Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 3

Malaysia slowly opened his eyes, before swiftly shutting them again. The light was too bright, and his eyes were on fire. His head was pounding, and he felt far too hot. Water. He needed water.

A whimper escaped his lips as he searched for the glass. Just when he sighted it on the end table, a shadow loomed over him.

"Mal!" a voice boomed. "How are you feeling?"

"Too loud," Malaysia whimpered as he curled into a ball.

"Sorry." The voice was a whisper now. A hand went to his forehead. "How are you feeling? You're still too hot."

"I am hot. Head hurts. Eyes hurt. Ears hurt. Thirsty."

"Before I let you drink water, do you mind if we check your temperature first?"

Malaysia groaned, but he obediently opened his mouth when prompted. He cracked open his eyes again to see Philippines's blurry figure. He looked around, but no one else was in the room. He jumped when the thermometer beeped and Philippines removed it from his mouth.

"You still have a fever," Philippines said. "But at least it's a little lower. Thirty-nine point five."

"Water," Malaysia groaned.

"Right. I'll get some for you now."

Malaysia lay there as Philippines moved away. His eyes remained closed in order to protect them from the harsh light. He didn't open them until he sensed Philippines next to him. He gratefully took the glass and drank the water. These weren't big gulps, but they also weren't small sips. And Philippines didn't admonish him like Singapore did.

As he thought that, his eyes trailed through the room again, and like before, he noted the absence of the other nations, especially Singapore.

"Where's Singa?" Malaysia asked.

"He and the others went to get a few things from their rooms," Philippines explained. "We're kind of in quarantine with you, so the others wanted to get some things to keep them busy. And we can't just do work all the time, and we don't want to take the chance to watch TV. Does the light bother your eyes?"

Malaysia nodded his head.

"Could you turn it off, please?" Malaysia asked.

"It is off," Philippines said. "The curtains are closed. The only way for this room to be darker is if it's night. Mal… This isn't good."

Malaysia frowned. He looked up to the ceiling and realised that the light wasn't on, and when he looked at the bedside lamp, he saw the same result. And when he looked at the window, he winced when he saw the small stream of light filtering through. Philippines went over towards the window and pulled the curtains even tighter.

"I asked the others to get my phone charger," Philippines said. "I didn't think you should be alone. And I'm fine with only my phone."

"…What's wrong with me?" Malaysia asked. He could hear the tremor in his own voice.

"We don't know. Switzerland and the others managed to get some of your blood, and they're doing tests now."

Malaysia shuddered when he heard that. He hated needles, and he hated medical tests. There was just this… visceral fear that came from it. He'd tried to get over the fear, but it was impossible. And he didn't like the fact that he had been asleep when they stuck the needle into him.

"Do you feel itchy?" Philippines asked.

"No," Malaysia said. "Why?"

"You have a rash on your stomach."

Malaysia pulled up his shirt. His eyes were a bit blurry, but he could see the red on his stomach. He ran his hand over the skin. It was dry, other than the sweat that soaked his entire body.

"I didn't even realise…" Malaysia said.

"France and the others asked to call one of them when you wake up," Philippines said. "Should I?"

Malaysia was silent for a moment.

"As long as they don't use the needles, okay," Malaysia said.

Philippines nodded, before moving away. Malaysia looked towards the empty glass and pouted. He needed more water. He looked towards the kitchen area. Perhaps he could refill the glass himself?

He stepped out of the bed, only to immediately reach out for the wall. The world tilted, and Malaysia wondered for a brief moment if there was an earthquake or something before he realised that it was only because he was dizzy. He stood there for a while before he felt confident enough to start walking. He grabbed the glass and made it towards the kitchenette.

He could hear Philippines on the phone with someone. He knew that Philippines was watching him. It felt good, but he didn't want to bother Philippines too much now.

Malaysia downed another glass, and he was about to down another glass when he felt his stomach flip. His hand found its way to his mouth, and he waited for a while. He sighed in relief when he didn't need to run to the bathroom again, but he started to slowly sip the water.

"Are you alright?" Philippines asked as he came closer.

Malaysia shrugged. Philippines looked at something on the counter.

"It's past lunchtime," Philippines said. "Do you want something from room service?"

Before Malaysia could answer, someone knocked on the door. Philippines went over to answer it while Malaysia sipped his water.

"Okay, I brought some… Malaysia, what are you doing out of bed?!"

Malaysia smiled when he recognised the voice.

"Singa!" he sang, before he ran over towards Singapore. He threw his arms around his brother, who tensed at the contact. Malaysia clutched Singapore as another dizzy wave crashed over him.

"You're hot and sweaty," Singapore complained. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"Needed water. Dizzy now."

"Idiot. You shouldn't run when you feel sick."

"I called France," Philippines said. "He's on his way."

"Good. And you…" Singapore glared at Malaysia. "You're going back to bed. No arguments."

Malaysia nodded. He took the glass and walked back to the bed. He placed the glass on the bedside table before climbing under the blanket. Only to kick it off a moment later.

"It's too hot," he complained.

