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Chapter Text

The game was going well, Karasuno were winning. They only needed one more point to call it a victory.

As Sugawara saw the ball flying towards him, he felt a rush of nerves and adrenaline wash over him. As he got ready to hit the ball back, a thought came into his mind.

If I miss this, then I put our win in jeopardy.

The setter got ready to jump, but as his feet left the ground he noticed an odd feeling in his left knee.

He payed it no mind and managed to hit the ball, but as he landed his jump, a sudden pain in his knee brought him down to the ground instantly.

He heard a cacophony of cheers, so he assumed that his team had won. He tried to smile, but the raging pain made it difficult to do so.

Suga began to feel sweat bead on his forehead, and he couldn’t help the grimace that spread across his face as he closed his eyes and laid down on the gymnasium floor.

The sound of shoes squeaking reached his ears, and he opened his eyes again to see Daichi and Asahi running over to him.

“Suga! Are you okay?!”

The voice came from Daichi, Suga knew that. What Suga didn’t know, however, was how he was going to respond. He didn’t think he’d be able to talk due to the throbbing pain in his knee, so he settled on just shaking his head.

“What happened?”

That was Asahi’s voice this time, thick with worry.

“M-my knee.” Came Suga’s shaky response.

“Everybody, give him space!”

He didn’t even notice the rest of the team - plus the coaches and managers - all huddled around him until he heard Ukai’s orders.

“Daichi, try to make him as comfortable as possible to ease the pain. Asahi, take his knee pad off; the pressure of it could be making the pain worse. Hinata,” Ukai turned around, facing the red head, “Go get an ice pack from the first aid station.”

After Ukai was done talking, Hinata sprinted off to retrieve the aforementioned ice pack. Daichi slowly lifted Suga’s head and placed it on his lap and began to stroke his hair off of his forehead in a comforting manner, nails gently scratching along Suga’s scalp as he went.

“Suga,” Asahi began quietly, “What knee hurts?”

Suga was panting heavily, but shakily answered, “L-left.”

So Asahi began unlacing Sugawara’s left shoe and slowly pulled it off. He then began to gently pull off the knee pad, but Suga’s sudden whine at the action made Asahi stop in his tracks.

“Sorry! Sorry Suga, but I have to take it off.”

“I-It’s fine. J-Just do it.”

So Asahi continued, wincing and apologising quietly at every whimper and groan that escaped Suga’s mouth. But he eventually got the pad over the knee, pulling it down his shin and onto the floor smoothly.

Just as Asahi had finished his task, Hinata came running back in with the ice pack, followed by an out of breath medic.

The medic knelt down beside Sugawara, and began prodding at his knee. Ukai, who had joined them, noticed the pained look on Suga’s face at the medic’s touches.

He gestured for the ice pack, and Hinata was quick to give it to him, but the medic shot his hand out, not yet done with his examination.

Ukai sighed and settled on the next best thing. He slowly rubbed his hand up and down the thirds year’s arm, trying his best to comfort the ailing teen.

“Well,” the medic began, “I can’t give you the exact condition his knee is in as I don’t have the appropriate instruments to come to a valiant conclusion, but I would, however, recommend taking him to a clinic.” He finished, looking at Ukai and Takeda.

“Can we not just call an ambulance?” Daichi spoke up.

“I’m afraid not, no ambulances are able to come to this district.”

That didn’t make any sense to Daichi, and a glance to the coach’s faces told him that they were thinking the same thing.

Ignoring that concerning piece of information, Ukai assumed that the medic was finished with his ‘examination’ and turned around to retrieve the ice pack from Hinata.

He placed it in the centre of Suga’s knee, and watched with a sense of sadness as he saw the teenager’s tensed up brows loosen in tension, guilt washing over him as he couldn’t provide him with relief sooner.

“I can bandage it,” the medic began. Ukai was too preoccupied with Suga to respond, so Takeda was the one to turn around and face him.

“If you think it would help, then go ahead.” Takeda asked. The medic nodded, so the teacher moved out of his way and allowed him to work.

Ukai noticed him approaching and moved out of his way, but raised his eyebrow in question at Takeda.

Daichi, Asahi, and the two adults watched the medic as he took out a roll of white bandages. He held the ice pack in place on Suga’s knee and wrapped the bandage over it, creating a temporary brace.

When the ice pack was secure, the medic took a plastic syringe out of his bag and filled it with a sort of liquid which everyone watching assumed was medicine.

The medic then put his hand underneath Suga’s neck and slowly lifted his head, bringing the medicine-filled syringe to his mouth.

As Suga tasted the medicine on his tongue, he wasn’t sure what the substance was at first. He turned his face slightly to the side, repulsed by the taste of the foul liquid. But the medic persisted, turning his head back and putting more medicine in his mouth.

It was then when Suga realised that it was probably there to help him and take the pain away. So he complied, but had to resist the urge to spit it out or gag at the taste.

The medic then backed away and Ukai took his place, beginning his previous action. He didn’t like how silent the boy was getting, though.

“Hey, kid,” he started, “How’re we doing?”

“…I-I’ve been better.” Came Suga’s reply.

Ukai noted how out of breath he sounded, as if he’d just played a match. That is the case , he thought, but shouldn’t everyone else also be breathing heavily?

He looked up at the team and didn’t notice anything abnormal about their respiratory systems, causing his heart to ache more for the injured teenager.

“We should probably get going soon.” Takeda suddenly spoke up. “The other teams have left.”

Ukai glanced over his shoulder and took note of the vacant gym. He sighed and looked down at Suga, the third year’s head still resting on Daichi’s lap.

“I know, but how’re we gonna get him on the bus? It’s not like he can walk…”

Asahi, who had been silent throughout everything, suddenly spoke up.

“I can carry him.”

Ukai glanced at him, and then back to Suga, debating this decision. Eventually, he realised that it was their only option.

“Okay, just be gentle.” Ukai knew damn well he didn’t have to tell him that, Asahi and careful are practically synonyms . But still, he didn’t want to take any chances.

Asahi warned Suga that he was about to lift him up, and Suga nodded in response.

Taking that as a go-ahead, the taller man put one arm around Suga’s shoulders and the other under his knees, being mindful of the injured leg.

With Suga secured in Asahi’s arms, Ukai, Daichi and Takeda went with them to the bus. Asahi carefully made his way down the aisle to the end, spreading Suga out on the seats with his head placed in his lap.

Daichi joined them and carefully lifted Suga’s knees onto his lap, elevating the injured one slightly.

“You’ll be okay, Suga,” Daichi began, “We’re gonna take you to a clinic, and they’ll be able to take some of the pain away.”

Soon after, the rest of the team all filed into the bus, asking about Sugawara’s condition. Suga, not having enough energy to respond, just stayed silent, hoping Daichi and Asahi could answer for him.

They did, and Daichi then asked everyone to give them space as to not overwhelm the injured player. Soon after, Ukai and Takeda came down the aisle.

Ukai sat in the seat in front of the third years, but turned his body so he was facing them. Takeda sat down in a free seat beside Asahi, also looking over Suga.

The bus eventually began to move, and Suga had to grit his teeth to suppress a noise of pain that threatened to come out of his mouth. Asahi, noticing this, stroked his hair soothingly.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” The taller boy whispered like a mantra. Daichi noticed how it sounded like he was saying it more to himself than to Suga, but didn’t comment on it.

He instead looked up from his seat to gaze out the window, hoping for a momentary distraction. As he did, he noticed that the route the bus was going was different than the one they took going to the match.

“Where are we going?” He asked, noticing how he sounded like one of his siblings during a car ride. Still, he turned to Takeda for an answer. The teacher was about to reply, but Ukai bet him to it.

“To a clinic. I don’t think the medic there really knew what he was doing.” Daichi had to agree with his coaches statement. He remembered how the medic said that no ambulances were able to come to the gym, and then wondered how prepared the gym really was.

It’s a place to play sport matches. Of course there’s a chance that someone could get hurt , Daichi thought.

A sudden halt brought him out of his thoughts. He briefly wondered if they had arrived and silently reprimanded himself for being in his head instead of focusing on Suga, before realising that they were just at a stoplight.

He turned his attention back to the aforementioned boy when he heard Asahi speak to him.

“It’s okay, Suga. We’re almost there. Just hold on…” The taller man ended his sentence just as the bus started to move again, causing Suga to groan.

Then, he started to laugh . It wasn’t loud - more of a chuckle, really - but it was noticeable. Daichi and Asahi made eye contact with each other, confusion evident in both of their gazes.

Daichi was about to ask Suga why he was laughing, but Takeda spoke before he could.

“The medicine that the medic gave him is probably making him a bit… loopy . He’ll likely be like this for a while.”

Daichi smiled at that, and could see Asahi wearing a similar expression through his peripheral vision. Both teenagers were relieved to hear the silver haired boy laughing, happy that he wasn’t too focused on the pain in his knee.

After a bit, Suga’s laugh died down and his eyes began to slip shut. Asahi jostled him by moving his legs up, trying to keep him awake until they reached the clinic. Suga groaned at each jostle.

“Sorry, Suga. But try and stay awake, okay? Just until we reach the clinic.” Asahi asked, feeling guilty for forcing an injured person to stay awake. Suga looked up at him, his eyes clouded with a far away gaze.

