Military Personnel

Chapter 7

I Need a Hero


Riza washed her face with cold water in an attempt to shock herself into being ready for several more hours in the O.R. She leaned over the basin and closed her eyes, trying to remember his face and the feeling of his arms and the taste of his lips. The memories were growing dimmer and she wanted so desperately to have a moment of something good before going back in and working for god knows how many more hours.

It was two weeks since Roy was whisked away to go back to the front. Their last hour together had been spent trying to put a final chapter on their short relationship, if you could even call it that. After Hughes gave them the news she had slipped back into the role of a professional and instructed him on how to administer his eye drops, how long to take his medication and cautioned him about protecting his eyes from direct sunlight for a little while. It was easier and less cruel to spend that time doing anything else. He understood the need to put a neat end to whatever their time together had been and welcomed the opportunity. So instead of a kiss goodbye, she got a sharp salute from a fellow officer when he finally climbed into the Jeep to leave. It was a neat, no strings attached goodbye. They respected each other two much to make hollow promises and it did make it easier on her. At least for the first week.

Then earlier this week, Lt. Colonel Hughes received his honorable discharge notice. Unknown to most of the staff he had requested a discharge in order to go into private practice and be at home with his family. Riza knew, but was still shocked when he handed her the approved paperwork. The military wasn't in the habit of letting anyone return home before they were done using them, and she couldn't help but wonder if this move was unprecedented. She assumed it was because he had refused to move his unit after the mercenary attack, but dismissed it because he'd be facing military inquiries instead of a trip home. He almost buried her in pictures of Elicia and Gracia and couldn't drag Fuery into his office fast enough to get his wife on the phone. She was happy for him, it was finally good news and a friend was going home. She knew she'd miss him more than she could comprehend at that point, Maes was a shining light of hope in this dingy hell and you could always count on him to distract you when you needed it most. Yesterday they had bid their commander goodbye with an off-key version of "He's a jolly good fellow" and Major Frank Archer took command of the MASH 611. A new chapter was about to being and she wished she could just throw away the damned book already.

Today the familiar sound of Fuery's voice carried through the air and told them more casualties were expected and as promised it had been a rough day. Fighting had intensified, the army was pushing hard against a region in the south and she knew it was because they got their treasured weapon back. Roy Mustang was back to work and the military seemed to be making up for lost time. Archer had relayed that information to her, congratulating her on a job well done. Certainly that would look great in her file, that she had personally saved the Flame Alchemist and returned him to the front. If anyone could make you feel worse about bad news, it was Frank.

So she looked up into the mirror and reluctantly put her mask back on. It was time to go back in there and listen to Frank ramble on about changes that he was going to make and how he was just waiting on a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. How it would be an atrocity to have the commander of the hospital outranked by a damned State Alchemist if another one happened by. She silently prayed Roy would find his way back, if only to pull rank on Archer for something insignificant.

Riza finished scrubbing up and went back to work, pushing through the swing doors to the O.R with her back and giving a nod to Sara who was currently working on prepping her patient. The man's foot was missing and the good doctor Rockbell was assuring the man that he could be fit for automail and continue to have a full life. Riza felt bad, she couldn't really couldn't find the desire to fake the optimism, she always doled out the facts finding comfort in honesty. She didn't see the need to fabricate the image of the future for these men, the truth for that soldier was that he could have automail but the army wouldn't pay for it. They'd compensate him for the loss of the limb, a few thousand Cenz on top of his final paycheck and a measly pension. Finances would negate automail and the years of rehabilitation as an option unless he had a family capable of bearing the financial burden for him. However, that lucky man was not her patient today and seemed to appreciate Sara's outlook.

She toyed with her surgical instruments and tried to focus. Her mind was everywhere but here and she knew it. Her next patient arrived and the orderly set him down on the table. She took the patient information from the nurse and looked it over. Nineteen, gunshot wound, embedded shrapnel. She glanced down at the young man already high on morphine and surveyed the damage. Chest wound. This was going to be a mess and she had to be ready to hunt for metal fragments in his flesh. She just couldn't focus and another distraction came in the form of Fuery as he entered the room. She saw from the look on his face that something was horribly wrong and she froze.

Fuery stood in the operating room, his shaking hands clutching a single half sheet of paper and he tried to clear his throat but couldn't dislodge the choked back emotion. "I have a message."

Frank Archer turned to the radio tech and glared at him. "Where the hell is your mask Sargent!? You might have gotten away with sloppy protocol under Hughes's command, but this is my outfit now and I expect better."

"Shut up Frank." Riza snapped at him, her weary eyes suddenly sharp and hostile at her new commanding officer.

Urey calmly dropped a bullet fragment into a pan and said, "Go ahead, kid. What's so important?"

Fuery bit his lip and crumpled the paper in his hand. "I have a message. Lieutenant Colonel...Maes Hughes...his convoy was attacked. There were no survivors."


Riza slid down the side of the ambulance and sat down next to the tire. The last thirty-six hours had been nonstop and seeing the ambulance empty was a cue to her brain to finally shut down and find a little reprieve. So until someone made her move, she was just going to sit here covered in blood and clipped ends of sutures and take the welcome rest. She blocked out the sounds of the other vehicles approaching, the ambulance trucks had a rather distinct sound that set them apart from the regular passenger vehicles. There were no more wounded, for now.

