I found myself sitting on the sterile emergency room bed, my arm covered in bandages and an ache throbbing along my side. The past four hours had passed in a blur of fluorescent lights and white walls, the constant watch of my mom never leaving. Despite the exhaustion written on her face, she barely fell asleep on the chair next to me 20 minutes ago. I shifted slightly, feeling the chill of the air conditioning seeping into my bones under the thin hospital blanket. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a soft knock on the door, followed by its gentle creak as it swung open. A nurse dressed in dark blue scrubs stepped into the room. Her gaze was fixed on the computer stationed near my bed, her fingers dancing over the keyboard as she typed away. I watched her in silence. The nurse completed her task at the computer before finally casting a brief glance in my direction. Her eyes met mine for a fleeting moment before she turned her attention back to her work.
"The results of your test have come in. Just give me a moment to retrieve your information," she said, her focus unwavering on the computer screen.
I responded with a nod, my mind still muddled from the events that had unfolded over the past six hours. The test results felt like a distant concern. All I really wanted was to be back home, wrapped in the comfort of my own bed, and drift into much needed sleep. My mom had been insistent on an x-ray, and the medical staff had promptly heeded her request.
"Good news is that your arm is fine. Just some bruising and minor cuts, but nothing to be overly concerned about," the nurse informed, finally turning her attention towards me. I met her gaze, "As for your rib, it's bruised, but thankfully not fractured. The doctor has prescribed painkillers to help with the discomfort. I also suggest using warm compresses for pain relief and cold compresses for any swelling. You should be back to your normal self within a week."
Her words brought a measure of relief, like a small beacon of light cutting through the fog of my exhaustion. Even as my body throbbed with discomfort, it was reassuring to know that my injuries weren't as severe as they could have been.
"You're good to go," the nurse confirmed, offering a gentle smile. "I'll go ahead and notify the front office that you'll be discharged shortly."
I returned her smile with a grateful nod. The thought of leaving the clinical environment of the hospital room felt like a small victory in itself. As the nurse made her way towards the door, I took a moment to gather my belongings, including the prescription for pain relief and the discharge instructions. My gaze wandered to the window, where the early morning sunlight filtered through. When the nurse returned, she had a clipboard in hand and a few final forms for me to have. The hospital room, which had felt like a temporary haven, was now becoming a memory.
"You're all set," she said, her voice carrying a genuine warmth. "Just follow the hallway to the front office, and they'll take care of your discharge process."
"Thank you," I mumbled, easing myself off the bed, wincing at the lingering discomfort that ran through my body. I approached my mom's sleeping form, gently shaking her awake. She inhaled sharply, blinking away the remnants of sleep.
"What's going on? Everything okay?" Her voice was a mixture of concern and grogginess.
"They're discharging me. Let's head home," I replied, offering a small smile before gathering my belongings and exiting the room. With the slow steps of recovery, we walked down the corridor and made our way to the reception area. My mom completed the necessary paperwork, solidifying our departure. The drive back home was a quiet one, my mom still struggling against the pull of exhaustion. Thankfully, the early hour meant minimal traffic, and we arrived home shortly after five in the morning. I navigated my way inside, the house's familiarity a comforting presence. Each step seemed to press against the soreness in my ribs, sending an ache rippling through my abdomen. Despite the discomfort, I pushed through the journey up the stairs. After a ten minute struggle that felt like an eternity, I finally reached the top.
With a sigh of relief, I pushed my room door open, the sight of my bed an inviting promise of rest. Careful not to crash into any furniture, I moved to plug in my dead phone, letting it charge as I collapsed onto the bed. Fatigue hit me like a tidal wave, and I succumbed to its embrace, my senses surrendering to sleep.
The following day, I awoke in the midafternoon, cocooned in a nest of blankets as if I was hiding from the world. For a small moment, the pain in my side seemed distant, but reality quickly reasserted itself, a hint of discomfort reminding me of my recent ordeal. I groaned softly, attempting to reposition myself while squinting at the blinding daylight outside the window. Why is it so bright outside? My fingers found my phone, and I carefully unplugged it, only to be met with notifications that filled the screen.
5 Unread Messages from : Lunch Bunch ☕
17 Unread Messages from : Denki
I tapped on the notification from the Lunch Bunch group chat, a pang of curiosity mixed with a hint of guilt. Why would they be reaching out to me?
Lunch Bunch ☕
Jiro
Y/N you okay ??
Denki has been texting us
non stop asking about you
He said you werent answering your phone
7:18 am
Yoayorozu
Please let us know if youre okay
We're really worried <3
7:21 am
Y/N Yamada
Im sorry you guys
There was an incident at my internship
My phone died and i had to go to the er
Im okay tho !
3:46 pm
Closing the chat, I figured they were likely busy in their own internships right now. With a touch of hesitation, I opened Denki's individual messages, a hint of guilt tugging at my conscience for not responding earlier, even though I had no way of knowing he was growing concerned.
