Chapter Text
Nanami had wanted to train with some cursed weapons, but Haibara was on a mission with Suguru so he had to train with Gojo. Shoko decided to go with them, claiming to be bored.
Nanami hadn’t expected him to actually be able to use swords, and after losing a few times, he decided to just train with the dummies.
Now, as Gojo laughed at Nanami who had just dropped the sword, Gojo’s world tilted sideways. He didn’t feel himself hit the ground, just a sharp pain behind his head and then nothing.
Shoko was the first to notice something was wrong.
At first, Gojo was just being Gojo. Laughing too loud, making jokes, and being as cocky as he always was. She opened her mouth to say some snarky comment, but the boy stumbled. It was barely noticeable, but she still took note of it.
She had been noticing more and more things like this with him. He had seemed less focused lately, like everything went in one ear and out the other. She had noticed that he wasn’t eating much either, but it had improved lately, so she hadn’t lingered on it. While it wasn’t enough to be alarming, it was enough to bother her. She assumed it was just exhaustion, after all the higher ups have been sending him on many back to back missions.
She hesitates, deciding to check up on him instead of whatever she wanted to say before. Even if it is just exhaustion, she figures she should say something. “Yo, Toru—”
Before she can finish her sentence his knees buckle.
The sound of his head hitting the ground makes her blood run cold. As if on instinct, she rushes towards him, hands moving towards his head to check for injuries.
“Hey—hey,” she mutters, patting his cheek in an effort to wake him up.
Nanami drops his sword again, walking towards them. “Gojo?”
“He’s out,” she says, more sharply than she intended to. She runs her shaking hands through his hair, and swears when she feels the swelling already starting. “Damn it.”
“We should get him to the infirmary.”
“Yeah…” she nods, getting up. “Think you can carry him?”
“I’ll try,” Nanami says as he bends down. He slides one arm underneath his shoulders and one underneath his knees. It feels wrong, he’s so used to the coldness of infinity that being able to feel the warmth of his skin is jarring. He decides not to dwell on it and focuses his attention on Shoko instead. “It shouldn’t be a problem. He’s far lighter than I thought he would be.”
Shoko hums. “That’s good… try not to jostle his head.”
The infirmary was quiet, only being broken by the sound of Gojo’s breathing. Shoko had done all she could for now. She checked his vitals, made sure the swelling wasn’t anything worse than a bruise, and healed it with her RCT. All they could do now was wait.
Shoko sat on a chair next to the bed. One of her hands was on her knee, her palm holding up her chin. The other had a cold cloth, which she was pressing against Satoru’s head. She knew this helped with headaches, maybe that is what this was.
Nanami stood by the door. This felt so wrong. It’s like a fundamental rule was broken: Satoru Gojo was invincible. Yet here he was. He looked so vulnerable laying in the hospital bed, it was almost unsettling. God, he wished Haibara was here. The silence was deafening; he just wished Shoko would say something.
And she did, just not something he wanted to hear.
“I’m gonna get my phone. I should probably tell Yaga what’s up,” she said, with a slight edge to her voice.
Silently, Nanami wishes she would stay. He’s too out of his element with this, with Gojo and the worried feeling he has. But instead, he nods and watches her exit the room.
Once she’s gone, he takes her spot on the chair. He figures it’d be less awkward when Gojo woke up. Glancing at the boy in question, he notices a few things. He seems more tired and thinner than before the star plasma vessel mission. Maybe everything had been getting to him. Nanami couldn’t blame him, everything seems like it’s too much now.
Nanami sighs and rests his hand over the washcloth. It’s a pointless gesture, but it comforts him anyway.
A quiet groan snaps him from his thoughts. Gojo shifts slightly, eyes fluttering. Nanami removes his hand and waits. Once he seems more awake, he decides to say, “Hey… Are you okay?” He tries keeping his tone neutral, but it comes off more worried than he intended.
“I—yeah. What happened?” Gojo asks, squinting slightly.
“You fainted during training. Your head hit the ground. Shoko healed it so there shouldn’t be a bruise,” he glances at the door then back at Gojo. “She should be back any minute.”
Gojo smiles slightly, almost like he’s trying to joke his way out of this. “Guess the sword-fighting took a lot out of me.”
Nanami doesn’t respond, he just watches. Because he’s not sure what to say. All he can do is wait for Shoko.
Thankfully, not even a minute later, the door opens.
Nanami immediately looks up.
Shoko steps inside, tucking her phone away in her pocket. She glances around the room and notices Satoru. A brief smile appears on her face when she realizes he’s up.
“Oh,” she says, “you’re awake”
Gojo grins faintly. “Wow. No ‘are you okay,’? You’ve got no bedside manners at all. You should learn from Nanamin over here.”
She walks over anyway, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You scared the shit out of me,” she says, taking his wrist into her hand, eyes moving towards the clock. “Don’t joke around, idiot.”
Once she finishes counting, her shoulders relax a bit. “Your heart rate is a little slower than normal… it’s nothing to worry about.”
Nanami clears his throat and stands up. “Did Yaga say anything?” Nanami asks.
Gojo’s eyes widened at this. “You told Yaga?”
“Yeah, and Suguru,” she replied.
“What why?” Gojo whines.
“Why wouldn’t I?” she flicks his forehead. “You passed out of nowhere.”
Turning to Nanami, she says, “He said he was gonna try and free up Satoru’s schedule tomorrow. But, considering how the higher up are… I doubt it’ll be completely freed.”
Nanami hums. “That’s good.”
“What?” Gojo asks, sitting up. “Hey—no way. I’m fine now.”
“You,” Shoko pushes him back down, “don’t get to decide that.”
After a moment of silence Shoko quietly adds, “You’ve been off for weeks. Just… we can do whatever you want, just get some rest.”
Gojo only looks away.