A/N- Royai Week 2018
Day1- Parental Royai
What if Shou Tucker's appallingly gruesome alchemy is discovered, but Scar doesn't kill Nina?
Wednesday's Child
Mustang sat at his desk looking even paler than usual. His head was pounding so violently that he was sure that it was visibly expanding and contracting. He was grateful that he had skipped breakfast. He'd never have kept it down. Hawkeye, on the sofa, looked like she might cry. He had seen- and done- terrible things in Ishval, but not even that could prepare him for the horrendous alchemy that a father had performed on his own daughter. He wished that he could have shielded the Elric boys from such an amoral horror. Hindsight is 20/20.
Shou Tucker was in pilloried custody, and Nina Tucker was in the Infirmary.
"We're going to investigate the disappearance of Tucker's wife, but I'd wager that no trace of her will be found. I fear that she was Tucker's other chimera. How could I have..."
"Sir... Roy..." Hawkeye broke in. Startled, by the interruption and the use of his given name, Roy jerked his head towards Riza and waited.
"Sir, I can't stop thinking about Nina. What is going to happen to her?"
"I don't see any way that the transmutation can be undone, but Ed is looking into it. If anyone can find a way, it's him. However, time is of the essence. We don't think that she is... viable." Roy was too upset to insult Fullmetal. "Why don't we visit the Infirmary and see how she is?"
Hawkeye nodded and rose. Mustang joined her, and he informed the others that he and the Lieutenant might be gone for awhile.
Riza scanned the cots in the infirmary. One was occupied by a male sergeant, and the rest were empty. Finally, her eyes found what looked like a dog in a corner, curled on the floor. She whispered, "Sir," and he looked where she was looking.
"Nurse! Why is the patient on the floor? She should be resting on a cot!"
"She's a dog, Sir!" Then, a little softer "'Mostly a dog. We can't have her soiling a cot."
Roy walked over to the chimera and knelt. "Nina, I'm Roy Mustang. I'm so sorry about... what happened to you. Would you be more comfortable on the cot?"
The poor chimera nodded and then, in that deep distorted voice that was almost a bellow, "Thank you mis-ter."
"Call me Roy." Glancing up at Hawkeye, he saw her nod. "And that's Riza. Can we get you anything? Have you eaten?"
"I just want to nap, now, Roy."
"Okay, Nina. We want to talk to the nurse now. Ed and Al will come to visit you, later."
"O-kay." She sniffed and curled up.
"Nurse, will she be medically cleared? Where will she be sent?"
"There is nothing that we can do for her, and she's not contagious or dangerous, so she will be sent to a kennel. Children's Services will have nothing to with her." The nurse's voice faded as she said it, anticipating the Colonel's anger.
"That is unacceptable!"
"Colonel, Sir..." Riza's voice was steeped in urgency.
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Sir, I want to take her home."
Roy stared at his adjutant sure that his eyes reflected the same pain that hers did. They both wanted the poor child to have as good a life as possible for the time left to her. He nodded.
"I'll make it happen."
Hawkeye was granted leave, and Mustang was cleared to spend the nights at her apartment, having convinced the top brass that it was necessary to have an alchemist present during the off hours. He drove them to Hawkeye's stopping along the way to pick up some food. Nina wanted human food- well, human junk food- and they indulged her, because nutrition was of no concern. Roy secretly hoped that Riza would let him have the same diet as Nina, but he knew that she would never allow it. Riza decided that Roy and Nina would wait outside while she put up that gate that she sometimes used with her pup. It would be the best way to introduce them.
Hayate seemed to be rather confused, but he generally got along with both dogs and people, so he was freed in less than an hour.
Nina seemed to be happy playing with him. Ironically but understandably, she missed Alexander. Her appetite was not great, but she ate enough of her mac and cheese, and she demolished her ice cream, surreptitiously sharing some of it with her new pal.
"Think about what toys you want, Nina, and I'll bring them to you after work tomorrow," Roy told her.
"O-kay, Da.. Roy."
"I think that you need a bath, Sweetie," Hawkeye said kindly but firmly."
"O-kay, Ri-za."
Roy did the dishes while Riza bathed Nina. When she was clean and dry, Riza read to her from a book she had bought for Elicia. Nina drifted off , and Roy carried her into Riza's spare bedroom where Hayate joined her.
"How could he do that to his little girl?" Roy plaintively asked Riza. "Tomorrow, I'll bring her blanket and some records along with whatever she requests." He got under the covers, and she joined him.
