Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 4

Singapore looked over Malaysia, who was sleeping yet again. They managed to get him to eat some of the soup that room service had brought. Emphasis on 'some'. More than three-quarters of the soup still remained. Malaysia didn't have much of an appetite, and after the bit he managed to swallow down, he went back to sleep.

He knew that the Malaysian government was working on this on their end. So, hopefully, they would be able to discover the origin of the disease.

A Spanish swear from Philippines caused them all to turn to him.

"You know, you do not make us feel better when you do that," Thailand said. "But, what's up now?"

"Both the king and Prime Minister of Malaysia have been admitted in the hospital," Philippines explained. "Both of them have the exact same set of symptoms as the other patients."

"Oh." Thailand stared at Philippines. "Okay, I understand the profanity in that case. How many patients now?"

Philippines pursed his lips. He groaned.

"Sixty-eight," he said.

"In less than twenty-four hours," Indonesia said. "Whatever this thing is, it's powerful. Um… Maybe we shouldn't be so close to Mal, if that's the case."

"If he's contagious, then I think we all have it already," Singapore sighed. "We should probably get an immune booster or something."

"Oh, that reminds me!"

Singapore glanced over when Indonesia dug into the pharmacy bag again before he pulled out a box. Singapore hadn't noticed it earlier. Then again, with Malaysia throwing up the medicine they gave him, he didn't think to look further.

"I got some immune booster for all of us," Indonesia explained. "I figured it couldn't hurt."

"Please tell me it's not one of those you have to mix with water," Philippines said, his face twisting in disgust.

Indonesia removed a few sachets from the box. Philippines's face utterly fell when he saw it.

"Let's just get this over with," Thailand sighed. "How many glasses are there?"

"Asides from the one Mal's using, there are three," Indonesia said. "One of us is going to have to wait for one of the others."

"What about mugs?" Singapore asked. "We can use that too, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

They retrieved the glasses and mug, added the contents of a sachet to each and filled them with water. They watched as the concoction fizzled, and then…

"Oh, hell no!" Philippines exclaimed. "It's… it's bubbling!"

Indeed, the concoction was bubbling. Singapore stared at the mug that he'd volunteered to take. There was one particularly large bubble that looked brown, in contrast to the orange liquid. He poked it with his finger to try to burst the bubble, but it just slowly deflated, and only once he removed his finger. He shuddered.

"…I think I'd rather get sick," Singapore said.

"Come on," Thailand said. "Let's just get this over with."

Singapore glanced towards Philippines, who had the same horrified look on his face. He took a deep breath, before he swallowed down the contents of the mug. He shuddered, his body erupting in goosebumps. Indonesia, for his part, looked as though he regretted his choice.

"Okay, that's over with," Thailand said. "Do you think we should give some to Mal? To help him rebuild his immunity and everything?"

"We're trying to get him to not throw up," Singapore said, before the aftertaste hit him. "That's so gross… Next time, look for something in tablet form."

"Y-yeah…" Indonesia groaned.

They looked up when someone knocked on the door. They exchanged a look, before Philippines went over. He opened the door and blinked.

"Italy?" he asked. "Romano? What are you two doing here?"

The two brothers stood there, both of them holding a pot each, though it looked as though Romano didn't really want to be there.

"Ve, I made some soup for Malaysia," Italy explained. "It's tomato and basil soup. It's good for when you're sick. And I also brought some pasta for the rest of you."

"That's so nice of you," Singapore said. "Thank you."

Singapore noticed that Romano had a scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face. Well, he supposed that he couldn't blame him. And, technically, they were supposed to wear a mask when they went out.

Singapore made a mental note to ask France to bring some when he came by later.

The two placed the pots on the kitchen table. Italy turned to Singapore, his face a little more serious.

"So, how's Malaysia now?" he asked.

"He's asleep," Singapore sighed. "He took a shower earlier and almost passed out. But his fever just won't break."

