Lithuania knew Latvia was getting hurt.
That was an understatement.
NoItsFineIgnoreHimHisProblemJustHurtAllAreHurtDontThinkLikeThat!
Lithuania shuts his eyes, taking a breath to calm his mind.
Correction.
Latvia was getting ripped apart, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Shushshushdon'tithurtsshhhhe'sfineallfine!
Lithuania jerks his head and squeezes the bridge of his nose tightly. He was still trying to control his breathing, but it seemed to be getting faster.
That wasn't good. They'd get louder, the red, it would hurt soon. If he didn't stop. They wanted him to stop. Temperamental. Shhh.
Lithuania began shaking his head very hard, his dusty brown hair swishing wildly and tips stinging his face. It was as though he was convinced he could shake out the extra noises in his head. He could. Couldn't. No. Harder.
He ended up smashing his face into the wall he'd been leaning against before that odd feeling in his head had tensed him up and he'd subconsciously leaned forward. He gingerly presses his palm over it, feeling his cheek bones ache and the skin stinging rawly in the cool hallway air.
"Lithuania?"
He turns and blinks at Estonia. Where had he come from?
The thought vanishes, though, when Estonia peers closer to inspect the damage.
"Good, it doesn't look like it'll bruise, though I can't really be sure." He smiles lightly. "Have a fight with that wall? Using fists hurts less than using your face."
The corner of his lips turn down however, when Lithuania's gaze becomes vacant an his head droops down. "You need your medication don't you?" Estonia says quietly and pulls out a bottle. He dumps out a pill, then touches Lithuania's arm to see if he was capable of doing it himself this time. When he doesn't react, Estonia tilts his head back and gently pulls down his jaw. "I know. I know you hate it, but you need to take it. It'll make you feel better," Estonia sympathizes when the brunette shifts uncomfortably and makes a disapproving noise. The northern nation presses the pill down into his throat and, with a bit of difficulty, Lithuania swallows.
Estonia coaxes Lithuania into sitting down, and the taller nation pulls his knees in and scratches his arms insistently for a while.
They sit in the silence for a while. The pressure and tension emanating from upstairs was almost crushing, and Estonia shuts his eyes and tries to block out the thoughts of that soundproof room where the youngest of the threesome was being held.
When the medication kicks in, Lithuania blinks tiredly up at the blond and receives a reassuring smile. "Sorry," he mumbles.
Estonia shakes his head dismissively. He'd already seen the worse side to Lithuania's psychosis. Catching it so early and in such a docile state was a nice break from past episodes, where he would often thrash or break down in a torrent of loud sobs that would attract the owner of the house.
As long as he could protect them, even if he did a poor job of it, they would be fine.
The sound of bolts unlocked and a door swung open steals their attention, and they wait silently for the heavy footfalls of steel toed boots to travel downstairs and vanish inside the office before sneaking up with hurried speed.
The door left ajar did nothing to hide the pathetic whines of the crumpled child inside. Estonia, followed by Lithuania, move quickly to his side. Lith couldn't keep his eyes from locking on the small form, already filling with dread and empathy, as he knew all too well what it was like to be in the younger's roll. He wasn't in control of himself well enough to help Estonia as he ran over Latvia's injuries, but he began to murmer comfort to the crying child to try and be helpful.
Estonia lightly runs his fingers over the shredded, bloody clothing hanging off Latvia's frail body, then carefully slides his arms around him, hoping to avoid hurting the boy too much. The frantic quivering that ran through Latvia's bony form was sombering as Estonia picks him up and carries the limp boy to their shared room, Lithuania following him.
-.+
He sighs and shifts stiffly at the end of the bed, careful not to disturb the two sleeping nations laying under the comforters. It had been enough trouble getting them asleep.
Estonia rub his eyes and gazes around the bleak, dark room with a haggard look on his face. This was getting to be too much. Juggling the care of his two brothers, avoiding Russia, and the normal work around the house was taking its toll on his sleep-deprived nerves. It was too much stress for one man.
It was so unfair! Why should the other nations be flourishing around them when they were being repressed by their sadistic landlord?! Was it fair that Lithuania suffered from all of anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations from the things Russia forced him through?! Was it fair that Latvia could no longer find the words to speak, only making wounded animal sounds as he shook from tremors easily rivaling frightened rabbits? Was it fair that Estonia had treated so many of their wounds, yet still he could only watch helplessly as Russia ruined them all over again? Was it fair that Estonia spent his nights awake, going back and forth between two nation's night terrors?
He sighs again, feeling so worn. No. It wasn't. It never was. But the game continued without any good end in sight.
Latvia's shifting and soft whimpers drag Estonia from his thoughts and he slides over to the upset boy. Despite his calming, Latvia's cries elevate into wailing sobs and the small nation clings to his shirt, despret for relief from the phantoms behind his eyelids.
Somehow, Estonia eventually sooths him back into sleeping peacefully, and he strokes the hair of his traumatized brothers for a few moments before sliding back to his spot at the end of the bed.
He'd protect them and hold their sanity together... or die trying.