Denki
Hey Y/N !
How did your mission go ?
10:41 pm
Denki
Maybe youre still out ?
Ill text you later :))
Just lemme know when youre home
12:14 am
Denki
Hey Im kinda worried
Are you okay?
Please text me
1:32 am
Denki
I really hope youre oky
Ill stay up adn wait for you
1:58 am
Denki
Aer uou almost hone?
Y/nnnn
2:24 am
Denki
Good morning
I hope youre doing okay
Text me when you can
I have to go to my internship now
But ill keep an eye on my phone
6:33 am
Reading his messages, a hint of guilt washed over me for not checking my phone earlier. Quickly typing out a response, I sent it, unsure of when Denki would see it.
Y/n Yamada
Hey
I'm sorry
I'm okay! Just caught up on sleep
I woke up really late
3:51 PM
I set my phone down, turning onto my back and attempting to avoid any unnecessary discomfort. My arm throbbed with soreness as I settled onto the bed. A knock echoed from my door, followed by gradual creaking. My mom's face peaked through the door, and she entered the room with care, shutting the door gently behind her.
"Morning," she greeted, moving closer and sitting on the bed's edge. "I want you to know that I've already informed your teacher about what happened."
Her words hung in the air briefly, and I simply nodded, waiting for her to continue. "I know school is still two days away, but I think it might be best for you to stay home for a bit. At least a week, until you're feeling up to resuming your training."
I couldn't help but gape at her, "Mom, it's not that serious!" I protested. "Honestly, I'm sure I'll be back on my feet within a day!"
My mom's gaze was full of concern. She placed a gentle hand on my arm, her touch both soothing and firm. "Y/N, I understand you want to get back into action as soon as possible, but I want you to prioritize your health. Injuries can be unpredictable, and I don't want you pushing yourself too hard and making things worse."
I sighed, realizing that arguing with my mom in this state would be futile. She had a point, after all. "Okay," I nodded reluctantly. "I'll take it easy for a bit. But only for a few days, I don't want to miss too much school."
She smiled softly, a hint of relief evident in her eyes. "Thank you for understanding. Your health is important, and I don't want you to push yourself too hard."
I nodded, begrudgingly accepting her concern. "Yeah, I get it. I'll take it easy."
Mom stood up from the bed, smoothing out the fabric of her pants. "Good. And speaking of taking it easy, why don't you get some rest? You had quite the night."
I nodded again, the weariness from the events of the past day and night beginning to catch up with me. "Sure, Mom. I'll rest."
She left my room, gently closing the door behind her. I shifted in bed, pulling the covers up and settling into a more comfortable position. As my eyes started to close, Denki's messages floated back into my mind. I allowed sleep to carry me away, the events of the past days lingering in my thoughts. I woke up a few hours later, my eyes fluttering open to reveal a sky painted in hues of pink and orange. I sat up in bed, my hand reaching out to grab my phone and check the time.
6:28 PM
4 Unread Texts From : Lunch Bunch ☕
2 Unread Texts From : Denki
I opened the lunch bunch group chat first, bros before hoes.
Yaoyorozu
Omg Y/n
Are you okay??
What happened
6:02 PM
Jiro
Yeah is everything okay??
6:06 PM
Y/n Yamada
Im okay
I went patrolling with my mom at night and
I encountered a burglar
Honestly I just have bruises, but I'm not gonna
go to school for a few days :/
6:29 PM
I quickly opened my messages with Denki, hopefully not making him worry too much.
Denki
I'm glad youre okay
Hope i didnt bother too much
6:23 PM
Y/n Yamada
Noo you didn't!
Honestly I feel bad for worrying you
But don't worry, I'm all good!
6:31 PM
I felt guilt for not sharing the full story, but with only a few days left of the internship, I didn't want to cause unnecessary worry.
Y/n Yamada
I've got some patrolling to do now.
But I promise I'll text you later
and fill you in on all the details!
6:34 PM
As I tossed my phone aside and got ready for my 'patrol', a wave of guilt washed over me. I knew I hadn't told Denki the full truth about what happened during my internship, and it was gnawing at me. But at the same time, I didn't want to worry him. We were wrapping up our internships in just a few days, and I didn't want my situation to put a damper on what was left of the experience.
Lying there in bed, I stared up at the ceiling, thoughts running wild. The distant sounds of the city outside my window provided some oddly soothing background noise for my racing mind. I knew I needed to find the right time to explain everything to Denki, to let him in on what had truly happened during that mission. But for now, I just wanted to enjoy the moments we had left, free from worry and focused on the present. I sighed and closed my eyes, slowly drifting to sleep for the third time today.
2023 Words
AN - Sorry for not posting in a while. I've been really reallly busy with school. ALSO I GOT OVER 100 READS ???!!?!? That's so crazzy !!! Thank you everyone fro reading !! Hope you all are enjoying this story :)))