"Ve, do you know what I always do when Romano's sick?" Italy asked. "I sing him a lullaby. That always helps."

"Don't say something like that, you bastard!" Romano snapped.

"Sorry! But… He's probably scared now. It's not fun to feel sick. So, maybe try to comfort him or something?"

Singapore knew that Italy was right. Malaysia was in a vulnerable state of mind. And if his symptoms got worse…

He remembered the scream for help while Malaysia was showering. Singapore knew that he didn't imagine that there was fear in that four-letter word. Malaysia almost passed out in the shower, and he could have seriously hurt himself. He also probably felt frustrated that he couldn't even do something so simple.

Just then, he heard a whimper from the bed. Singapore's head whipped in that direction before he ran over. What he saw bothered him.

Malaysia was under the covers, and his cheeks were flushed. But he was shivering. Singapore reached out to stroke Malaysia's hair, and his eyes snapped open. He curled up into a tighter ball.

"What's wrong?" Singapore asked.

"I-it's t-too c-cold," Malaysia stammered. His teeth were chattering too. "N-need b-blankets."

Singapore placed his hand on Malaysia's forehead. It was still too hot, and earlier, Malaysia had complained about the heat. But now, he was complaining about the cold, despite being a living furnace.

"Chills," Singapore sighed. "Phil, could you please check on your phone? I don't want to accidentally make this worse."

Philippines nodded, his phone already out. Singapore looked over towards Malaysia, who had curled up into an even tighter ball, the blanket forming a cocoon around him.

"Okay," Philippines said. "We're not supposed to bundle him up too warmly. We don't want him to overheat, especially since his body's confused right now. One blanket should be enough, but we might be able to add a second blanket. And we need to give him a lot of water."

Singapore sighed. He wondered just how much water Malaysia had consumed. And, on that note…

Malaysia threw the blanket off him, before stumbling to the bathroom and shutting the door. For a moment, Singapore was worried that Malaysia was throwing up again, but the absence of retching sounds eased his nerves. Of course, Malaysia would have eventually had to go, especially considering the amount of water he was drinking. Singapore smiled when he heard the toilet flush.

Italy and Romano had already left, and Indonesia was examining the pasta they'd brought them, along with Malaysia's soup. Malaysia emerged from the bathroom, teeth chattering and arms wrapped around himself.

"Get in bed," Singapore sighed.

Malaysia didn't hesitate. He got on the bed again, and Singapore threw the blanket over him. Malaysia immediately formed a cocoon, though he was still trembling.

"Would you like more soup?" Singapore asked. "Or, what about some tea?"

"Um, we don't have any tea," Philippines said. "We should probably get some."

"S-soup," Malaysia said. "But… N-not too much."

"The soup that Italy brought is still hot," Indonesia said. "It's better than heating the other soup again."

Singapore watched as Indonesia busied himself with the soup, before he turned back to Malaysia. He stroked him through the cocoon, and Malaysia curled up tighter.

"Other than feeling cold," Singapore said, "how are you feeling? Do you still feel nauseous?"

The cocoon moved near the head area, though Singapore didn't know whether it was an affirmative or negative movement.

"It's just my stomach that hurts," Malaysia groaned.

"It could be anything," Singapore said. "It might even be because of all the retching. I'm sure the muscles are tired. They're not used to so much exercise."

Singapore tried to joke, and he heard a sound from Malaysia that might have been a form of laughter. But it was worrying. Well, at least it looked as though Malaysia was able to hold down his food now.

He hoped that Indonesia had gotten more of those pills.

"Here you go," Indonesia said, bringing a steaming mug. "I only added a few scoops."

Malaysia emerged from the cocoon, and Singapore watched him as he ate. Singapore smiled when he saw that Malaysia had finished all the soup. He placed the mug on the end table and lay back down. He didn't quite form a cocoon again, but he still curled up in a tight ball. The trembling had thankfully subsided, though it wasn't completely gone yet. Malaysia closed his eyes, and his breathing evened out after a while.