To make up for his actions, Asahi began to run his fingers through the injured’s hair. Suga let out a breath of relief, causing the former to smile softly.

After what felt like an eternity, the bus came to a halt outside of the aforementioned clinic. Daichi gingerly lifted Suga off of Asahi’s lap, allowing the taller to stand up and slowly take Suga from his friend’s hold.

When the boy was secured in his arms, Asahi began walking down the aisle of the bus with Daichi, Ukai and Takeda in tow.

As the five of them exited the vehicle, they made their way over to the clinic door, Ukai holding it open. As the two adults were explaining their situation to the receptionist, Daichi glanced into the waiting room. It was barren, almost eerily so, but at least it appeared that they would all able to sit together.

When they were registered for an appointment, they walked into the waiting room and sat down. The chairs weren’t the most comfortable, but it wouldn’t matter if they were just waiting.

Asahi placed Suga down on his and Daichi’s laps, the injured’s legs spread out on the latter’s. Daichi eyed the covered ice pack and wondered if it would be wise to unwrap the bandage around Suga’s knee.

Takeda seemed to read his thoughts, as he suddenly said, “I would leave it on. We’ll wait for a doctor to take a look at it.”

Daichi silently agreed and moved his gaze to Asahi, frowning at the sadness and worry etched into his face. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on Asahi’s own leg, causing the taller boy to turn his head and smile at him, a silent thanks .

A doctor finally emerged from a room to the left of where they were sitting and made his way over to the men. He flashed a gentle smile at them before introducing himself.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Hayato. I’ll be looking over Sugawara.” He said as he looked down at the aforementioned teen. “I should let you know that we will not be able to actually treat his injury here, but we will give him a diagnosis.”

Another doctor not knowing what they’re doing , everyone bar the injured thought. Dr. Hayato must’ve noticed this, as he spoke up again.

“Once we give him the diagnosis, we will be able to prescribe him certain medications to help care for his injury.” Daichi still didn’t understand it, but he felt slightly guilty for thinking negatively of him. He genuinely seemed like a kind and sweet person.

He then signalled for Asahi to take Suga into the examination room. The teenager complied, and slowly stood up with Suga secured in his arms. Daichi watched as the three of them disappeared into the room, the closed door blocking his view.

Another figure walked into the room, and Daichi recognised her as Suga’s mother. Ukai or Takeda must’ve called her sometime on the bus or whilst they were in the waiting room.

She frantically looked around the room, eyes searching for her son.

“Mrs. Sugawara, he’s with the doctor in there.” Daichi spoke, gesturing to the room containing the boy with his head.

Mrs. Sugawara deflated and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, sweetheart. Is he okay?”

“They gave him some medicine in the gym, so I think that took away some of the pain.” He answered. Mrs. Sugawara then sat down, still deeply concerned for her son.

Asahi followed the doctor into the examination room, Suga held securely in his arms. An uneasy feeling swirled in Asahi’s stomach. Ever since he was a kid, doctor’s offices always freaked him out. Luckily, his mother was always there with him, allowing him to squeeze her hand as tight as he wanted.

But she wasn’t here now, and Asahi couldn’t let his fear show. He had to be the strong one this time, for Suga’s sake.

The door closed shut, and he only had a short amount of time to take in the interior of the room before the doctor was asking him to place Suga on the bed.

As he did, Hayato made his way over, dragging over a stool and sitting on it. He slowly unwrapped the bandage from the injured knee and prodded it, Asahi wincing in sympathy at the pained noises that escaped Suga’s mouth. He wanted to reach out and comfort his friend, but he feared that he would be getting in the doctor’s way.

The examination didn’t take too long, but to Suga it felt like an eternity. The only things he was able to register were the painful jabs coming from his knee as the doctor examined it, and Asahi’s words of comfort, although it sounded like they were meant more for himself than for Suga.

Hayato eventually sat back, the stool creaking as he moved. “Well,” he began, “it seems like it’s just a pretty nasty sprain. Ice it every night for around two weeks, and try to keep as much weigh off of it as possible. If the pain persists, then I would recommend getting it checked out at a hospital.”

Suga managed to comprehend his instructions, but the doctor still wrote it down anyways for his parents.

“Would he need crutches or anything? Considering he has to try and keep weight off of it.” Asahi asked. Hayato shook his head. “No. It should be fine to walk on.”

Asahi nodded and glanced back to Suga, the other’s eyes looking back at him. He was tired, Asahi could tell, and he didn’t blame him after he had forced him to stay awake on the bus ride over here.

“Are we free to go?” Suga suddenly spoke, slightly startling the other two. “Yes, you are.” Hayato replied, smiling. At his words, Asahi made his way towards Suga and brought him into his arms again. Hayato opened the door for him, and they both smiled and bid each other goodbye.

The two were out of the room, and the other four instantly surrounded the two, bombarding them with questions. Suga weakly looked up, and a smile crossed his face as he and his mother made eye contact.

“Hi, honey. How’re you feeling?” She asked. Suga shifted slightly in Asahi’s hold before answering.

“I’m okay, the pains died down a bit.” His mother smiled at him sympathetically before speaking again. “Is it okay if I take him home now?” Ukai and Takeda nodded, suddenly remembering that there’s a bus full of worried teenagers sitting outside.

“Asahi, honey, can you help bring him to the car?” Asahi nodded and followed Suga’s mother out of the clinic to her vehicle. She opened the door to the back, allowing Asahi to lay her son down on all three seats. He placed the ice pack on the injured knee, noting that the doctor left it unbandaged, something he was grateful for.

Mrs. Sugawara brought the seatbelt over her son’s torso and checked on him again, asking if she could do anything to make him more comfortable. He simply shook his head and closed his eyes, leaning his head back. The mother then gently kissed her son’s head and closed the door before turning towards Asahi.

“Thank you, honey, for taking care of him.” She began, taking Asahi by surprise.

“Oh, it’s really nothing, ma’am.” He replied, before remembering the slip of paper given to him by the doctor. “Oh, right. Uh, the doctor gave me this. It’s basically what Suga has to do for his knee to get better. He said it’s probably just a pretty bad sprain.”

Mrs. Sugawara took the slip gratefully and thanked the boy again before they both said their goodbyes to each other. As she opened the door to the driver’s side of the car, she gave one last glance to her son and saw that he was already asleep. Smiling, she entered the vehicle and began driving home.

Chapter Text

As Suga slowly came to, he noticed that his mother was pulling up outside of their house. He blinked a few times before slowly bringing his head up from where it was leant against the window. The car stopped, and his mother exited it. She opened his own door and helped him out.

Mrs. Sugawara noted that on the slip of paper Asahi had given her, it said that he was allowed to walk on his knee. Suga sat up and placed both of his feet on the ground and slowly rose up. As he put pressure on his injured knee, he winced slightly but walked forward, his mother close behind him.

They entered the house, and Suga limped towards their dining room table and sat down. His father then came into the room, and Suga figured that his mother must’ve told him what’d happened.

His dad smiled before speaking. “Hey, Kou. How’s your knee?”

Suga shrugged before replying. “I got something to help with the pain in the gym, but I think it’s starting to wear off.” His parents both frowned, and his mother put the ice pack back on his knee.

“The doctor said to ice it and keep pressure off of it, but he didn’t give him crutches.” Suga’s father raised an eyebrow at his wife’s words.

“Do you want to sit on the couch?” His father asked him. “It’ll give you a chance to rest your leg.”

Suga took his father up on that offer and slowly rose out of his seat. He limped into the living room, and could feel the remnants of the pain medication leave his body.

He reached the couch and sat down, a relived breath slipping through his lips. As his parents followed him in, his father gently lifted his injured leg up beside him and propped it up with pillows, turning his son’s body to the side in the process.

Suga winced, and his father apologised. His mother then moved over and placed the ice pack on his knee again.

“Can I get you anything? Water, tea?” She asked, fretting over her son.

“No, thanks. I’m okay.” He answered with a smile.

“Okay, well if you need anything, let us know.” His mother told him before bending down to kiss his temple. His father gave his hair a ruffle, and then they both left the room.

When the door closed, Suga let the façade he was holding crumble. His smile turned into a grimace as he reached out and tried massaging his knee, but whenever he touched it, flares of pain shot up his entire leg.

He was tempted to ask his parents for some pain killers, but feared that they would start treating him as if he were made of glass.

He tried to distract himself from the pain by turning on the television. A show that he didn’t understand the plot of was playing, but he figured it was better than whatever was going on in his knee.

More time passed, and his eyes were slowly starting to drop. So, removing the ice pack from his leg, he moved to sit up. He made it as far as the stairs when he realised that it may cause him some difficulty to climb them.

But he still persisted. Placing one hand on the banister, he slowly but surely trudged up the steps. He was panting slightly when he reached the top, but made his way into his room. His brother, who had presumably been in his room, entered.

“What happened to your knee?” He asked. Suga laughed slightly before answering. “I jumped up to reach the ball in our match today, but I didn’t land it properly.”

“Yeah, I guessed.” His brother laughed softly. And Suga laughed too.

His mother must’ve heard them, because she then came into the room, looking slightly panicked.

“Kou, how did you manage to get up the stairs?” His brother, sensing that he wasn’t needed, left the room.

