Alphonse blamed himself for that night.
He didn't watch his brother that night. Like an idiot, he'd gone outside and stared at the stars - like he usually did on the more peaceful nights, when the noises of Central City are quiet enough to think, and when Brother is actually able to sleep normally.
Al couldn't quite figure out why he felt the strong need to go and check on his brother, that dreadful feeling that something had gone horribly wrong. His figurative gut screamed at him to go back inside, and he listened, feeling dread and fear spread through his metal body. And when he opened the door to their room, he couldn't stop the horrified scream escaping his hollow being.
Dark blood soaked his clothes, the sheets, and pooled on the floor. In seconds Al was at his side, pulling at his limbs to separate them, to get him to stop. Even in his sleep Ed was amazingly strong and incredibly determined and the suit of armor had to fight to make him abandon his apparent mission.
The rest of that night was a gigantic blur, and Alphonse wasn't quite sure how they got from the hotel to the hospital, and knew even less of what happened once they got there. It was a huge mess of nurses and doctors and random people, and Al wasn't quite sure it was even real.
When Al was finally aware of his surroundings, Ed was cleaned up and bandaged, hooked up to a blood transfusion - and staring at him with wide and concerned golden eyes. He was speaking, calling his name and shaking him with the one arm that remained. The flesh one, the one that hadn't been taken off by the doctors, concerned he would try something again.
Once he responded, Edward sighed and his gaze darkened and lowered to sterile white linoleum floor. He apologized over and over again, saying he was sorry for worrying Al like that again, that he wouldn't do anything like that again. But Al couldn't take that chance, not again.
Al made a silent vow to always watch his brother, to keep an eye on him as he slept. To make sure he'd never do something like that again.
AN: Wow. This is probably THE darkest thing I've ever written. How did a harmless sick fic turn into this little angsty drabble? I have no idea. I shouldn't be allowed to write this late at night... Anyways, I kept Ed's little "attempt thing" vague for a reason, mostly because it didn't seem to flow very well when I tried to add some description to it.
This is also rated M since I'm paranoid, even though I'm sure it might pass for T, I'm not taking any chances.
Hope you enjoyed that little bite of darkness :P