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May tried to flag All Might down for days. He was everywhere. One moment, she would see him on the news with a villain in tow. The next minute, she would see him in the halls of the school, zooming from one place to another.
She wondered how he wasn't exhausted. Or how he could stay in his hero form for so long. When she saw him walking down the hall next to the Recovery Room, May rolled on her chair and peeked out of the doorframe.
"Hey! All Might!" She called, watching the large man turn around. He looked more casual, wearing a white tee shirt. The smile on his face was more of a grimace, but it brightened at the sight of her waving. "Do you have a minute?"
"A minute? I always have time for the doctor as every hero should!" He proclaimed, standing with his hands on his hips. May never realized how loud his voice, pulling back her neck.
"How much time do you truly have?" May asked, the distant shuffling of the janitorial staff the only other sound in the hallway.
"More than a minute!" He paused. "But two at most!"
That doesn't help me at all. May felt her face fall a little bit. She studied him as he cackled to himself. It was a good indication of how much pain he felt.
He was excellent at hiding it, which caused May some trouble. She saw his chest rise and fall, much quicker than average. Her eyes scanned over the injury site; his movements more rigid with that specific muscle group.
It would take her at least thirty minutes to delve into his health.
"Two minutes isn't long enough for me," she muttered, partially to herself. Then, perking up, she put a finger in the air. "How about tomorrow? For a wellness workup."
She tilted her head, hoping he understood what she was saying. All Might forced his arm forward. His hands formed a thumbs up, giving May a sparkling grin. She folded her hands in her lap, listening to his response.
"You can count on me. Commitment is my middle name!"
All Commitment Might? May thought way too long and hard about what he was saying. Then, he was off before she could reply to his comment. She sighed, rolling back to the computer.
May was still sorting through the documents filed away on Recovery Girl's account. Her eyes were straining from the blue light of the screen. When she rubbed them, she realized the sun was setting. She had sat on the computer all day, her hands cramping from the typing and the deciphering.
May logged out of the computer and did a once over through the room. She stepped in front of her medical bots, kneeling to where they were powered down. She checked their wiring, then spoke aloud in a whisper.
"See you tomorrow."
She left the room, turning off the light and locking the door. The bag slung over her shoulder was a black color with a buckle on the side.
May finally understood the layout better, realizing this as she began to walk toward the exit of the school. It was difficult, but she could at least find her way out, and that was a start. Baby steps.
Her walk home wasn't short, but that was the best part. It gave her time to decompress. The sky was changing from the light blue color of the afternoon to the dark purple color of the evening. She kept a hand on the strap of her bag as she walked.
Her eyes started to wander through the crowd of people. Men and women were busy on their phones. May wondered who they spoke with on their devices. Did they have families? What did they spend their days doing? She found herself zoning out completely.
Her head would turn at the sound of a lively conversation, a soft smile resting on her features. The lives of strangers intrigued her. It was compelling to her, which is what she enjoyed about working as a doctor.
Though people would come in at their worst, May would find more reasons to fall in love with humans.
Deep in thought, she felt an intense bump on her shoulder. She stumbled, catching herself before falling. May caught eyes with the man that had knocked her shoulder.
He had messy blonde hair and the darkest circles she had ever seen. He stared at her, his hand resting on the part of his arm her shoulder brushed. He looks unwell. I hope I didn't hurt him.
"I'm so sorry, are you alright?"
The man didn't respond to her question. He shook his head, grunting to himself and muttering. Then, the man started walking faster.
"Wait! I—" May held out a hand and then realized it was too late. Way to go. Why are you so clumsy while thinking?
May watched the man as he hurried down the street. He was wearing a raggedy hoody. A cigarette fell from his fingers. His hands rubbed down his face and turned a corner, disappearing.
May decided not to think about it too much. She hoped he was okay. He looked disturbed. The man hadn't left her mind when she got to her apartment.
When she set down her bag and moved to the kitchen to cook, she felt her phone buzz. She looked at the caller, sighed, then answered. The man slipped through the cracks of her thoughts. Gone.
"Hey, Mom."
"May! We haven't heard from you since the fellowship!" Her mother spoke in a loud voice on the phone. The television was blaring in the background, the muffled voice of her father sounding as well.
