Budapest

1945-05-01

Austria was really tired when he woke up the next time. And besides that, he felt very hot. Yet he opened his eyes. It should almost be time to get up anyway.

The idea that it was almost time to get up turned out to be completely wrong, when Austria looked out through the window, he could see the sun set out there. Austria just noted this and gratefully placed his tired head down again, if the sun was about to set this meant that he could get back to sleep again. But just as he was about to close his eyes he realized how different everything was.

First, he had just seen the sun go down, through a window, there was no such window in the barracks. Second, he lay in a large and comfortable bed, and instead of the moth-eaten blanket he slept under in captivity, he had a big warm blanket and over this a homespun blanket, as if that was not amazing enough, he had the whole four pillows, in Bergen-Belsen, he hadn't had a single one.

Austria tried to sit up in bed, but for some reason it couldn't, he was just too weak, which puzzled him. Instead of trying to get up a second time Austria searched his body with his fingers and he found at least one reason why he couldn't get up. He could basically feel all his ribs when he ran his hand over them.

"Hey ... Anyone ..." he shouted. Now he definitely wanted someone to talk to, someone who could answer a few questions.

Someone opened the door and it turned out to be a young nurse in her late teens, a human and mortal girl that Austria had never seen before, yet he couldn't help but ask a question that probably sounded very strange in her ears but that was very important for Austria.

"Where am I?" To Austria's surprise, the girl gasped when she realized that her patient was awake, it was almost as if she was afraid of him.

"You're in Budapest, but ... can I ask you a question? What are you? I mean, no mortal can survive your injuries, it is quite impossible" Austria closed his eyes, trying to think of a good answer it, that is, an answer that would not give rise to more questions. In other words, the truth was not to think about.

"I don't know" was the best Austria could come up with for an answer. To tell the truth, he hadn't even thought about that he chouldn't have survived, but knew now that this had to be the reason that he had always awakened to a new day in that hell. He couldn't die as long as there was an Austrian who had not given up on him. "That is, I do not know how I can still be alive" This much Austria could actually say without lying, he really didn't understand that there were still people who hadn't given up on him. Now Austria looked up at the Hungarian nurse again. "Did you say that I am in Budapest?"

"Yes," she replied as she began to examine him to find some improvements. And Austria felt better anyway, even though he couldn't get up from his bed. Only to know the fact that he was in Hungary and not in that concentration camp had helped him very much. It was just one more thing he needed to know to make the relief complete.

"Hey, do you know an Elizabeta Hedervary?" The nurse looked up in Austria's face for the first time since she arrived.

"She has been sitting next to your bed day and night for several weeks. This morning we finally managed to persuade her to go and have some rest for a while. Probably she's still asleep. A Feliciano Vargas has been visiting you too. He had to leave but he left you that gift" The nurse pointed at a little flute on the bedside table that Italy had left for him according to the girl.

When Austria received these news, he got silent for a while so he would not reveal what he really felt about it, because he didn't even knew everything he felt himself this time. All he knew was that it meant a lot to him that anyone at all had thought about him during these months. He hadn't even dared hope for something like that.

"Can you see if she's awake, anyway?" he finally asked. And the nurse nodded, glad to have a reason to leave the room. After that, it wasn't long until Elizabeta came running into the room.

For months, neither Austria or Hungary had thought that they would see each other again, and given that they were countries that used to live for hundreds and often thousands of years that wasn't a very common feeling. Now none of them could think of anything to say. Hungary stood at the door until Austria was surprised by a coughing fit, then she went over to the bed to hugged him until it stopped.

When the worst cough was over, Hungary opened a bottle that she had brought with her. She poured a bit of the water in a mug and then held it in front of Austria's mouth.

"What is it?" he asked as he saw it, and Hungary looked at him in surprise when she noticed how scared he seemed, she didn't know about that terrifying "medicine" that the Nazis' had forced him to drink before Canada and Britain had saved him.

"Just plain, fresh, clean water," Hungary said in a comforting voice and tried to help Austria to drink it, as soon as she managed to convince him that there was no danger. Which wasn't very easy, much of the water ended up outside Austria's mouth and ran down over his face, Hungary had anticipated that this could happen so she had a towel ready to wipe him. Meanwhile Hungary felt that she needed to say something more.

"The war will soon be over I think. Germany rang this morning and told me that his boss has committed suicide"

For Austria it didn't matter if Hungary spilled water on him, it was so long since he had been alloweed to drink clean water, moreover, he was so tired that he didn't care. But the news that the man who was responsible for all this was dead was actually a lot comforting.

"Why am I in your capital?" Austria asked then.

"Why do you think?" Hungary just smiled at him, the truth was that she didn't want him to see what the Nazis' had done to his home until he was strong enough to handle it, but she couldn't tell Austria that, because then he would ask more questions than she could answer without make him even more misserable. After that there was only one thing Austria wished.

"Hungary can I ask you something?" he asked and held out his hand so Hungary could hold it, which she did.

"What?" Although he knew that Hungary was waiting to hear what he wanted to say, he couldn't say it all at once. The truth was that he had missed his music for so long that it hurt in his soul, but he also knew that he wouldn't be able to play any instrument right now.

"I certainly woke up a little late, it's almost night again and I know the best thing for me would be if I could have some more sleep ..." Hungary nodded to show Austria that she was listening, after a slight pause, Austria continued, "I was wondering if you'd like to sing something for me until I fall asleep? "

Hungary was thinking. Of course she wanted to do it, she just needed to figure out what she would sing, the war wasn't over yet and the one who had asked was lucky to have survived.

Eventually, she started singing a Hungarian lullaby from the medieval times while stroking her friend and former husband over his hand.

A few seconds later she suddenly stopped, Austria's face was full of tears.

"How are you?" asked Hungary.

"I'm fine," Austria sobbed as an answer "Can you sing that one for me again?"

Hungary smiled and tucked Austria in with all his blankets, wiped all his tears away with her own handkerchief ... and then she started singing the medieval ballad again.