"Is there no other option? What about the girl, Eri?" Nezu asked looking up from the medical documents in front of him.
"I've already gone through quirk records and I've not come across any that could help. Quirks useful in healing are rare." Okimi said with a sigh.
"As for Eri, that won't be possible either. She's used her quirk accidentally a few times, but only to rewind a few minutes to an hour at most. But that's beside the point, she can't consciously use it. Every time she had, she was under significant stress. All of her trauma is tied to her quirk, and she's actively blocking out her ability to use it consciously. If we forced her, there is no telling what damage it would do to her. As a Doctor I can't allow that, nor would Izuku or Uraraka." Okimi said firmly.
Nezu nodded, knowing Okimi was right. Izuku and Uraraka both would rather die than torture the poor girl.
"How long will Uraraka last in the pod?" Nezu asked.
"I can't be sure, but from what we do understand about its function, I'd say... six years? Five at minimum. I have no idea what the upper limit could be though." Okimi said apologetically.
Nezu sighed, put his paws together, closed his eyes, and rested his forehead against them.
"Her mere presence was of tremendous help. Not to mention she's a national hero and well-known overseas as well." Nezu said, the exhaustion in his voice evident.
"She was thinking of retiring from heroics you know. Considering the second problem you mentioned, I think she would have when she found out. It probably would have been for the best."
"I wish there was another option, but this is the only one we have to keep her alive," Okimi said.
"And Izuku?" Nezu asked, not looking up.
"He's happy we can keep her alive while we work to figure something out, but... the twin pieces of news came as a great shock to him. He needs time and a lot of it. Probably some professional help too, sooner rather than later. Frankly, he should have gone to see someone before now. He has enough internal problems, these latest pieces of news aren't going to help." Okimi said massaging her temples with one hand.
"I'll see to it he starts to see Dr. Minoru," Nezu said.
"Good. Now, I better get going. Thanks for the tea Nezu." Okimi said, getting up and taking her leave of his home.
Leaving Nezu to ponder a future that had suddenly become more bleak.
The knock on the door shattered the silence. Tsu set her book down, stood from her chair, and walked to the door. She opened to see Ahmya on the other side, dressed in casual clothes, and an eyepatch covering her missing eye. She let her in without a word and the two sat down in the living room.
"Thanks for coming," Tsu said demurely.
"It's no trouble," Ahmya said, leaning forward, elbows on her knees.
"I was hoping you might be able to help. You know Izuku better than anyone else right now, except maybe Bakugo but he's... not the right person for this." Tsu said.
"You got that right..." Ahmya muttered to herself, before focusing on Tsu fully.
"I'll help in any way I can, but what happened? I assume it's related to Ochako?" Ahmya asked.
Tsu nodded. "Yes. It'll take some time to explain though, would you like coffee or tea?" Tsu offered.
"No thank you, I don't drink coffee and I've found I'm not fond of most teas," Ahmya said shaking her head.
"In that case..." Tsu said, before taking a deep breath and spending several minutes explaining everything.
When she had finished her explanation, Ahmya sat back in the chair. Her lips pursed together, her hands clenched, and an expression of sorrow and anger came over her.
She opened her mouth to say something but sighed instead when she didn't say anything.
"Damn it..." she said quietly.
She took a deep shuddering breath, unclenched her hands, and sat up.
"I assume he took it badly?" She asked Tsu.
"Yes... I had to use my quirk to drug him to sleep last night." Tsu admitted.
"Ochako is set to be put in tonight. Apart from wanting to inform you, I wanted to ask if you could come with us. I plan on asking Bakugo as well, Izuku shouldn't be alone for it." Tsu said.
Ahmya nodded immediately. "Of course."
"Thank you," Tsu said, feeling a bit of relief.
Silence came over them at that point, both just ruminating on recent events, or so Tsu thought.
"There's something else, isn't there?" Ahmya suddenly said, jarring Tsu from her thoughts.
"What?" She asked, surprised and a little guilty.
