I'm so sorry for the long wait for this next chapter. I was having a real hard time with it and have read countless other fictions while trying to figure out which direction to take this. I don't even know how many drafts I've written and deleted. But, I think my writer's block has lifted slightly, so hopefully, I will be able to turn out another chapter in not-too-long! Hope you all anjoy it!

Roy was fuming with anger while waiting outside at the emergency room. As soon as they arrived, Ed hardly being able to walk, in such obvious pain, the receptionist at the registration desk had the nerves to pleasantly ask them to have a seat and wait.

At first, Roy had figured that it was probably okay since it didn't look to be that many people they would prioritize over a young, battered and so-clearly-armless State Alchemist. So, he had steadied Edward to sit at the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the waiting area while he asked to speak to a doctor, nurse or a damn janitor- just someone- in private.

The elderly woman's robotic smile was still plastered on her face when she said that this was a busy night and that one of the doctors would see them as soon as he or she had the available time. Roy had some brief violent thoughts but settled on calling her a taxidermied grandma under his breath as he retreated back to Edward.

He knew that he couldn't say anything about the sexual assault out here, someone would hear it and Ed would probably be mortified and flee from the hospital. Instead, he sat down with Ed and Riza- sending the rest of the crew home. The others wanted to wait too, but they were all so tired. Especially Havoc seemed to be needing the rest badly. He'd been smoking like a chimney none stop since they had found Ed, and looked paler than usual.

There they sat for the better part of an hour.

Edward couldn't keep his eyes open anymore but was in too much pain to fall asleep. Whatever dignity he had left, he would clutch onto by sitting with his back as straight as he possibly could and looking unfaced by what had happened. Untouched, he thought before breathing through another fit of nausea. If it was from the word or from a possible concussion, he wasn't sure.

Ed didn't say a word the entire wait, even as people kept staring at the young boy who was missing an arm and wore the ever darkening bruises on his face while blood from a deep wound trailed down from the outer creek of his left eye.

The slight trembling in his shoulders didn't go unnoticed by either Riza or Roy, but they knew better than to speak up about it. There were a time and place for falling apart, and they both knew that (even if it would probably provide them help faster), this was neither for Ed.

The shakiness suddenly took a turn for the worst, as Edward struggled to cover his mouth and suddenly stumbled his way for the bathroom.

He didn't get that far before violent retching started, but fortunately, Roy was quickly by his side with a wastebasket.

Ed wasn't able to comprehend that he was kneeling in the middle of the emergency room floor, throwing up every single thing he'd eaten the last few hours. He could only feel his own heartbeat hammering in his chest as his throat burned, stomach churned and his head throbbed at the effort.

Meanwhile, Riza was back at the reception, asking how much longer they had to wait since Edward's condition seemed to get worse. The receptionist repeated her previous answer with the sickly cheery smile.

When the dry-heaving had eased, Riza came and retrieved the basket and placed it on top of the difficult receptionist's desk. "Here, I thought I'd help you guys clean up since you obviously have such a busy night." She left it there on the desk and turned, walking back to Edward and Mustang.

Luckily, an elderly doctor had come out to check on the commotion and was now waving them to come along. After a little more than two hours, Edward was finally taken in.

He refused any one of them to come along with him, as he struggled to keep his legs underneath him on the short walk over to the doctor.

After a couple of minutes, Roy snuck in after them. Someone had to tell someone what was actually going on, which he knew Ed wouldn't do himself. So, whatever wrath Ed would bring upon him for making the doctor aware of that- he would accept.

The same doctor came out to greet Roy after another hour of waiting. He asked him quietly to accompany him to a vacant room close by.

Once in there, he gestured for Roy to have a seat in front of a nice mahogany desk and sat on the other side, reading swiftly through the notes he had sprawled out in front of him before folding his hands and turning to Roy.

"I understand that you are the boy's legal guardian," he stated no nonsensically.

Roy nodded vaguely, fully knowing that his duties as a legal guardian had been neglected horribly for five years.

