The English Patient [OPEN]

[blitzkriegd]

Characters: England AND YOU
Date: September 15-22
Format: starting with prose, but I can follow whatever you want
Content Warnings: possible swearing and conversations about violence. also England is a masochist.
Summary: England was taken to the hospital by Stein after brutally being beaten up by Germany. People are welcome to visit, though he may be a bit loopy because he's on painkillers.
Notes: please no communicator posts. come visit in person. also, it'd be cool if you mentioned which day you visited in the subject line, though this is not necessary.


He really needed to stop sticking out his nose for Darstone. England thought he was doing the people a favor, and it had backfired on him. Twice. By now, his confidence had dwindled considerably. The only thing he wanted to do was run away and hide. Perhaps moving into the mining caves would be a good idea after all.

The island spent most of his time staring up at the ceiling remembering the fight. Germany had been acting so unlike himself. England was certain he'd been under some sort of spell, but he wasn't sure what that was. What a bother! He didn't know what happened after he'd been knocked unconscious, but he actually hoped that Germany was better. Yes, he was worried about his enemy. No, his fellow country. Because that wasn't right. Once England found out what had gone on, and if someone else was truly responsible, he wouldn't blame him.

That didn't mean he despised him any less. At least for the moment.

England's eyes slid shut. He nodded on and off throughout the day and night. After all, there wasn't much else to do. He had two arms and one leg in a cast, a neck brace, and various scrapes and bruises along his body, especially on his face where Germany had applied the most pressure. Thank goodness he was a country and he wouldn't have to be holed up here for much longer. England healed faster than a human. Still, it wasn't pleasant to be in this condition.

Comments

the 19th in the afternoon-ish

[windyheir]

If England happens to look over at his window, he will see a small head peeking up over his windowsill curiously.

Yes, even if he's on a higher floor. Yay for flying powers!

John wasn't there to hurt England. No, he was just new to the city and couldn't figure out what half the buildings were, so he was walking (or, at times, floating) around trying to get a feel for where he was. He had been trying not to peek into windows, since he did understand privacy and how people might not like having someone look in on them, but zooming past he had seen a bunch of wrapped limbs sticking up and his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

o helo john

[blitzkriegd]

It took England a while to come to his senses after waking from his nap. The first thing he noticed, though, when he looked around, was a little boy in the window. That startled him, and he made a sound to show as such. Maybe he was still dreaming.

"Are you the Reaper? Have you come here to finish the job?"

He'll just be here, creepin in ur windows

[windyheir]

For a moment there he almost felt bad for startling the obviously hurt and drugged-up guy, but then he had said something that made John roll his eyes. "No way," he said, pulling himself up a bit farther on the windowsill so he could talk without his mouth being blocked, "There's no metaphorical death figures here. You'll be fine."

After a short pause and another glance at England's broken everything, John added, "Eventually."

[blitzkriegd]

Yes, broken everything.

Once England knew that this guy wasn't Death's cold grip, he settled down... Only to be riled back up again. "Then why are you peeking in my window? Didn't your parents ever told you that that was rude?"

[windyheir]

"I didn't mean to, I just saw something and thought it was some kind of taped-up cloth monster," John said defensively, even though his defense sounded absolutely ridiculous.

But his curiosity gave way again, and he asked, "So, what happened? Did you get hit by a bus?"

[blitzkriegd]

England kept himself from rolling his eyes. After all, he was just a young boy, and boys were curious. "I was..." A pause. Should he tell this kid his problems? It might be better not to get him involved. "...Yes. I was hit by a bus."

He was a horrible liar.

[windyheir]

"It must've been a bad bus hit, to mess you up so badly." He believed England, though. He really had no reason not to believe him.

John also felt kind of bad for England, since he was going to be laid up in the hospital for weeks with all those broken bones. "So...do you need anything? Hospital food is kinda shitty, but I bet I could sneak some stuff in."

[blitzkriegd]

The comment made England's lips quirk up in a smile. He tilted his head slightly, expressing his thanks to the mysterious peeping Tom with his eyes. "I think I'll be alright. The doctor here knows me well."

[windyheir]

"Well okay, if you're sure."

It must have been boring in that room, not being able to move and not having anything to do. John had thought breaking his arm that one time had been bad, but England had most of his limbs broken so that had to be three times as bad. He wanted to explore some, since he had just arrived and still had more of the city to see, but he didn't want to leave England all by his lonesome.

"Do you want to talk for a bit," he asked, deciding to leave the choice up to England, "I mean, I don't really have anywhere to be, so if you're bored I could keep you less-bored for a while."

15 September, late night

[garantundkraft]

Prussia's hope is that England is asleep when he comes to visit. So he deliberately makes his way there late at night, when the medications they surely must have him on should couple with the natural tendency towards sleepiness, rendering England some sort of unconscious. He slips into the room slightly distracted by his own feelings of guilt. Had he paid more attention to West, would England still be in such a state? Could he have done anything to help England, instead of holding back out of-

He hadn't been afraid. Really. Who was he to be afraid of his little brother, huh?

With a sigh, Prussia pulls a chair up next to the bed and settles down in it. What was he to do? It seemed his loyalties were divided...

[blitzkriegd]

The island was in a light sleep. He couldn't sleep very well at all while he was here. Even with the medicine, his nightmares were plagued by thoughts of Germany and his bombs, Hitler stomping all over England's lands, a complete take-over. And then he'd wake up, call out for France or America, and realize none of those horrible things had really happened.

Prussia had only been there ten minutes before England stirred. His fingers and eyebrows twitched anxiously.

"No..." he mumbled in his sleep. "Germany... wake up..."

