I don't own Hetalia, Hidekaz Himaruya does.

Thirteen-year-old Arthur slowly awoke from the dark haze, his ears trained and locked on a nearby beeping as his nose filled with the smell of antiseptic. He groaned in response, knowing full well where he was.

After all, Arthur always ended up in the hospital when his family, consisting of older siblings and no parents to speak of, got completely drunk and came home to see him being lazy. In reality, he was just doing some of his schoolwork, thinking he might as well get it done.

Needless to say, Arthur got tired of their yelling and raging towards him, blatantly ignored them. About to go upstairs to his room to get some quiet, Allistor, his oldest brother, decided to stumble up after him. He ended up grabbing Arthur angrily, tripping on the stairs and falling a good ten feet down; landing right on the poor boy.

"Oi! Look, th' lad's up!" Dylan, two-years Arthur's senior, said, alerting the other family members in the room.

"It's bait time." Allistor said, his gruff voice making Arthur slowly open his eyes. "Ah was 'bout tae leave." he said, slipping on his coat.

"Yer leaving already?" Eily, Arthur's sister asked. Her voice had the sharp note to it; a warning to Allistor about leaving. She was discreetly telling him to stay, but not because she really cared about the boy in the hospital bed. Oh no. Arthur knew that Allistor was their ride home. If he left, they're stuck.

"Nae, aam waiting' in th' car." Allistor replied, opening the door and leaving with not so much as a nod of his head as farewell to Arthur.

Arthur stayed silent, watching Allistor leave. Of course his brother wouldn't mention anything about the accident. His brother would never apologize to Arthur, let alone acknowledge him if he could help it.

"Fine, I'll go join him." Eily said, standing up and stretching, slipping on her coat that would protect her from the late fall weather. "Later Art." she said, nodding her head in Arthur's direction but not looking at him. The door made a loud sound as she exited the room.

"O-Oh, a'right. I'll be there in a moment." Dylan said, watching the others leave. He began to slip his coat on, "Sorry Art, the others won't stay. I would, but…" he trailed off, his eyes telling Arthur sorry.

Arthur nodded his head once, not looking at Dylan, "It's fine, just be careful of the kitchen sink, there's a leak in it that Allistor hasn't fixed yet…" he replied, hearing his brother say a quick goodbye and leave the room.

Arthur gave a long sigh; about to check the damage done, when the door opened, causing Arthur to look up as a doctor entered.

"Hello Arthur-kun, back again I see." The doctor said, his dark brown eyes looking at some charts on a clipboard attached to Arthur's hospital bed.

He was a fairly short man, although the long white medical coat he wore made him seem taller as a long stethoscope hung from his neck. His black shoes and dark pants contrasted with the white hospital walls. The name tag attached to the doctor's lapel said "Dr. Honda." but Arthur had been here enough times to have learned and memorized Kiku Honda's full name.

Just as Dr. Honda still kept his polite use of honorifics from his home country, Arthur also retained the manners he was taught early on, greeting the doctor with his official name and even putting on a weak smile, despite his foul mood. "Hello again, Doctor Honda."

"Well, it seems you had a big fall this time. Says you were running on the stairs and tripped." Dr. Honda said, shaking his head and not believing it for a second as he read the charts. "Broken right leg, sprained ankle, broken wrist and some cracked ribs. Possible concussion from a bump on the head."

Arthur listened as Dr. Honda listed all the damage; it was pretty bad. Probably meant a good few weeks here. He hoped Dylan would at least be nice enough to bring his schoolwork, though he doubted it.

"Kami-sama, Arthur-kun, why is it I see you here so often?" Dr. Honda asked, folding the papers back on the clipboard and attaching it to the bed. "These injuries are almost as bad as the time you were riding your scooter into the street and crashed into garbage cans and then a parked car" he said suspiciously. "Are things okay at home?"

Arthur kept eye contact with Dr. Honda, his eyes giving nothing away. "Things are fine, Dr. Honda. I was just careless; I spilled some water on the stairs and was meaning to mop it up. I forgot and ended up slipping, please don't worry."

Dr. Honda sighed; Arthur was so guarded. He could only speculate what was really the case. Nonetheless, as the doctor, he couldn't intervene. He was to keep information between his patents a secret and abide by the rules. He just wished there was something he could do, something to make the boy smile, just a bit. "Well, you'll be here for about a month at minimum. Concussions are what we're looking out for, but I'm sure you'll be okay."

Arthur nodded, smiling for a moment at Dr. Honda's accent. Before thanking him as he left to take care of his other patients. He sighed dejectedly, looking around the hospital room. It was one of those shared ones, fitting two people. The second bed was empty and for that Arthur was glad. He didn't want to listen to some little child whine about the pain or some other kid coughing and gagging every few minutes like the last time he came here.

Back in the hospital… Arthur thought, staring at the corner of the room, where shadows formed on the impeccably white walls as the sun began to set. This would be his sixth time here in the St. Hetalian Hospital; he might as well call the place a home away from home.

"I hate this place… I hate it…" Arthur muttered, leaning back against the pillows that propped him up.

He was stuck in bed, trapped in the confining walls of the hospital for at least a week, seeing as his motor skills wouldn't work until he was somewhat healed. His family had, as usual, not given him the time of day and abandoned him. wouldn't be able to provide any help or company, as he was just too busy. To top it off, there was a certain nurse working here that he definitely, did not want to see.

"Ohonhonhon~ So Artie is in this room, oui?" A low voice asked from outside of the room. Arthur knew exactly who it was…

"Francis! Don't you dare come inside!" Arthur called angrily, making sure he was heard behind the large, heavy door. His annoying twenty-one-year-old cousin, Francis Bonnefoy worked in the same hospital and he and Arthur weren't exactly the best of friends. He was turned off of the Frenchman's perverted antics, not to mention a few terrible childhood memories that involved walking in on things and various comments about hairstyles. Needless to say, Francis was the last person he wanted to see while in this unhappy mood.

"Things just get better and better." Arthur muttered, using his one good limb, his right arm; to grab the blankets and tug them over his head before the door burst open.

"Ah, Arthur, back here again." Francis said, tsk-ing as the lump on the small bed moved slightly.

"Go away, you stupid frog… Leave me alone." Arthur said, his voice muffled under the sheets. He didn't bother using the correct term, calling the nurse by his name only. He refused to show the fool any respect, besides, calling him nurse would get a one-way ticket to a coo-ing Francis and a cheek pinch.

Arthur lowered the sheets a little, his eyes peering over them as Francis shook his head disapprovingly.

There Francis, or Nurse Bonnefoy, stood, wearing his dark blue-and-red nurse outfit, his name pinned to his lapel, the writing covered in sparkles next to a red rose. His long blonde hair shined as he flicked it showily, his blue eyes sparkling as he looked at Arthur. Arthur wished he could tackle the frog and slowly pluck each whisker off his happy face. Painfully slow.

"Oh, bushy brows. I am only here to check your IV line. Just stay calm, oui?" Francis said, looking at the IV bag hanging from the pole. No doubt in Arthur's mind that it was dripping pain-numbing drugs in his system.

Arthur dropped the sheets, "Shut up Francis! My eyebrows aren't that big! You can jus-" he said angrily. His family had some genetic trait of inheriting his great-great-grandfathers large eyebrows. He had already gotten enough strife at school, though managing to keep indifferent about the comments. However when Francis joined in on occasion, it drove Arthur up the wall.

"Honhonhon, all finished 'ere. Don't worry, I am leaving Arthur. I have other things to do aside from grace you with my company. But I'm sure you're happy I'm gone, non?" Francis said, interrupting Arthur and fixing the IV bag; moving the pole closer to the bed. He headed for the door, Arthur's glare digging into his back as he opened the door.

"Make sure you don't move too much Arthur. You want to heal, not get worse, oui." Francis said, his tone changing from light and flirtatious to more stern. He was pretty good at the serious tone if he tried; Arthur had to give him credit for that.

Grumbling as the door shut, Arthur looked out the window, the lack of sun told him it was nighttime now. Now he was alone in the room. "Good riddance…" Arthur mumbled closing his eyes. He wouldn't admit that he wished someone, even Allistor or the frog, were sleeping in the empty bed next to his, behind the green curtain.

Arthur Kirkland would never admit that once the day was done, he was feeling lonely.

Arthur woke slowly, having an uneasy sleep. He never could get proper rest with all the noises in the hospital, what with all the beeping from the machines and the loud steps of other doctors passing his room. He managed to get maybe a few hours of sleep though, when things settled down in the late night-early morning hours.

