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There was a possibility Matthew would never walk again…

Alfred sat in the waiting room of the hospital which had become his second home in recent weeks… well that and the chair next to his brothers bed. Family members of the sick and injured ghosted around him. None of them made a sound and it was as if they were judging him for being the cause of Mattie's pain.

--- TWO MONTHS AGO ---

"Don't worry 'bout me bro!" Alfred slurred as he concentrated on avoiding tripping over his own feet.

"B-but Alfred, look at yourself. You aren't in a-any state to d-drive!" Mathew stuttered as he chased after his wasted brother.

Alfred let out a bubble of annoying laughter, at Matthew's expense of course, before surging on. Eventually though his drunkenness caught up with him and he stumbled on a stray rock. Matthew was lucky enough to grasp the collar of his bomber jacket in time to stop a total face plant.

"See?! You can't e-even walk without t-tripping. Please, let me d-drive." Matthew pleaded.

Alfred pushed his brother off and righted himself before turning to face him. "I am going to drive. I'll be fine." Then he turned around and continued to make his way to his car leaving poor Matthew with nothing to do but trail behind him.

Though Matthew voiced his complaints on Alfred driving, the stubborn American just opened the passenger door and shoved him in before dragging himself into the drivers' seat.

"Okay, let's go." Alfred said as he started the car.

--- ---

That had been all Alfred could remember of the night. The rest was a blur that made his head hurt too much when he dwelled on it. All he knew was that he had crashed them into a tree, Matthew's side had been the one most affected, and now Matthew couldn't walk… maybe never again.

"Mr Jones?" A female nurse asked as she peered at him over the rims of her glasses.

"Yeah?"

"Room 204, you know which floor, the doctor said he's done his therapy and he wants to see you."

Alfred gave her a weak smile of thanks which she dutifully returned before he made his way to the second floor. One, two, three light knocks on the door before Mattie's weak 'come in' made him open the door.

"Hey… how did today go?" Alfred whispered as he came to sit beside his brother's bed.

He knew the therapy Matthew was going through often took a lot out of the small Canadian and most days he was either passed out before Alfred could see him or he was too tired to do more than sit there and let Alfred fill the silence with pointless chatter.

"Great…" He whispered. A smile ghosted his tired face, "I learnt some new exercises with my legs."

"Oh great, that's fan-"

Matthew cut him off sharply. "I wanted to show you. I want to show you what I learnt to do today."

Alfred winced. He was so happy that the therapy seemed to help but he hated it whenever Mattie wanted to show him something he had learnt, a new way to do something, a nerve exercise, a muscle twitch… he hated to know this was what he had reduced him to.

"Uh, Matt… I dunno if-"

But already he was bracing himself on the rungs of his bed. Alfred was confused at what he was going to do for a while… all until Matt's eyes became focused on the cool linoleum floors of the room.

"No! Matt no, not this!" Alfred warned as he stood and gripped his brother's shoulders, about to push him down.

"Alfred let me go!" Matthew snapped, dusty blue eyes meeting sky blue. "I'm fine…"

He had no choice but to obey. He was not going to put his brother through any more setbacks and if this… if this worked? Who was he to stop it? So Alfred stood back and watched his brother struggle pathetically to make his legs move again. It made Alfred ashamed. Here he was, watching as his brothers legs twitch as if they wanted to obey, all because he couldn't listen.

He couldn't watch any longer. He shut his eyes to his brother and took deep, steady breaths to keep from breaking down right there and then. As he shakily inhaled he heard a triumphant cry. He opened his eyes to see something the doctors had said might never happen again, his brother was standing.

"L-look Alfred…" Matthew huffed, beaming proudly.

"Y-you're…? You're doing that?" Alfred asked.

Matthew's smile grew wider. "Yeah… I know how to stand… and…" he pushed himself away from the bed, teetering before he took two experimental steps and wrapped his arms around Alfred's neck, "walk… they said I'm going to walk again…"

Alfred didn't hesitate as he returned Matthew's hug eagerly. As he whispered praise and encouragement to him all those possibilities of him never being able to walk were obliterated.