"After France is done here, maybe you can try taking a shower?" Singapore suggested. "Not too cold. We don't want your system to go into complete shock."

Malaysia groaned. A cold shower actually sounded pretty pleasant at that moment. And how would Singapore know if the water was too cold?

Over the next few minutes, Indonesia and Thailand came by as well. And then, eventually, France came by again, along with Germany and Japan.

Malaysia stared at the new arrivals. He knew why France was there, and he had suspicions regarding Germany's presence, but what was Japan doing there? Even if they were friends, it was still suspicious.

"Eh bien," France sighed. "How do you feel now?"

Malaysia shrugged.

"Too hot," he said. "Thirsty."

"He's also got light sensitivity," Philippines said.

"I see," France said. "And this light? Is it too bright for you?" Malaysia nodded. "Does your head hurt?" Another nod. "It's possible that your headache is causing you to be sensitive to the light. And your fever isn't helping matters. Did you check his temperature again?"

"Yes. It's down, but it's still high. Thirty-nine point five."

"I told him to take a shower when you're finished," Singapore said. "Not too cold."

"That could help. As long as the water isn't too hot either. Now, I need you to say 'aah'."

It took Malaysia a few seconds to understand that France was addressing him. He opened his mouth, and France used a tongue depressor and checked his throat. Malaysia closed his eyes as they started to water. He didn't open his eyes until France pulled away.

"Well, your throat is red and swollen, so there's definitely an infection there," France said. He turned towards the others. "Did you get something for the throat?"

"Yes," Indonesia said, retrieving the packet. France stared at it for a moment before he nodded.

"This is good," he said. "I suggest two sprays four times a day. That should help, at least."

France then checked Malaysia's blood pressure. France pursed his lips, showing that he wasn't happy with the results.

"Are you still nauseous?" France asked.

"Not… not as bad," Malaysia said. "I still feel… funny."

"Have you tried eating yet?" Malaysia shook his head. "I suggest a light soup or some bread. Don't go overboard. See if you can keep that down. And then you need to get sleep. That is the best way for your body to recover."

Malaysia nodded. Sleep sounded nice, in fact. He was still tired.

"I can arrange a larger room for you all," Germany said. "This room is designed for a single person, and you're all going to have some difficulty if you're all going to stay here."

"That would be appreciated," Singapore said, "but would it really be necessary if it turns out he's not contagious?"

"Ja. You told us yourselves how bad this is. There's always a chance that his symptoms would grow worse. If that happens, it would be safer if someone could look after him. Until we're sure that he's recovering, I'd have to ask you to stay with him."

Singapore sighed and nodded. Malaysia smiled at his brother.

"I appreciate it," he said.

Was it just his imagination, or was Singapore blushing? His eyes were still blurry, so he couldn't be sure.

"When his condition improves, we can talk about other arrangements," Germany said. "I'll come by later, when I have another room for you."

Germany turned to leave. Japan gave a slight bow.

"I will help where I can," Japan said. "I hope that all goes well."

Malaysia felt a prickle against his scalp, but he only nodded. He didn't understand why he was so nervous around Japan. After all, he'd come by for a visit a few weeks ago, and there was no problem between them. They got along very well. So, why was he so nervous? Could it just be the fever making him paranoid?

Malaysia jumped when France tugged on his shirt. France raised his hands, showing that he meant no harm.

"I just want to check on that rash," France said. "May I?"

Malaysia nodded, pulling up his own shirt. France hissed, and the others crowded around him.

"That looks painful," Thailand commented.

"But it's not," Malaysia said. "It's not even itchy."

"Perhaps not yet," France said. "But it could change sooner than you think. I'm worried that you might start scratching it, and if you scratch hard enough, you will start bleeding. This would lead to an infection, which, in your case, would not be a good thing."

Malaysia winced. After France put it like that, he supposed he understood why he looked worried.

"Luckily, Big Brother knows what to do!" France sang. "I went ahead to the pharmacy. I got you something that would help." Malaysia watched as France dug around in the medical bag he'd brought with him. "Here is some ointment. Once you're out of the shower, feel free to rub it in. You should ask one of the others to do your back. I also brought some shower gel that you can use. This is specifically for sensitive skin. We do not want the cheap hotel stuff to make this even worse. And then I would recommend an antihistamine. There's a possibility that you're suffering from an allergic reaction, and it may be unrelated to your current condition. May I see the medicine you bought for him? I just want to make sure that nothing would interfere with the antihistamine."

"Yeah," Indonesia said. "Sure."

Malaysia sipped his water as France examined the medicine. He nodded his head after a while.

"This should be safe," he said. "We've asked the hospital for use of some of their equipment. So far, it looks as though the pathogen is viral, so antibiotics won't work."

"Anything else you managed to discover?" Singapore asked.

"Non. This thing… it's indeed something I've never seen before. We're trying to understand it, but… It's going to take some time."

"But thanks for your help. Hopefully, this won't be too bad."

France looked towards Malaysia, and the look in his eyes showed that he wasn't so sure.

"Call if something happens," France said. "Remember to check his blood pressure and temperature regularly. His blood pressure is low, and his temperature is high. They need to start switching. But not too much, of course."

