A/N: since so many of you do not have access to AO3 and it is fairly difficult to get an account, I decided to post here anyway! Enjoy ✨

Katsuki thrashes in the stubborn hold of his restraints, pulling and tugging at them with what little strength he seemed to have manifested like a feral and wounded animal. His eyes dart and bounce around the four corners of the bright and frigid room. His breathing comes harsh and uneven, unfamiliar with his surroundings and the odd, sour smell that lingers about the room. Where is he? He isn't supposed to go outside; he's not strong enough to go outside---

"Hey, kiddo. Are you with us?" 

His struggling comes to an abrupt halt, head swiveling around in a way that leaves him dizzy. He's never seen other people before---not in person. He's only ever watched the very few he could see passing by his bedroom window. The courier who'd bring Brother his mail. The tall, dark man who'd come and visit Brother every now and again. But none of them have ever seen Katsuki. None of them had even known he'd existed. Brother had always told him that it was better that way. That people would only hurt him. That the only way for Katsuki to survive would be to put his trust in Brother and only him.

The tall, lanky man seems just as wary of Katsuki as Katsuki is of him---not wary, even, but cautious. He raises his hands in surrender and takes slow and calculated steps away from the bed to give Katsuki his space. He's accompanied by an older woman dressed in some odd white coat. Compared to the other stranger, she seems much less concerned with being in close quarters with Katsuki. Her posture gives Katsuki the impression that she doesn't see him as a threat but she doesn't show any signs of understanding that they are a threat to him. 

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, b r e a t h e---

"Sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I know that you are confused and afraid but I assure you, young man, you're safe here. May I have a seat?"

Katsuki doesn't grace him with a verbal response, brows knit tightly together as he keeps his gaze pinned to the ghastly man's frame as he moves around to sit in the chair next to the bed. He keeps his hands where Katsuki can see them, resting them in his own lap once he's seated and he's made sure Katsuki isn't going to go into another one of his fits. "My name is Detective Toshinori Yagi. Do you remember anything particular to what led you here? Do you know where you are?" 

A hesitant shake of Katsuki's head. His knowledge on how to communicate with strangers equates to none. This isn't a scenario that Tomura prepared him for. Though, in hindsight Tomura probably never intended for him to ever have to be in this scenario, either. 

The man, Yagi, stalls a bit, clearing his throat and taking a moment to gather his words. Perhaps whatever has happened is a bit complicated and he wants to explain them in ways that Katsuki can understand. Brother once said that it's okay to slow down and think out your thoughts before expressing them. That way there isn't any room for a lapse in communication. Then he'd had to teach him what 'lapse' meant. Tomura had always been patient with him. 

"Well, we got a call last night about hearing a gunshot go off from one of your neighbors---an older couple who lives just across the field from you. Some nice officers came to check it out and got worried when no one came to the door so they came inside to check on everyone. That's when they found you. And that's when I got called in, right after they brought you here to the hospital." He recalls, speaking slowly as not to overwhelm Katsuki with the information that he's given him. Katsuki's confusion must be quite visible, if the sympathetic expression on Yagi's face is anything to go by. 

His anxiety begins to spike once more and that sour scent begins to permeate the room like thick fog. It's enough to make Yagi shy away from him with an apologetic gesture of his hands. 

"Hey, now, you're okay---" 

"W-What is a gunshot? What's a h-hosepeetal? Not supposed to go outside---brother says I'm too sick! Don't! Don't touch me, don't touch me, don't touch me!" He panics when the woman reaches out to him, kicking the blankets at her to make her stay back. 

"Shhh, hey, it's okay. Dr. Chiyo just wants to give you something to help calm you down. We don't want to hurt you, sweet boy, I promise. We just want to help you." Yagi assures him. Katsuki's frantic gaze darts between the two of them. "H-Help?" He parrots and Yagi nods his affirmation. "That's right. A hospital is a place where sick and hurt people go to get better. We brought you here last night so you could get better." He tries again but Katsuki denies him with another shake of his head. "Brother has tried to make me better since I was a baby and nothing worked, n-not even that awful medicine." He explains. Maybe this man does not understand. If he stays away from home for too long, he'll become even more sick. He'll suffer more. Brother will suffer more.

Yagi leans back in the uncomfortable looking chair with a heavy sigh. 

"What's your name, young man?" 

Katsuki hesitates. There's no way to know for sure if he could trust this man. Even if he says he's trying to help, they could very well be trying to make Katsuki even more ill on purpose. But Brother isn't here to tell him what to do. If he complies, maybe then they could take him to Tomura. Tomura doesn't like to be separated from Katsuki for too long. Maybe he's back from the better place already. 

