Emotionally exhausted and physically tired Izuku fell asleep rather quickly after their conversation, Inko stepped out to let him sleep as she got to work moving outside to make the phone calls she needed to.
The first was to her boss explaining she'd be taking some of her hard-earned time off for a family matter, she called the board of education next but given the time of night she didn't get anything but an answering machine, Inko left a strongly worded message that she wanted a meeting with them about her son's treatment in some of their schools, her third call was to a small firm that helped with cases involving minorities, she had memorized their number once Izuku turned six and still hadn't shown any signs of a quirk.
The fourth call was one she spent an hour arguing with herself whether or not to even make, Inko's brain flooded with things she wanted to say, things she wished to scream into the phone regardless of who might overhear her, but Inko didn't do any of that, and did her best to quiet the hateful part of herself then with a shaky breath pressed the call button.
Inko waited with bated breath for the other to pick up and tried to think of what to say if they did, the quiet click before a tired voice answered was rather underwhelming considering her mental anguish.
"Inky? What the fuck are you doing calling me in the middle of the goddam night? It's about, two in the fucking morning." Inko upon hearing Mitsuki's gravelly and slurred voice Inko couldn't help tearing up, the weight of the situation finally allowed to start sinking in now that her son couldn't see her breaking down "Inky?" Mitsuki quietly repeated concerned and much more awake from not getting an answer "I-I'm sorry Mitsuchan. I d-didn't mean to wake you." She apologized voice shaking, all of her anger suddenly and quickly being disconnected from her friend.
"Hey, don't go spouting off bs it's fine Inky. What's going on?" Mitsuki assured and Inko had to hold herself back from sobbing "Izuku came home bleeding today- we're at a h-hospital right now." She managed to say as she wiped away tears "Fucking God Inko?! What the hell happened? Is the little guy okay!? I'm getting dressed right the fuck now!" Mitsuki panicky questioned with the sound of fabric moving around in the background, Inko swallowed thickly "H-he's going to stay in the hospital f-for a while. H-he is going to need a l-lot of treatment." She answered.
"Don't you worry about crap Inky, I'm on my way. Where the fuck are you? I'm meeting you at the goddamn hospital." Mitsuki demanded, before Inko could get herself together there was some muttering on the other side of the phone, and judging from Mitsuki's yelling, Inko guessed Mitsuchan had managed to wake Masaru, when Mitsuki stopped Inko rattled off the hospital's address "'Kay got it. I'll be there soon so don't you worry about shit until I get there Inky." Mitsuki promised then quickly hung up before Inko could get another word in edgewise.
Anxiety began to eat at her not moments later and Inko went to the cafeteria to get a cup of tea to help calm her nerves as she waited for the blond in the lobby, Inko was fairly worried Mitsuki might have broken a law or two when she stormed into the hospital not even half an hour after she hung up, the blond was also clearly panicked and was a bit of a mess, her clothes having just been thrown on and having done nothing about her bed head.
Frantic red eyes met teary green ones across the room and Mitsuki clearly didn't give a damn about social decently as she ran over to her. "Inko!" She cried crushing the greenette in a bone-crushing hug "What the hell happened?! Does he need surgery!? Can we see little Izu?" Mitsuki questioned as soon as she pulled away with her hands on Inko's shoulders, Inko sniffled and rubbed away some of her tears "H-he fell asleep before I c-called M-Mitsuchan but we can see him if we're quiet." Inko answered pointedly ignoring the other questions.
Mitsuki had thankfully jumped at the offer and followed Inko up to Izuku's room, the blond didn't make it two steps in before her hands flew up to cup her gaping mouth as she stared at the black and blue boy utterly horrified, while most of Izuku was covered up his arms by a blanket, his neck was exposed allowing anyone to see the hand-shaped bruises that wrapped around it as well as part of one of the burns, in addition, to multiple cuts along with other bruises on his arms as he laid limp on the hospital cot with a nose cannula and other devices connected to him.
Thinking her friend had more than enough of a look Inko led Mitsuki away from her battered son's room and to a table in a corner at the cafeteria, they were almost there when Mitsuki's shock and horror dissolved into a blind rage with steam practically pouring from her ears "T-those bastards! How can anyone do that to Izuku?! He's a sweet-ass brat that wouldn't hurt a fly, a fucking fly! Who would dare lay a fucking hand on him!?" Mitsuki yelled finally exploding when they were inside the room.
