It had been six days since the Führer of Amestris was shot, and four days since it was announced that he was in a coma. Everyone had been devastated by the news, especially Maes. News of the shooting had spread quickly throughout the country, so it wasn't much of a surprise when Edward and Winry, along with their two children, arrived in Central City for a visit.

Winry and Riza sat in the family room, talking about everything that had occurred over the past six days, while the oldest Elric boy, Chase, sat on the floor, playing with Hayate. The two women had suggested that he play with Maes, who was only 2 years older than him, but he refused. Maes and Chase didn't have the best friendship, and it had all started with an alchemy competition between the two. Nina, the youngest Elric girl, played upstairs with Tyler and Hayden, the Mustang twins, while Maes just sat in his room, not willing to go downstairs to visit anyone.

There was a small knock at his door, and Maes sighed. "Come in," he said, just barely loud enough for the person to hear. The door opened slowly, revealing a blond-haired man standing in the doorway, a man Maes knew very well. "Ed," he smiled softly, happy to see the man that was like a second father to him.

"Hey, kiddo," Edward returned the smile. He and Maes had always had a special relationship. Whenever Maes needed to talk, he would go to Ed if his father was busy, and the former alchemist was always there for the boy. "I heard about what happened," Ed paused, and Maes stared at his lap, playing with the hem of his shorts. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm...fine…" the boy mumbled.

Ed watched sadly as the black-haired boy struggled to not break down right then and there. "Are you sure?"

Maes paused for a few moments. "The doctor told me that not everyone wakes up from a coma," he said, keeping his eyes on his lap as he tried desperately to not cry. He hadn't cried since the day his father was shot, and he had only shed a few tears then.

Ed took a deep breath. "Unfortunately, that is true. It would truly be a miracle if your father woke up from his coma."

"Yeah...but...what if he doesn't?" Maes asked, his voice almost a whisper. "What if we lose him forever?"

Edward was silent for a while. He didn't know how to respond to that. "Maes, it would be absolutely terrible if he didn't wake up. But, let's try to stay positive, okay? I believe he'll be okay."

Maes nodded, and both males sat in silence for a while, which was eventually broken by Edward. "I was...thinking about going to visit him. Would you like to join me?" Maes nodded briefly and stood up, following the man out of the small bedroom.

Together, along with a few bodyguards, they traveled to the hospital, and Edward thought about why Maes was able to navigate their way through the building so easily. Just how many times has he been here?, he wondered. Have all of his visits been for the same reason?

"We're here," Maes announced when they finally arrived at Roy's hospital room. He turned the doorknob and slowly pushed the door open, as if he was trying to avoid waking someone from their slumber. The boy stepped into the room carefully, and beckoned for Edward to do the same.

"Dad? I brought someone to see you. You remember Edward, right? The 'Fullmetal Pipsqueak'?"

Normally, Ed would have been angered that Roy had told Maes about all of his short comments toward Ed, but seeing Roy in the state he was in-hooked up to a bunch of machines and practically dead-Ed just couldn't bring himself to even think about getting mad.

"He doesn't respond, but I like to think he can actually hear me," Maes mumbled.

"...How many times have you been here?" Ed asked curiously.

"I was here for five days after he...after that day." the boy replied, sitting in the same chair he had sat in for those five days.

"What about your mother and your siblings?"

"They've been visiting every other day. I can tell that it's hard for Mom, though. She tries to stay strong during the day, but I can hear her crying in her room at night, when she thinks we're all sleep," the young boy frowned. "Kasey never cries, but I know that she's scared, and trying to explain everything to Ty and Hayden is probably one of the hardest things in the world," Maes explained, keeping his eyes on his father. "It's hard, you know. Trying to be the man of the family when you're only eleven."

"I know that feeling," Edward whispered. "I was left to take care of Alphonse when I was still just a child. He was the only family I had left."

Maes hoped that Ed would continue explaining his past, since he never really had before, but he halted his explanation, much to Maes' disappointment. The two sat in uncomfortable silence for a while, before Ed spoke up.

"Maes, promise me something," he said, watching as the young boy fidgeted slightly in his seat. "Promise me that, no matter what happens, you will not perform human transmutation."

Maes froze. Human transmutation had crossed his mind, yes. He had found it in an alchemy book when he was seven, but he had only glanced over the contents of it briefly.

"Human transmutation is the ultimate taboo, isn't it?" he asked, recalling a bit of the information he had read. "Why would I try to attempt it?"

I wondered the same thing, Ed thought. "It's a foolish thing to do. It only leads to years of punishment and struggling."

Maes thought for a moment. "...How do you know all of this, Ed?" he asked, and now it was Edward's turn to freeze.

"I-I just…" he tried to think of something quick. Ed had told Maes of his adventures with Alphonse, but he had never told him about why they were adventuring. "I-I've just read a lot about human transmutation, that's all," he laughed nervously, and Maes nodded, his gaze returning to his father.

"Okay, I promise...I won't attempt the transmutation," the boy said, but he knew, deep down inside, he wasn't going to be able to keep that promise.

(A/N): Yeah... worst ending ever. Forgive me. I wrote this while suffering from writer's block, so I don't like this chapter too much. Chapter 4 will be better, I promise.

Review please!