Overall, Arthur expected a boring day of staring at the wall, maybe watching a few shows on the small television above his bed. That is, until one of his siblings remembered to bring his things from home and with a bit of luck, a book to read. He was never one of those people who watched a lot of television.

What Arthur didn't expect was the large, bright-blue eyes staring directly at him, his own green eyes widening in shock as he cried out.

"Argh!" Arthur cried, shifting in his bed to get away from the giant eyes. Unfortunately, he was hurt in various places on his body, only moving a centimeter before it erupted in pain and he cried out. He forgot all about his injuries and he had no idea when the last time his IV with the pain numbing drugs was changed.

"Oh geez!" A boys voice called out, probably belonging to the blue-eyes that had started this whole thing. "H-Hey! Are you okay! Ah, don't cry dude!"

Arthur tried hard to stop screaming, but his body felt like it was dipped in lava, his limbs and chest flaring in red-hot agony. Only now did he see how badly hurt he was. He didn't even know that he had started crying.

"Oh dear… Nurse! Nurse Bonnefoy! Get the IV!" 's voice rang out through the room, but Arthur couldn't see, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Hey dude, don't worry! U-Uh, here…"

Arthur felt a hand slip into his as he tried to gain control over himself. Instinctively he squeezed the hand, hearing someone struggling with a bag before he felt the pain starting to ebb away.

"Nurse Bonnefoy, when did you rast change the IV?" Dr. Honda asked, to which Francis replied with "Before the car crash patients arrived."

Arthur heard sigh loudly and the two exit the room. He sighed in relief as the pain dulled to a gentle throb. That definitely woke him up at least.

"H-Hey, can I have my hand back?" a hesitant voice asked, causing Arthur to turn to the source.

Standing at the edge of his bed was a boy. Clad in a normal blue hospital gown, he stood tall, wearing a small pair of glasses, which covered his sky-blue eyes. A grin was plastered on his round face as his hand moved his wheat-colored hair away from his eyes.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, confused as to what the boy was talking about until he looked down at his hand, realizing the hand he had been squeezing belonged to this boy. He let go immediately as the boy retracted his hand, rubbing it.

"Heh, you have a tight grip!" He said cheerfully as Arthur frowned, realizing that this boy was the one who scared him in the first place!

"Bloody hell, you git! Why on earth were you so close to me? I wake up and see your giant eyes and thanks to that, I break out in burning pain!" Arthur asked unable to move but wishing he could cross his arms or maybe just smack the boy upside the head, just to show he was seriously angry.

"Oh, sorry about that." The boy replied sheepishly. "I was kinda curious about your eyebrows… I mean, they're pretty big and-"

"What! You're crazy!" Arthur said, his un-injured hand coming up and covering his eyebrows. Was that it? Knowing that just made Arthur angrier, and a bit self-conscious. "Who the hell are you, anyways?!"

The boy lit up, snapping his fingers. "Oh that's right! I never introduced myself! My name's Alfred! Alfred Jones." He said, holding out his hand as he stood next to Arthur's bed.

Arthur sighed, the anger already starting to slowly fade. "Arthur. Arthur Kirkland." He replied, not wanting to be rude and shaking Alfred's hand briefly.

"Awesome to meetcha Arthur! I'm your roommate in the hospital I guess!" Alfred said, smiling and walking over to his bed, jumping on it and sitting on the edge.

"Roommate?" Arthur asked dumbly before remembering that the room was a two-person room.

"Yeah! It'll be fun! Like a sleepover!" Alfred said happily, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed.

Arthur frowned. Sure, last night he wished someone would be in the room with him, but he didn't mean some loud, excited, obnoxious boy. Already he could tell Alfred was going to be trouble. His head was pounding slightly, probably a headache coming on from the boy's morning antics and his own spell of pain.

"There's lots to do in the hospital!" Alfred said, looking out the window. His bed was next to the door while Arthurs was next to the window, meaning Arthur felt like Alfred was intently staring at him and not at the tall tree outside. It made him feel a little uncomfortable. Alfred's optimistic mood was already bothering him and he had only known the boy for a few minutes. The initial wake-up just didn't leave his mood in the green zone and he could feel his patience waning.

"Plus we ca-"

"What makes you think this place is fun?" Arthur asked, exhaling a breath he didn't know he held. He decided to be blunt, maybe the boy wouldn't bother him if he acted coolly to him.

Alfred's smile faltered for a moment before re-appearing full-force. "'Cause I have something special. My magic stone." He replied, his attention shifting from the tree to Arthur.

Arthur looked at Alfred confused. "What?"

"My special stone! I'll show you!" Alfred said, jumping down from his bed and walking over to a bag sitting on a chair. It must have been his. A moment later Alfred stood, walking back to Arthur and holding something in his hand. He held it behind his back as Arthur looked at him.

"Wanna see? You won't tell anyone, right?" Alfred asked, his voice sounding strangely secretive.

Arthur nodded, thinking this was juvenile. What on earth was this stone. Was it a bomb or something; was that the need of secrecy?

"Okay~" Alfred opened his hand, showing Arthur the object.

In his hand, was a small stone, about the size of a golf ball, but flat and nearly a perfect round circle. A large hole was roughly cut in the center, making it look like a monocle without a lens. It was a soft grey color, white streaks flowing over in splashes, like marble with dark patterns. More or less, it was just a normal rock.

"...It's a rock." Arthur deadpanned, giving Alfred a 'what the hell" kind of stare. He was not impressed.

"Nuh-uh! It's more than just a rock! It's a magic stone!" Alfred said, moving closer to Arthur and grabbing a chair as he did.

"It's a rock Alfred." Arthur said firmly. Maybe the boy was in the hospital because he had delusions. Or maybe he was crazy?

Alfred whined, frowning and opening his mouth to speak and protest when Nurse Bonnefoy entered the room. "Bonjour les garcons~" he said, holding two cups and walking over to them.

"Here are you medications. It's just some pain killers for Arthur and your daily medicine Alfred." Francis said casually, walking over to the sink and getting two cups of water. "I'll be right back to make sure you two have taken it. So I'm trusting you to have it; I know the hiding spots." He said, shaking his finger in warning and walking out.

Alfred made a face, "Yech, I hate the pills…" he said, momentarily distracted.

"Take them, they'll keep you healthy." Arthur said, looking at his own. He hated them too.

Alfred looked at them for a moment before grinning. "Hey, this is a great way to show you the magic stone!" he said, pulling his stone from his gown pocket. He had slipped it in there when Francis had entered.

"What? What on earth is a rock going to do?" Arthur asked, glaring at Alfred. Enough of this rock nonsense; what good was it.

"Look Arthur!" Alfred said, holding the rock to his eye and keeping it in place. It looked like he was wearing a monocle now, his eye peering through the hole in it.

"Yes, I see. You're trying to look like a fool and succeeding." Arthur said sarcastically as Alfred shook his head.

"No! Look, if you look trough this, the pills look like candy~" Alfred said cheerfully.

"It looks like what." Arthur said, not pleased. Alfred passed him the stone, eagerly watching as Arthur held it up against his eye, looking through the hole.

"It looks like pills. In a tiny, roughly circular window." Arthur said stoically, trying not to snap at Alfred.

"Are you sure Arthur? Look closer! Use your imagination; you've got to have one under those big eyebrows." Alfred said, frowning a bit.

Arthur sighed, deciding to humor the boy. It made him feel guilty, since he was so smile-y. "Fine, I'll look again." He said, holding the stone to his eye again.

Slowly but surely, as Arthur stared at the pills, it seemed like the image blurred and blended, taking a new shape. Soon it looked like they were those little candies he used to have when he was younger. The ones Dylan brought home from the little store near his school.

"They- They do look like candies…" Arthur said, shocked. He lowered the stone from his eye before looking at the cup. The pills were still there and they still looked the same. Arthur must have imagined it.

"Keep looking! It only works with the stone! It's a magic stone; it makes your imagination stronger! It helps us see things in a new, more fun way! We see the brighter side of stuff. Plus it's kinda fun to play with when there's nothing to do." Alfred said, overjoyed that Arthur finally saw what he saw. Or at least, what they thought they saw.

