(Warning: graphic imagery and upsetting topics, please proceed with caution.  Apologies ahead of time for the feels that you are undoubtedly going to get.)

"TRIGGER!!!"  MA shouted as he ran to his brother's side.  He leaned down behind Mandara and lightly shook his shoulder, which earned him a small groan from the other.  MA breathed a sigh of relief, and carefully rolled the country onto his back.  The minute he saw the severity of Mandara's injuries, he immediately yelled at his men to run and grab the medics.  MA knew full-well that Mandara was too weak for them to transport without stabilizing him first, so while the two soldiers did as ordered, he had Poland get out the field kit and come help him.  Poland did as told but quickly turned to Russia and Kazakhstan,

"Thank you both for your help, we can take it from here now," he said.  Kazakhstan tried to protest but Poland had already run into the cell, and when Kaz tried to follow, Russia grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Rus what are you doing, we have to help them," Kaz said, but Russia shook his head.

"No Kaz, I know you want to help but there is nothing else we can do.  Right now we have to get out of here before someone sees us."  Russia told him.  Kaz tried to pry out of Russia's grasp but to no avail, eventually relenting and went with him.  As they walked away, Kaz looked back over his shoulder, wondering if he'll ever see Mandara again.

While Kaz and Russia left, MA and Poland had started to treat Mandara's wounds, carefully working to stabilize him until the medics could arrive.  The worst injury was what appeared to be a large stab wound on his stomach that was bleeding profusely.  MA immediately took out a rag and pressed it on the wound to stop the bleeding, while Poland started patching up some of the other open wounds on Mandara.  After a few minutes, MA felt something grip onto his uniform, he looked down and saw that Mandara was awake and was holding onto him, so he held the rag on the wound with one hand and took hold of his brother's hand with his other.  MA could tell that Mandara was scared, his eye dimly glowing as he tried to stay awake.

"It's ok Trigger, I'm here now, I'm not going to leave you," MA reassured him as he held his hand tighter.  Mandara tried to respond, but he just ended up coughing up blood.

"No, don't try to speak, just stay still,"  Poland said, he removed his vest and placed it under Mandara's head so it was elevated, trying to help him breathe easier.  

MA then noticed that Mandara's grip on his hand was getting looser and his breathing was getting shallower. 

"No! No, no, no stay with me Trigger!" MA exclaimed, he let go of the rag and cupped his hand on his country's cheek so he was looking at him, "Just hang in there a little longer, the medics are almost here.  Please just hang on, please."  Tears started to fall down MA's face as he desperately pleaded with his little brother to stay awake, his eye glowing brighter in fear as Mandara's struggled to stay open.

"I-I'm s-sorry." Mandara rasped. 

 MA mouthed a quiet "no" as he helplessly watched his sibling's eye slowly close, and his hand slip out of the militant's grasp.

MA felt his heart shatter right there, he placed his fingers on Mandara's neck to try and find a pulse, but there was nothing.  Poland looked up when he saw MA reach for Mandara's pulse, and when MA looked back at him with tears in his eyes, he too felt his heart sink.  Poland immediately jumped up and ran out of the cell to try and find the medics, leaving MA to start performing CPR on Mandara.

The militant desperately tried to bring his brother back, using every resuscitation method he knew to get Mandara breathing again.  After five minutes of working on Mandara, MA checked his pulse again, still nothing.  MA slowly retracted his hand, his mind was in denial but there was no questioning it anymore.

MA picked up his little brother's body and held him close while sobbing into his shoulder, "I-I'm s-sorry Mandara, I f-failed you."  MA cried, he couldn't believe it, he was too late, his brother is dead and it was all his fault.  "P-Please, d-don't leave me, I c-can't d-do this without you, please brother, I l-love you, c-come b-back."

 As MA continued to cry, he started to hear voices, at first he thought it was Poland and the medics, but then he heard guns being cocked behind him.

The people behind him started yelling at him in Russian, but he didn't move.  MA didn't care that they were there or that they were probably going to kill him, he lost his only reason to live, so he just closed his eyes and waited for them to shoot, to let him be with his brother again.  

Before they fired, MA felt a small puff of hot air on his cheek, his eyes snapped open and he looked down at his sibling, Mandara still looked like he was dead, but MA was more focused on listening than seeing.  After what seemed like an eternity, when it was only seconds, MA heard the faintest exhale come from the country in his arms.  

