Perhaps a Better Place [A Dadzawa Story]

Blockade: Chapter 36

The room is dead-silent for a solid ten seconds.

"What the fuck do you mean he's on his way?" Aizawa practically seethes, standing from his seat.

"Well," Yamada's voice hitches slightly in his throat, which I've noticed is a nervous habit of his, "the hospital contacted him for insurance information and- and he told them he didn't even know she was in the hospital, and that... she's been missing for months."

"That motherf-" Aizawa's curse is cut off by Kirishima.

"Wait, but," he turns to me, "you said your parents kicked you out and Aizawa-Sensei took you in. I'm feeling very out-of-the-loop right now."

My hands shake and I grip my blanket.

"That's... Partly true. It's more like... They locked me out of the house and I ran away with a little help. And u-um," I struggle to speak again, throat going dry as my muscles practically vibrate. "I-I don't know, it was all a mess."

"To put it in simple words," Aizawa grumbles, opening the door, "her father's an abusive, psychotic piece of shit and he's not stepping a foot in this room if I have anything to say about it."

Just as he goes to leave, I try to pull myself to stand. "Wait!"

Aizawa turns his head to look over his shoulder, already halfway out the door.

"Just stay in here," I say, gripping the arm rests and leaning forward. "He can't lay a hand on me when I'm surrounded by all of you guys." I look at my friends. "Even if something does happen, you're all here. It's, what? Five against one?"

"Six against one," Aizawa says firmly.

I have to force myself to hold back a scoff. "You really think you're in the condition to fight anyone right now? You're in two arm-casts and covered head to toe in bandages."

Aizawa says something resembling the beginning of a defense, but it falls flat and he grumbles under his breath.

"Exactly. Just... Just sit down, where you were, and when he comes in, I'll... we'll handle it."

Aizawa takes a deep breath and lifts his arm. He looks at it, sighs, and drops it back into his sling.

"Sit on the far side of the room. Sit on the couch. I want you as far away from him as possible. Legally, the hospital can't prevent him from seeing you, and I legally can't perform a citizen's arrest without viable evidence."

I had almost forgotten about that, being so convinced that my father had killed my mother. There was no DNA at the crime scene besides my own, but it was clear that I hadn't been the one to kill her because I had been at school all day, and her time of death was a few hours prior to my discovery. They couldn't prove that he had killed her, and therefore, couldn't put him on trial and send that fucker off to jail.

I nod. "So you guys are my line of defense."

Shouji stands and moves around my chair, pushing the IV stand into my hand. I grab it, and he pushes the wheelchair around the bed and over to wear Tokoyami and Jirou still sit, but they both get up and move to stand at opposite sides of the couch like proud and watchful guardians.

Shouji helps me stand and sit on the couch instead, which- oh, it's not as uncomfortable as I thought it was.

Aizawa crosses the room and takes the seat right next to me, and I can guarantee he would be crossing his arms and glaring at the door if he physically could.