“It wasn’t too hard, really. I just held onto the banister and used it as a crutch.” He answered honestly.

“Are you tired?” Was the next thing he was asked, to which he nodded. His mother helped him stand so she could pull back his duvet. He lay down, and she pulled his duvet back up, tucking him in. After a chaste kiss to his forehead, she left the room and gently closed the door after her.

Suga didn’t acknowledge her absence, too exhausted to realise that she had left.

As the sun filtered in through the blinds, Suga began to slowly wake. He checked the time on his phone and realised that he had a bit more time before his alarm went off. Deciding to savour those moments, he closed his eyes again and tried to find sleep.

But it wouldn’t come.

Sighing, he opted to go on his phone. He realised that he hadn’t texted anyone since he left the doctors, so he contacted Daichi and Asahi first. He let them know that he was alright, and that he’d be coming into school today.

Before he knew it, his alarm began blaring in his ears. He turned it off and slowly rose up, momentarily forgetting about his knee injury until a jab of pain from his leg shocked him when he stood up.

Pushing through it, he moved to his wardrobe and took out his uniform. As he left his room, he met his mother in the hallway.

“Hi, honey. How’s your knee?” She asked. Suga smiled at her and shrugged. “It’s okay.”

She smiled at him sympathetically. “Okay, well I’ll put some pain killers in your bag, so you can take them if it starts hurting in school.”

Suga smiled at his mother and walked to the top of the stairs, peering down. Taking a deep breath, he placed his right leg on the top step first, and then, with a tight grip on the banister, placed his left leg down on the next step.

His mom was close behind him, hands hovering above her son’s back. After a bit, Suga finally reached the bottom step. After he made his way down, he then limped into the kitchen. His mother told him to take a seat, and she began preparing a breakfast for him.

Suga felt slightly guilty that she was cooking for him, but when he offered she had dismissed him, telling him to keep his leg rested. Sighing, he lifted it up and placed it softly on the chair in front of him.

Not long after, his mother came over and placed the finished meal in front of her son. Suga ate it and brought the empty dish over to the sink to wash it. Before he could even turn on the tap, his mother took it from him.

“I’ll wash this, don’t worry. Also, I brought your toothbrush downstairs last night, so don’t worry about trying to get up the stairs again.”

Despite hating being doted on, this relived Suga slightly. He didn’t want to admit it, but getting up and down the stairs tired him out more than he thought it would. He moved into the downstairs bathroom and saw his toothbrush and a toothpaste tube lying adjacent to the sink.

He emerged from the small room with his teeth brushed, and picked up his school bag that was, conveniently, also downstairs. He and his mother both exited the house to enter the car, Suga finding it slightly difficult due to the pain in his knee.

After they were both settled in, his mother started the car and began to drive. The car ride didn’t take long, and soon they arrived. Suga bid his mom goodbye and entered the school, trying to hide his limp. When he entered the building, he noticed that Daichi and Asahi were both waiting for him.

Chapter Text

“Are you okay?” Asahi asked him. He didn’t try hiding the concern in his voice or face, and a look over at Daichi told Suga that he was feeling the same way.

“I’m fine. My mom gave me some pain killers in my bag, so I shouldn’t be in too much pain today.” That didn’t seem to reassure either of the two boys.

“Are… are you in pain now?” Daichi cautiously asked, worried of what the answer may be.

Suga sighed. He didn’t want to worry his friends, but he also didn’t want to lie to them.

“Well… yeah. But only cause I’m standing on it. It doesn’t hurt as much whenever I’m sitting. I promise.”

“Well, do you want to sit down somewhere?” Daichi asked. “First period doesn’t start for a while, so you can rest your leg until then.”

Suga nodded and the three of them slowly walked over to a nearby bench. Daichi and Asahi pretended not to notice the look of relief on Suga’s face when he sat down.

The three boys stayed there until the bell rang, signifying that class was about to begin. Daichi and Suga both said goodbye to Asahi, and they parted ways. When the two were walking to class together, Daichi began to talk.

“So, how are you really ?”

Suga raised an eyebrow. “Fine? I already said-“

“ Suga .”

The stern tone of Daichi’s voice made Suga flinch slightly.

“I se you wince whenever you put even the smallest fraction of weight on your leg, and you looked relived when you took the pressure off of it when you sat down.” He pushed.

When Daichi had finished talking, they’d already made it to the door of the classroom.

“Look, can we please not talk about this right now?” The tone of desperation in Suga’s voice made Daichi’s expression soften, so he complied.

“Fine. But we’re talking about this later.” Suga nodded, and they both entered the classroom and took their seats.

The class proceeded as normal, and the bell rung at the end. Daichi packed up his belongings and waited for Suga to do the same. As the silver haired boy stood up from his chair, he winced and lost his footing, having to reach out for the desk to stabilise himself.

Daichi moved over fast and supported him, noticing the tremors that wracked Suga’s body. He was panting, and Daichi noticed that there was a layer of sweat covering his forehead.

“Suga…” He spoke quietly.

“Im fine, just… give me a minute.”

“Suga, you clearly aren’t fine .” Daichi started, concern evident in his voice.

“I am , I just need to take one of the painkillers.”

Daichi sighed, but opened his friend’s bag and took out the packet of tablets. He took two out of the plastic and took his friend’s hand to place them in. He then gave Suga his water bottle, his hand still gripping his arm.

Suga’s breathing finally slowed down, and he took the two tablets that Daichi had placed in his hand. Daichi rubbed his back and whispered sweet nothings and words of reassurance.

“Okay… I’m fine now. Let’s go.”

Daichi watched him as he walked, his limp more noticeable than before. He sighed again and followed his friend. Their next class was on a floor above them, and Daichi wasn’t sure if Suga was going to be able to manage the stairs.

When they reached the stairwell, Daichi looked at Suga, and then back to the staircase.

“Do you think you can walk up them?” He asked, worried. Suga nodded and proceeded towards them, hands gripping the railing.

Daichi made sure to stay close behind him. By some stroke of luck, they made it up the steps without too much difficulty, but Suga was leaning against the wall and panting heavily when they reached the top.

Daichi stood by him, steadying him by his arm and rubbing his back again.

“Breathe, breathe. It’s okay.” He said, trying to comfort his injured friend.

Luckily the class wasn’t too far from where they were, and when they reached it their teacher hadn’t arrived yet. Daichi helped Suga to his desk, trying to ignore the looks from his classmates. They were asking if Suga was alright, which Daichi didn’t answer. It seemed obvious that he wasn’t.

He sat down at his own desk, which was thankfully beside Suga’s. The teacher came in and began the lecture, but Daichi could barely focus. His mind was occupied with worry for Suga, noticing that his breathing had started to calm down from earlier.

He brought his attention back to the front of the classroom and listened to the teacher’s lecture again.

After what felt like an eternity, the bell rang, signifying that it was time for lunch. Relieved, Daichi stood up and turned to Suga. He helped the boy up and got his bag for him.

After stabilising him, Daichi slowly moved his hand away from Suga’s arm and handed him his bag. They moved out of the classroom, albeit a bit slower than usual. Going down to the cafeteria to eat their lunch, they saw Asahi waiting for them.

He smiled, but his face dropped at the sight of Suga slightly leaning on Daichi, his face pale. He went over to them and helped Daichi support Suga. The two of them slowly helped their injured friend over to their lunch table.

As the three of them sat down, Asahi began rubbing his hand up and down Suga’s back. Daichi handed him his water bottle, and Suga took it with slightly shaky hands and began drinking from it.

As the injured boy was drinking, Asahi spoke quietly to Daichi.

“Is he okay? He seemed better this morning…”

Daichi sighed and replied. “He was probably just saying that so we wouldn’t worry.”

Asahi hung his head slightly and drew his attention back to Suga. He was finished drinking and was trying to catch his breath.

“Hey, Suga. Are you okay?” Asahi gently asked. Suga took a bit to answer, too preoccupied with pain to respond.

“Y-yeah, just… needed a moment.” He shakily replied. Asahi and Daichi both looked at each other and then back to Suga, both not believing him.

“Do you want to go home? You could call your mom.” Daichi offered, even though he had a feeling that he already knew what the answer would be.

“No, no. The pains dying down now.” Suga argued. “I just needed to sit down for a moment. I’m fine now, I swear.”

Daichi tsk’d, but a look from Asahi told him to drop it. Sighing, he stayed silent and placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder, an act meant to comfort him.

The bell rang, telling the three third years that their lunch period was over. Daichi and Asahi both got up and, placing their hands on Suga’s arms, slowly lifted their friend to his feet. Once he was stable, they let him go and began walking. But they didn’t miss the way Suga would wince every few steps.

Asahi left to go to his own class, leaving Daichi and Suga alone again. Their next class was P.E, so they were headed to the gym. Suga explained his situation to the teacher, and thankfully he didn’t ask to see a note.

The two boys sat down on a bench and watched whatever activity their class was partaking in. They could partly hear their teacher, but it was hard to from where they were sitting.

The class begin the activity, and it involved throwing balls around. Some of them were coming a little too close for comfort, but didn’t end up hitting the two.

But as a student kicked one of the objects, it came hurdling towards Daichi and Suga. Right for Suga’s bad knee. Before anyone could deflect it, it bounced off of the knee and ricocheted off of the ceiling and back down to the ground.

