Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 17

"H-how long will it be before Mal wakes up?" Singapore asked.

"We don't know," France said. "But it might take a while. A few hours, maybe even a day or two."

Singapore closed his eyes and nodded. He opened his eyes again and watched as France slowly injected the fluid into Malaysia, with Turkey doing the same to Singapore. The others were with Germany as the European explained how to give the cure to their people. He felt slightly sick when he saw the needle inside Malaysia. He knew what Japan had done to Malaysia in the past, and if Malaysia had been awake, he would not have been reliving pleasant memories.

"There you go," Turkey said, slowly pulling the syringe out. "It might make you sick for today at least as your body tries to adjust, but you should be better in a day or two."

Singapore only nodded, though he wasn't really concerned about himself. It was Malaysia that had all of his worry. He just wanted to see his brother wake up.

"Have you done anything for that fever yet?" Turkey asked.

"Fever?" Singapore repeated.

"You have a light fever. Didn't you notice?"

"Oh… I just thought I was still exhausted."

"And you've just admitted that you ignore your own exhaustion. It's going to be a few hours before Malaysia wakes up, at least. Go get some sleep."

"At least three hours," France said. "That should help you get at least a little rest. And drink plenty of water."

Singapore looked over towards Malaysia. His brother still looked unchanged, and if there was a chance that he would wake up…

"People wake up from comas gradually," Turkey said. "If you'd like, we can stay here and watch Malaysia for a few hours. We know what to look for, so if he starts to wake up, then we'll call you."

"Will you?" Singapore asked. "Because I… I don't want him to wake up when I'm not here."

"We want to monitor his condition as well," France said. "And it would be easier to do if we don't have to worry about another patient."

Singapore sighed. He knew that they had a point, but the stubborn part of his mind still didn't want to leave his brother. France removed something from a satchel he had on him and handed it to Singapore. Paracetamol.

"Get some rest," France said. "You don't want Malaysia to be worried about you when he wakes up, right?"

Singapore rolled the bottle of paracetamol in his hand and sighed.

"I guess I see your point," he said. "You'll wake me if he's starting to wake up?"

"You have our word," France said, smiling softly.

Singapore looked down at the bottle and held it up.

"How many should I drink?" he asked.

…

"Malaysia better not take too long to wake up," Turkey said. "I hate having to see him ignore his own health."

"Singapore?" France asked.

"Of course."

It had been a few minutes since Singapore left, and the two Europeans made themselves comfortable. They would be there for a while.

"He's not really going to be able to relax until he is sure that Malaysia is going to make a full recovery," France said. "Do you think we should tell him that there might be lingering effects, since this is something done by a fellow nation?"

"That can wait for a few days," Turkey said. "We don't want to get him even more worked up than he already is. And please, tell me you gave him some sleeping pills."

"I gave him some paracetamol. If he doesn't have a strong resistance, then he might be put to sleep."

"I guess that's something, at least." Turkey stretched, before he stood. "I'm going to the kitchen. Do you need anything?"

"Just some water, please," France sighed.

France kept his gaze on Malaysia. He knew that it would be a long process, and he committed the sight of Malaysia in the bed to memory. He then pulled out a book and started to read. He would look up every now and again, and would grow more attentive once he saw there was a difference.

…

Turkey was exploring Singapore's kitchen, looking for something to snack on. He heard a sound behind him and turned around. Philippines smiled as he walked in.

"We're going to go for groceries later," Philippines said. "Singa lives alone, so he didn't really have enough food to accommodate us all."

"And naturally, he didn't think of going to shop himself," Turkey said.

"…Is Mal going to be okay?"

"We'll see in a few hours. Waking from a coma isn't a simple thing. But it should be faster than it would be for a human."

"That's good. Maybe then, Singa will actually start relaxing."

"…You realise that there's still going to be a recovery period, right? I mean, Malaysia's been in a coma for two weeks. He's going to have to do physical therapy, at the very least, and then there might be residual effects of the disease. We don't know how much his body had been able to recover. For all we know, he could still have a failed liver, kidneys and intestines. He was sick from something that killed millions of humans in a short amount of time. There's still a lot of stress to come."

Philippines's face dropped as Turkey continued to describe what might happen, before he took a deep breath.

"That can't be helped," he said. "But Singa should be able to relax more once Mal's awake, and he's going to have us to help with the therapy."

"Good, because both of them are going to need help," Turkey said. "Not just physically, but emotionally too. Malaysia's probably going to be frustrated, especially if he has to relearn how to do basic things again. We don't know how much his muscles atrophied in the last two weeks. And Singapore's going to get stressed and frustrated as well. They're going to need a lot of support."

"Why does it sound as though you're expecting the worst?"

"I'm just listing the possibilities. I'm not going to lie and tell you that things are going to be easy. That once Malaysia wakes up, everything is going to go back to normal. But if he wakes up, it's definitely going to be the turning point for things to start improving. His physical health would improve, but his mental health is going to have this big question mark. I mean… Before he fell into the coma, he found out that someone he thought was a friend used him as a lab rat. He's going to have to deal with that betrayal."

