The Doctor knew not to fall in love. It's something he told himself everytime he gained a new companion. But then Mirai joined him. He was strong and secretly funny, and then Mirio tagged along. Mirai opened up more. Then he smiled, and the Doctor fell in love.
But it always happens. The people he cares for always get hurt. He just hoped these two were different. He didn't believe in any god, but he had prayed these two would take care of each other. They can defend themselves. They're trained heroes. I have nothing to worry about.
He should've known.
--------
The TARDIS hummed as the Doctor tried to take flight for the 5th time in 10 minutes. And, like the last four times, she refused to lift off. The Doctor let out a frustrated groan; he was bored! Mirai and Mirio had informed him of "an extremely important mission, and won't be able to join you this week,” and now that it was the day of their mission, the Doctor felt terribly antsy.
“Come on, old girl, what's the matter with you? Are you sick or something?" He asked audibly. The TARDIS simply let out what sounded like a wheeze. “Is something wrong? You're never this finicky..."
The Doctor plugged in a different set of coordinates this time, hoping maybe she simply wasn't letting him go anywhere dangerous. ( “Don't get into any trouble. You take care of him now." Mirai said as he gently pressed his hand against the wall of the TARDIS. "I don't want him getting hurt. I'm going to need a break after this mission." ) Still, she once again refused his request.
"Oh come on! I know you look like a police box, but you're not actually supposed to be the fun police...Let me go somewhere, anywhere ..." The Doctor complained. He flipped some switches and pressed some buttons, but nothing seemed to work. He thought for a moment. "Oh, do you miss Mirai? I bet you like him better than you like me..." He gasped. "...you do, don't you?" But instead of a hum of agreement, a ding! rang out as the TARDIS opened a small drawer to reveal one of Mirai's seals that he had given the Doctor as a gift. He stood there stunned.
"His seal? Yes, I know I have it, but what does that have to do with-"
The Doctor's question cut short as the TARDIS suddenly flashed red and gave a distraught whir.
"What the bloody hell is the matter with you?" He questioned, shakily reaching up to glance at the console screen, then back at the seal. His eyes widened. "Is it Mirai? Oh my god...Show me Mirai! Scan the DNA on the seal and take me to him!" The Doctor steadied himself and stood up straight as the TARDIS tracked down Mirai's location. Coordinates appeared on the screen and he'd moved faster than he had in a while. "You better work this time," he demanded as he pulled the lever to take off. Finally, for what seems like the first time all day, she began to fly.
If there was a switch to make the TARDIS go any faster, it had been activated already, and yet the trip felt painfully slow. The Doctor put his sonic to the screen and gathered any information possible. Upon seeing an article from what seems to be a popular hero news site, he selected it. As the website opened, the first thing he saw was a live news broadcast of a helicopter hovering over a large hospital. The moment he saw the headline he knew it would be engraved in his memory forever.
[ PRO-HERO SIR NIGHTEYE SEVERELY WOUNDED IN BATTLE AGAINST HEAD OF CHIE HASSAIKAI, CHANCES OF SURVIVAL ARE UNLIKELY ]
"Mirai..." He whispered, still gripping the handles on the screen. His small moment to process everything quickly came to an end as the TARDIS landed abruptly. She launched him backwards upon landing. Quickly recovering his balance and composure, he grabbed his long trench coat, along with his sonic screwdriver and psychic paper. The TARDIS parked him in an alley adjacent to the hospital, to which the Doctor silently expressed his gratitude. He didn't want any unnecessary attention. He just wanted to see Mirai. He quickened his pace and entered the facility as fast as his adventure-worn, red converse would carry him.
The woman at the front desk had just finished checking a patient out before seeing a frantic man rush up to her.
"I need to see M—Sasaki Mirai." He gulped, catching his breath. "I need to see Sir Nighteye. Please."
The woman simply frowned. "I'm terribly sorry, sir, but because of his circumstances we are only allowing close family and other heroes to visit him at this time."
"Please, I need to see him. It's important."
"Again, I'm sorry, but unless you have proof of identification that you are family, I cannot give you any further information."
"Right, yes, sorry..." The Doctor sighed, frantically equipping himself with his psychic paper. Please give me something good. "...Here."
Reading the paper, the woman's face blanched. "Oh my... I'm sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused. He's on the 6th floor in our emergency ward. Number 628."
He shook her hand, said a quick thank you, and rushed towards the elevator. As he departed, she thought out loud:
"...I was unaware Sir Nighteye had a husband."
"Of course it's stuck. Of course !" The Doctor exclaimed, frustratedly making his way towards the staircase. The elevator, much to his luck, had gotten stuck on one of the top floors. (Well, it wasn't stuck , but the clock never stops ticking. And he had better things to do than wait.) Thankfully, 6 flights of stairs felt like nothing compared to the years of running experience they had.
616...618...620...
He turned the corner to see a familiar face getting held back by nurses, who were not holding the patient very well.
