Chapter 5: Insomnia

A/N: I can't do this. I'm ending it here. WARNING: blood and shitty writing.

Hong Kong sat in a chair beside Iceland's bed, holding his friend's hand and wearily leaning his head against the mattress. It was some time after midnight, he wasn't sure, there was no clock, but judging by the slant of moonlight through the window, it was very late. The Nordic nation wouldn't sleep, fidgeting and muttering fearfully in anxious paranoia.

"There's a monster around the corner," he'd murmur between quick breaths. "It has its gaze fixed on me, I can feel it…"

"Ice, please," Hong Kong begged for what felt like the thousandth time. "Please get some rest. It's not real, okay, and I'm right here, you need to sleep…"

Iceland shook his head stubbornly, the delirium still gripping him. "Every time my eyes start to close, I can see him… make it stop…"

"What can you see?" Hong Kong sighed, looking around with half-lidded eyes. "I can't see anything."

"Because he's not here for you," Iceland breathed out shakily, his eyes filling with tears.

"Ice, you're safe, I'm right here. Your brother will be here in the morning, so please, please get some sleep, okay?"

Iceland said nothing, but kept his eyes wide open and his hand clenched tightly around his friend's.

Hong Kong closed his eyes in defeat and exhaustion, allowing himself to drift off. He felt a weary cold settle down on him, like a steady snowfall kissing his skin. The deeper he let himself fall into sleep, the colder it became, until the only warmth he felt was Iceland's hand still holding onto his.

But eventually even that faded too.

Hong Kong drifted in his freezing dreamscape, his feather-light footsteps echoing with the rippling pulse of a steady beat. The beat grew quicker and he frowned in his sleep, stumbling to catch up with the changing tempo. His feet tripped and slid over invisible objects, and he accidentally kicked a chair leg, waking himself into a half-awake daze. Through his bleary, half-closed eyes, he saw something dark hovering beside him, next to Iceland's bed. He noticed the heart monitor going crazy and he blinked awake immediately, and the figure disappeared.

Hong Kong looked over at Iceland, who sat upright in his bed with a thousand mile gaze. Although the Nordic nation was perfectly still, his heartbeats ran in a frenzied, unsteady pattern. His face was bone white and had a haunted look.

"Ice?" Hong Kong murmured worriedly, waving a hand in front of Iceland's face. 'Ice, are you there?'

"He's standing right there," Iceland breathed. The monitor squealed and groaned, malfunctioning.

"What?" Hong Kong asked, glancing at the machine in panic. "Ice, I can't hear you over the monitor!"

The machine screeched and popped, as if tormented, before suddenly cutting to a continuous, monotone beep. A flatline. For two seconds, it was the only sound in the frozen room.

Then Iceland parted his lips and made a tiny 'Oh' sound.

Hong Kong was not prepared for what happened next, and he would never forget it.

With a deafening crackling, like distantly exploding fireworks, every bone inside Iceland's body snapped simultaneously. They burst through his skin, slashing through it and distorting his frame like a crumpled ragdoll. The crimson stained fragments then flew out in every direction, tearing his body apart with a loud RIIIIP and litres of blood, broken bones, torn muscles, and internal organs sprayed out in every direction like a burst water balloon.

Hong Kong was utterly frozen. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, and couldn't hear through the loud ringing in his ears. His vision blinked in and out of focus, his eyelids refusing to close. He couldn't feel anything as he toppled onto the floor in shock. He lay there, half soaked in blood, as the searing bright hospital lights flared on, illuminating the sickening carnage around him.

He heard footsteps and voices, but he wasn't listening. He noticed someone touch him, but he didn't feel it. Someone held him upright, and he began to shake violently.

"…lo…. Ell… Hello? Hong Kong?"

His eyes slowly focused on the man peering gravely at his face.

"Where's Iceland?" he asked in a trembling, childish voice.

"Tell me what happened," the doctor demanded.

"Where's Iceland?" Hong Kong repeated.

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"Where's Iceland?" Hong Kong asked yet again, his eyes becoming teary.

"…He's all around you," the doctor replied quietly.

Hong Kong's eyes wandered silently over the tainted walls and ceiling, taking in the bloody bits and pieces that clung to the surfaces. "…Oh."

The remains of his best friend began to slide and distort, dripping down and moving together.

Hong Kong fainted.

-page break-

"I-I'm sorry, I can't tell you where Iceland is, I'm not authorized to…"

"I want to speak to Hong Kong!" Norway roared at the frightened nurse. "Tell me where he is!"