The person who kicked it simply held his hand up as a sort of apology, but it didn’t seem sincere. Daichi scoffed and turned his attention towards Suga who was hunched over, hands gripping his knee.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Daichi comforted as he began to rub his back. “I’m gonna go get some ice, okay?”

Suga nodded, lips pressed together in a firm line and eyes squeezed shut. Daichi placed a warm hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently before leaving.

He nearly ran out of the gym, Suga being the only thing on his mind. He felt bad for leaving him alone, but hopefully their teacher would notice something was wrong with him.

Speed walking into the Nurse’s office, he opened the door and walked inside. The woman inside smiled at him before speaking.

“Hello! What brings you in-“

“I need an ice pack.” Daichi felt bad for interrupting the kind woman, but he didn’t really have time for her chipper greeting.

At his words, her smile faltered.

“What for?” She asked, thinking the ice pack was for him. Daichi realised this and spoke again.

“It’s not for me, it’s for my friend. He hurt his knee yesterday and it got his by a ball in P.E around… 2 minutes ago?”

The nurse nodded and walked over to the freezer. She took out a bag and wrapped some tissue around it before walking over to Daichi and handing it to him.

“Place this on his knee and keep the tissue on it. If you notice it making the skin red, wrap another layer around it.” She explained. Daichi knew that, but let her talk.

After all, he had already interrupted her once. Her stern tone was enough to keep his mouth shut.

With the ice pack in his hands, he thanked the nurse before leaving. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he begun his speed walking again, breaking out into a jog when he made sure that there were no teachers around.

Finally reaching the gym, he entered and found Suga on the same bench where he had left him, only this time he was lying down with something under his knee to elevate it.

Daichi inwardly cursed, mad at himself for forgetting to do that. He put it out of his mind and walked over to Suga, crouching down next to him.

“Hey, Suga. I’m back.” Suga opened his eyes to see who was talking, and smiled slightly when he saw that it was Daichi. He then felt a cold sensation on his knee, making him flinch.

“Sorry, I know it’s cold.” Daichi said whilst rubbing Suga’s arm. “What made you lie down?”

Suga took in a few breaths before answering. “The teacher came over and asked me if I was alright, and then told me to lie down.” He explained. “He also put something under my knee, to keep it up.”

Finally, their P.E. class ended. Daichi felt like lifting Suga up and carrying him to their next class, but decided against it in honour of Suga’s dignity. He settled on helping him up instead.

Rikura, a classmate of theirs, came over to help support Suga. Daichi smiled at him in a silent thanks, and they began walking. Rikura picked up Suga’s bag and slung it over his shoulder.

The three boys exited the gym with Suga balanced in between them. Trying to take the pressure off of his knee, Suga lifted it up behind him and hopped along.

Daichi and Rikura didn’t know where to bring Suga, but then Daichi remembered his earlier travels and then thought of where to go.

“Bring him to the nurse’s office. She already knows about his knee.” He told Rikura. He brought his gaze back to Suga and saw his head hanging down, his teeth slightly clenched.

Frowning, he looked ahead again and focused on the route to their destination.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the room. It smelled of antiseptic, making Daichi’s nervousness spike. The same nurse from before looked over at Daichi, then Suga, and managed to put two and two together.

“Is this your friend?” She asked, to which Daichi nodded. Rikura looked slightly confused, but didn’t ask any questions.

“Okay, put him on the bed here.” She walked over and directed to a bed covered in paper.

“Do you still have the ice pack?” She asked Daichi, to which he nodded again and gave it to her. The tissue around it had gone soggy, so she unraveled it and wrapped a new layer around it before placing it on Suga’s knee.

“I think it’s best if you left him here for the duration of this period.” She said. “It’ll save him from walking around on his knee, which is probably making the injury worse.” Daichi winced at that, but complied and reluctantly left Suga alone with the nurse.

His next class passed in a daze, and he met with Asahi for lunch. The taller smiled at him, but it faltered at the absence of Suga.

“Where’s Suga?” He asked delicately. Daichi frowned before saying, “He’s in the nurse’s office. A ball hit his knee in P.E.” Asahi grimaced.

“I’m sure we’re allowed to get him, but I wanted you to come with me.” Daichi continued. Asahi smiled, and the two of them began walking.

They reached the door to the room where Suga was, and, with Asahi’s hand on his shoulder, Daichi pushed the door open.

Suga was sitting up with his knee elevated, the ice pack still resting on it. At the sound of the door opening, he looked over and smiled at the sight of his friends.

Asahi walked over to him instantly and began to bombard him with questions.

“Are you okay? How’s your knee? Daichi told me what happened-“

He was cut off by Daichi placing a hand on his shoulder, silently telling him to stop and calm down.

Taking a breath, Asahi smiled and apologised, slightly embarrassed.

Suga laughed softly before speaking. “I’m… mostly fine. The nurse gave me some medicine, and the ice is numbing it slightly.” His two friends smiled slightly in relief, until Asahi spoke again.

“So… why only mostly fine?” Suga took a breath in, making Asahi and Daichi brace themselves for bad news.

“There is still some pain,” He began cautiously. “But I’m sure with some painkillers it’ll eventually fade.” Suga smiled at the end, tying to put his friend’s nerves at ease.

“Suga, I don’t think-“

“Come on, I’m starving and lunch will probably be over soon!” Suga said, cutting Daichi off on purpose. Sighing, the other two complied and helped Suga off of the firm bed he was situated on.

“Do you think you can walk?” Asahi gingerly asked, to which Suga nodded. “I don’t wanna be hefted around. It’s kinda embarrassing.” Suga replied, making Asahi laugh softly.

But Daichi frowned from where he was stood behind them. He knew Suga well enough to tell when he was hiding something, and it seemed like he was now.

Swallowing, he followed his two friends out of the room and into the hallway, trying to find somewhere to eat their lunch. They had to move slowly due to Suga, but that didn’t matter to either of the boys, their main concern being whether or not Suga was okay.

Finding a place to sit, they all got settled and began eating. They were silent for a while, so Asahi opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of the bell cut him off. Daichi smiled at his friend’s slightly embarrassed expression and stood up, gathering his things.

Due to their timetables, Daichi and Suga were in different classes for their next period, but all three boys were together for the last class of the day.

Asahi felt uneasy about leaving Suga since he knew that he and Daichi would be separated, but he figured that he wouldn’t want to be doted on. Sighing, he waved goodbye to his friends and walked to his class. As he reached the class, he walked in and took his seat.

He had friends in his class, but he was too consumed with worry that he didn’t feel like talking. One of said friends sat next to him and had to call his name a few times to get Asahi’s attention.

When Asahi turned to face him, he asked him if he was feeling okay. Asahi plastered on a, hopefully convincing, fake smile and told him that he was fine, also saying that to convince himself .

The class began as normal, and as it went on it brought Asahi’s mind out of the bad thoughts. It was a nice reprieve, until the bell rung and Asahi remembered everything.

With worry swirling in his stomach, he left his current class and walked down the hall, finding his next class. He reached the door and leant up against the wall, sighing softly.

He turned his head to the left and saw Daichi. He politely smiled at his friend, Daichi smiling back, engaging in a conversation.

Daichi saw Asahi’s vision focus on something behind him, causing him to turn around and see what he was looking at. They both saw Suga limping down the hallway, a forlorn look in his face.

Suga reached them, and the sadness was far more evident up close now.

“Suga, what’s wrong?” Daichi asked placing a soft hand on his arm. Suga inhaled a few times before answering.

“I… I don’t think it’s a sprained knee.” He began, making Asahi and Daichi confused. “What do you mean?” Asahi pressed. Suga just shook his head, unable to voice his concerns.

“Do you want to take more painkillers?” Asahi asked, reaching out to gently stroke Suga’s arm.

“Sure.” Suga replied after sighing. He swung his bag from his shoulder and onto his stomach, taking the pills out of their packet. They made a crinkling sound as he fiddled with the plastic before finally managing to extract it.

He took it quickly, and their teacher finally arrived. Greeting her students, she opened the door, allowing everyone to file inside. The three friends sat down, their seats weren’t near each other, so they were unable to continue their conversation until the bell rang.

Daichi was the first of the three to exit the room, followed by Asahi and Suga. He felt slightly guilty for not helping his friend, but quickly brushed it off. He exited the school and waited for the other two boys.

Once they caught up with Daichi, they left the school and began walking together.

“So…” Asahi tentatively began. “Why don’t you think it’s a sprained knee? You never told us earlier.”

“Well,” Suga began, “I’ve never sprained anything before, so I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like. But I don’t think it’s supposed to hurt this much…” He almost whispered that last part, gesturing to his injury.

“Is the pain really that bad?” Asahi asked cautiously, not wanting to push. As Suga nodded, the other two boys simultaneously winced inwardly.

They walked in silence after, no one knowing what to say. Asahi and Daichi noticed that Suga’s gait was more uneven than it was previously. Daichi walked closer to Suga, silently offering support if he needed it.

As Suga’s gait continued to get heavier, Daichi made an executive decision and walked over to a bench, gently dragging Suga onto it and pushing him down. Asahi followed, glad that Suga was getting some form of respite.