"I know," May said, a pang of guilt hitting her stomach. "I'm assuming you're calling to ask me about my job."
"Yes! And, to see how our baby is doing, of course." The hissing sounds of cooking were also among the symphony of ambient phone noise.
"The job is going well!" May forced out the words, choking on the 'well.' She had to do a better job at convincing her parents.
"The hospital is beautiful, and you won't believe the patients I've already had."
Her mother barked something at her father. "Oh! That's so good to hear, yes, yes. Your father has been on the edge of his seat waiting to hear back from you."
"Let me talk to him for a second then," May said, pulling out her kitchen table chair and sitting down.
"You'll have to call him later. You are not using me as a convenience." May could see the image of her mother as she spoke.
Her plushy figure and round face highlighted her petite figure. A short crop of perfect black hair completed her look. When she would chastise May or May's father, she would point whatever she had in her hand at them. May imagined a wooden spoon would be the object at the time of their call.
"And you know how your father is. He'll want to talk for hours. Besides, I have something to tell you."
May rubbed her forehead with her hand, knowing where the conversation was going. "Okay."
"I was at the market. And, you'll never guess who I ran into." May's mother had that tone in her voice. The type that May didn't like.
"You're not my matchmaker, Mom." May sighed into the phone.
"No! It's not about that this time." She sounded a little hurt. Her mother hesitated before continuing. "I saw Hiroto's mother."
May's heart lurched. Enomoto Hiroto was not a stranger. They were anything but that. May met Hiroto the year before she started her medical education and put everything into their relationship.
He was charming. Goofy and sweet, he lit up the room when he entered. His soft orange hair always had golden tones underneath the sunlight. Hiroto's comments never failed to make May laugh. His smile was like starlight.
His anger was cold like ice.
May felt herself falling back into the last interaction she had with him.
It was the first year of her medical education, which was coming to a close. They lived together, Enomoto working consistently with his corporate job. May was working on two separate research projects, continually studying and always at the hospital or the library.
She was putting her all of her emotional energy into becoming the best doctor she could even if it meant ignoring the person right in front of her. They hadn't gone on a date in months, not even daring to be intimate.
And he had grown tired of it.
May was too wrapped up in herself and her job to see the truth.
She remembered the night he left. May was exhausted, having witnessed and practiced several clinical procedures. It was rare Hiroto was awake when she got home. He was sitting alone at their barren kitchen table, a single light illuminating above him.
May had thrown down her bag without care. He got to his feet. May reached out to him, but he avoided her touch.
"What's wrong? You're never awake when I get home," May asked, her back aching from long hours of standing and lugging around colossal reference books.
"That's why I want to talk to you," he said, strain in his voice. May watched him with wide eyes, the navy color of her scrubs blending into the darkness of the rest of the room. "We had dinner plans tonight, May."
"That was tonight?"
She moved her palm to her forehead. Her eyes squeezed shut, exhaling.
"I was so tied up at the hospital. I'm so sorry, Hiroto. I'll make it up to you."
There was silence. May grabbed for his hand, but his hand slipped out of hers. She felt the silver necklace she wore tighten around her neck as she inhaled. The light split across his face, casting a sideways glare.
"That's your excuse every time. You've missed every plan, every attempt I've made to find a moment, a second with you. You even missed my brother's wedding last weekend." He shook his head.
"You never told me about that, I had no idea," May said, her voice becoming frantic. She knew he had mentioned it, digging herself deeper into denial.
"My work is always at the forefront of my mind. I can't remember everything, I... I'm sorry."
Her apology suspended in the still air of the kitchen. She watched his face contort, his fists clenched at his side. The rise and fall of Hiroto's chest alarmed May.
"You don't care enough about us, do you?" Hiroto's teeth bared through his hissing words. "I've tried everything. I never see you anymore. You never respond to messages; you're never there!"
"Yes, I am! I'm here, I'm always here for you," May argued. The realization of his feelings dawned on her. She wasn't convincing.
"It's so important what I'm doing, and I have to do everything I can to be—"
The scoff that escaped from Hiroto's lips caught her off guard. She took a step back, gazing at him as he rubbed his hands down his face.
"Oh, May." Sarcasm spewed from his mouth. "Tell me again how you're going to cure the incurable. Or save all of humanity, which is even better!"
