Yeah, you finally get an answer to what it wrong with Ed! I know you all have been waiting for it. Yeah, this one took me longer than I thought, cause my friend came over then my brother took over my main computer for the whole day playing world of warcraft. Since I woke up at 7 I got on and finished it just before he woke up. Yes, you all are special like that, I normally don't get up until like 9 or 10, but I woke up early to finish this chapter just for you all. So please enjoy and I really appreciate all the favorites and comments, it makes me happy to check my email and see 5 messages relating to this story in my inbox.
So please enjoy ^^
Answer
I was aware of cold artificial air blowing around me, I could feel a somewhat soft bed below me and someone had changed me out of my normal clothes into the thin hospital shirt and pants. There was gentle beeping from somewhere in the room, probably from a heart monitor that they had hooked me up to. A plastic thing was in both of my nostrils, supplying me with clean oxygen.
I was also aware of a hand holding mine, gently cradling it in both of their hands. I knew they weren't Al's hands, these hands were to warm, even though they still felt cooler. I tried to remember what had happened before I passed out.
The room was dark…something about a CT scan…a painful injection…telling Mustang to stay with me…coughing up startling amounts of blood…after that my memory went blank. I struggled slightly, moaning in pain as I felt needles in my arm shift.
I knew that one of them was probably hooked up to a bag of blood, the other a bag with IV fluid laced with painkillers. I coughed slightly and groaned as my muscles began aching dully; these coughing fits had really worn me down…
Mustang's hand held mine tighter, almost to say that he was there and I was safe. I suddenly remembered my mother holding my hand like this when I was sick. She would sometimes hum a song without the words and rub my head, if I would moan in pain she would make gentle shushing sounds.
"Shush…shush…" I was shocked to hear Mustang's voice; it was almost as though he had read my thoughts. I grabbed his hand tighter, wanting to open my eyes but unable to. My eyelids felt like someone had weighed them down with cinder blocks.
There was a part of me that hated this, hated the fact that Mustang was here, holding my hand like my mother would. He was just an arrogant, bossy and ambitious jerk, always finding something to scold me for. The idiot was so self centered and pompous at times that I wanted to rip his big head right off his shoulders.
But there was another part, a stronger part of me that was rarely seen, that wished that Mustang really was my father. I sometimes would hope that he would tell me and Al that he was our real dad that he would make up for what Hohenheim had destroyed. But the differences between us were too much; Al and I had blond hair and golden eyes, unlike Mustang's dark hair and almost black eyes.
I squirmed slightly and let out a small groaning in pain as I felt the needles in my left arm shift. Mustang's hand gently moved up my arm to rest right below the tubes that were pushed into my veins.
"Edward, don't struggle, you'll only hurt yourself more." His voice was calming, full of parental concern and comfort. I forced open my eyes to see him looking at me, his eyes softer than they normally were. Glancing around the room I noticed that Al wasn't there. Panic began to overtake me.
Mustang gently placed his other hand on my forehead, as though he were checking for a fever. "Alphonse is fine; he went back to the barracks to get some of your things."
I sighed slightly and began to calm down. Al was fine, he hadn't left me alone. Then I remembered why I was in this place, I turned my head back to Mustang, looking into his eyes.
"Do they know what's wrong with me?" I asked the demanding tone in my voice weak and rough. He looked away, removing his hand from my forehead.
"I'll tell you when Al gets here, I didn't tell him either, I promised that I would when you woke up." Mustang continued to look away, unable to look me in the eye.
"It's bad isn't it?" I felt tears sting my eyes. I couldn't die, not yet, not until I had gotten Al's body back. I couldn't die and leave him alone; I couldn't die without fulfilling my promise to him. When he didn't answer I began to panic.
"Answer me dammit! How bad is it?" My voice broke off in a horrible ragged cough. I sat up and covered my mouth with my automail arm as a coughing fit began. I could see blood seeping through my fingers, falling onto the white hospital blanket. The heart monitor near me began to beep faster as my heart thundered in my chest.
Soon the coughing fit ended, I leaned back in the bed breathing heavily. The heart monitor resumed its normal beeping. I looked over at Mustang with unfocused eyes, watching as his face spun around me.
