“No, no. Not at all.” My gaze drifted up to the villain. He lay in the medical bed with a glazed look in his eyes. I returned my attention to his outstretched arm and the needle in my hand. “I decided on medical school as soon as I graduated.”
My bottom lip slipped from between my teeth. The needle glided through his skin. “What did you want to do instead?”
I wished he wasn’t so talkative at this moment. Stitching a wound on a sleeping patient was far easier. Then again, having someone to talk to made time pass by much faster.
“A hero. Every kid’s dream, right?” Even I scoffed at my answer. He, however, didn’t seem bothered by it. “I could never, though. And I realized that during my entrance exams. Mid-written test, I up and walked out.”
He winced as I tugged on the suture, closing the wound running down his arm. A small, simple tune slipped through my lips. In a short moment, his muscles relaxed. He breathed out a drawn-out sigh. “You could’ve been helping people, though.”
My eyes darted up at him. The corners of my lips twitched into a quick smile. “You are people and I’m helping, ain’t I?”
He snorted at my response and mumbled under his breath. “The wrong sort of people.”
“I don’t mind.” I sat up straight and examined my work.
After trying to evade his capture, he made it out with a few bruises and a sole cut running down his arm. The hospital should discharge him and call for the police within an hour.
Small talk filled the room while I cleaned up. He had asked so many questions about me, it only made sense that I’d return the favor. His name was Nori Hano, arrested for armed robbery and swiftly apprehended by Best Jeanist. As I expected, most of his injuries were self-induced while attempting to flee. Jeanist barely lays a finger on the villains he captures. Last week, before all this, close friends and family knew him as a painter. Portraits were his focus.
I said a short goodbye before leaving the room. The door closed behind me and the lock clicked. My hands gripped onto the clipboard, holding his paperwork under the clip. A lone thought crossed my mind. I hope they give him paint in prison.
Three discharged in one day meant three rounds through the ward, leading the cops to whatever room they needed access to. Villains who typically waved to me or try to grab my attention as I passed by their windows had shied away. They kept their heads down, but their eyes still followed us. Understandably, they were nervous.
With each discharge, I gained a small bundle of paperwork. By the end of the afternoon, I had a healthy stack.
My fingers ran through the papers. The people I have treated and spoken to were now nothing more than names on off-white documents. I put in my earbuds and began typing away on my computer.
“Hey, hey all you listeners out there.” I rested my cheek against my palm and listened. “Hope you all are rockin’ out that weekend. Before we start off with the first tune of the night, I have a quick announcement. You only have three days left to send me your tracks for my fifth annual music showdown. I’ve been jamming all week to what we got so far and I still have a few open slots yet for my top thirty. Don’t miss out!”
As the music played, my focus returned to my computer screen. Nori Hano was the first to be discharged, and I started with him. I sent his prison a copy of his medical examination and a detailed, yet short, list of medications the doctor had prescribed to him.
My fingers came to an abrupt halt as one of my earbuds was snatched away from me. “Hey there, cutie. I brought coffee.”
Ceramic clinked on the wooden desk. The warm scent of the coffee filled the nurse’s station. I rolled my chair back and swiveled it to the side. Steam wafted into the air from the mug. “Thanks, Takahashi.”
Takahashi leaned against my desk and put on the earbud. His eyes trailed to the ground as he listened. He flashed me a lopsided smile. “Ah, I should have known that’s what you’re listening to.”
Takahashi pulled a chair from one of the empty desks and placed it next to mine. He held his mug and sat down beside me.
“What about it? I like this station. Besides, I miss listening to it live every night.” I set aside my paperwork and leaned into my chair. “So, who let you in here?”
Takahashi flashed a card hanging on the lanyard around his neck. I caught a quick glimpse of it before he slipped it under his dark green scrubs. It clearly had my picture and name printed on the front. “I thought I lost a key card. Don’t get caught sneaking in here.”