"Hiroto, I— where's this coming from? I'm trying my best to balance it all. You don't understand," May stepped forward. She felt her expression scrunch, watching his face burn a hot red.
"Help me understand, then!"
His yell echoed, soaking into the walls of the apartment and May's memory.
"We've been together for two years, and we barely even speak to each other! I can't do this anymore." Hiroto's voice was wavering with every word he said.
"I'm trying so hard, Hiroto! Why can't you see that? I'm giving my all to this; I'm sorry I missed a dinner or two. I can't be everywhere at once!" May's volume rose to match his, her eyes fixated on the ground.
"That's the problem. I've been there every step of the way, and yet, you treat me like I don't exist. Do I even matter to you anymore?"
The words hit her like a bullet to the head. "I can fix this. We can— we can make plans. Um, make it up to your brother. I can—"
"I'm not someone you need to fix. You're no hero, May. God, who even are you?"
Hiroto's grimaced, the vein in his forehead bulging. May's eyes blurred, tears hazing her vision. She couldn't find the words to express the thousands of thoughts flying through her head.
He lifted his arm. His hand motioned in the direction of the door as he adjusted his standing position.
"You would rather watch me walk out that door right now than take a couple of days off, isn't that right?"
"I can't take a break. It doesn't work like that. They need me. I have to—"
"They?" Hiroto interrupted, shaking his head. His voice raised back to full force, his eyes sparkling with tears.
"May, I need you! I've needed you ever since I lost my job! I've been sitting in this— this damn apartment alone for weeks and weeks! Hell, people I haven't spoken to in years even reached out! And where have you been?"
She had no idea. The wind knocked out of her. May felt her body lean forward, pulling her hands close to her. She knew nothing about his life.
I— I failed him. The thought still rang in the back of her head.
"You lost your job?"
"Months ago." He put his hands above his head. "Perfect. You're so damn wrapped up in yourself you didn't even know after I— I even told you! But you were never listening, were you?"
"Hiroto, I—"
"Don't even try with an excuse. It isn't worth it. Unbelievable." Hiroto waved his hand at her, and she reached out, grabbing his wrist. He didn't look at her as she gave a desperate attempt to rope him back in.
"It's worth it to me! I love you, Hiroto. Please, look at me. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm trying. I have so much going on I haven't... I haven't been able to keep it all straight. Please, please, forgive me. We can figure this out together! Yeah!"
May was holding on to his arm as tight as she could, but she could feel him slipping away. The tears were pouring down her face like river rapids, bubbling in huge drops. They hit the floor, splashing onto her shoes.
"I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry." She felt his arm break from her grip. "I received a job offer far away from here."
Her hand remained extended and trembled at the words he spoke. Though her body was frozen, the tears continued to flow in a steady stream.
"I planned this night out to find a reason to stay. To remember why I fell in love with you in the first place." Hiroto sighed, using his hand to wipe his face.
May's head tilted, mouthing 'no' over and over again. She paced away from him and then turned on a heel, listening to the rest of his statement.
"It's still there. Every feeling I've had, if you just would've shown up. I'm never going to be important enough to you, and I can't live like that."
"Don't do this, please," May whispered. Every line and wrinkle on her face accentuated, stifling the sobs and hiccuping breaths. Her mouth opened, rambles pouring out in one last effort.
"You— I thought you supported me. I thought we were okay! You understood that I— I would be putting everything into medicine. I—I told you! You knew this, didn't you? Let's talk about this more, okay? How about in the morning we can sit down and— and we— um— we can talk together."
"I've made up my mind. I accepted the offer two hours after you were supposed to be home."
May covered her mouth. No, please. Not this.
"It's over."
The words splintered into her chest. A thousand knives right into her heart, pricking every vessel. Hollowness. This is my fault. I'm the one to blame. The last words Hiroto ever said to her never left. They arose in the back of her mind like the tide, ebbing in and flowing out of her life.
"I hope this life is everything you wanted and more."
She watched him disappear into the bedroom and emerge with a duffle bag. May's catatonic body stopped in place, unable to believe what was happening. It hit her as the door creaked open.
May scrambled to get to him, her feet sliding out from under her as she grappled for him.
Her body hit the floor with a thud, the fabric of his shirt grazing her fingertips. May couldn't form any words that night, laying on the floor, curled up in a ball. The sound of the door shutting behind him playing in her thoughts like a broken record.
