Chapter Text
Katsuki sat on a curb, he wasn't quite sure where. Rain was showering down and he was soaked, the water seeping into every tether of his clothing. Blood dripped down his body, warm compared to the chill of the rain.
He sat there for some time, he didn't know how long. His mind didn't belong to him, his conscience betrayed him as he sat still. He couldn't get himself to move, even though he knew he should. He just sat.
Maybe he didn't leave because this is the first semblance of peace he has felt in a while. The rain pounded against the ground, against him. It drowned out the usual sounds of the city, giving katsuki some quiet.
He didn't feel much of anything. Everything was muffled, stuck in a haze. Maybe it's the adrenaline, because he doesn't feel a thing.
He was soaked, dripping, but it was hard to distinguish the blood from the rain. He could feel small pieces of glass piercing him, but it didn't come with the pain.
He sat for a long time, mind blank.
He just felt the rain.
“H-... kid… ar-... alr-..t?” Someone was speaking. To him.
He couldn't bring his head up to look, he couldn't focus enough to understand.
Black boots appeared in front of him, and the man crouched down to meet katsuki at eye level. He had long dark unruly hair, and had a grey scarf.
Katsuki grew weary, a stranger was crouched in front of him. His senses were coming back to him and all he could feel was pain. He was so stupid, god. He shouldn't have stayed on the side of some random road. This is what he gets.
“Hey kid, are you with me?” The man spoke up. There was no malice in his voice, but you never really know, do you?
Katsuki felt cornered, his back and arms were seering in pain. He should run, he really should, but he was in too much pain. His teeth grinded together.
“Get away” katsuki tried to spit it out with venom, but his voice was coarse and it lacked bark.
The man didn't waver, didn't seem fazed. He didn't seem like he meant harm, but who would Katsuki be to trust him?
“It’s alright.” The man tried to reassure him. “I'm a pro hero.” Katsuki looked at him, but he didn't recognize him. He was sure if this guy was really a pro hero he would have seen him before.
“I’m an underground hero, I’m kept from the public eye.” He pulled a badge out of his pocket, proving he really was a hero.
“We need to get you to a hospital.”
He flinched internally. He didn't want to go to a hospital, he wouldn't. He couldn't. If you ever go to a hospital again, you won't see the light of day, Katsuki. He trembled at the memory, at what followed that conversation.
He shook his head, not willing to speak. He would never go to a hospital again.
“Alright, do you want to just sit for a bit then?” the hero asked, just a simple question. He didn't pressure him into going to a hospital, which was a surprise. Katsuki knew realistically he needed medical attention, but he just couldn't. He nodded.
He sat next to Katsuki on the curb. They sat in silence, listening to the rain pouring, and the occasional vehicle passing by.
The silence was broken by him. “I know a woman. She's the nurse at Yuuei. Would you be okay with getting her help?” He was asking, not telling
“It's not a hospital.” He added
Katsuki was confused to say the least, why was this man trying to help him so much? Was it because he was a hero, because it is his duty. Or did he have an ulterior motive? Katsuki didn't want to follow a stranger to a highschool infirmary, he didn't trust the man.
What if he just wanted to lead him somewhere else, what if he would harm him? He seemed like he genuinely wanted to help Katsuki, but Katsuki doesn't need help. He's been dealing with this alone for all this time. Maybe he did get hurt a bit worse this time, but he would get through it. By himself.
“I don't need help.” Was all that Katsuki could come up with.
“Listen kid, I don't know what happened, but it's obvious you need help. Your injuries seem severe, you need medical attention.” Maybe, just maybe he was right.
If his mother found out this happened, he doesn't even want to think about what she'd do. He weighed the options. “Fuck off.” His voice was rigid.
Even if he got medical attention, what would be waiting for him at home would be much worse if he went to a hospital. “Leave me alone.”
He stood up, but with that came sharp jabs of pain everywhere as the glass shifted in his skin. His back burned in pain. Exhaustion hit him like a train. He lost his balance and wobbled, his vision gaining blind spots as it all faded to black. A sound escaped his lips as he fell, losing all feeling.
