DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the characters in it.
SETTING: Hospital, between episodes 22 and 23.
Edward Elrich was lying in the bed, grievously wounded. His metal arm lay useless at his side. He could still feel the tears and rips through his skin and his muscle. The morphine had taken away most of the pain. The physical pain, anyway. But nothing could begin to touch the nagging pull at his heartstrings that was Alphonse.
The stone came back to his mind. He had failed to make the stone, and had thus failed to give Al his body back as he had promised. 'Whatever the cost,' he had told his brother. Yet, he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill those convicts. He knew that what he had done was right. He knew that Al hated killing, and would rather die himself than kill all of those prisoners just to get his body back. He was also aware that no matter how bad he was hurt, Alphonse was hurt at least ten times worse.
He wasn't mad at him, like he had been on the train when Al found out that he had cheated at their card game. He was scared, and confused. But so was Ed. He didn't know how to tell Al. He was real, of course he was. 'No, no,' he thought. 'Al is real.'
"He's still in shock," the nurse informed as she walked in. "What ever happened to him, it's a wonder he's not dead."
The lieutenant walked in. He had his hand to his chin, massaging the hair that grew there with worry. "Kid, what in the world were you thinkin' goin' in there?"
It took a minute for Ed to comprehend who it was and what they said.
"You don't look so good. I know what'll cheer you up!" He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small photograph of a little girl with her brown hair up in pigtails. "Isn't she gorgeous? Just the other day she was telling me on the phone that if I didn't give her a pony that she might not ever talk to me again. She's only three, but she's learning already! Don't you just love her big br-"
A faint smile came to Edward's lips. "You're crazy," he croaked. It sounded like his voice barely worked.
"Ah, ha! That's better!"
"What, what happened to me? All I can remember is a whole bunch of blue light and white-hot agony. What happened?"
He looked around to see if anyone else might hear. "You came in contact with a whole heck of a lot of unrefined stone materials. It multiplied your alchemic powers exponentially and nearly killed you. Everyone was so worried as to where you and Al were at that even the Furher himself came looking for you."
Ed felt another dose of morphine come on and started to get dizzy. "Where's Al?"
"Your brother is fine, Ed. He's in another building getting his armor repaired. He seems kinda like you though, distraught. I think seeing that happen to you nearly killed him as well."
"Tell, tell Al," Edward was about to pass out, "Tell Al that he, that he's just as real as, as I am. I didn't tamper with him, and, and that, and that…" His head hit the pillow as the morphine came in contact with his blood. For a short while Ed could find peace. He didn't have to think in that world of darkness. He could be at ease. But only until he woke up again.