Solving of the Countries (Book 2)

Chapter 79

The next morning Belarus noted how Kazakhstan looked tired. She thought it was about the fight yesterday and didn't think much of it. Ukraine didn't come down.
Neither did Russia.
As Kazakhstan got ready to go out Belarus rushed up to him and gave him a hug.
"Bela?"Kazakhstan asked, surprised.
She looked at him, still hugging.
"I thought you needed it,"Belarus answered, smiling sadly at him. He gave a small smile back and gave her a head pat.
"Thanks."

Russia didn't know if he regretted coming to the Academy that day. His friends made it worth it everytime he came though. If only he could ignore the hostile stares and brush off the insults as easily as he used to. Now, it seemed they clung on to him. They stuck in his head and he couldn't get them out.
He felt like he was surrounded by nothingness and his friends were the only ones who accepted him.
His friends.

A deeply troubling thought came to him. What if he ended up driving away his friends as well?
He remembered he drove Belarus away with words that came out without him meaning to. She seemed to have forgiven him, inviting him to join her friends.
Russia just remembered he never apologized and he felt undeserving of her sudden grace.
These thoughts raced through his mind. Even as he stood with his friends, watching over them like a guardian he wondered if he could actually protect them from the threat looming over them.
"Woah, what happened next?"India asked, intrigued by a story that Vietnam was telling them.
"Then, all of a sudden, I heard a crack,"Vietnam said in a nearly conspiratorial tone. "It turned out, America spun so fast he cracked his spine!"
When Iran laughed Russia realized, he'd do anything to keep them safe. This was where he belonged.
How ironic, one of the strongest countries in the entire world depending friends just to feel like he belonged somewhere.
When he saw China make a simple remark that made North Korea whip around and argue animatedly, Russia wondered, while looking, whether or not he could ever participate like that. It was odd, after being with them for so long he felt like this. Doubting. Creeping doubt.
Resisting the urge to just freeze the damn forest already, Russia forced himself to just live in the present.

He hoped there was nothing counting down to their possible impending doom.

      BRICS didn't know if he belonged. Whenever the other Organizations expressed happiness, sadness, anger or even stress, he always wondered if he could ever do the same. It was doubt. Creeping doubt. This uncertainty was radiating from Russia's mind in very strong waves.
He'd been busy disentangling India and Pakistan away from each other, stopping other rival countries from straight out punching each other at the face and dealing with those who questioned whether he had the authority to do so. Which was the thing that bothered him. If he wasn't responsible for them, why were the Organizations asking him?
Truth be told, BRICS felt distant except from the members in his Organization. He didn't know how to feel towards others out of it. The thoughts were disturbing to him. He'd usually never think much of it but with recent situations it forced him to.
Also, this was the only time he got any peace and quiet. As he stood there, on the sand and watching the ocean, his thoughts raced each other but never caught up and connected. It was such a complicated process that he had to go outside to even think about things like this. Otherwise, he'd feel too crowded.
Memories came unbidden to him as he stared out into the horizon. The sun was up and shining, no rain, no clouds. Which was unusual.

   "Hey BRICS, how's the arm?"
UNICEF had came up to him as he was standing at the doorway, about to leave.
"Could be better,"he said, repeating the same answer he had said before and turning to face her.
He wasn't lying. His arm had basically almost snapped in half. When the Skryna had applied pressure, it was just about below the elbow. It hurt, of course it did. But it would've been beyond painful for a country.
Before any of this happened, UNICEF had mentioned that there was something scary about him. But she never said it to him, he'd overheard her say it to the Organizations when he was about to enter the room at least a while ago.
It appeared he had came in mid-conversation.