"Uraraka being put into stasis for potentially years is bad, but odds are good a treatment or cure will be developed during that time. It would Izuku up inside, but he's smart enough to work that out himself. If you needed to drug him asleep, there's something else at play that makes it a dozen times worse, isn't there?" Ahmya said. Her intuition was at work.
Tsu hesitated. "There is... but... it's not my place to say. Izuku told me because of my relationship with Ochako, but I don't think he would have otherwise. You can ask him if you like, but... I don't think he'll tell you. Or anyone else for that matter." Tsu managed to say, her stomach churning as she recalled last night.
Ahmya frowned, searching Tsu's face.
"All right." She said at last. "I'll leave it be."
Then Ahmya stood up.
"I'm afraid I don't have a lot of time to sit and chat, as much as I would like to," Ahmya said sadly.
"Before I go though, I'd like to talk to Izuku." She said.
"Door on the left," Tsu said, pointing down a small hallway that led to the guest and master bedroom.
Ahmya nodded and made way to the door. She opened it slowly, peeking inside. She stood there for a few moments, before narrowing one eye and walking in. She could tell Izuku was awake, his breathing giving him away. She sat down at the corner of the bed, Izuku under the blankets, and his head turned away from her.
"Izuku?" She asked softly.
When there was no response she let out a quiet sigh.
"I told you at the hospital that I would always be here. I want to make sure you remember that. If you need someone to talk to or company, please don't hesitate to call. I'll do my best to be there when you need me." She said softly.
There was no response, not even a twitch of movement. She gave him a minute then stood up and made her way to the door.
"We all love you Izuku. Don't ever forget that." She said, then put her hand on the doorknob.
She had just started to open the door when Izuku finally spoke.
"Thanks..." he said quietly.
Ahmya turned to face him, but he hadn't moved. "Any time," she said, then opened the door and left the room.
Later that afternoon Izuku had left to go back to his and Ochako's apartment. While Tsu had invited the remainders of 1A, except for Tokoyami who was still on his way back to Mufustafu, to her apartment.
She had just finished giving all of them the rundown on Ochako's current condition. There was, of course, a long silence following her explanation.
"Is that it? There is no other option for her?" Momo eventually asked.
Tsu nodded. "The pathogen is moving too fast, is too resistant to all the drugs they've tried, and has already spread through most of her body. This is a last-ditch effort, they know it will work but don't know for how long. Dr. Okimi told me that at the very least it will buy them 5-6 years of research. The technology is just too alien for them to say anything more." Tsu explained.
"Shit..." Kirishima said, his grip on Mina's hand tightening.
"When is she set to be put in?" Todoroki said.
"Tonight. Izuku, myself, and Ahmya will also be going with him. I was hoping however that you might come with us too." Tsu said, looking at Bakugo who had remained silent the entire time.
"Yeah, I'll go." He said nodding.
"I'd have liked everyone to go, but the staff said they want only a small group present. The media hasn't gotten wind of this, and they are keen on keeping it that way." Tsu said, looking at everyone else.
"Are there any plans on how to break the news to the public?" Todoroki asked.
"I'm not sure, but if I had to guess... I'd say that they plan to say she is in a coma, or that she's being transferred to a different hospital for treatments relating to quirk-based injuries." Tsu said thinking.
"If word got out that Ochako was in a coma, it would be a significant blow. Comas often result in death so it would be the same as saying she died. The latter is more likely." Bakugo said, thinking it over.
"Whichever way they spin it, things are going to get ugly. They'll probably want to interview us about it." Mina said quietly.
Momo nodded. "We need to make sure we have our story straight. I imagine Nezu or someone from the H.A. will brief us about the planned cover story before too much longer."
The rest of the group nodded in agreement.
Then, almost as soon as they had gathered, they left. Most had meetings they had to attend, or paperwork to fill out. The raid, rescue, and now Ochako's situation had resulted in a lot of work needing to be done. Tsu did not doubt though that most wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. She certainly hadn't.
