☤

The alarm clock on May's nightstand interrupted her tossing and turning. Not a wink of sleep graced her presence. She stood in front of the mirror after making her bed, slapping her face several times. Wake up, wake up! First day! May tried to hype herself up, but it wasn't working. The twisting feeling in her stomach made nothing appetizing.

May guzzled coffee, hoping the rush to her bloodstream would light a fire under her feet. So far, the routine she created worked. Everything was going according to plan. Except for the contacts she forgot to pick up, those escaped her thoughts.

The news blared in the background of her apartment. May stood in front of the television, sipping and watching what they had to say. It was a lot of nothing. Her phone buzzed, stealing her attention from the blonde reporter on screen.

>> (1) NEW MESSAGE <<

Yamada

➞ Good luck today, Doc! Not that you need it. ;)

✓ read

>> <<

May sighed, shaking her head at the phone. What is it with the winky faces? She turned off the television. Hearing about destructive hero work was tiring. Swinging open her apartment door, May left for the day. The exhaustion hit her hard, echoing like the sound of the door in the empty hallway.

The humid morning air didn't help the heavy feeling. May was dragging. The previous night, she barely slept a wink. Panicked thoughts crept in her mind, distracting her from the fact she overdrew during her blood collection.

May's shoes shuffled against the sidewalk. The coffee started to kick in, which perked her body up. Granted, it wasn't the best decision. She knew she would crash. If I can just get through the first few hours, it'll be okay.

It was strange. May was calm and collected around regular patients in normal hospital settings. Going to work never felt like a march to death. She drew in a deep breath, exhaling among the other commuters. Her face turned toward the direction of the sunrise. The deep violet and bright orange eased her. It wasn't going to be so bad. It's only the first day, what could go wrong?

The arch of U.A. gave her an electric shock to her system. The fresh sunlight glistened against the gold. May gripped her bag tighter, staring at the massive school. She could do this and make it out alive. It's just a bunch of high school student-hero wannabes and pro-heroes. That's it.

"Dr. Kataoka!"

The deep and imposing voice took May by surprise, her arms flailing out by her side. The blonde spikes of All Might zoomed past her and stopped in front of the arch. May clutched her chest, her shirt twisted within her palm. All Might leaned back, cackling to himself.

"Did I scare you? Not the usual reaction I receive!"

"Hi, Toshinori," May said, catching her breath. "You're fine. Just didn't expect that."

Her voice wavered. May's heart hammered in her chest, a mixture of the coffee and surprise, making it dangerously high. Toshinori's smile sparkled, and he gestured toward the school.

"Walk with me, then! Before the students arrive."

The difference in his voice between his hero form and his normal one astounded May. She stepped forward, walking next to him. The glow of his red and blue suit distracted her. It was still hard for her to believe everything.

She had half a mind to poke him. Poke his arm. Maybe it would disappear into dust. I need to stop thinking this is a dream.

"It's a wonderful day for a new year," May said, her head turning to look up at him. Toshinori kept his gaze forward.

"Indeed!"

May's eyes scanned over his body, studying for signs of pain. She knew he picked up on her behavior because his smile faltered. "How are you doing today?"

"Fantastic! Ready to teach the youth!"

May nodded, pushing open the door at the entrance of the school. It felt lighter in her hands, All Might's arm hanging above her. He held the door open for her, and she thanked him. His footsteps followed close behind her.

"What's the schedule look like for today? Anything special?" May asked, filling the silence between them. Deep down, she knew he was trying to keep it together. All Might put a hand to his chin, then snapped his finger.

"I'm not sure! I haven't looked over the schedule, in fact, I don't even know if I'm teaching a class!" Toshinori laughed again, but it trailed off and his voice lowered to himself. "I should really do that."

May began unlocking her door, giving him a reassuring half-giggle. I can't believe this man functions at all. She kept a smile on her face, struggling with the lock for the millionth time. You would think someone that has performed intricate surgeries could unlock doors. Unfortunately for May, it was not her expertise.

When she opened the door, she entered first and flipped on the light. All Might followed, having to bend down through the frame. May set her bag on the office chair, standing as she logged into the computer. He shut the door and made his way over to one of the beds.