"Mirio..." The Doctor whispered, quietly yet quickly following behind. Mirio did not look great either. His heart ached, yearning to reach out to Mirio and comfort him. If only he had been there to help, to make sure they weren't reckless, to make sure they didn't get hurt. (It doesn't help that Mirio choked out a "Sir!" as he made his way into the room. Keeping composure was getting very difficult.) The nurses stopped at the door, realizing their efforts to hold Mirio back were futile. He watched for a moment, before quickly walking in with his psychic paper open.
‘The Doctor’
Pro-Hero
London, England
In Association with U.N.I.T.
[Status: Retired]
The nurses quickly moved out of the way, letting him pass. He stood in the back of the room. He looked at his own paper to see what it had told them, and sadly smiled. He was so desperate to help Mirai that they allowed a retired (not) pro-hero to enter the room, hoping he could help.
On the topic of hope, he hoped he wasn't too late.
If I conjure up enough stored regeneration energy I can close the wound and stop the bleeding, which will stabilize his heart rate and stop the blood loss. Likewise, his arm will regenerate back. Using up this regeneration energy while I'm well past 15 hours of my regeneration cycle means I will likely be losing a few years off my life...or will be unable to regenerate again... Or who knows? Maybe I'll get lucky. Sounds like a later problem.
There were so many things left unsaid between them. He couldn't let Mirai die now.
The Doctor stuck his hands in the pockets of his brown trench coat in an attempt to hide the glow of the regeneration energy. He would be lying if he said his hands didn't feel like they were on fire. He kept a straight face through it. He decided to scan the room to distract himself and possibly speed up the process: the two nurses from earlier to his left, staring at him in confusion; a young green haired boy (who he assumed to be Midoriya based off of Mirai's past description of him) stood next to a tall, skinny blonde man who he concluded to be All Might; Bubble Girl, who held back loud sobs in front of her boss; Centipeder, who stood silently; and... Mirio.
Mirio, who was currently crying.
Mirio, who was begging Sir to stay.
"I'm not ready. Please don't leave me!"
His mind finally allowed him to shift his gaze back to Mirai.
Mirai, who was currently comforting Mirio.
Mirai, who was telling him it's going to be okay.
The hospital room filled with the sounds of machines whirring, people sobbing, and then the sudden clearing of someone's throat.
"I need everyone to step out of the room."
Mirio's eyes widened. Mirai's hand dropped from Mirio's face. He had been trying not to cry, but that voice was so familiar, so comforting. Mirio turned around and stepped aside, allowing Sir to see him too.
"Doctor?"
"Mirai."
Sir let out a shaky breath. "You came too? God... I really am dying, aren't I?"
The Doctor gave him a sad smile as he walked closer to the bed. He extended his hand. "That depends, do you want to?"
Mirai weakly laughed. "Not really, but... It's not like I have much of a choice." He reached out and held the Doctor's hand, who placed his hand on top of Sir's. His hands were warm. "Please...stay with me... ‘til the end..."
The Doctor gently smiled at Mirai once more, maintaining eye contact with Sir as he repeated, "I need everyone to step out of the room."
All Might spoke up. "Nighteye... Who is this guy?"
Mirai smiled. "...A business partner." The Doctor laughed, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "I want... To talk to him... Please. Do as he says..."
Though hesitant, one by one, everyone who the Doctor observed to be in the room began to step out. All Might escorted Midoriya out while Bubble Girl and Mirio began to walk out together. Mirio stopped in his tracks. "Doctor?"
The Doctor turned towards the boy, hand still tightly gripping Mirai's. His heart rate plummeted quicker every second. He didn't have much time left.
"Can I stay? I don't think I want to leave him just yet."
The Doctor softened his gaze. He gestured for Mirio to come closer. Mirio limped his way over to him, who squeezed him as tight as possible without hurting him. He turned his head to press a kiss to Mirio's temple as the boy tried not to cry again. The Doctor couldn't waste anymore time. The future wasn't set, he could change it.
He was a timelord, after all.
"Mirio, will you step back for a moment?"
Mirai furrowed his brow in confusion. "Doctor, what..."
The Doctor stepped as close as possible to Mirai, his legs flush against the hospital bed. The tips of his shoes barely touched the plugs to the machine Sir was connected to. He bent forward so he leaned in close to Mirai's face. He squeezed his hand and smiled. "Hello."
Mirai squeezed back. "Hello." The pain coursing through his entire body felt excruciating, but he needed the Doctor to know everything: How he felt, how much he mattered.
How much he loved him.
"Do you trust me, Mirai?"
"Yes."
"Good. Because you're going to hate me later," The Doctor let go of Sir's hand to reach around his head and pull off his oxygen mask. Unable to hear into the other room, the people watching in the room outside gasped in horror. Only Bubble Girl and Centipeder stayed quiet. If Sir trusted him, then they sure as hell trusted him too.
