White Walls.
Shun is Alphonse's very first pet. He's different to the rest of the cats he's nursed back to health before, because he's his, really, completely, absolutely his own. And because he's the first kitten Ed hasn't rejected yet. He's a tiny ball of light grey fur that enjoys curling up against Al's hands and Al loves him, because he's cute and he's warm. Al is always awed to feel the thin fur between his fingers, to know the sensation is real.
Shun is special, because he's the first cat Al has ever touched that he actually felt.
Shun is special, and this is why Al is sitting in a corner of the waiting room, holding the small ball of fur on his knees and trying hard not to cry. In his lap, the tiny kitten breaths with effort, his ribs moving slowly and letting out a silbant, rough noise through his tiny nose as he does. Shun is sick, and Al feels like it's his fault - it has to be his fault, of course, because he's the one responsible and what kind of guardian allows his pet to get sick?
When the tall man with the white coat comes into the waiting room, Al feels small and ashamed. The vet has a stern face, with dark brown eyes that seem to be judging him - or maybe it's the paranoia that Shun's breathing is getting raspier and raspier as moments go by. Everything around them is white and pristine, and Al feels dirty with his red coat and mud-stained boots - it had been raining and he'd run all the way into the vet with the shivering Shun well hidden against his chest - and he just wishes the taller man would say something.
"Come now," the voice is rumbling, Alphonse is scared, "let's see what we can do."
Inside there are even whiter walls and cold metal things that Al doesn't really want to know the purpose of. Shun's breathing echoes around the room. Al is twelve and scared out of his wits, with his very own kitten in his hands, maybe dying - God, he can't die, he's tiny and young and mine! – and this is wrong, so very wrong, and everything around him is white, white, white, white, white.
Outside, the rain goes on.