"I am Katsuki." He complies dubiously, eyes skeptic as they rake over Yagi's features for any signs of dishonesty. So far, he can find none... although Yagi can't seem to help the smile that spread across his face---finally happy to be making some progress. 

"Katsuki. That's a lovely name. Now, Katsuki. I want you to know that you were so very sick when we came to get you from your room. Dr. Chiyo and other very capable doctors were able to help you when they found out that you were being given a medication that made you feel all terrible and icky because of the effects it had on you." 

"Like what?" Katsuki challenges and Yagi goes to try and explain it the best he can but instead passes the question along to the woman---Dr. Chiyo, he'd called her. 

"He's been giving you a drug called antigonadotropin or nafarelin acetate. To put it simply, the drug halts all development in presenting omegas including heats, menstrual cycles and etcetera. In short, it puts your puberty on pause." She explains curtly, arms folding over her chest. "Whoever was giving it to you was trying to keep you from presenting. It can only delay it for so long without regular dosage but to take this medication for years on years at a time is deadly. Especially since they seem to have been injecting it right into your reproductive system."

Katsuki feels like a rug has just been pulled from beneath him, addled and disoriented. Everything she says sounds like more gibberish and make-believe nonsense. What is 'presenting'? What are omegas? What does the heat have to do with anything especially when this place---the place where sick people go---is so cold? 

Chiyo seems to read his frustrated thoughts fairly clearly with a cynical laugh and a shake of her head. 

"Holy shit, this kid has absolutely no idea what we're talking about." She bristles and Yagi makes a non-committal noise of agreement. "It would seem so. He's had the boy locked in there for so long that he doesn't even understand how his own body works. Probably has been teaching him about the anatomy of humans before the mutation era. Before secondary genders and such." He wipes an unbelievably large hand over his face and rests his elbows on his knees. "This ordeal is going to be a long one." He stands, an air of finality about him as he does so. Katsuki watches him, more anxious now than ever with so many questions unanswered. His sense of panic returns with his guard, curling into himself when the door opens and more people wearing more white coats come shuffling their way inside. They're hesitant, distancing themselves and standing at what looks to be at least five feet behind Dr. Chiyo. Whether it is for Katsuki's safety or for their own, he's isn't certain.

"Katsuki. They're going to take your restraints off now if you can promise that you won't hurt yourself or anyone else. Can you do that? If you're unsure, we have to keep them on to protect you and them. Okay?" Yagi speaks slowly and carefully, making sure to keep his tone even as not to unintentionally set Katsuki off. The flaxen blonde scans the room, making a mental note of how many exits there were as he nods his consent. Dr. Chiyo gives an affirmative nod to her colleagues and, gingerly, they each unbuckle the thick leather from the wrists of his outstretched arms. They fall to the bed with a clunk! and Katsuki rubs at his dry and chaffed skin. 

"Where is Brother? Is he still in the better place? Do you know when he'll be back?" 

There's something about the way that the air shifts that makes Katsuki...less anxious but tip-toeing just along the lines of discomfort. Yagi grimaces and sheepishly rubs along the back of his head, ruffling his unruly golden mane in the process. "I'm assuming the man we found you with is this brother that you're asking about? If so then he isn't in the...ah...better place. Your brother hurt himself quite badly but he is alive." 

Alive? Of course he is alive, why wouldn't he be? He'd only wanted to visit the better place for a while. Needed a break, Katsuki supposes. Brother is much too young to die. 

"I want to talk to Tomura." 

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Your brother isn't able to talk at the moment. But when he wakes up, we'll bring you to talk to him. Alright? Can you behave for me and relax until then?" 

Katsuki doesn't like the idea of not being able to at least see Tomura. How long would it be? Hours? Days? It already feels as if it has been a lifetime. But what other choice does he have? 

"I will abide by your rules. Please wake brother as soon as you can. I would like to go home now." 

Yagi flashes him an apologetic smile. 

"Get some rest, Katsuki. I'll be back when they're ready to discharge you but you'll need all of your strength before we can do that, okay? I know you don't want to be in this stuffy place much longer." He says, an attempt to placate the teen into obedience rather than force him. Yagi isn't very fond of having him locked down and under watch like a prisoner, but he knows very well that it's for Katsuki's safety and their own. He pats the bed as if to say farewell and Chiyo follows him out, closing the door behind them and leaving Katsuki by himself. He'd like to sleep but his thoughts are so clouded and jumbled together that it's difficult to rest his tired mind. 

At least that icky smell is gone. It was starting to give him a headache.