Aizawa caught the boy as soon as he started falling, he had a feeling this would happen. He carried the boy in his arms, being as careful as he could. He didn't know the extent of his injuries.
It was impossible to tell just how much he's bled either, as the rain washed most of it away.
Aizawa had experience in this field. While patrolling, especially in the poorer areas, it was actually pretty common to find children in the middle of the night.
He was about to betray the boy at this moment, and take him to Recovery Girl. He would keep his word in not bringing him to a hospital, but he had to get him help.
He began his way to Yuuei, he took the fastest route. He knows these streets like the back of his hand. He dialed Recovery Girls number, knowing she wouldn't be in her office at this ungodly hour.
After a few rings she picked up. “Eraserhead.” Her voice was wary, she knew he wouldn't call if it wasn't an emergency.
“I have a kid who's severely injured. Meet me at the infirmary.” He was straight to the point, not wanting to waste a moment.
“I'm on my way.” Her keys could be heard right before she hung up.
Aizawa looked at the kid, limp in his arms. His blood was dripping from everywhere, staining Aizawa's hands with red.
Shit. He has to hurry.
He made it to Yuuei in what seemed like hours. Feeling the weight of the kid in his arms and the wetness of blood felt like a ticking time bomb.
When he burst open the doors to the infirmary Recovery Girl was already there, ready. Her eyes widened when she saw the state the child was in, direness striking her.
“Set him down on the bed.” She ordered quickly.
“His back has something in it, I'm assuming it's glass.” He could feel the kids back while carrying him, he also got a few scratches. He didn't take the glass out of the kid himself because he didn't know how much there was, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding that would follow.
“Okay. It's okay, I can deal with that.” She reassured him, and herself. “Lay him on his stomach, but make sure he can breathe.” She commanded.
Aizawa did as he was told, finally letting go of the kid. He laid him on the bed as gently as he could.
Chiyo cut open the back of the kid's hoodie. Nothing could prepare either of them for what they were about to see.
There were chunks of glass in the boys back. There were some giant pieces, and many, many little pieces. His forearms had horrible burns on them. Bruises littered across him everywhere, who knows how much more he had on his lower body.
Chiyo got to work in no time, taking one piece of glass out at a time and stitching the cut back together. This process went on for a long time, the clock changing from 1:35 am to 3:58 am, from start to finish.
They checked him for more injuries and only found more bruises and minor scrapes.
He was flipped over to his back, a more comfortable position.
Chiyo had not given him anything to make sure he stayed asleep. She didn't know what his quirk was and she had a feeling that an anesthetic would not work in their favour. It was a miracle that the boy didn't wake up while she fixed him up.
This was one of the reasons she had not used her quirk on him, he wasn't even awake.
They were both exhausted by the end of it.
Chiyo went to grab some coffee and her paperwork. It was important she documented all of her patients' visits.
It was just him and the kid in the room. The sounds of machines filled the room. Different reasons came to his mind as to what happened, why was this kid so injured. And why was he so reluctant to go to a hospital, or to even get help in the first place.
He finally got a good look at the kid. His hair was blonde and explosive, going in every direction. He had a bruise on his cheek, and dark circles surrounding his eyes. This kid has been put through it, and he doesn't even look like he's past 14.
The door clicked open as Chiyo returned. She handed him a mug with black coffee inside, after all these years working together she has picked up on his preference.
“Aizawa. I've been in this field for a long time, I can understand things just by looking at a person's body. This boy hasn't been hurt just this one time, he has been repeatedly injured over a long period of time, his whole life presumably. He's littered in scars, old and new.” Her eyes had a deep sorrow in them.
“Whatever it is, we need to get him out. We have proof of his injuries. We need to figure out who's been hurting him, and we need to get proof of it.” She has done this before, healed patients going through the same thing as this poor boy.
“I know what I have to do, I'll do everything in my power to save him.” Aizawa was determined. This boy has been put through hell and back, he'll be damned if he doesn't do anything about it. Anger burned in him at the thought of who would even do such things to a young child.
Chiyo nodded her head, responding “I know you will.”