The doctor gave a slight nod, sighed, which Roy knew never was followed with good news. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"As you yourself suspected upon his admission, he does have a broken wrist. In addition, there were several lacerations covering his body. Some of them needed stitches. He has suffered a concussion and a small crack in the bone over his left eye. This will heal by itself, but is going to leave a nasty bruise that will fade during a couple of weeks. He has been throwing up some more aswell, and some short-term memory loss is to be expected." There was a small pause. "In regards to the assault," the doctor seemed hesitant, and Roy could feel his back freeze.

"...well, I understand that there is a somewhat complicated situation here, with you formally being his superior officer as well as a parental figure-"

Roy scowled at the sound of 'parental figure' because he knew he was no such thing to Edward nor had he any aspiration of being that.

"Mr. Elric requested that the results of his further exams would stay confidential, and I am contemplating if I should grant that request or not. He is underage, and to a parent- I would have had to disclose the results, but as his boss, you don't have any legal right to know. So, what I'm asking you is... which role do you wish to play in this?"

Roy was taken aback by the question. He honestly had no idea what to say, only sat there, blinking while watching the doctor wait for his reply. His decision of knowing something Edward didn't want him to know- but likely leaving him more equipped of helping him, or, leaving there with the same information he had come in with- and make Edward suffer in silence, which he knew he would.

"Could I... could I elect someone else in my place? For the information, I mean." He thought about Hawkeye. She would know how to handle something like this. Maybe Maes, but he might be too overbearing.

The doctor shook his head with a sad smile. "So, I'm guessing you've made your decision?"

Roy's gaze snapped back at him. "No," he immediately said. "I said no such thing. I just, really don't know what I should do."

"Very well. I understand that this is a difficult situation, and I'll let you have some time to think it over and maybe try to talk with the boy. He puts on a hard exterior, but he's not dealing too well right now. I strongly recommend that you make him an appointment with a therapist."

"Yeah," Roy said distantly. "We have one that we usually prefer within the military. I'll call her tomorrow."

"Good. Do you have any questions beyond what we've discussed?"

"Uh, yes. His automail. Do you have a mechanic at the hospital that can take a look at it?"

"No, I'm sorry. We don't. That will have to be dealt with separately. We usually only treat infections and occasionally host recoveries from automail-surgery."

Roy bit his lip but nodded in reply. "Will he be allowed to leave tonight?"

"Yes, as soon as his treatment is done. You can probably join them at this point. They are currently treating the minor injuries, so they will be done soon."

"Okay. Thank you for your time, doctor..." Roy realized he never caught his name.

"Henricksen," he smiled, reaching a hand out for a handshake before he led Roy to the room where Edward was receiving medical attention.

Before showing him into the room, Dr. Henricksen added sternly, "another suggestion, Colonel Mustang."

"Yes?"

"He shouldn't be left alone for the time being."

Roy nodded, before realizing, 'shit, Alphonse!' He knew he must be worried sick about now.

Hesitatingly, he replied. "I'll make sure of that," before giving the door a short knock and entering.

Ed had been changed out of his clothes and into a paper gown. His arm was in a cast and laid limply in his lap and he had gauze taped on his face, way too close to his bruised eye.

Edward gave Roy a venomous stare as he walked into the room. "I thought I told you to wait outside," he barked, but with no real conviction. Only genuine complete exhaustion.

"I know. I had a short talk with your doctor, that's all. He said you were almost done," Roy explained calmly.

The nurse who had been working on Ed's cuts and bruises entered through a door on the oposite side of the one that Roy had entered through. The dark, handsome man who suddenly was standing in the middle of the examination room made her jump and exclaim a small gasp. She was holding a folder in her arms, peering at the Colonel unsurely.

Roy gave his usual charming smile. It was an excellent defense mechanism in situations where his character was being evaluated- and it always seemed to work with the ladies. This was no exception.

"Mr. Mustang?" she asked with an uncertain smile.

"Colonel, please," he said in a smug tone, reaching out for her hand and gave it a soft kiss in greeting. She grinned shyly and seemed to forget about what she was doing.