"He's under treatment for intense trauma," the nurse whimpered back. "He's not sleeping or eating, let alone speaking, so I don't think you should be g-"

"TELL ME WHERE HE IS!" Norway slammed his hand on the wall beside her head, the force of his magic cracking it open wide.

"H-He's in ward 37, on the second floor," the nurse stuttered, on the verge of tears.

Norway ran off, ignoring the elevator and flying up the stairs to Hong Kong's location. He burst through the door, slamming it on the wall as he marched over to Hong Kong.

The Asian nation didn't as much as flinch as Norway grabbed his collar and shook him violently, glaring into his distant eyes.

"WHERE'S EMIL!?" Norway yelled viciously.

"…Where's Iceland?" Hong Kong murmured in confusion.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Norway demanded in frustration. 'TELL ME!'

"Where's Iceland?" Hong Kong echoed again, like a lost child.

"TELL ME WHERE MY BROTHER IS, YOU BASTARD!"

"…Where's Iceland?"

Norway growled, moving to hit Hong Kong.

"He's down the corridor!" A doctor intervened, stepping into the room. "Please stop this!"

Norway immediately let go of the Asian and left the room.

"Where's Iceland?" Hong Kong whispered again, beginning to follow Norway.

"I'm sorry, please stay in your room and-" the doctor groaned as Hong Kong kicked him aside, running after Norway.

The two frenzied nations reached the end of the corridor at the same time, shoving open the door to a sunlight filled room. Iceland sat on top of the glowing white hospital bed, holding a small, platinum-haired boy in his arms. He looked up with a dazzling smile. "Norway, you're here! And Hong Kong, where have you been?"

Hong Kong stared mutely as Norway worried over Iceland. "…Ice…?"

The tiny child turned in Iceland's lap, looking up at Hong Kong with violet eyes. "Yes?"

"He looks just like you did when you were young…" Norway marvelled at the boy. "How did… How did this happen?"

"I don't really remember," Iceland replied with a soft smile. "I woke up, and he was just… here."

Norway smiled, looking relieved. "Your landmass has split into two islands, so I guess he's your Eastern half, since that's the smaller one."

"So we're like the Italy brothers now?" Iceland questioned. The little boy in his lap listened intently.

"I suppose so," Norway answered.

Hong Kong, who had been silent through all this, sunk to the floor. He could suddenly feel again, and his body was overwhelmed by the hunger, the exhaustion, the pain and the god awful emotions.

"Hong Kong?" Iceland wondered clueless. "Are you okay?"

Hong Kong began to cry uncontrollably, all the while smiling through his waterfall of tears. "I'm fine. I'm better than okay. I'm so happy to have you back."

"Li?" Iceland asked with concern. "What are you talking about?"

Hong Kong shook his head, unable to stop the stream of tears dripping down his face. "Forget it."

Iceland tilted his head in confusion, but didn't ask.

"I suppose you're my little brother too," Norway addressed the child. "What's your name? You can call me big brother."

"My name is Erik Steillson, and I am Eyjan."

"Norway!" Iceland objected. "He's my little brother! Neither of us is calling you big brother!"

The tiny Icelandic nation bore a look of cynical disapproval as the older Nordics bickered. Without a word, he hopped down from Iceland's lap, his little white nightgown trailing across the floor as he walked over to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong stared in wonder as Eyjan sat down in his lap and looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. The Asian nation brushed aside his tears and smiled nervously down at Eyjan.

"Hello, big brother," Eyjan says stoically, causing both Iceland and Norway to drop their jaws in surprise.

"God damn it," Norway sighed in defeat. "I'm getting coffee. Be right back."

He walked off and Hong Kong stood up, weakly carrying Eyjan over to Iceland.

"You look terrible," Iceland murmured, taking Eyjan back. "Seriously, what happened? What aren't you telling me?"

Hong Kong leaned against his best friend, basking in the comfort of Iceland's healthy warmth. "You don't need to remember. Just don't ever leave me again, okay?"

Iceland nodded with determination and so did Eyjan.

"Naptime?" Eyjan asked, noticing Hong Kong's eyes drifting shut.

"Sure," Iceland replied.

They all lie down on the hospital bed and fell asleep in that warm, sunshine filled room.

Norway returns with his coffee, silently sliding the door open to see the three nations curled up on the bed, fast asleep. His left eye twitched.

"Hong Kong, you bastard," he muttered. "You better raise that kid well."

Then he turned and left them in peace.

A/N: HAH. SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKERS, HE'S NOT DEAD. Eyjan is Icelandic for 'island.' I needed the happy ending. I'm a sucker for happy endings, which makes me unsuitable for angst, but whatever. Hope you enjoyed my crappy story. Review maybe? Bye.