Tsu sighed, stood up, and turned around to find Bakugo hadn't left.
"Bakugu?" She asked, frowning.
"You okay?" Bakugo asked, leaning against the dining room table.
Tsu hesitated the huge ball of anxiety in her churning slightly.
"Yes... Of course." She said, not entirely convincingly, especially not to someone as observant as Bakugo.
Bakugo didn't say anything, just stared at her pointedly.
One of Tsu's hands twitched.
"I'm... scared," Tsu said at last, letting her ever-present big sister mask slip.
"For Izuku and Ochako. Izuku hasn't been part of our group very long, but it feels like he's been with us from the beginning. He's... like family. I... I hate seeing them hurt, it's not fair... they've been through so much already, why do the worst things happen to them? I just want to see them happy, to see them live a life together where they don't need to live in fear that some terrible fate is lurking inside every shadow." Tsu said, leaning against a wall, covering her mouth with her hand as she shook all over, tears beginning to form.
"Yeah... it's not fair. Life's tried fucking hard to make them as miserable as possible." Bakugo said, agreeing.
"But they've managed to come this far, and I don't doubt that they'll get through this too. Maybe... maybe it's just me being optimistic, but I feel they'll get their happy ending. We all will." Bakugo said, uncharacteristically soft.
It was strange to hear Bakugo talk like this, but... hearing him say that, she couldn't help but believe him. He'd always been good at that.
Tsu sniffled a little more, wiped her eyes, and nodded several times.
"Yeah... yeah... I think so too." She said, managing a weak smile.
Bakugo made his way past her to the door.
"I'll see you tonight." He said, then left.
The night came suddenly, or so it felt to Bakugo. The day had been filled with meetings, phone calls, and other monotonous tasks that always came after a major op. He hated all of it. It was the one aspect of his job he actively disliked following the war's end. Not that he would complain about it, everyone else was in the same boat after all, and he would take the monotony over the war any day.
Tonight was different though. The pit in his stomach that grew with every passing over since the morning meet up with Tsu, was familiar. He had felt it during the war, every time one of his friends died, when he would stand and look over a battlefield littered with corpses, or one rendered barren following a wave of decay from Shigiraki. He hated this feeling most of all.
He tried to tell himself that Ochako wasn't dying, that it was temporary, his little speech to Tsu had been for his benefit as much as hers. It couldn't stop the pit from forming though, couldn't stop the nagging feeling that he'd never see her again, couldn't stop the doubts that plagued him. If he had been stronger, if he had been faster, if he had been smarter, if his quirk was stronger, then maybe it all could have been avoided.
Such thoughts plagued him, even as he went to Tsu's apartment to meet with Tsu and Ahmya. He was the last to arrive at Tsu's apartment but not by much. Izuku left earlier to meet up with Dr. Okimi. Tsu answered the door promptly upon his knocking, looking, he thought, a bit pale. He wondered how he looked.
She let him in and he saw Ahmya sitting at the dining room table, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"Good, we better get going," Tsu said, grabbing her wallet while Ahmya stood up.
They were all dressed in a smart casual style, not wanting to stick out any more than they already would by the three of them being together. Ahmya was the only one who stood out meaningfully due to the eye patch she wore when she wasn't using her bionic eye. She had explained once that it gave her a headache if she used it for extended periods, preferring to use it when she was on duty.
The three left in silence, getting into Tsu's car and driving to the hospital. The worst traffic was over for the day, but in a city like Mufustafu, traffic always existed to a certain extent. Not much was said in the car ride, with the somber atmosphere weighing on them. When they got to the hospital, they parked near the backside of the building as they had been told. Dr. Mei was waiting for them, and she approached as soon as they got out of the car.
"Thank you for coming, if you'll follow me, take you in through the back." She said nodding and started walking at a brisk pace.
