Chapter Text
Yoichi dropped to his knees, the sight in front of him enough to send many into insanity. It was a sight Yoichi saw from childhood though. After all, his brother found things like this pleasing - almost calming. Red covered the floor, chunks of flesh just sat in the pool of red coolness. It was wrong. It was supposed to be warm, usually blood is warm when one is alive, yes? The green trousers Yoichi was always comfortable wearing was stained in the cold blood. Green eyes darted around the room, searching. There were organs scattered among the room, placed neatly in front of him a beating heart.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Yoichi was beyond mortified, tears welled in his eyes from the disgusting display in front of him. It was sickening - the human body being tampered in ways it should never be. Yoichi, who'd lived life with emotions duller than the average person, was sick to his stomach. No matter how many times he'd had seen it it'd always be revolting. His ears rung as his surroundings were beginning to spin. Torn up uniforms floated along the pools of blood that surrounded the frail man. This was the same sight he'd seen... around a hundred years or so ago?
Yoichi's memory was photographic, an amazing advantage he'd been given, perhaps as an apology for the weak body he'd been given at birth. The guilt of the day ate him up, slowly to the point the white haired man would be unsure if there was anything left inside him. Worse of it was that even a hundred years was too much for Yoichi. He's starting to forget. He feels empty - utterly hollow until the old scars would open again. He'd sat, blood soaked. A far away gaze on his face as tears rolled down his face endlessly.
"No use crying over spoilt milk, Yoichi." A low voice startled yet aggravated the clearly grieving man. Yoichi lips wobbled, trying to speak but he sounded incoherent. "Quite the pathetic display, my dear brother. Know all this happened because you refuse to understand your true place." Zen's voice was laced thick with a mocking tone. Yoichi wanted to argue - to say something. But he couldn't. He didn't even turn around to face the monster who claimed to share identical blood to him.
Large arms wrapped around his far smaller frame. Yoichi could almost feel the self-indulgent curving of his lips, it was utterly repulsive. Being in these arms once would have brought him immense comfort, he would have felt protected. Cared for... But now he saw it for what it truly was. The arms where a reminder to Yoichi - how fragile his life was under All For One's, how he could isolate and control him in any way he wanted to because Yoichi was his. Who would Yoichi be if not his brothers precious possession?
"Welcome home, my Yoichi."
Yoichi shot up from his bed, he never had good dreams. He was diagnosed with retrograde amnesia a year ago. He just remembered waking up on a hospital bed to everyones shock, he'd been in a coma for eleven years apparently. Family, if he had any, didn't visit. Didn't even arrive when he'd woken up. Yoichi felt as though he should've cared more about it. The room of the hospital was homely enough for Yoichi to live daily but also had elements to remind him he was in a hospital. There was a kitchen, wardrobe (thankfully he didn't need to wear those hospital gowns every single damn day), sofa and a TV. Yoichi's clothes were provided by his absent family, rather a sweaty man brought him a box of his clothes and ran away. Jaku General Hospital is one of the biggest hospitals in Japan with many renowned doctors working there, he was tended to by the owner who himself worked as one of the head doctors. Yoichi was placed in the mental health wing of the hospital, he wasn't allowed to leave the room for half the year. He didn't mind but found it odd. Turned out the white haired man had many health issues that needed him to remain inside the hospital.
There wasn't much to do, he was forbade from even talking to other patients. He'd found the whole thing quite odd, it was almost like he was being imprisoned inside the room rather than cured. Well obviously there were more pressing matters. The constant feeling of being watched ate away at the frail man. He had a constant suffocating feeling, almost as if he were being smothered. It was draining. Sometimes he swore there was a man watching him, an impossibly tall man with pale dead eyes. It was obvious being so cooped up that he was getting a bit anxious. Yoichi just strangely always felt so irrationally paranoid, ever since he settled in, like he wasn't allowed to be comfortable. He pushed those feelings back as he watched the news. It was always tied back to Hero's, they acted as police it seemed. Something about that was so great, people using their met- quirks- for such good deeds. Suddenly, Yoichi remembered a comic he used to read. Captain Hero. It was the first thing he'd remembered since he'd gotten here, he continued watching the news as part of his daily routine hoping it'd jog his memory even more. There was someone, "The Symbol of Peace", the idea in itself was just amazing. A world where heroes helped civilians from villains, it was straight out the comic books! The word hero itself left a sharp pang in Yoichi's chest, it was reminding him of something. Someone?
