A series of dark Hetalia tales that have to do with dark parts of history. I'll be using this whenever I'm not sure how to update my other stories, because that happens a lot...
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Agonizing screams and loud sobbing was not uncommon to come from the Miller home. It was a medium sized estate, located less than a half mile from the cemetery. And it was rarely ever quiet. It was the doctor's home, that's why. All day, Jordan Miller and his little, clingy assistant, Alfred Jones, worked on patients. Surgery, disinfecting wounds, or simple check ups. Always so busy.
...
Alfred breathed frantically as he ran, carrying a dripping rag along with him. He quickly hopped up the steps and opened the door. Weak whimpering become audible. Rounding the corner into the spare room, he saw the pitiful scene. A girl, no older than him, wheezing, coughing, sweating, huffing, with a pink face. She shook and gripped the bedsheets, as if it'd comfort her somehow. Dr. Millers was mixing herbs before he noticed his young helper.
"Boy, get in, hurry up with that rag!"
He nodded with a sound to replace the word "yes" and placed the wet rag on the sick child's head. She sighed in relief, but still looked uncomfortable. The fever could barely be controlled, with not much help from the cool piece of cloth, and her chest and lungs refused to function properly. The girl looked at Alfred with desperate, pleading eyes. Something most patients have given the boy, but it was different seeing it from a child his age. He bit his lips.
"Mr. Miller, what're you mixing there?" Alfred asked.
The doctor shook his head.
"I'm testing mixes, I don't know what else to do."
Alfred glanced over at the shaking, wheezing child. Then back at Miller.
"She'll die?" he asked quietly.
"...yes, most likely..." he answered with a grimace.
The girl hacked loudly, spewing out blood in all directions. Alfred took his dirty handkerchief and gently wiped the sticky, crimson substance off of her face. She shook at the touch, and curled up into a small ball. She glanced at Dr. Miller, then at Alfred, then down at her shivering body. She looked so sufferable. It was too hard to look at, it brought tears to Alfred's eyes.
"I-I'm sorry..." he whispered. "We can't save you...I...I am really sorry..."
Miller looked over at Alfred.
"I'm going out to get the parents. They should be informed."
Alfred nodded shakily as his superior stepped out of the room. He looked back to the girl who was gazing at him. She smiled weakly before coughing painfully once again. Alfred took out his dirty handkerchief once more and cleaned her face.
"It...s...o...k...ay..." she managed to mutter.
He shook his head.
"No it's not! One patient after the other, everyone dies, the cemeteries are crowding, I don't know what to do, these horrid diseases are absolutely impossible to cure!" he cried.
The girl's bone fingers felt for Alfred's arm. She grasped it as hard as her weak body could grasp.
"It...s...o...k...ay..." she repeated. Her reassurance was failing to cheer him up.
He shook his head again but didn't argue.
He felt her hold on his arm loosen. He noticed her eyes losing light. They slowly dimmed until she looked absolutely lifeless. Before her heart completely stopped, a small stream of blood began to drip out of her mouth. Alfred stood there for a moment before pushing down the dead child's eyelids. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two coins, and he put them over the closed eyelids.
About four minutes later, Dr. Miller came in with a man and a woman. They looked over at the lifeless girl and the boy sitting against the wall, looking completely lost.
- Okay! So, earlier United States of America. At that time, new diseases were settling in that they weren't medically prepared for. Often, people who got sick, like with the flu or even the common cold, didn't make it. Especially children. Most of the medicine that existed at the time was to "keep things in", "push things down", or "push things up", so the immune system did most of the work in healing. Because of all of this, cemeteries crowded. That, and accidents, like hatchet accidents and stuff. Interesting fact, they used leeches to suck out infection from the wounds. It was very helpful.