The Best Care

The entire evacuation comes as a blur. The cops guide you and everyone else away from the disaster. Heroes running every which way, clearing debris, blocking falling light poles. The triage units do their best at stabilizing Akasuki’s legs before shuttling you, her, and a truck full of other injured to the hospital. The hospital is overran with incoming patients, but it turns out even during an emergency having your name on a wing of the hospital gets you special attention.

You try to tell everyone that you feel fine, but the doctors, your sister-in-law included, all want to keep you close for observation. You give in and settle down for the night, watching the news coverage of what happened. “They took Akasuki in for surgery, they won’t let me in, mind if I sit with you?” You look up to see the pink haired pregnant lady in your doorway.

“You want my pudding cup too?” you joke, but Iyasu takes it on her way to the chair next to your bed.

“Can you believe it?” Iyasu says with a mouthful of your pudding, the spoon pointing at the tv showing the image of All Might standing victorious for the 20th time in the last 10 minutes. “I was so scared when I found out where they were fighting. I’m glad you both made it out of there,” Iyasu is on the verge of tears.

“Hey,” you take hold of her hand, “she’s going to be fine. Akasuki won’t let something like crushed legs stop her.” The both of you laugh, still holding hands as the newscasters speculate on what the future will hold. You eventually find a channel that is airing a highlight reel of All Might’s career, figuring that’s better than hearing the same thing over and over again.

Iyasu’s extending tongue allows her to lick even the bottom of the cup clean. The two of you sit together in silence watching the tv, waiting for any word on Akasuki. Iyasu’s hand eventually falls limp and when you look over you see that she’s fallen asleep in the chair. You feel bad that she is sleeping in the chair while you get the bed. You stand up and slide your arms under her. She stirs for a second but you manage to pick her up and transfer her to the bed without waking her.

Eventually a doctor comes by, “Mrs. Yamada is out of surgery. She’s got a long road ahead of her, but we have high hopes that she’ll be walking in no time.” You consider waking Iyasu, but she looks so peaceful sleeping there. Plus if you wake her the pregnant lady will sleep in a chair in Akasuki’s room rather than the hospital bed she’s currently in. The doctor tells you that Akasuki won’t actually wake up until morning anyways.

You kick your feet up and try your best to get comfortable in the chair. But every time you close your eyes, you see visions of the avalanche. And if it’s not the avalanche, it’s new panic dreams of the Yamada building on top of you. Looking around your room, it’s odd seeing your last name on so many of the machines. You obviously had knowledge of how much medical equipment Akasuki had invented, but it’s a different experience seeing all the machines in one room.

You eventually give up and decide to take a walk through the halls of the hospital. Maybe you can find a vending machine. The nurses help guide you, when you pass their station. There we go, a glorious machine filled with candies and other sweets. If being stuck in another disaster isn’t a reason to eat all the sweets than you don’t know what is, plus Iyasu stole your pudding. You use all the cash you have on you to buy a variety of candies.

You use your shirt like a bucket to carry your haul back to your room. Out of instinct, you can’t help but glance into every open door as you pass them. You stop outside a room, when you hear a crying woman inside. Your mind jumps to Tomoko when you see her emerald hair. “You want a candy bar?” you ask thinking that it might cheer her up, and your waist won’t complain about one less piece of chocolate.

The crying woman looks up at you, tears rolling down her face. Your heart races when you see her large yellow eyes. It’s her. You’ve moved on, you tell yourself. “Oh, it’s you, um uh,” she starts before bursting into tears again. You enter her room, moving to comfort the crying hero.