D3ath: Hello, I'm doing a sort of writing challenge for myself that involves several prompts. Some of them, like this one, are extremely long, so I'll put them up on , and if they're smaller, I'll put them on my livejournal account, which you can find on my profile page.
So the prompt was: "Write about an illness", and I thought Trisha Elric would be a wonderful example, so here goes!
She was fading.
No one knew of it, not even her own children. She kept it hidden from others, despite the fact that it was gnawing away at her, preying on her like a vampire would prey on young, innocent girls. It drank at her energy like a parasite until she was nothing more than an empty shell. However, despite the presence of the horrendous disease, she still managed to smile and laugh, spending as much time as she could with her two boys. They didn't suspect a single thing, either; stubborn and loyal Edward, strong-headed and fierce, sweet and caring Alphonse, adorable and loving. They never realized that the disease would soon take their mother away from them, nor did they realize that her presence was fading every day.
"Now boys, I want you to go to the market and pick these up for me, okay?" she said to them, pressing a list and some coins into the boys' hands. They nodded determinedly.
"We'll do it, mom," Edward, her oldest, said, and she watched as they ran to the door, grabbed a basket, and scurried out, laughing and talking with each other. She smiled as Edward shoved Alphonse, only to have the younger boy topple over. Everything seemed to still for a moment as Alphonse gaped at his older brother, before letting out a savage war-cry. Edward let out a yelp, and took off down the road, with Alphonse following close behind him. She let out a soft chuckle, before beginning the process of cleaning up the kitchen.
As she bent to pick up the scattered alchemical circles on the table, however, a roaring suddenly filled her ears, and darkness crept into her vision. She gasped and swayed, reaching out and grabbing onto the table before her. She clenched at it weakly, sweat pouring down her face as she fought to stay upright. Finally, the fainting spell disappeared, and she stood here, her chest heaving. She breathed a small sigh of relief, but it worried her. That was the first time she came close to fainting, when it was usually a feeling of weakness. They usually disappeared after a moment, but the dizziness…She glanced at the clock. It had nearly five minutes. She swallowed. That wasn't good, she told herself mentally, before gathering all of the sheets of paper.
"Mom, we're back!" Ed shouted, and she turned towards them, smiling, only to blink in surprise when she saw Pinako with her granddaughter, Winry. "And Granny and Winry came with us!" he hefted the basket proudly, while Al sulked beside him. Ed must've taken the basket from him.
"Thank you, Edward," she said, reaching out and ruffling her son's messy blonde hair, before doing the same to Alphonse. "Thank you both. You were a big help." Al's unhappy mood immediately vanished, and he gave her a small hug before joining Ed. The blonde was on a mission into pulling Winry into a new game they learned, and Alphonse was eagerly assisting.
"How are you doing, Trisha?" Pinako asked as Trisha bustled around the kitchen, making tea. "You look awfully pale."
"I do?" Trisha asked, surprised, before looking into the window's reflection. Pinako was right; she did look pale. Instead, though, she merely brushed it off with a laugh. "Goodness, my boys must be running me ragged. And I'm probably spending too much time indoors lately." She grabbed the kettle as it began to whistle, and pulled down two cups, adding the teabag and pouring the steaming water into them.
Pinako shrugged as Trisha set a hot cup before her. "If you say so," she said, slowly turning away.
Trisha only smiled and nodded, taking a seat across from the elderly woman.
"They're good boys," Pinako suddenly said, gesturing with her head towards where the children were playing. She sipped her tea. "They're always so kind." Trisha beamed.
"I'm glad," she said, brushing her long chestnut hair out of her face. "They do me proud. They're definitely Hohenheim's sons."
"Yes, Edward is especially," Pinako agreed, chortling as the older boy forced the two other blondes into a game. "However, Alphonse is a little more like you, Trisha."
