Don't ask how this came about. Just don't. I'm not even sure.
I don't own the Hetalia characters, obviously.
England wrung out the towel filled with water and placed it back on the forehead of the boy he was taking care of. America panted heavily but quietly, his eyes screwed shut in obvious pain, releasing a whimper every once in a while. England frowned as he attended to the shivering country. The room was dimly lit, to not bother the boy. Sitting beside England, looking at him in worry, was Canada, Japan, and Lithuania. Leaning against the wall looking just as concerned as the other countries was France. Kumajiro was curled up in the corner of the room, and the bowl filled with cold water was sitting on Canada's lap. None of them spoke to each other; there were no words to speak.
America was dying.
His country had finally collapsed under all the pressure and tension it had built up. His people had turned against each other, and produced bloodier baths than even some of the Civil War battles had been. The capital was burning, and every well-populated metropolis city across the country was being destroyed. The constant cries, deaths, burnings, shootings, everything had sent America to be bed ridden for nearly a week.
Canada had been the first to take notice of his brother and had flown down the minute he saw the country go to hell. He then contacted the others, alerting them that America was hurting. England and France had gone and grabbed Lithuania before heading out on a plane to cross the Atlantic ocean. By the time they had arrived, Japan was already there, assisting the Northern brother in taking care of the hurting country. England immediately took over the duties of caring for the nation. England had always cared for the boy when he was little, so it only seemed appropriate that he would do so again when hurt. It was only halfway through the week that they discovered that America wasn't collapsing; he was dying.
Each of the countries assembled to help the boy did everything they could to dispatch help to the dying country, and even talked other countries into helping America, but none of their efforts had any effect. The people were still falling in on each other. Historians always assumed that a country fell because of outside forces. For the most part, it was false. Mostly, outside forces were the ones to deal the final blow. What killed a nation was the problems that occurred internally.
England knew that a countries' glory never lasted long; they always fell and someone knew took their place. Only those of the ancient states had disappeared, and only China ever survived from the old times. To see a country dying before his eyes was something terrifying to England, especially a country he had raised since near-birth.
At first, the boy was screaming in pain, but by the end of the week, he had grown quieter. It was something terrifying, and England was almost tempted to see if China knew what to do in such a case. As England was moving the near-dry towel away from America's forehead, he noticed America's eyes flutter open.
"America?" England asked quietly.
The other four straightened, feeling their hearts clench. America's fever-hazed eyes blinked up at England.
"I-Iggy?" America asked in a small voice.
England's throat clenched for a moment at hearing the childhood name but he nodded.
"I'm right here America. So is Canada, Japan, Lithuania, and France," England said. "We're here."
America closed his eyes for a moment as another wave of pain ran through his body.
"It hurts... everything hurts Iggy," America whimpered.
"I-I know America. But you'll be fine. The nations are coming together to help you reco-"
"I don't ... I don't think... Everything hurts Iggy. I don't think I can last long," America whimpered.
"You'll be fine America," England said with a firm tone. The nations beside him tensed at hearing America's words. "Just hold on and wait a few more days and everything will be fine."
America blinked his eyes a couple times and looked up at England with a week smile.
"S-sorry. C-can't," he muttered weakly.
"Yes you will. You're America, the hero that doesn't give up!" England shouted.
America smiled weakened as his eyes closed once more.
"So-sorry. Not today. I just... I just want the pain to go away," America said, feeling tears enter his eyes. "Please... please make it go away. Please it hurts." America was crying now, looking more like a child. He then released a scream as he gripped his head with his fingers. He arched off the bed as his screaming continued. "Make them stop! Make them stop. Everything hurts. Everything burns. Make it all go away!" America cried as he settled back against the mattress. His skin was even paler from his scream and his eyes were red with tears. "Please," he cried. "Please make it all stop big brother. Please make it stop."
England felt tears roll down his cheeks as he heard America's pleas and couldn't bring himself to say a thing. He was at a loss. France frowned knowingly and gripped England's shoulders, getting the other nation's attention. The older nation was looking at his neighbor with a grim look, something that unsettled England greatly.
"Angleterre, may I speak to you outside?" he asked.
England looked conflicted, glancing over at America who's eyes had fallen as he rested from his episode. He felt another touch on his shoulder, and looked to find that it was Canada who was looking at him with a sympathetic look in his eyes, but a grim smile on his face.
