Matter of Time chap one

It was time for another day, as Ivan sat up in his bed. He got up and put on his

clothes, a baggy brown button up shirt with khaki trousers tucked into his brown

leather bootlegs. He threw on his overcoat and his beloved scarf before checking

himself over.

'No injuries are showing, so I'm ready for another agonizing day.' Ivan then

snapped back into reality, as he had gotten lost inside his mind.

He walked out of his real cherry wood doorway, and down to the meeting room,

which had a large table, covered in cloth and doilies for all the other nations

to be seated at. He then took his solitary seat, all others being at least one

space away, so that no one was forced to sit near the 'scary and merciless'

Russia. Ivan sighed, as his depression had been taking its toll lately.

He had not been eating, and his clothes began to grow saggy on his emaciated

body. He wore his formless overcoat to hide the fact. No one but him was

informed of this knowledge.

The other nations began to fill in, America being the last. Everyone rolled

their eyes as Alfred adjusted the microphone, anticipating another stupid idea.

The chatter that the extravagant room was immersed in died down as Alfred began

his ridiculous banter.

The meeting had ended, and Ivan was feeling more pained than normal. His

heart ached, his eyes watered, and his face dimmed. It seemed as if he could

bathe the whole room he was in, his bedroom, in a catatonically depressing and

forlorn aura. Ivan didn't feel like talking to anyone, he was too sad.

Ivan didn't know what to do as his crimson blood slithered out of his arm to

the floor. He had a habit if slicing his skin whenever he got distressed, for it

calmed him. Apparently Ivan had cut too deep and was now bleeding profusely, and

he couldn't stem the flow. His self-inflicted wound bled and bled, and after a

bit, Ivan hit the wooden floor with a loud thud. The only one to look and see

what happened was Germany, who was shocked and astounded at what he saw. Ludwig

looked Ivan over, and noticed two long slits on his left forearm.

"Why would you do this, Ivan?" The German muttered to himself. Ludwig picked

Ivan up, which was slightly difficult, as Ivan was still bigger than him,

despite his lost appetite. Ludwig then took the Russian to his car, and buckled

him in. He drove to the emergency ward and hauled Ivan in with him. The

receptionist took his request, and Ivan was soon on a gurney being wheeled into

the intensive care unit. Ludwig followed the doctors into the room, waiting for

them to examine Ivan and take all his vitals. One doctor knew that Ivan needed a

blood transfusion, and requested the supplies to do it.

"Your friend here has lost a critical amount of blood. We're giving him more

though, so he should be okay. Did he do this to himself, or was it assault?" The

one doctor, Jeremy, asked. "He did this, but I have no clue why he would. He may

be depressed, because I've seen everybody bully him and treat him like a

psycho." Ludwig replied.

"Maybe he might need some counseling to get things straightened out. If he

doesn't stop, he will have to go to the psychiatric unit." Jeremy warned. The

doctors hooked up an intravenous unit to Ivan's wrist, supplying his body with

blood. Ivan was still passed out, his body too exhausted to wake up.

After a few days, Ivan was out of the hospital. Ludwig kept a close watch on

him, as he did not want Ivan in a mental ward. Ludwig knew how terrible those

places were, how horrible they treated patients. Tying people up like inhuman

beasts, and doping them up so much they could barely walk. So Ludwig decided to pretty much be Ivan's counselor. He went downstairs, finding Ivan on the couch crying. He went to see what the problem was, and Ivan nearly lashed out at him. After he realized it was just Ludwig, he calmed down, allowing Ludwig to talk to him. "What are you crying for?" Ludwig questioned. "Everybody hates me, and nobody wants to be my friend!"

Ivan then piled into Ludwig's arms, screaming and crying. He began to calm down after a while, and Ludwig began to speak. "I will be your friend, I like you for who you are." Ivan's eyes widened. "Oh, thank you so much! You have NO idea how much that means to me! Nobody loved me, and nobody ever cared about me! All the rumors people spread about me are lies, I am not a psycho who will bash your head in."

Later, Ludwig decided to make some supper. He made beef stew, with carrots and celery. Ivan came downstairs, smelling the delicious concoction. "I made beef stew, if you like it you can eat some if you want." Ludwig invited. "Oh no thanks, I'm not hungry…" Ivan fibbed. "Don't you dare say you're not hungry, because I know it's a lie! Your clothes have gotten saggy, and your cheeks have sunken in! I know what's going on!" Ludwig scolded.

Later that evening, after Ludwig unceremoniously forced Ivan to eat, he had been thinking. 'Am I really committed to this? I bet it'll be hard, but it's for Ivan's good.' He jumped, as there was a loud knocking on his door. "Yes? Come in." Ludwig shouted. It was Ivan, not surprisingly. "Hey, Ludwig, can I talk to you about something?" Ivan asked. "Why not?" Ludwig said. "I've been extremely depressed lately, and that's why I cut myself… It felt like a release of pain with every drop of blood spilling out of me, and I didn't know how to stop. I'm sorry I caused you all this worry, I thought nobody would find out about it."

Ludwig's expression softened. He never knew Ivan was in so much pain, he did too well hiding it all. Ludwig never expected all of the drama that was going on presently. "I came to see you because I felt like doing it again…" Ivan started crying on Ludwig, who just sat there on his bed and held Ivan. It produced an aching in his heart that he could not explain. It hurt Ludwig to see Ivan like that, and he was determined to make him happy again somehow.

"Ludwig… I'm not sure what to do… I just feel so sad inside, it's like someone took my heart and ripped it to shreds…" Ivan vented. Ludwig was not sure what to do, as he was never good at emotional stuff. Ivan was soon finished, and bid Ludwig adieu. But the event didn't end for Ludwig. 'I wish I could make him happy, but nobody else cares…' Ludwig was so deep in thought that his ramblings blocked out the loud noise from outside.

END CHAPTER