Earthquake

Sunlight poured in through the open window as a soft breeze ruffled through the sleeping nation's hair.

"Nnnn… Kiku… hm?"

Waking up slowly, Greece opened his eyes when he felt no-one sleeping beside him. The empty space on the bed confused him. Japan always woke up before him, but usually Japan would lie and wait for Greece to wake up.

"Kiku..?" Greece called out, sitting up. He wasn't in the room, but he was sure Japan wouldn't have just wandered off… Swinging his legs over the bed Greece stood up and stretched. "Kiku?"

He found Japan in the en suite bathroom, clutching the side of the bath and shaking.

"Kiku?" Greece could tell something was wrong as he stepped over to the small nation. He was very pale and seemed to be struggling for breath. This was serious. Greece frowned as he pressed a hand against Japan's forehead, which wasn't hot like he expected, but cold. They weren't affected the same way others were. They didn't fall ill in the same way, and couldn't easily be injured. Unless he was being attacked…

"Hold on!" Greece rushed back into the bedroom and turned on the television. There was nothing on the news; the focus was on sport at the moment.

He left the TV on in the hope something would show up and started pacing, thinking about what to do. He grabbed his mobile off of the bedside table and went back to Japan.

He held onto his lover's shoulder as Japan shook and coughed violently. Japan felt weak, and his legs were like jelly, offering no support as he clung onto the side of the bath with what little strength he had left, leaning into Greece's hold. Who could I call…? Greece thought to himself. France wouldn't be able to tell me anything, and I don't really know the other's that well… Turkey - no, just…no, even if he is friends with Kiku… Greece quickly shook the thought from his mind. Maybe America? Or China might know. Feeling better about making a decision, Greece dialled and was glad when he heard America pick up moments after.

"Hello?"

"Ah, America? It's Greece."

"Oh, hey Greece. What's up?"

"Listen, is there anything on the news at the moment? Something's wrong with Japan…"

"Um…" Greece heard a faint buzz on the other end as America turned on the television.

"No… I don't think–" Greece growled under his breath. Didn't anyone know anything?

"–ah, wait! There's… God… Um, you've got to get him help, now."

"What?" Greece felt fear grip him.

"There's been an earthquake. 8.8… no, 8.9 on the Richter scale. It's horrible…" America sounded horrified, and with that Greece hung up, throwing his phone to the floor.

"Kiku, Kiku! How long have you been here?"

"Uh… A few hours… maybe…?" Japan looked over his shoulder at Greece with a weak smile. "I woke up at some point… ah!" The Asian nation started retching and coughing horribly, his body convulsing as Greece held him.

"Kiku, you need to tell me! God…"

Japan couldn't answer as more bile forced its way up his throat. He couldn't feel Greece holding him now as he gasped for breath. He felt numb, slipping down as his legs detached. Greece clung onto his lover, pulling him back onto his feet. When Japan fell down again, Greece just sat him down on the floor, mopping away the sweat on his forehead with a towel he took down from the hook on the wall.

Japan moaned painfully, feeling the strangest sensation as if his lungs were filling up with liquid. He gasped, clinging to Greece's shoulders as he felt his heart stop momentarily, starting its regular rhythm again feebly.

"Kiku!" Greece could see the strength fading from the nation as he slumped back against the bath.

Greece hadn't felt this fired up in years. There was no way he was going to let anything else happen. Damn… He picked up his mobile and phoned the emergency services, practically hissing down the phone whilst giving the details.

"Damn it!" Japan could be dying and there wasn't anything he could do about it! Where were all the others? Don't they care?

"Her-Hera…" Japan breathed quietly as he watched Greece slam his fists against the wall. He had never seen the nation so angry. "Heracles, just–" Japan had to pause to cough, spitting a mixture of mucus and blood onto the floor, much to his disgust. Greece turned instantly to Japan's side, gripping the man's hands so tightly that even he could feel the dull ache through the numbness.

"Just stop…" Japan finished meekly, passing out.

Greece sat beside the hospital bed, watching the slow rise and fall of Japan's chest. The doctors had been baffled at how he had been injured. There were no physical signs and no external wounds to explain his condition. How could they explain? Japan's lungs were filled with water which had to be pumped out and several bones fractured without cause.

China was standing outside the room arguing with the doctors to let Greece stay by his side for the day, along with Russia and America. Tsunami warnings had been issued for many eastern nations and others across the Pacific, but instead of staying with their people, several that were able came to the hospital to support Japan instead. Greece felt a twinge of guilt after calling them useless and uncaring before.

Greece turned around to see America walking in the room to stand beside him.

"The President offers his deepest condolences and said we'll offer any assistance needed. We'll give you any help you need, Japan. There's already help on the way…" America didn't even realise he had repeated himself as he looked down at his friend's pale body on the hospital bed. It was an awful sight to see all these tubes sticking out of him, and the sound of the heart rate monitor recording the sound of his beating life wasn't nearly as comforting as he thought it would be.

"We're all here to help… I'm sorry I can't stay," America turned to face Greece, who wore a mask of stone as not to break down, "but I need to go check on everything; the west coast was hit, but not badly... Oh, the doctors are letting you stay for a while. I'm sorry, Greece. Keep an eye on him for me."

"Mm. Thanks, America…" Greece replied with a hint of happiness, the first he had given since Japan was struck down.

With a nod of approval from one of the doctors, Greece switched on the small television on the table, making sure to keep the volume low so as not to wake Japan.

The reports were horrible: major flooding across the east prefectures with a huge amount of infrastructure destroyed, fires on the coast of Kesennuma city, one third of which was underwater, nuclear reactors shut down automatically, with a state of emergency declared at one plant because of the pressure levels and yet more fires in an oil refinery… Everything was just such a mess.

8.9 on the Richter scale… a quake that lasted for two minutes 8,000 times more powerful than the one which struck Christchurch, New Zealand. And the tsunami… How did it feel for Japan to be hit by a 10 metre high wave moving at 800 kilometers per hour… Greece didn't even want to think about it.

This was only going to get worse with the aftershocks and further damage from the tsunami…

Greece sighed and turned off the small box that gave only bad news, sitting down beside Japan again. He gripped his love's hand tightly. It was all he could do.

I actually felt scared seeing the reports on the news. So of course I wrote an angsty GreecexJapan fic. Typical.

Go read up on it people, it is not pretty. I got the stats and stuff from the news reports so hopefully it is accurate enough.

I wish there hadn't been a reason to write this fic… ._.