Once Suga was sat, he hunched over himself slightly and began panting, cradling his injured knee with a pair of clammy hands. Daichi and Asahi both locked eyes and silently agreed to help their friend, so they sat down on either side of the injured.

Daichi began rubbing Suga’s back, whilst Asahi gingerly placed a hand on his good knee and rubbed up and down his friend’s leg. Suga smiled lightly, thankful that his friends were trying to comfort him even if it wasn’t that effective over the throbbing pain in his knee.

They stayed sitting for a few more minutes until Suga slowly rose to his feet, tentatively placing his injured knee on the pavement below him.

“Are you sure you’re okay to move again?” Asahi asked, trying to hide the concern evident in his voice. Suga looked at him and flashed him a reassuring smile.

“Well, the pain isn’t gonna just magically go away by the three of us just sitting down.”

But it might , Daichi and Asahi thought simultaneously. The latter was a bit apprehensive, but as Daichi took a step forward, it left with Asahi no choice but to follow.

Eventually, all three fell into step. They reached Suga’s home first, something all three teenagers were thankful for. As Suga walked up to the door, the other two couldn’t help but linger.

He was greeted by his mother’s concerned face as the door swung open and she ushered him inside before waving fondly at her son’s friends. The other two boys smiled and waved back, walking to their own designated houses.

Chapter Text

Once Mrs. Sugawara shut the door behind her, she bustled over to her son who had already sat down on their living room couch and started massaging the top of his knee.

“Kou, honey, are you okay? How’s your knee?” She fretted, placing a hand on his shoulder. Suga panted for a second before looking up at his mother’s concerned face. He didn’t want to worry her, but the pain was getting almost unbearable at this stage.

“The pains gotten worse.” He answered. His mother disappeared for a few moments, before returning with an ice pack in hand. Turning her son’s body so that he was lying down and propping his knee up on an available cushion, she placed the ice pack on said limb and held it in place.

Mrs. Sugawara took a second to review her son’s facial features; the way his eyebrows were pinched together, the way his jaw was clenched, the sheen of sweat coating his forehead, she felt nothing but pity for her son at that point.

“Kou, I think we should get it checked out.” She stated.

“When?” Suga answered, panting lightly.

“As soon as we can.” She answered. “Preferably today, though.”

Suga nodded. “Now?” He questioned. His mother thought for a second before nodding in response. “Unless you want to eat something first? Who knows how long we’ll be waiting there for.” Suga laughed softly, silently agreeing with her.

“I think I’ll be fine. I’m not hungry now, anyway.”

Smiling softly, Mrs. Sugawara gently helped her son up, the ice pack falling off of his knee at the sudden movement. Suga tried to minimise the noises of pain that came from his mouth, but he couldn’t help it. His mother winced at every sound, rubbing his arm soothingly in apology.

Once he was up, his mother kept her hand near his back, not trusting him to walk the short distance from the couch to the hallway. Mrs. Sugawara opened the door, allowing her son to walk the short distance to their car

Listening to the hum of the car engine, Suga turned to face the car window on his side and gaze out upon the scenery.

Once they reached the hospital, Suga limped out of the car and into the building, his mother walking alongside him. After informing the receptionist of their situation, they found two free seats beside each other in the waiting room and sat down.

A while had passed before they were called, but once they were they followed the doctor into an examination room.

“So,” she began, “I heard that you hurt your knee?” She asked for clarification. Suga nodded in response once he was lying on the examination bed.

“When did you hurt it?” She questioned.

Suga thought for a moment before giving a response. “Yesterday, during a volleyball match.”

“Oh, you play volleyball?” The doctor asked, seemingly intrigued.

“Yeah, I’m a setter.”

“What school do you play for?”

“Karasuno.”

“I played when I was in high school.” The doctor then stated, seemingly reminiscing on her school years.

After their conversation, Suga felt slightly less anxious than he was before. He found it reassuring to discover that the doctor also played the sport.

She examined the injury and, after a few minutes, spoke again.

“So, we’ll have to carry out an X-ray, but once we do we’ll also be carrying out an MRI scan to make sure that there aren’t any other injuries.” The doctor explained.

When she mentioned the MRI scan, Suga gulped slightly, any feeling of serenity dissipating.

The doctor then turned to Mrs. Sugawara. “Unfortunately, no one else except the patient can be present in the room whilst an X-ray is taking place, so I’m afraid you’ll have to step out into the hallway.”

Mrs. Sugawara nodded and gave her son’s good leg a comforting pat before leaving. Gulping again, Suga breathed out and awaited for the doctor to proceed with the X-ray.

Once the doctor left the room to turn on the machine, Suga watched it as it hovered over  him. He tried not to move, but it was easier said than done once you’re trying not to do so.

Suga wasn’t sure how long the X-ray took, but it felt much longer than he was comfortable for, finding the large machine quite daunting.

Once it was finished scanning his body, he breathed out a sigh of relief that he was oblivious to holding.

The doctor re-entered the room and called Mrs. Sugawara back in, the mother sitting down by her son’s bedside. She looked at the doctor and nodded, signalling for her to speak.

“After a quick review of the X-ray results, we have detected a fractured meniscus in your left knee.”

Suga’s eyes widened slightly, looking up at his mother. She placed a hand on her son’s shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

“We’ll take you to the MRI shortly, just to double check for any further complications.” The doctor continued. “While we’re preparing for that, I’ll leave you two alone.” She smiled before leaving.

Once the door shut behind her, Suga turned to face his mother fully. “What if I can’t play volleyball again?” He asked, a tone of pleading in his voice.

“You will, Kou. Don’t worry.” She reassured. “Players get broken bones all the time, but they come back once they recover.” She brushed back her son’s hair and placed a kiss on his forehead.

Mrs. Sugawara held her son’s head against her chest and gently stroked his hair until the doctor re-entered, this time returning with another doctor. Once they reached his bed, they unlatched it and wheeled it out of the room.

Before the bed left, Suga reached out for his mother’s hand, his mother squeezing it in comfort before letting go.

While the bed was moving down the hallway, the doctors attempted to start some friendly conversation, asking him how he was finding school, how long he’s been playing volleyball for, simple questions regarding his life.

They soon reached the examination room, the doctor’s telling Suga to transfer from the bed onto the examination table.

Once he was settled, one of the two doctors handed Suga a pair of headphones to block out the noise of the machine and a button to press if he needed to be released before they both left the room to carry out the second examination.

Once the bed began to move, Suga felt the sudden urge to squirm. He knew it might mess up the results of the scan so tried to suppress it.

He trusted the urge to press the emergency button. He knew it was all in his head, and that nothing bad was going to happen to him in there. But still, he tried to reassure himself by echoing his mother’s previous words in his head.

Players get broken bones all the time, he reassured himself, but they come back once they recover.

If they recover.

Before his mind allowed him to spiral anymore, the machine suddenly stopped, and the two doctors re-entered the examination room.

“All done!” The second doctor announced, helping Suga transfer back onto the bed. He was then wheeled back into the previous room where Mrs. Sugawara was still sat waiting.

Her head perked up when they re-entered.

Once the bed was secure, the first doctor spoke.

“After examining the MRI scan results, it appears that as well as a fractured meniscus, you have also torn your ACL.”

Suga knew what that meant.

Surgery.

He’s heard stories of athletes whose careers have ended due to the same injury.

He wasn’t the starting setter for Karasuno, nor was he planning on continuing the sport after high school, but that didn’t make the news any easier to take.

He played volleyball because he enjoys it. But now he doesn’t know if he’s ever going to be able to play it again.

“Unfortunately, this will mean that you will have to undergo surgery.” The second doctor spoke. Suga resisted the urge to respond with an ‘ I know’ . It wasn’t the doctor’s fault that he was injured, after all.

Instead, he simply nodded, trying not to let his fear show.

“For now, we’ll bandage your knee until the surgery, which should be taking place within the next few days.”

Opening a cabinet, the second doctor pulled out a roll of white bandage and unraveled it slightly, progressing towards Suga.

She then touched the knee, causing Suga to flinch back slightly in pain.

“Sorry, sweetheart.” She apologised before she wrapped the roll around the injury. Once the roll had ended, the two doctors slowly helped Suga sit up and plant his feet on the ground, making sure he was stable before removing their hands from his back and arms.

He and his mother were given instructions on how to care for the injury before the surgery, mainly consisting of elevating and icing it whenever he can.

The doctors then excused them, and the mother and son were allowed to leave. Once they entered the car, Mrs. Sugawara placed a hand on her son’s shoulder and squeezed reassuringly, silently telling him that everything would be okay.

Removing her hand, she turned on the car engine and began to slowly drive out of the hospital parking lot.

Chapter Text

Once home, Mrs. Sugawara watched as her eldest son limped up the staircase in their house. She walked into the kitchen and found her husband and younger son sitting at the kitchen table together.

Upon seeing the woman enter, they both looked up.

“He tore his ACL.” She explained. “He’ll need surgery. The doctors said that they’ll give us a date for it soon.”

“Surgery?” Her youngest son echoed, concern etched into his voice.

“He’ll be okay, honey. It’s not too serious. He just needs surgery so that his knee won’t hurt anymore.” She explained. Her words didn’t seem to reassure him, though.

“Is he upstairs?” Mr. Sugawara asked his wife, to which she nodded as a response. “Why don’t you go up to him, buddy?” He asked the youngest Sugawara.