Threats and strings of curses spilled from Mitsuki's mouth with little regard for those around them as Inko tried to corral her to a table away from prying ears, almost there Mitsuki rounded on Inko "Has he told you who the fuckers are!? I don't care who those motherfuckers think they are! I've got lawyers Inko!" Mitsuki exclaimed loudly and clearly ready to go for blood, the dreaded question Inko had been afraid of since Mitsuki arrived made her hesitate in her steps "Mitsuchan p-please sit down." Inko requested softly tugging Mitsuki towards the table.
"I swear when I get my hands on them Inko-" Mitsuki began to rant again but Inko cut her off "Mitsuki sit down." She told the blond more sternly, the blonde's mouth shut, and she sat down looking at Inko a little startled, Inko took a seat next to her and let out a ragged sigh "I-Izuku told me who did it." She told her meekly already resigned to the painfully conversion, Mitsuki jumped on the statement near immediately "Who?" She demanded practically spitting the word, Inko grimaced "It was his c-classmates." Inko answered, Mitsuki's mouth dropped open.
"Wha- What!? Katsuki didn't say shit! There's no way he'd let them get away with that crap!" Mitsuki exclaimed looking baffled and Inko's eyes focused on her empty cup of tea "H- He wouldn't, right?" Mitsuki asked losing a lot of her confidence when Inko hadn't said anything "Katsuki is the ringleader of his main bullies." Inko finally told her causing Mitsuki to gasp, her jaw dropped, and she automatically went into denial.
"T-there's no way that little shit would hurt Izu! Sure, they had their fights, and the brat gives me shit whenever I ask about school and Izuku h-hasn't come over in, in y-years but that d-doesn't, I- I would have... I- Oh God I- I... " Mitsuki's words losing confidence.
Inko grimly watched as things began to click in her friend's head, tears welling up as she slumped back into her seat as the reality of their sons' fractured relationship fully sunk in "I-I'm a horrible parent, how could I have missed this?" Mitsuki whispered tears falling, hair clutched tightly in her hands, Inko couldn't stop a mirthless laugh falling from her lips "If you're a horrible parent, I must be so bad at parenting I shouldn't be called a parent Mitsuchan." She said "B-bullshit! T-the fuck you are!" Mitsuki protested immediately but Inko leveled her with a look.
"I'm a nurse and I didn't notice my own son coming home bleeding and blown up. I think that's a bit worst Mitsuchan." Inko countered with a forced wobbly smile, tears pouring down her face again as her body trembled, the two sat silently unable to find words as they cried over their sons "What's wrong with Izuku?" Mitsuki asked once she regained her voice, Inko wilted and started picking at the rim of her empty cup.
"H-he's got a lot of cuts and bruises like you saw, cracked r-ribs, a bacterial infection, maybe s-sepsis, symptoms of nitroglycerin poisoning but we're most concerned about the T-TBI." Inko listed off straying away from using the bigger scarier terms, but Mitsuki didn't look any less horrified or guilty.
"T-the fuck is a TBI?" Mitsuki asked, voice quieter than then Inko had heard her friend in years "It stands for Traumatic Brain Injury, it's f-from primary blast damage." Inko explained a bit disconnected from the conversation "Katsuki used his fucking quirk on Izuku?!" Mitsuki questioned face pale and Inko grimly nodded "That's where h-he got the burns and n-nitroglycerin poisoning Mitsuchan." She confirmed, Mitsuki's shoulders slumped as if she had strings keeping them up and that they had been cut.
"How could this crap happen Inko? I-is little Izu going to be... Okay?" Mitsuki questioned running a hand through her hair, trying to find something to reassure her frayed nerves "The hospital is g-going to keep him for two weeks at least, to treat and monitor him in case of f-further complications. Once he's released Izuku will have to do months of rehabilitation therapy and regular therapy for the bullying." Inko explained rubbing the back of her hand "I-I'm not sure if we can pay for it all... " Inko muttered, still trying to figure out how to keep in the black while paying for the treatments, medicine, and therapy.