“Yeah, I know.” He motioned his head to the computer. “So, what’s that guy’s deal?”
“Mr. Hano? Armed robbery.” I dug through my papers and gave one to Takahashi. His eyes darted along the sheet. “That one murdered two people. He was unlucky enough to run into Endeavour. Number two doesn’t play around. His entire back is burned.”
Takahashi gave the paper back to me. His brows furrowed in concern. “Murder? I don’t get how you are okay being literally locked in here with these villains.”
“It’s not so bad. They make good company.” The look on Takahashi’s face screamed disbelief. I continued, clarifying a bit. “They’ve already lost. They’re all here beaten and battered. Most of them just want escapism—something to keep their mind off of the future.”
“If you say so.” The radio recording broke our conversation. We both sat quietly and listened to the next segment being announced. Takahashi’s elbow jammed into my side. He leaned in towards me. “You always have a goofy smile on your face whenever Present Mic talks.”
“No, I don’t.” Takahashi grinned and raised a brow. He pointed out that I’m smiling right now. I chewed on my bottom lip and informed him it was unrelated. He let out a long, drawn-out hum, unconvinced.
“Sure you don’t.” Takahashi rolled his eyes. I raised a brow. He has never given up so easy, something was off. He took a sip from his mug and continued talking. “Oh! I have a favor.”
Aha! So that’s it. I leaned to the side until our shoulders touched. “Need something off a high shelf?”
His face fell flat. “Haha, hilarious. I’m only an inch shorter than you. Keep it up and I’ll go on strike. Say goodbye to opened jars.”
“Oh no, Daisuke Takahashi won’t open jars for me. Whatever will I do?” My voice feigned panic as I spoke. After a quick pause, I continued. “Get someone else, maybe?”
Takahashi nudged himself closer to my desk. His free hand slammed against the wooden surface. He raised his voice. “Objection! You don’t socialize!”
We both glared at each other in silence. The serious look on his face slipped, and Takahashi smirked. I chuckled under my breath. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Unless they’re a villain. Then you’re suddenly an open book.” I shrugged. He had a point.
The door slammed open. A short girl with a panicked look on her face stumbled in. She stammered through her words. I probably could have pieced together what she was trying to say, but Takahashi made it almost impossible to understand. He stretched his smock out in front of him with one hand and groaned. A dark splotch stained the fabric. “She scared the crap out of me. Well, there goes my coffee.”
I looked her in the eyes. “Shimizu, breathe in.”
She stopped and did as I said. I took a breath in with her. After holding for a few seconds, I slowly exhaled. “And breathe out.”
Shimizu was still frantic. Among her muttering, I heard two words. “Room 5-A.”
That was all I needed to hear. I rose to my feet. My hands rested on Shimizu’s shoulders and I placed her in my chair. “Takahashi, calm her down. I’m going to go look at what’s happening.”
I knew I had reached the room as soon as I saw the other nurses and doctors huddled together. All eyes were glued to the shatter-resistant window. Nothing made my blood boil more than seeing medical professionals gawking at the villains as if they were animals on display. I muttered under my breath. “Don’t they all have better things to do?”
With one hand gripped to the handle, I slid my key card into the lock. The little light blinked red. While I waited for it to change to green, I glanced over to the window.
The patient inside was spasming. Restraints secured one arm to the bed while the other went free. He frothed at the mouth and let out an almost inhuman yell.
My heart raced as the red light turned green. I cracked the door open enough so it wouldn’t lock before I stepped inside. For a second, I hesitated. A long, quiet breath passed through between my lips, and I stepped inside.
“Mr. Yoshida?” I peeked around the corner. He didn’t seem to notice me. In the calmest voice I could muster, I continued. “I understand you are very upset right now, but I’m not here to hurt you.”
As soon as I stepped out from behind the corner, his frigid gaze darted to me. His nose crinkled as he snarled. He yelled profane names at me. I stopped, holding up my hands. “I don’t have anything on me. I’m just here to talk.”