"Now," May said, her eyes skating over the screen. "How are you truly feeling?"

"Run-down," All Might said, remaining in his hero form. He continued to sit up straight, his knees bending at an awkward angle due to his height.

"That's what I thought." May typed his responses into her computer. "Rate your pain on a scale of one to ten."

"Lucky number seven!"

His enthusiasm masked the apparent struggle in his voice. May peered over her shoulder, his back straightening again under her gaze. She understood his gimmick; pain and humor went together like peanut butter and jelly for many patients. A sympathetic smile slid on to her features.

"Lucky number seven it is."

May heard him chuckle. The rest of the time in her office was spent gathering data for him. All of his current vitals, recording them into her research journals. Halfway through recording data, she heard the timer on her medical bot light up.

They were growing on May. She named them MEBO-1 and MEBO-2. She wasn't the most creative person to ever exist, but that was alright. Their eyes lit up into a brilliant green, creating little beeps at her presence. Toshinori leaned out from behind May, glancing at the bots.

"Good morning, Dr. Kataoka," MEBO-1 stated, the robotic voice had strange, friendly inflections that landed on the wrong words and phrases. May looked up from her journal, tilting her head in a brilliant smile.

"Good morning, MEBO one and two. Begin basic cleaning procedures."

The grey robots made their way around the room. Toshinori laughed to himself, watching them scan the room and make beeps amongst themselves. Powerloader updated their systems, giving them a 'personality.' Their primary purposes were to create on-the-go stretchers and assist her with complex procedures, but they also made the room a lot less lonely.

With the ambient robot noises, May continued her work with All Might. The last thing on her list was actually treating him. She took the needle, pressing it into the crook of her arm and hitting the right vein.

It wasn't the best idea to have him sitting right in front of her as she did this, but her thoughts were elsewhere. The drawn blood splashed within the white cup. May added various immune boosters, mixing it together. The number one hero's knee began bouncing against the stark white floor.

May turned to face him again and approached him. The cup steadied in her hands. She extended it forward, his large hands holding the cup as if it were for children.

"I know it's not great, but my pill form is almost perfected." May's voice took on a softer tone. His grimace was sickly pale. "Think of it like strawberry syrup, right?"

That's not it, May. Never say that again. Her thoughts shot out of control.

"Um, heh."

Her words did not aid in the green color developing on his cheeks. Maybe it was the process of watching her stick a needle in her arm and draw it right in front of him that freaked him out. Perhaps it was the warmth. Like it was still coursing through someone's veins.

May's brows furrowed, watching his fingers shake. If I don't do something quick, he's going to have an even harder time taking it!

"I'm sorry, that's not helping, is it? Um—I'm going to try something!"

She ran to her fridge, collecting the jar of chocolate syrup and a can of whipped cream. May gently plucked the cup from his hand, his interest piqued. May added a dollop of chocolate syrup and sprayed some whipped cream on top in a perfect spiral. She whirled back around, a smile plastered on her face. This is never going to work.

"Chocolate sundae! What do you think?"

May stood there, one hand resting underneath the cup and the other presenting it to him. Her smile stretched uncomfortably far across her face, straining. His sickness became amusement. All Might took the cup, inspecting her whipped cream handiwork. He didn't respond, and May pushed up her glasses.

"So—um, I tried to think of ways for the kids not to be terrified. Is it stupid? Oh no, it's still terrible. I—"

"Dr. Kataoka!" The cup was empty, resting in All Might's hand when he interrupted her ramblings. "It's perfection!"

May couldn't tell if she was relieved or freaked out. Both worked. May gave him a double thumbs-up, taking it back. Toshinori stood tall again, his hands at his hips. Before May could ask him any more questions, he glanced up at the clock.

"Thank you for the treat! I must say, the pills will be nice— I have to watch my figure." He gave an exaggerated wink. "Have a wonderful day, Doctor!"

May lifted a finger, but the hero's figure zoomed away and flung open the door, leaving it ajar. She sighed, inspecting the cup. I guess that works? Chocolate, blood, and whipped cream? Is this unethical?

