content: hero x villain whump, magical whump, suffocation mention, burns mention, frostbite mention, amputation mention, temporary side effects, gore, medical whump
“Next!” Medic called as they helped guide one of their team members out — they’d used their light magic way too much and had gone temporarily blind. They had a white cane for these sorts of occasions, but they were always grateful to be taken by the hand and led out of the medical room.
It’d been a busy day. Another team member had nerve damage in their hands from their electrical magic, yet another had burns from fire magic. One of them kept coughing up salt water; at some point, their lungs would fill up with it and make them suffocate, which they were warned of, but decided it was a price they were willing to pay.
And the next patient… Oh dear. Hero. With yet more giant holes in their palms.
“Hey, Doc…” they said awkwardly as they shuffled into the medical room. They were a nature magic user, except using their magic constantly left them more injured than if Villain had actually gotten in a few hits. The thing was… Those things they summoned? The vines and thorns? They had to be pushed out through the skin, leaving it inflamed and susceptible to infections.
“I told you to leave,” Medic said as they closed the door and went to check out the wounds. “This line of work isn’t for you. Your magic is debilitating.” The holes in Hero’s palms were deep and dirty. They had to wash it out.
“I didn’t think you were serious.”
Medic gave them a look. “You know I was serious. Hop off the table and come with me to the sink.”
Hero did as told, without saying a word. They were shaking a little. If Medic had to guess, washing out the dirt from the wounds wasn’t exactly Hero’s favourite part either.
“We have more than enough people on our team,” Medic went on as they turned on the tap and started with removing all the dirt. Hero winced and squeezed their eyes shut. “Villain and their little minions stand no chance. So really, we don’t need your services.”
“I saved a mother and her child today,” they said through gritted teeth. “They would’ve been crushed by debris if I wasn’t there.”
“I’m sure the team would’ve taken care of them.”
“I’m needed.”
Medic turned off the tap and guided Hero back to the table to sit. “You’re sacrificing too much,” they said as they dabbed the wounds dry. Then they grabbed a generous helping of gauze and stuffed it into one of the holes before wrapping it up in bandages.
“That’s what a hero does, no? I’ve been chosen. I can’t just go on with my life as though I wasn’t blessed with some otherworldly powers.” Their hand was shaking as they endured Medic’s not necessarily rough but stern handling.
“You’re ridiculous. You have a bigger saviour complex than even your ego. I’m telling you: this line of work isn’t for you. You’re sacrificing too much.” They stuffed gauze into the other hole, wrapping that up as well.
“I’m never gonna give up, you know. Not now, not twenty years down the line. This is my purpose.”
“You magic users are all the same,” they grumbled. “Always with your ‘purpose’. I’ve had to cut off Teammate’s hand after they got bad frostbite from using their magic too much. I had to watch them cry and writhe and curse me out for doing it. That’s when they finally realised they couldn’t do this. When will you realise?”
Hero was quiet for a long moment. “Maybe I won’t be able to do this forever. But for the time being, I can. And I’ll never forget how that mother looked at me.”
Medic sighed. “Of course.”
They were silent for a little while before Hero hopped off the table. “See you next time.”
“Keep the magic usage to a minimum!” they called after them. “And tell them to send in the next one!”