I hummed a tune. It got louder with each step, quickly adding words to the melody. His movements grew less aggressive. Yoshida’s breathing slowed and his eyes closed. I sat by his side. My fingers brushed against his forearm. Under my fingertips, I could feel his body relax. A restraint sat on the floor beside his bed. With a careful touch, I took it and secured his other arm to the bed.
The song ended, and I stayed sitting next to the villain. His eyes remained closed. My bottom lip ran between my teeth as I reached out for him. Cautiously, I brushed the tip of my fingertip against his eyelashes. I waited for some sort of reaction. Nothing.
He’s out. I folded my hands in my lap and watched him. Yoshida looked at peace. No one could have known that he had been making such a huge fuss only moments before just by looking at him now.
On my way out, I locked the door behind me. The group of onlookers had long dispersed, leaving only a few still watching. I looked at one. “Let me know if Mr. Yoshida needs to be knocked out again.”
They nodded, and I returned to Takahashi. He stayed sitting exactly where I had left him. It seemed Shimizu had already left before I could ask her what happened. “Yikes, how long has that one been working here?”
“Shimizu?” I paused and counted back. “I don’t remember exactly. Less than three months, I’d say.”
I took my seat beside Takahashi. He wore a slight frown on his face. “Something tells me she won’t be here for much longer.”
“They rarely do,” I replied. The villain ward didn’t have many veteran employees. One doctor and three nurses have made it beyond the year mark. I don’t mind the work. It almost felt like my quirk was meant to be here.
Takahashi stood up. “I’m thoroughly creeped, so I’m gonna slide out. Talk to you tonight?”
“Sure.” Takahashi placed his hand on my shoulder as he passed by. I watched him leave through the doors and turn a corner. A stack of untouched paperwork sat on my desk. This was going to be a long day.
***
“Wanna hear the song I’ve been working on?” I asked. “I need opinions on it and you said you wanted to sleep anyway.”
Takahashi looked up from his phone. “Sure.”
I jumped off my bed and reached for the guitar sitting in the corner. When I returned, Takahashi was distracted. He readjusted his webcam. My laptop bounced as I sat back down.
“Can you hear alright?” I moved the laptop back, trying to get my guitar on camera. Takahashi nodded. A deep breath slipped from between my lips. “Okay, good.”
My fingers danced along the strings. Takahashi placed his phone down and leaned forward. His head cocked to the side as he listened. I began to sing.
The song was nothing special, just a little something I’ve been working on during my off time. A simple song dedicated to my future children. In the lyrics, I hint at how my life is going from behind some metaphors. When they’re my age, I hope I did them good and they’ll be better off. It ended abruptly. I hadn’t quite figured out how to end it.
“It’s cute!” Takahashi cooed. I asked if he was sure, my arms wrapped around my guitar. He yawned mid-sentence and rubbed his eyes. “It is. The song is really sweet.”
“Thanks.” I leaned to the side and placed the guitar beside my nightstand. “It’s not finished yet, but it’s getting there.”
“You’re going to be a good mom.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. A small smile grew on my face. Takahashi continued. “Really. I mean, you’re single and already writing them lullabies and stuff.”
“That felt like a backhanded compliment.” Takahashi promised he didn’t mean to make it sound that way.
“Oh!” Takahashi’s face lit up through the tired in his eyes. Even with his terrible webcam, I could tell he was excited. “I never got to talk to you about that favor.”
“Oh yeah, you need something off the top shelf, right?” Takahashi raised a brow and frowned. I giggled under my breath. “Okay, I’m done, short stuff. I’ll listen. What did you want?”
“You’re only an inch taller than me.” I reminded Takahashi that I won’t let him forget it. Excitement returned to his face. He clasped his hands together in a begging motion. “I need you to take my shift this Friday.”
“Ew, and work at a normal hospital?” I feigned disgust. The guise quickly slipped, and I smiled. “But, really, why?”
