"He tore his IV out?"

All Might nodded, taking a small step back from the bedside to let Recovery Girl back through to examine her patient. She took Izuku's wrist, the one the IV had been previously connected to, then sighed heavily.

"He was panicking," All Might informed the woman, as she wiped streaks of blood off Izuku's hand and prepared the IV needle. "He collapsed the second I walked through the door, but he was definitely more than a little frightened."

"Mmhmm, makes sense," said Recovery Girl, inserting the IV needle and taping it in place - this time, though, she went all the way around Izuku's wrist. "It'll discourage him from yanking it out next time," she told All Might. "He needs the pain meds, and the best way to administer them is through the IV."

All Might nodded. The weight of this situation was still resting heavily on his shoulders, but seeing Izuku awake earlier - exhausted and unable to stand on his feet for more than a few seconds, but awake nonetheless - had made All Might feel marginally better.

"He should be fine within another week or two," said Recovery Girl, "but his ribs are my biggest concern. He can't exert himself whatsoever if he wants to heal."

As it was, Izuku was still sleeping soundly, soundly to the point where he hadn't even responded to Recovery Girl setting the IV back in place.

It makes sense, All Might mused, watching his student breathe steadily thanks to the oxygen mask. His body's completely worn out. I wouldn't be surprised if he sleeps like this for the next week.

"We'll have to keep a careful watch over him," Recovery Girl concluded. "In the state he's in, he's vulnerable to complications. If something else goes wrong, I can't guarantee he'll live."

An icy dagger or fear embedded in All Might's heart. This was the real gravity of the situation: Izuku could still die. He wasn't out of the woods. If the oxygen mask stopped working, if he developed a fever, if Recovery Girl's Quirk suddenly stopped healing him…

All Might shook his head. Those things were all maybes. And as long as they stayed "ifs" and "maybes" he didn't have to think about it. They would cross that bridge when (and if) they came to it.

"I have some calls to make," said Recovery Girl, sliding off her stool and making for the infirmary's door again. "Stay with him while I'm gone, won't you?"

"I will," All Might said, nodding. Nothing could tear him from his student's side at the moment.

…

When Izuku awoke again, he was in pain. He'd been in pain the first time he'd woken up, too, but this was worse. His chest felt like it was burning, and his throat was tight. Besides that, his head was absolutely pounding, so much to the point where he almost couldn't think clearly.

Where am…oh. It took him much longer than it normally would have for him to remember. Right...the U.A., in the infirmary…

Had his head really hurt this much before? No, it hadn't. He knew it hadn't. Maybe the first time he woke, he was still in frenzy-mode and full of adrenaline. Now that his body had the chance to wind down, he was feeling every bit of his injuries.

And it hurt. A lot.

"Young Midoriya?"

Izuku cracked his eyes open, just slightly. White blinded his vision for a moment, and when it cleared, he somehow managed to meet All Might's gaze. His vision was blurry, though, and he couldn't seem to focus on anything for more than a second.

There was something in All Might's face - worry? Fear? Concern? - but of course Izuku was far too out of it to actually realize what it was.

"Does it hurt?" All Might asked, and then paused with a sudden frown. "Wait, that was a stupid question."

Izuku actually cracked a small smile at that, but it quickly turned into a grimace of pain. Instantly, All Might rose to his feet and turned on his heel. "I'll get Recovery Girl," he told Izuku.

...Get...Recovery Girl?

"W-Wait…"

All Might barely made it two steps before Izuku reached out, somehow managing to snag his mentor's sleeve. His grip was weak, and he knew All Might could easily pull away, but he didn't.

"D-Don't…" Izuku's voice cracked. "D-Don't...leave…"

Under normal circumstances, Izuku would have been embarrassed beyond belief - in fact, he never would have tried stopping All Might at all. But not now. Now was different. His head hurt so bad he thought he'd pass out, and breathing was hard, even with the oxygen mask.

He didn't want to be alone right now. He really, really, really didn't want to be alone right now. He didn't think he'd be able to handle it.