Ed was fine with that, but his superior officer's self-satisfied attitude did not go unnoticed. He rolled his eyes and laid back to the examination table and looked at the ceiling, letting Roy soak in his own self-worshiping. He found himself absently wondering how many people lay there every day, watching the same strange stain up there, as he was right now. Their stories and how they ended up here. Mainly because- he didn't want to think about his own.

"Now, my dear, if you won't mind, I'd like to have a word in private with Edward," Roy said, still holding her hand.

This brought Edward back to reality quickly. He did not want to talk to Roy alone right now. Didn't want the questions, didn't want to dwell on it. The only thing he wanted was to get out of there, back to the apartment where Al was probably still up- waiting for his brother to come back while he should be asleep. School starts early and the last thing his brother needed was to worry because of Ed.

Because he was okay. Nothing happened. There was a little brawl at the bar, it got a little...rough and- oh God he could still smell the foul breath as the disgusting man leaned in to smell his hair and he needs a shower it feels so dirty-

"Oh, that's okay. We're just about done," she answered, practically melting by his touch. "We gave him some sedatives to complete the examination, as well as painkillers for the pain. He's probably going to be a bit out of it for the next few hours," she said, forcing herself to conduct herself in a more professional demeanor.

-need to wash away his sweat on his chest and the disgusting thing he knew had been there but couldn't remember but he knew and-

Roy nodded in response, his own smirk disappearing from his face as the severity of the situation once again seemed to strike him.

-anyone can fight Ed all they want because Ed is gonna fight back and eventually win because he usually does but that man had no right to take it away from him had no right and fuck he touched his hair and-

"We want him to return in six weeks for a check-up for the break in his arm, to make sure that it heals properly. I'm just going to take Mr. Elric's temperature, and then he's cleared to leave," she stated, holding the thermometer in her hand and gently pulling Ed's loose hair away from his ear.

"You had no right to touch me!" Ed yelled suddenly, jolting unsteadily to his feet and throwing his broken hand as a sledgehammer after the nurse. Roy registered the reaction quickly and pulled the nurse back in time to dodge the attack.

Edward panted heavily and stared with wide eyes at his surroundings. The strength of his legs disappeared at the slow realization of where he was- and what he had almost done. He descended onto the floor as his legs went out, instinctively moving his automail arm to catch himself- flinching in pain from the loose and unprotected wiring were his missing prosthetic should have been, as the empty port hit the edge of the examination table instead.

"Edward?" Roy asked in a hushed voice, still holding the stunned nurse's elbow. "Ed, are you okay?"

Edward curled tightly in on himself, the same way he had done in the alley, protecting his injured arm in his lap and resting his forehead on his knees. Unaudiable whispers left the small frame.

Roy let go of the nurse, crouching down to Edwards level, careful not to touch him in fear of startling him even more. "Edward? What's going on?"

"He- he smelled my hair," came a quivering whisper from the boy. "He smelled my... my hair."

The colonel looked worriedly at his young subordinate. He really wasn't equipped for this at all. Whatever came over him in the alleyway felt so natural then and there, but now… Now he had no idea what to say or do to comfort the distraught kid.

Edward was shivering, speaking nonsensically, only interrupted by a few shuddering breaths.

The nurse came up to Roy from behind and left a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want me to get some more sedatives?" she asked silently, but not silent enough. Edwards' head jerked up. He frantically kicked at the floor, trying to back up and get further away from them and huddled up in a heap under the examination table.

-If he had both of his arms he would be able to transmute an opening in the wall behind it but without automail he was helpless and couldn't do anything or fend for himself so how the hell was he supposed to protect Alphonse?-

"No, please no, I'll be calm- I- I didn't mean to lash out at you!" he uttered hoarsely, looking terrified with wide watery eyes. "I'm so, so sorry!" He tightly shut his eyes trying to force back the intruding warmth of the unshed tears.

