Chapter 4: This is Hell

America yawned as he walked through the hospital's hallways, making his way to England's room. This would be one of the last time he walked through these halls, he was to take England home tomorrow. It made him happy, knowing that England would at least go to someplace familiar to him. However, when he got to the Brit's room, he frowned.

Just looking inside he could see it wasn't going to be a good day. He saw England sitting there hunched over a bit, his head in his hands, his elbows to his knees. Even if he had woken up, even with the time that had passed, England couldn't help but feel pain on certain days. These blazing head aches would hit him, hit him hard. He wouldn't be able to talk, he wouldn't be able to move, any loud sound, any bright light, anything would send him into horrible pain. It would last for hours, the only way to ride it out was for the doctors to knock him out or for him to just sit there and take it. America always heard him whimper if he stayed awake. He saw him sweat and twitch if he slept, there was no peace.

America opened the door as quietly as possible and closed it the same way, he could see England twitch with pain. He tried stepping over toward him and sitting as quietly as he could, he could hear the Brit whimpering again. He sat there for hours listening to him whimper and even sob, not saying a word or moving at all unless England wanted him too. Eventually, the pain calmed down and he was able to move again. America watched as he lifted his head from his hands and rubbed his temples, then carefully laid back and rested his head on the pillow. He took deep breathes, completely exhausted, then looked toward America a bit.

America looked at him with a frown and sad eyes. "H-How you feeling?" He asked softly. England closed his eyes and took another deep breathe. "I-I suppose…" England said. "How long did it last this time?" America looked at his watch. "I came about four hours ago."

"F-Four hours?"

"Yeah." America sighed. "It's better than yesterday though." England looked away a bit and sighed. "Hey, England, look on the bright side. You finally come out of the hospital tomorrow." England smiled a bit. "Yeah…" England looked toward the window. "But I don't know what's out there…"

"You do England." America said. "You just… Don't remember."

OOO

The next morning seemed to be so slow for him. He carefully got out of the bed, grabbed the bag of clothes on the chair, and headed toward the bathroom, stumbling a bit along the way with his vague memory of walking. For what was the first time for him, he looked in the mirror, he saw his own imagine. Messy blonde hair, bright emerald eyes, and of course his busy eyebrows. He looked at himself in confusion, nothing about him looked familiar, not a single thing. He had to lift his hand up and see the reflection do the same just to make sure it was really him. He stared at the mirror blankly until a knock on the door snapped him out of it. "Hey England, are you ready to go?" He could hear America's voice calling.

"A-Almost. I'll be out in a minute." he called back. He took the gown off and switched into new clothes, something else he barely seemed to remember. They felt itchy and strange but became used to it after he stretched a bit. He then opened the door up to America standing there with a smile on his face.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked. England gulped a bit and nodded. "Good. You don't have anything you want to take with you right?" England shook his head. "Then let's get a move on huh?" He grabbed onto England's hand and began to guide him out of the room. England looked around a bit, mostly in confusion. He followed the American through the halls and to the elevator, which seemed to scared him. America assured it was okay and held England's hand to keep him calm as they moved down. "Here, you should put these on." America reached into his pocket and took out a pair of sunglasses. "Their glasses."

"Glasses?" he looked at him. "Why glasses?"

"Their sun glasses. It might be a little too bright for you outside so these will help a bit." America handed them to him. "You don't want another head ache." England nodded and took the glasses. The door opened and they came out, walking toward the exit into a world unknown to England. He could see just how bright it was outside and put the glasses on. When America opened the doors, it hit him hard. He closed his eyes and even covered them with his hands, the light just seemed too bright, he froze. "E-England. Are… you okay?" he grabbed onto England's shoulder. "Is the head ache back?"

"N-no…" England took away his hands a bit. "I-I'm fine."

"Hey, don't push yourself okay?" America said. England slowly became used to the bright light as he managed to take his hands away and open his eyes again. "Are you good?"

"I-I think so…" he finally adjusted to the sun, but wouldn't dare take the glasses off. America grabbed onto his hand and began leading the way, England keeping up and following. "W-Where are we going?"

"Home." America said. "I'm taking you back to Britain, your country. We're gonna take a train, you remember what that is?" he looked back at the Brit. "Choo choo?"

"I-I think I know what it is."

"Good." America smirked. "After that we're gonna take a boat."

"A boat?…" England titled his head. "Isn't that for… water?"

"Yeah. England, your country is an island." America said. "You're sounded by water." England gulped with that new fact, he could tell right now he wouldn't like it. America called down a taxi and made their way to the train station, he noticed how nervously uncomfortable England looked though. He helped England out of the car and paid the driver, then guided him into the station. He knew that England would probably have a head ache, the station was crowded and loud, every time he looked at England he could see the Brit twitch a bit. America quickly got tickets as England sat on the bench and tried to ignore the sounds. He came back and handed England a ticket and his passport. "You need these, kay?" England nodded.

"So how long until I'm home?" he looked at the passport and stood up.

"Err, bout ten hours." America nervously laughed a bit. England slowly looked up at him. "T-There's a long distance. D-don't worry! It'll go back fast."

"Aren't um… airplanes faster?" England asked.

"They are. But the doctor said it wasn't a good idea for you to be flying." America explained. "So this is the best option." England sighed but nodded.

OOO

"World war two." America said. "The bad guys, axis powers, who were they?" America sat across from the Brit, the small table between them. He was trying to get England to remember something, anything at all. He had told him before, then questioned him an hour or two later, seeing if he remembered anything more. But it seemed like nothing sunk in.

England tried thinking about it. "Um… Germany… France…"

"France was on the good side."

"Um… then… Spain?"

