Summary: It has been a few years since Ed and Al got their bodies back, yet the Truth has added another sick twist to the story. What will they do now?

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the plot. I am merely borrowing the characters for this fanfic. BTW I know I got Ed's rank wrong but I decided to do it with American ranks and normal promos. Sorry if it got confusing.

Slightly inspired by various Script songs. A partial songfic to Exit Wounds. I OWN NOTHING!

Bang!

Everything had slowed to a sluggish silence. If Brother or I screamed, I didn't notice. All I could see was Ed. He stumbled back a step or two, and looked at the rifle in his hands with an amused look on his face.

Then Ed looked down.

A dark blue patch had spread across his ironed uniform and a glistening red puddle had formed on his polished boots and the ground. His knees buckled and Edward Elric, Hero of the People, was brought to his knees coughing up blood.

I ran to him closely followed by Mustang and Hawkeye. When we reached him, you couldn't see where the bullet had entered. There was too much blood. The bullet was nowhere to be seen either.

"Brother, Brother! Please don't die, hang on, okay? The doctors are going to help you, you'll get better and then we can go home to Risembool to see Granny and Winry, right?" I put Ed into the recovery position and fought back tears.

"Ed, listen, an ambulance so on the way so hang on!" That was Hawkeye.

"Fullmetal! Don't you die on me, I can't be asked to do the paperwork!" Despite his harsh words, Mustang actually looked distressed at the thought of his ex-subordinate dying.

Ed said nothing. He simply grasped my hand and stared at me with unseeing eyes. In the near distance was the ambulance siren, closer, closer. The paramedics were then pushing me back despite my struggles. They lifted a groaning Ed onto a stretcher and into the back before letting me, Hawkeye and Mustang in. Hands rushed to open his uniform to find where the bullet wound was and whether it had ricochet or not. He never let go of my hand, even near unconsciousness.

Before long the ambulance stopped and Ed was rushed through to theatre. I fell through the doors of the emergency room and ran with them, demanding to be in surgery with him. In the rare moments that I looked from Ed's pained face, I saw panic and chaos. Yet inside I felt hollow, still in shock. But then they reached the theatre and his hand was wrenched from mine.

Then we waited, silently, but the noise of no words put unseen pressure on my ears. I wanted to do something, but I was helpless. Hawkeye stared ahead, the tears freely falling. Mustang became more vocal, using anger to release and distract him from the anxiety. He demanded more help, the name of the last person to handle the malfunctioned rifle, about how unfair it all was, Ed had made it through so much worse than a bullet wound to the chest before. Mustang's rant thawed the ice and triggered my own emotional turmoil.

At some point a nurse burst out of the theatre, calling out for any available doctors to help the kid Colonel Elric's critical condition. The door let us see a glimpse of dashing bodies, a slowing heartbeat. I cried out desperately that I could help, I had studied bio alchemy from our travels to get our bodies back. I could save him dammit! But they wouldn't let me in, nobody was listening to any of us…Eventually a nurse returned and asked me to follow her to her office, and I knew it couldn't be good.

At the end of the hallway she entered a half opened door which I assumed lead to her office. I followed. She turned without sitting down and confirmed what I hadn't expected; "Mr Elric, your older brother, Edward, well for unknown reasons your brother has fallen into a self-induced coma. We have no idea how this could have happened but -"

My hands are cold, my body's numb. I'm still in shock. What have you done? My head is pounding, my vision's blurred. Her mouth is moving I don't hear a word. Why? Why did you do this, Brother? You have endured far worse than this! The door closed.

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