Description
There was a possibility Matthew would never walk again…

Alfred sat in the waiting room of the hospital which had become his second home in recent weeks… well that and the chair next to his brothers bed. Family members of the sick and injured ghosted around him. None of them made a sound and it was as if they were judging him for being the cause of Mattie's pain.

--- TWO MONTHS AGO ---

"Don't worry 'bout me bro!" Alfred slurred as he concentrated on avoiding tripping over his own feet.

"B-but Alfred, look at yourself. You aren't in a-any state to d-drive!" Mathew stuttered as he chased after his wasted brother.

Alfred let out a bubble of annoying laughter, at Matthew's expense of course, before surging on. Eventually though his drunkenness caught up with him and he stumbled on a stray rock. Matthew was lucky enough to grasp the collar of his bomber jacket in time to stop a total face plant.

"See?! You can't e-even walk without t-tripping. Please, let me d-drive." Matthew pleaded.

Alfred pushed his brother off and righted himself before turning to face him. "I am going to drive. I'll be fine." Then he turned around and continued to make his way to his car leaving poor Matthew with nothing to do but trail behind him.

Though Matthew voiced his complaints on Alfred driving, the stubborn American just opened the passenger door and shoved him in before dragging himself into the drivers' seat.

"Okay, let's go." Alfred said as he started the car.

--- ---

That had been all Alfred could remember of the night. The rest was a blur that made his head hurt too much when he dwelled on it. All he knew was that he had crashed them into a tree, Matthew's side had been the one most affected, and now Matthew couldn't walk… maybe never again.

"Mr Jones?" A female nurse asked as she peered at him over the rims of her glasses.

"Yeah?"

"Room 204, you know which floor, the doctor said he's done his therapy and he wants to see you."

Alfred gave her a weak smile of thanks which she dutifully returned before he made his way to the second floor. One, two, three light knocks on the door before Mattie's weak 'come in' made him open the door.

"Hey… how did today go?" Alfred whispered as he came to sit beside his brother's bed.

He knew the therapy Matthew was going through often took a lot out of the small Canadian and most days he was either passed out before Alfred could see him or he was too tired to do more than sit there and let Alfred fill the silence with pointless chatter.

"Great…" He whispered. A smile ghosted his tired face, "I learnt some new exercises with my legs."

"Oh great, that's fan-"

Matthew cut him off sharply. "I wanted to show you. I want to show you what I learnt to do today."

Alfred winced. He was so happy that the therapy seemed to help but he hated it whenever Mattie wanted to show him something he had learnt, a new way to do something, a nerve exercise, a muscle twitch… he hated to know this was what he had reduced him to.

"Uh, Matt… I dunno if-"

But already he was bracing himself on the rungs of his bed. Alfred was confused at what he was going to do for a while… all until Matt's eyes became focused on the cool linoleum floors of the room.

"No! Matt no, not this!" Alfred warned as he stood and gripped his brother's shoulders, about to push him down.

"Alfred let me go!" Matthew snapped, dusty blue eyes meeting sky blue. "I'm fine…"

He had no choice but to obey. He was not going to put his brother through any more setbacks and if this… if this worked? Who was he to stop it? So Alfred stood back and watched his brother struggle pathetically to make his legs move again. It made Alfred ashamed. Here he was, watching as his brothers legs twitch as if they wanted to obey, all because he couldn't listen.

He couldn't watch any longer. He shut his eyes to his brother and took deep, steady breaths to keep from breaking down right there and then. As he shakily inhaled he heard a triumphant cry. He opened his eyes to see something the doctors had said might never happen again, his brother was standing.

"L-look Alfred…" Matthew huffed, beaming proudly.

"Y-you're…? You're doing that?" Alfred asked.

Matthew's smile grew wider. "Yeah… I know how to stand… and…" he pushed himself away from the bed, teetering before he took two experimental steps and wrapped his arms around Alfred's neck, "walk… they said I'm going to walk again…"

Alfred didn't hesitate as he returned Matthew's hug eagerly. As he whispered praise and encouragement to him all those possibilities of him never being able to walk were obliterated.