"Alright, alright, I'll stay," All Might said quickly, taking his seat once again, "just don't push yourself, alright? You're hurt badly, Young Midoriya. You need to give your body time to rest."

Somehow, the logical, problem-solving part of Izuku registered this, and he nodded - then stopped when another bolt of hot pain shot through his skull. He grit his teeth tighter and swallowed back a moan.

"Is it your head?"

He barely jerked his head in a nod, trying to minimize movement as much as possible. Why did it hurt so badly…?

"...Just...try and get some sleep. I know it's hard, but you need to try."

Izuku swallowed. He tried, he really did try, but sleep just...didn't come. It just didn't. He was exhausted, and he knew if he slept he'd feel better when he woke up, but he just...couldn't.

He heard the door of the infirmary open, and instantly, All Might was talking. Izuku couldn't make out very much; just a couple of keywords, like "awake" and "pain" and "sleep," or something or other. He cracked his eyes open long enough to see Recovery Girl fiddle with his IV - and then, a cool and gentle but unnatural sense of unconsciousness swept over him, and the world disappeared into a black abyss.

…

"I should have been expecting it," Recovery Girl sighed. "The boy has a concussion that's only partially healed. I should have given him those stronger pain meds sooner…" She inspected his bandages, and All Might's mind wandered not for the first (or final) time.

At some point, Izuku had subconsciously latched onto All Might's hand. His grip, which had been painfully tight just moments before, was now completely limp, but All Might just...didn't have the heart to pull away. It seemed almost cruel to.

"Well, he should be able to at least sleep peacefully now," said Recovery Girl. "If he wakes up again and is still in pain, I'll try upping his medication again, but I don't want to be giving him more than he can handle, either."

All Might only nodded. Recovery Girl watched him for a moment or two, and then sighed heavily for the upteenth time.

"You're being awfully quiet," she said.

The reason was a simple one. "I can't really find anything worth saying."

"...You're blaming yourself for this, aren't you?"

All Might flinched. There was something very accusing about Recovery Girl's tone that made him uneasy. But he couldn't deny her accusation, so he said nothing at all.

Unfortunately, his lack of answer was still answer enough. "Thought so," said the nurse. Then, more softly, "...You know there's nothing you could have done to prevent this, don't you?"

"I shirked my responsibilities as a teacher," said All Might, "when I spent the morning taking care of petty crimes instead of putting my students first. If I'd been at the USJ at the time of the attack-"

"No, that's not what I meant," Recovery Girl stopped him. "I meant Izuku's character, the type of person he is. Could you, or anyone, have prevented him from doing what he did to save his classmates? Don't you think it's something he'd do anyway, regardless of the kind of situation he's in?"

All Might hesitated.

"You being there wouldn't have changed what he did," said Recovery Girl. "If he saw one of his classmates in trouble, he would've plunged head-first into the danger, even if he knew it could cost him his life."

"I was scared I wouldn't be able to protect my friends." That was what Izuku told All Might regarding the battle of the USJ. Regarding that moment when he'd leapt into the fray and landed a hit on Nomu to keep Shigaraki away from Asui and Mineta.

"He's the sacrificial type," said Recovery Girl. "If it was a choice between dying a painful, agonizing death and protecting the people he cares about...it's obvious what he'd choose. Do you seriously believe you could have prevented Midoriya from protecting his classmates when they were in a life or death situation?"

This answer was obvious, too.

"...No," All Might resigned, "but-"

"No 'buts,'" snapped Recovery Girl firmly. "We don't have time for 'buts' or 'what ifs.' The only thing we have to concern ourselves with now is making sure Midoriya rests and heals properly. And you blaming yourself isn't going to help with either of those things."

This was simply something All Might couldn't argue with. Although he was sure he'd never truly stop blaming himself for this incident, he could definitely put the issue aside for the sake of his student's health.

"Now then," said Recovery Girl, turning from All Might and glancing at the clock hanging over the infirmary's door, "if you've gotten your self-loathing out of the way, you can help me face the boy's mother."

