Neurologist (2)

A/N: I loved it when people just jumped to conclusions the last chapter, and were like "NERF!? REEEEEEEEEE!!! DROP!!!"

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Time stopped. Or at least, it did from my perspective. Was this a prank? A mistake perhaps? How could I have a tumour in his brain, I was so young and healthy!

"…as you can see, the tumour is located in your left frontal lobe, which, as you might know, is responsible for problem-solving, judgement and motor function. The size of the tumour is still considered benign, likely growing with continued usage of your quirk…"

The doctor was still talking but I could barely process what I was hearing. All I could think about was how, why, and a million other questions coursing through my head.

"Doctor." I interrupted, still staring at the MRI results, "Could there be a mistake, perhaps? This… can't be true!"

She pursed her lips, perhaps out of an irritation at being interrupted, or vexation at being asked a question when I was told not to ask any until she was done explaining, "I'm afraid, Kurogami-san, there is no mistake."

"But- But, how!? A tumour!? In my… brain??" I sputtered out, incredulous and disbelieving.

Doctor Yoshiko looked saddened, "Most likely, it was due to the head injury you described receiving two years ago and the subsequent brute force method of activating your quirk that first resulted in the tumour. And everytime you pushed yourself further and further… the tumour grew. Of course, this is just a theory, and we would need continued observation to form a conclusion, but…"

"What are you saying, Doctor? That using my quirk at that time to try and save a life is what resulted in the tumour? That training for U.A. so that I could become a top-hero is what's messing with my brain!?" I asked in frustration.

"Kurogami-san, I am not here to assign blame. My role here is to let you know what is wrong with your body and the steps we should start taking accordingly." She responded sympathetically.

I took a deep breath, and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as the news that just broke was starting to sink in, "I-I'm sorry, Doctor. Please, continue."

She nodded, "Thankfully, we caught this early. The size of the tumour now has not yet engorged to an extent that it would impair your neural functions. However, if it continues growing, and at the rate you've been pushing yourself… your life will soon be in danger."

My heart sank. Not pushing myself, did she not mean that I had to stop training?

"Couldn't Recovery Girl treat me? Her healing quirk… would it not work?" I asked, hopeful that there might be a solution.

The doctor shook her head, "That's not how her quirk works. Her quirk accelerates the human body's natural healing process. Your body could never naturally remove the tumour on its own."

"What of a surgical option? Could we not simply remove the tumour?" I asked, grasping at an alternative. Any alternative.

She frowned, "That might not be an alternative you would be open to."

I widened my eyes, in shock, anger and a myriad other emotions I could not identify, "What do you mean!? If it means I can continue using my quirk to be a hero and save people-!"

"Removing the tumour could possibly remove your quirk altogether." The doctor answered, her tone an inscrutable blend of indifference and professionalism.

My jaw dropped, "H-how could you be so sure…? A day ago you didn't even know that I had this… this thing in my head!"

She sighed, "I have been a quirk Neurologist for many years now, Kurogami-san. And this is not the first time I have seen such a condition. Especially amongst telekinesis quirk holders like yourself. In my experience, the tumour that is developed is most definitely linked to the patient's quirk factor. And in a hundred percent of all cases I have seen or been in charge of, removing the tumour removes the patient's quirk altogether."

I buried my head in my hands, mutely listening.

"Do you understand now, why I said you would not be open to this alternative? In some cases, there are patients who stopped using their quirks altogether – so that their tumours stop developing and in turn they can lead a healthy, happy life. In other cases, patients opt for the procedure, and have their tumour and by extension their quirks removed entirely. Usually, these are the ones whose tumour have grown to an extent that it became life-threatening."

"And then there are a few who continue using their quirks, despite what they have been told… and they eventually succumb to their condition." She finished, her eyes with hints of sorrow.

"I… I can't stop using my quirk. It is my calling to become a hero. That is something I refuse to give up on!" I replied, hesitantly at first but with conviction as I finished.

She gave a bitter smile, "I know. You hero-types are always the most stubborn patients I receive. I recall a pro-hero who had the same issue as you. His was a quirk that could move metal with his mind. Nothing as impressive as what you are capable of, according to the reports, but he was a successful pro-hero nonetheless. His hero name was Magneto, and he was pretty popular a decade ago, though I'm not sure if you have heard of him."

"I have… he had a quirk similar to my own, so I followed his career when I was younger." I replied, smiling at the nostalgia.

"Yes. Magneto, he… he received an injury to the head, just like yourself. And pushed his quirk beyond his limits in order to stop a villain. After that, he continued using his quirk in his pro-hero career and eventually collapsed mid-battle one day. It was in this very office when I told him if he continued using his quirk, he was going to die. You know what he told me?"

I looked up, surprised to see a look of grief on the doctor's face.

"He told me, 'My life is inconsequential. If I can save even one more person, it would be more than worth dying for'… a few months later, he passed away after helping save the life of a woman and her baby from a wrecked car that exploded moments later. Then he just fell to his knees and stopped breathing altogether."

"I remember that… I saw it on the news. No one knew what actually happened."