"I guess… So, what's going to happen to Japan?"

"You're going to have to ask France or Germany for the details, but I think Germany said he's going to organise a world meeting in the next week or so to discuss this with everyone. You guys probably wouldn't need to come, unless you want to. But someone's going to have to look after Malaysia, because I doubt he'd be ready for a world meeting for at least a month."

"And Singa wouldn't want to leave him."

"It would also be a good idea for someone else to also stay behind to keep an eye on Singapore and Malaysia. This is going to take a few months before things go back to normal."

Philippines was silent for a long time before he nodded.

"I'll stay as long as I'm needed," Philippines said. "I'll help Singa and Mal as much as I can. I know it's going to be tricky, but they wouldn't have to do any of this alone. And I'm sure Thai, Viet and Indo will want to help as much as they can too."

Turkey grinned.

"That's what I like to hear," he said.

…

Singapore groaned. Someone was shaking his shoulder, and he opened his eyes. France stood over him, and once he saw that Singapore was awake, he smiled and stepped back.

"It's time," France said.

It took Singapore a while to understand what France was referring to, but once he did, he pushed the covers off and jumped out of the bed. He ran towards Malaysia's room. Once he stopped in the door, he could see Malaysia shake his head, groaning, scrunching his eyes together.

"It's about time," Turkey said. "He's been like that for a few minutes. If we were humans, we wouldn't be so excited yet, but…"

"Nations wake up from comas faster than humans," Singapore finished. He went to sit down in the empty chair next to Malaysia's bed. It was the same chair he had been occupying for the last two weeks. "Mal, I'm here."

Malaysia stopped groaning, at least, and his breathing changed slightly. Singapore turned towards Turkey.

"I-is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, not at all," Turkey said. "I think he was just stressed because he didn't know where you were. But now, everything is okay."

Singapore nodded. The others arrived with France, and Singapore turned back to Malaysia.

"Mal, everyone's here," he said. "We're all waiting for you to wake up."

It took several more minutes. The process might have been faster than it would have been if they were humans, but it was still stressful. Finally, Malaysia took a deep breath, and his eyes opened. He just lay there for a while, blinking. Singapore didn't dare to say anything. He allowed Malaysia to take as much time as he needed to recover. Malaysia swallowed, and finally, his eyes started to roam around the room, until they landed on Singapore.

"Singa?" Malaysia rasped, before he winced. "H-how long have I been asleep?"

"Two weeks," Singapore said. "How are you feeling?"

Malaysia groaned. Singapore waited for him to say something, but nothing happened. He looked over towards France and Turkey, who came closer.

"Hey, kid," Turkey said. "I hope you don't mind. We just want to check your vitals, okay?"

Malaysia looked over towards Turkey and nodded.

"He needs to sit up," France said. "Could you help with the pillows?"

As Turkey and France helped Malaysia to sit up, Singapore stacked the pillows to allow Malaysia to sit against them. Malaysia groaned when Turkey and France released him.

"Sorry," France said. "Does anything hurt?"

Malaysia frowned before he nodded.

"My… everything," Malaysia said. "Why does everything hurt?"

"Some of it might be muscle stiffness," Turkey said. "You guys have tried to keep the muscles stretched while he was like this, right?"

"We tried," Thailand said. "But we don't have any formal training. So… we might have done a bad job?"

Singapore flinched. The idea that they had only made things worse for Malaysia wasn't a very comforting thought, especially after everything that happened.

"It shouldn't be too much of a problem," France muttered. "What else hurts?"

"Head," Malaysia said. "Tummy. Arm."

Singapore's eyes trailed to the needle, attached to an IV that had provided nourishment to Malaysia. If Malaysia was able to eat properly again, then they would be able to remove it, right?

Turkey's attention also drifted towards Malaysia's arm, as though he was thinking the same thing.

"We'll need to monitor you to see if you can eat or drink something on your own," Turkey said. "Would you like some water?"

Malaysia looked over towards the needle and winced, before he nodded. Vietnam ran out of the room.

Singapore watched as France and Turkey continued to examine Malaysia. He watched their faces carefully, and the more they relaxed, the more Singapore relaxed as well. If they were relaxed, then it meant that things were going well. That was good. They didn't have to worry anymore.

Singapore smiled. He ignored his own fever and thirst. His brother was awake, and his condition wasn't too bad. That was good.

…

It took another two days before Malaysia was better. Just like Singapore, he'd had an adverse reaction to the cure. France and Germany had left, because apparently Poland was driving Switzerland crazy. Singapore didn't know who to feel bad for. Turkey had opted to stay for a few more days to monitor Malaysia's condition. But Singapore was still Malaysia's primary caretaker.

Singapore checked the water again before he shut off the tap. It was the first day that Malaysia could take a proper bath, and he was eager to get clean. During the two weeks he was comatose, the others were a bit reluctant to give him a sponge bath. They did it a few times, but that was still awkward, and Malaysia completely agreed, once he found out about it.

