Chapter 7

Several weeks had passed since the coughing incident, and Matthias seemed to be getting a little better. He couldn't talk much and was on bed rest, but he had stopped coughing and drank a glass of water every day. Some days, Norway could get him to hold down a few crackers or a mouthful of porridge, but he still worried. He knew there was only so much improvement the Dane could make when he had no country to hold him up. That in itself brought his health down to an unsafe level.

Norway brought a plate of crackers into Matthias' room. "Are you awake? I brought breakfast."

A moan told him Matthias had not yet woken up. He set the tray down and shook the mass hidden under the blankets. Another moan escaped the mountain.

"You have to wake up," Norway warned.

Matthias groaned again. "No…"

"Yes." Norway pulled the sheets off him. Matthias screeched.

"Hey! What was that for! It's freezing in here! I need those sheets!"

"Then sit up and eat your breakfast. You need to get up today."

"Why? I've been okay lying here for so long!" The Dane begrudgingly sat up. "What if I can't stand?"

"You'll be able to stand. Besides, you are useless lying around all day, and I can't continue to do everything for the both of us. You need to help."

"Fine…" Matthias pushed himself forward and rested his hands in his lap. "Where's breakfast?"

"Right beside you, idiot."

"Right." Matthias laughed and pulled the tray toward him. His hands shaking, he lifted it up. The weight of it and the loss of his strength took his by surprise, and he dropped it. Norway lunged to catch it, barely grabbing the tray before it hit the ground.

"Why'd you let me drop it?" Matthias whined.

Norway frowned. "I didn't. I wanted you to pick it up yourself."

"But you know I'm… I'm…"

"Yes, and you need to build your strength."

"But Norge…."

"No buts. I'm taking you to the gym."

"There are gyms?"

"In my basement."

"I didn't know you had a gym!" Matthias' face brightened.

Norway nodded. "I found some at an abandoned gym and brought it here. I had to use the last of the gas in my car to get it back."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I needed it."

"But you're so strong. You wouldn't need a gym in your basement!" Matthias laughed.

"I did need it. I-"

"You what?"

"You remember, Matthias."

"Remember what?"

Norway looked at him. The man appeared genuinely confused. Then he realized they had never talked about what happened that day. Matthias got so sick afterward, and Norway never mentioned it again. Did the Dane really forget what happened that day?

"Nothing. I just really wanted a gym in my house that was safe to access. Now eat up, and I'll get you some clean clothes to wear." Norway left the room and walked to his closet. He kept several light outfits good for working out in inside a drawer. Surely, he would have something Matthias would fit into.

Norway found a longer pair of shorts and one of Matthias' old t-shirts and brought them back up to the Dane after dressing in his own workout attire. "Matthias, I have something for you to change into."

The moment he walked in the room, the Dane stared at him. His eyes widened and flicked to the side before coming to rest on Norway. On his legs, to be exact.

"It's rude to stare," Norway said. He tossed the clothes to Matthias. They hit him in the face, and he let out a grunt.

"And it's rude to hit people!" he shouted. "What was that for?"

"You'll get yourself hurt if you stare at people. They don't take it too lightly these days."

"Why's that?"

"You'll see. First, you need to get your health back."

"Why can't I see now?"

"You'll get eaten alive."

"I hope you're joking."

"Only mostly."

After getting dressed, Matthias and Norway made their way down to the basement. Norway had to help the other man stand up, but after they made it across the first floor, Matthias could take slow steps on his own.

"Next is the staircase. The elevator doesn't work anymore, so you'll need to learn how to to walk down the steps again."

Matthias nodded, not really hearing, for he was concentrating too much on taking small steps forward.

When Norway opened the door to the basement, he grabbed Matthias' elbow. "Grab onto the wall. I have to go down and light the candles before I help you."

"Candles?"

"You really are a dunce. The power has been out for nearly a year. I've been using candles to light anything." Norway made his way down to the basement and lit all the candles before returning to get Matthias. Going was slow, and he feared that by the time he got Matthias downstairs, it would be time to go back up for lunch. Maybe I should have just made this his exercise for the day. Walking must be really hard for him, after all. It was for me…

"What are we going to do first?" Matthias asked when they got to the bottom of the steps. His voice was wheezy and out of breath, but he wore a smirk across his face. His eyes sparkled with determination.

"What do you want to start with? I was thinking walking. I have a treadmill," Norway explained.

Matthias nodded. "That sounds great!"

And that was how the two of them began their journey to Matthias' final leg of recovery.