When Yoichi wasn't watching on the TV, he'd stare outside. He'd often see people. Interacting, school kids running or biking to and from their classes, he'd even see people in the garden of the hospital. Mainly patients who needed a nice change in scenery. It'd be nice to be allowed to do that too, but he was locked in the room. Only the doctor ever came by. It was strange, no nurses or even other doctors? He wasn't even sent to a support group? It didn't take long for Yoichi to figure out what got him into a coma, he could tell from the clearly self-inflicted scars. Wouldn't this me causing more harm than good? The doctor only checked on Yoichi's physical condition then left for the day. Yoichi wondered if his dreams held truth or were just utterly fictitious scenarios his brain cooked up in his sleep. Two certain people kept appearing in his dreams - both he could barely remember once awoken. A handsome man, barely taller than him. Spikey hair and a scar that made a upside-down 'y' shape from his forehead to running down the sides of his nose. His eyes either a red or a brown. The other man twice his size, he saw this man outside his dreams as well. He was creepy. Always smiling and staring with matte eyes that Yoichi came to realise were much like his own. Different colours but the dead look was certainly there. His hair was white too but far shorter and he appeared to look older than Yoichi and the other man. Where they that important to him? Yoichi often thought about it. They'd evoke different feelings out of him. The spikey man would make Yoichi hurt - The creepy man would make him hate.
The sound of a door unlocking startled Yoichi from his thoughts, it was the doctor. "Ah hello, Dr. Garaki." Yoichi greeted a bald man with a bushy moustache and goggles. "Good evening Mr. Kato, just here to check upon your condition." Something about being called Kato discomforted Yoichi despite it being his last name. "Just call me Yoichi, being called by my last name feels weird." The green eyed man followed the doctor to the examination room. It was the only time he'd be allowed outside the room and see other people close up. People in wheelchairs were pushed through and some patients were walking around with IV bags still connected. These people could go freely around the hospital whenever, why couldn't he? He almost considered asking. Half-way to the examination room a nurse hurriedly ran up to Dr. Garaki. "Doctor! it's an emergency! A pro-hero-" She gasped from the run. "Now!" Dr Garaki was then ushered away by the nurse. "Uhm! I see." He said turning to look towards Yoichi despite the nurse claiming there's no time. "I'll be back, you know the way don't you?" Before Yoichi could answer they'd fast walked away. For some reason, Yoichi didn't want to listen to the doctor. Something about obeying whatever he told him to do felt wrong. So Yoichi decided he would take a trip to the hospitals garden instead. Yoichi, of course, didn't know the way, he just went where ever made sense to him. Who cared if he'd go the wrong way? At least he was out of that stuffy room. Once he'd finally made it to the garden, all he could do was stare in awe. For the first time since the day he woke up from his coma, he was outside the house. He was breathing fresh air with beautiful flowers all around. Yoichi wandered around aimlessly trying to take his surroundings in.
THUD!