"The situation makes me sick," Hawkeye replied. "Thank you for arranging for me to have custody. I really need to take care of her. And thank you for arranging to stay with me. We don't get to spend the night together nearly enough." She kissed him, and he pulled her close.
"I really need to take care of her, too," he whispered.
It didn't take long. They'd been asleep barely an hour when the haunting sound awakened them. The wail was as unearthly as that of a banshee. Riza was running before the cry ended, and Roy was on her heels. Hayate was whimpering and butting Nina with his head, but she seemed to be unaware. Riza scooped up the chimera as well as she could considering Alexander's size.
"Nina. Sweetie, Are you okay? How can we help?" No one but Hawkeye could have such a catch in her voice or look on her face. Roy sat beside her on the bed and leaned in, silently offering comfort.
With much difficulty, the poor girl cried, "Da-ddy hurt me. I want my Da-ddy."
The next day, Riza and the Elrics took Nina and Hayate to the park. She didn't think that she had seen Ed so subdued since the day she had met him, fresh from the traumatic transmutation. The first thing he said to Riza was that he and Al had found nothing to help Nina. He and Al tried to play with Nina, but she barely reacted. Never running more then a few steps. Never knocking Ed over or riding Al.
"Does she ever play with Hayate's toys?" whispered Al.
"No. She doesn't do much of anything. Not people things. Not dog things," Riza lamented.
Later, Roy arrived with enough spaghetti and meatballs for everyone from his favorite Aerugian restaurant and a chocolate cake from Ed's favorite bakery. He and Ed nodded at each other in silent agreement to not argue. The agreement was unnecessary. The soldiers and the boys attempted to hold a conversation, but Ed mostly just petted a sluggish Nina. "What can we bring you tomorrow?" asked Al.
"I don't feel like play-ing."
The night passed with only one incident of hysteria, but the once lively child didn't want to get out of bed in he morning. She refused everything that Riza tried to feed her, and she just shook her head when Riza asked what Roy should bring. She did not respond to Riza reading to her, but she seemed a little less sad. When the lieutenant's voice faltered, she played some of Nina's records. Not wanting to leave the child alone, Riza had Hayate go on paper. The pup didn't seem to mind, and he suppressed his usual high spirits to stay near his new friend.
Roy came over with two pizzas, each with two toppings. He thought that he'd enjoy eating all the good stuff while Hawkeye let him, but he barely tasted the pepperoni and anchovies. Nina took one bite. The Lieutenant didn't eat much more.
"Does anything hurt you, Nina? We can give you medicine if it does," Roy asked while he stroked her head.
"No." Her breathing was a little labored, and she was too leaden to move much, but her body did not seem to be otherwise in distress. Hayate lay with her, sometimes crying softly.
"It's getting close." Roy spoke lowly, and Riza nodded. They'd both seen enough people die. At least Nina seemed peaceful so far.
"She's such a sweet little girl. How could such a calculated horror happen to her? Did Tucker want children, or was it just his wife? Why do people that shouldn't have children have them while people who love children can't?" Riza's voice broke throughout her question.
Roy knew that the query was rhetorical and just gathered her into his arms. Hayate stayed with Nina since he knew that Roy was taking care of his beloved human.
They decided to have "everyone" sleep together in Riza's queen-sized bed. Nina's breathing grew raspier and raspier. Neither adult slept. Roy crooned to little girl, as he tried to think of her. Riza stroked her back while Roy sang soothingly. Before long, the child's breaths began to rattle. Riza looked at Roy, and he sat up, gently pulling Nina into his lap. Hayate curled up as close as possible, and Riza leaned against Roy and caressed the dying girl. After a crescendo of noise, there was silence. Not really knowing how to take a dog's pulse, Riza held a mirror to Nina's nose and mouth.
Nothing.
Hayate, always sensitive, whimpered. Roy and Riza kissed Nina and covered her. After keeping the body company for awhile, the humans moved to the sofa. "She didn't deserve this. She was cheated," Riza sobbed.
Roy held her and spoke, after a pause. "She got what everyone gets. A lifetime. We will continue to strive to fight premature death and misery that occurs through human agency. That's what our love will do. Our love will never be wasted."
A/N- Roy's quote about everyone getting a lifetime is a paraphrase of a quote from Neil Gaiman's Death: The High Cost of Living. Thanks for reading!