"I'm glad," Trisha said, smiling and sipping her tea. She studied Winry for a moment, observing the girl's lemon blonde hair and baby blue eyes. "She's looking more and more like Sarah every day, Pinako. How is she doing without her parents?"
Pinako's expression grew sad. "She's coping, but she still cries at night." The old woman let out a heavy sigh, gripping her cup. "No parent should have to bury their child," (1) she whispered, shaking her head, and Trisha reached out and touched the older woman's arm, comforting her.
"No," she said softly, "they shouldn't."
A few days had passed since Pinako stopped by, and Trisha steadied herself against the counter, placing a cool hand onto her forehead. She was feeling a little more light-headed than usual, and her dizziness seemed to return with a vengeance.
"Mom, are you okay?" Edward asked, looking up from his breakfast as Trisha straightened back up, returning to cleaning up the kitchen.
Trisha smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking. I need you and Alphonse to go and get tomatoes for me, is that okay? We'll be having beef stew tonight, but there's no tomatoes."
Edward's golden eyes lit up. "Alright!" he cheered, and Alphonse beamed.
"Your beef stew's the best!" he said happily, and Edward nodded.
"Yeah! Even though it has milk in it, it's still so good!" he agreed, and Trisha frowned.
"Edward, milk is good for you!" she scolded, and Edward stuck his tongue out, making a gagging noise. "Edward Elric! What kind of behavior is that at the table?" Trisha exclaimed, appalled. "Stop that this instant!"
"Yes mom," he muttered, pulling his tongue back in. He brightened up, however, and finished off his plate. "Let's go, Al!" Al nodded in response, looking at his mom with big gray eyes.
"May I be excused?" he asked, and Trisha smiled in delight.
"Yes, you may go," she told him, and he gave her a happy grin, pulling away from the table. Edward, however, pushed himself away, without bothering to ask, and headed to the door, grabbing a basket.
"Come on, Al!" he exclaimed impatiently, and Al waved goodbye to Trisha as he grabbed the other basket. "Hurry up! You're such a slowpoke!"
"I'm not a slowpoke!" Al disagreed unhappily, following his brother. The door shut behind them, and the room was bathed in total silence.
Trisha sighed and shook her head in amusement, before cleaning up the remnants of bacon and eggs. She gathered Al's empty glass of milk, placing it in the sink, and was about to take Edward's full glass when darkness completely filled her vision. She swayed and fell with a thump, not even noticing that the glass of milk and fallen off the table with a shatter of glass and spilled milk. She gasped, and clenched her fists, trying to pull herself back up, but her body didn't seem to respond. Her arms shook, and sweat trickled down her face and neck as she fought to get back up.
She didn't know how long she lay there. However, the entire time, she pleaded to get back up, prayed that she would be able to be fine by the time her boys got back.
"Mom, MOM!!!" Edward suddenly cried, and her heart broke at the sound of his frantic, panic-ridden voice. He dropped his basket, and tomatoes rolled past her as he dashed over. She could feel his hands on her shoulders, shaking her almost desperately. "Mom, get up!!" he shouted, but her body wouldn't move—couldn't move. "Al, get Granny!!" he bellowed, and Alphonse, who had been standing by the door, horror-struck, suddenly snapped into motion, dropping his basket as well.
She felt Ed's arms pulling at her, trying to get her up, but it was no use; his small body just wasn't strong enough to pull a full-grown woman to her feet and to support her.
"Edward," she gasped, but he grunted instead, his small arms shaking.
Pinako arrived not long after, and as soon as she saw Trisha, she rushed over to help Edward.
"Alphonse, Winry, go get the doctor," the old woman snapped urgently, half-carrying Trisha into her room. Al and Winry (who had come with her grandmother), nodded and sprinted out of the doorway, kicking up dust as they ran down the road.
The doctor arrived swiftly, both Alphonse and Winry pulling him into a run. He stood in the doorway, trying to gain his breath back, but Edward refused to give the man a chance. Ignoring the doctor's breathless plea, he practically dragged the man into the main bedroom, where Trisha laid waiting.