Keeping up with her was no issue for any of them, and Mei guided them to the loading docks, going down a small ramp and into a storage area. They went through short-term storage, into a hallway, and long-term storage, before stopping in front of an electronically locked door in the back of long-term storage. She scanned her card and thumb, and they walked into a small room, the size of an average master bedroom. Izuku was sitting beside Ochako, who was being fussed over by a pair of nurses, checking to make sure everything was ready. Dr. Okimi was beside the large pod apparatus that took up most of the far wall, talking with a researcher. Dr. Okimi and the researcher glanced at them, nodded, and then went back to their talk. Izuku looked over at them, his expression haunted, but Ochako smiled, albeit weakly at them.
Bakugo didn't think he would ever see Ochako look so terrible. Her skin was deathly pale, the whites of her eyes had a bluish tint, and her nails were cracked and discolored. The disturbing part however was that where the suit she was in didn't cover her skin, he could see her veins standing out, black, against her pale skin.
"Hey, guys..." Ochako managed to whisper, almost unable to talk. Tsu immediately went to her, and Ochako managed to hug her. While fatigued, she didn't appear to be in pain from the contact.
When Tsu had finished her hug, Ochako looked over at Ahmya and Bakugo.
"Thanks for coming. I'm glad ya'll are here." She said smiling.
"Anytime Ochako," Bakugo said nodding. He saw Ochako's eyes widen fractionally, it was not often he didn't use his teasing nickname for her.
"We'll be with you every step," Tsu said, taking Ochako's left hand, her right already taken by Izuku's.
Ahmya walked to Izuku, putting a hand on his shoulder before she and Ochako locked eyes. Bakugo saw Ahmya give Ochako a slight nod, and then Ochako turned her attention back to Izuku. Bakugo stood a couple of steps back from them, turning his attention to Dr. Okimi and the researcher.
Their conversation ended just as he did, the researcher fiddling with what Bakugo thought was probably the control panel. Dr. Okimi walked over to them, the nurses took a few steps back giving her space.
"It's time." She said, looking over them.
"All right... let's get this over with..." Ochako said and tried to stand but her legs almost gave out. Izuku and Tsu both took an arm and supported her.
Ochako took a few breaths, and with a grunt stood properly gently pushing Tsu and Izuku away, but it was clear to everyone that it was taking all she had to do so. Ochako turned to Ahmya first, embracing her and whispering something to her, too quiet for the others to hear. Ahmya said something back and Ochako released her. Then she turned to Tsu, embracing her as well, the two having a quiet talk. Then she released Tsu, kissed her on the forehead, and turned to face Bakugo.
She didn't move to embrace him, neither did he feel the need to do so. Her gaze hardened and despite her horrid appearance, he could see in her eyes that her resolve held firm.
"Keep an eye on everyone Bakugo, it'll be a bit before I can again," she said, slightly louder, but still mostly whispering.
"I promise. When you wake up, we'll all be here." He said, meeting her gaze.
They stared at each other for a bit longer, the unspoken addition to her request clear to him.
"Especially Izuku."
Ochako nodded, then turned her attention to Izuku. Embracing him, the two just held each other for a long while. Then, reluctantly, pulled away. She gave him a light kiss, then took a step back, and turned to look at Okimi.
"I'm ready." She said firmly.
Dr. Okimi nodded and escorted her to the front of the pod. Ochako took a deep breath, then stepped into the open front of the pod. The researcher hit a button and the front slid closed behind her. Ochako turned around to face them, no doubt seeing the worry, or anguish in Izuku's case, and smiled.
The researcher hit a couple more buttons, turned a dial, and then hit one final button. A hum filled the room, as the pod started to glow blue, the light filling the inside of the pod. Ochako, still holding that smile, closed her eyes as the light grew brighter. The pod suddenly turned opaque, the blue light fading to a dull glow. There was a hiss, the hum grew louder, then faded into a dull rumble. Light flashed on, on the control console of the pod. The researcher looked them over, nodded, and then turned to face the pod, just as everyone else was.
The process was over, Tsu held Izuku's hand in hers, Ahmya holding the other. All of them wondered when or if they would see Ochako again.