This chapter took way longer to publish then I expected but here it is now.
Enjoy
Chapter 15: Deku...What have you done?
"DEKU" No reply.
I know what I heard. I need height, leverage, a sight-line - Damn it.
"Fuck" I said as I rushed towards the sound, my heart pounding. I scared a lot of animals along the way but I didn't care. All I was focused on was Deku. The urgency of the situation only grew as I took in the state of the surrounding trees at the base of the cliff. From our ascend, I knew there were many broken trees adorning our path, but I saw one particular tree swept a great distance from its original position. It clearly spoke of Deku's raw power. But where is he? The faint sound of my name, "Kacchan," spurred me onward, guiding me towards his location.
Finally, I caught sight of him in the distance, his back turned as he lay hugging a tree. The building pressure in my chest released upon seeing him. Perhaps he had simply grown tired and was resting. But as I drew closer, my heart sank at the sight in front of me. The large, dark patch on the ground was unmistakably blood, and my stomach churned at the sight of the blood-stained branch protruding from his back. How long had he been in this agonizing position, alone and suffering?
I broke into a desperate sprint, my lungs burning, my heart hammering against my ribs. I reached him and knelt down, placing my hand on his face. He was pale, his face contorted in pain. "Fuck. Deku, Can you hear me?" He didn't respond, his eyes closed, his breathing shallow and ragged.
"Shit, oh my God. Deku. Wake up damn it." I said, my voice hiking in pitch. I know that Deku can take pain like a champ, I mean he's always breaking his bones which wouldn't tickle; hell it'd probably leave most of us in shambles, unable to go on in a fight but somehow Deku always gets back up. I could tell this must be a whole different type of pain as his face began to contort and he started to gasp and whine. His eyes, filled with pain, fluttered open but his gaze was far away, like he couldn't see anything.
"K-Kacchan?" he rasped, his voice weak.
"Come on, stay awake. Alright? I need you to stay awake. Do you hear me? I will bloody KILL you if you closed your eyes" I said, my voice strained. My throat tightened. It was the first time fear had truly gripped me. It wasn't fear for myself, it was fear for him.
I moved behind him and gently lifted his shirt with trembling hands to inspect the damage. The branch had punched a ragged hole in Deku's midsection, the skin and muscle torn and mangled, blood flowing freely in a sickening crimson tide that pooled around him. Panic coursed through my senses, rupturing the intricate walls of self-control I built over the years. My stomach churned at the graphic image, and I had to swallow hard to keep the rising bile at bay. But through my overwhelming sense of panic, I know I have to act quickly to stem the bleeding.
I grabbed him by his chest with my right arm and secured his waist with my left but my hands were slipping because of all that blood. My plan was to scoot him backwards to remove the deadly branch but the moment I shifted his position, he let out a blood-curdling scream and I immediately released him. Fuck. Clearly, this approach was not viable - I need to think of another way before it was too late. As he gagged and sobbed, his suffering voice pierced my very soul.
What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should I DO? Time was slipping away like sand through my fingers. I wracked my brain to think of something. I could cut the branch from the tree and try again. With newfound determination, I turned to Deku, my voice trembling with a mix of concern and urgency.
"Deku," I said. "I am going to get the blade from your bag. You just need to hold on. Alright? You need to stay awake. Understand? Once that branch is out, you can sleep all you want. But right now, you just have to hold on. I'll be back as fast as I can."
As I turned to leave, I couldn't shake the fear that gripped my heart. What could have happened to him, and when did it occur? The questions swirled in my thoughts, only fueling my growing anxiety. Reaching the tree we had marked earlier, I rummaged quickly through Deku's bag, searching for the blade I used earlier. But instead of the blade, my hand brushed against the wooden boxes we had discovered earlier - the very same ones that had led us to this point. In that moment, a realization dawned on me - I had completely forgotten about the scrolls I found! Hastily, I picked up the box, intent on carefully placing the scrolls inside for safekeeping.
Within the box's contents lay the very information I needed right now as we were running dangerously low on pain relief medicine. Frantically, I read the article detailing the properties of the Aravac plant - a natural analgesic that could provide the relief Deku so desperately required. I pored over the information, studying the accompanying images intently, determined to locate this plant at any cost.
Quickly, I checked the emergency kit, only to find that the antibiotics were woefully insufficient given the extent of Deku's injuries. Fortunately, the clue also mentioned the Magrimulish flower, known for its potent antimicrobial properties. As I recalled, I had spotted some vibrant pink flowers during my earlier search for the twin Hoesiacnae shrubs. With renewed urgency, I knew I had to gather all the necessary ingredients without delay. As I grabbed for the bags, I heard Deku's cries echoing through the woods. Time was running out.
