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"KEEP HER STABLE! CHECK VITALS!"

The shouts began to overwhelm him, Bakugo feeling like he was drowning in a sea of noise, until he wanted to curl up in a ball again and sink, down, down, down.

Doctors and paramedics from the Musutafu Local Hospital rushed around him, taking Y/N from his arms before he could react and loading her onto a wheeled stretcher, pushing her away in running strides.

"Wait!" Bakugo yelled. "Where are you taking her?"

A woman with a short red bob stopped in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "She needs to come with us, kid. Stay here. She'll be fine."

He could hear the thinly veiled lie in her voice, concern overwhelming her features for a split second, before she rushed off to follow her comrades. 

Bakugo growled in frustration, preparing to find and follow Y/N, even if it meant having to hang off the back of the ambulance she was in. But as he charged forward, he slammed hard into something, staggering backwards and falling, rather embarrassingly, on the floor.

Kirishima lowered his arm, de-hardening it as it fell back to his side. 

"Don't just run off," he said cautiously, clearly unwilling to anger his 'friend' (if that was a term that could be applied to Bakugo), but staying firmly in the way. "You're literally bleeding."

Bakugo's hand flew to the back of his head, flinching at the sticky blood that coated his fingers as they pulled back.

"Just let Recovery Girl fix you up," Kirishima persisted. "Let Y/L/N's parents see her first. Then, I promise, you can go the MLH straight after."

The last point he had made was pretty compelling - the blond didn't want to be anywhere near Y/N's parents - not when ...

"My fault," he whispered. "My. Fault."

"Bakugo, it's not your fault."

He was surprised to find that the words came from Kaminari, of all people.

"Y/N knew what could happen and she- she lost control. It's not your fault, and it's not wholly hers either."

"But it was my fault," Bakugo argued weakly, as the two members of his 'group' pushed him down into a chair and started wrapping a bandage around his head. 

"Stop right there." This interjection came from Recovery Girl, who sighed and oversaw the head wound instead. "Unfortunately, I've watched to many people die, in a society where everyone is meant to be safe. If, if, Y/L/N dies, then you lot can't go blaming yourselves. It's not fair to her to tarnish her memory with guilt and blame."

The three teenage boys mulled over this in silence.

"And, Bakugo," the Pro Hero added as a last note. "Don't go to the MLH. Not yet. Watching people go into hospitals can be ... painful."

To everyone's surprise, including his own, Bakugo nodded, standing from the chair only to slump to the ground in front of a couch, leaning back against its arm and closing his eyes.

Trying to stop the sound of Y/N's screams from echoing around his head.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

"Bakugo - time to go."

He flew to his feet, except forgetting that they were curled underneath him, and as a sleep-wearied result, the great Bakugo Katsuki fell ... flat on his face.

The sound of stifled laughter woke him up, and he was quick to glare at Kirishima and Kaminari as he stumbled up. 

"Let's go, then," he mumbled, yawning and stretching his arms above his head.

"Just ..." Kirishima stared at his feet. "Just try and stay calm. And don't ..."

He didn't finish the sentence, and Bakugo was glad of that. 

The bus ride was excruciatingly long, and every time the bus shook, he tripped, almost falling each time.

That had to symbolise, to mean ... something. 

"Musutafu Local Hospital," the bus driver announced, stomping on the brakes rather aggressively and opening the doors.

Bakugo stumbled off the vehicle, feeling sick to his stomach at the looming grey building in front of them. Truth to be told, he was terrified of what he might find in there.

A corpse? Dead, because of him?

Remembering Recovery Girl's earlier words, he shook off the guilt with mental difficulty, marching towards the sliding doors with an illusion of confidence. At the front desk, he requested, with his friends by his side, to see Y/L/N Y/N.

A couple off to the side jolted, looking up at the three teenagers to stare at them. It was only after a moment of confusion that Bakugo realised that the couple looked familiar - one had Y/N's eyes and the other her h/c hair, though streaked lightly with grey. 

"We're Y/N's parents," the one with Y/N's hair explained, stepping towards the group. "Are you friends of hers?"

Kirishima and Kaminari glared at Bakugo sideways, who rolled his eyes and responded, "Yes. Is she alright, and are you well?"

All three of the UA students were surprised at the manners of the fiery boy, most of all himself, though he remained composed and polite.

The parents nodded hesitantly. "Y/N's quirk ... she was born like this. It was- it was unavoidable."

Though their words were sad and despairing, they lifted a heavy weight off Bakugo's shoulders, who nodded kindly, offering a few words of consolation before following the receptionist to a pediatric ward.

Little kids smiled at him as he passed, waving with IV tubes in their arms and cannulas across their faces. Bakugo did his best to wave and smirk back, though it was achingly painful to see children who should've been enjoying school and sunlight hooked up to beeping machines, and yet still smiling, though the last fact changed as they walked further into the ward.

The patients became older the longer they walked, until the receptionist stopped by the last bed at the end of the ward.

In it lay Y/L/N Y/N.

Hands folded. Expression peaceful.

Eyes closed.

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thank you for reading this
book and i hope you enjoy it!
~ jazzi