Chapter 49

The chains dug into Gil's wrists, cutting into the skin. He could feel the itch of blood trickling down his arms. He winced, not wanting to let himself hang by his wrists, but the alternative was to stand with his heels off the ground, and that was almost as painful. He couldn't hold it long. He felt sweat drip down the sides of his face. He tried to wipe the sweat off his ears on his sleeves, only pulling more at his wrists. Cold air hit the sweat at the back of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. He tried to move his shoulders, desperate to relieve the strain on them. It didn't work. Nothing was comfortable. His stomach churned, sending a chilled ache through his whole body. He leaned his head against the wall, keeping his eyes closed. His mouth was dry and sticky, already desperate for water he knew he wasn't going to get. He shivered hard, exhaling slowly, hoping the heat from his own breath would warm him a little. His body ached with pain, begging for the drugs. He moved his shoulders again, trying to relieve the pain, taking a deep, shaking breath.

Lithuania looked up, hearing Gil's lungs beg for air, "How are you holding up?" he said softly, looking into Gil's face, almost studying it. Gil looked even paler if that was possible, and the skin around his eyes seemed darker.

Gil shook his head, swallowing hard. He wasn't sure he trusted himself to speak, "Fine," he managed to whisper through grit teeth.

Lithuania looked down, struggling at the ropes that cut into his wrists. They were raw, he knew that much. He tried to move his arm over the back of the chair, leaning to the side, the ropes binding his legs to the chair making it difficult. He had to get out of this. He looked up at Gil again, sighing, turning away. He couldn't do nothing. He couldn't just watch.

Gil shivered again, his heart beat fast. He tried to force himself to breathe normally, to breathe at all. He closed his hands around the chains, hoping to relieve some of the pressure on his wrists. It barely helped, his fingers stiff.

"Toris…" he whispered, barely choking out the word.

Lithuania looked up, into Gil's face, meeting the tired red eyes, "Yes?"

Gil looked away for a second, failing to bite back a gasp as faces flashed in front of him. He looked back at Lithuania, trying to focus on his face, trying to keep looking at him. He shivered, looking away, breathing faster in horror, trying to recollect his thoughts.

"Gil?" Lithuania asked, worried.

Gil tried to shake the image out of his mind, forcing himself to look back at Lithuania's face, praying it would return to normal again. He sighed in relief. Everything was fine. He closed his eyes again anyway, the walls starting to warp and move, "You… you're trying…" he breathed hard, his heart pounding, "If you're trying to get off the chair…you should…" he swallowed hard, almost gasping for breath, holding back a cry as pain shot through his body, stabbing into his heart.

"Gil!?" Lithuania asked again, more concerned than before. Gil was slipping. He could see him trying to hang on, but he could also see it wasn't working.

Gil took a deep breath, forcing himself to speak, "Break the chair legs…" he whispered, letting his head fall back again, holding back a cry of pain with all the willpower he had left.

Lithuania noticed it, "Gil, please, let me call for Russia… please just do what you have to, and-"

"NEIN!" Prussia snapped, inhaling sharply, whimpering in pain, turning his head to the side fast as he felt a cold hand slink it's way up his side. He tried to push the feeling away, gasping as icy fingers wrapped around his throat. He opened his eyes, trying to focus on Lithuania, trying to hold on to reality…

"Gil?" Lithuania bit his lip, worried. He forced himself to look into Gil's face, "Gil, keep your eyes on me. I'm right here. Whatever you're seeing… whatever's going on, it's not real. I'm real, and I'm right here…"

Gil threw his head back, then down, looking at the floor, barely holding back a cry that escaped through his teeth. He pulled at the chains, straining up to try and relieve his wrists.

"Prussia, look at me!" he was desperate.

Prussia blinked hard, turning to Lithuania immediately, his eyes focusing on the other country's face, "What… what did you…?"

"Prussia. That's your name…. isn't it?"

Prussia stared at him, blinking hard, forgetting how much pain he was in for a moment.

"What's your name!?" General Winter forced his head back, gripping his hair.

"German Democratic Republic!" GDR begged, screaming in pain as icy fingers dug into his chest. "Nein, bitte…" he whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked at Russia, who stood on the other side of the room, watching.

"I don't believe you…" General Winter's voice was cold, "What. Is. Your. Name!?"

