A/N: It's been a few months since I've posted anything and now I am back! It is 4:27 AM right now, so I am sorry if this is a total hot mess. Any mistakes will be changed as I come across them, and please forgive any dreadfully awkward parts.I will fix them.
This will be a multi chapter fic! This is only the beginning, and the rest of the chapters will be much longer, I promise. I was just really excited to get this started and up for people to see.
I do not own these characters.
There was something harrowing about the sound of Edward's struggle to breath. He had never predicted himself to be in this situation, thus he never thought about how much his subordinate's pain would debilitate him. He stared down the road, as if his look alone could fabricate the car he had ordered for would just magically appear. He tried to listen to the rustle of Havoc moving around next to him. He tried to focus on anything other than the gurgling coming from Edward's throat.
His efforts proved completely useless, because a moment later and the child in his lap was starting to writhe and twist in his arms. He tightened his hold automatically as Edward choked, his whole body convulsing from the force of his lungs contracting. Hot blood spilled down onto Mustang's gloved hands that were wrapped around the boy's middle, and Roy immediately shuffles, trying to make it back onto his knees where he would be able to hold Ed up better.
"Fuck- Fuck- it's in his lungs. He's gonna choke on it." Havoc is kneeling in front of them, and he grabs Ed from under the armpits and hauls him into a more vertical position like the kid weighs nothing at all. Edward makes a gagging noise before Roy hears blood splatter on the cement in front of them. He's kneeling now too, holding the boy against his chest to keep him up. His head lolls forward limply, but Havoc seems certain that he is not unconscious.
"Did he even say he was hit? Or in pain?" The lieutenant's words are breathless as he wrestles with Edward's shirt, trying to see his stomach and chest on the dimly lit sidewalk. The hemorrhage had to be centered around there if blood was filling Ed's lungs. Mustang moved his hold on the boy so Havoc could have a better look. Edward was still squirming loosely, but he was slowing down. His breaths were quick and spastic, as if he had just finished running a marathon.
"He didn't say anything." Mustang's reply is clipped as he tries to keep Edward from suffocating on his own blood. Ed's legs were sprawled out in front of him, his back pressed flushed against the Colonel's chest. His body was rigid in misery.
"Oh jeez-" the lieutenant breathed. Mustang assumed he had found whatever was causing the hemorrhage, and he looked up sharply before deciding that whatever information Havoc would give him would not help save Ed's life. They couldn't stop any bleed that was on the inside anyway, so Roy tightened his grip and looked at the limp and sweaty neck of his subordinate. Edward's eyes were open, squinting at the bricks they were kneeling on, and a trail of blood and spit was oozing from his mouth and onto the ground. He wasn't vomiting anymore, so Roy used one hand to pull the boy's head back to rest on his shoulder, rather than hang lifelessly. Edward had closed his eyes at the motion, a puff of air leaving his lips before he opened his mouth to breath heavily again.
"Take it easy. The car is coming." Mustang murmured.
Roy tried to ignore how each of the boy's muscles slowly loosened, and he found his thumb running over the spot where he held Edward up and vertical. Havoc squatted in front of them, one hand wrapped around Ed's wrist where he could have constant contact with his pulse, in case the boy's heart were to give out without their notice.
The squeal of rubber alerted them that Falman had arrived with the car. The officer hopped the curb as he barreled to a stop merely feet away, and Roy found himself grateful for Hawkeye's insistence that they familiarize themselves with driving at high speeds. Between the Colonel and the Lieutenant, they have Edward loaded into the car in seconds. It takes some maneuvering, but Havoc manages to squeeze his tall frame into the backseat where he resumes his silent watch on Ed's heart.
St. Jane's Hospital is not far, but in the six minutes and forty three seconds it takes to get there, Edward vomits twice and Havoc starts cursing so vehemently that Roy doesn't think he's heard such words since his days back in boot camp. When they screech into the ambulance bay, the lieutenant does not wait for Roy or Falman to assist him, merely drags the boy out by his armpits and cradles him in such a way that allows him to run to the hospital's doors in a sprint Roy didn't know the man capable of. Mustang is only steps behind, yet by the time he makes it inside Ed is already on a gurney and surrounded by a swarm of scrubs. Havoc has been pushed to the side, and suddenly the swarm is moving away from them, but Roy does not budge. He's glued to the ground by his inability to process the events that had just occurred. After a few seconds that feel like an eternity, he swipes his hand across his face, feet faltering and finally he is freed. Havoc is staring at him, uniform splattered with dark blots of blood. Falman is there too, but does not act.
The three men watch each other silently while the low roar of hospital activity goes on around them, and then they're moving all at once, headed out of the main area where they can hear each other. Mustang leads them to a secluded hallway, talking before he even gets a chance to face them.
"Falman, alert the rest of the team. I want twenty-four hour security shifts set up. The Triades are still at large. I will not give them the chance to off one of my men while we scramble."
Havoc's body language shifts from urgent to violent in a millisecond at the mention of the Triades. The team had raided their drug boats earlier in the day, and the thieves had put up more of fight than the Colonel had been predicting, resulting in some nasty hand to hand combat that was worthy of the movie screens. Breda had been forced to stand by as Edward took on three guys at once, his shot at the thieves ruined by their close proximity to Ed. Everything had been so chaotic that when no obvious wounds had shown up on anyone, they patted themselves on the back and continued processing the scene. Four men had managed to escape by jumping overboard, and a man hunt was being conducted to find them, but they had connections all over the city. The Triades had been known to kill off officers to show their strength, and while Roy is fairly confident that the remaining criminals will lie low, he is absolutely not risking it.
"Havoc, go wrestle in as close to wherever they have Fullmetal as you can. I want someone near by at all times. Someone will relive you in less than an hour." Havoc does not seem disgruntled by the order, but instead salutes and jogs off to find the nearest nurse he can flash his rank at. Falman has already disappeared to find a phone, and Mustang finds himself alone.
The blood had long since cooled, and the Colonel could feel the chill seeping through his jacket and gloves. There was something completely loathsome in the idea, Edward's blood turning cold and useless.
Edward's blood.
He needs Riza. Surely Falman will call her, but Roy cannot wait. It takes him a few minutes to find a phone, and before he realizes that he's already dialed and payed, she's answering.
At first he's confused by the slight slur in her voice before it dawns on him that they had all been walking to the dorms when Edward had collapsed. They'd been turning in for the night, and that had been an hour ago. One glance at he clock confirmed it was past midnight.
"I need you to come to St. Jane's."
"Colonel,-'" There's a pause, followed by rustling and a faint click of a lamp being turned on. "I'm on my way."
An hour later and there isn't anything to do but wait. Havoc had asked to not sub out, saying he had too much energy and would rather stand watch outside the OR. The team wasn't required to come, but Breda was already in the cafeteria with Fuery and Falman. Mustang had found the closest hallway to the surgery ward that was assailable and sat, Riza by his side.
And the night dragged on.
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