She rested in her chair, cleaning up the remnants of his visit. May typed her findings into All Might's information. His vitals were low in comparison to the other day, which caught her interest. Perhaps, as the day went on, it would increase and become more difficult for him. Pills were the only logical form of intake, as they could be at his disposal.

May's eyes wandered over to the window. Among the trees, students began to filter in. Their grey uniforms blended into the sidewalk, their bright red ties the only defining feature besides hair and backpacks. The queasiness she felt earlier returned in full force.

"Best of luck, Dr. Kataoka." Nezu's voice sounded at her doorway. May's gaze broke from the window, giving him the most confident expression she could muster. It was more of a distorted nervous smile, her eyebrows revealing her genuine emotions.

"Thank you, Principal Nezu."

Without skipping a beat, Nezu continued speaking about the last thing May expected.

"Some of these heroes just don't know about the respectful dress code a school must have! You look rather professional," Nezu said, approaching and tugging at her shirt. "Is that chocolate sauce?"

May's face exploded in color. "Ahah! Yes! I'll fix that."

He left as May scrubbed the corner of her blouse, muttering to herself about how the day was already going to be a disaster. A couple of other instructors stopped by the room, Cementoss, and Vlad King wishing May a good day. Even Midnight gave her wink and a smile, which May took as a friendly gesture.

She swiveled in her office chair. The bots started their rounds, straightening the bed All Might had sat on and arranging medications for students. May double-checked them as they went through each name, and to her delight, they were all correct. Compared to the previous day, her bots were at peak performance.

As she sat at her desks, the Medical Bots chirped to each other. Footsteps started through the hallway, May's fingers flying away from her stationary set she had rearranged for the fifteenth time. Her eyes fixated on the frame. Voices carried, and she picked out little conversations as they appeared.

"They have a new medical person here. Did you know that?"

"No! What happened to Recovery Girl?"

"I don't know, but apparently, her quirk is really weird. I heard my parents talking about the notice, but they seemed relaxed when they read more about her. I think she's a doctor."

"I need to fake a stomach ache, just to see."

Nezu sent out a massive notice about my blood quirk?

It made sense. The parents had a right to know what would happen with their children under her care. May wished she was the one that could've created the notice, however. Who knew what Nezu said? It amplified her washing machine stomach twenty-fold.

The first bell rang out over the school, the voices of students dying down within the hallway. May sighed to herself, fiddling with her fingers. She didn't know what to do in the meantime. She grabbed a clipboard from her desk, opening her cabinet drawers.

With MEBO-1 at her side, she started her daily checklist. Except, it wasn't a one-time thing. She went through her stock at least four times. The hours ticked by as she migrated between emails, research, and reading. Some colleagues of May's even contacted her, congratulating her on her new job. It was nice to hear from them.

A jingle at the door stole May's attention. Her head turned away from the blue light of the screen, closing out a journal.

"R-Recovery Girl?"

A blonde-haired girl stood at May's door, a taller brunette boy right behind her. The girl held her arm forward, dribbles of blood pouring off of her pale skin. Bubbles of tears slid down her cheeks, taking deep sniffles. The boy's face was filled with concern. May got to her feet. The cut looks scary, but it's only surface level. May slid on some gloves with ease.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Kataoka. I'm not Recovery Girl, but I'm here to help," She started, approaching the girl. May used one arm to guide her toward the bed, the other one as a comforting sense of touch.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"I—I fell outside and-and hit a st-stick," she said, her other arm decorated with another abrasion.

"That happens, no worries," May said, her voice low and relaxed. "What's your name?"

May dug around in her lab coat pocket. A small piece of gauze rested in her gloved hand. May pressed it into the cut, settling the girl on the bed. The boy who escorted the girl watched, his lips tight. He didn't say a single word.

"My name is Mako Chino."

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Chino," May said, pulling up her swiveling stool. The brown eyes on Chino gazed up at May, glassy from the tears. "Alright, let's take a look."

May lifted the piece of gauze, her suspicions confirmed. She wiped away the excess blood, the skinny cut revealing itself. "Can you do something for me?"