“I have a date.” It’s been a while since I last saw Takahashi so enthusiastic. “I really like this one. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
Takahashi would have to get creative. Getting into the villain ward takes special access, and he didn’t have it, aside from my stolen spare key card.
“I already work Friday.” Takahashi pleaded again, swearing up and down I wasn’t the first person he had asked. His shift started an hour after mine ended. He batted his eyes. “Who am I to step in the way of love? Okay. I’ll do it.”
A wave of thank yous flowed out of my laptop from his side. I replied with a simple you’re welcome each time he thanked me.
His thanks slowly came to a stop, replaced with light snores. I turned off our chat and placed my laptop off to the side on my shelf. "That boy has way too much energy. It took my quirk ages to put him to sleep."
I slouched into my chair. It creaked as I pushed the back as far as it will go. A small villain organization came in at once. The workload already stretched the nurses thin as is, but this was ridiculous.
I put in my earbuds and closed my eyes. The hospital’s usual noises were muffled. For the first time since I stepped inside the villain ward for the day, I could suddenly breathe. My eyes wandered to the stack of papers sitting on the desk. “A whole group of villains made it into UA? That’s crazy to think about.”
My finger swiped against my phone screen, and I pulled up my usual apps. As usual, I missed Put Your Hands Up Radio’s latest nightly broadcast. I paused my music and clicked on the station.
“Listeners! I’m hyped up for today’s first announcement.” There was just something about his voice that could make anyone excited in an instant. “All the contenders for this year’s Music Showdown have been submitted. Tonight, I’ll be playing my top thirty and a few honorable mentions. It’s time to get loud, because this year is gonna be cutthroat.”
I went through sheet by sheet and made sure all twenty-seven villains were accounted for on paper. The messy stack of papers sat on my desk as the first entry played. My eyes fixed on the documents. One thought repeated in my mind. I should have called in sick today. I still have to work that second shift, too. Is it too late to change my mind?
“Can’t do that, I promised Taka. I’m supposed to be a good friend.” The song quieted down, and the next one was introduced. I realized I had been stalling for far too long.
I buckled down and grabbed the first sheet. It’s time to focus, girl.
***
“This next tune isn’t finished yet, but it’s the top song of my honorable mentions. It’s for sure going to be a hit one day.” My bottom lip ran between my teeth. His voice made me smile, and I knew I had to be. Although I was alone, it was still a little embarrassing.
I hadn’t looked up from the reports for what felt like hours. The stack dwindled down and only a small handful of papers were left. Just as I thought, I noticed a goofy smile reflected on my computer monitor.
Another voice spoke. “Can you hear alright?”
My stomach sunk into a pit, and the expression on my face twisted into absolute horror. The too-familiar voice continued after a short pause. “Okay, good.”
No, no, no, no. This can’t be happening. It can’t. The guitar picked up and singing followed, confirming my fear. I leaned back in my seat and took a deep, uneven breath in. Those were my lyrics sung in my voice.
He yawned before announcing the next song. I turned it off and dug through my contacts. My face heated. I sniffled, trying to fight back tears. “I’m going to wring his little neck.”
I called Takahashi no less than five times, leaving him about five voice messages. The first few were angry. After fully digesting what I had heard, the last few ended up sad.
I rested my head on my hands. My palms pressed into my eyes. “I can’t believe he submitted that song. That’s so embarrassing. How many people heard it? I don’t think I could show my face outside ever again.”
The sound of my phone vibrating against my desk brought me out of my thoughts. As much as I would have loved Takahashi to call me back, I knew there was no way with how many calls, voicemails, and heated texts I sent him. Instead, I came face to face with an alarm I had set. It was time to pack up my things and go to the emergency room.
I placed my phone down and slid it away from me. “After that, I should just go home.”
The ticking of the wall-mounted clock ruined the complete silence in the room. After a handful of ticks, my fade drifted back to my phone. I let out a sigh and my body relaxed. As I stood up, I swiped up my phone and tucked it away in my smock. “Be the better person. I’ll let him know how pissed I am later.”
