lostrealm | The English Patient [OPEN]

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The English Patient [OPEN]

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.

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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.

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."

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."

"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."

"I was thinking out loud," she protests, feeling slighted. She was trying to be so good, taking some of his pain and not getting into an argument about Prussia. Willow didn't feel like she really knew them well enough to be as involved as she was, so she didn't want to butt in more.

But she did deserve some credit, darn it. She pouts. "That's how it works. We hash out what happened and come up with a plan of action. Though I think your action is going to be staying in the hospital-- you look pretty bad," she says frankly, worry emerging again.

The country cleared his throat, suddenly feeling small. Yes, he was bad. And he hated looking so weak. England was a proud man.

"I'm not sure what else I can do," he admitted sarcastically, upset with the situation. "Every time I try to help this place, I wind up doing more damage than good."

She recognizes that look from Giles trying to put on a stiff upper lip, too, and frowns at him.

"You're not doing damage. You're trying! And you've probably been through way worse than this. I mean, you're England," she says, trying to reassure him. "I can't imagine how much stuff you've been through. You can handle this, and I won't take no for an answer."

"I'm not saying I can't handle it!" He finally raised his head and his voice. He was tired of failing, tired of sticking his nose out for people and not getting anything out of it. He'd come from a time where he was in pain and was forced into a new world where he was still in pain. And he was angry. He wanted to go home. He didn't want to be in a hospital anymore. "I'm saying I can't do anything more to assist Darstone."

She flinches at the yelling, her expression crumbling into something more vulnerable. It makes her head ache, too, with all the pain she's still carrying.

"Hey... I... I didn't say that. You can help, you just can't right now. But they don't give us a time limit or anything-- you'll get back home." Her voice softens with genuine concern, eyes searching his, trying to impress her sincerity. It's not hard to guess why he's so worried about it. "Calm down, okay?"

Willow's calm voice does relax England, and he backs down, shoulders drooping and expression relaxing. He hadn't meant to yell. He's just so... damn... frustrated with everything. Mostly himself. Right now, he has no confidence.

He wishes he could rub his face. Or roll over. Or something other than lie there helpless and immobile.

"...I can't help," he repeats. "I haven't done anything other than get myself into trouble."

"You can help me," she says firmly, forgiving him readily and recognizing that he needs something constructive to do. "We need to find out who was mind controlling Germany. If they had a reason behind it, what else we can expect-- or if they were just doing it for giggles, which is even worse.

"You know them way better than I do. I could really use your help."

England finds that his eyes are welling up with water. Shite, he didn't want that. Last thing he wanted. And he couldn't even hide his face. He was so broken.

"What do you want to know?" He closed his eyes and hoped she wouldn't notice.

She notices, observant about emotions, and tentatively reaches out to place her hand on top of his on the bed. It's what you do with people in hospital beds, right? It's comforting. But otherwise she gives him his illusion of privacy, and moves on with the conversation.

It feels natural to her to have emotional drama going on while they discuss tracking down a bad guy. "He can't know that many people here yet, right? Do you know who he's been talking to? Maybe he wasn't a random target."

A light sniffle is the only response he gives her for a moment as England tries to regain control of himself. He takes a deep breath and manages to speak at last.

"Um... I don't really know. Possibly his roommates. Prussia might know better if Germany was dealing with other people."

She lets him take his time, not rushing him. She's been in that position herself more times than she can count.

"I don't want to talk to him," she says, wrinkling up her nose in distaste. "We're just going to argue and he'll make me all cranky and won't answer any of my questions. How's Germany doing? Can I talk to him?" He was a little pedantic for her, but he was at least civil.

"I don't know anything about Germany," England said at first, but then corrected his statement. "Er. I do know about him, but I don't know where he is now. I was fighting with him, and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. I don't remember much else, just that he wasn't acting like himself."

"Hmmm..." She frowns in thought, shifting in place and trying to concentrate through feeling like she has half as many bones broken as England does. It's not easy.

"I'll have to track him down. You don't remember anything else? There wasn't any lead up or anything?" She hates to push when he's already feeling so down, but Willow can't take the chance that she's missing something important.

There was a long pause as England pursed his lips together in thought. He only remembers the constant insults form Germany. There were no other telling signs.

...Or were there?

"He used the word we. As though he were able to hear his boss."

Her patience paid off, and her eyes widen slightly at the implication.

"Being able to hear them means it wasn't a one time spell... it wasn't like a geas," she thinks out loud. "So they were controlling him continually."

Willow looks at him earnestly, hand still on his, trying to prove her point that he was helpful. "See, I'd never have gotten that on my own, and that's a really important point."

"Don't patronize me," England grumbled. He hated that. "Just find him and find out what happened. Then we'll see if I've helped, or not."

"I'm not patronizing you," she protests, burned by the comment and drawing her hand back. "I just... you're hurt, and you're all sad, and I couldn't do anything. You're not the only one who feels a little useless."

What a horrible word, useless. England was upset that Willow could see right through him. Then again, he hadn't been subtle about it. He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose.

"Just leave me alone, Miss Rosenberg."

It's not hard to guess when that's how she's felt in that position in the past. It'd led her to doing her first major spell, re-ensouling a vampire while stuck in a hospital bed, unable to take no for an answer. She hated feeling useless with a passion, and his response is not only hard to take when she genuinely likes him and has been doing her best to be supportive, it's underlining her inability to do anything. She can't even make him feel better.

"But I--" Willow closes her mouth, then gets to her feet before opening it again, expression drawn. "... I'll come check on you later." He's not the first person to just draw into himself when something happened, and she tries with all her might not to take it personally. Xander and Buffy have said worse to her, and they were still close. Would be close, if they were here.

She turns to go, the stark white of the hospital room contrasting the flat tone of her voice floating up behind her. "I didn't mean to make anything worse."

He knows, goodness he knows. But England is so frustrated and shamed that he doesn't feel like anything Willow said would make him feel better. Never mind the fact that he might snap at her for no reason... This wasn't her fault. It was his. For failing.

England does not say a word as she exits. Instead he attempts to turn away from the door. Damn, he can't even do that. At least his pain is gone for some reason. That was a small blessing.

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The English Patient [OPEN]

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