"Spain was neutral."

"… Japan?"

America smiled. "Yes! Very good! Now there's one more."

England tried thinking about it more. "… It's not you right?"

"No!"

"Um…" England gulped a bit, he barely remembered who he was talking about. "…Canada?"

"No not him. But someone you wouldn't suspect." America said, England only looked at him with a stupid look. "…PASTA~!"

"Italy?"

"Correct~" America smiled. "Now who was the big guy that pretty much started the war and called the shots?"

"Wilson?"

"That's my president, he was not a mass murderer." America glared.

"Adoof?"

"You mean Adolf?"

"…Yes?" England looked completely confused. "Hitler?…"

"Close enough." America sighed. "What nation was he from?"

"…Nazi Germany?"

"Germany is right, but it wasn't called 'Nazi' Germany." America took out a small bag of peanuts. "Nazis were soldiers Hitler pretty much created."

"So the Germans were all Nazis?" England looked around and then panicked a bit. "Are all these people Nazis! ?" America could see the other passengers, almost all of them German, look toward them with glares and even frightened looks.

"HAHAHA! Stop talking nonsense! Hahaha!" He grabbed England by his collar and pulled him down. "No!"

"O-Okay." England gulped a bit. America sighed.

"England. Are you actually remembering any of this? Or are you just repeating what I already told you?" America looked at him, England frowned and looked down. "Yeah… I thought so…"

"I-I'm sorry. I'm trying I just-"

"You need time." America stood up. "Look we've been at this for a while. How about you get some rest okay? Take a nap or something, your head must hurt huh?" England nodded. "Get some rest, I'll be right back." England nodded again and laid back in his seat as America walked into the bathroom in the back. He closed the door behind him and took out his phone, then called someone.

"Al what's up?" He could hear Matthew yawn with Kumajirou in the background complaining.

"He's not remembering anything." America sighed. "I'm trying to get him to remember anything and it just won't work. All he remembers is the things I tell him."

"Give him some time." Canada said. "He hasn't been awake that long and there was a lot of damage done."

"I know… But I'm just wondering if he'll remember anything at all…"

"He does already."

"What?" America questioned.

"He remembers your name, Al." Canada said. "That's something to go off on. His memory is still there. He still remembers you. I say that means something."

America tried to smile. "Yeah… Maybe you're right…" He sighed. "I really need something to eat…"

Canada giggled. "And here I thought you were acting a little weird."

"Yeah I've been pretty serious lately huh?…" America frowned. "I just… I'm worried… I want him to remember… I was so close to losing him and-" he stopped himself. "Mattie what's with me?"

"What's with you?" he questioned. "You're acting like an adult. You're taking things to heart."

"Yeah I guess…" America sighed again. "Alright… I'll let you go bro. Talk to ya later."

"Yeah, bye Al."

"Bye." America hung up his phone and stood there for a moment before going back to England. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped once he realized England had actually fallen asleep. He smiled a bit and sat back in his seat across from him. He took out his Ipod and put head phones on, figuring he should try to relax as England did. He got comfortable in his seat and closed his eyes. However, England twitched a bit in his sleep though. His fingers flinched, his eyes twitched, he even panted a bit.

OOO

The bombs went off again, closer and closer each time. Men were shot, blown to bits, murdered. Soldiers either ran toward the danger or quickly away, losing all sense of direction or sanity. "Retreat!" He yelled. "Retreat now!" The German tanks came storming across the field, crossing over the bodies of young men who never deserved to die. The soldiers tried to run as quickly as possible, some falling to the tank's rage. He tried leading his own men back to where it was safe. They jumped back into the trenches, machine guns blasting out at the tanks, soldiers still putting their lives out for their country.

He jumped back in and ordered his men to keep shooting, aim for any weakness, for the German soldiers behind those tanks. They shot their guns as he did with his, all the bullets simply bouncing off the tanks. That's when they shot it. The bomb over the dead bodies and into the trench. He yelled for everyone to run, move out of the way, get cover, as it went off.

He wasn't used to any of this. The bombs, the tanks, all these new weapons developed within the last few years, most of his life was spent with a bow and arrows or a sword, never like these. The pain struck through, he could feel his blood splattering onto the dirt. He couldn't hear a thing, nothing at all. He kept his eyes open though, trying to grab the situation. It wouldn't seem to work though, it couldn't work. He could feel the blood dripping down his head, the pain striking through his chest with his breathing thinning and becoming harder. His body shook but began to feel numb.

Everything went black….

He opened his eyes to day light, something he didn't think he would see again after that horrible night. His hearing was still off but he could at least hear, hear the sounds of dying and weak screams, then his name being called. His eyes were too heavy, he could barely keep them open. He started to close them just as a figure ran toward him, another young solider, one person he really knew. "Arthur! ! !"

He managed to wake up again quickly, seeing the young America trying to help him. Alfred pressed down on his wounds, wounds he couldn't even feel anymore. He tried stopping the blood but it wouldn't stop, it kept coming and coming. It became black once again. He could hear Alfred still talking though, he slowly began to come back, this time on the America's back. He carried him out, talking to him in any way he could, calming him. "England?"

"Hell…" England chocked out. "This place… is hell…" America continued to carry him out until he reached other men, laying him down and letting medics help him. America began to back up but England quickly grabbed onto his sleeve. "Their gonna help you, Arthur." He could hear. "It'll be okay." Slowly, he became numb; his hand let go and fell….

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

MERP DONE

Thank you for reading this~ :D I own no characters.

But yuppers, taking Iggy home and its memory time *woooo*

I'll be updating soon ^^

And yeah, the ending was a WW2 flashback in England's dream btw ; )