*Sings* I'm alive! I'm alive! (Kuroshitsuji FTW!)
Erik: Nony!
Me: Oh, right, sorry. Great news people! Chapter 12 is complete! It has been deemed good by my beta who is awesome as Prussia. I apologize yet again for leaving you all hanging for so long. So without further ado, chapter 10!
Henrik: Nony. You're forgetting something important
Me: What?
Henrik: The disclaimer
Me: Nyeh. Russia! Can you do the disclaimer?
Russia: Hetalia does not belong to this glupaya devochka (silly girl). If it did, *evil smile* all would have become one with Russia lng ago, da?
Me: *smiles as evily as Russia* Da~
"Lukas!"
Mathias felt as though his heart had dropped when he heard the shooting begin, but now that he hears Elizabeta's cry, he thinks his heart will stop. The sound of another gunshot snaps Mathias out of his trance. Not caring what he'd been told-to stay outside-he rushes into the house, gun at the ready. The scene that "greets" him shocks him.
Vash, who has a piece of cloth tied around his upper arm, cuffs Natalya Arlovskaya's hands behind her back. A small crowd consisting of Elizabeta, Berwald, and a crying Tino crouches around a still figure on the floor.
Mathias rushes over, pushing Berwald, who's trying to comfort Tino, and Tino out-of-the-way. His heart constricts. Lukas lies on the floor, blood pouring out of the bullet wound on his chest. his face is paler than usual and his indigo eyes seem duller. His breathing is ragged and uneven.
"Lukas!" Tears sting Mathias's eyes. He gets down to his knees. "Lukas."
The Norwegian peers up at him. "M-Mathias," he wheezes. "T-the Sov-viet House. Find I-da. Tell her that I'm sorry."
Who? Mathias wonders. To Lukas, he says, "Don't talk. Save your strength."
Ignoring Mathias, Lukas continues, "I-if I don't make it, tell Emil that I'm s-s-orry that I couldn't keep my p-promise."
"Don't say such things. You'll be alright."
Lukas's eyes flutter shut.
No, no, no! Mathias thinks, panicked.
Elizabeta's voice can be heard crying desperately into her radio, "I need two ambulances right now!" She gives the address of where the team is. She turns to the others. "Tino, will you take Katyusha while I take Natalya? I don't want them being together."
Tino nods, shakily rising to his feet.
"Keep me updated," he says to Mathias and Berwald before leading a sobbing Katyusha out of the house followed by Elizabeta and Natalya.
Mathias cradles Lukas's head in his lap, willing his best friend to fight to stay alive. Vash hurries over to Raivis, who finally lost consciousness.
"H'w 's h'?" Berwald asks.
"He still has a pulse, though it's pretty weak," Vash explains. "I'm not going to move him, just in case I aggravate any major injuries."
The sounds of sirens signal the arrival of the much awaited for ambulances. There's a whirl of activity as the medics whisk Lukas and Raivis away. Mathias begs to be able to ride with Lukas. After a bit of bickering, the poor medics finally agreed, claiming that they couldn't waste anymore time.
Before leaving, Mathias calls to Berwald and Vash, "Lukas said something about the Soviet House! You guys better head over there."
Berwald and Vash nod. Vash calls Arthur, filling him in on the what just occured. The Briton seems disturbed by Lukas's shooting.
"I hope he survives," Arthur voices.
"He's a fighter, so he should," Vash says. "I'll call back if I find out anything." He ends the call.
Arthur snaps his cell phone shut and sighs.
How did this happen? he wonders, placing his head in his hands. Am I really that terrible a leader?
A knock on the door interrupts his thoughts.
"Come in," he calls.
A slightly haggard looking strawberry blonde hobbles in, supported by a pair of crutches and a bandage around his head.
"Buna ziua, Arthur," he greets, a small smile on his face.
"Nicolae!" Arthur gasps. "Welcome back. How are you feeling? Shouldn't you be resting?"
Nicolae chuckles. "Arthur, I'm out of the hospital for under an hour and you're already bombarding me with questions." He rethinks his last statement, laughing harder. "I guess that wasn't the greatest thing to say." He settles in a seat across from Arthur. "What happened since this morning? I can handle it."
Arthur sighs, knowing the Romanian won't give up. He fills Nicolae in the recent happenings, leaving out Natalya shooting Lukas. Like himself, Nicolae is also a close friend of Lukas and Arthur didn't want Nicolae to be in any more pain than he already was in.
Arthur flinches when Nicolae asks, "Do you know where Lukas is? I haven't been able to get through to him for a while."