"There you go," Singapore said. "Do you need my help, or…?"

Malaysia licked his lips before he nodded.

"I'm… I'm kind of scared that I'll slip under the surface and drown," Malaysia admitted. "So… could you stay here, please? A-and I think I need help to… get there."

Malaysia's mobility was still very limited. He could stand just fine, and he could take a few small steps after standing for a while, but he had trouble going from point A to point B. It was scary how two weeks without using one's muscles could affect you.

"Sure," Singapore said.

Malaysia was able to shrug off and shimmy out of his clothes. Singapore helped guide him towards the bathtub, and with a bit of struggle, Malaysia was able to lean back in the water.

"That feels better," Malaysia said. "So… what have you been up to the last two weeks?"

Singapore's mouth twitched.

"Are you saying that you're actually trying to make small-talk?" Singapore asked.

"Well, indulge me," Malaysia said.

Singapore sighed. He closed his eyes.

"I was waiting for you to wake up," Singapore said. "When I wasn't trying to help your government."

"I'm sorry," Malaysia said. "I hope they didn't give you a lot of trouble."

"Actually, you won't believe how happy I am that your government isn't based in Kuala Lumpur. That's a smart move."

"…Did you just compliment my government?"

"I guess I did. Doesn't happen very often, right? Um… are you okay?"

"About what?"

"Um… You're not trying to wash."

"Oh, I'm fine. The water's nice and warm and I'm still pretty stiff. I just want to soak for a bit."

Singapore smiled.

"That's a relief," he said. "Okay, I'll give you time to soak. Just don't fall asleep, okay?"

"Okay."

…

Malaysia ended up staying with Singapore for another two months. The others had all left, after it became clear that Singapore and Malaysia would be fine. They needed to tend to their own countries.

Singapore hadn't attended the two meetings that took place since Malaysia woke up, but Indonesia, who had gone, had relayed the information. Japan would be under house arrest for the next five years, and he would not be allowed to leave his actual, physical home during that time. Osaka, who had worked as Japan's assistant for centuries, would help with any official business. Trade with Japan was also minimal, and the economy was already suffering. None of Japan's intended targets wanted to do any trade with him, and Malaysia had personally signed the contract that ensured that he wouldn't be doing business with Japan for the foreseeable future.

And to ensure that Japan stayed put, Switzerland, Turkey and France had each sent a soldier. Apparently, they were still irked over the amount of work that Japan had given them. And Germany had also sent Prussia to live with Japan. He trusted that his brother would be able to keep Japan in check.

Neither Singapore nor Malaysia felt bad for Japan.

Malaysia had been recovering pretty well. It only took a week or so for his body to recover from the coma and the disease. He and Singapore went for a walk every day to allow Malaysia to regain his strength, and to get him to soak a bit of sunshine. Malaysia was still a bit skinnier than he used to be, but he at least had a healthy colour again. His skin wasn't pale, or had a yellow tint, and there were no dark rings under his eyes. Singapore was glad that Malaysia had recovered so quickly.

There was still only one problem…

…

Singapore jerked awake. He could hear the screams again. He sighed, before he pushed himself out of bed. Instead of going towards Malaysia's room, he made his way to the kitchen, where he set to work brewing two cups of tea. By the time he was finished, Malaysia's screams had died down, and when Singapore got close enough, he could hear sobs.

It was a bad one that night.

Singapore nudged the door open, and Malaysia sat with his head buried in his knees. Almost every time he had a nightmare, he would assume the same position.

"Here you go," Singapore said.

Malaysia took the offered cup of tea, and he cradled it in his hands for a while. Singapore sipped his own tea as he waited. Either Malaysia would say what the nightmare was about, or he wouldn't. Singapore wouldn't press him. When pressed, Malaysia would retreat into himself, as he was forced to relive the nightmare, and explain it to someone he had no guarantee would understand. Singapore tried, but some of the things from Malaysia's nightmares – his memories – were unimaginable, and thus, hard to understand.

"I'm going to be leaving soon," Malaysia said.

"Oh?" Singapore asked. He hadn't expected this.

"It's time I go back. My king wants me back, and I miss being in my land. Even if it's so close…"

"I understand. If you feel that you're ready… Will I be seeing you at the next meeting? It's in two weeks, right?"

Malaysia smiled and nodded.

"And no Japan," he said. "That's at least one thing to look forward to."

Singapore smiled. He sat down next to his brother and wrapped his arm around him. Despite everything that happened in their pasts, they would be there for each other. Because blood was thicker than water.

And it's done. Sorry if the ending felt a bit rushed, but after the first page or so, I realised that it would be better to make this the last chapter. And I decided to make the last few words of the story a title drop.

As for the next story… It's not ready. I'm sorry! I usually have a story ready to post as soon as I finish the previous story, but during NaNoWriMo I focused on a novel, so I kind of neglected the fic. It should be up soon enough, though. I'm going to try to have it ready before the new year, but if not, then early January. Anyway, look out for Mystery of the Vargas Manor. It's going to be ItaCan.