Bandages
Chartre
Roy Mustang never knew it would happen; that irony caught up on his sleeve and took the jump when he couldn't take it. Clearly saying owning an eye less exactly like the late Fuhrer's before he was found out to be in fact, a Homunculus.
Though to the further ado, it wasn't him that caused his near death. The half mechanical man Frank Archer blew the trigger across the Fuhrer's mansion right into the already bloodied man. The day he woke up still bleary and weak, he was unable to see anything. He was told to be wearing bandages over his eyes, temporarily blind and was brought in the hospital for an operation as soon as possible after the moment he collapsed.
His ever loyal companion and subordinate Riza Hawkeye was the one who checked him in, and stayed by his side—like always—the whole night, till the late morning Roy started showing signs of waking up. He remembered to take down a mental note that day to thank the captain for putting down that war-freak dog.
From time to time, in the morning, afternoon, and even before he slept, his mind starts acting up, showing mental and physical signs of pain as he moaned in agony and sting. During those times, the man refused to eat, not even speak to anyone for that fact as it pained him to do anything but stare into nothing. And for unusual habit, he shunned to flirt with the nurse taking care of him while Hawkeye was out in the office working. He even ignored the young girl as she entered to feed him.
The only thing Roy settled to do was either sleep, or listen to the wind when he asked someone to open the window beside his bed. Sometimes when he caught the chance, he'd find himself listening to the birds perching by the tree branches outside his hospital room.
Or if the weather chose to rain on his day, it would, and the temporarily blind man would just sit down and listen to the cold pitter-patter outside his window.
Soon enough, his mind never settled after his two weeks of staying in the local hospital. He had the doctor check up on him, and eventually took his x-rays a few times. Apparently after the first few checks, he seemed to show normal activity with his brain cells. After the second half of x-rays in a week, whatever movement was occurring in his mind seemed to be affecting his eyes.
Roy Mustang was sent to the emergency room after that, and took him for a second operation.
Days passed and he woke up in the ICU, still in bandages. It was only after three more weeks in the hospital that they approved of taking the gauze off his eyes. For the first time in those two months, Roy would be able to see again.
His bandages were tight, and his eyes were closed beneath them. As he held the gauze in his hands, an eager look on his face emerging, he never would've thought it would end up in a way he didn't justify. The barely smile on his face was wiped clean as he looked at the full-length mirror, terrified and in horror. Riza Hawkeye didn't seem happy either.
"Hawkeye?"
"Yes, sir?"
Roy left his gaze straight into the face he never knew, eyes—no. His single eye looking straight at the other, hovering his hand over it. He felt stitches on them, running his fingers over the coarse feeling like a bad scratch mark, likewise staring at the scar that ran vertically on it. His one eye was starting to fill under his pupil.
"I cannot see."
One more week since then, Roy was sent out of the hospital, apparently out back as Havoc came around with the auto to pick him up. Even the lieutenant never thought he'd see the man look as mentally wrecked, just as physically impaired. Havoc didn't bother to ask him how he was.
Roy only sat to look at the window, thinking the view would calm him down. It was impossible, he thought, as it was his only own reflection he could see through the clear window. I cannot see…
The captain watched the man remain silent; his once fierce eyes turn hollow and despondent. Maybe wearing that eye patch made it worse, she thought, growing more anxious for him. Hawkeye never saw the man look so incompetent in his life.
"It's alright to cry, Colonel."