Farthest North -CountryHumans AU-

Here to Help

         "Wake up!"

America sat up with a gasp, the first thing he checked for was the bullet wound in his stomach, or was it his head? No he'd be dead... his chest maybe? Not a hole in his shirt, not a scar on his body, except for those already there for years now. He looked to the people around him. Canada, Israel, Brazil... 

Where were they?

Where was Alaska?

         "Give him room you idiots."

To answer his second question, the blue and gold starred woman made her appearance as Countries were moved out of the way. A large circle was opened around America and he stared at his State. She no longer wore her war regalia, but the uniform was unmistakably one of Nazi's, though the sleeves were torn off, and pants rolled up into capris. She smiled sweetly, despite the burns and blisters on her skin. Her sharp teeth were still foreboding...

         "The... gunshot-"

         "Right into Third's back," she shrugged, "Unfortunately he got away before he could bleed out. Still had his ring." 

         "And you fainted y-ike some pansy," Russia laughed, only to be easily tripped by Alaska's long leg. He grumbled at his older sister, but she ignored him, helping the downed American up onto his feet again. His uniform faded away, back to his NATO T-shirt and jeans. The woman laughed when he looked for his sunglasses, only to find them in her hand... and to high for him to reach.

         "Not fair!" He jumped to grab them, but only received a cruel laugh in return, from her and everyone else, "Give them back!"

         "Alright," she chuckled, "shorty."

         "Hey dhat's my bit!" Russia declared only for his Ushanka to be torn off his head, and it was his turn to grumble and jump, though he was taller than America. The group laughed, and when Alaska finally gave him back his head covering, she finally looked around, seeing all of whom would be her allies as a Country.

        "You all... came for me?"

         "Of course," China came up behind her, pressing a cool towel soaked in ointment to her blisters, having disappeared for a time to attain the soothing piece, "You're our ally, and friend."

         "Friendly rival," Saudi Arabia corrected, having joined the ride since they shared at least one thing in common.

Alaska thanked the Country for his kindness and medical expertise on such short notice, taking the cloth into her own hand, though China's lingered as he gave her a soft smile, to which she returned.

         "Alaska..."

The group looked to America, his usual cocky air gone, replaced with a solemn and regretful expression. He shuffled a foot, fighting with his pride as a Country.

         "Look... I... What I said- um. I meant it. You would serve the world better, if you were a Country, and I'm okay with that."

There was a long pause as Alaska looked to her Country with a surprised stare, only for it soften into a knowing one.

         "No you're not."

         "Can I not have a moment where I don't look like the bad guy here?"

The group laughed, Japan, Germany, Canada and Russia closest to the frustrated man, though it quickly dissipated as he was embraced by his State, soon to be ally, her boisterous laughter filling his ears, and foreign heat suddenly making him sweat as she put him down before burning him.

         "Wait... where's Australia?"

   Said Country sighed... U.K. wasn't answering his calls anymore. America must have forgotten his phone. Canada's might be dead... New Zealand is probably ignoring his, and these blasted fires just wouldn't stop. He groaned as another wave of heat hit him, another home burned, another loved one of a family lost. He chuckled. Snakes, Scorpions, Spiders. He's faced everything that could have killed him, been bitten multiple times by dangerous creatures, and here he was, being beaten by a fire. It's not even a living being yet it's swallowing him whole. 

         "Down und'a alright," he huffed, "Six feet und'a."

         "Oh please," the bed ridden Country looked up wearily, "Try going through your current circumstance every summer."

         "Alaska?" he stared at her, dumbfounded as she sat at the edge of his bed, "Blimey I thought they failed!"

         "Why, because you weren't there with your boomerang?" she laughed.

         "Very funny," he poked her, only to hiss at the movement of his own arm, then he noticed the blistering and burns all over her own, up her neck, and creeping onto her face. They both breathed the smoke of their land, black puffs that made the two of them beg for winter within their minds, not that Australia could beg for much with his climate. He looked to his finger, finding blood and puss at it's tip from his playful jab, "How... d'you do it?"

The State hadn't even flinched when he poked her.

     She smiled softly, only to get up, retrieving extra bandages from a cupboard left by a nurse. She unrolled the gauze of his arm, making him hiss, but she never stopped the action, simply unrolling it as fast she could, removing dried puss and blood up to his shoulder. She then began to wrap it up again with the new bandaging, expertly, having done it multiple times before, all on her own. Still Australia hissed, the burning sensation never leaving, stinging and prickling all up his arm and into the nerves of his neck. Alaska repeated this action to the other arm, earning the same response no matter how much Australia didn't want to show the pain.

         "Years of experience," she told him after securing the end of the cloth strip down, "and summers of pure terror."

Australia wiped his tears on the edge of the hospital blanket. Alaska should be in the same predicament, here in the human world, on a hospital bed being taken care of. Instead she was walking around in shorts and a T-shirt, a bright red scarf around her neck to hide those sharp pearly whites. She held no shame in her blisters and burns that went from her neck to her feet, instead she wore them proudly.

         "I'm sending troops, Firefighters, well trained and well informed of your current situation."

         "Wait, what about you?" He panicked, not wanting to hinder her efforts to extinguish her own fires.

         "My people know what to do," she told him with a shrug, "Fire safety and training is part of the curriculum of my schools (!)."

         "You're somth'n else," Australia shook his head, earning a short twitter of a laugh in return.

         "Thanks, I think."

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(!) - Fire safety is taught in all schools, fire training is taught in a select few such as Hutchison High School.