Flowers and Darkness

Chapter 6

~Hello again! This chapter isn't as depressing as the last one (sorry about that) and it might even end on a happy note! Can you imagine that? Anyway, enjoy!~

    When I awoke, I was a little bit disoriented. I heard the electronic beeping of a machine somewhere in the room. Couldn't Canada shut that thing off? It was, after all, his house. I tried to open my eyes, but found that I couldn't. I tried again, and this time I managed to open them. I looked around and realized it wasn't Canada's house. Then... where was I? I tried to move my head, but I couldn't, so I moved my eyes. I was in... a hospital? Then I tried not to throw up as the remembrance of what happened last night came rushing back to me.

    I managed to turn my head a little and saw an IV hooked up to me, the tube ending in my arm. I had always hated needles when I was little, and this didn't make me like them any more. Now came the part I was most scared for: looking at my wrists. The right one hurt a little and was wrapped in a bandage, I saw. With no small amount of effort, I turned to my left wrist. It was also wrapped in a bandage, but it was stained red. I assumed they gave me painkillers because it didn't hurt too much, but I figured it would start hurting soon. I tried to stay awake for a while but soon fell into the deep embrace of sleep.

    The next time I awoke, I felt someone holding my hand. I opened my eyes (which was a little bit easier) and saw Belarus, her face a mask of worry.
    "H-hey," I said.
    "Ukraine! Are you okay?" she asked.
    "I mean, I feel good for cutting open my wrist and ending up in a hospital bed," I tried to joke. I then rushed on. "Bel, I'm so sorry for making you worry so much--
    "No, you don't have to apologize for what happened. It wasn't your fault that you ended up in such a dark place," she said. I sighed.
    "I guess, but I still feel bad. You shouldn't have to see your older sister bleeding out on the floor--"
    She cut me off with a ginger hug, careful of the tube and my wounds.
    "I've got to go now, okay. We'll help you feel better. Oh, and Canada said he's going to come visit, so look forward to that." I blushed.
    "I love you, Bel."
    "I love you too."

    A few hours later, I was asleep again (my internal schedule was all messed up) when the door squeaked open again. It woke me up, and I left my eyes closed for a minute while I got my bearings. Just then, the country reached over and took my hand. I cracked open my eyes and saw the country who I most wanted to see: Canada.
    "Ukraine, you're okay!" he said. I smiled at him, but then realized that he was crying.
    "Canada, what's wrong?" He looked over at me with a pained expression.
    "It's all my fault!" he managed to get out. "I should have replied to your text, and I should have gotten there sooner!" I squeezed his hand (not a very hard squeeze) and told him to look at me.
    "Canada, you can't blame yourself for that. If it wasn't for you, I would be dead. You were the one who rushed over to my house on the basis of one text." I squeezed his hand again. "You saved me." He gave me a faint smile. "So, I've got to catch up on schoolwork, huh?" I asked.
I saw a few more tears run down his face. "N-no," he said. "You were out for... s-six days. You're on summer break now."
"I was?" I asked? "It... it didn't feel like that long."
"You were unresponsive for nearly a week," he said. "M-maybe if I had gotten there earlier, you would have woken up sooner," he said before I cut him off.
"You couldn't have done that. If you had gotten there later, I might not be waking up. I'm alive because of you, Nada." He smiled, and I knew that I had made him feel better.
    "Oh, now we're doing nicknames?" he asked. "I've gotta think of one for you... how about 'Kraine'?" 
    "Absolutely not," I said jokingly. "I am not a construction vehicle. Besides, I don't really do nicknames." He chuckled.
    "If you say so," he said. "I hate to break up our wonderful conversation, but the hospital closes to visitors in five minutes, so I had better get going." He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. I smiled. After he left, I let out a sigh. The pain in my wrist was growing, and I was sure that I wouldn't get any sleep. But at least I could use that time to reflect on the fact that he went out of his way to come see me.

~woo! That chapter was a little shorter than last time, but still pretty long (for me, at least). I hope you enjoyed it actually ending on a happy note!~

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