/ *evil smile* Enjoy. /

IX

Gilbert

Los Angeles, USA. March 26, 12:02 pm

Gilbert left for Los Angeles almost immediately after the phone call with Ludwig. He was worried about Arthur - they were brothers, damn it, and even if he had admittedly been afraid to acknowledge the fact, it remained that he still got worried - and he needed to know his current condition. Ludwig had said that the Brit was in a coma, but Gilbert needed to know if Arthur would still wake up.

He wanted to know if he still had a chance to set things right.

He knew he had been stupid. He had known for a long time about their relationship even before Arthur actually told him during that time when they were allies. And he had been happy about it. Arthur had been the perfect partner in crime, the perfect guy to be allied to.

And then things happened and that alliance went poof!

Gilbert didn't quite remember why he suddenly changed his mind about being Arthur's brother. Suddenly he didn't want to be related to the Brit. Suddenly he didn't want anybody to know he was related to the Brit.

Suddenly, Arthur just wasn't the perfect partner in crime anymore.

He was wrong, of course. He shouldn't have tried to erase the past like that. He shouldn't have tried to cut off their ties just like that. They were brothers and that fact was there to stay no matter how much Gilbert didn't want it to be true.

Plus, there was the fact that trying to deny the connection that they had must have had the same effect as if Gilbert had simply screamed that he didn't want to be brothers with Arthur.

Gilbert tried to imagine what he would have felt if Ludwig had told him that he didn't want them to be brothers. He shivered at the thought. He was sure he had just been stabbed with a really thick needle.

So he really had to set things right with Arthur. Because he had hurt Arthur. He had hurt his brother.

Because he did something that he couldn't ever forgive himself for.

When he found out that Arthur woke up on the morning of the 26th, he was relieved. He still had a chance. He could still try to be a better brother for the brother that he had but never acknowledged.

~.;*;.~

Los Angeles, USA. March 27, 10:44 am

The nations had told Gilbert about the one hour sessions they all had - or would have - with Arthur and since the Prussian arrived after they drew lots, he was put last by default. It was alright him for as long as he could "talk" to the Brit, it didn't really matter what schedule he got.

The schedule that the nations had set up had been messed up by the arrival of the family of the little girl that Arthur had saved. When Arthur woke up when they were in the room, the nations felt really envious. And so, the planned out schedules were delayed even more. When it was clear, however, that Arthur wouldn't awaken anytime soon, they continued with the sessions by 3 in the afternoon.

Gilbert's turn had been pushed to the morning of the 27th.

He was there as the visiting hours started, but he didn't enter Arthur's room immediately. He knew it was obvious that he was a nervous wreck: he kept fiddling his thumbs, muttering - in German so nobody would understand him - in low and hushed tones, and running his hands through his very messy hair.

There was just too much to say and he didn't know how to say them.

What if Arthur was awake when he opened the door? What if he was asked why he went to see the Brit alone first thing in the morning? What if...

Gilbert slapped his cheeks hard. There really wasn't any use thinking about it. He just had to answer honestly if he was asked anything. He just had to say what he felt he had to say when the time came.

Still, it didn't hurt to be prepared. And so the albino ran simulations through his head, ignoring the looks that he received from passersby, until he figured that he was ready to go and face the music.

When that time came, however, he only had fifteen minutes left from his hour.

Verdammt.

He took a deep breath, running his lines one more time in his head, and made to open the door but Arthur's muffled voice from the other side of the door made him pause.

"Only twenty minutes left, huh?"

Gilbert put his ear on the door and listened more closely. He was curious about what the Brit had meant. There were only twenty minutes left before... What?

"I spent most of the 24 hours sleeping. It's a bit unfair."

The albino scrunched up his eyebrows and frowned. Arthur seemed to be awfully concerned about time...

"Still... I thought my brothers would be here at least."

He was tempted to open the door right then and there. He counted as a brother, right? Granted he had refused to acknowledge it before but it didn't really matter, right?

He heard Arthur let out a sigh. "I guess... I'm really just not important to them."

Gilbert did a double-take. Why would Arthur think that? Of course his brothers thought he was important! Anybody could have seen the worry in their eyes even when they expressed relief when their youngest brother woke up.

It was true, however, that the Kirklands weren't really known for being affectionate. It was true that the nations didn't exactly openly friendly to Arthur. It was true that all of them didn't really pay too much attention to what the Brit had gone through.

It seemed like the nations had more to make up for that they thought.

The sound of sobs from the other side of the door startled Gilbert. The Prussian squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, ready to comfort the Brit with words that he hadn't thought of yet, when a new voice from behind him made him spin around and stare at the newcomer in horror.

"Why are you outside? You haven't gone in?"

If Alistair and the other nations were already there, that meant...

The shrill sound of an ECG flat-lining made all of the nations jump and they wasted no time in opening the door. Inside the room, the sound was even more shrill and partnered with the actual sight of the ECG monitor, it was literally a death bell.

"Don't you dare, you bastard!" Alistair screamed and ran to his brother's side to shake him awake. As if the Brit was only sleeping.

But all of the nations in the room knew that it was futile.

No, Gilbert thought, shaking his head. They were too late.

/**

* [insert maniacal laughter here] I warned you. Well, I technically didn't, but whatever. You should've expected this from me.

* Please review. :)

*/