Title: The Life Criterion
Author: Barkinglot
Genre: Drama. Hurt/Comfort. Romance?
Pairing: America/England
Rating/Warnings: PG for language and medicine(?)
Summary: Alfred, a junior doctor, was new to his job at a small sanatorium hospital called Brehmer. There he met this patient about his age, Arthur Kirkland, whom later Alfred was assigned to look after. Would Alfred be able to treat Arthur for the consumptive disease? Would Arthur be cured? What would happen to them during the course of treatment?
Original request: hetalia-kink_livejournal_com / 13943.h tml?thread= 4334071# t34334071 (replace _ with . )
The name Brehmer was taken since the first tuberculosis sanatorium was opened in 1854 in Görbersdorf, Germany (today Sokołowsko, Poland) by Hermann Brehmer.
This was my first Hetalia story. Hope you will enjoy.
The Life Criterion
Prologue
The sanatorium stood upon a green hill, surrounded by thick woods, and was barely in sight from distance. It was a building full of history, old and antique and facing south. The roads, paved with thin asphalt, lead to the main hall through the meadow and bushes like a winding gray stream. Its interior, however, was amazingly new. Alfred was stunned on his first arrival. He hadn't expected greetings from the shiny high-tech front desk and the modern hallway.
He started his first year of residency here in Brehmer Sanatorium, now called Brehmer Hospital, spending most of his time in the new hospital wing. He was perfectly aware that it's not usual for a junior doctor to work at a sanatorium-hospital, but a professor he knew suggested he start his residency at Brehmer.
"You've been rushing, Alfred my friend. I think it's time for you to slow down a little." It was hardly a surprise. Alfred had been quite a standout during his college years. Successful and exceptional, he got his degree and license in the same year at the age of twenty six.
So he understood, really, though the idea of slowing down always left him in unease. It was like he was being lazy. Shunning work and duty he should have born and having others deal with the weight. It was not right. But still he took the advice. Not that he was tired or anything. That's something he had seen coming and knew he could handle.
"Take it as a challenge." The professor had said, "When you leave Brehmer, you'll look old enough to seem reliable. Let's see whether you could slow down yet stay . . . what's the word . . . awesome?"
His supervisor was Honda Kiku, an Asian man who looked much younger than his actual age. And Abe told me to slow down, Alfred thought when they first met, when there are people looking younger than me working their asses off. Despite his deceiving appearance, Kiku was nice, kind to guide, and patient to explain. They got along pretty well. Besides Kiku knew Alfred's way of learning. Most of the time he only gave brief instructions and left Alfred plenty of time to practice. "Professor Lincoln spoke highly of you. I'm afraid there is little I can teach you." he smiled and went on. "Experience is all I can assure of you here."
There were many reasons why people become doctors. To know. To save lives. To make a difference. But none of these was the reason why Alfred F Jones chose medicine as his profession. To him, there was only one reason, always had been. It was to prove.
Alfred became a doctor because he could.
As a boy of nothing he was the only one who could reach the highest branch all other kids dreaded to approach. ("Al! Get down! You'll break your neck!") He never fell. He never let down or backed down. By getting A pluses and hitting home-runs he proved it to them. Again and again. They all looked at him in awe and he seldom disappointed. It never occurred to him exactly why even in his rare solitude. All he knew was not many people were able to reach the height.
But surely he could and he would. That's good enough for him.
So Alfred took the challenge, as he always did.
He was going to show them.