Chino nodded, listening to May's words.

"I need you to hold on to the gauze. Press firmly, but not hard enough to hurt yourself, while I grab something to help, okay?" May reached her eyes, extending as much warmth and comfort as she could.

The girl did as May instructed, her feet kicking anxiously over the side of the bed. May rolled over to her desk. A jar filled with a thick red liquid and various sizes of gauze rested on the shelf. She reached for it, taking a pair of tweezers. Using a tray, the wet gauze leaned against the light blue.

May prepared them days ago, figuring having some prepped bloody gauze was better than having to do it in front of the students. That way, they wouldn't know what it is.

"MEBO-1," May called, peering down at the medical bot at her side. It beeped in response, the red eyes blinking. "Remind me, replace one medicated gauze."

The robot blinked, the eyes shifting from red to green. MEBO-2 sat near the student, a soft humming noise surrounding the air. May swung herself back toward the girl, holding the tray. All of the equipment rested inside of it.

"What class are you in, Chino?" May asked, lifting Chino's hand off of her injury. The skinny cut wasn't bleeding as much anymore, the thin streaks of red fading.

"General education."

"Very good. Do you enjoy it? I've heard wonderful things about your class." May opened an antibacterial wipe, prepping it next to her.

Chino watched May's movements, both of the students in the room intrigued. She sniffled in between her responses. "I l-love my classmates, and thank you."

"Did you hit your head during your fall?"

The girl shook her head.

"Good." May laid out all of her equipment on the blue tray, replacing her gloves. "Do you take any medications I should know about or have any allergies?"

She shook her head again.

"Thank you for answering so easily, I promise, the interrogation is over for now," May broke into a smile, resting her hands on her lap for a moment.

Then, May lifted the sterile wipe, her gloved hand lightly gripping the girl's arm.

"The first part will sting, then you'll feel nothing."

The dry gauze from earlier picked up most of the blood, but there were stains left behind. The wipe took care of the rest, the cut bubbling at contact. Chino's jaw flexed, but May was quick. She took the tweezers and bloody gauze, wiping it down the thin cut and the abrasion on her other arm. May spun on her stool, tossing the dressing in the trash.

The two students watched in amazement as Chino's cut lightened and began to shrink away. "Look, Kenta! It's d-disappearing!"

The boy nodded, giving her a bright smile. "So is your other one!"

May's lips upturned into a resting look of happiness. She slid over to her computer, pulling up a new report form and filling it out with the information she gained from Chino.

"Now, be careful. Those areas will be sensitive. Since the cut is so long, I'm not going to wrap it. You'll just have to be aware of it."

"Okay!"

May continued to fill in her necessary information, Chino answering with enthusiasm to every mundane question. Handing her a pass, May's expression softened. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel great! Thank you!"

May tried not to let her smile fall as they left the room. Their voices were lowered to a whisper, their footsteps echoing down the empty hallway. She cleaned up the remaining mess, the MEBO-1 chirping and blinking green, pointing toward her jar.

"I know, I know. Thanks for the reminder," she said through a light laugh. Taking a new sterile gauze, she replaced the used one immediately.

Confidence swelled up in her chest. Even though it was the only action May received that morning, it made her sit up straighter. She gazed around the room. It was starting to feel like a little home. The soft colors gave her less of a sick feeling and more of a fuzzy one.

A couple of students were bold enough to stick their heads through her doorway, only to disappear when May glanced over her shoulder. Lunch hit, and the medication bound students visited her. Each one introduced themselves to May, asking her a million questions.

May drowned in excited students, each one sharing the same enthusiasm for the starting school year.

When everyone cleared out, May rested her back against the door. How can only fifteen students exhaust me so much? She sat alone at her desk, deciding to eat lunch in her office in case anyone needed her. Two tabs opened on the computer, her fingers scrolling on the mouse through each one.

One was a study on metastasis. The other—perhaps a tabloid on Kamui Woods and Mount Lady. May didn't enjoy hearing about heroes, but the gossip was too juicy not to indulge in every so often. Wow! If they got together, they would be so cute.

May shoveled rice in her face, reading furiously about the speculations made by their friends and family regarding a possible relationship.

