes he's left his coat back in Todoroki's room. Sighing, he stops, "Sero wait for me. I gotta run back"
"Yeah, dude. I'll go get us something to drink from the cafeteria"
"Thanks, meet you down there in a bit" Midorya turns tail and practically jogs back up the stairs.
Midoriya knocks on the door, much less confident than he was on the stairs. He doesn't want to interrupt the family, but his worry's a touch soothed when the door is pulled open, and Natsuo smiles at him, waiving him in.
On the other side of the room Dabi shouts "Mine!" and steals what was presumably Natsuos chair. Natsuo just huffs and rolls his eyes, but the smile doesn't leave his face.
"Do you use Tuya or Dabi?" The question slips out before Midoriya can stop it. Instantly he regrets it and he can feel his ears burning.
"Depends, but you're going to stick with Dabi" Midoriya nods, "Surprised you even know my name. Hell, I'm surprised he even recognized me" Dabi nods at Shoto still laying in the bed. His voice rings with confidence but the sadness on his face doesn't match the tone.
"I'm not" all three siblings' gazes snap to him. Stuttering a little under the sudden scrutiny, Midoriya continues "He um, he keeps an old picture of you four in his room. You look happy"
If he wasn't looking closely, Midoriya would have missed the brief joy and relief flashing through Dabi's eyes as he grins "Means dad's not in it huh."
"Tuya!" Fuyumi's hands jump to her hips as she admonishes him.
"What? I don't want the man anywhere near my life"
"Tuya, not now" his siblings groan.
"You look smart. Wanna talk some sense into them?"
Midoriya has no clue what Dabi's hoping to get out of this, "What?"
"Lawyer wants me to used dad to make a plea" Dabi swings his feet up to rest against the bed "I ain't letting the man control me anymore, so I'm not doin' it."
"Tuya, That's horrible reasoning, you'd get visitors sooner. This also really isn't the time or the place for this" Midoriya's his classmates and their siblings enough to know Natsuo's not really mad just frustrated and worried.
"He's right" Midoriya doesn't know why on Earth he keeps drawing attention to himself, but he swears this is the last time. "Not taking your best option is letting him win. You're not benefiting from his actions, you're benefiting from your family's fight to bring you home. Don't give up on them" Dabi looks away and Midorya decides he's intruded more than enough " I'm. I've got to go, I just forgot my coat" he grabs his coat and rushes out the door without waiting for an answer. Todoroki doesn't wake up that day.
He doesn't wake up Saturday either when Midoriya just can't get to the hospital. Tokoyami can though, so Midoriya makes him send an update while he's at the hospital. Sunday Midoriya and his mother drive to the hospital themselves. Inko is worried, both for her son and his friend, she's come to like Shoto since Midoriya introduced her to the boy.
Midoriya's almost literally buzzing, when they get to his room Todoroki's mother is there with a nurse from her hospital. Midoriya jumps to apologize, not wanting to interrupt the family again, but before he can offer to come back later Rei smiles at him and asks his mom to go on a coffee run with her. Inko glances at him then smiles back at the other woman, the nurse holds the door for them when they leave. As they meander down the hall, Midoriya settles into the padded chair by Todoroki's side and pulls out a book Kirishima recommended a few weeks ago.
Todoroki's still out, Midoriya misses him.