Chapter 83

Estonia dropped the empty syringes on Russia's desk, "Did you do this?"

Russia looked down at them with a sigh, then back up at Estonia, "What are you talking about? I gave him the drugs as usual."

"As usual?"

"Watch your tone."

"Did you add something to these?" Estonia slammed his hand on the table, angry.

Russia stood, grabbing the blond's wrist, "Speak to me that way again and I'll make you pay for it!"

Estonia nodded, looking away from Russia's face. He sighed in relief as Russia let go of his wrist and sat at his desk again.

"Now, what are you talking about?" Russia asked, his voice cold.

"The drugs… something was wrong with them…"

"What?" Russia stood again, his voice instantly concerned, "Estonia what happened?"

"He overdosed last night-"

"That's not possible. I only give him exactly-"

"It's possible if something was added to the drugs to make them stronger." Estonia set his jaw, "Was it you?"

"How dare you say that!" Russia snarled, grabbing Estonia's wrist again, forcing the man to his knees.

Estonia looked away, bracing himself for a blow that didn't come. He looked up at Russia.

"Is GDR all right?"

Estonia nodded, "Now! He almost died, Russia. If he were human…"

"Well, he isn't. So how is he?"

"He's fine. He's still in his room recovering… it wore him out…"

"Thank you for keeping him alive," Russia said coldly, letting go of Estonia's wrist finally, throwing the slightly shorter man to the ground.

Estonia looked up at Russia, pulling his arm over his face to defend his glasses from Russia's fist.

Russia kicked him in the ribs, "Get up."

Estonia obeyed, scrambling to his feet and stepping towards the door, not turning away from Russia. He glanced at the door quickly, then stood his ground, "Did you?"

"Did I what?" Russia snapped again, taking another step towards Estonia.

Estonia took one step backward, not taking his eyes off Russia's face, "Did you do something to Gil's drugs?"

"And if I did?"

"I'm just trying to understand what happened to him…" Estonia's breath shook a little, much to his embarrassment.

"It doesn't matter. Go. Get out before I make you, da?" Russia smiled, the same sickly childish smile he was so good at.

Estonia turned and ran through the door, pausing for a moment to catch his breath. He looked back at the door. He'd stood up to Russia, and he wasn't dead. Things had gone better than expected. He looked down the hallway towards Gilbert's room.

…

Prussia looked towards the door as Estonia entered. He was already sitting up, leaning against the headboard. He was weak, but could almost breathe normally again. Latvia sat beside him, with Lithuania and Poland at the table next to the bed. Hungary was leaning back against the bed, sitting on the floor with a notebook.

"Oh, look," Prussia smirked as Estonia walked in, "You're not dead. Or bleeding. Or… injured, really… What'd you say to him?"

"Actually I got pretty angry… but…"

"He's getting weaker!" Poland stood, looking at all of them, "He's weaker and… and so we have to do something!"

"Poland, calm down…" Prussia shook his head.

"I agree with Feliks," Hungary stood too, looking back at the rest of them, "I'm sick of this!" She shook her head, "My people are sick this! He's weakening, his new boss is pathetic, it's time we do something!"

"I-I-I-I think… I think think so t-too," Latvia nodded, shaking.

Prussia put his arm around the boy's shoulders, biting his lip. He shook his head, "It's risky…"

"Since when are you one to back away from a fight?" Hungary put her hands on her hips.

"Do you know what he does to me when I fight him?" Gil leaned forward towards her, his hands closing into fists.

"Yeah, he takes away your precious drugs, doesn't he!?"

"ETA STOP IT!" Poland stamped his foot.

Gil looked back at Poland, frowning with confusion. Poland was defending him?"

Hungary jumped, turning to her cousin, "Feliks…?" He'd never yelled at her.

"You… he hasn't done to you what he's done to me and Gil… you…" Poland shook his head, "You don't get it…" he looked away, glancing at Lithuania quickly. He knew he understood, more than the rest of them combined.

"I just can't do this anymore!" Hungary snapped, working hard to keep her voice low enough to Russia not to hear, she wanted to scream it, "I can't! I can't watch him hurt any of you anymore. I can't just do nothing. My people, they want freedom and so. do. I. I already opened my borders, Gil your people have been escaping through Roderich's land already, we aren't loosing!"

"We're not winning yet either," Gil shook his head.

"Why are you giving up? Where's your fight? Where's the Prussia I know?"