He nodded and left the kitchen, and once the door was closed behind him the adults engaged in a deeper conversation.

“Is the injury really that bad?” Mr. Sugawara questioned.

“It must be if it warrants surgery.” His wife replied. “He seemed so sad when they told us about it.”

“The poor boy. I mean, I know he wasn’t on the team’s starting lineup, but still…”

He didn’t need to continue, Mrs. Sugawara knew what he meant.

“The only thing we can do now is be there for him. He’ll probably need some support.” Mrs. Sugawara added, to which her husband nodded.

Up in his room, Suga took out his phone once he was seated in his bed and opened up a group chat with Asahi and Daichi that they created in their first year of high school, back when they first met each other.

     You

      I just got back from the hospital

     They told me I tore my acl

Asahi

Wait really?

Omg I’m so sorry 😭

             You

     Don’t be

It’s not like I was on the staring lineup anyways

Daichi

Okay that doesn’t make it any less serious though?

Like I’m not trying to make you feel bad but you’ll need surgery right?

Also I’m sorry as well

     You

      I already said it’s fine

         Also yeah I do need surgery

Asahi

Do you know when?

     You

      No

But the doctor said he’ll let us know soon

Suga didn’t feel like continuing on the conversation, so he turned off his phone and placed it on his nightstand, the screen pressed down against the wooden surface.

He heard light footsteps approach his room, and at first he assumed that they belonged to his younger brother.

But upon seeing his mother enter when the door opened, he sat up and looked at her, expecting news on his knee.

“So,” she tentatively began, “the doctor called me and told me that they scheduled your surgery for Thursday. Does that sound okay?” She asked. It was currently Monday.

Suga gulped slightly. “It seems a bit… soon” He expected it to be sometime in the next week, not in three days .

“I know, honey.” His mother said as she sat next to him, mindful of his injured knee. “Don’t be worrying about it, though. It’s a very simple procedure, and it’s a common injury in athletes, too.”

Suga just nodded, the events of the day taking their toll on the teenager. His mother then looked at her own phone, presumably to check the time.

“It’s late. Get some sleep, honey. And don’t worry about the surgery.” And with that, she left the room after pressing a chaste kiss to her son’s forehead. The door quietly clicked as it shut behind her.

Suga complied and moved under the covers. Once he was settled, he picked up his phone again, not bothered to read any new messages that his friends sent him.

He opened the group chat he was using prior and typed out a message.

     You

   Thursday

That was it.

He didn’t feel the need to elaborate, trusting that his friends would know what he meant. Shutting off his phone again and returning it to the wooden nightstand, he pulled his curtains and turned off the light, making his room suitable to sleep in.

Chapter Text

Suga didn’t sleep well that night, or any nights leading up to Thursday.

On the morning of his surgery, he woke up feeling oddly fine. He knew what the day entailed, but he spent so long fretting over it that it felt quite minuscule now.

He was still nervous, but not as nervous as he thought he would be. It was a similar feeling he got before his volleyball matches, a form of nervous anticipation.

This’ll probably be the last time I get this feeling, considering I’ll probably never get to play in another match after this.

Walking downstairs, his awkward gait was now more prominent than it originally was on Monday. It was still early, so he expected the kitchen to be barren. But he was greeted by his father sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a mug of coffee in one hand.

Once he heard the door open, Mr. Sugawara looked up and smiled at his son. Suga reciprocated the expression and sat down opposite him.

“Hey, Kou. How’re you feeling?” His father began.

“Alright. I’ve kinda come to terms with it.” Suga admitted.

“Are you nervous?”

“Yeah, kinda.”

“That’s okay, anyone would be. But your mother will be there, and trust me when I say that she won’t let anything bad happen to you.” He assured.

He was unable to accompany his son to the hospital as he had to work, but he told the boy that he may be there once he’s awoken from his surgery.

Suga sincerely hoped that he would be. Knowing that his family members would be with him made this whole situation slightly more bearable.

Footsteps descending the stairs suddenly sounded, and Mrs. Sugawara then entered the kitchen. She walked over to the table and kissed them both, her husband on his cheek and her son on his head.

“Are you ready?” She asked her son, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. Suga nodded and gave a hesitant ‘yes’.

“I just need to get dressed.” He spoke.

“Don’t be rushing, we have time.” His mother said to her son as he went up to his room.

Once dressed, he returned downstairs ready to leave. He bid his father goodbye with a hug and followed his mother out to her car.

The drive was mostly silent, and to pass the time Suga felt obligated to let his fellow third years know that he was currently on the way to the hospital.

You

On the way to the hospital

For the surgery

Asahi

Good luck!!!

Daichi

Good luck

Text us if you need anything

Or just want to talk

You

Thanks

I mean it

Smiling softly, he switched off his phone and brought his gaze up in front of him. The nervousness in his stomach didn’t subside, however.

“You okay?” His mother asked. Suga was quiet for a short moment before nodding hesitantly. How was he  feeling? He wasn’t sure.

Mrs. Sugawara took her son’s silent response as a ‘no’ and reached out her hand to place on his shoulder, squeezing reassuringly.

Suga must’ve zoned out at one point during the ride, as they reached the hospital in record time. Once Mrs. Sugawara found a suitable parking space, she and her son left the car and walked to the entrance, the older placing her hand on the younger’s back.

Suga tried to hide his lopsided gate, but it had increased along with the pain as each day passed by.

At the hospital’s front desk, his mother informed the receptionist of their situation. The receptionist smiled politely and directed them to the surgery waiting room. They walked into the room, slowly on account of the younger’s injury.

When they entered the room, they were both relieved yet surprised to find it empty. Sitting down, Suga extended his left leg in front of him so that the angle wasn’t further aggravating the injury.

A suitable amount of time had passed - well, suitable given hospital waiting times - before Suga was called in by a doctor. He smiled at the pair and led them to an examination room.

He introduced himself as Dr. Kikumura and had a brief meeting with the two before leading them into another room.

It looked like a stereotypical hospital room to Suga - a bed with blue covers, it’s headboard pressed against the left wall and running down the middle, beside tables, medical equipment near it, and metal chairs beside it - which didn’t do much to ease his nerves.

Limping in, the doctor handed him a scratchy-looking gown that matched the colour of the bedsheet.

“You can change into that in the bathroom, I’ll be out in the hallway. Call me back in when you’re ready.” Ready for what? Suga didn’t know.

But Dr. Kikumura’s smile was somewhat reassuring to him, so he walked into the bathroom attached to his hospital room and re-emerged in the article of clothing said doctor gave him.

His mother called Kikumura back in and he led the teenager towards the bed, telling him to relax and get under the covers.

Suga did as he was told, keeping a steady eye on Kikumura as he moved around the room. The doctor then approached him, and Suga tensed as he saw that he was wielding an IV.

Noticing this, Kikumura reassured him. “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt when I put them in.”

They?! Suga thought. As in, plural?

Upon further inspection, Suga realised that the doctor was indeed brandishing two IV lines.

“Where will they go?” He asked.

“In the back of your hand and the crook of your elbow.”

“Why two?”

“One’s for the pain, and the other’s to administer the anaesthetic.”

Could you not just do it in the one line? Suga left unsaid.

A nurse then came in, and Suga assumed that she would be inserting the needles into his skin. She moved around the bed to his right side, causing Mrs. Sugawara to sit down on the left side of the bed.

A cold substance was abruptly sprayed onto his right hand, which caused him to flinch. The nurse apologised and explained that the coldness of the spray would make the pain of the needle less prominent.

Suga nodded and turned his head away from the nurse, not wanting to see the needles puncture his skin. His mother softly squeezed his free hand, and Suga slightly returned the gesture as he felt the pinch of the needle.

He felt slightly relieve once the needle was inserted, but it was quickly diminished as he remembered that there was still one more needle to be inserted.

The nurse then moved to his left, and Suga felt the cold spray on his skin again, only this time in his inner left elbow.

His mother hand to let go of his left hand, but as she moved back to her original spot to make room for the nurse again she gently took his right hand and, being mindful of the needle puncturing the skin, rubbed her thumb across it.

The second needle was then inserted, and he was slightly grateful when his mother kept her hold on his hand.

“We’ll administer some pain medication now, so you might feel slightly loopy.” The nurse declared. She injected something into one of the IV poles, and Suga relaxed slightly as he felt the medicine enter his veins.

“How’re you feeling?” Mrs. Sugawara asked her now medicated son, to which the latter nodded. She placed a hand on his head and began stroking his hair.

Dr. Kikumura then began asking Suga some questions regarding the procedure whilst holding a clipboard. “Have you eaten or drank anything within the last twenty-four hours?”

Suga shook his head.

“Have you ever had a medical emergency, such as fainting or shortness of breath?”

Another shake.

“Have you ever experienced negative side effects to medications, such as rashes or hives?”

Suga thought for a second before shaking his head again.

“Perfect. We’ll administer the anaesthetic through your IV line so you can fall asleep for your surgery.”

“Am I being taken in now?” Suga fretted.

“No, no. Apologies, I should’ve been more clear.” Kikumura reassured. “You won’t be taken in for another hour or so.”

Suga calmed slightly, but there was still that underlying dread that remained.

