What a Tragedy

Chapter 7: Run for Me

To say Izuku was exhausted was the understatement of the century. He was exhausted, in pain, and freezing. He lay on the metal table, buckles around his wrists and ankles (he'd learned not to fight back) as he tried not to cry.

It has been weeks since this started and every moment hurt like it was the first time. The wound on his stomach was healed and scared over along with his feet. A scalpel dug into his flesh and crimson drops of blood dripped down onto the metal beneath him. He didn't know why the doctor was doing this or what he was looking for but sometimes he would say out loud what he was doing.

It sounded like the doctor was preparing him for something.

His hand traced over Izuku's scarred skin as if he was feeling a masterpiece. It sent chills down his spine and he wished so desperately to swat the hand away. It traced his stomach and legs as the scalpel brushed his flesh, not hard enough to break skin yet, but hard enough to hurt.

As if looking for a good spot.

Izuku stared up into the overhead light above him and dissociated, distancing himself from reality to keep what was left of the little sanity he had.

He was vaguely aware that the doctor put an IV into his arm, allowing a strange substance to go into his veins. It started with a shiver, a cold rush down his spine, and then exploded into pain. Unfiltered and undeterred pain.

Everything in his vision went white as he tried not to pass out. The increasing urge to scream flooded his mind like a tsunami and blocked out any and all thoughts, but he kept his jaw locked shut, not wanting to give the doctor the pleasure in his agony.

He was sure screaming would only hurt his throat even more.

Soon it dialed down to a more manageable level of pain where he could begin to think again.

"Well that was quite the show, kiddo!" The doctor said.

The ringing in his ears made it harder to hear but the words still became clear to him. He turned his head to the side and saw the doctor smiling under his mustache.

"I just wanted to see if your body was ready." Ready? Ready for what? "I think that's enough for today."

The doctor moved behind the table and started carting him out of the room. To his relief, they were heading back to the cages, where he wouldn't have to be with the doctor and he could be alone with Osachi.

He was still restrained to the table, seeing as he probably couldn't walk far. He was weak and injured.

Izuku whimpered softly as the wheels screeched and the table jumped after going over a crack in the floor, jostling his wounds. The doctor looked down at him through green tinted goggles and smiled. "Don't worry, Izuku-kun. Everything will be fine." He didn't believe him.

Don't trust him.

"You're ready to see Sensei, now. All preparations I hade to make have been completed and you successfully survived each procedure. We'll just have to see if you'll survive getting a Quirk."

His blood ran cold, and without realizing, he started shaking in fear. They rolled up to Izuku's cage and the doctor moved to open it. "It will have to be tomorrow morning, though. It's getting rather late and I doubt Sensei would want to do this at this time of night."

The doctor scooped him up and put him back in the cage without another word, and after closing the door a buzzing was heard.

It caused Izuku to flinch and his eyes went to the doctor's face. He was pulling out what looked like a phone from his pocket as his brow furrowed in confusion. The doctor put the phone up to his ear after he pressed a button.