The doctor studied Trisha as soon as he got his breath back, taking in her pale face and sweat-matted hair as he unpacked a stethoscope, a clipboard, and several other medical tools. Everyone else remained silent as he ran through an examination, checking her pulse, her heart, her blood pressure, ears, mouth, nose, and finally, her eyes. He grimaced slightly as he pulled away, grabbed his clipboard, and scribbled the final piece of data onto it. He studied it for a minute, before letting out a heavy sigh. Slowly, he faced the Rockbells and her children, opened his mouth—
"Get out with it already!" Edward burst out, impatient. The doctor sent the blonde boy a slightly irritated glance before his expression melted into sadness.
"After examining her, I have come to a conclusion." He sucked in a breath, and everyone seemed to still. "She's dying," he finally said, solemn and apologetic. He glanced at her family and the Rockbells "I'm so sorry."
Everyone seemed to be in shock as the doctor delivered his verdict, before Alphonse burst into tears. He ran from the room, sobbing, and slammed the door behind him.
"Alphonse," Trisha whispered weakly, staring at the door.
Pinako swallowed, her face ashen. "Do you know what it is, Doctor?" she asked, and the man shook his head sadly.
"I can't tell," he said, "but it's eating away at her muscles and organs, because her heart rate and her blood pressure's incredibly lower than an average person. It's also disabling several body functions as the disease spreads. I've never seen anything like it."
"Thank you," Trisha whispered, and the Doctor nodded, his blue eyes sad.
"I'm sorry," he said again, gathering up his equipment. He gave a small, short, and jerky bow to Pinako and Trisha, and left, the door clicking shut gently behind him.
Pinako swallowed, gray-faced. "We'll be back in the morning," she told Trisha weakly, before she ushered a crying Winry out before her.
Now, Trisha was alone with Edward. The little blonde boy was standing by the door. His jaw clenched, and his fists shook as he stared at the floor. His golden eyes were hidden by his long bangs of hair, and he hadn't moved an inch since the doctor gave them the news. Slowly, he approached the bed, his body shaking. 'Oh dear,' Trisha thought sadly as Ed's face jerked up. She heard a sharp intake a breath, and she sighed as his golden eyes flashed angrily.
"Why didn't you tell me?!!" he bellowed, tears beginning to spill out of his eyes. "Dammit, Mom, why?!"
"Edward!" Trisha said, scandalized with his language. However, she couldn't help but cry too as he ran out of the room, her heart constricting as she watched her firstborn suffer. As he slammed the door, she flinched, the sound ringing throughout the room.
Tears ran down her pale cheek, and she sank into her bed, crying.
The next few days were rather subdued as all activities in the house were stopped. Even Edward and Alphonse refused to do anything but sit underneath the large oak tree in the back.
Trisha lay in bed, staring out the window as rays of sunlight touched her wan face. It was early in the morning, with the sun barely peeking out from behind the rolling green hills that occupied Resembool.
"Your boys are devastated," Pinako said softly as she entered Trisha's room, carrying a tray of food. Her face and voice were neutral, as if she refused to let anyone know of her sorrow. However, her eyes were filled with the pain of losing a dear friend, betraying her original expression. She set the tray aside and approached the bed.
Trisha grimaced and sat up. Her whole body was beginning to ache, and her arms were trembling viciously as she pushed herself up. She felt so incredibly weak. "I know," she said softly, looking back out the window. "…Have you heard of Hohenheim?"
Pinako shook her head, her shoulders sagging. "No, there hasn't been any word of him. I'm sorry."
"It's alright," Trisha said softly, her eyes focusing on the small figures of her boys. She watched as Edward and Alphonse sat outside, both brooding underneath the large oak. Both were curled up, gripping their knees, and tears were rolling down the younger boy's face. Mutely, Edward reached out, and rested his hand on Alphonse's head, rubbing it in a brotherly fashion as the younger boy sobbed.