"Let's eat the candy Artie!" Alfred said, taking his cup. "Look through the stone then pass it to me and have your candy before it changes back! The spell only lasts for a short time~"

Still thinking he was humoring Alfred; Arthur nodded, looking through the stone. The image of the candy-pills came faster, now that he had seen it before. It was kind of cute pretending something that wasn't fun was fun. It at least made ingesting the tasteless capsules a bit more tolerable.

With the pills down their stomachs, Alfred and Arthur began to casually chat, not saying much but talking a bit about general topics. What's your birthday, how old are you *Alfred said he was proudly eleven and that double numbers was lucky.* General topics that passed the time until Francis came back to the room.

"Alfred, it is time for your therapy and scans." Francis said, walking over to the two boys. "Oh, Arthur, 'ave you made a friend?"

Arthur frowned, about to say something snappy at the Frenchman, but was cut off by Alfred. "Yeah! Artie is my new friend!" he said cheerfully.

Arthur felt his ears go red at the sudden declaration, but he wasn't complaining. That is until he heard Alfred say his name. "Artie?!" he spluttered, "You mean Arthur, git!"

Alfred laughed, "Haha, no, I meant Artie! I like making up nick names for my friends." He said, jumping from his bed.

"Oui, I like to make nicknames too~" Francis said, smiling at Alfred. To Arthur's surprise, there was no hint of that normal, low tone of voice when he was subtly hitting on someone. Or at least, he wasn't being his normal perverted self while talking to Alfred.

"Ready to go, Alfred." Francis asked, holding out a hand for Alfred to take. Alfred took it happily, unlike Arthur who would have recoiled at the thought of touching Francis' hand; he would probably slap the hand away. Maybe he should warn Alfred about Francis.

Before Arthur could speak however, Alfred and Francis left the room, leaving nothing but silence in their wake.

Arthur sighed and turned on the television. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that he missed Alfred's cheery presence in the room. It distracted him from his own thoughts.

Instead, Arthur began to channel surf, mentally stepping on his thoughts to keep them from bubbling over and spilling out of his mind.

Almost a week had passed since Alfred's arrival and Arthur's family still hadn't come by to drop his things off. He had been using hospital items, probably racking up a good bill for his family, all because they either forgot or couldn't be bothered to do anything.

Over the course of the week, Arthur had gotten to be better friends with Alfred. They spent time chatting or playing a few board games left behind by Alfred's father. They never seemed to talk about family though, much to Arthur's joy. He didn't like bringing his family up.

However, today was different and Alfred broke the question in the middle of playing Monopoly, the board perched on a table as Alfred sat in a seat next to Arthur's bed.

"Hey Artie, why hasn't anyone come to visit you?" Alfred asked, landing on Illinois and buying a house.

"They don't like to visit much." Arthur said, hoping to divert Alfred's attention as he rolled the dice. He had met Alfred's father the day before, a nice man who was just as loud and cheerful as Alfred was.

"Why not? That doesn't seem very-"

"Because they don't like me much." Arthur said bluntly, jumping six spaces and landing on the chance square.

"Huh? They don't like you?" Alfred asked, not letting the subject drop.

"..." Arthur stayed silent, his hand hovering over the chance cards. He thought about his answer for a moment, wondering "Because-"

"Hey, Art. 'ere's yer stuff." Someone called, the door to their room opening as Arthur's family filed inside, Dylan held a small duffel bag. He placed it next to Arthur's bed before stepping over to his siblings.

Alfred and Arthur looked up in shock, the arrival of his siblings completely unexpected.

"'Ey, who's this?" Allistor asked, motioning to Alfred once he sat in a chair with a dull thump.

"This is Alfred. He's my room mate." Arthur said, keeping his words short and introductions brief.

"Huh, yer stuck with th' runt then. G'luck to yeh. He's trouble." Alistor said, starting to rant about how Arthur was useless and didn't do anything to help. Arthur could tell he was definitely loaded. He could smell the alcohol coming off him; unless everyone was drunk. How did they even get here, if that was the case?

"Allistor, stop pickin' on th' runts." Eily said, seeming fairly sober if not for a slight hic. She could tell the doctors were listening in; especially that and she didn't want them getting the wrong idea.

"Thanks for bringing my things." Arthur said quickly, his voice low and curt, clearly telling them that since they delivered his stuff, they can leave.

"Oy, I aint done 'ere yet. Shu-"

"Listen you-"

"Ah, Allistor, Eily, let's just-"

Arthur's sibling began to argue and fight. Arthur frowned, "They're like a family of clowns." He muttered, casting a side-glance to Alfred who had his hand in his pocket, where he kept his magic stone.

"Stop it." Alfred said, finally speaking up. He was never one to read the atmosphere, but he could see from Arthur's extremely tense posture, that the arrival of these people was a bad thing. He didn't know why he spoke up, only that the fighting was bothering his friend and it was also bothering him.

"Huh, the runt's got some spunk." Eily said, raising an eyebrow at his interruption. She was about to sock Allistor in the face when the boy spoke.

"Don't say mean things about my friend." Alfred said, a little louder now. He was gaining confidence now, "Artie is a good guy…"

Allistor stood up, grinning, but not friendly. More like a predator and prey. He walked closer to Alfred, leaning forwards. "Ye think Art is a good guy? E'er ask why we hate him? E'er ask why 'e's always alone? Ye think Art is 'n angel, jus' from talkin' to him fer a single week? Ye don't know everything, kid, so don't jump teh conclusions."

Alfred glared back, opening his mouth to say something before his bright blue eyes widened in surprise.

Thinking he had won, Allistor grinned, taking a step back, but Arthur was suspicious. Something was up. His suspicions were confirmed a moment later when Alfred began to wheeze and choke, as though he has swallowed something and it was stuck.

Arthur gasped as Alfred collapsed to the ground, his hands clenching against his chest as he writhed on the floor, looking like he was in pain while still wheezing as though struggling for breath.

"A-Alfred!" Arthur called out, unable to move because of his casts. Though he was healing, he still couldn't stand or move very much. Instantly he looked at his siblings, all traces of anger and irritation gone from his eyes as he locked gazes with them.

"Please, press the call button! Alfred's in trouble!" he said frantically, his voice slightly higher from fear. He sounded so… small. Scared. His siblings stared at him, stunned at this instant change, until Arthur spoke again.

"P-Please, someone press the button! Don't let him die!" Arthur cried, tears beginning to fall from his eyes as Alfred's wheezes grew worse, prompting Dylan to snap from his stupor and rush to the wall, pressing the button. Immediately, a loud ring went through the room, causing nurses and Dr. Honda to swarm into the room.

Arthur watched as Alfred was restrained, Dr. Honda readying a syringe as Alfred continued to struggle. For one second, the gasping cleared, leaving Alfred panting as he tried to speak. "I- don't care... About what… Artie did… because no matter… what… he's my friend…" Alfred panted before lapsing back to wheezing as Dr. Honda inserted the syringe into Alfred's arm.

Alfred's wheezing evened out as he was knocked out from the medication. His breathing slowed, instead it sounded more like air going down a rough tube, or a large overpass. Despite how it sounded okay, Arthur knew things weren't…

"Arthur-kun, what happened?" Dr. Honda asked quickly, Nurse Bonnefoy running around the room and gathering different things.

"I-I-" Arthur was still stunned, trying to calm himself. Now that Dr. Honda was there, Alfred would be okay. Right?

"I'll explain that." Allistor said quickly, standing up and not looking Arthur in the eyes. Dr. Honda looked at him, nodding and hurrying Allistor out of the room. Eily followed quietly, not looking at Arthur as she left.

Dylan looked at Arthur for a second, giving him a sad look before walking over to him. "Packed a book in yer bag, Art." He said, walking over to the duffel bag and taking out a book, placing it on Arthur's bed. "Oh 'ey, you were playing Monopoly? Looks like ye got a chance card." He gave Arthur's hand a quick pat and left without another word.

Arthur watched them leave, sniffling when the door closed and allowing himself to whimper, just once, before wiping his eyes on the sheets and falling silent. He wouldn't cry. He needed to distract himself, so he would break. He moved the blankets a bit, his eye catching a dark shape roll down the sheets.

Upon reaching over, Arthur picked up the magic stone. Alfred must have dropped it when he collapsed. He placed it over his eye, looking around the room. Nothing seemed to change, but Arthur tried anyways. He started with the window, then the door and finally another patient whom he could see from the window in the door.

Slowly, the shape of the man changed, he started as an old man, hobbling down the hallway with a cane, but slowly it blurred, merging and changing until the man's wrinkles were gone, and his hunch was all but there. He now looked like a very short man, holding a not a cane, but a tiny pickaxe.

