Deku's secret illness

Ch. 22- Good News (for once)

The waiting room felt like an eternity as Aizawa and Hitoshi anxiously sat side by side. Their hearts were heavy with worry and fear for Midoriya. Every minute that passed without any news felt like an eternity.

Finally, the door to the examination rooms swung open, and a doctor stepped out, wearing a tired but relieved expression. Aizawa and Hitoshi stood up, their eyes fixed on the doctor, waiting for any news about Midoriya.

The doctor approached them with a small smile on her face. "Midoriya Izuku is in stable condition and ready for visitors," she said, her voice calm but filled with reassurance.

Relief washed over Aizawa, and he let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. "Thank goodness. What happened? Is he going to be okay?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, he's going to be fine. The blood he coughed up wasn't related to his illness. It seems he caught a separate infection, it's pretty common this time of year."

Aizawa's shoulders tensed, knowing that in midoriya's case even the smallest infection could end up fatal. "Is the infection treatable?"

The doctor nodded again. "Yes, it's a common respiratory infection. With proper treatment and rest, he should recover quickly."

Hitoshi let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank goodness."

The doctor gave them a reassuring smile. "He's in good hands now. You can come see him now. He's still resting, but I'm sure he'll be happy to see you both."

Aizawa nodded, relieved that his problem child would be ok, "Thank you for taking care of him."

The doctor smiled. "It's our job, and he's a strong young man. He'll be back on his feet in no time."

With renewed determination, they made their way to Midoriya's room, eager to see their friend and offer him the support and care he needed. As they entered the room, they found Midoriya resting, looking weak but with a small smile on his face.

"Hey, guys," he said softly.

Aizawa and Hitoshi exchanged glances before Aizawa took a step forward. "Hey, kiddo, how are you feeling?"

Midoriya gave a weak smile, "I'm still a bit weak, but the doctor said I'll be fine."

Hitoshi approached Midoriya's bed, his voice filled with concern. "You scared us, you know? You don't have to hide things from us, Izuku."

Midoriya's eyes filled with tears, touched by his friends' support. "Thank you, both of you for being here. Not gonna lie when I saw the blood I really thought I was dying."
He gave a slight nervous chuckle, " it was nice to know that at the very least I wouldn't be dying alone".

Aizawa placed a reassuring hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. We're here for you, no matter what."

Hitoshi couldn't hold back the tears that welled up in his eyes as he looked at Midoriya lying weakly in the hospital bed. He felt a mix of relief and anger, and he couldn't help but let his emotions spill over.

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" Hitoshi's voice cracked with emotion as he struggled to hold back his tears. "We're friends, aren't we? Why would you keep something like this from me?"

Midoriya's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation that Hitoshi knew about his illness. He had kept it a secret for so long, fearing the burden it would place on his friends, especially Hitoshi.

"I... I didn't want to worry you," Midoriya stammered, his voice filled with guilt. "I didn't want you all to treat me differently or feel like you had to take care of me. I thought I could handle it on my own."

Hitoshi's anger seemed to waver as he saw the pain in Midoriya's eyes. He wiped away his tears and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

"But we're friends, Izuku," Hitoshi said softly. "We're supposed to be there for each other, no matter what."

Midoriya's shoulders shook as he tried to hold back his own tears. "I... I know, Hitoshi. I'm sorry. I was just so scared..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Hitoshi wrapped his arms around Midoriya in a tight hug. "You don't have to be scared anymore," he whispered. "We're here for you, all of us. You don't have to go through this alone."

Midoriya's tears finally broke free as he buried his face in Hitoshi's shoulder, letting himself cry and release all the pent-up emotions he had been holding inside.

"I'm sorry," Midoriya choked out between sobs. "I didn't want to burden you all with my problems."

Hitoshi held Midoriya even tighter, his own tears falling freely now. "You're not a burden, Izuku. We care about you, and we want to be there for you. You don't have to carry this weight on your own."

Aizawa watched the emotional scene unfold with a heavy heart, relieved that Midoriya's secret was out but also worried about how he would handle his friends' reactions. He had expected anger and frustration, but seeing Hitoshi's genuine concern and compassion surprised him.

Midoriya's eyes were still teary as he looked up at Aizawa, who had tears silently streaming down his cheeks. Aizawa had always been a strict and stoic figure in Midoriya's life, so seeing him cry was both surprising and comforting.

"Dad?" Midoriya whispered, his voice barely audible. Hitoshi let go of Midoriya, backing away to observe the interaction between the two.
Aizawa's eyes widened in surprise. Izuku had just called him dad! He smiled, blinking back more tears. "Izuku," Aizawa said softly, his voice filled with emotion.

Midoriya reached out and took Aizawa's hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Dad," he said, his voice weak and quivering, terrified. "Thank you"
The close brush with death had shaken Izuku and only now that he was surrounded by his family was he able to process it. His voice was filled with fear. Fear of the unknown, of the unpredictable nature of his disease, of the inevitability of his own death.  When he spoke his words were panicked, his voice weak and raspy.
"Thank you for taking care of me, for being there for me, and not giving up on me even when I feel like giving up on myself."

Aizawa's heart swelled with love and pride for his student. "I could never give up on you, problem child," he said, his voice filled with conviction. "You're strong, and you're not alone in this anymore. We're here for you, and we're going to support you through everything."

Midoriya's lips trembled into a small smile. "I know," he said softly. "And I'm grateful for that."

Aizawa pulled Midoriya into a gentle hug, holding him close as he continued to cry tears of relief and love. In that moment, Aizawa knew that they were forming a bond that went beyond the teacher-student relationship. They were becoming a family, and Aizawa was determined to do everything in his power to protect and support his new son, even if only for a little while.

As the tears subsided, Midoriya sniffled and looked up at Aizawa with gratitude in his eyes. "So Hitoshi knows now? About the illness? About everything?"

Aizawa smiled softly and brushed away Midoriya's tears. "Not everything, just most of it. I figured I'd leave the details for you, Kid. I'm sorry for violating your privacy like that. I just figured he needed to know. We're family, I know you didn't want him to find out, but I couldn't keep it from him anymore, especially after what happened tonight."

Midoriya gave Aizawa a quizzical look. "I'm not mad, I'm grateful. I didn't know how to tell him so you did it for me."

Aizawa, smiled and ruffled Izuku's messy green hair. "I'm glad you're starting to open up about things. I'm proud of you kid. You've come a long way from where you started."
Midoriya gave a weak smile as he forced his drooping eyes open. Aizawa helped him lay back down and lovingly pulled the hospital blanket back over him.
"You should get some rest, kid. You must be exhausted. We'll still be here when you wake up, we're not going anywhere."

Midoriya nodded, feeling a sense of relief he hadn't felt in a long time. He closed his eyes, finally able to rest knowing that he didn't have to face his illness alone anymore. His friends were there for him, and that was all that mattered.