"Okay, thank you."

Malaysia watched France go, and he saw that Japan had been standing there for this whole time. Japan left with France, and Malaysia relaxed.

"Do you need help?" Philippines asked.

Malaysia shook his head, a smile on his face.

"Don't worry," he said. "I think… I should be able to take a shower."

"In the meantime, we'll see if we can get room service to bring you some soup," Thailand said. "Anything you'd like in particular?"

Malaysia shook his head. He finished his water before fetching a change of clothes. He took the wash and ointment that France gave him with him before going into the shower.

He stood under the spray, feeling a wave of nausea threatening him again. Still, it didn't feel as though he needed to run to the toilet again.

But…

His vision was blurry, and he kept feeling as though the ground was tilting. He needed to sit down. He reached out for the faucet and immediately had to grab onto it. His vision had blacked out for a second, and he needed to hold on to something before he fainted again.

But he didn't feel as though it was getting better. He whimpered, fear creeping up on him.

"Help!" he called out.

…

"Chicken soup?" Philippines suggested. "I mean, that's what they usually give people who are sick."

"Yeah, when they have a cold," Indonesia said. "But this doesn't look like a cold."

"Agreed," Singapore said. "Besides, what if the chicken is too much for his stomach to handle?"

"Well, there's also a tomato soup," Thailand said. "We could try that. And then we can order some slices of toast to go along with it."

"And what about the rest of us?" Philippines asked. "I mean, I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty hungry. I haven't had lunch yet."

"Same here," Indonesia said. "Let me look at that menu."

Singapore was about to add his own opinion when he heard something from the bathroom.

"Help!"

Immediately, he was on his feet and inside the bathroom. His eyes immediately fell on the shower, and through the curtain, he could see Malaysia's silhouette. Something was wrong. He yanked the curtain aside to see Malaysia leaning heavily against the faucets. His face was very pale.

"I've got you," Singapore said, grabbing hold of Malaysia and gently lowering him to the floor, onto the small rug. He then reached out and turned off the water before fixing his attention on Malaysia again. "What's wrong?"

Malaysia didn't respond, and he kept swaying. Singapore realised what was going on, and helped Malaysia to lie down with his legs slightly elevated. He looked up at the door and saw the others standing there, watching the scene.

"I think he was about to pass out," Singapore explained. "Is that it, Mal?"

Malaysia groaned, before he nodded his head. His eyes were closed, and Singapore wasn't sure, but it looked as though he was crying. It was possible that his face was just wet. Still, Singapore stroked Malaysia's hair. He didn't know if this was sweat or water, but Malaysia's hair was soaked. Malaysia's breaths were shaky, and a bit too fast for Singapore's liking.

"Easy now," Singapore said. "You don't want to hyperventilate. Just take it easy."

Malaysia swallowed and nodded. Singapore kept petting his hair, since it seemed to calm Malaysia down. Eventually, it looked as though colour had returned to Malaysia's cheeks, and his breathing had evened out.

"Better?" Singapore asked. Malaysia nodded. "Alright. Let me help you up. Easy, now."

He helped Malaysia to first sit up, and then to stand up. They moved slowly to prevent Malaysia from fainting. Eventually, Malaysia exhaled shakily and nodded.

"Thanks," he said. His voice was raspy, and that concerned Singapore.

"Do you want me to stay while you finish up?" Singapore asked.

Malaysia was still for a long while before he nodded. Normally, Singapore wouldn't go so far, but it was clear that Malaysia wasn't just sick. He was afraid. He had little control over his body, and he felt helpless. If he'd passed out in the shower, then he could have seriously gotten hurt. Malaysia must have realised it as well.

Malaysia returned to the shower, pulling the curtain. Singapore turned to the others as the sound of water echoed through the room.

"I've got this," Singapore said.

"Are you sure?" Thailand asked.

"Yeah. Um… If you're going to order room service, get me some sandwiches or something. I'm not that hungry."

"Okay, then," Indonesia said. "Call if you need us."

Singapore watched them go, before he sighed. He sat down on the toilet with the lid down and waited. He tried to think of the last time when Malaysia needed to be taken care of, and the only thing he could think of was after World War Two. When Malaysia was liberated from Japan, he'd seemed… broken. It didn't help that it had taken a while to find him. And for a long time afterward, Malaysia didn't feel comfortable with anyone touching him.

Eventually, Malaysia seemed to move on from that, but Singapore always wondered what had happened during that time. He had a feeling that it wasn't pleasant. Well, none of the conquered nations had a pleasant time, but Singapore was sure that Malaysia had experienced a horror that the rest of them couldn't imagine.

Singapore also suspected that Malaysia hadn't completely moved on from that. He'd looked at Malaysia earlier, and when he saw Japan, there was a strange flicker in his eyes. He wondered if Japan would tell him if he asked him about it.

I know that the dosage for the throat spray in this chapter is different from the dosage in the previous chapter. I've had the same thing happen to me in real life. It's just that sometimes the doctor would give a slightly different dosage than the packet, and I wanted to reflect that. Best to always use caution with medicine.