"If you see him, can you tell him something?" the brunette asked, and when Pinako looked at her expectantly, she said, "Tell him I'm sorry I can't keep my promise, and tell him that I have to go first." She smiled shakily, before turning her attention back to Edward and Alphonse. "Can I also ask you for one more favor?" she asked, and Pinako let out a heavy sigh, a rueful smile tugging at her lips.
"You don't have to ask, Trisha, I already know what you're going to ask," she said quietly. "I'll take care of the boys. They'll be in good hands." Trisha nodded, satisfied, before sinking back down into the covers. She closed her eyes.
"I'm so tired, Pinako," she whispered, and Pinako turned to leave, pain flashing across her old, wrinkled face. "But I don't want to leave."
"I know, Trisha, I know," Pinako replied heavily, and the door clicked shut behind the old woman.
She slept through the whole morning, when something suddenly woke her. Confused, she looked around, before meeting two pairs of eyes. They peered at her through the doorway nervously, one gold, one gray. She smiled, and pushed herself up with a wince.
"What is it?" she asked, and both boys shuffled into the room, hiding something behind their backs. She waited patiently as they squirmed, and she raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response.
Finally, Edward grew tired of waiting. "Here," he said gruffly, holding out several perfectly shaped paper cranes out to her. Alphonse quickly followed suit, beaming as he held out his crane as well. However, his smile wasn't as bright as it used to be, and her heart gave another twist.
Despite the pain, however, she smiled and took them. "Thank you!" she exclaimed softly, studying one. "Did you transmute this?" Both nodded, proud, and even Edward couldn't stop a grin from spreading onto his face. Trisha set the cranes down, and ruffled their hair. "You boys are really your father's sons," she declared proudly, not noticing that the grin had fallen off of Ed's countenance, only to be replaced with a scowl of displeasure. "Excellent work, you two."
"Do you want us to get anything for you?" Al asked eagerly, his gray eyes alight. "Do you want some water or something?"
Trisha nodded, smiling. "Thank you, that would be nice." Alphonse gave her a bright grin before heading out of the room, Edward right on his tail. Trisha's smile faded, and she sank back down into the covers of her bed, closing her eyes. She just felt so tired…
Edward and Alphonse came back in, only to skid to a halt at the sight of their mother sleeping. Quietly, they tiptoed back out, and gently shut the door, leaving the glass of water beside the tray of food that Pinako had left earlier.
She woke again suddenly, her eyes flying open to stare at the darkened ceiling. 'What…?' she thought, confused. What on earth had woken her up…?
Then she heard it; a soft crying coming from the boy's room. Her heart ached painfully, twisting as her mother's instinct screamed for her to get up and comfort her children, tell them that everything was going to be okay. Except everything was not okay. And they all knew it. It was also impossible for her to get up, for her whole body throbbed in pain. She tried to push herself upright, but her arms fell back onto the covers, no longer strong enough to do even the simplest of tasks. She was too weak.
And for the remainder of the night, even after her boys had cried themselves to sleep, she could only lay there, waiting for the darkness to overwhelm her. However, as she lay there, one thought kept repeating itself over and over in her mind:
She was dying.
The voices surrounding Trisha Elric's bed were hushed, solemn, and sad. Those who had seen Trisha grow up and have children of her own stood around her, with Pinako, Winry, and her boys closest to the bed.
Both boys clutched at her hand, like it was a lifeline. Their eyes were bright with unshed tears, and their breathing was ragged as Trisha spoke her last words.
"Edward, Alphonse," she whispered, "I…I love you so much." She stared past them, unseeing, and her gray eyes began to dim. "Could you…transmute…some flowers for me? Your father…used to do that…for me…all…the time…" Her grip on their hands loosened, and began to fall limp as the light left her eyes. Her last breath rattled against her lips as it left, and her breathing stilled. Her hand let go, and the only thing holding it up was her children's hand. Both shivered involuntarily, as if they felt the life leaving them. There was a moment of silence as they stared at Trisha, uncomprehending at first.
