A Million Voices [UsUk]

Sorrow

Alfred woke up in a total blur. He was not aware of his surroundings, nor would he know where he was anyway. His head was in a burning headache, and he definitely had a fever -  a high one at that word, and his entire body felt numb. He couldn't move his arms, but did feel the stinging pain throughout his body.

He was in the hospital.

Blinking a couple of times rapidly, he wasn't so sure where he was or who were the people next to his bed. Or should he say, person. He saw double, and in all honesty wasn't completely sure if it was one or two people.

"Alfred... You're awake." A soft voice spoke next to him, really quietly, and it was quite nice to hear the voice. He knew it from somewhere, but since his hearing was still not in order, just like his vision, he wasn't sure who it was.

"..." The American tried to mutter something, and it didn't turn out well. It was just a small, weak, incoherent sound.

"It's me, Matthew. Your brother." The voice spoke up again, this time getting the hold of Alfred's hand gently, with a small, sorrowful and bitter smile on his face.

"M-matt... Matthew... Y-you..." Alfred kept mumbling something, and his brother could only get out a couple of words.

Matthew was Alfred's older brother. While Alfred was nineteen, Matthew was twenty - one. But the two of them looked oddly similar, and many thought they were twins. Not to add that they both had to wear glasses - though Alfred didn't have his at the moment.

"Yes, I came to see you. Do you remember what happened...?" He gently asked his younger brother, barely keeping self - control when he saw him in that state. His always cheerful Alfred was now in the hospital bed, unable to move, hear or see properly, looking like a total mess, his arms, partly legs, and top of the head wrapped in bandages.

Alfred made a grimace at the question, remembering what happened - sadly, he remembered every detail and it didn't make him feel better. Many people experience various strange symptoms after living through such disasters, like a plane crash, and Matthew just hoped that Alfred wasn't one of those people who will have to live with those problems for the rest of his life.

"I... Crash... A-and... Fire... Plane... I... I don't... I can't..." Alfred began trembling a little, speaking something almost inaudible in a shaky voice, as Matthew tightly held his hand in comfort

"Shh, it's all alright now. I'm here, and you're safe. You're alive." Matthew whispered and bit his lip as he shed a tear, hating to see his little brother like this. He knew there were many people in the hospital right now, in Annapolis, Maryland, but there was only one person who mattered to him. And it was Alfred. And oh, how lucky Matthew was to be in West Virginia just at the time - as soon as he heard the news,  he drove off to Annapolis, aimlessly wandering around, not knowing where the hospital is, until he finally found the right one.

In all luck, Alfred's wallet and ID card were somehow still safe, still visible to read the name from. So they could let Matthew in for a visit because of his place of birth and matching surnames.

Matthew Jones, born in Charleston, West Virginia on the 1st of July 1996.
Alfred Jones, born in Charleston, West Virginia on the 4th of July 1998.

And though Alfred now lived in London, England, and Matthew in Alberta, Canada, they all came back home many times.

Matthew couldn't believe that his trip to America would end up in the hospital, looking over his little brother who... Just barely survived a plane crash.

"W-where's... A-arthur..." Alfred weakly muttered, but Matthew understood his words fully.

"Arthur is in London, Alfred." The older American frowned, knowing that there was no way to bring Alfred's boyfriend to Annapolis now.

"I... Want... Arthur..."

"Alfred... Do you know where we are right now?"

"A-america...?" He barely mumbled.

"That's good. We're in Annapolis, in the state of Maryland. And... It's hard to say this but... London is very far away. A-and the airlines are closed since the... Well... You know." Matthew purposely avoided the words 'plane crash' in case they would make Alfred feel even more uncomfortable.

"S-so... I can't..."

"Arthur misses you dearly, I know that. You'll see him soon." In all honesty, Matthew wasn't sure if he was going to be able to see Arthur soon, since he was an ocean away, and Alfred surely didn't want to take a plane to London after what had happened. It was pain to lie like that, but he just had to comfort the younger American the best he could.

"Y-you... P-promise?"

Matthew just sighed and looked down, shaking his head and responding in a trembling voice, as if he was about to cry.

"No."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Arthur made himself comfortable on the couch a while ago, and four hours had passed already, he was still sitting there, staring blankly at the television and watching meaningless shows and comedy movies that, if nothing, sometimes made him laugh a little.

But every time he laughed, he would begin crying as well. Because why would he laugh?

Why would I laugh? I don't deserve to be happy. Everyone left me, and  nobody cares if I exist or not. Why would I be happy?

Those thoughts made him sob into the pillow, trying his best to stop but it just wasn't working. He felt completely helpless.

But soon after those small breakdowns, he would get back to watching whatever show there was on TV, just to get his mind off his problems and sorrowful thoughts.

"Maybe I should switch to the news channel..." Arthur muttered to himself, under his breath, and reached for the remote. "I have no clue what's happening outside London anyway."

And grabbing the remote, he pressed the channel button and switched it to the news channel.

"News are boring..." He thought to himself, not noticing that he'd actually whispered it.

And truly, they were boring that day. Just weather reports, someone getting robbed, a car crash, the usual. Nothing that caught his eye.

Until...

"We are informing you that there was a plane crash on the airline flying from London to Washington D.C. right before it landed in the city. The plane crashed in Maryland, and all passengers that have survived the fall were brought to the hospital in Annapolis.
There is sixteen people who, sadly, did not make it, and fifty- four survivors."

A plane to Washington D.C.? From... London?

Arthur couldn't believe his eyes. Wide eyed,  he stared at the TV screen, not realizing that he had begun clutching the remote too tightly. His heart started beating swiftly, and he began fully shaking as the realization hit him.

"A... Alfred..." He whispered in shock, feeling as he was about to burst.

"Alfred was in that plane."