Gil looked away with a deep sigh. He hadn't been called that in a long time. Prussia, his name, his real name. He missed it. He looked back at Hungary, "He took the fight a long time ago."

"Oh really? And you just let him!?"

Gil shook his head with a half laugh, "If you think that I have nothing more to say to you…" he looked away.

Hungary turned to Estonia, "What did Russia say?"

"He avoided my questions mostly… he seems stressed. He didn't tell me if he did that to the drugs…"

"Which which which means he he h-he probably d-d-did…?" Latvia trembled, laying his head on Gil's shoulder, trying to be comforting.

Gil pulled Latvia a little closer and kept his arm around him. He looked up at the others, including Hungary, "It doesn't matter if he did, or if he didn't… Estonia… is he getting weaker?"

Estonia nodded, "Yes. Yes I think he is. His new boss… he… he's different," Estonia smiled very faintly, "He's releasing prisoners, he's letting the press say what they want…"

"He's trying to regain control by loosening it?" Hungary shook her head, "That doesn't make a lot of sense…"

"It's a reasonably valid idea, actually," Gil broke in, nodding.

"Really, Gilbert?"

"What, it's true?" he didn't look at her.

"Do you know how infuriating you are sometimes?"

"Ja."

Hungary rolled her eyes, looking at Lithuania, "You're awfully quiet over there, Litva. Usually, it's Estonia who doesn't talk."

"What do you want me to say?" Lithuania looked up.

"I don't know… something?" Hungary sighed.

"You have to have a little hope, Liet… right?" Poland sat down again, reaching across the table to grab his friend's shaking hands.

"Hope?" Lithuania sighed, "It's been a long time…" he looked up at Hungary and Estonia, "Latvia, Estonia and I are states. Gorbachov is only lessening military control over the satellites, not us. Even if Russia is getting weaker, it doesn't matter. Hungary you may have been allowed to open your borders, but mine are still closed. My people do fight, yes, but…" he looked down, "I don't know… I don't know if I can leave…"

"Do you… want to…?" Poland asked, biting his lip.

"Yes," Lithuania nodded, bringing his left hand to his face, leaning against the table, "God, yes… I want to get out of here…" he tried to hold back the tears. He didn't want to be the only one to cry. He wouldn't let himself cry.

"Liet…?" Poland's voice was gentle, almost tender. He stood, walking to the chair next to Lithuania and touched the man's shoulder.

Lithuania winced out of habit instead of pain, then relaxed.

"Are… are you you you you ok, Toris…?" Latvia slid off the side of the bed closest to the dark-haired country and ran to him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders.

Lithuania hugged him back with a sigh, "No. Not quite ok, but… better than… sometimes…" he smiled at Latvia, pulling away from the hug. He still didn't really like being touched.

Hungary watched with a deep sigh. She was hardly friends with Lithuania, but it sent a deep ache to her chest to see anyone that broken, "We'll figure something out… we'll do something… we have to. We can't… we can't do this anymore. I can't watch him hurt any of you anymore…"

Estonia looked away, shaking his head, "Lithuania…"

The man looked up at him, sighing deeply, waiting for him to continue.

"My people are already starting to revolt… they are. I… There's going to be revolution and I'm not letting you stay here. I can't watch him hurt you either… I can't fix it anymore after it happens… after he… I have to stop it. I done dealing with the aftermath. I want to stop it."

"Liet, please! Belarus ditched you, so leave! Get out of here!" Poland looked into his best friend's face, "PLEASE!"

"Stop!" Lithuania shook his head. Those wounds were still fresh, "Please… let's… talk about something other than me. Please…?

…

"You nervous?" Germany put his hand on Cort's shoulder.

"Nervous? Me? Oh, not at all…" Cort leaned forward, pressing his head into his hands.

"Well I'm not nervous," Eva giggled, wrapping her arms around her ever-growing belly. "Ow!"

"What? Are you ok?" Cort sat up immediately, putting his hands on her shoulders, his eyes widening.

"I'm fine… just… kicking," she rolled her eyes, laughing, "Wanna feel?" she moved on her chair and put Cort's hand on her stomach. She smiled, watching him stare at his hand and gasp a little as he felt the little one move. "You too, Ludwig?"

"M-Me?" Germany blinked, looking up at her, his face going pale suddenly.

Eva laughed, "You're not afraid of a baby are you, Ludwig?"