Arthur remembered the name of the new shape, a dwarf. He smiled for a second before removing the stone from his eyes. Again, he turned to something else; a nearby nurse, and placed the stone over his eye. Her form slowly changed, shifting, blending and re-solidifying. Now the young nurse wore not a nurse's outfit, but a forest green dress with shimmering wings on her back. She was smaller too.

A fairy… Arthur thought, smiling a bit before frowning and removing the stone. It reminded him too much of things. Ms. Fairy… Instead he took the stone and placed it on the table next to him, leaning back against the pillows. He hoped Alfred was going to be okay.

Without a distraction, Arthur's mind began to think of memories. He felt trapped within them; Allistor's comment opening old wounds. It was one thing to be physically trapped in a hospital bed, in a small hospital room, but it was another to be stuck in your thoughts.

Arthur looked at the game lying at the edge of his bed, deciding it best to pack it up, and reached forwards before looking at his piece. The little top hat sat on the chance square, and out of curiosity; he took the top card and read the caption.

"Go directly to Jail – Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200."

What's the point… I'm already in jail. Arthur thought, scooping up the pieces and sliding them into the box.

Arthur had read all day, checking the clock every hour. He was worried about Alfred, whom hadn't returned yet. Not even the nurses could tell him if Alfred was okay, only that he was in the Operating Room for an emergency surgery and there had been no complications.

"I wonder if he's okay…" Arthur muttered, turning the page on his book. He was only half reading the story; his mind focused o other things. Mainly how his friend was doing.

"I- don't care... About what… Artie did… because no matter… what… he's my friend…"

The words were playing in Arthur's head. He had forgotten it before, too nervous and a bit shaken to really think about it. But now that he had some of the terrible hospital food and rested, his mind was working, sharp as a knife.

"Did he mean that?" Arthur wondered, shutting his book. He would never get around to reading it. He was too distracted to properly comprehend the words on the pages.

Before he could delve further into the subject, the door opened as Nurse Bonnefoy and entered the room, wheeling a hospital bed inside.

"Oh, Dr. Honda!" Arthur said immediately, trying to get a better view of the hospital bed. "Is that Alfred? Is he okay?"

"Hai, Arfred-kun wirr be okay..." Dr. Honda replied quietly. He didn't look up for a moment, making Arthur wonder if something went wrong, but a second later; he locked eyes with him, smiling slightly. "It was just an episode. Arfred-kun will wake shortly."

Francis stayed silent, fixing the IV pole. It was very out of character to Arthur, but then again, the hospital probably helped tone down his annoying personality.

"Your brother has informed me of what happened. I must say, I don't approve. They have gotten a ban from visiting, especially since they were drunk. I don't know how the nurses let them through." Dr. Honda said, picking up Alfred's chart and flipping through the pages. He had a cold tone to his voice when he mentioned Arthur's brothers.

"Arthur-kun… Terr me honestly, prease. Did you really farr down the stairs." Dr. Honda said, after a few minutes of silence. Francis stopped his work too, not looking up from the IV bag in his hand, but he was clearly listening in.

All the eyes on him made Arthur feel like he was being interviewed. He gulped, not meeting their concerned and curious eyes, as he shook his head, no.

Francis looked towards Dr. Honda and they shared a short glance before the doctor walked to Arthur, patting his head. "I see. Thank you for your honesty Arthur." He said, leaving the room without another word.

All that was left was Nurse Bonnefoy, who looked at Arthur somewhat disapprovingly but with sadness too. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead a beep went off as his pager sounded. "Mon dieu, not another crash patient." He said, looking at the little machine before running out of the room.

Arthur didn't know what to say, or think. He knew that Dr. Honda had always been suspicious, but by confirming the doctor's suspicions, what would the doctor do? To be honest, he didn't want to have social workers on his case. He had been told about them one day when Eily was feeling like talking to him and acknowledging his presence. That is, she then threatened him with the social worker when he got on her nerves.

"So, what happened then?" A bright voice rang out from the bed next to Arthurs, causing Arthur to turn his head sharply and wince as he moved his body in the process.

"Alfred?" Arthur called, turning back to stare up at the ceiling. It was less painful.

"Yeah… Hi Artie." Alfred replied, sounding tired and worn out.

He must have just woken up, Arthur thought, carefully listening to Alfred as he breathed. He sounded a lot less wheezy.

"So, what happened?" Alfred asked again, making Arthur shift his head a little to look at Alfred again. All he could see was a lump in a bed, but he knew Alfred was probably struggling to look at him too.

"To what? To you? You collapsed after confronting my oldest brother, Allistor." Arthur replied.

"Haha, I know that silly. I was asking what happened to you? You said you didn't fall, right?"

Arthur stayed quiet for a moment, wondering if it was a good idea to tell Alfred. What if Alfred told the doctor? Besides, it's more complicated than just the fall…

"You don't have to tell me though, Artie. I was just wondering, and well I was gonna ask what your brother meant too, but I won't if you don't wanna talk about it." Alfred said, not wanting to make his friend uncomfortable.

"Its… A long story…" Arthur said softly.

"We're both stuck in our hospital beds for a good while… I think I have time." Alfred said lightly, trying to make the mood a bit lighter. He wasn't one to stay in a dark mood long.

Arthur smiled a bit; nodding in agreement, though Alfred couldn't see that. "I suppose we do…" he replied, sighing. "Well, first of all, I should tell you who is who. Alllistor is the oldest, about twenty-three. He's a stubborn, prideful git who likes to get drunk and is a violent one when he does get hammered. Eily is the second oldest at nineteen, and has a sharp tongue and a short temper. Then there's Dylan, who's fourteen and kind of nice when he's not tormenting me with Allistor. I think he feels pressured by Allistor or something, he won't stand up on his own two feet…"

Alfred listened intently; putting the names to the faces he had seen that day. "Okay, so, what your brother, Allistor said. When he said that, they hated you…" he trailed off, trying not to sound too eager or curious, lest Arthur decide against telling him.

Arthur sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "I… Killed our parents." He said sadly.

"Woah, Artie, you-"

"Not like that you idiot! I mean they blame me for their death… When I was born, there were complications with the birthing, so, when the doctors went in to help, well, it was too late for my mother…" Arthur said softly, his voice filled with sadness. "Afterwards, my father didn't take it too well, he took to drinking, and one night when I was six, he never came home. He always drove to the bar and brought the drinks home, but that night there was a party and… I suppose it's pretty clear what happened. He ended wrapped around a tree, literally." Arthur said, his voice cracking as he struggled to retain his composure and keep calm. "The others, even Dylan, blame me for their death, and I do to… If I wasn't born, then they'd be alive and the others…"

Alfred was silent and Arthur thought maybe he fell asleep, until he heard the boy's voice, strong and full of confidence. "I don't think you're to blame Artie. It's not your fault. My brother told me that it's because in a time of great distress that people look for someone to blame. They chose you, but that doesn't mean you deserve it."

Arthur scoffed, opening his mouth to retort when Alfred continued.

"I mean things like that happen. It's not right to blame someone for it; its just the… The cards were dealt with. We couldn't control that; so it's not fair of your siblings to say that. It's mean of them. I think they're mean for doing that." Alfred said, his voice firm as he spoke with finality.

Arthur chuckled a bit; the boy's energy was certainly commendable. He could see Alfred's point of course. It made perfect sense in a way, but he would still have that guilt hanging on him. He couldn't just ignore it. Still though, it was nice to hear the boy's opinion; so much like his own. To be heard and understood, was what made him smile before he frowned once again.

"Basically though, to answer your original question. Everyone came home drunk and yelled at me. Allistor snapped at me, bringing up our parents as the others drunkenly joined. I got mad, and turned and ran up the stairs, to go to my room, but Allistor went after me and grabbed me. He was drunk and doesn't have a sense of balance so he fell. I-I tried to catch him, I tried to hold us up, but he was too heavy and we fell down. Only he knows, but I rolled under him, so he wouldn't… So he wouldn't get hurt." Arthur said, sounding almost ashamed.

"You care about them, even though they hate you." Alfred concluded, breaking the tense silence as his statement hung in the air, creating an even heavier mood inside the room.

"They're my family, they raised me. I-I haven't got anyone else. – I really hate them, for being so cruel, but I also love them… It's hard to explain." Arthur said, staring at the ceiling as a few tears fell from his eyes. He wouldn't cry though. He doesn't cry.

