Can't See the Truth

As Toni’s eyes fluttered open, pain flooded to every part of her cold body. She winced in pain as a migraine attacked her her right temple, for the left was numb from the large patch of ice below her body.
“You can will away the pain,” said an unfamiliar voice. “Just make it leave.”
Toni waited until the footsteps through the snow became hard enough to hear that she knew he was too far away to attack her. She squeezed her eyes shut, telling herself that she wouldn’t open them again until all her pain was gone.
[i]“Toni! Get out here, you little [b]bitch![/b] You can’t hide forever!”[/i]
Toni’s eyes snapped open at the sound of Daddy’s voice. She quickly took in her surroundings and felt her heart freeze at the sight.
All around her, she could see the familiar trees of her woods; the woods she would hide from Daddy in. But the only time she came here in the winter...
Toni jumped up, pain leaving her like it had been attached to the ice, and ran up the hill towards the trail.
“Come out, you whore!” Daddy shouted as he continued to look for little eight-year-old Toni.
Toni continued to run until a pair of unfortunately familiar hands took hold of her body and threw her into the snow. There, standing above her, was Daddy who was now fiddling with his belt buckle. “How dare you run away from me. You should know better not to run when [i]I want something.[/i]” he nearly purred.
“No!” Toni shouted as she tried to scurry away, only to have Daddy grab her foot and pull her back down to the ground.
“No wonder you mom doesn’t love you,” he said plainly as he finally managed to take off his belt with one hand. “You’re the worst little eight-year-old in the world. And for that, you need to be punished.”
Toni remembered when this had happened the first time. Little Antoinette tried to run from her fate, only to have it rape her in the end.
She closed her eyes, knowing she wouldn’t be able to run, and accepted her fate.
****
“Again!” Pamplemousse shouted through her giggles.
“Pamplemousse, no,” Brooke said as she rubbed her temples. “We’ve been playing various games of hide-and-seek for the past week. We need to find something else to do. Why don’t you talk to your dad?”
With a sad look, Pamplemousse sat down on the carpeted floor. “He’s busy working with Uncle Tony to help our Toni.”
The ringing phone made all of them jump about a mile high. Brooke, who was closest to the phone, answered and tentatively held it up to her ear. “Hello?”
[i]“Brooke!”[/i] Hetalia said excitedly through the phone. [i]“It’s been too long, my friend! How are things?”[/i]
With a smile, Brooke signaled to everyone that Hetalia was on the phone. “I’m doing great!” she said. “Hey, do you want to go on speaker phone? Pamplemousse, Schaefer, Loki, Clint, and Thor are here.”
[i] “Yes, of course!”[/i]
Brooke pushed a button and held the phone out for everyone to hear. “Say hello to everyone, Hetalia!”
[i]“Hello, everyone!”[/i]
“Auntie ‘talia?” Pamplemousse asked as she jumped up from her spot on the floor. “You’re alive!”
“My friend!” Thor bellowed with a smile a mile wide.
“Hey, Hetalia,” Clint said with a relieved sigh.
Hetalia was obviously crying on the other side, but they sounded like happy tears. “Can you guys pick me up tomorrow? Fury, along with everyone else, says I’m cured!”
****
Hetalia adjusted her shirt as she gathered all her other things in her bag. She walked out of the regular old hospital room. She had been out of quarantine for a week, but not all her senses had come back yet. For the next few days, she would need help from another person so she wouldn’t run into anything. For today, it was Schaefer.
“Everyone vill be so happy to see you again.”
Hetalia smiled as he helped her into the car. “I am happy to be with everyone, too.”
It was a twenty minute drive, but it felt like it was a lot longer. Hetalia just couldn’t sit still through her anticipation.
When they finally did get back to the Tower, Bruce was there to open the spy’s door and help her to the front steps. “We’ve missed you, Hetalia,” he said quietly as he led her inside.
She could hear everyone’s excitement as soon as she walked through the door. Pamplemousse hugged her tightly, followed by Brooke, Loki, and Thor. Clint took her bags from Schaefer and gave Hetalia a kiss on the top of her head as he brought her stuff up to her room.
“We have prepared a mighty feast to celebrate your return, my friend!” Thor bellowed happily. “I do hope you’re hungry!”
Hetalia smiled. “Famished!”

Notes