#hello from the queue

"Is everybody okay?" Ludwig asked.

Various voices responded that they were, but Ludwig struggled to differentiate them. Most were back up to their feet—Feliciano, Lovino, François, Erzsébet, and even Roderich were on their feet…

"...Brother?"

He told Gilbert to go to that meeting, so he could see everybody together again before Halloween.

His brother was still on the floor, next to his chair.

"Brother?!"

Ludwig got on his knees next to Gilbert, others going next to him as well. No pulse in his neck, no breathing. "He needs a defibrillation!" he shouted right before starting with the chest compressions…

...And then he woke up, again, his heart thumping in his chest.

The dogs moved closer to his face as he sat. "I'm fine, I'm fine," whispered Ludwig to them, as he patted them at the same time he put on his slippers, knowing where to go: it was the only way he would get back to sleep.

Not needing to turn the lights on (in fact, he preferred not to), in no time he was opening Gilbert's door. Ludwig first saw the many pillows before he saw his brother, with the cats sleeping behind him, and the bird next to his hair.

Ludwig's pain ended the same day, while his brother didn't have the same luck. He had to recover in the hospital, and of the organs, his heart and lungs and even kidneys suffered the most, needing dialysis...

"West?"

His brother's voice was so low, it was hard to recognize as his.

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you up—is your headache over?"

"It's alright, I wasn't asleep anymore, went to bed earlier than usual. My headache is almost over for now, so it was worth it."

"I'm glad..." Not fully glad. Perhaps he needed to try new medication again.

After closing the door behind him, Ludwig sat on his brother's bed, petting the cat closer to him. Gilbert didn't move. He asked, "nightmare?"

"Correct."

"Two years already, isn't it? Haha. I'm... No, we argue enough about this."

I won't get better, it isn't going to go away! I got better for a while and then I got worse again. You just don't get, cannot fucking get it...!

Part of the sequelae were delayed. If Ludwig could swap his arms with his brother, he would to. With all new nerves, the pricking and burning would be gone, and the function would be fully back, while Ludwig would grow new arms.

His brother would fine now if he hadn't go to the meeting, and Ludwig knew he would think about this for the rest of his life: he almost lost his brother that day. There wasn't something that would keep his brother alive no matter what anymore, meaning Gilbert couldn't scoff at injuries like from high current electric shocks like he used to.

(Ludwig almost felt jealous of his brother's new fragility. He could, leave, unlike him...)

"West, have I ever told you about the time I got struck by lightning when I was a kid?"

Ludwig swallowed. At the point, he wasn't sure if he should start lying. "You have, brother..."

His foolish brother raised his sword when lightning was about to strike, a storm following behind—he thought God would protect him. At least Erzsébet was there to carry him to safety.

"Oh, dammit. How many times have I tried to tell you the same?"

"Don't worry about that."

"I miss the old me. Better memory, smarter, and not tired all the fucking time."

"I miss you too," Ludwig echoed faster than he could regret. Shit.

Gilbert chuckled. "You sure? Didn't I make too much trouble?"

Ludwig took a breath, not knowing what to respond—no, if to respond.

His brother turned around a little, wincing. He wanted an answer.

"You were happier. Noisier, but happier..."

That made his brother snort.

The only serious trouble were the occasional trials for insulting people, sometimes including some fights. Out of diplomacy and politics, Gilbert mostly tried to enjoy his life, and to leave his mark being helpful where he could. Now, he struggled—it is as if I lost all my progress from the nineties, he said once. If he could go out as frequently as before, he would get in as much fights or more he used to get before retiring.

"West?"

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't you go back to sleep? There is enough space is you want to stay."

It was one of those nights in which Ludwig did the same he once did as an often sick child, he thought as he found space behind the pillows and cats, while getting under the bed clothes.

*****

Reference to Chapter 1: Petrichor of In a blink of an eye, together (only chapter until now, oops!). This is once another fic where I injured or killed everybody (outcomes being different for Gilbert because his normal healing. Results might seem predictable but one time he’s the only survivor!)… I lost the count of them. Will bother to put this on AO3 later.