"German Democratic Republic, GDR, Satellite State of the Soviet Union, please… please… don't…" he screamed again.

Gil shook his head, "Nyet… that's my name anymore… please… don't call me that… please…" he screamed in pain as he felt the flames leap up at his legs, the smell of burning flesh infecting the room. He struggled more, shaking his head violently, trying to break the chains from the wall, gasping for breath.

Lithuania watched, horrified. He had to do something. He threw all of his weight to one side, sending the chair crashing to the ground. The back of it cracked, giving him enough room to get his arms over the back of it. He twisted, trying to get to the ropes on his thighs, tying him to the seat of the chair. He barely managed to grab the knot, breaking the back of the chair away from the seat with his elbow. It bled. He didn't care. He untied the knot and sat up on his knees. He glanced back up at Gil, who had calmed somewhat, still breathing hard, still struggling. He shook his head, he couldn't leave him like this. He leaned back onto the ground, reaching until his fingers caught the ropes that held his ankles. He managed to untie them. His wrists burned, the ropes cutting into them. He tried to stand, barely managing it. He paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to get his hands free. He glanced back at Gil.

"Gil, I need you to help me," he nodded, walking up to the slightly shorter country.

Gil shook his head, keeping his eyes closed, gasping in pain.

"Gil! Listen to me! Help me and I can try and help you!" Lithuania froze, a shiver running down his spine as the sound of a key turning in the lock infected the room. The door creaked open slowly. Lithuania turned to see Russia standing in the doorway, anger, and amusement on his face. He was smiling.

"Well, I didn't expect you to actually manage that, Myshka, I'm impressed," Russia stepped forwards towards Lithuania, putting a hand on his shoulder. He smiled at him.

Lithuania trembled, not daring to take his eyes off the floor, not daring to look up at Russia.

Russia grabbed his hair, pulling his head back.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, da?"

Lithuania obeyed, fixing his eyes on Russia's, "I thought you weren't coming back for two days…"

Russia shrugged, "It's been close to one… and I wanted to see how the two of you were doing. Wasn't that a sad story GDR told you about when he was a child. That must have hurt… did it, GDR?" Russia glanced back at him, smiling in satisfaction as he saw Gil squirm from the triggered flashbacks. Russia turned back to Lithuania, "How has it been for you? As horrible as I expected?"

Lithuania said nothing.

"Have you been trying to encourage him? I heard you call him by his old name… that won't do, Myshka. I can't have you doing that…"

Lithuania trembled, still looking up at Russia like he'd been ordered to. He didn't want to think about what Russia was going to do. He had to help Gil. He couldn't let this continue…

"I'll give you whatever names you want!" He sighed, shaking his head "I will, I swear… just… just let Gil out of here…"

"Stop. Being. An. Idiot!" Gil yelled, the final few seconds of the words becoming screams of agony. He recoiled from the four figures who crowded around him, saying nothing. They just stared at him, their eyes sad, in pain. He couldn't look at them, "Leave me alone…" he whispered, struggling at the chains.

Russia watched, amused. He laughed, throwing Lithuania to the ground and walking up to Gil, turning his face towards his own, "Look at me."

Gil struggled, trying to get away from the faces and cold hands. He kept his eyes closed.

"I said, look at me!" Russia slapped him hard and grabbed his face again.

Gil obeyed, shaking, his heart beating even faster, his breath so fast he could barely keep up with it. His lungs heaved for air he couldn't give them fast enough.

Russia smiled, pulling a small black leather case from his coat, opening it slowly, showing Gil the syringe and bottle inside it.

Gil struggled harder, looking up at Russia, "Bitte…. bitte Russland…" He squirmed, desperate.

Lithuania looked away. It was almost physically painful to watch Prussia beg…

Russia laughed, "You make this so easy, GDR!" he took the syringe from the case, pulling the bottle from the elastic, and replacing the empty case in his coat pocket. He held the bottle in front of Gil's face, smiling as he watched the smaller country squirm. "Would you like some?"

Gil inhaled through his teeth, trying not to cry out in pain, "Bitte…"

"What was that?"

"Please, Russia please, I can't… I can't I need it, please… please…"

"Russia, please stop!" Lithuania begged, trying to stand, wincing in pain as Russia kicked him back down.

"Stay out of this, Myshka!" Russia snarled, turning back to Gil, "What can't you do, Gil? What would you like from me?"

