Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoy the update!
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A Day In Your Life
Chapter 17
"Eri," Aizawa called, kneeling before her as they waited just outside the containment room. "I hope you know that whatever they decide, it doesn't reflect on you and your abilities."
"I know, Dad." Eri nodded, giving him a small smile. "I'm just happy that you believe in me enough to let me try at all."
The Pro made a note to thoroughly spoil his little girl even more than usual this year, already compiling a mental list of everything she could possibly want for her birthday and Christmas. For how mature and brave she was being, Eri deserved the world, and he would find a way to give it to her.
"Sir, Miss..." The doctor called, regaining their attention. "We're ready; the patient's parents would like to ask you one more question before they give their final decision."
Eri looked equal parts nervous and thrilled, taking a calming breath before boldly stepping towards the entrance with Aizawa on her heels.
"Can you... Can you try to heal our Eijiro to the point of consciousness instead of back to perfect health?" Mr. Kirishima questioned once the doctor had escorted Eri and Aizawa back into the containment room.
The girl and her father blinked at the request, confused as to what in the world the couple could be thinking. Seeing as the purpose of this training was in large part to undo Red Riot's injuries, it didn't make sense to only attend to them up to a certain point.
"It's just..." Mrs. Kirishima continued, petting the newly unwrapped head of her son. "I know my Eijiro would want to do the 'manly thing' as he always says. He'd want to let you do the riskier procedure if it meant helping you to help someone else. But he's my baby... my only child. I can't—"
The woman's voice cut off before she could continue, but her meaning became clear to Aizawa. They wanted to have Eri heal him to the point of safety and then attempt the risker 'sectional healing' once he wasn't close to death anymore.
In reality, however, the danger was the same when it came to Eri's power, as Eri could just as easily lose control during the procedure when Kirishima was relatively healthy again. What's more, it defeated the purpose of allowing Eri to attempt training on people who were effectively dead without intervention. If Eri made a mistake while attempting to heal minor injuries by section and killed Kirishima, there would no longer be the 'ambiguous denial' of him already dying anyway.
This didn't sit well with Aizawa at all, his parental desire to protect Eri quickly dialing up to 100. He was about to disagree with this course of action when Eri approached the distraught couple.
"I will do my best to only heal Eijiro to consciousness if that's what you want, but my quirk will be just as dangerous once he's awake..." She stated, apparently having also deduced what Red Riots parents were trying to do. "If he and you are still okay with me trying to do sections then, I'll do my best, but if not, I will understand."
The girl turned to her father, knowing his fears since they'd talked about them at length before she worked on Shoto. "I know this isn't what we agreed on, Dad... But I know I can do this. Please, let me try?"
Aizawa wanted to shake his head and refuse. He'd promised to shield her from all unnecessary harm, and this seemed like a risk that didn't need to be taken. But Eri was only half a year away from starting at UA and with her quirk as dangerous as it was, there was no doubt she'd be admitted if for no other reason than to continue teaching her to control it.
Eri wanted to be a hero and unfortunately, there was no way for her to obtain this goal without potentially harming her 'patients' and, more importantly in his opinion, her own psyche. This wasn't fair to her, whether he allowed her to try or not... and he knew it.
"...You said you could heal Duality and you did. If you truly want to try this, then I will let you. I will be right here the whole time and on the small chance something goes wrong, I won't fail you." He finally breathed, unbelieving that the words were coming from his lips. "You can do this, Eri."
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"Shoto!" Midoriya chimed happily as he rushed into the hospital room, surging to hug the soon-to-be-released Pro. "How are you feeling? I bet you're dying to get out of here and back home, aren't you? Don't worry, I've made sure to water all of your plants and—Hitoshi?"
The perpetually exhausted-looking Pro smacked his lips after finally being acknowledged, though the understanding grin that soon replaced his deadpan expression made it clear he didn't mind; Todoroki was one of the most important people in Midoriya's life and he probably wasn't expecting to find anyone else in the room anyway.
"Hey, Izuku..." he drawled, giving a nod to Bakugo as he very awkwardly entered the room and shut the door behind him.
Midoriya somewhat fidgeted again, remembering the last time he'd spoken to Shinso and the truthful, but harsh reality check he'd been given. It was all the young Pro could do not to back out of the room entirely, feeling uncertain how to handle the situation without hinting at any of the secrets he'd been desperately hiding all these years.
"It's okay, Izuku." Todoroki soothed, sensing his growing anxiety. "Hitoshi just wanted to apologize to you for something he said while I was in a coma and since you have a tendency to panic and he's not the best when it comes to tact, he asked me to assist—and yes, Bakugo, I do see the irony in that statement."
Bakugo didn't try to hide his amusement since Todoroki had apparently caught him making a face. As far as he could remember, the dual user hadn't been the most conversant person and was generally as direct as Shinso.