All Might blanched. He had completely forgotten of this other very pressing concern.

Of course, how would Inko Midoriya react to all of this?

…

To say Inko was panicked would have been the greatest understatement in the world.

She rushed to the U.A. in a flurry of something that far surpassed simple "panic," her heart pounding mercilessly in her chest and her eyes stinging with tears just waiting to be shed.

Her son - her precious, sweet, irreplaceable little boy - was in the infirmary with grave injuries. Or, at least that's what the U.A. nurse had told her over the phone, but Inko didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe Izuku was really hurt. She just couldn't.

"W-Where's I-Izuku?"

The nurse was waiting for her outside the infirmary's doorway, and beside her stood All Might, the grand, powerful, number one hero. But Inko barely gave him a glance, her eyes glued to Recovery Girl. The nurse soon launched into a hasty explanation of Izuku's current state.

"He suffered a concussion, but he's healing steadily. His ribs were also damaged and are almost completely recovered. However, he's on heavy pain medications at the moment, so-"

Inko tried really, really hard to pay attention to all the nurse was telling her, but she just couldn't, not when her injured boy was just beyond the infirmary's door.

Finally, the nurse stepped away and opened the door, and Inko practically flung herself through it. She felt a bit bad for abandoning Recovery Girl at first - but then, she caught sight of her son, and all other thoughts vanished without a trace.

Her son - her precious, oh so precious baby - was a frightful shade of white, and he was hooked up with not only an IV, but an oxygen mask too. There were bandages around his head - Recovery Girl had mentioned a concussion - and…

...And he was unconscious. He didn't so much as twitch when Inko threw herself into the room.

She made a break for the bed, collapsing to her knees just beside it, unable to stand on her wobbling legs. She reached out hesitantly, then ran her trembling fingers through Izuku's dirty hair. His skin wasn't cold, but it wasn't necessarily warm, either.

"I-Izuku…o-oh, Izuku…" He was completely out, not even responding to her gentle touches. She stroked his hair off his face, being mindful of the bandages - behind her, All Might and Recovery Girl filed into the room.

"H-He'll be o-okay, w-won't he?" Inko asked fearfully, glancing briefly in Recovery Girl's direction. She had to know. This was a question that'd been pressing in the forefront of her mind for quite some time now. She had to know. She just had to know.

The nurse smiled softly. "He'll be fine in no time, don't you worry," she said. "Your son's a fighter. The worst of his injuries have already healed. I reckon he'll be back on his feet in no time."

Inko sighed in relief, feeling something melt inside of her. Of course Izuku would be fine. Of course he would.

Inko honestly didn't know what she'd do if he wasn't.

She'd been utterly frantic when she first arrived, and some of that same panic still remained, but she had calmed down considerably since Recovery Girl's reassurance. She felt better now, and the tension in her shoulders had loosened some.

"It's going to be okay, Izuku," she whispered to her son, smiling though she knew he couldn't see it. "Y-You're going to be okay…"

...

All Might felt like he was intruding on something private, something special between a mother and son, but he couldn't manage to tear his eyes from the scene. He thought, for another moment, how this scene would have played out differently if…

...If Izuku hadn't survived Nomu's attack.

"...I take full responsibility for Young Midoriya's injuries."

The words had left All Might's mouth before he even had the chance to second guess himself. Instantly, Inko and Recovery Girl were both looking at him, and he took in a breath.

"...It was my fault, I should have guided him better," All Might said. "It was my duty to look after him, and I failed, both as his teacher and as a hero. So…I'm sorry. I am really, truly sorry."

There were no words he could say to express just how blatantly sorry he was that this had happened, that Izuku had gotten so hurt, that the boy had been caused so much pain.

Inko blinked and stared, wide-eyed, like she was seeing him for the first time - but then, her expression softened, and she smiled sadly.

"...My son...he's always been like this," she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Always putting others before himself...he's come home dozens of times with bruises and scrapes when he was little. He didn't care what happened to him as long as he could protect others. That's just the kind of person he was, and still is. And..."

