Chapter 4
Roy's face remained calm throughout the entire story. He nodded on some occasions while Riza took notes. Ed kept telling the story with some input from Winry until the tale reached to where they stood. Roy looked at the kids, who were still collapsed and opened his mouth to say something. "Fullmetal, it looks like—"
"Nee-san!" Al burst through the door. Everyone was on their feet. "Al! What's wrong?" Ed ran to his brother and started to pat his back. "Where's Mei and Show Mei?"
Amy and Michal started to wake up. "Uncle Al?" asked Amy. "Where's Aunt Mei and Show Mei?" finished Michal.
Roy's ears perked. "Mei and Show Mei?" asked Roy. "Would this be Alphonse's family?" Al nodded furiously as he gasped for air. "They-they—!" Ed thumped Al on the back harshly. "MY FAMILY IS GOING TO DIE!"
Everyone stopped. Then panic ensued.
"Did the desert kill Show Mei?"
"Did that jerk kill Aunt Mei when he hit her?"
"Is there anything we can do?"
"QUIET DOWN!" Ed finally shouted. Everyone looked at Ed as he went over to Al. "What happened?"
Al sat down a depressed man. "We were at the doctor's getting Mei and Show Mei checked out. We wanted to make sure Show Mei was alright first, because she's more frail than us older ones." Al looked at Ed sadly. "The doctor said that Show Mei had lost a lifeline of some sort. Something that was keeping her alive is gone. I think that it was the Philosopher's Stone."
Ed looked at Al. He was devastated. "Alphonse . . . Well, what's Mei's diagnosis?"
Al looked down again. "When Show Mei was born, Mei used some kind of alchemy to tie her lifeline with Show Mei's so we would know if she was hurt. The good thing is that it doesn't work both ways, otherwise Show Mei would . . ." Al's eyes watered. He quickly dried them. "That being said, Mei is in the same condition Show Mei is in, but worse. Her head was hit so hard that if she falls asleep again, she might never wake up." Al looked at his brother and his family. "Nee-san, I don't know what to do."
Ed looked at his own family and imagined the despair that Al must be going through. It seemed like the world would fall apart, and not even alchemy could fix it.
Alchemy . . . Ed pondered and entertained the thought. Then a scheme began to dance in his head. Now . . . how to tell Al?
Roy coughed. Ed jumped. He had forgotten where they were. Ed looked over to see Roy and Riza disconnect their hands. Ed smiled inside. Ha-ha, even the Colonel was no match for it. Then Ed turned serious. He turned to Winry. "Honey, could you get the kids back to their rooms? It looks like they might wake up soon."
Winry stood and pouted. "Oh no, you don't."
Ed was confused. "What?"
Winry brought out her wrench and Ed flinched. "You're not going to do something dangerous without letting me tune your automail."
Ed smiled. He turned to Al and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. When Al looked up, Ed gave him a confident smile and thumbs up. "I gave my alchemy for you, and I'd do it again if I had to." That made Al feel a little better.
"Well, then, Elric brothers" Roy stood. "We have something that you can use. It was a method to get tame Greed if he came back."
Ed and Al were stunned. "You really planned for this, Colonel?"
Riza coughed. "Furhur."
Roy smiled at Riza. "They can call me Colonel if they want, but I want no mention of Wrath under this roof."
Ed whispered to Al "Just did." They laughed like the little troublemakers they were. Riza stood over them and they both gulped. "It was a joke, First Lieutenant, only a joke. Ha-ha." You could have seen the sweat run down Ed and Al's faces.
Riza and Winry sighed. Winry turned to Roy "You said that you had something that would tame Greed?"
Roy looked straight at Ed. "Yep, and it's right here in front of us."