I quickly gathered all the necessary items and placed them in separate boxes. Carrying both my own and Deku's bags, I hurried back to where he lay. The sight that greeted me filled me with concern - Deku's complexion had become even paler, his breathing labored and gasping. His eyes roamed restlessly beneath his half-closed lids, conveyed a deeply unsettling vulnerability as he shivered uncontrollably, yet he remained conscious. I couldn't quite decipher whether this was a good sign or a troubling one. Wasting no time, I checked his pulse, finding it to be racing at an alarmingly rapid pace. Is he going into shock?
I crouched in front of him and said "Hey Deku, Can you hear me?" Without waiting for a response, I continued "Listen, I am going to cut that branch from that tree and then will try to remove it. Okay? I will be super fast, I promise. It won't hurt, it will just sting a little." I paused, hoping my words would comfort him. "I know you're brave. Aren't you? You're All Might after all." I don't know where these words were coming from, but I just wanted to reassure him.
He was trying to say something but his words came out heavily slurred. I strained to make sense of his words but eventually I gave up and tried to comfort him as his condition took a turn for worse. "Shh, Izuku" I soothed, "it's going to be okay in a minute. Just stay strong. Alright?" Without further delay, I set to work. First, I removed his shirt and was shocked at the sight before me - three perfectly straight, bleeding and angry-looking gashes across his chest. Just what in the hell happened? They were not bleeding heavily so I rubbed the Aravac leaves around the stab wound to make it numb. His voice, barely a whisper, pierced the silence. 'Please, stop.' Then, he drifted into unconsciousness. A wave of fear washed over me. I know that time is of the essence. I could feel the heat radiating from his body.
I knew the pain had to be minimised before taking any drastic action. The extract of Aravac leaves helps with the pain. What if I crush the leaves and pour the extract into his wounds? It should work right? Quickly, I prepared a fine paste, strained it in a bottle and poured some around his wounds carefully.
With the blade in one hand and Deku steadied in the other, I made a clean cut to remove the branch. I gently laid Deku on his back and poured more Aravac extract around both the front and back wounds, bracing myself for the inevitable. In one swift motion, I pulled out the branch, a gush of dark blood immediately flowed from the ragged opening. Deku let out a pained whimper, but remained unconscious.
My stomach lurched at the sight of the raw, mangled wound, skin turned inside out and exposing the angry, glistening tissues beneath. It clearly needs stitches but I don't have any supplies. In all honesty, even if I had the necessary tools, I wouldn't be able to do that. Just a look at the wound turned my stomach so horribly that I had to look away, taking several deep breaths to keep myself from retching. But there was no time to waste - Deku was bleeding out, and I have to act fast to stanch the flow.
Gritting my teeth, I placed my hands over his abdomen, the feel of the wound turning my stomach again. The moment I applied pressure, he let out a blood-curdling scream and next thing I knew, I was flying in the air before hitting a tree. Well, that was expected. I saw him moaning and retching on the ground, though he had already run out of stomach contents to throw up.
I sat next to him and carefully rubbed slow circles on his back, avoiding the wound. His body wracked with spasms under my hands. My vision suddenly grew blurry at one point, and I realised with a pang that I had started crying along with him, the tears flowing freely down my cheeks without interruption. Once the heaving subsided, I helped him with some water and then gave him the Aravac leaves extract to drink but he spat it out before falling unconscious again.
Fuck. He has already lost a lot of blood. I quickly dragged him to a cleaner area and started cleaning his wounds. Pouring water over the injury only caused more blood to seep out. I know I should clean the wound to avoid infection but that will come after I have taken care of the bleeding. With trembling hands, I crushed the pink flowers and applied the petals to the gaping wound. I waited with baited breath for the bleeding to stop but it didn't. The crushed petals flowed with the blood. Fucking hell. He's gonna die of blood loss at this rate. This time, I gathered long, thin leaves, placed more crushed flower petals than before on them and carefully laid the makeshift dressing over the wound, applying firm pressure. This time, the bleeding seemed to subside and I breathed a sigh of relief. Using his torn shirt, first I cleaned my blood soaked hands and then I gently cleaned the blood from his body, noting with concern the multitude of bruises that now marred his skin, far more than yesterday.
With the bandages tightly wrapped around his wounds, I struggled to carefully dress his limp, motionless body. Surprisingly, he didn't make a sound as I handled him, which I can only hope is due to the effects of the Aravac leaves and not something more concerning.
Task 1: Stop the bleeding - Done
Task 2: Control his fever - On it
After gabbing the fever reducer pills from his bag, I carefully lifted Deku's head and placed them gently on his tongue. Slowly pouring some water into his mouth, I stroked his throat to help him swallow. He coughed a bit, water spurting out, but then started drinking greedily. I continued to pour more water into his parched mouth, watching as he eagerly gulped it down. Once satisfied, I laid him back down, ready to try and provide him more comfort. Now, it's time to cover him up.