Singapore started humming without realising it. It was a lullaby, and when he caught himself, he decided to continue humming. Malaysia curled up tighter, but it didn't seem as though he was uncomfortable. In fact, it almost looked as though he was seeking further comfort.

Perhaps, for now, he would be okay with coddling Malaysia. And besides, he was a lot better when he was asleep. He wasn't nearly so infuriating. Still, it was worrisome that they didn't know what exactly was wrong with him. They didn't know what to expect, and even though he seemed relatively stable now, it could always get worse.

Once they understood what the pathogen was and what it was capable of, then they would be able to combat it. The problem was, they had no idea how long that would take. And even though it wouldn't be able to kill a nation, it still seemed powerful enough to seriously weaken one.

And what if this spread? How many nations could get infected with this? How many of them were already infected?

Well, it was safe to assume that there was a good chance that Singapore and the others were already infected. They were around Malaysia a lot that day, after all. The only thing they were unsure of was how contagious this pathogen was. But there was an advantage to taking care of Malaysia: they could see his symptoms, and they would know what to expect. That was at least a small comfort.

…

He was curled up against the wall, shivering. He was far from his home, with some sort of virus coursing through his body. He was hot, he was in pain, and he was terrified.

His breath hitched. He heard footsteps, and he heard voices. And the worst part was, he recognised one of those voices. He couldn't understand the words, though he could make out one or two.

One of them said something about logs…

He could no longer ponder on these thoughts. The door opened, and he looked upon familiar, cold eyes…

…

Singapore had dozed off, but a weak whimper forced him to return to the world of the waking. He turned his attention to Malaysia, and he noticed that something was wrong. His face was completely flushed, and his soaked hair clung to his face. Singapore reached out to touch his forehead and flinched when he felt Malaysia.

"His temperature's insane!" Singapore exclaimed.

Indonesia came over and placed his hand on Malaysia's cheek. His face turned into a grimace.

"We need to get a cold compress," Indonesia said. "Singa, can you try waking him?"

Singapore nodded as Indonesia disappeared into the bathroom. Singapore gently started shaking Malaysia's shoulders, only for the other nation to start whipping his head from side to side.

"N-no," Malaysia whined. "S-stop…"

"Mal, you need to wake up," Singapore sighed. "We need to get you your medicine."

His attention drifted when he heard the sound of Thailand's voice, and he saw that the other nation was on the phone with someone.

"His fever's spiked again," Thailand said.

Singapore turned back to Malaysia and became a bit more aggressive while trying to shake him awake. Malaysia's eyes snapped open and Singapore retracted his hand. But before he could say anything, Malaysia cried out.

"No!" he shouted. "Stay away from me!"

"Mal!" Singapore snapped. "What has gotten into you? Come on, we need to check your temperature, and then you need to take your medicine."

"No!" Malaysia shouted, backing up until he fell off the bed. "No more! Please! I just want to leave! Stop doing this to me!"

"Mal?" Philippines tried, moving closer. "What's wrong?"

Malaysia noticed Philippines's approach and screeched, before he tried to move away again. He looked between Singapore and Philippines and realised that he was trapped. He let out a wail before he curled up against the wall.

"No," he whimpered. "Please. Singa, help me."

"I'm right here," Singapore said. "I'm trying to help you."

Malaysia just shook his head.

"You're not Singa," he said. "You're a monster."

That single word was like a blow to his stomach. Singapore backed up, and it was only when he heard the word from Thailand that he snapped out of his stupor.

"…Delirious."

Was it possible that the fever was making him hallucinate the continuation of some nightmare? If that were the case, then they would need to be careful. Malaysia wasn't in his right mind, and he could hurt himself or them in his current state.

Singapore started humming the same lullaby he'd hummed earlier. Malaysia zeroed in on him, and though he saw realisation, he didn't see recognition.