Yoichi's head whipped around, a woman had dropped some papers and a book. She'd hurriedly went to pick it up - the wind picked up and blew a few papers away. Yoichi, seeing the woman struggling, went to pick up the papers that flew away. "Oh- You don't need to!" She started, Yoichi noticed they had the same hair colour. "No please, I insist." He handed the papers over to the woman. "Thank you so much!" She let out an embarrassed laugh. "No problem, I'm guessing you got letters from your kids, huh?" Yoichi accidentally had a glance at the clumsy way it was written, he felt a little guilty but his nosiness knows no bounds. "Yes, my oldest and middle child love keeping me updated, both of them are doing well in school it seems." She'd looked down at the papers, pridefully, with sincere smile. Yoichi wouldn't get it. He had no kids of his own, he thinks, nor does he have any connection to his family at all. "Oh! I'm Rei Todoroki!" The grey eyed woman snapped out of her joys and properly introduced herself. "Nice to meet you, Todoroki! I'm Yoichi Kato, just call me Yoichi though." This was the first time Yoichi spoke to anyone other than Dr. Garaki. "Just Rei is fine with me too, are you also from the mental health wing?" Rei seemed like she was happy to talk with others too. "I am! I'm guessing only mentally ill patients can wear what they want?" Yoichi noticed that everyone in the mental health wing wore comfortable clothes but during his walk to the garden everyone else wore patient gowns and scrubs. "Yeah, you must be new." Rei and Yoichi chuckled amongst themselves. "Actually, I've been here about a year now." Rei turned to him almost shocked. Yoichi was told he was somewhere else during his 11 year coma and the it was a strange coincidence he woke up around the time he was transported to Jaku General Hospital. "How haven't we met before, what?" Yoichi laughed, her reaction was priceless. "No clue really, they just kept me locked up in my room, no mental exercise stuff either. I thought I was gonna go crazy!" Yoichi searched his face, almost trying to see if he was joking. "That's so weird, were you like a harm or something?" Rei asked, still thinking. "Hm no, I just woke up from a coma and got diagnosed with amnesia. I don't know if there's anything harming about that though?" Rei had many questions just written on her face.
Before she could ask any, a man could be heard panting over near them. "Mr. Kato!" Shoot. It was the doctor. Yoichi and Rei looked at the panicked man "I thought I told you to go to the examination room!" Yoichi, and apparently Rei as well, had never seen Dr. Garaki so dishevelled like this. "Oh... I got lost?" Yoichi finally said, rubbing his neck with his hand. Dr. Garaki fixed himself as he spoke. "Please just follow me to the examination room." Yoichi's agreement was followed my a long sigh by the old man. "Bye, Rei! Unlikely I see you soon but I enjoyed our conversation!" The frail man beamed for what felt like the first time in forever. "Bye, Yoichi!" Rei responded with a small wave. A concerned look stretched over her face. Dr. Garaki and Yoichi made it back to their original pathway in silence. It was almost dreadful, Yoichi swore he saw a black cloak run along the corridor over in the corner of his eye. "Mr. Kato, it's not recommended for you to speak to others during your stay here." Yoichi hadn't realised they'd made it to the room already. "Why not?" Yoichi furrowed his eyebrows, something about the old man in front of him telling him what to do infuriated him. He, for whatever reason, had a bad feeling about the doctor the moment he met him. Like he knew him before. The door opened and Yoichi made his way inside. "I just think your big brother would worry." Dr. Garaki closed the door. A shiver went up Yoichi's spine, he felt lightheaded. Just at the mention of this elder brother of his. He still doesn't remember, so why is he so scared? His heart felt ready to jump out his chest. "Mr. Kato?" Yoichi swore he heard a faint smugness in his voice, noticing Yoichi pause at the mention of his brother. "Like I said, call me Yoichi. Whoever this brother of mine is sounds like a real buzzkill though." Yoichi quickly composed himself, cracking a small joke. Dr. Garaki frowned and gave Yoichi no response. 'Seems like I said something wrong...'
Yoichi laid down on the examination table, letting Garaki take the usual tests. Yoichi finally decides to ask him what's been on his mind this year. "So- Why am I being locked up in my room again?" His heart leaped up to his throat, making the words sound more wobbly to Yoichi's embarrassment. He turned his face away to hide the redness creeping its way up. "Special request from your family, you're way too fragile to be kept out too long." It took the Doctor a while to speak, like he was formulating the proper response and going over it far too many times than needed. Yoichi's head ached - "My- You're truly so fragile-at right?" His green eyes flickered at the remembrance of something. He wasn't necessarily excited by this development, then again his emotions seemed far duller than people on the TV as well as Rei's. Realising he was still in a conversation Yoichi spoke up again. "I don't think it's healthy keeping me away from everyone else though?" It came out as more of a mumble. "Good thing I'm the doctor then." The shorter old man said, his voice demeaning. Yoichi had always thought his attitude towards him was quite unprofessional. Dr Garaki finished his work and took Yoichi back to his room, Yoichi looked around. He thought he might see the black cloaked man again, but he didn't. Yoichi was lead back to his room without fail, as soon as he entered the door would be locked behind him. He sighed, he was almost happy he got to talk to someone else today. Now the doctor would make sure to prevent such things again for his family's sake. He wondered if his family had a big say in what happened in the hospital or Kyudai Garaki was just indebted to them. A big brother. Yoichi had a big brother too. Something was off about him though, just the thought of a big brother made Yoichi shiver. He'd never had intense or prominent feelings since he woke up. The thought was quickly pushed back and Yoichi started the TV, he watched the news until he got bored and put on a show. The usual. The same day over and over again.
