Chapter Three

"C'mon Sheila! Were goin' to a commonwealth meetin'!" Australia yelled from across the house.

"Oh will you just let me finish getting dressed!" I yelled back at him, pulling my pants on. I heard him laugh and then yelp, I guessed that his evil koala bit him.

"Ready!" I yelled and walked out the door into the blazing summer heat.

"It's really hot out! We betta watch out, forest fires might start." Cody muttered and got into the truck. I got into the passengers seat and we drove off to Iggy's house.

It was raining, as always.

Cody knocked on the door and a few seconds later Lleu opened it.

"Are you two part of the commonwealth?" He asked.

"Of course we are!" Cody exclaimed, laughing. Lleu moved and let us in.

It wasn't really a meeting, just a gathering. Arthur sat in his chair, drinking tea and mumbling to something invisible.

"Ahh, there's my insane brotha!" Cody exclaimed and wandered off to Arthur's side. I stood there alone, amongst the large crowd of people. Kiwi sat quietly on my head.

"Maple." Came a very timid voice. I turned around to see nothing.

"Maple." Said the voice again, only seeming closer.

I spun around franticly, trying to find the source of the voice. I crashed into someone while spinning, but whoever it was disappeared before I could apologize!

"Maple." The voice came from right in front of me. Then I could see a slight figure. Whoever it was randomly appeared in front of my eyes, holding a cute little bear.

"I really like your bird, he's cute." He said and smiled timidly. I smiled back at him and looked at the bear.

"Your bear is really cute too." I said.

"T-thank you! His name is.. Is.."

"My name is Kumajirou! The little bear said, "who are you?"

"I'm Canada!" The boy said and smiled a little.

"You represent Canada?" I asked him. He looked back up at me and nodded timidly.

"Y-yes, my name is Matthew. Who are you?" He asked.

"I'm Sheila, I represent New Zealand!" I exclaimed, grinning. Matthew smiled and shook my extended hand.

"Nice to meet you Sheila!" Matthew exclaimed.

Matthew and I hung out for the entire morning and afternoon, talking about things like our favourite foods and animals.

"But lots of people mistake me as my brother, America. Sometimes it gets annoying because I want to be me!" Matthew said sadly. I patted him on the back.

"How could anyone mistake you two? You guys are the complete opposite!" I exclaimed.

"No one else really notices how we act…" Matthew said and sighed. I patted his shoulder to comfort him and randomly gave him some poutine.

"Yay! Poutine! Would you like to share some?" He asked, blushing a light shade of pink. I nodded and got another fork.

"Hey! Supper is in a few minutes you two! Don't spoil your appetite!" Arthur yelled and took the poutine away from us.

"Oh no, his cooking is terrible!" Matthew complained. I hoped his cooking wasn't as bad as Cody's.

I was wrong, it was way worse! I tried to swallow my first bite of the burnt scones. Everyone else around the table looked like they were struggling to consume the Brits cooking, except for Scotland, whose cooking was 10 times worse, or so I heard.

All of a sudden, Cody cried out in pain, crumpling to the floor. "Cody!" I yelled and ran over to his side. Burns looked like they were slowly creeping over his features and a few scars had developed.

"S-Sheila, w-w-watch out! The Brits cooking is deadly." Cody mumbled in between coughs, trying to grin, and then blacked out.

"No! Cody!" I yelled again. Arthur was already telling the other nations what to do.

"Sheila! Come here quick!" Matthew yelled from the living room. I ran in and almost cried out at what I saw.

Apparently huge wildfires across Australia had sprung, and they were ravaging the country.

"And we also have a warning for everyone who lives in New Zealand. A huge storm will be arriving in the middle of the night. It will be very windy and rainy, with high chances of thunderstorms. Do not leave your house once it starts!" The news-lady announced. I gasped, covering my mouth in horror. This would hurt poor Cody badly! These wild fires were worse then the ones from a few years ago. They left Cody lying in bed with burns and scars for three weeks.

I started to sob and Arthur put a comforting arm around my shoulder.

"Were going to need a place for you to stay. I have a feeling that you will be in a bad state soon." Arthur said and tried to help me up. I just continued to sob, when a sudden wave of dizziness overcame me. I tried to get up, fell, and hit my head on the floor, knocking me unconscious.

Arthur's POV

I stared at the television screen, seeing even worse weather for New Zealand. Sheila lied unconscious in my lap, the symptoms were already taking effect.

"Lleu, Cailean, take Cody up to a room and see to it that he gets taken care of." I ordered, "William, take Sheila upstairs and find a place for her to stay, I will be up there in a minute. The rest of you should leave." I said and showed all the other nations to the door. After they had all left, I sat down in my study and took a sip from my now cold tea.

What the bloody hell was I to do? I took another sip of the cold tea and set it down on the saucer.

I better go find William before he does anything to poor Sheila.

"There you are, how is she?" I asked William who sat beside her on the bed.

"The lass is burnin' up Arthur." He said and put a hand on her forehead. I shook my head and sighed.

"Arthur! Cody is starting to shake! Get in here now!" Lleu yelled from the other room. I sprinted over to them and looked down at Cody, who was shivering like hell.

"Oh what now?" I asked no one in particular and turned the television at the end of the room on.

"There are reports of some floods in both Australia and New Zealand, citizens may need to evacuate their homes." A reporter announced. I put my face in my hands and sighed. This was going to be a long night.

Sheila's POV

I slowly regained consciousness, probably because of how cold I felt. But it was a strange feeling. Half my body was boiling hot, the other freezing cold. All the while I felt really dizzy.

"Keep this news channel on throughout the night and look after her. If she needs anything, do it. Or else." I heard Arthur say to someone. The person grunted in response and Arthur left the room, closing the door behind him. I felt the bed tremble a little when someone climbed in beside me.

Cody? I thought, sometimes he would have a nightmare from his earlier days as a country and would sleep with me. But that couldn't be right, Arthur was here…

I slowly opened my eyes, to see a pair of dark green ones staring back.

"Ah lassie, you are 'wake. 'Ow ye feel?" The Scotsman asked.

"Really cold… and dizzy…" I slurred. He put a hand on my forehead.

"Ahh, ye be burning up." He said and placed a cold cloth on my forehead.

"Too cold." I said slowly and he took the cloth of my forehead.

"The conditions in Australia are getting gradually worse. Wild fires are springing up all over the country and at least 100 people have been kil-" William shut the television off quickly, keeping me from hearing the rest.

"Iggy told me t' keep the tel'vision goin, but I c'nt let ye watch it." He muttered. I groggily looked up at him.

"Get t' sleep lass." He told me and smiled, he didn't smirk, he actually smiled. I slowly laid my head on the cold pillow and tried to sleep, but I was just so cold.

"It's too cold…" I mumbled. But then I felt warm arms wrap around me.

"Not 'nymore it is… Sheila." William murmured and pulled me closer to his chest.