"Dr. Kataoka?"

"Hah!" May closed the tab with fast reflexes, choking on her food as she gave a nervous chortle. Whirling around in her chair, she swallowed, clearing her throat. "Here for your midday check-in?"

An emaciated All Might stood inside the Recovery Room, shutting the door behind him. His bony hands pointed toward the computer after nodding. "Were you reading Hero Weekly?"

The light-hearted amusement in his voice caused May's face to turn a shade of pink. "No! Not at all! Just... just an article about metastasis and some research! Yeah!"

It was not convincing, her face flaming as she started his vitals check. It had improved from earlier in the day, but not by much. The pills were coming together, and May figured they would be ready in a couple of days. When she finished taking his vitals, she jotted everything down. He got up to leave again.

"The trial pills should be ready in the next couple of days, maybe even tomorrow. I'll have to see."

"Yes, Doctor." All Might hovered at the doorway. His teeth flashed into a cheesy grin. "By the way, they're definitely dating. I read that article earlier."

When May turned around to respond, he dashed out of the room like he did earlier. His laugh bounced down the hallway, greeting students as they passed him. How did I not realize how eccentric he is?

May went to take a sip of water, realizing she was all out. Oh, no. That meant she was going to have to brave the teacher's lounge. Please, don't be there. You know who you are. She shuffled out of her room, shutting the door quietly behind her. MEBO-1 and MEBO-2 were connected to her phone through wireless contact, so if anyone entered, she would be alerted.

Besides, it was right down the hall. She could make a quick escape.

May crossed the hall. The roar of students at lunch could be heard in the distance. She opened the door to the teacher's lounge.

"Yo! It's Doc!"

Wonderful.

Present Mic's extravagance greeted her first. He gave a wave from across the room. The loudness of his voice made it feel like he was right next to her. May held on to her water bottle at the sight of the only other person in the room. Hunched over the table, Eraserhead had a book in hand.

"Hello," May said. She kept close to the wall, inching toward the water dispenser.

"As I was saying, Eraser. You've gotta get out there. Isn't that the fifth book you're on this week alone?" Yamada leaned against the wall. He held out his arm, the other crossed over his chest.

"I'm not going to your karaoke night." Aizawa's deadpan voice radiated across the room.

"What? Come on!" Present Mic stepped forward, putting his hands down on the table. "It's fun, and you know it!"

Aizawa exhaled. "Not on a school night."

"How about—"

May tried not to pay attention to the conversation, but she had a feeling she was about to be dragged into something. The pressed on the water dispenser with her bottle, avoiding all eye contact. Don't look. Don't look. Act uninterested.

"Doc! Do you like karaoke? Wait—Kataoka? Karaoke?" May glanced over, watching his shoulder shrug. "It's fate."

"Oh, no. I don't sing," May said, turning back to the task at hand. Her eyes shifted over every so often, her lips tightening. I need to get out of here.

"That's a lie," Yamada started, his footsteps heading for the door. The tone of his voice changed, taking on a teasing sound. "You liked singing on your bathroom floor. Not bad, gotta hand it to ya."

May's eyes bulged out of her head. Her whole face flamed. The water in her bottle was the only noise that sounded in the room.

"Uh, I—I, um."

The words weren't leaving, her mouth hanging open. She had no idea what to say, a singular finger scratching at the loose bun on the back of her head.

"All of the other instructors will be there. Gotta celebrate the first day! Come on, come on, come on," Yamada egged on.

Her eyes reached the doorway, Yamada's smug expression and raised eyebrows dug her embarrassment hole deeper. May sighed, thinking about what her friends would tell her.

"I—I— um. You know what? Sure," She said, her flustered words pouring out in a stuttered way. A half hearted smile crossed her features. If I agree, he'll leave me alone.

He exited the room with a fist pump in the air. May thought she was in the clear, letting out a breath. His face appeared in the doorframe again, using finger guns to point at her.

"Oh, right! I'll text you the details. See you tonight!"

"Tonight? I—"

He was gone before she could finish her response. May used her free hand to squeeze her temples.