"I think you need a breather, England," Canada said.
Canada knew the term America had used on England would affect the nation. This whole situation would probably send England into a spiral if the nation didn't collect his wits. Reluctantly, England nodded. Lithuania, Canada, and Japan were more than able to take care of the young nation while England was away. France and England stepped out of the room and into the hall, both blinking a few times to adjust to the lighting.
"Are you alright, Angleterre?" France asked.
"I... I don't know," England answered honestly.
He'd be horrified to know that he'd allowed his defenses down long enough to show his weakness in front of France, but he couldn't help it. With America dieing in the room beside them, there was no reason to hide; there was no way to hide. France looked at his younger brother with a sympathetic look. He had never seen a nation dissolve before his eyes. The closest nation he knew that that happened to was the Holy Roman Empire, but France had lost touch with him long before he disappeared. England had never faced such a horror.
"It's alright to feel that way, Angleterre," France encouraged.
"No it's not. It's silly. America will be fine," he said. "I shouldn't let this get to me. He'll be fine. He'll be fine. He survived the Civil War, he survived Pearl Harbor, he survived 9/11. He'll be fine."
France just watched England pace, listening to the bushy-browed nation try and convince himself that everything would be fine. He was in deep denial. France glanced at the door, knowing that from inside, America was being tortured by the crumbling of his nation at the hands of his people. Despite his optimism, even France wasn't sure that America would survive.
"Damn it France, stop looking like that!" England snapped, grabbing France's attention. "America will be fine!"
"Angleterre-"
He was stopped when the door opened and Lithuania's head popped out. He looked very pale and frightened, looking at England.
"He's... he's disappearing," he stuttered out.
England pushed his way back inside, eyes wide in fear. When he entered, he found America fading. The boy wasn't in pain, having his eyes open and smiling at Canada and Japan, the former of which was crying silently while Japan looked at him with dull eyes. England moved towards America's side slowly, a feeling of sickness curling in his stomach. America was disappearing; he was dying; he wouldn't survive. England felt his heart plummet, finding his words dying on his tongue. America must of sensed England's appearance because he opened his eyes briefly, glancing at England with a haziness in his eyes.
"It doesn't... it doesn't hurt anymore," America stated, sounding tired and lazy. "I'm not hurting."
England choked, unable to say a thing. Japan's head lowered as he said a tiny prayer for his dying friend. Canada had moved from his seat to be comforted by his old parent. Kumajiro was curled around his feet, providing the northern country comfort. Lithuania was openly crying, keeping his eyes off of America. The dying nation released a quiet laugh, sounding so innocent that it was heartbreaking.
"Take care of the world for me, yeah?" he asked in a hoarse voice, closing his eyes.
The action spurred England into action. He kneeled beside America's bed and began to shake him. The disappearing body was still tangible enough to grip.
"You are not about to die! You are the United States of America. Now wake up this minute!" England ordered. "You've never given up on anything before in your life, don't you dare give up now! America? America are you listening! Wake up! Wake up!"
America didn't stir, and his body was disappearing even more. Fear gripped England's heart as he sped up his ministrations.
"America wake up this instant! You're not allowed to die! Understand? Not allowed to die! America wake up!"
England's hands fell through America's shoulders and touched the soft mattress below, causing England to gasp in shock. Tears fell from his eyes as he glanced down at the disappearing figure.
"A-America?" he stuttered.
America's body disappeared before England's very eyes. England stared down at the emptiness in horror, feeling his eyes widen more than possible.
"No. No no no no no no no no!" England cried, his voice escalating in octave with each word. "America? America!"
The other nations remained as silent as possible. England wasn't so.
"No no no! This can't! No!" England cried.
"England," Japan murmured solemnly. "I am afraid there is nothing we can do."
"This isn't... He wasn't supposed to die," England stuttered.
"We will all miss him, Angleterre," France said, petting Canada's hair in comfort.
"This isn't fair. He's not supposed to die. He's supposed... he's supposed to outlive me! He's my son! I'm the parent! I'm supposed to go first while he lives for a long time and that's... that's just how it's supposed to be." England rambled.
"I am sorry, my friend," Japan said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
England shuddered. The tears continued to flow and land on the empty bed. The room fell into silence at the lost of a fellow nation.
People across the world would turn on the news the next morning and hear of America's fall at the hands of the people.
The nations that made up the world would learn of America's death.