*Italy's POV*

"Feli, it's time to vhake up, liebe."

I whimper once, and open my eyes. Ludwig is gently shaking me by the shoulders, and grins softly when he sees my eyes alert and awake.

He leans down to kiss my lips, and strokes my hair. "Guten morgen, Feliciano," he whispers.

"Buongiorno, Ludwig!," I reply cheerfully, my groggy morning voice a bit raspier than normal.

Ludwig climbs out of bed, and begins to change into his training clothes. "Did you sleep vhell?," he asks gently. I nod, rolling out of bed and onto the floor. "Sì!," I tell him. "I feel nice and well-rested!" Ludwig chuckles with a grin, and helps me get dressed.

Ludwig and I join Kiku for a breakfast of milk toast, rice, and coffee. Since it's a training day, we're up really early, so we don't have to worry about lazy Gilbert or Alfred, who are both still sleeping in bed, coming in and stealing any food.

As we eat, we have a conversation, of course. And that's when Kiku notices something. "You sound a rittle bit raspy today, Fericiano," he points out. "Is it your throat? Does it hurt?" I shake my head. "No, it just feels a little blocked," I answer. Ludwig nods. "Perhaps it'll go avhay soon," he says. "Just relax and vhait it out."

I nod in agreement. "I think you're right," I say. So after breakfast, Kiku goes upstairs to shower quickly, and Ludwig joins him to shave his face. I use the downstairs bathroom to brush my teeth.

The mint toothpaste I use makes me cough a little bit, but I'm not sure why. When I finish brushing, my throat tingles a little, so I clean up, and skip upstairs. It's mostly quiet except for the running water of the shower, and Gilbert's loud, obnoxious snoring coming from the bedroom he shares with Roderich, who is already at work.

I raise a fist, and quietly knock on the door. "Come in," Ludwig's voice answers. I open the door, and allow myself into the bathroom. Ludwig stands at the sink, carefully scraping the stubble from his chin with a razor. "Ludwig! Ludwig! My throat feels funny!," I cry, my voice even more hoarse than the last time.

Ludwig places down his razor, and looks to me. "You sound hoarse as vhell," he tells me, drying off his hands and coming over. Very carefully, he rubs my adam's apple with two fingers. "I don't feel anysing, sough," he mumbles. "Maybe you just need a drink of vhater."

The water in the shower shuts off, and Kiku's hand emerges from behind the curtain. "Tower, prease," he calls out. Ludwig goes through the towel cabinet, pulls out a soft, brown towel, then hands it to Kiku.

"Arigato," he responds. After a second, he pulls back the curtain to reveal himself with the towel around his waist.

"Rudwig's right, Feri," Kiku says, stepping out of the shower, and pulling a second brown towel out to dry off his damp chest. "You should drink prenty of water whire we're training so you won't get dehydrated if your throat hurts."

So before we leave to go to the park for training, Ludwig gives me a large water bottle that has nice, cold water and ice in it. And we begin to train right as we get there.

Ludwig has Kiku and I do ninety-five push-ups, and though Kiku and Ludwig are hitting each and every one, I can only do every other one. Then we go onto ninety-five crunches. Ludwig kneels beside Kiku as we do them, and pats his shoulder. "Are you doing alright, Kiku?," he asks.

"Hai," he pants, continuing to push at it. Ludwig pats his chest before getting up and moving to me.

He places a hand on my head as I lay there, imaginary doing the crunches as I take a short break, and looks into my eyes. "How about you, Feli?," he asks. "Are you okay too?" I do one crunch and collapse back down, breathing out exhaustedly before answering. And when I do, it comes out as a weak little, "Sì!"

Ludwig gasps in shock, and quickly helps me sit up. He places an arm around my back to support me, and touches the other hand to my chest. "Kiku, come here," he calls over his shoulder. "I sink sere's somesing wrong vif Feliciano's voice."

Kiku grunts, and crawls over. "What do you mean, Rudwig?," he asks with a cock of the head.

Ludwig looks to me. "Speak, Feli," he whispers. "How do you feel?" I begin to shiver with nervousness.

"L-Ludwig I'm really scared, ve~!," I squeak, reaching up and clinging onto him. Kiku gently touches my shoulder. "Don't tark anymore!," he hushes me. "Your vocar chords could potentiarry be damaged!"

I begin to cry, feeling scared and worried. Ludwig sighs and strokes my curl, being careful not to pull on it. "It's alright, liebe," he reassures me. "Vhe'll take you to se hospital to have sat sroat looked at."