A bitter smile crossed her face one more, "Yes, he requested for his condition to remain private. Even after the news broke that he passed, his last will specifically instructed not to reveal his condition to the public. He wrote that he didn't want any of the people he saved to feel guilty for his passing. He… was a true hero."

She then turned to me and looked me seriously in the eyes, though hers was speckled with tears, "Kurogami-san, I cannot officially endorse your decision to continue using your quirk. As a doctor, I cannot let you throw your life away for the sake of heroism. So my official recommendation for you would be to drop out of U.A. immediately and cease any further usage of your quirk."

I shook my head unwillingly, "I can't do that. Like Magneto, I… My life is inconsequential. If I can save even one more person, it would be more than worth dying for."

She closed her eyes, a tear flowing down her cheeks before she wiped it off and erased the sorrow on her face, returning back to an expression of indifference and professionalism, "I see. You understand that I have to inform your school and your parents, don't you?"

Shit. There was no way my parents would allow me to continue using my quirk if they knew I have a freaking tumour in my brain. And even if they did, U.A. would never allow me to continue attending school. It would be a legal issue for them.

"Please, Doctor Yoshiko, you have to keep this a secret." I begged.

She shook her head, "I cannot. It would be irresponsible for me to leave the school and your parents in the dark about your condition."

"What about patient-doctor confidentiality? Isn't that a thing?"

She looked caught off-guard, "…It is the doctor's duty to act in accordance with what we believe to be the patient's best interest. That duty involves assessing whether a patient has a sufficiently mature understanding to have the capacity to make his or her own judgement."

"And?" I pressed, nervous at the fact that my future hero career seem to lay in the hands of this person who could end it with a call.

She sighed, "Objectively speaking… you have sufficiently satisfied my criteria for a mature and responsible capacity to form your own judgements."

I beamed.

"However," The doctor continued, "I also reserve the right to withdraw this judgement and evaluate you as insufficiently capable of making rational decisions at any point in time until you reach the medical age of consent."

My smile faltered slightly.

"So, if you are requesting for me to keep your condition confidential, I have a few conditions of my own for me to responsibly agree to this."

"Anything." I responded determinedly.

She raised an index finger, "First. You are no longer allowed to push your quirk to the limit. That means no more training until your nose bleeds and regular rest days to allow your brain to rest and recuperate."

"Done. My quirk, as it is, is more than enough to complete the Hero Course curriculum."

She raised another finger, "Second. You are required to come in for regular check ups and MRI scans. If I see that your tumour has grown and your condition worsened, I will immediately inform your parents and U.A."

"No problem." I answered confidently.

"Those are the two conditions I have and ones that you must strictly adhere to. Do you understand, Kurogami-san? I am not kidding. At any point I see that you have broken this agreement, I will immediately inform your parents and recommend your removal from U.A."

I smiled. This doctor may have been severe and professional at the start, but I could sense that she was slowly warming up to me and I her. "I promise."

"Very well. I will inform Recovery Girl that you have requested to keep your visit here and any information regarding it confidential. There is no way about it. So it will be up to you to deal with that yourself. And from what I know, she can be very forceful when it comes to the health and welfare of students." She explained.

I grimaced. Dealing with the elderly, in addition to crying girls, was another weakness of mine. "Got it."

"Then we are done here, Kurogami-san. Your next check up will be a month from now. My receptionist will call and handle the appointment." She concluded the meeting, gesturing at the door.

I got up and made my way to exit her office, but I had a nagging feeling in my heart and a question I just had to ask.

"…Doctor."

"Yes?" She looked up from her computer, slightly impatient.

"I have to ask and forgive me if I am mistaken. But… the woman and her baby Magneto saved before he passed… Was it you?"

She widened her eyes, taken aback at the question and stared at me silently for a moment.

"Yes. I was… How did you know?"

"I only just remembered. Seeing you on the news, that is. All those years ago."

Now I understood why she had teared up when mentioning the deceased pro-hero, and why she seemed a little too willing to allow me to continue my pursuit of heroism. After all, how could she deny me that if she had been saved by a pro-hero who had the exact same issue as me and yet sacrificed his life to save her and her baby.

"…I see. You may leave now." She gestured at the door once more and turned her attention back at her computer.

I breathed out amusedly. I liked this doctor.

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[So to prevent more outraged screams of 'NERF!' and 'DROP!', let me explain what just happened. His quirk has essentially been handed a cap on its growth. Although he won't be able to grow stronger, his current strength still remains... at least until the tumor is removed. What happens when the tumor is removed? Read on and find out. So rather than a NERF, it's more of an obstacle that's forcing Yasuo to be more clever and creative with the way he uses his quirk. That's all. If the MC facing a setback turns you off the story, then so be it. Fuck outta here.]

A/N: As we near the end of the USJ arc and approach the Sports Festival arc, I would like to ask you guys for some suggestions for Yasuo's hero name. I'm not good at naming things, so I am opening it up to your creativity! If you find a suggestion you like, give it a like! I'll be asking this for the next few chapters and will collate the ones everyone likes most - then a few chapters before the hero name chapter I will open up a poll for you to vote! So head on over to the comment section and hand over your intellectual property, dear readers!

Remember to give a like to the names you like!