I attempted to set up the tent, but damn this rocky terrain. As I tried to pound the nails into the ground, they stubbornly bent, refusing to secure the structure. After several frustrated attempts, I finally gave up, resigning myself to simply sitting by Deku's side. When I checked his temperature, I was concerned to find that he had a high fever, but that was expected as a result of the shock from his injury.
It wasn't long before Deku began to stir, shivering despite his unconscious state, his teeth clattering. I realized then that the chilly wind had picked up, leaving me shivering as well. I hadn't even realized that I, too, was shivering - the adrenaline coursing through my veins had numbed me to my own discomfort. Wrapping him hastily in the tent sheet and tucking the sleeping bag around myself, I tried to provide what little warmth I could. But just as I settled in, the skies opened up, unleashing a torrential downpour.
Deku's moans of discomfort pierced through the pounding rain, and I quickly cradled his head in my lap, using my quirk to warm my hands and transfer that heat to him. His back arched in pain. His whimpers of pain tore at my heart, and I knew I needed to administer another dose of fever reducer.
As the wind howled and my sleeping bag was swept away, leaving me exposed, I shivered uncontrollably, my injured ankle throbbing from the cold. Determined to protect Deku, I pushed through the discomfort and leaned over him, carefully administering the medication and trying to shelter him from the raging storm as much as possible.
Just as quickly as the rain had started, it stopped abruptly, leaving us shivering in the chilly air. At least Deku's whimpering had stopped - a small but welcome sign of improvement. I continued using my quirk, generating small, controlled blasts of heat to warm us both and stave off the frigid temperatures. The effort required intense concentration, the strain of maintaining a constant stream of warmth seeping into my limbs as fatigue began to set in.
After what felt like an eternity, Deku's eyes finally fluttered open, his gaze locking onto mine. A surge of relief washed over me at the sight - I had been so worried, fearing the worst. Immediately, a barrage of questions filled my mind. How was he feeling? Was the pain any better? Had I missed any other injuries that needed tending? The old me would have scoffed at such concerns, at the very idea of lowering myself to fret over Deku's wellbeing. Just a few days ago, I would have thrown an absolute tantrum at the notion.
"You stayed" he croaked, his voice raspy from all the screaming. I stared at him, incredulous. What? Of course I stayed. What was he thinking? That I would abandon him? Did he really think so low of me? I was so angry that I wanted to throttle him but I swallowed it back, forcing myself to remain calm and composed. Only Deku can make me loathe him with just two words.
"No. I am a fucking villain impersonating Kacchan. The real Katsuki is resting peacefully at home. Of course, I stayed. What did you expect nerd? We need to complete it together or we both fail. Did you hit your head too?"
His goofy grin spread across his face. Had I actually made a joke? Despite my irritation, his infectious smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. Without further delay, I asked him what had happened. As he explained, a violent coughing fit wracked his body, his face contorting in pain. That's it - we are leaving, and we are getting somewhere warm.
"But we haven't found the twin Hoesiacnea shrub yet." he said weakly. Reluctantly, I told him I found it.
"We did?" he exclaimed, his eyes widening in astonishment. The look of astonishment and admiration that washed over his face made my heart sink. He looked at me with such admiration that I couldn't meet his gaze, knowing this reaction was misplaced. I had done nothing to deserve such blind faith.
I knew he would want to see the prize for himself, but we were both freezing out here. If we wanted to complete this assignment alive, we needed warmth, and we needed it now. I made the decision to lead us towards the nearby stream, away from the rocky ground. I rummaged through his bag, found dry clothes, and helped him change his shirt. Then, I stepped into the woods to give us some privacy. When I returned, I selected a long, sturdy branch, broke it to match Deku's height, and provided it to him as a walking support.
I carried his bag in the back while cradling mine in the front and started walking ahead. Though the distance was only a couple of miles, part of me yearned to walk behind Deku, ready to catch him if he stumbled or faltered, but my stubborn pride wouldn't allow it. I couldn't bear the thought of appearing concerned or overly caring, even in this dire situation. I have a reputation to maintain.
As we trudged onward, my keen eyes scanned the environment, recalling the stream I had discovered while searching for our prize. Knowing the area around the stream would be warmer, with mossy grass that could aid in Deku's recovery, I was determined to get us there as quickly and safely as possible. Along the way, I kept a vigilant eye out for any dry branches that could be used to build a campfire, wanting to ensure Deku had a chance to rest and recuperate for a couple of hours before we continue our journey down the hill.
My mind raced, weighing the need to project an air of indifference against my genuine concern for him, but in the end, Deku's wellbeing was the top priority, even if I would never admit it out loud.