Rei knew there was something wrong with Yoichi's situation, every normal person needs daily human interaction or they'd get driven crazy. She went to chat about it to her support group, maybe they'd know what was happening with him. Jaku General Hospital, despite it's large size, didn't have many psychologically unfortunate patients and so there was really only one support group consisting of currently 6 people. Katsu Okuda, Haru Miyahira, Aoi Matsuzaki, Suzume Takai, Tsukiko Igarashi and Rei Todoroki herself. The support group had their own room within the Mental Health Wing, it was a small wing anyways as the hospitals main focus was more physical than mental. At 3pm, when the session would start, Rei would timidly enter the room. It'd been 2 years since she had ended up here, they all knew how much of a terrible mother she was. Of course they comforted her but who knew what they truly thought. Even still, she couldn't let this go. Yoichi seemed like a truly nice man, she couldn't bear to think of him losing himself from isolation like she had. "Hey! Rei over here!" Rei looked up to see Aoi Matsuzaki calling out to her. She was easy to get along with, of course but sometimes she could get quite manic. The entire group greeted her, even Haru who'd always prefer not speaking to others. "Hi guys, uhm I had a run in with someone earlier-" Rei started, she wanted to get to the point immediately. "Oh, did you also see the bird looking guy? with the brains?" Tsukiko asked. Which earned her a look, but she was always seeing things that just weren't there. "Uhm... No?" Rei asked, gobsmacked by the question. "Wow Tsu! You're always so creative with that tiny brain of yours!" Katsu said way too happily which earned him a scornful glare from Suzume. "I was actually talking about the other patient who's in the wing with us." Rei finally blurted out. Everyone looked at her, a puzzled look in their eyes. "Tatsuya?" Aoi asked. Tatsuya Sakata was also a patient within their ward but he was deemed far too dangerous to even interact with others and had to go through vigorous therapy everyday. "No, Yoichi Kato." Rei responded, everyone tried to remember a Kato they might've spoken with but it escaped them. "Is he new?" Suzume asked flatly. "No, apparently he's been here a year but they just lock him in his room." Rei said, perplexed at just remembering his weird situation. "Is he like Sakata or?" Haru seemed intrigued finally. "No, not at all. He's pretty nice. He'd woken up from a coma and has amnesia." Rei just realised she accidentally aired out Yoichi's probably personal things. Well, was it really that personal if he'd told her 5 minutes into their meeting? The others pondered with the same question. 'Why isn't he here with us then?'
The group waited for the doctor in charge of them and bombarded her with questions about Yoichi. Curiosity at a new person, well not new but someone they hadn't met before. "Yoichi Kato? Oh, he's under Dr. Kyudai Garaki's care." She said, a bit puzzled. "So? Can't he be here? It can't be good cooped up all the time like that!" Aoi pestered the woman who was fixing her glasses. "Well you do make a good point. I can't imagine how lonely it must be, especially after waking up from a coma." She'd thoughtfully said. "Okay, I'll have a word about it with the other doctors and Dr. Garaki then." The woman lifted her thumbs up with a large smile and to that they all cheered. It was always good to have someone new join, despite being allowed to roam and talk to whoever they wanted - something about people like them being grouped together was fun. Hopefully, he'd arrive soon!