Ludwig and Kiku stand up, and rush me into the car. I strap in and try to relax, but when Ludwig begins to speed, it drive me to thinking the condition I'm in is serious, which makes me even more scared. I continue to cry, and I shiver when Kiku turns around in the passenger seat to pour a bit of water down my throat.

Once we're at the hospital, we get out of Ludwig's truck as he picks me up, and we run into the building.

Ludwig turns to Kiku. "Do you mind checking in Feli?," he asks. "I think it vhould be best if I calmed him down."

Kiku nods. "Yes sir," he replies, walking up to the front desk. Ludwig carries me to a chair, and sits me down in his lap. He cradles me in his arms, hushing me, and brushing my bangs back to keep me calm.

Kiku comes back, and sits between Ludwig and I. "Roderich wirr be here as soon as he can," he tells us. "He's just finishing up with a current exam."

Ludwig nods. "Gute," he answers. The two of them continue their attempts to relax me, and stop my heavy tears. When Roderich comes out of the hall, his eyes fall on me, and he beckons for me to come. "You can come on with me, Feliciano," he says softly.

I don't move, and stay snug on Ludwig's lap. Sensing my nervousness, Ludwig chuckles, and gives my back a nudge. "Go on, he whispers. "Roderich vhill help your sroat."

Shyly, like a newborn horse on shaky legs, I get off of Ludwig's lap, and pad over to Roderich. He grins slightly, and leads me by the shoulders to a room. And I automatically like his blue jacket with the ruffles much better than the doctor's coat, black dress pants and shiny black heeled shoes he's wearing; they make me nervous!

"Sit on the bed for me, Feliciano," Roderich tells me gently. I use the step stool to push myself up onto the bed, and I sit with my legs crossed.

Roderich picks up a simple armpit thermometer and a box of tissues. "Are you alright, Feliciano?," he asks softly, approaching me quietly and cautiously.

"I'm scared!," I squeak, my voice even weaker because of my tears. Roderich whips around to face me quickly...almost violently! "Don't talk!," he cries, holding up a hand.

Fearing his sudden movements, I squeal, and hide my face from him. Roderich pets my head. "I'm sorry, Feliciano," he whispers. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just don't want you to wreck your voice if that's what the problem is. Just a nod or a shake of the head will do, alright?"

I nod. Roderich grins and pulls a couple of tissues out of the tissue box. "Now, now. There won't be a reason to cry," he whispers, dabbing away my tears. "Don't cry, kleine Feliciano; we'll get your voice back as soon as we can."

I nod, as Roderich pinches the tissue over my nose. "Blow your nose; it's running quite a lot," he says. I close my eyes and blow my nose into the tissue. Roderich rubs my nose a couple of times before tossing the tissue.

"Gute," he says softly. "Can I have you unbutton your jacket so I can take your temperature?" I nod, and undo the belt to my jacket, then unbutton the shirt underneath it. Roderich nods once, and takes the thermometer back out of his pocket. "It's just going under your pit. It might be a little bit cold," he informs me

I can feel the metal tip poke around at my armpit before sitting there for a few seconds when it beeps a couple times. Roderich removes it from my pit so he can check my temperature.

"No fever. That's good," Roderich reassures me. "May I please have a listen to your heart? Just with my stethoscope, nothing scary."

I hesitate, but nod. Roderich puts on his stethoscope, and places the chestpiece over my heart. He purses his lips, and scootches the cool plate over a little bit. After a few seconds later, he removes the stethoscope, and grins slightly. "Your heart is racing, kleine Feli!," he whispers. "There's no need to be nervous; I'm going to help you get better."

Roderich helps me pull my jacket and shirt off my back. Very carefully, he places the chestpiece of my back, and peers at my face.

"Deep breath, Feliciano," he says softly.

I breathe deeply, trying to keep my breaths from sounding raspy.

"That's a boy. Again."

I do.

"Good, Feliciano. Again."

I do.

"Once again, you're doing well."

I do, just trying to relax.

"Again."

I do.

"That's it. One more."

I do, finally relaxing as he puts his stethoscope back around his neck. "Very good, Feliciano," Roderich says softly. "You can put your jacket on now."

I sniffle and pull my shirt and jacket back onto my shoulders, then button it up and clip my belt back around my waist. Roderich pats my head, and gives me a reassuring look. "May I feel your neck, Feli?," he asks. "I just want to make sure there's nothing stuck in your throat."