"I see… Then, you've been here before, right? Dr. Honda knows you." Alfred said, hoping Arthur caught on what he as asking.

"Well, my family is a bunch of violent drunks, descended from two people who were known to poorly hold their liquor." Arthur stated bluntly. "They can get rowdy towards the people they don't like."

"Oh…" Alfred said, his tone disapproving.

"They weren't always like that. Allistor was kind once, and Eily was helpful and compassionate. Kyle would even play with me when the others were busy. I wish I knew what happened between then and now that changed, so I could fix it." Arthur said sadly.

"I wish we could fix a lot of things. Lots and lots." Alfred said, ""I'd like more friends, and my brother would be happy too, and Artie and I would be the best of friends, we'd play a lot with the magic stone and…" he trailed off.

"I don't have any friends, at least, before I met you." Arthur admitted, feeling more at ease talking to Alfred. "People at school hated me, they thought I was weird because I… I talk to my friends, but they can't see them. People are scared of me almost."

"Friends? Like imaginary friends?" Alfred inquired, laughing quietly.

"No! My fairy friends! Flying Mint Bunny too!" Arthur said, sending a glare towards Alfred's bed.

"Heh, I feel the glare, Artie~ But fairies don't exist. Only when you look in the magic stone do they exist for a moment, but you know it's pretend."

Arthur huffed, Just another non-believer. He thought un-happily.

"Still, I guess it's a bit like Tony! He's my alien friend!" Alfred said, shifting the subject. "No one's seen him though; just me."

Now it was Arthur's turn to laugh, "Aliens? That's preposterous! They definitely don't exist!"

Alfred frowned now, sending a glare to Arthur's bed. "Tony's real! He visits sometimes, but hasn't come yet. Maybe because I never told him I was moving."

"Right. Well I'm sure that alien friend of yours will find us. He's an alien, he has the technology." Arthur said, snickering as he covered his mouth to hide his smile. Why not humor the boy?

Alfred brightened up immediately, "Ya think so, dude? Probably, I mean, Tony does have a cool spaceship!"

Arthur stopped giggling now, staring at Alfred's bed. He honestly believed in this Tony-guy-thing? "Right… Well-"

"Boys, get some sleep! It is almost two in the morning!" Nurse Bonnefoy said, opening the door and leaning inside. Arthur could see a faint outline of Dr. Honda's coat behind Francis.

"Oh, sorry Nurse, dude!" Alfred said laughing, "I'm goin' to bed then!"

Francis looked towards Arthur, shooting him a you-had-better-sleep-too look. Arthur sighed, "Yes, yes, I'll sleep too. Don't get your panties in a bunch."

"Woah! Nurse Bonnefoy wears panties! How did you know that Artie?!" Alfred said loudly, making Francis wince. From out in the hallway, Arthur heard some female nurses giggle.

"Mon dieu! Keep it down! I do not wear panties, Alfred! I'll have you know I am wearing my pink boxers from a kind nurse I was-" Francis began, stopping himself immediately as he realized what he was saying. Arthur laughed loudly. Alfred joined in, guffawing. Even Dr. Honda, who was standing outside, covered his mouth and laughed.

"Tu est mechant!" Francis said dramatically, placing a hand on his forehead in mock hurt. It would have been a great show if not for the smile on his face. "Mon ami Arthur, it's nice to see you smile for once." He said, winking and leaving the room, followed by Dr. Honda.

Arthur stopped laughing when he heard that, it was true, he hadn't laughed like that in a long time; let alone smiled. Yet when he talked to Alfred, he managed a smile. Was that what a friend does? Make others smile and forget about their problems, just for a moment? Alfred knew him on a more personal level too, was he supposed to return the favor? It was only now that Arthur realized how new to friendship he was.

Alfred mentioned a brother, which made Arthur curious now. "Hey, Alfred-" He was interrupted by a loud snoring.

Alfred fell asleep.

"Geez, git. How do you always fall asleep so fast." Arthur muttered, a smile gracing his face. He could ask later, maybe. There would probably be a chance; he was stuck here another two weeks anyways.

"Good night… Al." Arthur said, deciding its high time Alfred got a nickname too. Time to jump on the boat with Al and the frog, he supposed. He shut his eyes, drifting off slowly and falling asleep.

Lying in his bed, Alfred looked towards Arthur. "Night Artie." He whispered; finally letting out a cough he had been holding back.

A week-and-a-half had passed since Alfred's episode and Arthur was finally healed enough to sit on a wheelchair if someone pushed him. He could move a little, though since his ribs were still tender, he wouldn't do it too often. He was definitely due for some therapy soon; to get his joints working.

During the course of the week, they spent more time playing with Alfred's magic stone, having lots of fun peering though it and changing the reality, laughing at what the other saw and cracking jokes. It was amazing how just a single chunk of plain rock could provide them with so much fun. Arthur was really glad to have Alfred as a friend, remembering when he first met him how he found Alfred to be annoying and obnoxious.

Now Arthur couldn't imagine living through these weeks in the hospital without Alfred's help.

The subject of more personal matters never came up again, and though Arthur was somewhat pleased, he was still curious about Alfred. His chance came that day however, on a bright and sunny day. It was still cold out; early winter settling in the city, but Arthur had heard the hospital courtyard was always warm.

Come to think of it, Arthur thought on the particular day, Alfred's never gone outside…

"D-3!" Alfred said, not noticing the thoughtful look on Arthur's face as he proceeded to sink said boy's battleship.

Dr. Honda came into the room at this time, making Arthur snap his fingers. "Dr, Honda, can Alfred and I go outside?" he asked.

The doctor was taken aback, surprised with this sudden request before standing straight again and fixing the stethoscope on his neck. "Ah, I think that wourdn't be wise… It's very cold outside and it wouldn't be good for either of you to freeze." He said strictly, writing something on his clipboard.

Alfred and Arthur frowned, but sighed, knowing the doctor's words were law. Dr. Honda looked at them apologetically, "Perhaps another time, Arthur-kun." He said, leaving the room.

"I wanna go outside." Alfred moaned when the door closed.

"Me too, but we can't. Dr. Honda said so." Arthur replied, turning back to the game.

Alfred sighed sadly, looking at Arthur before his face changed to one of thought. "Hmm… I suppose… But he never said we had to stay inside, he just said we can't go outside. He never mentioned the courtyards! That's an indoor garden, with a big glass roof, so it's not outside!" Alfred declared, clapping his hands together in excitement.

"Wh-what? Leave the rooms? That's impossible! Besides, I can't get two feet away." Arthur said, looking down at his casts.

Laughing, Alfred winked. "Don't worry! The hero will get you there, Artie. Trust me, 'kay?" he said, jumping down from his bed. Arthur was about to protest and say Alfred should be more careful but Alfred ran out before he could say a thing.

What's that boy doing? Arthur wondered, sitting on the bed and watching the door.

A second later, Alfred returned wheeling a wheelchair to Arthur's bed. "Jump in!" he said cheerfully, not giving Arthur a chance to objects and helping him in the chair. "I'll just say that you had to go to the bathroom and as your friend I'm helping you there."

Arthur scoffed, "They won't believe that! We have a bathroom that works in our room."

Alfred grinned, running to the bathroom. Arthur heard a flush and a loud glug followed by a splash. The boy returned with the grin still plastered on his face as the dusted off his hands. "Not anymore!"

Arthur sputtered, "W-Wha? What did you do?!"

"I plugged it! Don't worry, they can un-plug it if they take the lid off and fix the chain. I know exactly what I'm doing; it's easy." Alfred said, taking a blanket from the bed and putting it on Arthurs lap before running to his bag and pulling out something.

"Hey… Can you maybe hold this too? I'd like to bring it outside." Alfred asked, passing Arthur something.

Arthur looked down at the object; it was a stuffed polar bear. It was fairly worn and ratty, like it had gotten some good use. There was threads sticking out, and its dark eyes had a strange look in them; its head tilted in a questioning way. It was as though it was looking at Arthur, unsure of whom he was and asking, "Who are you?" Arthur could almost hear the light voice the bear would use.

"What's- Ack!" Arthur jolted forwards, as Alfred pushed the chair hard, trying to move it. It took a second to get it going, as the wheels were somewhat rusty.

"Ssh, no talking, just look like you really haveta go to the bathroom, 'kay?" Alfred said, his eyes staring intensely at the door. He had propped it open with a chair, allowing him to push Arthur through the opening and out into the hallway.