Gil bit his lip hard, trying to swallow his pride, "Russia please give me the drugs, I can't do this… I can't stand it, I can't… I need them… please… please…" he looked down, shaking his head, hating every word he said.

Russia smiled, "Very good, Ptitska," Russia pet his hair patronizingly, filling the syringe and slipping it into Gil's neck.

Gil sighed deeply in relief, relaxing, the pain fading as Russia gave him the entire bottle.

Russia reached up and unlocked the chains around Gil's wrists.

Gil fell to the ground instantly, his legs giving way. He couldn't lift his arms from the floor. He didn't move, exhausted. He couldn't move.

"Stand," Russia ordered.

Gil looked up at him, his eyes begging, "Russland… bitte…"

"Nyet. Nyet, you don't get to rest. Stand." Russia grabbed Gil's jacket, pulling him up, forcing him to stand, "Now, you're going to stay standing right there, until I tell you you're finished, is that understood?" he smiled.

GDR nodded, his body too tired to fight back, his mind exhausted, foggy from the drugs.

Russia smiled, "You didn't think this was over, did you?" He glanced back at Lithuania, grabbing his arm, pulling him up and dragging him towards the unbroken chair still left in the room. He tied him to it again, tighter this time, locking a set of handcuffs around both Lithuania's right wrist and the back of the chair. He turned the chair to face Gil.

"Now," Russia explained with a smile, pleased with his idea, "GDR, I gave you more drugs so Lithuania can watch you go through that all over again," he smiled, seeing Lithuania close his eyes with a sigh, "but, I can't have him trying to undo your lessons… trying to call you your old name… he's not being helpful to you… but I do need him in here…" Russia thought for a moment, then grinned, reaching for his scarf. He pulled it from his neck, revealing the black turtlenecked sweater underneath, and brought it to Lithuania's mouth.

Lithuania turned away, struggling, "No…" he shook his head, avoiding Russia.

Russia sighed, grabbing Lithuania's hair, pulling his head back. He pulled the scarf into Lithuania's mouth, tying it highly behind him.

Lithuania struggled more, trying to keep the gag from choking him. He coughed hard, leaning forwards, trying to push the fabric from his mouth. He looked up at Russia, his eyes burning with hatred.

Russia looked away for a moment, sadness flashing in his own eyes. He turned back to Lithuania, all traces of any emotion except anger, gone.

"Now," Russia walked up to the only other functional chair in the room, pulling it to the back of the room and sitting down, resting his ankle on his knee, leaning back and crossing his arms, pulling out a book, "I'll wait here, while you, Gil, decide if it's better to stand there…" he pulled his pipe from his coat and leaned it against the wall, the metal flashing in the single light bulb that illuminated the room, "Or use this on Liet. Your choice."

Lithuania looked away, refusing to look at Gil, refusing to look at Russia.

Gil stood straight, worried. He didn't know how he was going to get out of this, how he was going to get Lithuania out of this… he glanced over at Russia. Reading? Again? He looked back at Lithuania, who looked up, their eyes meeting, both of them silently apologizing to each other.

Lithuania shook his head, Please, Gil, please don't do this to yourself, I can take it, please… please… don't make me watch that again, Gil… please, I can't do it. I can't…

Gil shook his head. He didn't have to be able to read Lithuania's mind, he could see everything he needed to in his eyes. You're not the only one around here who gets to be so self-sacrificial. My turn, Toris… my turn.

A/N: So... this isn't going so well... at all... for them. The writing is going fine lol. This stuff shouldn't be so easy to write... but at least Gil isn't chained to a wall anymore... that's... good...?

As always, reviews are so deeply appreciated! Thank you all for the continued reviews (and spell check notes! Thanks!) Really, reading your reviews is one of the highlights of my day! I love it so much! Thank you all! Cookies, hugs, lemonade, and all things lovely for all of you! :D :D :D

Next chapter is chapter 50... so I want to do a little 'gift' for you all. Obviously, I'll be adding onto this situation, but I want to add something to the chapter as a gift to you guys... so... it will most likely be in a flashback... maybe? What would you like to see? More Baby Ludwig? Prussia in battle? Latvia? Poland? Hungary? What do you guys want!? I won't be able to get everyone's in of course, but I'll pick an idea I like! Send them my way! :D :D :D