The next hour passed with Suga and his mother talking, the latter carrying the conversation with the former giving mono-syllabic answers.

When two doctors, neither Kikumura, Suga noted, walked into the room, Suga tensed up again.

“Hello. I’m Dr. Akinori, and I’m an anaesthesiologist.” He greeted. “I’ll be administering you the anaesthesia for your surgery.”

The second doctor didn’t introduce himself, but Dr. Anariku explained to Suga that he would be carrying out the surgery.

If he’s gonna be cutting me open, shouldn’t he at least greet me before he does?

“Now, it’s nearing the time when you’re scheduled for the surgery.” The surgeon spoke this time. He moved forward to unlatch the bed, making it moveable. “We’ll be wheeling you into the operating room shortly.”

There was something about the way he spoke that frightened Suga. Maybe it was because of how formal his language seemed, or how monotone his voice and expression was.

He looked at his mother, panicked, his eyes conveying a silent plea. She noticed how her son’s breathing had picked up and took hold of his shoulders, causing him to face her.

“Koushi, it’s okay. These are trained professionals, they know what they’re doing.” She tried to assure. “You’ll be alright, honey. I’ll be here when you wake up, and your dad’ll be here as well. Just breathe, you’re okay.”

Suga tried to follow her guidance, and eventually he had calmed down enough for the two doctors to take him into the surgery unit. As he was being whisked away he reached out a hand for his mother to take, similar to when he was being taken for his MRI scan.

The journey to the operating unit was mostly quiet, with Dr. Akinori asking Suga for bits of information about his day so far. Suga answered, but his nervousness made it hard to do so.

Once they reached the unit and Suga was asked to transfer onto the table, he couldn’t help the tears that welled up in his eyes. Through his blurry vision, he took note of surgeons who hadn’t introduced themselves surrounding the table.

One of them noticed the tears in his eyes and tried her best to comfort him. “It’s okay, honey.” She spoke. “You’ll be asleep the whole time. You won’t feel a thing, I promise.”

Suga knew she was right, but the thought of being cut into still made him uneasy. Regardless, he nodded.

“We’ll be administering the anaesthetic now, so you might feel like you’re flying. Let us know if you feel sick.” Akinori’s voice spoke.

And he was right. As soon as the anaesthetic entered Suga’s bloodstream, he felt… odd. Like that feeling you get when a car goes down a steep hill.

The same surgeon who spoke before approached him and placed an oxygen mask over his face, and she told him to count back from ten.

Suga made it to seven before his speech started to slur, and to five before he was fully unconscious.

The last thing he remembered was his mother’s assurance that she and his father would be there once he woke.

“…shi? Koushi?”

The voices around Suga were muffled, but he was able to make out some words. Groaning softly, he blinked his eyes open but promptly shut them again at the bright light shining above his head.

“Kou? Are you awake?” A familiar voice spoke. A voice Suga recognised as his mother’s.

He attempted opening his eyes again, this time heeding with caution and preparing himself for the brightness.

Once his eyes were adjusted to the light, he turned his head to his right and saw his mother, still in the same position, looking at him.

Upon seeing his eyes open, Mrs. Sugawara smiled. “Hi, sweetheart. How’re you feeling?”

“…Tired.” Came here son’s delayed response. Mrs. Sugawara smiled slightly at her son’s slurred speech.

“Well, sadly you have to stay awake so the doctors know that you’ve woken up.” She told him. After she spoke, she pressed a button above her son’s bed.

Soon after, a nurse came in and took in Suga’s conscious figure. “Hello, Mr. Sugawara. It’s good to see you awake.” She said with a smile.

Suga blearily looked at her, still drugged up from the anaesthesia. The doctor had told Mrs. Sugawara about this prior to her son’s awakening, but she still couldn’t help but laugh at how loopy he was.

“The surgery was a success.” The nurse said, although her words were more directed more to the mother rather than the son.

Mrs. Sugawara smiled softly at her words. “That’s good.” She answered while sparing a glance to Suga who was staring into space, likely due to the medication clouding his thoughts.

The two women engaged in conversation before the nurse left the room, telling them that she would be back in shortly with Suga’s lunch.

Suga, feeling a bit more lucid, craned his neck up slightly and saw his knee elevated on a pillow, wrapped in a white bandage and secured in a brace.

He also noticed, much to his chagrin, that the IV lines were still embedded into his skin. Frowning slightly, he made an attempt to touch the one in the back of his hand, but his mother caught it before he could graze it.

“Don’t touch that, honey. It’ll help with the pain.” Mrs. Sugawara explained. She then pushed her son’s hair back from his forehead and pressed a warm, chaste kiss to his temple.

The nurse then came back in after a short period of comfortable silence. “Now, Mr. Sugawara, I have your lunch here.” She said as she pulled out a table that went over the hospital bed.

“Now, the medication might make you slightly nauseous, so don’t worry about finishing the meal.” She explained. “But do try to eat some of it. You’ll need the energy since you just had surgery.”

Suga made an attempt to lift himself up with his arms, but his arms shook too much to hold his position and he fell back before he or anyone else could stabilise him.

Once his back hit the mattress it sent a wave of pain through his knee, eliciting a gasp of pain from the teen.

The nurse pressed a button that elevated the angle of the bed’s headrest, whilst Suga’s mother rubbed his back and whispered sweet nothings to him.

“Don’t push yourself, your body’s still weak from the procedure. Are you okay?” The nurse asked. Suga breathed through clenched teeth before nodding slightly.

Once the wave of pain had passed and Suga’s breathing had regulated, he slowly began eating his meal. The first few bites of the sandwich weren’t too bad, but as he progressed he understood what the nurse meant about the nausea.

He put the sandwich down and breathed deep through his nose, trying to ward off the nauseous feeling. He felt the nurse was downplaying her words when she said that he would feel ‘slightly nauseous’; he feared that if he opened his mouth, his lunch would make an unwanted reappearance.

His mother, upon noticing his pale complexion, knew what was coming. She looked at the nurse, silently asking her for something her son can hork into.

The nurse seemed to understand, so she opened up a cupboard and removed a plastic bag, handing it to the boy.

Once Suga took hold of it, the heaves instantly began. The sandwich that he made an attempt to eat reappeared, and the sight of it caused more undigested food to come up.

The vomiting stopped after a few minutes, and Suga leaned back in the bed, panting from the exertion.

“Do you still feel nauseous?” Asked his mother.

“Y-yeah.” Suga croaked.

“Don’t worry about finishing it, just take a deep breath.” The nurse assured.

Suga closed his eyes and attempted to enter a dormant state. He felt the bed move beneath him, and it almost felt like he was slipping off of it. He opened his eyes and saw that the bed was moving back so it would lay flat again.

He closed his eyes again, only to reopen them barely a minute later at the sound of footsteps entering his room. Once he caught sight of who it was, he smiled slightly.

“Hey, Kou.” His father spoke from the doorway. He walked over and sat on a nearby chair. “How’re you feeling?”

“Threw up.” Suga slurred, still loopy from the anaesthesia.

Mr. Sugawara chuckled before speaking again. “Are you feeling better now?”

“I still feel kinda sick, but… I don’t think I’ll puke again.” Suga responded, hoping that his body would listen to him.

Dr. Kikumura made a reappearance, and Mrs. Sugawara asked him if he knew when Suga would be discharged.

“Within the next few hours.” The doctor answered. “We still need to discuss his physical therapy options.”

Those few hours dragged on, feeling much longer than they initially should have.

Finally, a different nurse came in, followed by Dr. Kikumura. The doctor was wielding a pair of crutches, and the nurse a small roll of a cloth-like blue bandage and a wheelchair.

“Now, Mr. Sugawara,” Kikumura addressed the teenager, “I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that you can be discharged now.” He spoke with a smile.

The nurse removed the IV lines connected to Suga, warning him of the pinch. He winced slightly, and the nurse apologised as he wrapped the blue cloth around Suga’s right hand and inner left elbow.

Mr. Sugawara then opened up a bad that Suga didn’t even know he had. The older took out a pale blue hoodie and light grey sweatpants, he and his wife helping their son out of the hospital gown and into the change of clothes.

Once changed, the nurse brought over the wheelchair and adjusted the footrests. Kikumura and Mr. Sugawara helped the boy into the chair, holding him by his shoulders and he stumbled along and gently lowering him down.

Mrs. Sugawara was hands the crutches, and the nurse told them that he should attempt using them tomorrow, once he’s regained some of his strength.

Considering it was quite cold outside, he draped a blanket over Suga’s lap, ensuring that his injured knee was covered.

They thanked him before leaving the room, making their way to the elevator and to the hospital parking lot.

Once they reached their car, Mr. Sugawara helped his son up and into the backseat, positioning him so that he was lying across all three seats. He buckled his son’s seatbelt for him as well, considering he was half asleep and looked like he would be out within a few minutes at most .

Entering the passenger’s side of the car, his wife double checked that her husband and son were buckled in before she drove off, the two parents sparing glances at their son, who had long since fallen asleep, through the rearview mirror at any chance they got.

Chapter Text

Once home, Mr. Sugawara exited the car and opened the door to the backseats, slowly unbuckling his son’s seatbelt. Suga was jostled slightly, causing him to wake.