"N-uh… um… I… um… no? yes?" Germany turned red, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to somehow get over the awkward answer with some dignity.

Eva laughed, reaching for his hand. She took it and brought it towards her stomach, looking up at him, "You sure you don't want to feel him? He's kicking a lot right now actually…" she squirmed a little.

Germany looked up at her, "If… if you're sure…"

Eva nodded, laying his hand on her stomach, right where the little one was kicking the most.

"Wh…wha… whoa…" Germany stuttered, blinking hard, staring at his hand in fascination. "Is it supposed to do that?"

Eva laughed, "Yes! It's a good thing. You've never… have you ever met someone pregnant before?"

Ludwig shook his head, "I don't think so… I certainly haven't…" he pulled his hand away almost reluctantly, "I certainly haven't done that before…" he looked at her stomach again, still fascinated.

Eva looked up at Cort with a smile, "Well, I think-"

"Eva Müller?" A nurse in pink scrubs opened the hospital door, carrying a clipboard and smiling brightly.

Cort took a deep breath and stood up, taking Eva's hand.

"I'll be here when you get back," Ludwig nodded, almost awkwardly.

Cort nodded back to him and walked through the door.

…

"You look tired…" Ukraine sighed, setting down steaming glass of hot liquid next to her brother's hand on the desk.

"I am tired…" he sighed deeply, looking up from where his head rested on his hand and away from the papers he could barely read anymore. He looked at the glass, "What did you bring me Kotyonok?"

"Your favorite: hot cocoa with vodka."

Russia smiled, then looked up at her with a little mischievous sparkle in his eyes, "I prefer vodka with hot cocoa."

Ukraine laughed and smacked his arm gently, "Oh you! You'll like it. Try it?"

Russia took the glass by the metal holder and lifted it to his lips. It was hot, almost enough to burn, but he didn't mind. His smile widened and he sighed, the liquid warming the inside of his throat, it only for a moment.

"Spasiba, Kotyonok," he reached up to grab her hand, rubbing it gently, "You didn't have to bring this for me…"

"I know… I just… you've been sad lately, and I wanted to cheer you up!" She smiled.

Russia nodded slowly, looking back down at the papers with a deep sigh, "my new boss… he… he wants to give them more freedom. He's trying to stop them from revolution… I don't know if it's working…"

Ukraine put her hand on his shoulder gently, "I'm sorry…"

"They all hate me, Kat… they all hate me…"

"I don't. Natya doesn't. We both love you…"

"Natya is unstable…" Russia shook his head, setting the glass down and pressing both of his palms into his forehead.

"Well, I'm not!" Ukraine smiled, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "Love you, little brother," she ruffled his hair, kissing the top of his head.

Russia smiled, "Love you too, Katya."

"See? Everything's going to work out. I promise," she smiled, "I'll see you for supper? Or should I bring it up here for you…?"

"I'll eat up here. Too much work to do…" he sighed again, taking another drink of the hot liquid with a smile, "Thank you again for this," he smiled.

"Of course. Anytime," she kissed his head again and turned to the door, "Just let me know if you need more, ok?"

He only nodded.

…

Cort stared at the doctor, speechless. He looked back at Eva. Tears had filled her eyes and she was squeezing his hand so hard he could barely feel his fingers.

"We… we're what…?" he whispered.

The doctor pointed to the ultrasound, "Well, as you can see…"

Cort blinked hard, just to be sure. Nothing changed on the ultrasound screen. "We're having TWINS!?"

A/N: And I'm back! Sorry about last night... I had such a bad migraine that I went to bed at like 9:30... ugh. I hate migraines... =_=. Anyway... several shorter scenes in this chapter. The Eastern Bloc is getting bolder, more rebellious... but... still not perfect, and CORT IS HAVING KIDS! WOOO HOOO. And then there's quite a sad bit between Ukraine and Russia. They really do love each other (as siblings of course!), and it's really sad what's going to happen to them... how posessive he will get... how scared she'll be... and how she won't be allowed to talk to him anymore... it's quite heartbreaking... but for now, she can bring him hot chocolate (with vodka!) and try to do as much as she can for him... poor both of them...

Thank you so much for the reviews! I really REALLY REALLY love reading them! And you guys have been leaving such awesome reviews! yay! :D :D More mashed potatos for you all, and hugs, and strawberries, and happieness! And hot cocoa. With or without vodka (if you're old enough!). Your preference. XD