[garantundkraft]

He looks up, turning to face England at his plea. "H-hey... Shhhh... you're safe here." Prussia almost reaches for him, before restraining himself, twisting the skirt of his coat nervously. Touching might only make England's nightmares worse. "It's all right..." Part of him is uncertain he can promise England's safety, but if it comes down to it, he will protect England. Hopefully he won't have to, however.

[blitzkriegd]

England continued to squirm slightly before he forced his eyes to open wide. His gaze darted back and forth in the dark.

"Wh... Who's there?!" He couldn't even defend himself.

[garantundkraft]

"It's me. Gilbert." Not that his voice isn't terribly distinct, but he thinks it's best to identify himself. "You're safe, Engel." Prussia shifts in the chair, but remains seated, so he doesn't loom over England.

[blitzkriegd]

Gilbert, Gilbert. Prussia. England's frantic breathing slowed down and his gaze slowly shifted to the blob in the chair. His eyes were starting to get used to the darkness, and soon he could see Prussia's hair, and his eyes, and the rest of his body followed. The pet-name seemed to calm him down instantly. He relaxed his body. Should he have been more cautious? Probably. What if Prussia had gone berserk like his brother.

"Something... wrong. With your brother..." His eyes slid shut again. He wanted to run away. How could he face the other country like this? England hated looking weak in front of Prussia, in front of anyone. He was so ashamed.

[garantundkraft]

"...Ja, I know." Gilbert bites his lip, swallowing nervously. "He hardly seemed to know me." He looks away, then, dragging his hand through his hair. This wasn't how he planned the night to go, really. "Reminds me of this time back in the Baltics, fighting Prūsa. Hah. New knight just fuckin' lost it on the field. Tried to kill everyone in his way. Just lost his mind." He speaks of his youth, of course, from before when he had land to his name.

[blitzkriegd]

Oh, good. Then it wasn't just him who felt something was weird. England felt validated from that. He opened his eyes again and frowned when he saw the traction holding up his leg.

"Tried'a stop him... from hurting D-Darstone... Did he?" There was actually deep concern in his voice that could be heard even over the medicated slur of his voice. He wanted to turn his head to look at Prussia, since looking away while speaking was rude.

September 20

[guiltapalooza]

Willow's not doing too hot herself right now, though she's less freaked out than yesterday, when she'd had her full blown hide-in-an-alley breakdown. Today she'd decided to come see Stein and take him up on his offer to help work on her self-control, but as she walks through the hospital, absently glancing through the open doors as she goes by, she recognizes someone.

She slows to a stop, and backs up a few steps. Goddess, that is England. How had he gotten hurt again? Was he always in here? But she's frustrated out of worry, and Willow bustles into the room and to his bedside, face twisted with concern.

"I didn't know you were here," she blurts out with. "Why are you here? Are you okay? Oh Goddess, you're not okay. Was it those two again?"

At this point she was ready to have some very strong wording with 'those two' if it'd been them. They obviously weren't getting the point when she said that she wanted the war to stay on Earth, and she likes England, so she can't blame him. (This is how Willow logic works.)

[blitzkriegd]

Ow... It's not fun to wake up when someone is barking at you. The voice doesn't connect for a while, and England's sight was all jumbled as he tried to wake up faster.

"... Calm... down," he grumbled as he tried to lift his hand and shoo whoever it was away. Ah, no. That wouldn't work. He forgot he had casts on. "Too loud..."

[guiltapalooza]

Geez, barking? How rude. Willow of course can't hear that, though, and she winces in sympathy at her mistake.

"Here-- hang on. I can take some of your pain for a little while." She reaches a hand out to rest on somewhere as impersonal and uninjured as possible, intending to use magic to literally take his pain from him, feeling it herself instead. She can't keep it forever-- she has to give it back before too long, and it'd make her useless if she took all of it-- but at least while she's here she can do something.

[blitzkriegd]

Willow didn't need to do that. Were England in his right mind, he would have yelled at her for doing something stupid (out of affection, of course). But since he was loopy on the meds he didn't really notice what she was doing. Instead, he suddenly felt relief and calmed down.

"Miss... Rosenberg? Is that you?" His eyes blinked owlishly. "Oh, dear..." It was so difficult for people to see him like this, at least in his mind.

[guiltapalooza]

She gasps faintly at the sudden onrush of pain, but she grimaces and pushes it down. She's not going to let him feel guilty about something she chose to do, and she does need answers.

"It's me," she answers more quietly than before. It's hard to be overly excitable and freaked out when she's trying to talk through phantom injuries. "I need you to tell me what happened to you." To Willow, seeing someone hurt isn't unexpected; it's nothing for him to feel embarrassed about. The next step was always discussing the threat, deciding what action to take. She fell into that pattern without thinking.

[blitzkriegd]

England attempted to nod, but it's stiff because of the brace. He needed to stop doing that.

"I ran into Germany," he said softly. And then he went on quickly before Willow had time to get upset. "He was under some mind spell. I could tell. He was not acting like himself at all. Prussia saw him too, and he agrees with me."

[guiltapalooza]

It was a good thing he'd gone on, because sure enough, she'd opened her mouth to indignantly protest. That makes her shut it, though, and frown. She's used to trusting someone's judgement unequivocally, as doubting them opened the group up to huge vulnerabilities, and she applies that here, too. It's easy for Willow; she's naturally trusting.

"A mind spell... But who did it? That's pretty advanced, difficult magic, and I bet you guys are harder to control than the average person. There can't be that many people here capable of doing that."

[blitzkriegd]

"How should I know?" England huffed. Even with his magic, he could not control minds. That was something that was quite taboo in his world. He didn't see it often. "I couldn't get close enough to talk to him. All Germany wanted to do was fight. And laugh. At me."