Not so Alone

New Life

Squinting, Emil found himself in a hospital room. Blank white walls, blank white sheets, blank white everything. It wasn't his first time there anyways, he knew his father would be coming to his side any moment to wordlessly drag him out, after pretending to assure the doctors that he was simply a worried parent looking after his injured child. It was simply another lie he fed to a world filled with monsters.  

Seconds passed and eventually became minutes, minutes soon became about hours, and at this point in time, Emil found himself picking at the bandages wrapped around his sides. After a few minutes, the Icelandic teen could hear footsteps nearing towards the door, immediately he felt himself tense up, it had to be his father, he probably was going to be murdered by him one day, and perhaps if he was lucky, he'd be free of all of his misery. Lost in his own thoughts as to what predicaments he'd be faced with when he finally returned home with his father, he did not notice that it was not his father who walked into the room, but rather a tall young woman with golden hair similar to his mother's, but seemingly brighter as well as being dressed in a business coat with a badge that looked vaguely familiar to him. By her side, she was accompanied by a doctor who seemed to never stop trying to chat with the teen as he check his wounds and to fully conclude if he was ready to be discharged from the hospital yet. In the blur of the moment, Emil couldn't help but look around the room, his father would be there any moment to hurt him, yet it had been hours and yet he still had not arrived. 

The sound of the woman clearing her throat, snapped Emil into reality. The woman gave a stern yet somewhat caring demeanor which reminded him dearly of his mother before she had abandoned him with his father and took Lukas away.  A century seem to pass as the two stared at each other in an awkward silence, Emil's eyes darted to the doctor, whom he had assumed was still by his side, yet to his dismay, had already left the room. Slowly turning back to face the woman, he noticed the look in her eye, it wasn't that of someone that was looking down on him as his father and classmates had, but rather it had hints of care and sympathy. Exactly what was going on?

"Hei, you must be Emil Steilsson, no?" Her accent wasn't familiar, it wasn't that of the Icelandic nor Norwegian accents he would hear when the people around him attempted to speak English, rather the woman had no accent at all, an American perhaps? 

"W-Who are you?" Emil froze in fear, what he said was horribly rude, and he knew that if he was rude to someone, it would result in a beating or a slap at the very least. Bracing himself for whatever was to come, Emil shut his eyes and awaited for a slap, a punch even. Yet it never came.

"Ah, you must be awfully frightened of me, you've been through a lot kid, but don't worry, we've got everything taken care of. My name is Josie Rose, and I'm here to escort you to the Hetalia World Academy in the states, I take it you've never been there before?" 

Emil was shocked to say the very least, what was happening had to be a nightmare of some sorts, a cruel illusion, what on earth was going on, Hetalia World Academy was his dream school in the United States that he'd never attend, he didn't have the money nor would his father even dare allow him to leave. Perhaps she was lying, or perhaps she got the wrong patient, there had to be a different kid going, not him, and what did she mean "Everything taken care of?" All these events occurred so quickly, Emil felt overwhelmed, and moved back a little bit on his hospital bed in an attempt to get further away from the woman. She wore a now slight grin and was almost as unreadable as his brother Lukas, the memory of her brother causing Emil to instinctively flinch as Josie reached out to touch his arm. 

"Are you okay, Emil?" Her grin began to waver a bit as she watched the Icelandic teen squirm uncomfortably. 

Mustering up whatever courage he had left, Emil let out one sentence for Josie. "U-Um, Ms. Rose, what is going on?" Cringing at his accent he awaited her reply,Emil had always wanted to improve his English and rid himself of his cursed Icelandic sounding accent , yet he never had anyone to practise with for the past six years, maybe this was his chance. 

"Oh...OH!" Emil recoiled back at the sudden change of volume, what was going on, he was honestly confused and tired and just wanted answers. 

"Well you see Emil, we've been receiving reports that your father has been abusing you and after your sudden collapse in the middle of the hallway during school, we just need your verification, all the constant hospital visits for large bruises and gashes was already gaining some suspicion, so that leads me to ask you, has your father been hurting you in any way? I promise you'll be safe, Emil,  I don't know what he's been telling you but it seems you've endured this for a while, but know you'll be safe." 

He could feel his eyes dart across the room to look anywhere but at Ms.Rose, not now, he couldn't do this now, this was all a lie, any second after he told what happened to him and his father would come marching down that door to pull him away. He could feel himself trembling as tears threatened to spill, yet there was the small chance that she wasn't lying, that maybe, just maybe he'd finally be free. 

"H-He would beat me everyday, a-and y-yell horrible things at me for s-six years." 

"Oh my goodness, I know this might be a lot, but please bear with me, what sort of things would he tell you, Emil."

"O-Oh." Was all that Emil could say at the moment, he could feel his trembling worsen , yet he continued anyways, if this was the only way he could finally escape from his father, he could do this.

"He t-told me t-that I was an unwanted child, t-that I shouldn't exist, t-that I-I'm the reason our family is b-broken." He could feel thick salty tears roll down his cheeks, but realizing that Ms.Rose was still yet to leave, he quickly wiped them away. 

"S-Sorry." He practically mumbled. 

"Hey now, it's okay, I'm so sorry, Emil. Don't worry, in no time you'll be out of here. Are there any relatives living in America that you know of?" 

Emil instantly looked up, slightly scaring Ms.Rose, there was Lukas. After all, his mother took Lukas with her all the way to America that night, however, there is the chance that Lukas could have moved away from the country now, and with no contact for the past few years there was little chance that he'd ever see his brother again. 

"Emil-?"

"Lukas...Lukas Bondevik." Emil blurted out. He could feel his face burn up from shame, it was idiotic to think that he'd find his brother anyways. 

"We'll find him, Emil. Just sit tight." And with that, Josie finally left the room to Emil and his thoughts. 

Life really was some unexpected game of chance. 

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Emil would have never thought it would happen, yet here he was a week later on a plane for the first time in his life with Ms.Rose, and in his personal opinion, he'd give anything to be back on land again, there was just something about being so high up in the sky without being able to control what happens that frightened yet soothed him. Shortly, he'd find himself in the United States, where he could finally peruse his dreams. 

The low rumble of the plane landing shook Emil awake, though he had barely slept anyways, falling asleep only resulted in the night terrors, so light sleeping was his best option as to avoid waking the entire plane up to his screams. Besides, it was already uncomfortable enough with all those people surrounding him. He didn't know them, and who knows what they could be planning. As the plane came to a full stop and the passengers began to exit, the small Icelandic teen was led off the plane and was given his heavy baggage. At the passenger pick up, Ms.Rose gave him her usual grin despite how tired she was. 

"Well, this is it, Emil. It was nice meeting you, so make sure you do good in school. I wish you the best of luck, kiddo." With one hand on his shoulder as if she was some proud mother, she led Emil into the cab. 

"G-goodbye." 

After all those years, he'd finally get to see his brother again.