Not Yet

XXVII: Recovery

Eraser felt really awkward, holding a bowl of an unappealing mush of vegetables with one hand and a soft rubber spoon with the other. It was not much, but it sure as hell was a tremendous upgrade from the feeding tubes that were now removed.

He looked at Izuku, knowing that there was no way he could feed himself with those frail arms and those fingerless hands.

He was glad the kid's health seemed to have improved in this short period of time. And he was glad Izuku could eat solid (mushy) food now, but was he supposed to feed him himself?

He couldn't ask the busy nurses nor the doctors, he couldn't ask his student who was already going out of his way to take care or Eri, and he sure was not letting the boy live off IVs.

He sighed, setting the spoon in the food and filling roughly a quarter of it, he had to start very careful. He didn't know when the last time the kid had eaten real food was, after all.

And despite how Aizawa reacted at first, he was pretty good at handling the situation.

"Izuku," he felt the boy move his neck to his direction slowly. "I need you to lean your back on the pillows," he had to make sure the food didn't choke his kid to death.

He waited patiently as Izuku complied, ending up in a sitting position, slightly leaned backwards to the headrest.

The spoon found its was to the boy's lips easily.

"We will start slowly. Can you open you mouth for me?" Shouta observed as the color-drained lips parted slightly, just enough for him to tilt up his spoon and slide the contents into Izuku's tongue.

After a few moments of waiting, he felt the bit go down. He felt his own body relax, that was one baby step of success.

Though, before Aizawa could prepare the next spoon not a few seconds after, he felt Izuku's grip tighten on the blanket.

Knowing what would come, Aizawa immediately put the bowl down and grabbed a nearby bin, shoving it under Izuku's chin just right before the choked sound echoed through the empty room.

Shouta shoved the wild curls out of Izuku's face as gently as possible as the boy proceed to throw up. He couldn't help but frown, the sight of the empty eye socket, that was now exposed, being a screaming reminder of his failure.

After a few more rounds of dry heaving, -because his stomach had literally nothing to shove outside- Izuku slumped back into his pile of pillows.

Aizawa lowered the bin to the ground, grabbing a tissue and helping the helpless boy clean his mouth. He felt a  knot in his stomach grow. He knew that it wouldn't be easy. He knew it was normal for the body to reject food at first, but the knowledge didn't make the experience any easier.

Eraser gave the boy a few minutes to catch his breath, the simple contraction of the esophagus being too much for the tattered body to handle.

"Do you want to... try again?" Aizawa felt slightly guilty that he had to do this. Recovery is a long road that needs patience and diligence. Yet, he didn't know if he had it in himself to keep pushing.

"You don't have to if yo-" he cut himself off when he realised the weak arm raising a little, to point at the bowl on the table beside. Despite the sluggish and drowsy gaze, Shouta could see a power he didn't know the fragile frame could hold.