The Englishman lowers his eyes sadly. "Lukas was shot when he, Vash, Tino, Elizabeta, and Berwald went in to arrest Natalya and Katyusha."
"Is he-"
"We don't know yet."
"Oh."
"Do you think Lukas is alright?" Tino asks as he & Elizabeta head back to their cars.
"Hard to say," Elizabeta sighs. "Let' s keep our minds off this by focusing on the job at hand. Berwald & Vash are supposed to be heading to the Soviet House."
Tino nods. "Let's go."
Meanwhile, Berwald's phone buzzes. He checks his latest text.
Sorry, but can you go pick up Emil from school & bring him to the hospital? Lukas is in surgery & I don't want to leave since I don't know when he'll be out & I want to hear the details.
Berwald sighs, turning to Vash.
"I h've t' go," he says. "T'no 'nd El'zab't' sh'd b' 'n th' w'y h're."
"Alright. I'll wait for them near the Soviet House."
Berwald heads back to his car. The clock on his dashboard reads three thirty.
Why does it feel so much later? he wonders. The large Swede sighs. It's been a long day for all of us. As he drives towards the high school, his thoughts wander to Emil. Poor Emil. Lukas is the only family he has left. He recalls the numerous memories of the home he, Matthias, Lukas, Emil, and Bjorn lived in for a several years. I wonder what Olav would say about us now.
He parks in front of the school gates just as many high schoolers begin filing out of the building. His cruiser earns a few stares and double takes. He ignores the gawking by texting Tino and Mathias for updates on the Soviet House and Lukas's condition. He receives no answers on either case. This greatly disturbs him.
A tapping on his passenger side window interrupts his thoughts. He gazes out to see an annoyed Emil. Berwald unlocks the door. Emil slides into the passenger side. All he says is, "You're causing a scene," before lapsing into an angry silence.
They ride in silence until Emil notices that Berwald is driving in the opposite direction of his and Lukas's home.
"Where are you taking me? Where's Lukas?" Emil begins bombarding Berwald with questions, his Icelandic accent heavier than usual.
"H'sp't'l," Berwald grunts in reply.
"What?" Emil cries, horrified at the new revelation. "W-what happened?"
Berwald doesn't answer. Instead, he parks near the emergency room and takes Emil in to meet up with Mathias. After asking around a bit, the pair find Mathias sitting outside an opertating room seeming very jittery and anxious.
"Mathias." Emil taps the large Dane on the shoulder.
Mathias looks up at the Icelandic teen and the large Swedish man. Tears spring into his eyes.
"Emil," he says. "I'm so sorry."
"What happened to him?" Emil snaps, tired of being in the dark.
"He was shot."
Emil glances at the operating room. Mathias follows his gaze.
"I've been here ever since he was brought in," Mathias explains. "I couldn't leave him." He lets out a choked sob. "He said that if he doesn't make it, I should tell you that he's sorry he couldn't keep his promise."
He feels a stinging pain on his face as Emil's hand connects with his cheek.
"Don't say that!" he snaps, his voice breaking slightly. Tears blur his vision "Lukas isn't dead."
"Emil," Mathias says softly. "He was shot in the chest. He may not make it."
Berwald gruffly grabs Mathias, dragging him out of earshot.
"Wh't th' h'ck d' you th'nk you're doin'?" he demands.
"Letting him know the truth," Mathias retorts defensively.
"We d'n't know 'f he's goin' t' die. D'n't go tellin' Em'l th't Luk's is dead."
Mathias stares at the floor. "Fine, fine. Just it's likely that he will die."
"Sh't 'p."
They return to where Emil has finally taken a seat, waiting anxiosly for news concerning Lukas. They sit in silence. The occasional buzz from Mathias or Berwald's phone is the only noise aside from the doctors, nurses, and patients. Both of them ignore the messages they receive. Or at least until Emil convinces them to at least check to see if Tino, Vash, or Elizabeta have texted them any new updates.
"Are you with Lukas Bondevik?"
The trio snap back to reality to see a doctor clad in scrubs walking towards them.
"Y-yeah," Emil stammers. "H-how is he?"
As the doctor speaks, Emil finds himself leaning closer to Mathias while tears stream down his cheeks.
Erik, Matteuksen, & Henrik: Awwwwwwww
Drake: Way to go, leaving everyone hanging again
Me: That's ma job *smug smile*
Drake: R & R. Please. Nony is hard enough to deal with when she's in one of her moods. Please don't add the emo corner