Hiroto didn't know May had lost her second patient. May didn't know Hiroto had been in so much pain and facing it without her help. She couldn't see her boyfriend struggling right in front of her.
That night, May decided her lifestyle was not suitable for a loved one. So, she poured her entire being into her life as a doctor. Yes, it was lonely. But it was better than leaving someone sitting alone at an empty table. That was something she could live with.
As she grew older, she became set in her ways. May thought she was protecting others by choosing this.
He was the last man that entered and exited her life for years. When she would catch herself glancing at someone who found her interest, she would imagine the warm feelings she remembered having with him.
Every time her thoughts drifted toward settling down, Hiroto reminded her of a futile reality. She pulled herself back down to the floor, that stupid cold floor in that stupid empty apartment.
The memory ceased in May's mind, trying to shake the image of his downturned eyes. Glassy and cold, her distorted expression staring back.
She returned to the phone call, drawing circles in the table with her pointer finger.
"What did she say?" May asked, her voice soft.
"Um, well," her mother started. May could hear the regret in her voice.
"He recently married! He's working as a business consultant to Endeavor's hero agency. I thought you should know. She asked about you!"
May exhaled, putting her hand to her forehead. She was at that age where everyone was moving forward. Why was it so hard for her? When she would think of him, she would smile to herself. His words stung, but he wasn't the hornet. It wasn't his fault.
May had broken her own heart. She was happy he found someone that could give him a life full of love and happiness. Something she wanted to give to him, but couldn't.
"She did? Oh, that's kind of her." May smiled, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm glad. He deserves happiness."
"Oh, sweetheart! You're so mature and grown-up. I was so worried about your reaction to this news. Right, honey? Isn't our girl so grown-up?" Her mother asked the deep muffled voice on the other side, which gave grunts of agreement.
The rest of the conversation was May catching up on their lives. Nothing had changed significantly since their call during her fellowship. She made up some lies about her work, masking it in a circular ring of truth.
She spoke about the advanced technology and the ability to continue her research. When her mother's voice ceased, and the phone clicked off, May put her head in her hands.
He was wrong. May wasn't where she thought she was going to be. May was confident she would be working for a top hospital, proving herself to the world. She should be making a name for herself within the medical community.
All of the sacrifices May did. The long hours studying anatomy, spending her time alone in a lab, working toward her goal. Only to be working at a high school. It wasn't everything she wanted. It was the opposite.
May was determined to be positive. One day, she would be working for a top hospital. It was a stepping stone to where she needed to be. Two years. Only two years.
She wiped the few tears that had slipped out, trying not to think about everything she missed. The gatherings she skipped, the romantic advances she shut down, and politely declining potential offers of friendship. To be this.
May decided to stop her spiraling thoughts and erase Hiroto from her head. Pulling out a notebook and a huge reference book, she worked for hours on All Might's treatment plan.
Outlining her goals, the medications she would try, how she would adjust her quirk. She stayed up reading until the late hours of the night, falling asleep in the binding of the book.
In the morning, May woke up with a mark of highlighter on her face. And without stopping, continued working. It was when May started her walk to U.A. High that she stopped reading and jotting down notes.
She kept her gaze ahead, not daring to scan the crowds. The previous day had enough trouble. May entered the school and made headway to her office.
Her nose was in the computer for hours, switching between taking samples of her blood and brushing up on her studies. The strain on her eyes grew heavy. The med bots she worked diligently on sat near her, their little noises giving her a strange sense of comfort. She rubbed her eyes from behind her glasses, checking the time.
The day was halfway over, and there was no sign of All Might. That is until she saw a flash of blonde enter her room. The door shut with immense force, rattling her windows. May felt herself wobble in the office chair out of shock.
In the middle of the room, for a split second, the hero was in his full form. He coughed, and the emaciated form returned. May blinked, witnessing the entire process of him rushing around. He sure knows how to make an entrance, I guess.
"I told you I keep my promises," Toshinori said, his chest rattling with an exhale. May stood up and motioned toward the hospital bed, his feet not lifting from the ground. The baggy jeans barely holding on to his waist scratched against the floor. She gave him a friendly smile.
"Busy day?" May asked, digging in her lab coat for a stethoscope.