Walking through the normal wings of the hospital made me feel like I was walking on a new planet entirely. It was the same spotless tiled floors and the same white lights, but it didn’t quite feel like the villain ward. The doors didn’t lock, and I was free to open them whenever I wanted. The other doctors and nurses didn’t wear a permanent look of stress on their faces. Many of them even stopped and offered me directions to the emergency room.
“Thank you so much for taking Takahashi’s shift.” The veteran nurse smiled as he held out a clipboard. “I heard about UA, so I’m sure you were busy all morning.”
“Oh, it wasn’t so bad, actually.” I couldn’t vent about how I was running around left and right. The shift would be over by the time I was done.
He motioned his hand to a room and gave me a simple rundown of the patient. His name was Shouta Aizawa, a teacher at UA high. A colleague with a healing quirk had already visited him. Right now, he was resting and under observation. He shouldn’t move around much, so it will be my job to look after him for the evening. It seemed a little too easy, but I wasn’t complaining.
I found myself hesitating to open the door. An uncomfortable smile grew on my face. There’s no locks here, dummy.
I took a step inside. The door clicked closed behind me. A wrapped up figure laid motionless in the hospital bed. I pulled up a seat next to him. My fingers coiled around the metal bars as I leaned forward. “Hello, Mr. Aizawa, I am your temporary nurse for the evening.”
Aizawa didn’t move or speak. I couldn’t blame him. He seemed to be wrapped in yards of bandaging. I wouldn’t be in much of a mood to talk, either. His eyes flashed in my direction before closing. He must want to rest some more.
I left Aizawa alone and flipped through his papers, reading about his injuries and notes from his morning nurse. The villain broke both of his arms and inflicted minor injuries on his face. News of the villain invasion at UA was still new, so something told me he either was the most or one of the least injured hero there.
Aizawa eventually woke up, and I made a quick run to get him something to eat. Again, I took my seat beside him. With broken arms, he needed help eating; I figured I might coax him into talking.
“So, how long have you been teaching?” No answer.
“What subject do you teach?” Again, Aizawa didn’t answer. I took a moment and thought about all the classes available at a hero school. It wasn’t that long since I went to take my entrance exam. “Heroics, maybe? Ah- that would be my guess.”
Aizawa didn’t humor my guess with a reply. I couldn’t help but think how strange it was that I’d have such a hard time getting a hero to open up. The villains never made me work this hard for conversation.
“Oh, good, you’re up.” I turned to the voice across the room. My eyes widened and my body stiffened. That blonde hair, and rocker aesthetic was unmistakable.
Present Mic.
I held my breath as he walked closer. My heart thundered in my ears. He offered me his hand. “How’s it going?”
I tried to steady my hand as I took his. In a quiet voice, almost akin to a whisper, I answered him. “Good.”
The grin on his face vanished. He raised a brow. “Are you alright?”
A lump formed in my throat. I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t choke out any words. Instead, I gave him a lopsided smile and nodded my head. The confused look on his face remained. I felt like puking.
I stood up from my seat. My mind raced as I stuttered and stumbled through my words. “Excuse me. I’ll leave you two alone for a bit. Just gonna step outside. Sorry. Be back soon.”
Rather than turn around and walk away from him, I backed out of the room, unable to break eye contact. I blundered my way outside, knocking over a medical tray and nearly tripping over a wire.
I didn’t turn my back to him until I touched the door behind me. I gave him another awkward smile and slid outside the room. My body didn’t relax until I had turned a corner. I sat on the floor, pulling my knees to my chest, trying to be as small as I possibly could. That was so embarrassing. He probably thinks I’m high or something. I hate this. I’m just going to sit here and wait until he leaves.
I pulled out my phone and started at it. My face reflected off the black screen. “I’m going to kill Taka next time I see him.”