"Try singing it," Thailand hissed.

Singapore hesitated, before the Malay words spilled from his mouth. Malaysia slowly started to uncurl and crawl closer. He climbed back onto the bed, but when any of them moved, he'd flinch and shrink back.

"Would you like some water?" Philippines asked.

Malaysia hesitated before he nodded. Philippines disappeared to the kitchen area while Singapore continued to sing. Malaysia eventually sighed and fell back onto the bed, closing his eyes.

"Here you go," Philippines said, before he handed the glass to Malaysia.

Malaysia sniffed the water before he took a sip, his eyes falling on Singapore. He flinched when Philippines placed his hand on his forehead.

"It's really high," Philippines said. "But I don't think we can check right now."

"I agree," Singapore said. "The water's going to interfere with the reading, and I don't want to risk putting something in his mouth after what just happened."

"France is on his way," Thailand explained. "In the meantime, we should try to get that fever down. France also said to try to calm him down if he's in a delirium, before he hurts himself, but I think we've more or less got that settled."

Singapore wasn't so sure. He was still thinking about Malaysia's reaction, and how he called Singapore a monster. What kind of dream did Malaysia have to provoke a reaction like that? And how much did the fever worsen?

"Singa, try speaking to him in Malay," Philippines suggested. "We don't want him to panic, and I think if he hears the familiar tones he's going to be a lot calmer."

Singapore didn't even know what to say, at least until Indonesia returned with a compress. Singapore nodded and turned towards Malaysia.

"Mal, is it okay if he puts that compress on your forehead?" Singapore asked in Malay. "It's to get you to cool down."

Malaysia's eyes went between Indonesia and Singapore and he nodded. He flinched when Indonesia walked closer, but didn't react otherwise. He tensed and his breathing became rapid, but he didn't do anything else. Indonesia placed the compress on Malaysia's forehead as fast and carefully as he could, before he withdrew and Malaysia started to relax again.

"Mal, did you have a nightmare?" Singapore asked. "Can you tell me what it was about?"

Malaysia looked towards Singapore, but it didn't feel as though he was seeing Singapore. He saw Malaysia mouth the word 'nightmare', as though the concept was foreign to him. And in his addled state, perhaps it was. Singapore had never experienced something like this before, and he didn't know how to handle it.

They kept their distance from Malaysia as they waited for France, none of them daring to say anything. Malaysia, at least, looked as though he was drifting to sleep again, though he jumped when France, or who Singapore hoped was France, knocked on the door.

"How is he?"

Yes, it was France. Singapore didn't think that he had ever been so happy to see a European in his life.

"He calmed down," Thailand said. "Though we don't know if the delirium's completely gone yet. He seems to react better if Singapore speaks to him in Malay."

"That's good," France said. "Do you have any idea what kind of delirium he was in?"

"He seemed to think we were monsters," Singapore said. The word hurt more than he thought it would. "What should we do if something like this happens again?"

"First is to try to keep him calm. With delirium, people lose their ability to connect with reality, so the best thing is for them to have as familiar an atmosphere as possible. Speaking to him in Malay was a good idea."

Even though France was wearing a mask, Singapore had a feeling that he was smiling in his direction.

"What could have caused it?" Philippines asked. "Is it the fever?"

"It could be the fever," France confirmed. "It could also be an adverse reaction to one of the medicines, though I highly doubt that any of these would be able to cause something like that. I just hope that whatever this disease is, it isn't damaging his mind."

Singapore shuddered. Was that really possible? What started as a simple fever could really cause something like this?

"I haven't seen anything in the reports about something like this," Philippines said.

"It just could mean that there haven't been documented cases yet," France said. "I'll contact WHO and the CDC to look out for any signs of psychosis in Malaysian patients."

Singapore looked over towards his brother, who was eyeing France warily. What kind of disease was this?