She glanced away, and then continued.

"And I know Izuku wouldn't want you, or anyone else, to blame themselves."

All Might couldn't argue with that - or with any of what she said. She must have been filled in by Recovery Girl, so she knew exactly how Izuku was injured, that he'd jumped to face the villain in order to protect two of his classmates.

"...When can he leave the infirmary?" Inko asked; the question was now directed to Recovery Girl.

"I'd like to keep him for at least another four to five days and see how he does, but nothing more. At the rate he's recovering, he should be able to leave sooner than later."

Inko nodded. "I'd...I'd like to take him home as soon as I can," she said. "A-At least until he's better."

That makes sense, thought All Might. She probably wants to make sure he heals properly before he comes back to school…

"That's fine," said Recovery Girl, smiling. "I'll let you know as soon as he can go home. There's a list of over-the-counter medications he could take for the pain, or I could prescribe something..."

While Recovery Girl went on, writing down her list, All Might's mind wandered.

Izuku survived the fight this time, but next time…

...Next time, he may not be so lucky.

…

Honestly, Inko had come dangerously close to just pulling Izuku right out of the U.A. for his own safety. After all, there were other superhero academies that weren't the target of so many villains.

However, at the same time...she knew exactly what Izuku would say. She knew he would be opposed to it. She knew he was happy at the USJ, even if he always ended up in the infirmary at the end of the day.

And…

...She knew he'd also bring up the fact that two students would have been killed if he hadn't been there. That was the truth of it: Izuku saved two lives. Two lives that would have otherwise been lost. He'd saved them, and Inko had to wonder what other lives he would save if he remained at the USJ.

She was proud of him. Terrified, but proud.

Well, I guess that's what comes…

...With having a great hero for a son.

...

The next time Izuku awoke, it was to the sound of many whispering voices.

"Hey, ya think he's awake?"

That voice...Izuku didn't know who it was right away. He knew he recognized it, but-

"I don't think so, Kirishima."

Oh, Kirishima, right, Izuku realized. And the one scolding him is...Todoroki, I think.

"He's really beat up." (That was unmistakably Tsuyu's voice.) "Don't you think we should come back when he's feeling a little better?"

"I don't know…he really does look horrible, though..."

Uraraka, definitely.

"Everyone, lower your voices! This is a hospital!"

Iida's here, too?

"It's an infirmary, Iida."

Kaminari? Is all of Class 1-A here?

"I see no such difference! We should remain quiet to let Midoriya rest!"

"Dude, chill."

"Chill? Chill?"

"Guys, I think Deku's waking up!"

Izuku didn't want to wake up. For the first time since he was originally injured, he wasn't in an extreme amount of pain. Recovery Girl must be giving me a lot of medications…

He felt the IV tube against his skin.

...Through this, probably...

"Midoriya?"

He cracked his eyes open, just barely, and was met by his fellow classmates crowding around the small infirmary bed.

They really...they really ARE all here.

...Except Kacchan…

But he wasn't really surprised by that. Something that did surprise him, though, was the fact that he was no longer on oxygen. His chest ached, but he could still breathe.

I guess my lungs finished healing...

He sat up with difficulty, meeting each student's eyes in turn.

There was a beat.

And then, it was like the entire room exploded. Everyone was suddenly cheering loudly and throwing their hands in the air, like they'd just finished a New Year's Day countdown.

"He lives!" shouted Kirishima proudly, pumping his fist into the air. "You seriously freaked us out, man! Don't do that again!"

"MIDOOORRIIYYYAAA!" Mineta cried, huge tears rolling down his face like rivers. "I T-THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAAAAADDD!"

"Are you okay? Does it still hurt?" Ochako asked, her voice nearly drowned out by everyone else.

"We were really worried," said Tsuyu. "We've all been trying to visit you since the fight, but Recovery Girl kept us away-"

"SO BRAVE!" Iida was shouting now. "TO LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR YOUR CLASSMATES...YOU'RE SO COURAGEOUS, MIDORIYA!"