Sir felt like he had been impaled all over again. Breathing felt harder without the assistance of the mask. He felt lightheaded. He really was dying.
"Doctor?"
"It's alright. Close your eyes."
So he did.
Mirio noticed a faint glow as the Doctor's face slightly contorted in pain. The Doctor focused his attention on his hands. The glow grew brighter and brighter. He gasped.
The Doctor placed both hands on the sides of Mirai's face. He brought his face inches away from the latter's.
"It looks like you need a doctor."
And he kissed him.
Sir only felt the Doctor's lips press against his before he felt a burning sensation rush through his body. His abdomen felt like it was on fire, and he could barely feel his left arm, but he kissed back with what little energy he could muster, and yet he felt so restless. So alive. Words often failed the Doctor, but he always found it easy to express his thoughts in his actions. Every unspoken word poured into the kiss. I love you. Stay with me. To the Doctor, the flow of regeneration energy represented the love stored in his body as it flowed into Mirai. I'll be a part of you forever.
Sir gasped as the pain in his abdomen and arm became agonizing, causing him to accidentally pull away from the kiss. The Doctor, still uncomfortably leaning over the bed's railing, kissed the side of his head. Sir desperately reached for the Doctor's hand. He squeezed firmly, trying to alleviate the pain. He sat up a little more as the timelord held his head and gently stroked his cheek with his thumb.
"It's alright. It'll be over soon," the Doctor assured, not raising his voice above a whisper. "Just breathe. You're going to be okay."
"Doctor..." Mirai managed to speak through the pain. "What did you do...?"
The Doctor didn't answer as he tilted Sir's head upwards and kissed his forehead. Despite everything, humans were not supposed to regenerate cells that fast. Sir was going to need a few hours to recover.
"Shh.. Rest now. You'll be okay."
Mirai's arm relaxed as he began to fall asleep. The Doctor gently placed his arm back in bed. He stood up straight and inspected the now sleeping man. His wound had closed, leaving a small scar. The regeneration energy should've healed every cell, but the Doctor figured it was because human cells were not meant to be regenerated at such a rapid rate. He focused his attention towards Mirai's arm - fully healed. His muscles and bones were all intact. Mirio, who was stunned to say the least, glanced at the heart monitor. It had returned back to normal. Sir was in stable condition.
"Oh my god... Doctor... You did it."
"Ah! Mirio!" The Doctor suddenly grew a tad bit flustered. "Erm... What you saw was strictly professional! Totally. It's in the job description."
Mirio wiped his tears and smiled. "I don't think you'd need to get paid to kiss Sir...you'd do it for free." He laughed. "You're both terrible at hiding it."
"Really?" The Doctor scratched his head. "Not even a little good?"
"Nope."
They walked up to each other and met in a hug. Mirio smiled. "Thank you. Thank you thank you! "
"You were incredibly brave today. I'm proud of you."
Mirio released himself from his arms and flinched as he landed on the floor. His injuries still hurt. "How did you find out about Sir?"
"Where does Mirai keep his TARDIS key?"
Mirio looked puzzled as the Doctor glanced around the room to find Mirai's suit jacket folded up in a bag, which by the looks of it, had been torn in battle. He felt around and found an inner pocket.
"Ah, there you are, you beauty!" The Doctor exclaimed, spinning back to face Mirio. He raised his hand to show a key on a necklace chain. "I knew it had to be on him!"
"That's great!" Mirio paused. "I don't get."
The Doctor excitedly rushed up to Mirio, the key still in between his fingers. "Did Mirai fight with his jacket on?" Mirio nodded. "Right! So, his jacket stored a key to my TARDIS... That old girl is great at sensing danger, whether it's to herself or her keys, which means... "
"...which means the TARDIS thought her key was in danger with Sir?" The Doctor nodded this time. "Unless... the TARDIS knew something was wrong with Sir because the key sensed something wrong with the keyholder?"
" Bingo , my boy!" The Doctor pulled Mirio into a tight hug, who grimaced in pain. He let go. "Oh, right, sorry! Looks like we should get you back to your room so the nurses can finish treating you."
"But Doc, aren't you wanting to stay here with Sir? I know he'd appreciate having someone he trusted in the room."
The Doctor slowly guided Mirio to the door. "Well , I'm sure he would. But I'm sure he'd appreciate having me there to look after you more." They left the room, looking at all those who had stepped out. "He also has this lot to look after him. You all can head back in, everything is as it should be."
One by one, the group reentered Mirai's hospital room, exchanging confused glances between each other and the Doctor. Bubble Girl gave him a hug and Centipeder nodded to him.
One of Mirai's nurses, however, stayed behind and grabbed the Doctor's sleeve. "Excuse me sir," She whispered.
"Oh, hello! How may I help you?"
"How did you do it? I mean... How did you save him?"
He simply smiled at the nurse. "Let's just say I'm somewhat of a doctor."