The Monday following the announcement of the internships, the class was gathered at the Musutafu train station. Everyone was chattering loudly, causing other travelers to shoot annoyed glances in their direction. The atmosphere oddly reminded Amari of one of the school trips she went on in middle school.
Hopefully she wouldn't be shat on by a bird this time. That had been painfully embarrassing.
Every so often, Aizawa would do a head count before grumbling in annoyance as there were still some students missing.
"Uwabami? My mom always buys her hair products." Amari chattered to Momo.
If Aizawa hadn't made the whole class group up at the train station, Amari could have just rode along with her dad this morning and she was mildly annoyed by that.
"I hope to learn a lot from her. She's quite popular." Momo replied. picking a piece of lint from her skirt.
"Maybe you get to do a photoshoot with her. Don't forget me when you become famous." Amari playfully bumped her shoulder into Momo's.
"I'm here!" Mina yelled as came to a stop next to the group, panting from the running she must have done.
Aizawa gave her his signature disappointed look before calling the class to attention.
"Does everyone have their costumes?" He spoke sternly. "Wearing them in public without permission is strictly prohibited. Don't drop or lose them."
"Gotcha!" Mina chirped excitedly, leaning one elbow on Amari's shoulder.
"Speak properly, Ashido." Aizawa replied harshly. "It's 'yes, sir'."
Mina deflated at the scolding.
"Yes, sir."
Amari choked down a snort at the dejected look on the girl's face, patting her back in consolidation.
"Remember that you're not only representing our school but you're also showing the world what kind of hero you'll be." Their teacher continued. "Behave and don't get in trouble."
Amari swore his gaze lingered on Bakugou and Midoriya as he stared all his students down. Not that she would be particularly surprised if either of them would cause trouble.
She still didn't quite get why the blonde had decided on Best Jeanist for an internship. The two were practically polar opposites with the way they acted. Maybe the hero could stomp some basic manners into the boy.
"Hhh you've gotta text me about how your internship is going." Mina pouted, hugging Amari's left arm theatrically.
"Me?" Amari chuckled disbelievingly. "My internship is gonna be so uneventful in comparison to yours. You're the one heroing around."
"Text me still." Mina grinned. "Or I'll get bored."
She smoothed down the wrinkles in her skirt, quickly adjusting the bun her hair was pulled up in so it sat more securely on her head, as she walked into the Shizuoka University Clinic.
Shoulders pulled back, chin slightly uplifted in the way her parents had taught her to, she calmly made her way over to the reception desk. Her shoes clicked softly on the pristine white tiles as she did so.
"Excuse me, ma'am." She called. "I have an appointment with Shuzenji Fugaku."
The receptionist's eyes widened at the well known name, perking up to scan the young girl in front of her up and down surreptiously.
"Name?"
"Shuzenji Amari."
That really grabbed her attention, a wide smile blossoming on her face.
"Ah so you're Shuzenji-sama's daughter!" She gushed. "I've heard so much about you! Please go up to the third floor. His office is just down the hall on your left as you exit the elevator."
Amari politely thanked the lady before following her directions, coming to a stop in front of a stately wooden door. A gold plaque engraved with her father's name on it adorned the wall next to it.
She took a peek at her watch- it was exactly 09:00 in the morning- and smoothed down her hair once more before knocking on the door, entering once her father's deep voice told her to.
She hadn't actually been inside his office before so she took in the sight in front of her with a raised eyebrow. Several awards, news paper clippings and pictures were hung on the walls, joined by a large and slightly pretentious painting of some no-doubt famous artist. The chair behind an agar wooden desk was made of a rich dark leather and looked delightfully comfortable.
In that same chair sat an imposing man: tall and dressed in a neat blouse, no crinkles in sight, paired with a white doctor's coat, his name embroidered on the front pocket with crimson thread. His face was stern, all hard lines, and the white hair on his head, meticulously styled, was the same shade as Amari's.
"Just in time to make the rounds." He rose from his chair. "Follow along."
She hurried along his side, taking quick steps to keep up with his long strides as they moved from patient to patient. Amari had been strictly instructed to watch closely during this first day so that's exactly what she was doing.
The air of authority and quiet confidence her father exuded made patients trust the man almost instinctively as he performed quick check ups and occasionally used his quirk, clearly narrating every step to his attentive daughter.
He was undoubtedly good at his job.
"Ah, Himura, have you met my daughter yet?"
Amari plastered on a polite smile as she blinked up at yet another of her father's colleagues. This time a kind looking dark haired man with the beginnings of a receding hairline.
"No, I don't believe I've had that particular pleasure yet." The man held out a hand. "Himura Chouji."
She politely took his hand and gave it a firm shake as she introduced herself.
"Himura here is head of the department of neurology." Her father commented. "Perhaps he'll let you observe some surgeries."
Amari perked up at that. Surely this man would be aware of the newest treatment plans for spinal injuries.
"That would be delightful." She smiled saccharinely.
Himura chuckled deeply as he regarded the pair.
"Of course, I'll check if we have any interesting cases coming up this week for you to sit in on."
Just as the man bustled away out of earshot, her father placed a hand on her shoulder. Amari's back straightened under the touch.
"Well done." He spoke softly. "There's nothing more valuable in this world than connections. I do believe he has a son your age..."