I embarrassed myself so much in a single night? Wait—he was in my house? Did he take us home? What happened!

May's thoughts spiraled so intensely, the water in her bottle overflowed onto her sleeves. She was muttering self-depreciations to herself. Two critical details flew from her mind. They were both about to make themselves known.

"The water, Dr. Kataoka."

The chair Aizawa sat on screeched across the floor. May first looked at him. The water? What water? Oh, no.

May became acutely aware of her soaked sleeve, backing away from the fountain. She took a sip from her water, trying to lower the amount. Can this get any worse? Why am I this way? They all think I'm an idiot! I'm always at my worst in front of him, especially!

She turned around, mid-sip, staring at the man in front of her. He had his book under his arm. The tomato glow on her face was more of a light strawberry now. Aizawa stood in silence for a moment before speaking up again.

"You've got some on your sleeve."

May's hot pink face upturned into an anxiety-ridden smile, speaking through laughs and waving her hand dismissively.

"A little water never hurt anyone! I'll be fine!" May's overenthusiasm tried to compensate for her complete embarrassment. Her fingers shut the lid of her water bottle, the dampness of her sleeve creating weight.

"Thanks for telling me. I, uh, got distracted."

Aizawa gave a small sigh, shaking his head. "Whatever."

He left the room with the singular statement lingering. May clutched her water bottle tight. The man physically cannot dislike me anymore. The one word knocked down her confidence several notches. It was at the floor level now. She held her head high, heading back to her office.

May was so easily flustered. She decided she would work on that. Crafting a game plan in her head, the rest of the afternoon remained quiet. Her search history on the computer bounced between self-help blogs and study material. Notably, How to Socialize with Grace.

May nodded through the article, her fingers pressed against her mouth.

Maybe if she dug out her old dance knowledge, people wouldn't think she was a fool anymore. Nope. Not that. They'll still believe you're a fool.

The buzz of her phone distracted her from the woman on screen.

>> (1) NEW MESSAGE <<

Aizawa

➞ Student heading your way. Finger injury. Let me know how it goes.

✓ read

>> <<

May didn't respond to the message. Instead, she alerted her robotic assistants of an incoming patient. She gathered everything she would need. Let me try a drink. We'll see if that helps while I set the injury. May figured if it was significant enough for Aizawa to make an effort to text her, it was pretty rough.

May hung out of her door frame, replacing her gloves. A lone student made his way down the hall, holding his arm close to his body. The green tuft of hair rang bells in May's mind. She held her hands together, watching the boy's head perking up at sight of her.

"Are you the injured student?" May asked as he got within earshot. He nodded, his pace quickening.

"U-um, is this the Recovery Room?" Izuku Midoriya asked. His freckled cheeks were puffy. May's hand hovered over his shoulder, guiding him into the room.

"Yes, it is. Your instructor alerted me of your arrival." She gave a warm smile, all of the panic and embarrassment melting away. "Let's get you over to that bed, okay?"

Midoriya nodded, putting his whole head into the movement. When they reached the bed, May helped him settle. He stared at her while she reached out to examine the hand he was hiding. May noticed his watery eyes and the minuscule groans of pain.

"You're not Recovery Girl. I met her at the entrance exam." Midoriya's words were full of hesitation.

"Yes, you're correct." May pulled up her stool, sitting in front of him. She noticed the gym uniform he wore was dirty. Did they not go to the assembly?

May caught a glimpse of his fingers. They twisted in all sorts of directions, characterized by a sickening purple color. She decided to take blood pressure first. It would be a better way to tell if he had any underlying problems, excluding the fingers.

"What happened to her?" Midoriya asked, watching as May strapped the cuff to him and watched her gather a quick set of vitals. She watched his chest rise and fall, her eyes switching between the cuff and her watch.

"I'm not sure," May said absently.

She was focused on the task at hand. The baseline vitals she collected were normal for his age range and for his previous activity level. Nothing out of the ordinary. It must be isolated to just his hand. Perfect. May released the stethoscope from her ears and undid the manual blood pressure cuff on his unaffected arm.

"May I see your hand?"

