As it Was | Hange x Reader

Chapter 35: Hospital Visit

After hearing that news, (Y/N) felt as if her world had stopped. Hange? Hange had gotten into a car accident? No Mikasa must be mistaken—or Levi must have been mistaken. Hange was fine. She had seen them that morning. They had been fine that morning. But the concerned way that Mikasa was looking at her, the way she had her hand braced on (Y/N)'s arm.

"What?" (Y/N) breathed, wide eyed and unmoving.

"Levi heard from Erwin that Hange had been getting late this morning so they insisted that Erwin and Levi go off in the uber, and Hange would catch another car," Mikasa explained. "But they never showed up and their crew was getting worried, so Erwin called the driver and learned that there had been an accident with a trailer on the highway."

"Where are they?" (Y/N) felt light headed, as if everything had melted away. Her own voiced echoed in her mind, strange and far away. "Where is Hange?"

"At the nearest hospital," Mikasa said quietly. "Levi and Erwin are going there...but they wanted to let you know. I think they think you're close with Hange."

(Y/N) swallowed. Hange was in the hospital. Hange was hurt. Hange could be dead—

No.

No, she wasn't going to think like that.

Hange was fine.

They will be okay.

(Y/N) abruptly stood from her seat, her friends looking at her in surprise and concern. She was going to go to Hange. There was no question about it. Every ounce of her feared for their safety, from the small kid that had just met them, to the teenager that had argued with them, to the person she was now, every part for her yearned to know that they would be okay. "I'm going to the hospital."

"(Y/N)—" She could hear someone call out her name but she paid no mind. The opening speech droned on in the background, and (Y/N) could care less about it anymore. What fun would the ceremony be if the person she loved was hurt?

If this had been at any other moment, (Y/N) would have paused to reflect on mentioning that she loved Hange. But at that moment. She didn't need confusion. She didn't need reflection. She just needed to be with Hange.

"Excuse me," a brains game employee stopped her near the entrance. She had barged through the crowd mindlessly, her need to see Hange fueling her actions. "But you can't leave until the ceremony is over, especially if you're a participant."

"This is an emergency," Mikasa answered for her, her voice firm. "We have to go."

(Y/N) nodded urgently. She needed that employee to move to the side immediately. Precious time was being wasted and she wanted to see Hange as fast as she could. Standing about was useless. She tried shouldering past the employee but they stopped her. Perhaps they recognized her as a participant and didn't want her to leave because of that.

"Let me go," (Y/N) all but growled, getting annoyed.

"You can't leave," the employee emphasized. If you leave then we have to disqualify you—even if you've won!"

Mikasa and Sasha faltered behind her, and (Y/N) blinked once. Disqualify herself as a brain games participant? What kind of stupid rule was that? All of her hard work, thrown out the window because she left the vicinity during the awards ceremony.

"That doesn't make any sense," Sasha argued. "We're telling you this is an emergency, can't she leave an advocate behind in her stead? Her old group mate, perhaps?"

"No, I'm afraid that's impossible," the employee apologized. "We need the actual participant to be here. If (Y/N) leaves, then she's forfeiting her rights as a participant. She won't even be able to attend the celebration gala that is held afterward."