"Oh! No... Hitoshi, you don't have to apologize for that. You were right and Kacchan had already said the same thing to me; I was just—"
Shinso shook his head and leaned forward to brace his elbows on his knees. He was still in his hero costume and had likely come to the hospital directly after getting off a long shift if the state of the fabric was anything to go by. "Maybe I misread the situation, but when I spoke to you this last week, it seemed as though you were considering quitting being a hero despite everything going on. I may not have been wrong with what I said, but I know that you'd never stop being a hero unless you didn't have a choice or at least had a very good reason. That is why it's necessary for me to apologize... because knowing you, if you really were stepping down as a hero for any reason, you'd be beating yourself up over it and me rubbing salt into that wound wouldn't help anyone."
"I... w-well..." Midoriya stuttered, trying to figure out what he should say. "The thing is, I might... um..."
"Izuku, Hitoshi has been a trusted friend and ally for years now and he wants to help. Part of the reason he came tonight was to see what he could do to help you." Todoroki urged gently, flickering his eyes past the nervous young man to where Bakugo was watching everyone intently.
"Yeah nerd," Bakugo grunted once he'd picked up on the coercive gaze. "You know it's the right thing to do if half n' half and I agree."
Midoriya still didn't look entirely sure. There were good reasons why he'd spent so much time and energy covering up his growing disablement and emotional instability. He bit his lip and fidgeted a bit more, trying to convince himself to let go and accept help when it was so willingly offered.
"Whatever is going on must be bad..." Shinso mumbled as he scoured his eyes over his three comrades. "I don't think I've ever seen all three of you being quiet while in the same room before. Izuku... are you really considering quitting?"
It took all of Midoriya's willpower to nod, shame etched deeply into his features. He had hope now that Eri was working diligently to hone her power and save him, but that was no guarantee—one misstep and they could end up in a worse position than they currently were in. Shinso deserved to know that as a Pro hero and as a good friend. "Yes, I am..."
~0.0~
Shinso seemed more reserved than usual when Midoriya finished explaining the situation he'd been dealing with, but surprisingly, unshocked. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head after several moments of silence, a sheepish gleam in his eyes.
"I guess I owe you a second apology then," he mumbled. "For what I said to you during our first Sports Festival, I mean. I taunted you for being so blessed with a fancy quirk and it turns out you were even more unlucky than I was...You'd been born quirkless."
Midoriya shrugged, having never blamed Shinso for what he'd said. "You weren't entirely wrong, Hitoshi. I understood you more than you were aware, but I was and am so blessed since All Might gave me more than any person deserved."
"Seems like it is more of a double-edged sword than strictly a gift if it's caused this much damage to you, Izuku," Shinso argued, mind still trying to wrap around the revelation. "Even back in UA it was obvious your body was struggling to contain your quirks but knowing what I do now, what you've managed to accomplish is nothing short of a miracle."
He paused for a moment before flickering his eyes to Todoroki and Bakugo, the two looking equally guilty and saddened by the truths they'd been keeping secret. "No one, including me, should fault you for wanting to step down... But now that Eri may be able to heal you, will you return to hero work? Aside from the physical problems you're having, it almost sounds like you don't want to come back."
"I..." Midoriya started, once again uncertain. Is that what he wanted? To step down? Since this whole mess with Swap had started, he'd been telling himself he couldn't keep being the Symbol of Peace because of his injuries, both in body and mind.
But Eri was steadily removing those obstacles. She'd returned Todoroki to him—the person who had kept him afloat psychologically—and soon she'd move on to repairing his damaged body. That combined with his newly mended relationship with Bakugo virtually solved all the problems he'd been so deterred by.
And yet, even with everything going in his favor for once, Shinso was right. He was still doubting his ability to be the hero he'd sworn to All Might he'd become... and part of him was still so tired from two decades of trying. Maybe he really was burned out beyond what rest could reverse.
"You don't have to decide this right now, Izuku," Todoroki stated calmly. "Remember what I've told you every time we go to a disaster zone... It's hard to see past a situation when you're in the middle of it. Wait until Eri has helped you and then see how you feel. Your perception of the future now may be different than it could be then."
Midoriya didn't look appeased by the statement, guilt, and shame etched deeply into his frame. It wasn't until Bakugo slipped his fingers into Midoriya's that he seemed to calm at all, watery eyes peering over with desperate need.
"He's right, Izuku. We'll figure this shit out when the time comes. Icy-Hot and I aren't going anywhere." Bakugo affirmed, squeezing the nitro-covered digits with comforting tightness. "And I'll fuck up anyone who argues with your decision, no matter what it is."
"I agree," Shinso added. "My statement before was made out of frustration with the situation and wasn't fair to you. You've done so much that the rest of us Pro's got used to doing less and that's on us... You certainly are a symbol, but just like with All Might's generation, we've started to rely on you rather than strive to become symbols ourselves. Let us pick up the slack while you get back in the right headspace... I think you've earned the right to take care of yourself, don't you?"
Midoriya blubbered in relief, for once truly feeling like the world wasn't falling squarely on his shoulders. This is what All Might had told him not long before his death—that a society built on the back of one hero couldn't be sustained. Even the most powerful people in the world were ultimately weak without the support of others, and Midoriya was not alone.
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