MA let out a shaky breath of pure happiness and relief, Mandara was still alive, but MA was jolted back into reality when gunshots rang out behind him.  He looked over his shoulder to see the Russians that were behind him were now firing at something down the hall.  MA knew who they were shooting at, and he knew he had to go help his men, so he gently set Mandara back down, grabbed his handgun, and raced to the cell door to join the firefight.

There were five Russians, two had already been killed and the other three were taking cover from behind doors and corners, while MA's allies were doing the same.  MA began firing at the Russians from the doorway, which surprised them enough for him to take one out.  Unfortunately, the soviets recovered quickly and fired back, a bullet striking him in the right arm before he could take cover.  MA involuntarily dropped his gun as he felt his arm go numb, but immediately picked it back up with his left and tried to shoot again, but the magazine was empty.  He cursed under his breath at his inability to fight anymore, and with his right arm injured he couldn't reload his gun, so he had no choice but to let his men continue the fight.  Once the gunfire stopped and all the soviets were dispatched, Poland rushed to MA to make sure that he was ok, but the militant waved him off,

"I'm fine Poland," MA said through gritted teeth as he gripped his arm, "Trigger is still alive, focus on him first."

Poland nodded and he and most of the soldiers that accompanied him ran into the cell to help Mandara, while one stayed behind to treat MA's wound.  

About thirty minutes passed by the time the medics were able to get Mandara stable enough to lift him onto a stretcher.  During that time, MA had called over the radio for the rest of his soldiers to purge the base of any remaining soviets, but to make sure that they didn't hurt Kazakhstan and Russia if they were still there.  

Once the last soviet was confirmed dead, MA signaled that it was safe to start carrying Mandara to the awaiting truck, which was easier said than done since they were on the third floor.  Eventually, they managed to get to the truck without incident and were soon speeding away to the randevu point, where they were going to meet a transport plane to take them back to the nation of Mandara.

While on the flight back, MA never left Mandara's side, even when everyone else had fallen asleep from the tiring mission, he stayed up and just held his brother's hand, never wanting to let go.

"Are you ever going to go to sleep?"  Someone asked, MA turned to the voice and saw that Poland was awake.

"Poland?  What are you doing up, I thought you went to sleep hours ago?" MA said surprised, which earned a scoff from Poland.

"Ok, number one, it has only been forty-five minutes," the country responded, "and number two, I couldn't sleep with your wings vibrating so much."

MA turned away from him, slightly ashamed that he has been keeping the Pol awake.  After a minute he could see Poland in his peripheral vision get up and walk towards him.  Poland then sat down next to him and wrapped his left-wing around the militant.

"Everything's going to be fine MA," he said, rubbing the entity's shoulder comfortingly. "He will be ok, I promise"

MA turned to him "How do you know that Poland, how can you be so sure?"

When Poland couldn't answer right away, MA turned back to Mandara and muttered under his breath, "that's what I thought."

Poland frowned then forced MA closer to him with his wing, MA gasped in surprise but didn't try to push him away.

"You want to know how I know MA?"  Poland asked, but didn't wait for an answer, "I know because Mandara is one of the strongest countries I have ever known.  He is a fighter, and I know he'll keep fighting because there are a lot of people back home worth fighting for, including you."

MA looked at him and was about to respond but was caught off by a yawn, which made Poland chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?"  MA grumbled, rubbing his eyes.  Poland didn't answer, instead, he wrapped his arm around the militant and made him lean down on his shoulder.

"H-Hey, what are you doing?!" MA asked in surprise, but again, Poland didn't answer,

"You need to get some sleep MA, it's been a long night."

"No Poland, someone's got to watch Trigger in case his condition changes." MA said, trying to suppress another yawn.

"I'm not asking MA, you NEED to get some sleep, and I'm not taking no for an answer," Poland said.

MA was going to protest further but found that he was too tired to, so he reluctantly leaned deeper into Poland's embrace and closed his eyes.

"Poland."

"Hmm"

"Thank you, for everything"

Poland smiled, "anytime MA."

(Note: Sorry for the sad start to the chapter, I admit I actually started crying slightly while I was writing it, but at least we ended on a semi-happy note.  Disclaimer, Mandara Army x Poland is NOT a thing, MA is actually straight and Poland knows this.  The scene at the end only happened because MA was really tired after the traumatic night that just unfolded.  Poland actually has feelings for Mandara, and that is the real reason he wanted to help MA get him back.)