Nurse Bonnefoy scribbled some word on a paper, sighing tiredly as he sat at the desk. His head was falling forwards from overworking. He had stayed extremely late last night on the graveyard shift. Immediately he shifted, snapping an elastic band on his wrist. He used it to keep himself awake at times like these.

As he tried to keep his eyes open, Francis heard some whispering, the voices sounding incredibly familiar.

"Boys? What are you two up to?" Francis called, standing up and walking over to the two boys exiting their room. They shared expressions that looked like a deer caught in headlights before Alfred smiled.

"The toilet broke and I'm taking Artie to the washroom, Nurse Bonnefoy!" Alfred said enthusiastically, patting Arthur's un-injured shoulder.

Francis wasn't fooled though, he could see the look in the blonde boy's blue-eyes, though hidden behind some glasses. It just screamed trouble. Nonetheless, as he was about to tell them to go back to their room, he saw Arthur looking at him.

There was no hostility coming from Arthur, only… Excitement, maybe joy or just plain happiness. Francis knew Arthur was a stuffy boy, staying with the rules all the time, but somehow Alfred had convinced him otherwise. There was life in those green eyes, something that was rarely there when Arthur was admitted to the hospital all those other times.

For once, Francis decided to turn a blind eye. Just once. Perhaps he was really tired, or maybe he just cared too much for these two boys. Dr. Honda had already been kind enough to put his career on the line when he gave Francis the option to be a nurse for a family patient. This time it was his choice.

"I see, that's not good. I will go alert the janitor. Meanwhile Alfred, I trust you to get Arthur to the washrooms. It's down the hall to the left. Think you can handle that?" Francis said, looking at Alfred intensely.

Alfred nodded eagerly, "Hell yeah! The hero can do it!"

Francis smiled, "Alright, then good luck, hero." He added the last bit, just for fun. Alfred nodded and wheeled Arthur down the hallway until Arthur pointed down a hallway, thinking that Francis wasn't watching.

Chuckling lightly, Francis looked to their room and sighed. Alfred was like a little star; it was clear that Arthur got a little bit of the boy's light to brighten up his overall mood.

"Mon dieu…" Francis mumbled, shaking his head. "I suppose I should alert Kiku that they've slipped out of the room."

From where he stood, Francis could still hear Alfred's loud laughter as Arthur cursed.

Or perhaps… I'll take my lunch break early. Francis thought, whistling a French tune as he walked the other direction.

"Alfred, stop doing that! What if we crash!?" Arthur said frantically as Alfred jumped on the back of his wheelchair, riding on it as it sped down the hallway.

"Awh, lighten up Artie! It's fun! Look, you were right. The courtyard is right over there!" Alfred said, stopping the wheelchair, just as it was about to hit the courtyard doors.

Arthur removed his hands form his eyes, panting as he tried to regain his breath. That was terrifying.

Alfred pried the door open, tugging hard. It was very heavy but somehow he managed and wheeled Arthur inside.

The courtyard was a funny place, not exactly indoors, but not exactly outside either. Arthur had found the place on his first hospital visit, walking around with his arm in a sling while his siblings fought.

It was in a giant circle, grass covering a good area of it and a few trees and bushes with many different kinds of flowers surrounding the edges. On one end of the courtyard was a giant window, every second pane of glass propped open to let in air, and many stories above was another large window, the sun shining down.

There were benches on the edges and even a couple of hills, the courtyard at least a half a football field. It was amazing to Arthur how the builders could fit this place on the tenth floor of a hospital.

"Wow! This place is neat!" Alfred said, looking up with sparkling eyes. "Let's sit over there!" he said, wheeling Arthur to a hill and taking the blanket, spreading it on the ground.

Arthur didn't protest as he sat in the wheelchair, closing his eyes as the breeze came through the windows. Although it was cold, the courtyard was almost like a greenhouse, warm with the sun making rays of warm light as tree leaves rustled. They were loosing their leaves, only a few more remaining, but the grass below was void of the shed leaves, the hospital staff cleaning them whenever needed.

"There, I'll put you here." Alfred said, causing Arthur to open his eyes and look to his left where the boy had spread the blanket. Alfred was sitting on the blanket, having taken the stuffed polar bear from Arthur without him noticing. He had placed the bear on one side of him, patting its head and smiling before reaching into his pocket and taking out the magic stone.

"Hey, Al…" Arthur asked cautiously, looking at the polar bear.

"Yeah?" Alfred replied, the stone already against his eye. He was looking at one of the trees.

"What's, the, erh-"

"You mean Kumajiro?" Alfred asked, not looking at Arthur as he turned his focus to a bush. "He was my brother's stuffed polar bear."

"Who?"

Alfred sighed, lowering the stone and staring at his hands, which now rested on his lap. "My twin brother, Matthew." He said; all his enthusiasm had disappeared so suddenly, it took Arthur by surprise. "It was his."

"O-Oh, sorry." Arthur said quickly, not wanting to upset Alfred. "I-I remember you mentioned a brother in a conversation but if it's a touchy subject I don't want to press you."

Alfred just shook his head, "No, its okay. You're a friend, you would find out about Mattie at some point. He's my twin brother; we did everything together. Although, sometimes I kinda forgot about him, and so did mom and dad. I think it's because he was so quiet. Oh, but, he is…" Alfred trailed off, "-was. He was my best friend."

"Alfred, if I may ask. What happened to Matthew? I mean, do you not talk to him? He doesn't visit you in the hospital and-"

"Mattie died." Alfred said, his voice cold and stony, completely opposite form his usual tone. "He died last year."

"O-Oh…"

"When I- we, when we were born, we were really sick. The doctors didn't think we would make it. They didn't understand what was wrong with us at the time, but it was a strange sickness that they believe our mother passed to us. All they know is that it makes the person weak and affects the heart and lungs. She died a week after, our birth made her really weak and I guess her sickness just made her worse. The doctors called us miracles because we didn't die." Alfred said, voice soft now, lost in memory.

"There was this one time when we were doing really well and we got to go home with dad. That was when Mattie and I were three, but then we got sick a week later and had to come back." Alfred said, still not looking at Arthur; he was turning the magic stone in his hand, over and over again.

"It's the only time we've been outta the hospital. The doctors said we were just too sick to go out. The only reason I was moved here was because dad didn't want to visit that other hospital; where Mattie died." Alfred finished, falling silent.

Arthur looked at the boy, who's eyes were sparkling in the afternoon sun with unshed tears. Arthur, who was rarely a touch-feely kind of boy, really wished he could hug his friend at that moment. However, since he was pretty much incapacitated, he reached out with his good hand and placed it on Alfred's shoulder as a small comfort.

Rubbing his eyes, Alfred looked at Arthur, his expression serious for once; the light in his eyes dim and clouded with sorrow. "We've spent our lives stuck in hospital walls. I- I really hate it Artie."

Arthur nodded in response. He thought he was trapped when he came here, but looking at Alfred, who had spent his entire life in a hospital. It definitely changed his outlook on his situation.

Hit with a determination of Alfred's level, Arthur grunted, shifting in his seat despite the throb of pain. The wheelchair was a plain one, and fairly low to the ground. His wrist had healed pretty well and barely hurt now. So with great effort, Arthur slipped down the chair, shifting his weight and sliding on the grass, and then moved a bit so he was partly on the blanket, fairly close to Alfred.

Alfred watched Arthur shocked, and sniffled once. Arthur in return, reached over and hugged Alfred gently, making sure not to agitate his ribs or Alfred's stitches. Which Alfred proudly pointed out the day before, that there were thirty and went across his stomach.

Arthur guessed that, from knowing Alfred so long, the boy was too proud and happy to allow himself a moment to mourn. Maybe it wasn't true, but something in Arthur's mind told him that it was probably the case. So, he took the plunge and offered some words that even he had trouble accepting at times. "It's okay to cry Al." Arthur whispered.

"I'm not crying. H-Heroes… don't… cry…" Alfred said, stubborn at first but slowly the tears he held back began to fall down his cheeks as he shut his eyes, resting his head gently on Arthur's shoulder and carefully hugging him back.

"I miss him Artie… We did everything together." Alfred whispered though his tears, his voice heavy with sadness and pain. "He was always a tough guy, I mean, he was really quiet and people forgot about him or never heard him, but he was happy and kind. If someone ignored him, he would brush it of, or if someone bumped into him, he would be the one to apologize."

Arthur hugged Alfred tighter, allowing him to keep talking without interruption.