"I'll pay for it." Mitsuki said catching Inko off guard "W-what?" Inko questioned turning to look at the blond "My bastard child is the reason Izuku is in the hospital, the least I can do is make sure he gets proper treatment after all the bullshit the brat put him through." Mitsuki clarified face having regained some of its color and glaring at her hands now on the table "Mitsuchan, y-you don't have-" Inko tried to argue "No Inko, I'm going to pay for it, all of it. The hospital bills, prescriptions, rehabilitation sessions. All. Of. It. Inko." Mitsuki firmly told the greenette then sighed rubbing her forehead.
"Besides, whatever bloodthirsty lawyer you get is probably going to ask for it anyway, when you fucking start suing." She added off-handily and Inko's grip on the cup got tighter "Izuku d-doesn't want to sue anyone." Inko corrected much to the blonde's shock "The fuck? Why the hell not!? Those little gremlins- My brat put him in the God-forsaken hospital and God knows what the fuck else!" Mitsuki questioned a small bit of outrage fueling her tone, Inko gave another wobbly smile and a breathless laugh "He doesn't want to r-ruin anyone's future, he doesn't want to be the reason they couldn't achieve their dreams." She explained.
"That's bullshit, are you really not going to charge their sorry asses Inko?" Mitsuki asked personal scorn of the situation causing her to be protective over her beloved godson. Inko wanted to say she was, that she'd hang them by their ears but just let her head hang instead "No Mitsuchan, it simply wouldn't be worth the legal fees." Inko glumly answered "Fuck that! I told you I've got lawyers Inko, if money is a problem, I'll fucking pay to see those shitheads behind bars." Mitsuki offered and Inko sighed "M-Mitsuchan I wish it was that easy, but the money isn't the problem." she told her tears welling up again.
"What happens after the lawsuit? Izuku c-could never walk down the street without everyone knowing he's quirkless, without everyone k-knowing what happened to him. It was so hard trying to find a school that would take him as it was but if w-we went to court? T-they'd never take him with a lawsuit on his record! He'd be turned away because they'd be afraid of a lawsuit against them! People already turn him away just for b-being quirkless because they don't want to deal with him getting hurt under their care!" Inko broke down into sobs midway through her rant.
Mitsuki pulled her into a hug and tried to comfort her dear friend even though there wasn't much the blond could do for the greenette "I'm sorry Inky... I- I don't know what to do." Mitsuki confessed emotionally torn, Inko sighed shakily as she wiped her face "I-I don't either Mitsuchan but Izuku can't go back, he can't go back to that p-place." Inko said with her body shaking from nerves and anger "But I don't know where we could find a new school, Aldera was the only school in the district that would t-take him and not deny us t-tuition." Inko continued venting a bit unintentionally.
"Don't they offer online courses for dumbasses that can't go into school buildings, maybe little Izu can do one of those shitty scams?" Mitsuki suggested and for a minute Inko paused then smiled brightly "That's it! Oh, Mitsuchan it's the perfect idea!" She exclaimed hugging the blond, Inko immediately took out her phone and started to look up online schooling, mumbling of different things she wanted and how legitimate they might be "I'm going to go back home to tell Masa the fuck's going on, I didn't tell him much before I ran out. Do you want me to swing by your rat hole to get you guys anything? Like clothes or some shit." Mitsuki offered pulling out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.
Inko blinked then her mouth opened in an 'O' shape "I-I rushed to the hospital b-because of Izuku's condition, I wasn't able to grab anything but a change of clothes for Izuku." Inko confessed a little ashamed "Right, don't worry your little bobblehead about anything Inky, I'll take care of this crap." Mitsuki promised standing up, Inko was quick to jump to her feet and hugged Mitsuki tightly "T-thank you for coming Mitsuchan." Inko muttered quietly, the entire situation had been emotionally taxing and she had truly needed the comfort of her closest friend.
"Of course, I would you Inky little bitch." Mitsuki replied automatically aggressively hugging her back and Inko began bawling "You've b-been so good to us M-Mitsuchan." She exclaimed burying her face into Mitsuki's side, Mitsuki would normally brush the praise off with a smirk but after everything she learned tonight, she felt more guilty hearing the words instead of pride "I-it's nothing Inky, see you in an hour or two." Mitsuki muttered patting Inko's back then left with Inko seeing her out before then returned to Izuku's room and continued her research of online schooling.