Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 9

"He's awake. Thank goodness. How are you feeling?"

Malaysia didn't respond. He was too heavy, and his throat burned. He knew that he had a high fever, but that was nothing new. His eyes flitted around the room, trying to remember where he was and how he got there. It wasn't the hotel room.

"Malaysia, can you hear me?" It was France that asked him that.

"Where's Singa?" he whispered.

"He went back to your room. Germany forced him to go. He was really worried about you, and it was starting to affect him too. He needed to get some rest."

"Did Singa catch what I have?"

Malaysia tried to force himself to sit up, but France gently placed his hand on his chest and pushed him down.

"No, Singapore and the others didn't catch it," France said. "It doesn't seem to be contagious through traditional means, so we're still waiting for news on how it can transmit. But how are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," Malaysia said.

"We're just getting the drips for you, and…"

"No. No needles. I don't want needles."

France looked like he wanted to argue, but he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I promise, we just want to get food and water in your system," he said. "You've been unconscious for a few hours. During that time, we've run a few tests. Your liver and kidney have completely shut down, and your small intestine is on its way. That's one of the reasons why you haven't been able to keep anything down. You also have a few stomach ulcers, which could be the cause of the blood. Your heart isn't at risk yet, and brain scans show that there is some damage there, but it doesn't show signs of degradation. If you were human, you know that you wouldn't have long to live, right?"

Malaysia swallowed and nodded.

"Is this why my people are dying so fast?" he asked.

France sighed.

"This virus works fast," he said. "I've never heard of anything that can cause total organ failure a little over twenty-four hours after the first signs of symptoms. This did start yesterday, correct?"

Malaysia nodded.

"I was just tired before that, but…" Malaysia sighed. "France, is there a chance for this to kill me? Like, permanently kill me?"

France didn't answer immediately. Finally, he nodded.

"It will put you in a coma first," he said. "And if your country goes through enough changes, then you will no longer be the representative of the nation, and you will die. The last time I saw this happen was with the Black Plague. But I don't think that it was as fast as whatever it is you have."

"H-how many people have died of this so far?" Malaysia asked.

"The news is no longer reporting. When we looked into it… Apparently, three of the journalists working on this have already died. And about thirty doctors have also died. WHO and the CDC are working hard to find a solution. They are studying this disease as much as possible, and we are trying our best here as well."

Malaysia closed his eyes. How long would it take for them to find a cure? How many people would die before then? And the worst part was he knew that the technology had advanced enough that it wouldn't take that long. It wouldn't take years. If this had happened a hundred years ago, then he knew that he would have been doomed. And there would be no way for his people to survive.

He could feel them. He could feel them dying. But he had to try hard.

"Why do I have to actually try to feel my people?" Malaysia asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No," France said. "If there is an epidemic, and the nation is suffering from the same disease, then the connection is muted to allow the nation to recover without interference from their people. Of course, since this thing has a high fatality, it can still affect you. It's a survival mechanism. I remember, when I caught the Black Plague, I didn't feel my people dying until after I'd died from it and had it flushed from my system. I got it a total of four times." France winced in distaste. "It wasn't a pleasant experience."

"I didn't know you got the Black Plague. What was it like?"

France shook his head.

"I don't want to discuss that now," France said. "Instead, let's focus on something else. Like I said, we need to use an IV to keep you nourished and hydrated. I know you don't like needles, but I promise, we are not going to put anything else in you."

"…Singa told you, didn't he?"

France's jaw worked, as though he wanted to speak, but didn't know what to say. Malaysia closed his eyes.

"It was Japan," he said. "Japan experimented on me during World War Two."

"You mean, his people did?" France asked.

"Well, yeah, his people did the actual experimentation, but he was there. He oversaw it. He watched the things they did to me. And he did some of it too."

"…He's been asking how you're feeling. I-if what you're saying is true… Could it be that he feels guilty? That it reminds him of the past?"

Malaysia shrugged, before wincing. It hurt. He looked up towards France.

"Can you call Singa and the others?" Malaysia asked. "I want to see them again."

"You act as though you never will again," France said.

"I-if this is going to put me in a coma… then I want to see them before that happens. I-I don't want to be scared before that. Please."

France closed his eyes and nodded. His eyes were shining when he opened them again. Was France holding back his own tears?

"I'll call them," he said.

Malaysia quirked his mouth, before he looked around the room again. He frowned when he realised something.

"Where are Switzerland and Turkey?" Malaysia asked.

"Switzerland went with Germany to get the IVs for you," France said. "And Turkey went to get a nap. We've been sleeping in shifts."

"Sorry…"

"Non, it's not your fault. But, if you want to make it up to us, then you should do your best to get better. D'accord?"