-and now he's reduced to this. Crying and pleading on the floor, hiding under a fucking table as a little child and he's supposed to be a grown up but he's not because he's hiding and panicking because some disgusting asshole had… had-

Roy ignored the nurse, cursing her out internally instead. while sucking in a deep inhale.

He had decided.

He shifted closer to Edward, determined arms swooping him up into a tight embrace. Ed's initial reaction was to tear himself away, but with a missing arm and his broken one aching- there wasn't that much he could do. He squirmed violently in the grip before the soothing voice got through to his panic-stricken brain and the familiar smell of sulfur and bonfire that was permanently ingrained in the colonel's hair and skin. "You're okay, I won't let anyone hurt you. I'm here, you're here and... not there."

Roy could hardly hear the quiet mantra of the mess in his lap, repeating the words "it's my hair," over and over again.

No, Roy wasn't going to ask the doctor for the details of the assault. If Edward was ever ready to tell, he would be there to listen. Playing the part of a parental figure, however- that was out of the question too. Edward would never allow it. But, he knew he had to leave his role as his superior for the time being.

Because Ed was not okay.

Riza had waited for their return in the waiting room. Roy and Riza only communicated with their gaze as Roy walked a couple of steps behind Edward who had refused any sort of assistance. If it was to watch his back or to catch him if he collapsed again, he wasn't sure. Riza had tilted her head in understanding when Roy gave her a sad smile.

Edward marched past her and through the exit. The feeling of fresh air hit his face and it felt like he was finally able to breathe again. He sunk down on a bench, letting the night's chill breeze cool down his flustered cheeks. Letting his eyes close, he sat there for a moment- just feeling.

Mustang and Hawkeye stopped a couple of feet from him, letting him have the moment to himself. They didn't speak. The only thing any of them were able to do, was observing the way Ed's hair blew freely in the wind, covering his expression. Roy wondered it had a soothening effect on him. They let him sit there for a while, hopeful that he was trying to cope with the night's events and not spiraling into the darkness that menacingly lurked in the back of all of their minds after what had happened.

But, there was no way for them to really know what he was thinking.

"How's the arm?" Riza asked suddenly, soft-spoken but not drenched in pity like the way everybody else seemed to be talking to Ed.

"Fine," he murmured after a short break, getting up from the bench on unsteady feet and tried to gather his loose hair over his shoulder.

"I'll take you home," Roy said. "Alphonse must be worrying about you."

Edward didn't answer, but nodded faintly and walked towards the car.

"I guess I'll see you at the office," Riza told Roy.

"Yes," he sighed. "Good night."

The car ride felt tense as the silence turned almost unbearable. Roy wanted to say something- anything, that might make Edward feel more at ease. Ed had voluntarily sat in the back, sliding his swollen fingers through the heap of blonde strands laying over his absent shoulder and stared apathetically out the window.

"What are you going to tell Al?" Mustang heard himself say. Obviously not the right thing to ask if he wanted the kid to feel at ease, he thought to himself.

"I'll tell him what happened," Edward mumbled.

"Really?" Roy asked in surprise. If there was one person he'd thought would be kept completely in the dark about this, it was Edwards younger brother.

"Yeah, why shouldn't I?" He looked dumbly at Roy for a second and turned back to the window. "I met a crazy mechanic, he knocked me out and stole my automail."

Oh… oh.

"Edward..." Roy looked anxiously at the boy from the rearview mirror.

"Because that's what happened," Ed sneered, honoring Roy with a poisonous glare and slightly raising his rickety voice.

Roy gave out a reflexive exasperated breath, making Ed look uncertainly at his elder.

"Did- did you retrieve it, by the way?" he asked wearily.

"Your arm? Yes, it's in the trunk," Roy replied and took another glance in the rearview. Edward looked like he was pondering over something. When he finally spoke, it was one of the last things Roy expected to hear the voice of his hot-tempered subordinate utter.

"Do you, do you think you can help me to reattach it?"

Please leave a review to let me know if you enjoyed it! I usually try to incorporate people's feedback into the next chapter, so it's really helpful!