Summary: Roy is captured and tortured and Edward willingly offers to help Mustang to recover from his injuries but he never expected how close they'd grow in that time or the risk that Roy's captors were to his own life and to the lives of everyone he cares for.
Rating: M - Check each chapter for the individual warnings about what it contains.
Warning: Bit of mild torture, mentions of death.
AN: I already have up to chapter 7 of this written, but my updates may fall to fortnightly if I hit some writers block. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks to everyone who reviewed the story so far, and those who are following it or have added it to your favourites.
Chapter 2
Roy had been rushed away as soon as they had gotten to the hospital. He had fell asleep on Ed in the van, and hadn't woken up since – though he did whimper slightly when he was taken from Ed – so now everyone was sitting around in the hospital waiting for news. Ed was growing impatient as the hours ticked by. He knew that this was best, and didn't they say that no news is good news? What bullshit. This was just drawing out the pain. Ed was pacing, and he knew that the constant movement was putting everyone else on edge but he just couldn't sit still. What was taking them so long?
Just as Ed had decided that he was going to find out what was going on a doctor came out and Ed almost walked into the taller man. The doctor looked at them, trying to figure out who he was needing to pull away and talk to privately.
"Anything you have to say can be said to us all." Ed snapped, folding his arms. The doctor glanced at him, slightly surprised but when he got confirmation from Hawkeye, he spoke at last. "I'm Dr Lockestone, I'll be treating General Mustang. We've taken him in for xrays and treated most of his injuries to the best of our ability at the time being. His arm had been broken and had started healing wrong, but we've managed to set it in place now." The doctor paused, as if considering how much they needed to know. "He does have other major injuries and a significant head injury as well as burns to his back and legs. The best course of action is for us to induce him into a coma to slow down brain activity and allow him to heal better."
"What? No! You're not putting him into a coma!" Ed spoke up when the doctor went silent again. He scowled at the doctor and turned to the team for their backup. None of them looked him in the eye and he suddenly felt scared. "No, guys. You can't be telling me that you think its a good idea!"
"Edward. We need to do what's best for the General and if the doctor says that a coma will help..." Riza tried to calm the young alchemist down but Ed snarled at her.
"What if he never wakes up? Yeah, it might help him heal but what's the point if he doesn't wake up again? Or if he wakes and then doesn't know who we are or who he is. Or if he can't speak or move because his mind is destroyed!" Ed snapped, glaring at them all. None of them looked as if they were going to take his side and after a long moment he stormed past them heading outside. He heard Hughes call his name but he ignored the man and once outside he ran. He couldn't stand to be near them. Ed didn't slow down until he was gasping for air, and only then did he choose to slip into an alley and double over as he tried to catch his breath. He rubbed his eyes, which came away damp. He hadn't even realised that he'd been crying. He was scared, more scared than he had been in a while.
Ed finally arrived at the small apartment that he and Al shared. It was home, and had been for the past year after getting Al's body back. He was greeted by warmth and the smell of coffee. It helped him relax a little as he walked towards the kitchen. Al was sitting at the table, a mug in one hand, a textbook in the other. Ed stopped by the door to admire his brother. It still warmed his heart to see his brother's body after years of never knowing if he would have his brother back fully. Ed walked over to the counter and began making himself coffee, hearing Al's mumbled greeting.
"It's late, Al. You should go get some rest." Ed advised, turning and taking a sip of the hot bitterness in his mug. His younger brother closed the textbook and yawned, stretching back in his chair. Al then turned to him and shook his head.
"Brother, you know that I couldn't go to sleep until you had gotten home. Did you find him?" Al, ever innocent despite their past, must have caught a look into the fear that was threatening to control Ed because he put his mug down and walked over to his brother. Al was taller than him which never failed to annoy Ed, who nodded and let out a sigh.
"Yeah. We got him." He paused, shaking his head and taking a drink of his coffee. Al didn't rush him. "He's a mess, Al. He collapsed into my arms when I got to him. He passed out at least twice since we got him out. They're putting him into a coma because of a head injury."
Al watched his brother for a long moment, and he didn't speak until Ed had finished his coffee. "He'll be okay, brother. The General is strong. Just let the doctor's do what they need to." Ed knew that his brother was making sense, but his need for action was making him agitated. Edward didn't just sit and wait, he went out and dealt with the problem, but unfortunately this time the problem was Roy's condition, and there was nothing that Ed could do except for wait around.
After a long moment Ed sighed, giving his younger brother a nod. Ed moved past Al and collected up the dishes. "There's nothing I can do anyway. You should get some rest though, you have school tomorrow." Al hesitated for a moment, but he nodded and wished his older brother a good night before heading to his room.