Malaysia gave a small smile and nodded. France returned the smile, before he pulled out his cell phone. He moved away for some privacy, and Malaysia could hear that he called Thailand. It made sense, since France had more history with Thailand. Malaysia closed his eyes. The light was still too bright, but he couldn't ask France to turn it off. This wasn't like the hotel room, where he was just sleeping it off. This was, for all intents and purposes, a hospital room. France needed to be able to see what he was doing.

His fingers curled into a fist as he felt another wave of pain. His abdomen was in pure agony, and he recalled how France said that his kidney and liver had failed, with his small intestine soon to follow. Malaysia placed his hand on his lower abdomen, and he could feel something twitching. It felt horrible. He sighed and opened his eyes. How long was he going to suffer like this?

"Alright, they're on their way," France said. "Is there anything I can get you while we're waiting? Other than food and water."

"My throat hurts," Malaysia rasped. "Can you get something for that?"

"I'll ask Thailand to bring that throat spray. Sorry, but I don't have something on hand right now."

Malaysia nodded. He supposed that it would have been too much to expect.

…

"Singa," Philippines said. "Wake up."

Singapore groaned, before he opened his eyes. Philippines smiled and leaned back.

"France called," Philippines explained. "Mal's awake."

Singapore blinked as he tried to absorb the words. He looked around the room, and his eyes settled on Malaysia's bed. Of course, Malaysia was no longer with them. France and the others needed to take care of him because his organs were failing.

He sat up and climbed out of bed. He swayed for a moment, and Philippines caught him. Singapore took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'll be fine," he said. "So, are we going?"

"Yeah," Philippines said.

Indonesia and Thailand were ready, and they were just waiting for Singapore. He only needed to put on his shoes, and while he did that, Thailand got a text.

"Is that Viet?" Singapore asked.

"No," Thailand replied. "France is asking that we bring that throat spray."

Indonesia went to grab it. As soon as they were all ready, they left the room and made their way towards the elevator.

On the way, they ran into England, who jumped when he saw them.

"Oh, hello," he said. "I-I'll just…"

"Mal's not contagious," Singapore said. "You don't have to be so jumpy."

England's eyes widened, and then he sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"I've been meaning to ask," he said. "How is Malaysia doing? I've been looking at the news, and it doesn't look good."

"It isn't," Singapore said. "He's dealing with organ failure."

"I'm so sorry… I know it must be difficult to see him like that."

Singapore could only nod. He pushed his way past England. He wanted to be there with his brother, before he slipped into a coma. They needed to be there for him. Malaysia was probably terrified, asides from the feeling of being sick. Singapore wanted to show Malaysia that they were there for him.

As soon as the elevator reached the right floor, Singapore ran out and towards the room they were using as a medical ward. He burst in, and France jumped. Singapore's eyes scanned the area. They had moved Malaysia. But he managed to find him, and he ran over to his brother's side.

"Hey," Singapore said. "How are you feeling?"

"Like trash," Malaysia said. "It hurts."

Singapore used a finger to stroke Malaysia's face, and his brother seemed to relax at that action. He wondered if this was soothing to him.

"Did you bring the throat spray?" France asked.

"Indo has it," Singapore said. He turned to France. "How bad is it?"

"His liver and kidneys have all failed, and his small intestine is on its way. This means that it's impossible for him to digest any food, which is why…"

"Which is why he keeps throwing everything up. What about the blood?"

"Stomach ulcers. I convinced him to accept an IV. Switzerland went with Germany to arrange for that."

Singapore turned back to Malaysia.

"Are you really okay with that?" he asked.

"I don't like it," Malaysia said. "But… I feel bad for worrying all of you. I… I'm going to try my best to cooperate with them. Even if… If it means I need to have needles in me."

France stepped up right after that, and Singapore noticed that the others had arrived. France helped Malaysia to raise his head, and he sprayed something into Malaysia's throat. It looked like the throat spray. It wasn't the first time that they'd sprayed this in Malaysia's throat, so Singapore wasn't alarmed.

"Where's Turkey?" Indonesia asked.

"He went to get some sleep," France said. "As soon as he or Switzerland return, I'm going to take my shift. Now, I'll leave you to it. I'll be on the computer, so if something happens, just yell for me."

"Thank you," Singapore said.

France gave a small smile, before he retreated to another part of the room. Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand moved closer.

"No offence," Indonesia said, "but you look like crap."

"I feel worse," Malaysia said, trying to smile. "So, apparently I'm too sick to feel my people dying. It's some sort of natural defence we have or something."

"That's not good," Thailand said, frowning. "Mal, if you can't feel your people…"

"I can feel them if I focus. But it just makes me feel worse. My head hurts whenever I try."

There was an exclamation from the other side of the room, and all eyes snapped to France.

"Please tell me that's not the sound you make when you have more bad news," Thailand said.

"Sorry," France said. "The CDC just emailed us. They found out how the pathogen was spread to so many people so quickly."

"Tell us!" Singapore demanded.