"When is it not?" He laughed to himself, hacking again.
May started with a manual blood pressure measurement. She wanted to do it herself before she gave the machines a chance to work. The noise of the air puffing up the cuff echoed in the silence. Toshinori watched her mind twist and turn.
May took his pulse before completing the measurement, shocked at the elevated rate. His body was working overtime. Toshinori's blood pressure was low, which contrasted with the heart rate she calculated. May draped the stethoscope over her shoulder, peering up at him. It didn't line up with her predictions.
"Really that bad, huh?" Toshinori asked.
May realized all of her thoughts were crossing her face. She didn't want to scare him, careful about how she worded her next statement.
"Not as bad as I thought, but not ideal. That's all bodies, but yours is working very hard to keep you afloat."
She tapped a finger against her cheek. It appeared his body was in a constant state of shock. "I'm going to draw some blood from you, is that alright?"
"You can do anything you deem necessary, Dr. Kataoka," He said with a light smile.
May carried out her plan, gathering baselines for her program. It needed some adjustments due to her findings. She noted that in scribbles within her notebook, barely readable to anyone other than herself. With a fresh sample of his blood, she placed it down between some microscope slides and examined what was happening.
It was different, that was for sure. Higher counts of white blood cells, she noted. She jotted down all of her findings, keeping the pen cap between her teeth. May even had a chance to palpate the area. Her imagination was correct. It was as gross as she thought.
He was in pain, much more than he was letting on. All she had to do was lightly lay her hand on his stomach area, and it would be like glass.
There was nothing she could do with the current medical advancements. May even asked him to transform into his hero form so that she could have a comparison.
His heart rate increased, and his blood pressure heightened. It was his body fighting shock, his hands tinged with slight grey. May figured his blood drew toward his chest and the vital organs he still had.
Her notes were filling pages upon pages, sketching observations. She muttered to herself, and All Might stayed quiet while she worked. If I can create a way to lessen the strain on his body, it'll make it easier for him to do his job.
His body ran on fumes, struggling to keep up with Toshinori's high demands. She wondered how he functioned at all. While she tapped her pen against paper, his voice graced the silent air.
"You're the real deal," All Might said.
"Real deal?" May asked, rolling back toward him and checking the puncture mark where she drew blood earlier. Her gloved fingers were gentle against his thin skin.
"All of your recommendation letters, everything. It all lines up," Toshinori said, moving his arm, so it was easier to examine. "We expected them to be exaggerations to some degree."
May stopped examining the site, watching it struggle to control the bleeding. It wasn't clotting properly. She felt her brows furrow, then found his facial expression again. It was relaxed. His shoulders, although pointed, were resting comfortably. May felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips, picking up on his current calm nature.
"Thank you," May said, sliding back to her desk and taking more notes about her observations.
She stopped writing for a moment, setting down her pen. May turned her gaze back to the slumped man. She debated on asking the question, but the words were falling out before she could take them back.
"I've been wondering what spurred Nezu's decision to hire me. Do you happen to know?"
May rested her back against the chair, counting his respirations for what felt like the twentieth time. He had a smile on his face, his eyes shutting while he thought. Then, they popped open.
"It wasn't just your quirk, even though he thought that was intriguing," Toshinori started.
"I remember going through everyone's resumes. It felt like we kept seeing the same candidate over and over again. Finding a healing quirk is almost impossible. Most were pro-heroes with small medical backgrounds. If they weren't heroes, they were well-known surgeons with a desire for a larger paycheck."
Toshinori pauses between his words, May examining the way he caught his breath. Then, he caught her eye, his lips forming a small smile.
"Then, there was you."
May listened, crossing her legs. Her head tilted, counting the times his chest rose and fell. She had methods to her madness, just like Recovery Girl. His pain is high, even during regular conversations.
"You were closely aligned with the values we wish to instill on our students. You had the medical education we were looking for and a healing quirk. You don't need me to tell you how rare that is."
May took his arm in hers again, unwrapping the old puncture mark. Better, but not fast enough. She glanced up after poking at it for a moment. He was talking a lot longer than she expected.
"It's nice to have a doctor on staff, so we don't have to depend on hospital availability. We—"
Before he could continue, there was a loud crash. One of May's medical bots had gone careening into the side of the wall, spinning out on the tile.
