Chapter 3: Strange Welcoming
If there was one thing that Alphonse Elric hated about trains it was when something went wrong.
"Help!" a distant scream woke Al out of his deep sleep. The train had stopped. "Please! Somebody! Help me!" another sharp scream, this time followed by a cry of pain erupting sharply from beside him.
"Damn rack." Edward muttered, running his fingers through his aching scalp and breathing harshly out of his nose.
"You okay?" Al kept his voice low.
"Yeah." Ed rubbed his head and winced, then looked towards the door. "I just hit my head on the luggage rack."
"PLEASE!" the harsh sobbing had come to a stop by their door. The voice (masculine and high pitched by the sound) was so close that they could hear the panicked breath after every word, and moments later see the thin door shaking as rapid knocks collided with it. "HELP!"
Without another moment's hesitation Ed crossed the floor and flung the door open, standing back and raising an eyebrow in approval as Al took his once used alchemy stance, then grasped the front of the figure and tugging it into their compartment and closed the door once more. The years had made them paranoid and now was a perfect example.
The form lay shivering and gasping by their overturned suitcases, clutching at his chest and panting out murmured thanks. Alphonse didn't back down, his hands still poised to clap and looking at the figure with suspicion.
"Are you okay?" Ed asked, slowly leaning over and gently putting a hand on a shoulder. "What happened?"
"After me…" the figure coughed harshly and rolled over. Edward and Alphonse gasped. A young boy, no more than twelve or thirteen lay in front of them, fear clear in his eyes. "They're after me." Short, brown hair, thickly matted surrounded a tan face, numerous scars surrounding the eyes which were the brightest green the brothers had ever seen.
"Who?" Al asked, his posture relaxing ever so slightly.
"I-I-" the figure began to shake. "I- I don't know." More shaking and the boy rolled onto his side, revealing a tattered knapsack. "But I know they want it…" green eyes darted to Ed's and pleaded. "Keep it safe!"
Edward nodded once and felt his posture tighten as the boys eyes rolled back in his head and he slowly fell back to the side, breathing shallow and almost nonexistent.
"Is he okay?" Alphonse asked, stepping forward and kneeling by the boy's head as quietly as was possible.
"I don't know…" Edward knelt at the boy's side and hesitantly pressed his fingers to the boy's neck. Heartbeat… feel a heartbeat and that's good. He licked his lips. One, two, three, four, five, six, he mentally counted. How fast is it supposed to be? Edward swallowed the lump in his throat and put his other hand on the boy's forehead.
Hot. The boy was positively burning up with a fever.
"He's got a fever." Ed sighed, pulling his hand away and looking at Al. "But his heart's beating at least."
"We've stopped." Al commented, the unspoken concern in his voice. "And this stranger just happens to stumble in?"
"Good thing he's traveling with us, huh?" Ed looked at Al. "The doctors in Rizenbool asked us to escort him here for further medical care, right?" Alphonse smiled at his brother.
"We've got to get off the train. And if we're not in Central then we need to get there, quick."
"Way ahead of you little brother." Edward walked back over to the door and flung it open, revealing two soldiers, dressed in the formal blues of the Amestrian military staring at him with a mixture of shock and awe.
"Edward Elric?" the tallest, most muscular one gasped, tears forming in his eyes. "Is it really you?" Edward's eyes widened and blinked as he took in the form of Major Armstrong.
"Ed?" the other soldier, shorter with two toned blond and brown hair cocked his head, cigarette hanging limply in his mouth.
"Major? Lieutenant?" Ed asked, his voice soft. "What are you two doing here?"
The soldiers eyes slowly looked over Ed's shoulder, focusing on the boy laying on the floor, Alphonse looking worriedly down at the kid.
"There's been some trouble here in Central lately." Havoc mumbled around his cigarette.
"Too bad." Edward gave a small, almost sympathetic smile, "Out in Rizenbool we really don't hear a lot about this place."
"Is that so?" Armstrong lowered his gaze to the floor.
"What brings you to Central Ed?" Havoc nodded to the boy in the compartment and gave an unsure smile at Edward.
"We were traveling here to finally get in a vacation, when we got saddled with this kid." He gestured behind him nonchalantly and shrugged. "He needs a doctor." An explanation that held a dual meaning. Edward only hoped that the two would understand.
"What good Samaritans you boys are!" Armstrong bellowed out overenthusiastically and overly loud. "Helping the innocent children and people of our world!" Ed smiled sheepishly and stood aside, his posture still wary.
"Yup. That's us." His eyes flashed. Taking a quick look at Al, still trying to help the boy, and the two soldiers (friends, Edward reminded himself), giving him worried smiles and concerned looks.
"Brother-" Al sputtered, his eyes widening and his voice cracking, "I think he's dying!"
Ed felt his eyes travel to the boy's stomach, smelled the tall tell tang of copper beginning to drift through the air and gave an imploring look to his friends. "Getting into trouble wherever we go." He frowned. "Where's the nearest doctor?" Edward moved aside and allowed Armstrong to pass by.
"The nearest one we can trust," Havoc watched intently as the Major gently picked up the boy and turned to walk out of the compartment, "is a few blocks away." His gaze softened as he looked at Ed, and then Al. "You two are looking better." He allowed them to exit, luggage in hand, first.
"I suppose." Ed cast a quick glance at Al, then down to Havoc's legs. "I see your up and about."
"Yeah." He smiled. "Dr. Marcho fixed me up." He picked up the pace, almost trotting to stay beside Major Armstrong's rapid pace.
"Who's the boy?" Al asked, gently pulling his coat closed to hide the small blood stain. "He was so frightened."
"I can't tell you here." Havoc put emphasis on the word 'here' and gently opened the exit door for Armstrong and his charge. "It'll have to wait until we're back at Central Command." Ed frowned.
"Just so we're clear, on a scale of one to ten how much trouble has there been?" there was a hint of worry in his tone.
"Probably about fifteen." Havoc ushered them to a black military car and frowned, "You two want to stay in the backseat with him?" he thought it only right to give them the option. After all, they hadn't volunteered to be involved in this mess.
"Sure." Alphonse climbed in and gently helped Armstrong position the boy so that he was laying comfortably enough. Edward climbed in next, grimacing as Havoc gave him his blue jacket.
"Put pressure on the wound." His eyes were sympathetic and Edward refrained from gagging as he pressed his hands onto the boy's bleeding stomach.
Come on! He chided himself, You've seen more bloodshed than most will ever and you've got to do this! He firmly pushed on the wound and jerked slightly when the car door slammed and the boy sucked in an unconscious breath of pain.
The car rocked as the two older men got in and Armstrong turned as much as he could in the tiny area to face them.
"It won't be long you two." He turned back around and sighed as the car took off as fast as possible. "We'll be there soon."
Edward looked at Alphonse and then flashed his gaze to the pack. Alphonse trailed his hand downwards, gently pulled the sack away from the unconscious boy and nestled it down by their suitcases.