"It's bad, but you won't die…I told you I'd tell you when…" The door of my room suddenly opened as the large suit of armor that was Al walked in. He carried a suitcase, my red jacket slung over his shoulder. When he saw that I was awake he rushed over to me, dropping the suitcase at the right side of the bed.
"Big brother you're awake!" His voice was full of happiness, the armor's soul filled gaze seemed to glow brighter.
"Yep." I said, my voice sounded hoarse and rough, my throat felt like someone had scrubbed it with steel wool. I watched as Al's gaze trailed down to my automail hand, covered in my own blood.
"But you're not better…" He whispered, looking at Mustang suddenly, "He's awake, tell us what's wrong."
"Okay, Al you better sit near him, I don't know how he'll take it, or you for that matter." Al obeyed and sat in the chair to my right, gripping my automail hand tight. Mustang sighed and gripped my hand tighter.
"The CT scan showed a mass in your left lung. It's not too big, around the size of a golf ball, but it's enough to be worrisome. The doctor's think it may be lung cancer, they can only tell after they run tests on the tumor…" My eyes widened in shock, fear and panic coursing through my veins.
"Cancer?" I gasped out; I felt sick to the stomach and sat up suddenly. Al looked just as shocked as me, the crimson lights that were his eyes filling the eye holes of the helmet.
"They're coming in a little while to remove it; if it's benign they will keep you here for a little while longer. If it's malignant they have to give you chemotherapy to make sure the cancer doesn't spread, that could take months…"
"How did I get it? I don't smoke or anything and you know that."
"They said that you probably breathed it in somewhere, once it got in your lung the cancer got stronger."
I looked at the wall of the room, suddenly remembering the place Mustang had sent us just a little while ago. "Now that I remember it, the people there were coughing a lot. They also told us that some where dying from the unknown disease…something about the mill workers getting it…"
Mustang looked at me and sighed sadly, "Asbestos is in some mills, it's been known to cause lung cancer in patients. I shouldn't have sent you there, it I didn't you wouldn't be sick…" He looked away, letting in a ragged gasp as though holding back tears.
"It is not your fault, we chose to go and this happened. How were you supposed to know that the people there had lung cancer?" I looked fiercely at his back, "This is not your fault at all, and we're just as much to blame as you."
He turned his head around to face me again, eyes glassy as though he were trying not to cry. "I'm sorry Edward; I'll blame myself for this no matter what you say…"
There was a sudden knocking at the door, after the knock a doctor walked in, a clipboard in his hands.
"Hello Mr. Elric, we're ready to remove that tumor now." Behind him a nurse came in, an oxygen tank with a mask attached to it trailing behind her. She moved to my side, separating Al's hand and mine as she went. The oxygen tube was removed to be replaced with the mask.
"Edward, I need you to count to ten backwards. Once you reach five you'll be asleep." I heard her twist a knob and felt strange smelling air rush into the mask.
"Ten, nine, eight…" I trailed off as my eyelids began to feel heavier, my body went limp as I continued. "Seven…six…five…" Just as promised I was submerged in a dark wave of unconsciousness once I had reached five.
You may ask why I picked lung cancer. Well my grandfather died of lung cancer 6 years ago and my grandmother's boyfriend only 4 months ago. I dedicated this story to them and to all the other people out there that are dealing with any type of cancer. My other grandmother had colon cancer and survived after a year of chemotherapy. She's doing well and I'm glad that she's alive.
So this story is kinda dedicated to everyone that is battling cancer or who lost their lives to it. We will never forget you or the battle you fought to keep your life. If you know anyone who is fighting cancer or lost their fight to it please feel free to leave it in a review, it's a common fact that most people in the united states as well as all around the world are currently fighting or dying from cancer.
Miss you Pappap and Harry, I hope you are in a better place free from the pain of cancer.
Yes, emotional bit there, hope you all aren't like "she's going to make this story all sappy and stuff now." I won't, the story shall stay the same no matter what! Mwahahahahahahaha, I don't let small depressing paragraphs get me down. I hope to have the next chapter done by the end of this week, I also hope to get more reviews, they make me happy and stuff. ^^