I nod, and squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting to watch Roderich as he rests a hand upon my back, and uses three fingertips of his right hand to feel around my adam's apple. It's uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt.

"Does it hurt, Feli, kleine?"

As he rests his fingers against my neck, I shake my head. "Gute," he responds, placing two fingertips under my adam's apple. "Just make a little cough-cough for me." I breathe in, and cough squeakily. "Well, there's nothing that's in your throat," he tells me. "Perhaps it's at the back, kleine. Let's have a look."

Roderich takes a tongue depressor and his ophthalmoscope out of his pocket. "Open," he instructs. "Tongue out."

I open my mouth, and stick out my tongue. Just enough so he won't gag me, he places the thin, wooden stick on my tongue, and pushes down very gently.

"A very quiet 'ahh,' please."

"Aaahh..."

Roderich looks into my throat, and nods. "Ja, ja...I see something at the back of your throat," he says softly. "I can probably dislodge it for you."

I feel my eyes water with fear as Roderich goes through the drawer to pull out a pair of tweezers. As he makes his way towards me, I whimper, and curl into a tight ball on the table. Shortly after, I feel Roderich push on my legs and shoulders to try to unroll me, and unfortunately, he can, holding my arms and legs nice and still against the bed with his own arms and legs. Fantastico! I've always wanted to have the doctor sit on top of me!

"Please open, Feliciano," Roderich whispers. "It'll be done before you know it. I'm only trying to help you."

I shake my head.

"Bitte, Feli, kleine?"

I shake my head.

Roderich gives me an apologetic looks, and shoves two fingers in my mouth. With barely any effort, he pulls my jaw apart, and holds my mouth open with the tongue depressor. I begin to scream and cry as the Austrian doctor eases the tweezers into my mouth.

"There it is, Feli, I'm almost there..." Roderich mumbles softly and soothingly. All at once, he latches onto something in my throat right beside a tonsil, and yanks it out with a swift flick of the wrist, causing me to let out a violent "AAAAAAAACCCCKKK!"

"Done; it's out!," Roderich praises. "You were so good! See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" As he gets off of me and brushes off his coat, Roderich places the...whatever was in my throat in a petri dish, and fills a small, plastic cup with fresh tap water from the sink.

"Have a sip, Feliciano," he says softly, giving me the cup. I gently tip my head back, and take a small sip of the water. "Grazi, Roderich," I say, my voice back to normal.

He nods with a grin. "Of course," he replies. "Now, I am going to have a quick look at this specimen in better light so I can decide whether or not you need medicine. I'll be right back. Finish that water, and get more if you need some. Just do what you need to do to relax."

Roderich collects what he needs before leaving the room. I finish my water, and feel much better afterwards. My racing heart rate slows, and I feel a lot better in the throat.

As I wait for Roderich, I hum happily because my voice is back and get a few more cups of water. When Roderich does return, he holds a small, orange bag. "Alright, Feli, kleine," he says softly. "I have come to a diagnosis for you."

"What is it?," I ask, pulling at my jacket collar. Roderich nods once. "The particle at the back of your throat was a tonsil stone. Your tonsils will emit them when your throat is irritated," he explains, reaching into the bag and pulling out a vial filled with pills. "Take one of these in the morning after breakfast, and another two before bed. It'll keep your tonsils from getting so irritated. You have two refills, okay?"

I nod. "Okeydokey!"

Roderich places the vial into the bag, and takes out a small square of paper. "These are the instructions for Ludwig, just in case you forget what to do," he tells me, dropping the paper back into the bag, before placing it in my lap. "If your tonsils are emitting more than at least five each tonsil at a time, come see me with Ludwig so we can talk about getting your tonsils taken out."

"Grazi, Roderich!," I thank him cheerily. He smiles. "Anytime, Feliciano," he responds. Smiling brightly, I skip down the hall to go back to Ludwig and Kiku.

As I open the door, both Kiku and Ludwig look up from a conversation. I stroll over to them, and give Ludwig the bag.

"How are you feeling, Feli, liebe?," Ludwig asks with a grin.

I sit on his lap. "Much better, ve~!," I answer, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Kiku smiles, and ruffles my hair. "Werr, that's good," he responds. "Now, you must be starving - ret's get you something to eat."

"Sì! Let's get the pasta!," I say brightly. With everything sorted out and in order, the three of us go out to get something to snack on.