Chapter 5

Lukas made himself a sandwich. It was just one of those days for a sandwich, he thought. Who cared if he was running out of food? It was just a sandwich, and there was no point to living if he couldn't have a reward every once in awhile. He only had a few slices of cheese left, but cheese and stale bread would have to do. He sat on his couch and pulled out his foot rest. His country had been working so hard to provide room for the Danes to stay, but he was running out of space in his shrinking country, and they would soon have to stop letting them in.

Lukas sighed and looked over at the closed door far to his right. Matthias was still sleeping in there well into the afternoon. His fever had risen above 104 the night before, and Lukas had stayed all night with him, making sure he was still breathing. When the Dane was sick like that, he looked so sad and troubled, and it hurt Lukas to see him that way. It was frightening how such an annoyingly lively man could fall like that. He may have been so mean to the Dane before, but now he was all he had left, maybe in the world, so Lukas could not let Matthias die.

"I'll save you, I promise." Lukas whispered as he got up. He had only taken a bite of his sandwich, but he didn't want it anymore. He would much rather see Matthias and read him a story if he was awake. The Dane loved Lukas's collection of viking stories and Scandinavian fairy tales where brave men fought dragons and beautiful princesses risked their lives for true love.

He didn't want Lukas to tell anyone, but the princess stories were Matthias's favorite.

"Read the mermaid story again," Matthias would beg nearly every night for a week.

"I can't read the same tale every day; it'll get boring," Lukas told him.

Matthias whined. "But I like it and I won't get bored! I promise!"

Now, when Lukas visited his room, the first thing Matthias moaned was: "Please, do anything but read that book. It's so old…"

"Glad to see you're awake," Lukas commented as he felt Matthias's forehead. "You aren't cooling down at all."

"It's the heat. I told you already. It's getting so hot here I'm getting overheated. I'm going to have a heat stroke, Lukas! Help me!" Matthias's eyes widened as he kicked the sheets off and curled up into a ball shivering.

Lukas pulled the covers back over him. "Relax, you ridiculous Dane. You'll be alright. You're fever is just really high. I'll get you some water."

"But the water is running out. Norge, please don't spend it all on me," Matthias pleaded.

Lukas stared at him a long time. Matthias's large, blue eyes stared back at them. Even if they were red and runny from the sickness, they were beautiful. He withdrew his gaze, and said, "You need to keep hydrated. You already didn't drink what I gave you yesterday; this can't become a habit. You'll die if you don't drink something."

"You wouldn't mind that, would you? You wouldn't have to deal with me anymore. It's what you've wished for all your life," Matthias countered.

Norway flinched. "Wishes can change."

"Not really. Your heart will always follow the same path. Norge, please just leave me be…" Matthias whined. "I don't want water. My throat hurts too much."

"Then don't drink. Die for all I care." Norway turned around and stalked out of the room, slamming the door in the process.