When Ed heard Al's door shut he sighed. He needed to help Roy somehow, but he couldn't and it was driving him mad. Ed washed the dishes and put them away. He tried to read but he couldn't concentrate. In his eighteen years, he'd been through more than most and it had made him wiser than his years suggested, but at times like this he felt like the same foolish, clueless child that tried to bring his dead mother back. He finally settled on crawling into bed and trying to sleep. It was difficult, but he finally slid into a light sleep. By the time Al was awake and about to go out to school, Ed was in a deep sleep and Al didn't bother to wake him.
It was a week after finding Roy that the doctor's had allowed people to go into his small room and sit with him. They had been told that talking to the General would help and that coma patients had been proven to hear people talking. They might not pick up the words, but they would recognise the voice.
When Ed first went in to visit Roy he hesitated by the door, shocked by Roy's appearance. His skin was pale, made paler by the dark locks of hair. His right eye was covered by a yellow healing bruise and his lips were pale. Roy's left arm was in a cast to allow the broken bone to heal. He had different wires attached to him, making sure that he was getting everything he needed and he was thin. He was so thin that it scared Ed and he didn't like the way Roy's cheekbones stuck out or how hollowed his faced looked. He didn't look like the Roy Mustang he knew, not really. He was some macabre version of Roy and it made him feel sick. Those bastards had done this to him.
Ed had been going into the hospital and sitting with Roy every day since they found Roy in that awful place. He'd go in and he'd talk to Roy. Mostly it was a nonsensical monologue of his life. He'd tell him about how Al was doing in school, and how that when he woke up and got back to work he would have so much paperwork. Ed would talk about anything other than his feelings towards Roy or the fear that clutched his heart when he considered that Roy might never wake. He didn't talk about how he wanted to kiss Roy, or hold his hands, or run his fingers through his hair. He certainly didn't talk about how he thought about Roy in bed. He couldn't remember when he'd developed such feelings for him. One moment Mustang had been his annoying commanding officer who he had reluctantly respected, the next moment Ed was noticing the shift in the General's muscles beneath his shirt, or the way his voice sounded when he was flirting with a pretty girl.
When Edward wasn't in Roy's room, he was at home. He was researching how to make Mustang better, but finding nothing. There was a little voice in his head that whispered human alchemy over and over and as the weeks went on, it was all Ed could do to ignore it. He was also trying to get information on the people that took Roy – who they were, what they wanted, where they were so he could go kick their asses, mostly so that he was out doing something about this rather than just waiting.
Ed sat in the chair by Roy's bedside two months later and sighed. There had been no change in his condition, though the doctor's did say that he was healing very well. His broken arm had healed and the cast removed, though there was a lot of muscles damage and loss throughout his body so Roy would still experience a bit of bother with his arm when he woke up. And he would wake up. Edward had to believe that, otherwise he'd give up hope altogether and he couldn't do that. The young man slipped his human hand over Roy's right one and then intertwined their fingers. Roy didn't react in the slightest and Ed watched Roy's face for any signs of waking up but they never came. He lowered his gaze from Roy's face, instead staring down at his automail hand as he continued to hold Roy's hand. After a long time, Edward spoke.
"I'm so sorry Roy. This shouldn't have happened to you. If I had only come in to report, you wouldn't have went out looking for me. But you did and they took you. I could have saved you all this pain if I had just stopped acting like a child. I need to grow up, have needed to for a while now I guess, but I didn't want something like this to be the thing that triggered it. This is all my fault." Ed kept his voice low, murmuring more to himself than to Roy. It was only when the General's hand squeezed Ed's slightly that the blonde looked up, his heart racing at the first real sign of hope that shot through him, but Roy's eyes were still closed and Ed wondered whether or not he had imagined the gesture.
The light breeze that brushed against him wasn't the usual bitter chill that he was used to. It was a pleasant warm caress. He shut his eyes for a moment and relished the feeling as it blew his bangs into his face. The short grass had been cut recently because the smell lingered, filling Roy's senses. Roy liked it here, on this peaceful little hill. For as far as he could see there was nothing but grass and flowers and a sparkling, lazy river that flowed away into the distance. A clear, cloudless blue sky stretched out above him and only the occasional bird fluttered by. Roy looked around his area, and it was his area, and realised that he'd never felt so at home, so relaxed. If he never had to wake up and could stay here forever then he would have gladly.