“Hey, Kou. How’re you feeling?” His father asked, kneeling down to be at eye level with the younger. Suga blinked at him blearily, as if processing the question. Mr. Sugawara eventually received a small shrug in response, making him laugh softly.

“Is he alright?” Mrs. Sugawara asked this time, making her way around the car to reach her husband and eldest son.

“He’s okay. Just loopy, is all.” Mr. Sugawara replied. “Come on, let’s get him in the house.”

Suga, who was close to falling asleep, felt a pair of hands pick him up from under his arms. Forgetting about his injury, he placed his left leg on the ground to steady himself but quickly fell back down to the car seat with a cry of pain.

“Koushi! Are you okay?!” Mrs. Sugawara frantically asked, rubbing a hand up and down her son’s arm to comfort him.

“I-I’m okay…” Suga said through gritted teeth. “I just f-forgot about my knee for a second.”

“I can carry him in.” Suga’s father stated and leaned down, placing one hand under his son’s legs, the other around his shoulder’s.

Once the younger was settled in his arms, Mr. Sugawara began slowly walking into the house, his wife following behind him with the crutches in hand.

“Should we bring him up to his room?” Mrs. Sugawara asked. “His bed would probably be more comfortable than the couch, but I’m not sure how we’d bring him up there.”

Suga hated how they were talking about him as if he wasn’t even there. Looking up, he attempted to give his input to their conversation.

“I… I can try to go up the stairs… with the crutches.” His voice was slurred and faltered slightly, due to the loopiness and exhaustion from the surgery.

“You just got out of surgery, Kou.” His father spoke, looking down at him. “I think it’s best if you stay on the couch, at least until you have some of your strength back. It’ll be easier to keep an eye on you that way.”

But I don’t need someone to keep an eye on me , Suga thought helplessly. He hated how they were already seeing him as a weak little boy not even a day after his surgery.

Sighing, he reluctantly agreed to stay put on the couch for the time being. He was brought into the living room by his father, who also lowered him slowly onto the couch, wincing slightly as his knee touched the piece of furniture.

Suga was thankfully given a pillow from his bed to place his head on and a few from the couch to rest his leg upon. His mother draped a blanket over top of him and brushed his hair back from his forehead, placing a kiss there in its place.

“Try and get some sleep, honey. You probably need it.” She told him, before she and Mr. Sugawara left the room.

Suga sat there in silence for a few seconds after the door clicked shut before searching for his phone. He must’ve put it in his pocket sometime between leaving the hospital and now, as that’s where he found it.

He opened up the group chat that contained him, Daichi and Asahi and sent them an update message.

You

Hey

I’m out of surgery

And the hospital

Asahi

How did it go?

The grey-haired boy smiled at his friend’s text. Of course Asahi would be more worried about Suga’s surgery than Suga was himself .

You

Good I think?

Honestly idk but I still have my leg so that’s a good sign

It’s just a bit useless at the moment

Daichi

That’s good to hear

The surgery going well

Not the fact that your leg is useless

Are you on crutches?

You

Yeah

And they gave me a wheelchair but that’s just to use until I get some of my strength back

But I can’t really see myself using it though

Suga glanced over at the aforementioned  crutches.

You

Bruh it’s actually gonna be so awkward going around school on crutches omg 😭

Daichi

Yeah probably lol

Asahi

But won’t you get to leave class like five minutes early or something?

Since you’re on them

You

Oh yeah

Maybe it won’t be so bad then

Suga slowly felt his eyes droop, the earlier events of the day weighing heavily on him.

You

Ngl I’m actually so tired

Asahi

You should probably be sleeping now

Daichi

Yeah

You probably need it

We’ll text later

If you feel up to it

You

I probably will

Lowkey might pass out

Right after Suga sent that message, he lowered his phone onto his chest and closed his eyes, letting sleep wash over him.

*****

He wasn’t sure how long had passed, but the living room was slightly darker once Suga had woken up.

He heard the faint chatter of his parents coming in from the kitchen, and at the sound of his name being mentioned he sat up and, using his crutches, joined the adults.

“Oh, Kou, you’re up.” His father said. “How’re you feeling?”

“Good. Still a bit tired, but I don’t want to sleep anymore today.”

“How’re you finding the crutches?” His mother asked this time.

Suga shrugged. “Easy enough, but I feel kinda unsteady on them.”

“Give it a day or two, then you’ll get used to them.” Mr. Sugawara reassured.

Remembering the reason on why he came into the room, Suga then spoke again.

“I heard you talking about me. Is everything okay?”

Mr. and Mrs. Sugawara both looked at each other, seemingly confused, before a spark of recognition seemed to ignite Mrs. Sugawara’s eyes.

“Oh, we were just talking about your physical therapy.” She explained. “The doctor recommended that you should start it within a few days to a week, so we’ll start looking into it.”

“Where will it be?” Suga asked.

“Either the hospital or an actual physical therapy centre, like a clinic.” Mr. Sugawara replied.

Suga nodded, and the room then fell into a comfortable silence before his mother spoke.

“Are you hungry?”

“I’m not sure, but I still feel kinda nauseous.”

“Well, sit down. Your body’s still probably weak.” Mr. Sugawara told him, the younger complying.

“You also have exercises to do on top of your physical therapy.” The older continued. “So I’d say get started on those soon enough.”

Suga nodded but resisted the urge to groan. He had just woken up from a (much needed) nap, and he was already being told that he needed to stay on top of his stretches.

“Are you hungry?” Mrs. Sugawara asked again. Suga didn’t want to worry his parents, so he nodded.

He watched as his mother stood up and pottered around the kitchen, preparing a small meal for her son. Suga felt slightly guilty upon making her cook for him, but he supposed that it would pose quite difficult for him to do it given the crutches.

After a few minutes, a simple sandwich was placed in front of Suga. He managed to stomach a few bites, but it began to feel heavy in his still weak stomach.

His father, noticing his pale complexion, spoke up. “You don’t have to finish it. You said earlier that you still feel nauseous, don’t push yourself.”

Suga, thankful for his father’s interference, put the sandwich down. He stood up slowly and took hold of his crutches, positioning them under his arms and hobbling out of the room. It was only once he reached the hallway when he realised that attempting to go upstairs would prove to be quite difficult.

“Dad?” He called, wanting the older to help assist him. His father emerged from the kitchen at his son’s call, and he seemed to understand what the younger needed help with once he saw him positioned in front of the stairs, looking up the incline.

“Are you trying to get upstairs?” He asked.

“Yeah, but I’m not sure how to. I don’t want to spend the next few weeks sleeping on the couch.”

“You could keep a crutch under your left arm, and hold onto the bannister with your right hand. I’ll be behind you, so don’t worry about falling.”

So the two proceeded with their plan, Suga slowly trusting up the stairs with his father’s hands placed as a support on his back.

They reached the summit of the stairs, Suga exhaling in relief. His body was still recovering, so the short ascend took more energy out of him than it should have.

“You okay?” He father asked, his hand staying on his son’s back for good measure.

“Yeah, just give me a sec.” Suga replied, panting softly. “Can you get the exercise band? I want to get a start on the stretches.” He asked once his breath came back to him.

“Okay, but sit down for a second. Don’t rush into them.”

But weren’t you the one who told em to get an early start on them? Suga thought.

“I won’t, don’t worry.”

Once his father had gone to retrieve the exercise band, Suga hobbled into his bedroom and sat (read: dropped) down onto his bed, leaning back and breathing heavily.

Mr. Sugawara came back upstairs shortly and handed the band to his son. Suga tried to lift up his legs, but he was only able to move his right one. His left one felt heavy and numb.

Upon noticing his struggle, Mr. Sugawara knelt down in front of his son, taking the band from his hands.

“I’m gonna lift up your leg. Let me know if it hurts and I’ll stop, okay?”

Suga nodded and allowed his father to lift up both of his legs, watching him as his feet were put through the loop in the band and brought up to his knees.

“Does that feel okay?” Mr. Sugawara asked. Suga nodded. “Do you know what exercise to do?”

Suga thought for a moment before he sheepishly shook his head. His father chuckled and gave him a brief rundown.

“So, once the band is around your knees, spread your legs apart and close them again. It might be painful, and doing it with the band will probably be hard, but it’ll strengthen your knee.

Suga nodded and attempted the exercise.

Mr. Sugawara, seemingly satisfied, nodded and watched him do it a few more times before leaving.

Suga continued on with the exercise, wincing at the pain. He found it annoying how, even though his leg was numb, it still hurt to move. Regardless, he bit his lip and toughed through the pain.

He briefly thought about Oikawa’s white knee brace and wondered if the Seijoh captain also suffered from a torn ACL at one point. He also recalled Daichi briefly mentioning that Shiratorizawa’s captain, the ever-stoic Ushiwaka, had torn his ACL in his first year of high school.

How Daichi knew that, Suga didn’t know. He knew that he met up with Bokuto, Kuroo, Oikawa and Ushijima every so often, the five actually having some sort of a bond, so the topic of injury’s may have surfaced between the five of them.

After a couple more minutes of doing the exercise, Suga assumed that he’d been doing it for long enough. He removed the band from his legs, having to shake them slightly to get it off, and placed it on his bedside table.

He’d continue it later on in the day, and if not then he’d do it tomorrow. But for now, he moved around in the bed and placed his head on his pillow, letting his body go lax.