He extended it forward. It did not look good at all. There was no way she could fix it without surgical procedures outside of her quirk. He could barely keep it straight.

"Izuku Midoriya, is it?" May asked, while gently palpating the finger.

She watched him wince at every one of them. There wasn't a place on his fingers that was without pain, even though her gloved touch was light. Everything is affected. How does this happen? What did he do to himself?

Through the pain, he looked taken aback.

"You know my name?"

"Yes, I do."

His disbelief was comical. May nodded, a slight smile appearing on her features again after her laser-focus. Using both hands, she pressed his arm against his chest, directing him to hold it there while she gathered supplies.

May swiveled in her chair, grabbing the white cup off of her desk. While facing the door frame, a flash of number one hero burst into the room. His chest heaved, his frazzled hair even more chaotic than usual.

"Young Midoriya!"

"All Might!"

May glanced between the two. Izuku perked up at the sight of Toshinori and vice versa. A little splurge of happiness lightened her heart. All Might approached Midoriya, standing right next to the bed.

"Looks like I've met your successor, All Might," May said, holding the cup in her hand.

She looked at the emaciated man to her left and then the teen in front of her. Midoriya gasped to himself, his eyes fixating on the ground. The gears in his head were turning. He muttered silent musings, fragments of questions forming on his lips.

May could see she was about to be bombarded, so she stopped his running mind. Geez, reminds me of myself.

"Now, before any more discussions, I need you to drink this." May extended the cup, her eyes flashing to Toshinori. He gave a small nod.

"What is it?" Midoriya asked, tugging on the black straw.

"Ask questions later," Toshnori responded before May could.

She watched him sip on the drink, keeping her internal thoughts off of her face with the best of her ability. Her smile remained straight, trying not to freak out about her own quirk. Not poisoning anyone. Just blood. And chocolate.

The purple within his fingertips receded. As May cleaned up her work station and began filling out reports, she let the two have discussions surrounding Midoriya's quirk. Apparently, Aizawa was intimidating within the classroom, too. Izuku appeared to perk up, the straightening of his fingers without any pain associated.

Both Toshinori and Izuku were amazed, watching them straighten out. Their discussions continued until May heard her name.

"This is Dr. Kataoka, and she knows about One for All," Toshinori said without apprehension. Was there some confidence there? Trust? He gestured toward May, who was no longer staring at her computer.

"You shouldn't discuss your quirk in front of anyone, save for her and I, Midoriya."

May tilted her head into a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet! Your reputation precedes you."

Midoriya's face tinged pink, and he broke into an expression filled with happiness. His response was muffled. May understood he was attempting to thank her in his shy boyish ways. Her two patients continued speaking about the events that had transpired.

Due to the nature of May's quirk, he didn't need to wait around to rest. She wrapped his arm and gave him a list of written instructions. May figured his parents, or parent, would like to know what happened, why it happened, and signs of strange healing patterns. Mako's cut had healed so instantly, she didn't feel compelled to write out an explanation.

The two exited the office with a wave, and quietness enveloped everything again. The day came to a close. May decided to respond to Aizawa finally.

>> <<

Me

All is well, student is healed! Thanks for letting me know |...|...| ( send )

All is well, student is healed! Thanks for letting me know :) ( send )

>> <<

May stared at her phone. Is a smiley face too much? How would he take it? Before May could delete, her thumb slipped across the phone. She gasped and then stared at the screen.

>> <<

Me

All is well, the student is healed! Thanks for letting me know :) ( sent )

>> <<

Damn, my fatty fingers! The screen glowed, and a text bubble popped up. Her phone told May that he read the message. Then, the grey text bubble disappeared. Yeah, I wouldn't respond to that either.

May packed her bag and powered down her bots. She stared out at the room. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. But if she saw such a horrific hand injury on the first day, what was next?

Her mind drifted. Oh, that's right. She accidentally agreed to karaoke that evening. Her palm went flying to her forehead, the incoming headache becoming too much to bear. Put on a brave face, May. You don't even have to sing! Try to make friends!

At least, that's what the rational part of her brain would say. The panicked part ate away at her positive thoughts. Another long night laid ahead, but not the type May liked.