"Roy?" A voice from behind him murmured. A soft voice that sunk deep into Roy, relaxing and comforting. He turned around and was stunned by what he saw. Behind him, about a hundred yards away, stood Ed. The sun made Edward's golden hair and eyes glow and made his automail shine. He was wearing his trademark tight leather trousers and tank top and Roy was at a loss for words, suddenly realising and appreciating how truly beautiful his subordinate was. Edward smiled warmly at him and then held out his human hand. Roy didn't even hesitate in taking it, it just seemed so right. Edward's hand was warm in his own and he gave it a small squeeze.
Ed pulled on Roy's hand and Roy couldn't help but step closer, drawn in by Ed's intensity. Roy stopped when they stood only inches apart, hand in hand. Ed pressed automail fingers to Roy's chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt and moving even closer. His smile turned slightly seductive and Roy's breath caught in his throat. His heart raced, pounding loudly in his ears. He could feel Ed's warmth rolling off him and he could smell the machine oil and leather from Ed and it was smothering him and he just wanted to grab Ed and kiss that smirking mouth because it just felt so natural. Ed seemed to know his thoughts because he tilted his back and pushed up against Roy so that their bodies were touching and Roy could barely breathe. He could almost taste Ed's lips and his skin and just before their lips touched the dream faded into blackness.
Ed stared at Roy. He may have just imaged the gesture, but he refused to believe that it was a trick of his mind. Hope was a brilliant flare in the pit of his stomach and he clung to it like a lifeline. Roy would wake up and this was the sign that he was coming back to them. After a long stretch of silence, Edward sighed. He slid his hand from Roy's and stood to leave. He'd just pushed the door open and was about to step out into the hallway when he heard Roy whimper. He paused turning to look at the man, deciding what he should do. In the months Roy had been in his coma he hadn't made any sound or moment and even the slight whimper or twitch made Ed beg for his commanding officer to open his eyes.
It didn't stay black for long. Soon there was fire and blood and pain. The smell of burning flesh choked his senses and made him gag. The pain was unbearable and he tried to scream but black smoke filled his lungs and he couldn't make a sound. The room was on fire and he didn't know how to get out. He tried to stay low as he searched for an exit, his lungs and eyes burning. The roar of the flames was deafening and he couldn't focus on anything. A flash of something through the darkness caught his eye and Roy looked over to see the shine of automail. With his heart in his throat, Roy made his way over to Ed. The blonde was lying on his front, automail covering the back of his head in an attempt to protect himself. His golden hair had fell from its tie and lay around his shoulders in a sea of singed, stained gold. It was covered in soot and the tips were stained a dirty brown from the pool of blood that he lay in. A gash on his head had poured the red life source from Ed's body, as did the wound caused in his back from the knife that had been forced in next to his spine. Roy dropped to his knees by his subordinate and shook him but even as he did he knew that Ed was dead. His eyes were open – lifeless and glassy as he stared out into the flames.
"Fullmetal. Wake up! Edward dammit, wake up. You can't die, Ed. Edward!" Roy somehow managed to scream but it wouldn't do any good. He couldn't slip into denial about Ed's state, not when it was so obvious. Roy coughed, the smoke was rapidly filling his lungs and he slumped to the ground next to Ed. Roy stared into those lifeless gold hues until his own eyes stung too much to keep open. "Ed..."
Roy tossed in his sleep and Ed shut the door. He'd stay and try to soothe the man. Ed was closing the door gently when he heard Roy murmur his name. His voice was weak and full of despair and Ed turned around to stare at the bed. As he watched, Roy's eyelids fluttered before he opened his eyes for the first time in months. He blinked slowly a few times before staring at Ed. The following moments were more tense than Ed had expected but Roy didn't recognise him and that hurt Edward more than he would have ever expected that it would.
Just when Ed was beginning to feel the first traces of fear and hurt, a small smile pulled at Roy's lips and he shut his eyes. His relief was so evident that Edward couldn't stop himself from asking what his dream was about. Roy froze, opening his eyes to look at the blonde as Edward walked over to the bed side and just shook his head. After a moment Edward shrugged and let it go. The dream wasn't that important anyway. It was just a dream after all. He helped Roy drink some water and then quickly left to get a nurse to check his commanding officer over. Ed stood restlessly by the side as the nurse checked Roy over, checking his vitals and asking him some simple yet clearly important questions.
After what felt like forever the nurse finished what she was doing and offered them both a small smile and reassured them that Roy's vitals were all normal. She then turned to go and stopped only to remind Ed that visiting hours were almost over, and the general still needed a lot of rest. Ed stayed with Roy until a doctor came by and made him leave. He did so with a promise that he'd come back the following day.
As Ed left, Roy allowed himself a small smile and then, after eating a small portion of food and finishing a glass of water, he slipped back into sleep; exhausted despite the months of rest.