"Seriously though, dude! We were really worried!"

"When we saw All Might carrying you...we thought...we thought you were…"

"Oy! Don't say it! He's fine now, see?"

"AND ME! IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING THE TEACHERS TO THE USJ! IF ONLY I'D BEEN A LITTLE QUICKER, I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS! YOU HAVE MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES, MIDORIYA!"

"What you did was seriously crazy, Midoriya," said Jiro, "but I'm glad you're alright."

"Your bravery is certainly admirable," said Tokoyami. "Doing what you did to protect Asui and Mineta took a great amount of courage."

"MIDOOORIIIYAAAA!"

"Mineta, you have to stop wailing-"

"I-I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEEAAAD!"

"We know, you've said it already…"

"You're so courageous! I would never have had that kind of bravery!"

"I'm just relieved you're okay, Deku. I was...really scared. We all were."

"Yeah, man, don't do that again! Our class seriously wouldn't be the same without you!"

Izuku could only stare at his classmates, completely dumbfounded. He was overwhelmed, really, but not in a bad way. This was just...a whole lot to take in right after waking up.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa-!" Kirishima suddenly exclaimed, leaping backwards with his hands outstretched. He was looking at Izuku like he was a ghost. "Dude! Hey! I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry!"

It wasn't until now did Izuku realize that he'd started crying.

He looked down at his hands, shocked, and his tears dripped onto his knuckles and the bedsheet.

"S-Sorry," Izuku murmured, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. "I-I'm s-sorry, guys…"

"Midoriya, what's wrong?" Iida inquired seriously. "Do you need us to get Recovery Girl? Are you in pain? Are we being too loud? Should we leave?"

"N-No, it's n-not that at all," Izuku insisted, shaking his head. "I-I just...d-didn't realize I meant so much...to all of you."

There was another beat.

"Wait, seriously?" Kirishima said. His shock was replaced with dumbfoundedness. "What made you think we didn't care about you?"

"I don't know what would make you think otherwise, Midoriya," said Iida. "If I have done anything to make you doubt our loyalty, then I humbly apologize!"

"You're our friend, Deku!" said Ochako, her eyes wide with shock. "Of course we were worried about you!"

"We care about you a lot, Midoriya," said Tsuyu.

"There are tons of people who care about you!"

"Oh man, you should have seen All Might!" said Mineta. His tears were gone, like they'd never even existed. "He went on a rampage when he found out what happened to you! It was actually pretty scary!"

Class 1-A spent the rest of the day in the infirmary, and Izuku had never felt so loved and cherished before in his life.

Author's Notes:

I know it's a shorter chapter and I'm so soRRY OKAY I'M REALLY SORRY IT'S NOT A LONGER CHAPTER but I felt like it was a good place to end it. More drama unfolds soon. I'm just gonna make Deku suffer a little while longer. Poor Deku. He doesn't deserve this.

Anyways, I know a lot of you guys are looking forward to Dad Might, and there's more of that to come, I promise; this chapter was mainly just to cover the bases, like Inko's thoughts/reactions and Class 1-A coming to visit their precious sunshine classmate. The rest of it's gonna be mostly Dad Might, prolly, depending on how everything else goes.

Anyways, like I said, sorry for the shorter chapter. I've been living on caffeine and the looming threat of school (I have a couple more weeks before I start taking summer off) and haven't had a lot of time to chill out and relax. Hopefully you didn't catch any embarrassing errors in this chapter. :/

And unfortunately, because of some health issues I've been having, I'm gonna have to stop posting on here for a little while. Nothing too long; just until mid July or something or other. I have some doctor's appointments I can't miss and hopefully I'll be up and running again soon. :)

Anyways (part 3), thank you all SO MUCH for all your support in the previous chapter! It gives me the will and motivation to keep writing, really, it does. :) So thank you! I hope you guys liked the chapter and look forward to the next one! :D You are all beautiful, amazing people and I love you soooooo much! :D :D :D :D :D :D

Cheers!

-BeyondTheClouds777