Stranger
Ed woke to the sound of gunshots and the smell of blood. His eyes focused slowly, and after a minute he could make out a kind face staring at him. The man had blue eyes and wavy dark hair-- he was also completely unfamiliar. Ed regained his movement quicker than his sight and was soon looking for an exit. His body shook from adrenaline and shock and when he stood he fell right back onto the cot.
"Easy now, you took quite a hit." The man said, pressing him back.
"Where the hell am I? And who the fuck are you!" Ed cried, struggling against him.
"Names James Tabler, medical division for the United States. You're near the Rhineland and a lotta shit is goin down and you got caught in the middle of it." James leaned over and grabbed a pack of cigarettes off the floor, put one in his mouth and lit it. He offered the box to Ed, who shook his head numbly.
Ed could remember hearing screams and the past and present began to overlap until he couldn't tell the difference. He saw his brother in that damned armour trying to shield two boys from the gunshots, heard Rose scream as the temple began to cave around her, saw his mother lying dead on the ground. His body was compelled forth by these ghosts from his past and he ran. His hands clapped without his thinking and slammed into the ground, but nothing happened. Reality had barely had the chance to register before the bullet hit him.
"I was shot..." Ed trailed off, finding the bandage on his side.
"Lucky for you it just grazed you; we don't have what we need to fix belly wounds around here." He took a long drag of his cigarette before looking hard at him.
"Who are you? You're not in uniform and if the other side had gotten to ya first, you'd be dead."
"Edward Elric, I'm from London. I've been trying to stay away from this war, but it seems impossible." Ed looked crestfallen and rubbed at his prosthetic joint.
James nodded.
"We're moving out in the morning, we've pushed the Germans back as far as we could, their on retreat. You could slip away then to avoid questions." James smiled wickedly before standing.
Ed stared at him in amazement and the man winked.
"You have your reason to avoid this war just like I have my reasons to fight. God tells me not to judge so I'm not." He shrugged.
Ed smiled as he watched the man go. It wasn't until later that day when the man was hospitalized as well that he remembered to thank him.