"It happened so fast too. The day before, we're all happy and talking about what to do the next day, and then… Then I wake up in the morning and he's gone, Artie. It's not fair; he was strong like me. Why did he go without me when we did everything together? Why did he leave me alone?" Alfred said, sobbing harder as he clutched a part of Arthur's hospital gown in his small hand, as though afraid Arthur was also going to leave him at any moment.

Alfred's voice cracked as he spoke, he was trying hard not to show his real pain, trying hard to be like his brother, the one he respected. To be the happy person he remembered his brother being, but right now it was just too hard. He had never felt more small, more vulnerable and weak. He felt like a baby, wishing he had a mother who would hug him and tell him it was okay. Then again, Arthur was doing a good job, and for now, it would have to be good enough.

Arthur looked at Alfred, unable to respond. He didn't know the answers. No one did, but he had to say something. "I-I don't know Al, I wish I could tell you." he said, feeling helpless as Alfred continued to cry.

"I-I'm sorry Artie… I felt bad, when we became friends at first. I thought I was replacing Mattie with you." Alfred paused taking a shuddering breath, "I thought he would be mad, because I was trying to forget him. Because, it hurt to remember."

Arthur pet Alfred's head, talking softly to pacify the crying boy. "Shh, Alfred, it's okay. You weren't replacing him. He has a special spot in your heart. It's a spot that you've saved for him; that only he can fit. Nothing can replace him. You're making new spots when you meet someone, not filling someone else's." He said, thinking far back to the times when Eily would comfort him after a bad dream. She had said something like that to him once.

Alfred sniffled, calming down a little now. "I-I guess you're right." He said softly as Arthur let go. He rubbed his eyes quickly, smiling a bit. "Y-Yeah, I made a new space for you Artie. It's next to Mattie's. I want to make lots of spaces, for lots of friends." Alfred said, looking out the window. He seemed to have regained his cheerful demeanor, though it was a weighed down by the previous topic. He was trying at least.

"Mattie and I always dreamed of getting out of the hospital again." Alfred said suddenly, causing Arthur to look at the boy. "We barely remember the week we managed to get out, but we remembered running like crazy, looking at everything and laughing a lot. We wanted to do that again; to be free from these white walls and smell the grass instead of weird antiseptic stuff."

Arthur looked at Alfred sadly. The boy was looking wistfully outside, the glass of the indoor garden being the only thing keeping him from achieving his dreams. His hand turned the magic stone again and he stopped, looking at Arthur and passing him the stone.

"We spent lots of time together trying to figure out a way to get out of the hospital. That's how I plugged the toilet. I told ya I knew what I was doing." Alfred said, Arthur holding the stone and peering through the hole at a flower, which changed into a colorful wand; Arthur felt like commenting that there were a few fairies there, but Alfred wouldn't believe that.

"The stone is something my brother Mattie found." Alfred said, watching Arthur peer though it. "We tried the same plan I used with you, except we didn't have a wheelchair. We went to the back of the hospital, where a large field was. Mattie found a cool stone, this one… And when the doctors found us and took us back, Mattie kept it. We played lots of games with it, tossing it and hiding it. It used to be round until we tossed it too far and it hit a metal tray. But it didn't break! The center cracked and left a small hole."

Arthur by now had lowered the stone, listening intently to Alfred as the boy continued, looking at Arthur happily as he told the tale.

"Mattie said it was a special stone and that we should do something special with it. We ended up taking turns every night and using the dinner knife that comes with the meals to carve it out until it looked like this. We called it our special magic stone, cause we used it for our special game. It's the one I taught to you Artie. It makes anything fun."

Arthur looked at the rock; no wonder it looked carved. Alfred spent days, maybe weeks or even months, carving it with his brother. "That's amazing." Arthur said, turning the stone in his hand.

"Yeah! Took a long time, but we were never bored with the hospital after that. The game just never got old. We were going to try it out together on other things when we got out of the hospital some day. There's a lot of stuff out there that would be fun to see through our stone." Alfred hummed, eyes shining eagerly. Arthur wondered if perhaps he was picturing it; just what he might see out in the world. "I've decided that somehow, I'll get this stone out there and it will be used. I'll get out of here and see things for Mattie. I'll be free."

Arthur smiled placing his arm around Alfred as they sat on the hill. "That's a good goal, I bet you'll make it happen, Al." he said. He had faith that Alfred could do it.

The whole exchange had taken a long time, and together the boys spent hours looking at things though the stone, laughing at what they saw as people came and went in the courtyard.

Dr. Honda eventually found them in the courtyard. He had spent the entire time frantically looking for the missing boys when Nurse Bonnefoy told him they were gone. He had run over to each ward, asking Dr. Carriedo and his short-tempered Italian assistant in the pediatrics ward, Dr. Braginsky and the three trembling nurses in the neurology department, even going to the other side of the hospital and talking to the Beilschmidt brothers, who drive the ambulance. Out of desperation, the frantic doctor even went to his older brother, Dr. Wang, head of the Cardiology department. However, the Chinese man had not seen the two boys.

Ready to give up, Nurse Bonnefoy had simply stated to check the courtyard and went off to locate the lazy Greek custodian to find out if the toilet repairs were finished.

Since there were no other leads, the doctor headed off to the courtyard to check.

That was where Dr. Honda found the two boys, laughing together as they saw him. He was intending to lecture them. When he saw the two sitting together and having fun however, he smiled and walked over to them; sitting with them upon Alfred's request.

While he watched the two continue to chat, the sun setting, he couldn't help but notice the tug in his chest. That feeling when you know that something was going to change.

As the moon rose, the boys starting to tire out and nod off, Dr. Honda couldn't help but silently call out.

"Kami-sama, will this change be good, or bad?"

Just like how time flew by in the courtyard, time few by for Arthur too. Since his days weren't spent counting off the minutes or staring at the wall like he had planned, the morning of his release came quicker than he expected..

Arthur woke early that day, but he wasn't sure why. He didn't have a reason to.

Ugh, today's the day. He thought, he knew he should feel glad to be free, but there was something off about today. Maybe he was sad that he had to leave Alfred today; that was probably it…

"Morning Alfred." Arthur said, looking over at the bed next to his. His ribs were fairly healed, no longer a sharp pain. His wrist was better and his ankle was fully healed. All that was left was his broken leg, which he used crutches for. He still got an occasional headache, but they were becoming less frequent.

When Alfred didn't respond, Arthur looked over to the bed. It was still messy, but there was no sign of Alfred.

Arthur wondered where he could be. Washroom? Or maybe he was taken to some early therapy. He had learned from Alfred that the boy takes breathing therapy to keep his body in check, as well as tests.

The door opened as Francis entered the room. He looked tired, rings under his eyes as though he stayed up very late.

"Oh! Bonjour Arthur. Your family is here. Grab your things and come to the desk, oui." He said happily, pointing to the desk outside of the room.

Francis left quickly, to fast for Arthur to inquire about Alfred's whereabouts, leaving Arthur in the room alone.

Dressing quickly, some trouble with the cast on his leg, Arthur hobbled over to his family who were talking with Dr. Honda.

The moment Arthur walked out though, they looked at him each with a sullen face. At that moment, he knew something was wrong.

"H-Hey… Is something wrong?" Arthur asked, trying to keep calm.

"Arthur-kun." Dr. Honda said, walking over calmly and kneeling down. "You might want to sit."

Arthur felt panic bubble inside him, threatening to spill over. "W-What happened?"

"W-Well nothing to you, but-"

"What happened to Alfred!?" Arthur asked, knowing full well this concerned his friend.

Dr. Honda sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as Francis walked over. "Risten, Arthur-kun. Arfred-kun was very sick. It was more than just an immune deficiency; it affected his heart and his rungs. It slowly attacked them, making it harder and harder for him to function. You've heard of his brother, hai? His brother died just rast year."

Arthur stared blankly at Dr. Honda, confused and scared, what was he trying to day? "I-I don't understand."

"What I'm trying to terr you Arthur-kun. Is that it was only a matter of time." Dr. Honda said sadly.

Arthur stared blankly at everyone, all were looking at him sadly. What did that mean, it's only a matter of time? He didn't understand, or was it that he did and just couldn't comprehend it; couldn't accept it? Or maybe, he just needed someone to say it. Desperately, he looked at everyone, anyone, his eyes landing on Francis.