"Wait. Let me just read the actual message first."

They waited as France read through the message. Singapore drummed his fingers with each passing second. Did it really take this long to read something?

"Alright," France said. "Well, it seems that the water supply is contaminated."

"The water?" Malaysia repeated.

"Oui. They tested the water, and this pathogen seems to have thrived in the water. It would also explain how even the politicians have been infected. They've run a few tests, and… this is where it starts to get really bad."

"I don't think I want to know what 'really bad' would mean in this case," Indonesia sighed.

"They've tested some of their researchers. Everyone they've tested has been infected, but all of them deny drinking the water. But they did wash their hands, which suggests that it can be absorbed through the skin. It also doesn't seem to die when the water is boiled, which means the water used for making food or coffee or tea or anything like that is also unsafe. In other words…"

"It's impossible to avoid getting infected," Philippines finished. "Do they know what could have caused this?"

France opened his mouth, but at that point, Switzerland and Germany arrived, with Germany wheeling in a large box. Switzerland blinked when he saw them, while Germany sighed.

"I thought I told you to get some rest," Germany said.

"I called them," France explained. "Malaysia woke up, and he wanted them here."

Singapore turned back to look at his brother, who gave a small smile in return before focusing on France again.

"You were going to say something more about what's making me sick," Malaysia said.

"Right," France said. He turned to Switzerland and Germany. "The CDC sent a report. Kuala Lumpur's water supply is contaminated, and this pathogen appears to be absorbed through the skin. It also can survive high temperatures. In other words, everyone who lives in Kuala Lumpur would be in contact with it one way or another."

"And as for those patients who were just visiting," Philippines said, "they must have gotten it from restaurants or when they washed their hands."

"What kind of virus can cause something like this?" Germany asked.

"They're starting to question if this is actually a virus," France said. "They haven't noticed any mutation yet, and viruses are notoriously fast in that regard. Anyway, they placed the infected researchers in quarantine, but none of them have even started to display any symptoms. They are keeping an eye on them. They hope to determine the timeframe between infection and the first appearance of symptoms."

"It has to be a few days, at least," Singapore said. "I mean… Mal, when did you fly to get here?"

Malaysia frowned.

"What day is today again?" Malaysia asked. "I kind of lost track."

"Today is Tuesday," Singapore said. "And you started to get sick yesterday, but the day before yesterday you were tired, right?"

Malaysia nodded.

"I left on Saturday," he said. "So… Um…"

"At least forty-eight hours before the more serious symptoms started," France said. "But, comparing Malaysia's condition with the patients who were only exposed to the water for a short amount of time…"

"It must have been longer," Germany finished. "And during that time, the people exposed themselves even more, and the pathogen was growing stronger."

"That's what I'm thinking as well. But they need to do more tests. I'm afraid that we have limited resources here, so we can't really study this. But if this infects anyone else, then we will have big problems. We've seen the effects it has on a nation. We're considering giving Malaysia life support. If this happens to anyone else…"

"France, help me with this first," Switzerland said. He had been busy with the contents of the box while France was speaking, and Singapore realised that the box was filled with IV bags. "This is going to be hard enough. Would have been easier if he'd stayed asleep."

"Oh, Malaysia agreed to accept the IV." France walked over towards Malaysia, and Singapore watched as he started to poke around for a vein, much to Malaysia's dismay. "Of course, it's easier said than done. Apparently, he had a very traumatic experience with needles. Unsterilised, which made him very sick. N'est-ce pas?"

Malaysia looked confused for a moment, before his eyes widened and he nodded. Singapore tried not to smile. France was trying to keep quiet about what Singapore had told him. And Malaysia probably knew that France knew as well. But there was no reason why Germany or Switzerland had to know. Not now, not yet.

Switzerland approached with the IV connected to a stand, and Malaysia closed his eyes and turned his head away. Singapore moved around the bed and grabbed Malaysia's other hand. He flinched when he saw the needle go through Malaysia's skin, and Malaysia whimpered in pain or fear. They then placed bandages over the needle, keeping it in place, and pulled down the sleeve of Malaysia's shirt.

"Now, whatever you do, don't tamper with it," France said.

"Is there anything else they managed to report?" Germany asked. "I think we should hold a meeting tomorrow morning. Everyone should know that Malaysia isn't contagious. Did they manage to determine how the water became contaminated, or are they still investigating that?"

France bit his lip, before he looked at everyone in turn. Singapore felt a weight drop in his stomach. There was something seriously wrong.

"They managed to find a possible origin of the contagion," France said. "As soon as they realised the problem lies with the water supply, they went to the reservoir for samples. And they found shards of porcelain."

"Porcelain?" Germany repeated. "Wait…"

"It's similar to the bombs the Japanese developed to spread plagues around China. I hate to say this, but… I think this is an act of biological warfare."