Asui Tsuyu: Attachment
Uraraka Ochaco: Wow! I'm so jealous rn I wish I was on the beach too :((
Shuzenji Amari: Attachment
Yaoyoruzu Momo: You look so professional in a white coat! Is that your father in the back?
Shuzenji Amari: Nope! It's doctor Himura from neurology who's been letting me watch surgeries today ^^
Mineta Minoru: I'm suddenly feeling sick. Which hospital are you at?
Iida Tenya has removed Mineta Minoru from this chat
Kaminari Denki: *Surprised pikachu face*
Todoroki Shouto: Good riddance
Shuzenji Amari: Ugh agreed. Thanks Iida!
Iida Tenya: It is no problem at all. Such behavior is unbefitting of a UA student and will not be tolerated in this group chat.
Iida Tenya: On that note: Please refrain from sending more than three memes a day, Kaminari.
Kaminari Denki: *Surprised pikachu face*
Bakugou Katsuki has left the chat
Iida Tenya has added Bakugou Katsuki to this chat
Sero Hanta: LOL Bakugou
Bakugou Katsuki: Let me fucking out! I'm not interested in your dumb ass messages
Bakugou Katsuki has left the chat
Iida Tenya has added Bakugou Katsuki to this chat
Bakugou Katsuki: *middle finger emoji*
Iida Tenya: Please refrain from using such vulgar emoticons.
Bakugou Katsuki: *middle finger emoji*
Midoriya Izuku: Location
"Shuzenji, fetch me a new sterile role of bandages and disinfectant!"
"Yes, sir!"
Amari hurriedly scuttered through the ER, her shoes squeaking on the floor as she skidded to a halt in front of the supply closet, quickly grabbing the supplies and dashing back, weaving through the overcrowded ER.
The past few days had passed by in a breeze. She had been allowed to sit in on surgeries from various departments and even got to perform some treatment under her father's watchful eye.
The evenings had mostly consisted of calling or texting her friends, the class group chat buzzing with everyone's internship stories. Tsu was apparently doing rescues off a boat and Momo was shooting an ad with Uwabami and Kendo, who was also interning under her.
Disaster however had struck today. Not only was Hosu city under attack by the league of villains as well as Stain, but a large fire had broken out in one of the bigger apartment complexes in Shizuoka and the ER was currently overflowing with victims from the incident.
Her father had been paged in to help as many as he could with his quirk. 'Do whatever the nurses tell you to do and don't even think of using your quirk unsupervised.' Her father had told her before he dropped her off at the nurse station.
Ayase, the nurse who she was currently working with had allowed her to work with her quirk on the more severe victims until she had started swaying on her feet. The man had then thoroughly scolded her for reckless behavior and put her on errant duty.
He had of course been right in his assessment, albeit harsh, calling her a liability if she passed out on the floor and telling her in no uncertain terms that he would be leaving her sorry ass there. The words, however, stung. She had to swallow down the lump in her throat to keep the moisture in her eyes from overflowing. She was only trying to help...
"More Alhydran!"
"Yes, sir!"
Again, she sped to the supply closet and back. She had to swallow down the bile in the back of her throat at the smell of burned flesh that emanated from the bared chest on the bed. Bright red spots, burned raw and bleeding were surrounded by rings of charred black. The patient's face was almost unrecognizable, chunks of skin hanging off of bleeding and blistered flesh.
She flinched as the man let out an agonized scream, nearly dropping the Alhydran. "It hurts! Please make it stop!"
"Give me that, girl." Ayase snatched the burn salve out her hands, beginning to royally lather it onto bandages before placing them all over the groaning man, cursing loudly as the man began convulsing.
"I-I can help." She stammered.
"I highly doubt it." Ayase said, shaking his head. "Remember, I'm not picking you off the floor."
Amari shuddered, scanning the convulsing patient for an inch of intact skin, finding it on his right flank. She quickly pressed her lips to the skin, her quirk flowing through her hands, resting lightly but no doubt painfully judging from the wriggling and convulsing man under her.
Panic bubbled up inside her as the extent of his injuries revealed themselves to her quirk. His organs were failing. The smoke in his lungs were making the intake of oxygen hard and his heart was pumping erratically, sending streams of blood out through his wounds.
She didn't know how to get rid of the smoke, the particles were too small and sticking to the airways. She tried briefly, but was forced to move her attention to the blood coming out in waves. Blot clotted under her will, vessels and skin mending together but the heart didn't stop beating its fast beat and then, just as she was ready to turn her attention back on the severely damaged lungs, his liver started failing and the body wasn't making clotting factors anymore.
A droplet of sweat trickled down her brow, the screaming of the man echoed loudly through her head until it didn't anymore. The fast heartbeats stilled as the man flopped on the bed once more before falling eerily still. She could feel his brain stop working. The synapses stopped firing as the faint buzzing noise of life she heard through her quirk fell completely silent.
Trembling, she retracted her now bloody hands. She couldn't stop staring into the man's wide open eyes, his face frozen in an expression of agony.
"I told you." Ayase spoke as he pulled a sheet over the man.
"I-I didn't-" Amari stammered as a sob tried to escape her throat. "All his organs just stopped."
The nurse softened his features as he looked her in the eyes, hands on her shoulders.
"Listen, kid." His voice was stern still. "You can't save everyone. The sooner you learn that, the better. Now, we have more patients to attend to so pull yourself together and focus on those you can still save instead of those you couldn't.