"Arthur, Alfred's sickness was incurable, and because it attacked his important organs, it means that it was only a matter of time until his body shut down. It was pure luck that he managed to last a whole year after his brother, his twin brother." Francis said sadly, not looking into Arthur's eyes. "Arthur, Alfred est mort."

"I-I do-"

"Alfred-kun is dead, Arthur-kun. I announced the time of death armost two hours before you woke up. We were creaning his bed but you woke early, so…" Dr. Honda trailed off, but Arthur knew what he meant.

-so you wouldn't find out. So we could hide it from you. The words echoed in Arthur's mind, as time seemed to stop. It stood still as sounds, feeling, even sight dimed.

It couldn't be, the smiling boy who kept him company in the hospital, who had become his first friend, who had shared laughter and tears with. He was gone? Just like that, in an un-heard poof, Alfred was gone, his bright light of enthusiasm and energy snuffed out by the cruel hands of fate.

"N-No… I won't believe it. I can't believe it." Arthur said, his voice cracking. "Please, Dr. Honda, this is a joke right? A joke that Alfred set up, and, and, h-he's going to jump out from behind the chair of the desk and say surprise. Right?" Arthur said, almost hysterically, desperately looking at the others for confirmation, for a smile telling him he was right. Except it did not happen and he was met with sad faces and pitying eyes.

"Arthur, take this." Francis said, sighing and taking out a paper. As Arthur reached for the paper, the nurse slipped something in his pocket, unnoticed by the others. "I think that Alfred would want you to have this, his dad is coming to take the rest of his things away, but I know that this is special." He whispered, standing back up.

Arthur looked down dumbly, feeling numb as he looked at the paper. It was a doctor's report. Alfred's. He knew what to look for, Dr. Honda talking to him about the charts on his second visit to the hospital.

"Alfred. F. Jones: Time of Death - 8:08"

Arthur felt like collapsing, if not for the cast on his leg and the crutch under his arm, he would have fallen to the floor. His eyes swam with tears and without hesitation, he let the tears fall, flowing down his cheeks in warm rivulets. He stood there in front of his family and the doctor, Francis behind him, and cried.

Arhtur released all of his pent up sadness, all of his locked up rage and his hidden fears; everything. He thought of his parents, whom he never really knew, of the cruel bullies at school who always beat him, and he thought of Alfred, his first friend who he knew only for three weeks, who came into his life and changed his whole outlook on things just by being alive and showing him a tiny rock.

"'Ey, let's g't the boy home." Eily said softly, nudging her brothers as she watched her little brother cry. He hadn't cried in years, not since everyone had started drinking. It was the drinks that had changed the family and she knew that… It started with the drinks her father had, then Allistor, then her. Dylan had only started a year ago, but already things had changed.

Dylan nodded silently, picking up Arthur's bag, which he dropped on the ground after hearing the news.

Allistor for once he actually looked somewhat humble and sighed, looking at his little brother who was still crying. Art was never the one to be a loud bawler, and was simple shaking; trembling as sobs wracked his little frame. "'ey Art. Let's g' 'ome. Dylan kin make yeh s'mthin' good."

"Wha- 'ey! Why's it always me?"

"Calm down ye idgits."

Francis sighed, watching as the siblings began to fight with each other, patting Arthurs head. His heart dropped when Arthur didn't even respond to it. If this were any other time, Arthur would have flown into a rage, kicking him most likely. Instead he was still as a statue.

Dr. Honda could do nothing to help the situation. He already warned the siblings of this, as well as had a stern talk with them. He knew the situation; having heard Alfred and Arthur talking the day Arthur explained to Alfred what really happened, and he was not happy. He went to them immediately, telling them a thing or two and hoping maybe, it would do some good.

As everyone fought, the hospital faculty doing nothing, Arthur tried to quell his sobs. He just felt tired and drained now, his family acting stupid and embarrassing. He was trying hard to accept that Alfred was gone, when he remembered Francis slipping something in his pocket.

Taking it out, Arthur turned the magic stone in his hands. He recalled a conversation he had with Alfred, two days before.

"Hey Artie, when you go, will you come back and visit me?" Alfred asked, poking Arthur's cheek in an attempt to get the boy's attention. Arthur was busy reading a book and Alfred was bored.

Shutting the book, Arthur looked at Alfred, whom was still poking his cheek. "Yes, I will Alfred. Now stop poking me, git!"

"Yay!" Alfred said, clapping his hands, "Then, when I get out of here, come with me on a walk sometime, let's use the stone, okay? It's more fun with two people."

Arthur nodded, "Alright, I suppose."

Laughing, Alfred hopped up on the bed, a thinking face gracing his features as he looked at the stone in his hand. "Artie, if I were to die, would you keep the stone for me?" he said suddenly, his voice low.

"Wha- you're not going anywhere Alfred, I doubt it will-" Arthur stopped, Alfred staring at him intently; expectantly.

"Fine, I will… But you're not going anywhere Al." Arthur said, leaning back in his bed.

"Then, then use it, everywhere. Pretend that what you see in it is what I see! See stuff for me, Artie! Mattie too! Promise?" Alfred said, his enthusiastic mood back. Arthur still had trouble getting used to the boys sudden mood changes.

"Yeah. I promise."

"Arthur-kun." Dr. Honda's voice pierced through Arthur's flashback, causing him to look up with a start. "Alfred-kun said something to me, he wanted me to tell you to keep your promise."

"Y-yeah, okay." Arthur said, Dr. Honda nodding as he looked at his pager which suddenly went off. "Oh, I have to go. Hm, you can keep that paper Arthur-kun, if you want to." He said, giving Arthur a small bow and a wave as he walked away.

Arthur looked at his family now, still arguing, until he heard a familiar voice.

"Artie…"

Arthur looked around, not seeing the familiar boy. Was he imagining something?

"Artie, use the stone. Use it to make this easier, stay happy."

Arthur hesitated before looking into the stone, wondering if he was crazy for hearing the energetic boy's voice. He looked at his arguing siblings, deciding they were the best choice. His mind would have to work hard for this one. Instantly, his imagination worked its magic, having been used on a daily basis with Alfred. His family wavered, the colors blending, merging and forming new shapes. Now his brothers and sister looked like a bunch of clowns; each with smiles painted on their faces despite the angry frowns. It was a bit like a happy family and the sight made him smile for just a second.

Lowering the stone, Arthur motioned to slip the stone in his pocket when he heard Alfred's voice again, a little softer and fainter; as though he was getting further away.

"Hey, Artie, look at the paper too."

"I-I can't…" Arthur replied to the familiar voice. He didn't think he could read it again without crying.

"Please? Just once more; use the stone and read it!"

Arthur gave in, placing the stone once more to his eyes as he looked at the paper in his hands; looking carefully at the words "Alfred. F. Jones: Time of Death - 8:08" slowly but surely, a few words blurred, changing in his view, though in reality they were just as static as they were before.

The dark black ink merged, shifted and began to still. Arthur began to re-read the paper, staring silently at the one place it changed, that seemed to make all the difference. Yet he could almost hear Alfred laughing right now, saying something like-

"I told ya so!"

Arthur laughed; he laughed earnestly, a good hearty laugh as a few more tears flowed down his face. These tears were still of sadness, yet they also carried a feeling of happiness, joy, and fun.

"Alfred. F. Jones: Free."

Authors Note:

UPDATE #2: Did a little revising of a few paragraphs here and there. The story is still the same but the largest change would be Dr. Honda's written accent. Reading it made me cringe a little so he now speaks proper English! However, he retains his use of honorifics only because I can't help but see Kiku as having trouble dropping his polite form of addressing people. Perhaps it's just a connection to his home country or maybe it's just his special trait. You decide!

I know I should be working on Monster High! Forgive me! I just had a plot bunny that had been around for months and with a friends prompting, I began to write this! I swore I wouldn't write other things until the big story is done, 'lest I loose creativity from the break, but I got this done in two days!

I thought this would be fun to do, it's a friendship fic, not a USUK fic. I can see them as lovers, or enemies, or good friends. Plus I thought the personalities fit. I don't know how well I did with it though. Personally, I think i went a bit too fast the last part, but if the readers liked it, I'm happy.

Hmm, in case people wonder about Dr. Honda *Japan's* brother, Dr. Wang. Let's say married and his last name changed, okay? Or as someone suggested, was adopted by . Whatever you prefer~ You could even make something up and share it in a review! (^_^)

Thanks for reading this little thing; I hope you enjoyed it!

~SERF

(SoulEaterRomanceFan)