She scrambled out of her chair, kneeling on the ground and picking up the metallic pieces. Her shoulders fell, audibly sighing. May pushed up her glasses, examining the damage to the robot. Poor thing! My programming is awful!
"Ah! I'm sorry!" She said to the robot, it responded with a small beep.
Toshinori got to his feet, standing over May. "Are you talking to me or the robot?"
"Is both acceptable?" A strand of hair fell in front of her face while she lifted the robot back to its upright position, watching it roll off again, continuing to check stock as May had set.
She stood again, facing Toshinori. "Glad to know it wasn't because of my engineering skills."
He chuckled, his chest attempting to keep up. May guided him back to the hospital bed, hovering a hand over his shoulder. Toshinori looked like he would topple over at any moment. However, All Might didn't say a word about it. Instead, he continued where he left off.
"The interview is what convinced him. That's what he shared with me, at least," Toshinori said, resting back on the bed.
May blurted out a forced single laugh, then covered her mouth. "I'm sorry I don't know how. That's where I've always been weakest."
She remembered the interview with the Principal clearly. It was Nezu and May together in a windowless room. Nezu insisted on giving her as much tea as possible. She had to go to the bathroom so intensely; she needed to finish the interview fast.
In hindsight, May should've known it was an interrogation tactic. He egged her on about her research, indulging her wild thoughts about continuing forward for cures and new medical devices. All while watching her sign those sheets of paper, handing him her soul.
"So far, I can see why."
The comment made May's face glow with happiness. He was kind, the type of hero she imagined. Toshinori's sense of humor caused May to lose her train of thought a couple of times, snorts and giggles of all sorts.
She asked questions about other pro-heroes, discovering that All Might didn't have many close friends as she thought. He spent a lot of time with his successor. The life he led sounded lonely, even though his smile was constant. He's so likable, I wonder why?
The rest of the time, May laid out her plan for him. He seemed to agree with most of it. She gave him a journal to keep up with before, during, and after taking some of her blood.
May even handed him a cup of it to taste. His expression had changed to a ghastly white color. With a gulp, he downed it like the most potent alcoholic shot he had ever taken.
The improvement to his overall health was instantaneous. His body relaxed, and his eyes were brighter. The darkness surrounding them lightened. He straightened his back like the weight of the world had lifted from his shoulders.
He made plans to stop by every morning before classes began and check in with his health. Toshinori pulled a thin object from his pocket before leaving. It was a small school picture.
"Who's this?" May asked, taking it from his hands.
"My successor," Toshinori said, pride enveloping his tone. "His name is Izuku Midoriya."
May stared down at the picture. A cute kid was smiling back at her with a head of fluffy green hair. He looked smaller than she imagined, his round freckled cheeks reminding her how young the kids would be.
Not that teenagers were too young, but fifteen was not old by any stretch. They weren't even close to being adults yet. May couldn't help the smile on her face, his hope-filled expression bringing warmth to her heart.
"I'm curious," May started, extending the picture to him. "Why'd you choose him?"
There was a pause between his words. Toshinori's eyes brightened, tucking the picture into his pocket.
"His spirit, Dr. Kataoka. Young Midoriya reminded me of what it meant to be a hero."
All Might left shortly after, zooming off in his hero form and out of the door. May hung out of the door for a moment, waving to him as he left. She put a hand to her chin, thinking about his future. And the future of his successor. The kid looked so little. Worry began to cloud her thoughts.
How could he have so much power? How could he handle it all?
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see another instructor. She broke into a huge smile, giving a small wave of her hand. Aizawa was gazing outside of a classroom. His head turned toward her and stayed that way for a moment.
Of course, the elusive man didn't respond. He disappeared back into the room. May felt her face fall, but she didn't know what she expected. He made it clear that she wasn't high on his list of favorite people.
She probably wasn't even on the list. Does Eraserhead like anyone?
On her walk home, her stomach plummeted to her ankles. It was Sunday; it wasn't Friday. School started the next day. She looked out upon the city, gripping her bag tight.
May decided she was going to give everything she had. She was never one to give up, even if it felt like her dreams disappeared, and all she had worked for slid through her fingers like silk.
If there were one thing for sure, she thought, it would make a good story one day.