A single wail rose up from the small group, and Alphonse Elric collapsed against the bed, tears rolling down his small face as he clutched as his mother. Edward, however, remained there, his jaw clamped shut. He was determined not to cry, but as he pulled his brother away from his mother's now-lifeless body and into a hug, he couldn't help but let out one single sob.
Trisha was buried the next day, and a small crowd stood there as clumps of dirt were thrown into the grave. They thudded against the coffin, each individual thump ringing inside Edward's ears as he watched his mother be buried. He and his brother stood at the front of the weeping crowd, both somber in their black suits and ties. Beside them, their childhood friend Winry Rockbell cried, clutching at a white handkerchief as the wind played with her blonde hair, black hat, and black dress. Her grandmother and family friend Pinako stood beside the blonde girl, not even moving a muscle when Winry turned to sob against the old woman's shoulder.
Alphonse flinched as the men set the stone marker in, and he glanced at his older brother. Edward stood there motionless, his eyes dark and distant. His lips were a thin line, his expression neutral, and his face pale. His fists shook, however, and they clenched, the nails digging into his palms as he stared at the gravestone.
Finally, the funeral procession ended and Ed, without a word, went home, with a distressed and confused Alphonse following behind. He quickly changed out of the suit and into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, before marching back out to sit before the newly erected grave, hugging his knees as he stared at the marker. After a moment, Al joined him.
They sat there, unmoving, and Al shivered as a cold breeze sprang up. In the distance, he heard a dog bark, as well as the muffled roaring of the train as it left the station. He glanced at his brother. Ed wasn't budging, that was for sure. Al grimaced painfully, wanting to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. He instead contented himself with listening to the leaves and grass fluttering in the breeze. It was eerily silent in the graveyard, and Al clutched at his knees, focused on the grave before him. The words carved on it seemed to taunt him, as if mocking him for the recent loss of his dear mother. He looked around, and two graves in particular caught his attention. They read "Sarah Rockbell" and "John Rockbell", and Alphonse swallowed before turning back to the one before him. The on that now read "Trisha Elric".
Finally, he couldn't handle it any more. Hours later, he spoke, sunset rays casting shadows of the numerous graves.
"Brother, I'm cold." He glanced at his older brother again, but Edward hadn't so much as twitched at the sound of his brother's voice. "Let's go home."
Ed remained silent, and Al heaved a sigh. He was about to stand up, when Ed spoke.
"Al, I want to see her smile again," he said, his golden eyes burning with pain and determination.
Pain tore at Al's heart. "Me too, brother," he said, miserable.
"Let's bring her back." Al's head whipped around to stare at Ed.
"What?" he breathed, wide-eyed. He must've imagined things. But as Edward stared at the marker fiercely, Al's heart rose. Did he really mean it?
"Let's bring her back to life, with alchemy," he said, standing. His fists clenched again. Al gaped at his brother, before he got to his feet also. It was a logical idea, and even though it went against the laws of the country, there was no reason for them to not do it. A smile began to creep across his face. He wanted to see her alive, too. He nodded, his gray eyes taking on the same look of determination that Edward's golden eyes possessed. He wanted to see his mom's smile again.
"Yes," he said, and they clasped hands, swearing in front of Trisha Elric's grave.
"Let's bring her back."
D3ath: (stretches) Whew, that was a long one. Took me forever, but I'm extremely proud of it. This drabble was originally supposed to be only six pages long, but it ended up being thirteen! Hope you all like it!
1: This quote was taken from King Theoden from the Lord of the Rings series, from movie two, The Two Towers. It comes from when he was forced to bury his son after an orc invasion, and he said, "No parent should have to bury their child" before breaking out in tears. I love this quote, because it's so true. It should be the other way around, and that is exactly what happens in Edward and Alphonse's case.