Nearly two months had passed since Hughes's death and it felt like two lifetimes. There seemed to be no end to the war, no end to the escalation of destruction by the alchemists and no word from Mustang. Riza was too tired to really understand why that mattered in the grand scale of things. She thought he'd send her a letter maybe call with some distant condolences for the loss of Hughes, but nothing came. She vaguely recalled his voice asking her if he could write her and knew she didn't say yes. In fact she made it perfectly clear that she wanted a disconnect from his five days in her care, so there was nobody to really blame but herself.

She felt the presence of someone and just muttered, "Damned slave drivers, go away. I'm done."

"I thought maybe I could convince you to have a drink with me? One made from grapes, not re-purposed fuel?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at him, the voice was unmistakable. She stared up at him, his blue uniform covered in dust from drive. Her heart leapt as she saw his smile. "What...are you doing here? Are you real?"

Roy squatted down in front of her and smiled. "Flowers, wine...I was hoping I could convince Barry to let me see his blood seal. You know us alchemists, those things just get us all hot and bothered."

She was so exhausted she couldn't believe he was really here in front of her. It was him, she knew it. She was way too tired to conjure up jokes in her fantasy. He had to be real. "You came back."

"For a date. Not a follow up exam." He smiled at her and put the flowers in her hand and then stood. He reached out offered her help getting up.

"Where are we going?" She asked. A part of her hoped he would say he was quitting, going AWOL and saying to hell with it all. However her rational side knew they were both past that point of no return. There was no quitting, just a grueling journey to the bitter end.

"Laundry tent?" He asked with a sly grin. "I'm planning to use some of my military might to convince the quartermaster that those flammable blankets have no place in a hospital."

She took his hand and he lifted her to her feet. She wobbled a little, no longer all that steady after hours of non-stop work and several days of restless nights. She hugged him and pressed her head into his shoulder. "You came back."

"You're just going to fall asleep on me, aren't you?" He asked and she nodded. He wrapped his arms around her and lost himself in the simplicity of the embrace for just a few more moments. "Let's get you to bed. It's about time I watch over you as you sleep."

"How did you know I did that?"

"I'd like to say I felt your presence...but Barry told me when he threatened to chop me to pieces for stealing the love of his life."

"Your uniform...smells like smoke." She said sadly. It was a reminder of where he had most recently been. Even if the Crimson Alchemist was responsible for the latest spike in the fighting, it didn't mean Flame would be allowed to sit it out. It brought her back from her momentary escape from reality.

"It's still my job."

"I'm sorry."

"Time for bed Riza." He said and brushed a loose strand of her hair back behind her ear. He let his hand caress her jaw as his eyes looked over the beautiful face that shouldn't be marred with heavy bags under her eyes. Her skin was pale and her hair dull. He only had an hour of looking at her before, a mere hour to commit her image to memory through watery and protesting eyes, but he saw so much change. The undertow was finally starting to drag her under.

"Ditch the jacket and stay with me." She looked up at him. " I want to know what it's like to sleep in your arms before you leave again."

He knew she was beyond exhaustion and he shouldn't get too excited hearing the words that slipped past her internal filter, but his heart hitched when she said it none-the-less. He supported her back with his left arm and bent at the knees to sweep his right arm under her legs. She was so easy to pick up, the scrubs hiding what was clearly an underweight and overworked body. She smiled at him and nuzzled against his shoulder, not a sound of protest coming from her chapped lips. "You're going to have to direct me, I'm not sure where your tent is."

"What the hell is he doing back here?" Barry set the crate he was carrying down on the hood of a jeep and marched over to the man holding his beloved Riza like he was posing for a romance novel. "I thought we got rid of you!"

"I missed your cooking." Roy replied with a mocking smile and heard Riza grunt begrudgingly in his arms.

"I have to get some supplies to the...other hospital." Riza mumbled and nudged Roy to set her down. She didn't realize Barry would have it all packed already. He seemed to enjoy helping them steal supplies by hiding them in his armored body now that Archer was in charge. The help was appreciated, just not at this moment. "Urey and Sara left a few hours ago. They're going to need restocked. Kimblee was working hard today."

"Just tell me where and I'll deliver it." Roy said and she shook her head.

"I don't want to get you involved."

"I already am involved." He replied and looked around. "So tell me where your tent is, let me put you to bed and I'll be the delivery boy."

"No, I'll come with you." She said and leaned her forehead against his face. "You drive, I call shotgun."

"How long you here for pal?" Barry asked as he picked up the crate to follow the alchemist to his vehicle.

"Just a 24 hr furlough." Roy replied. "Don't bother harvesting any roadkill on my account."

"But it's Stir-Friday!" Barry dropped the crate in the back of the jeep.

"Maybe next time." Roy sat Riza down and she whispered in his ear.

"He'll slip laxative in your food. He's been doing it to Lieutenant Colonel Archer." Riza cautioned.

Roy paused and squeezed her hand. "I heard about Hughes."

"Yeah." Riza looked away.

"I'm to blame for his death. I should have never told him..."

"You didn't kill him did you?" She glanced up at his guilt ridden face. "Not by your hand? It's not your doing."

"I got him involved."

"Roy, we got him involved." Riza said with a shake of her head. "Rockbells and I, we brought this down on all of us."

"So, let's make sure they have the supplies they need to continue doing the right thing." Roy leaned down and placed a light kiss on her forehead. Guilt, it seemed, would be their ever present shadow no matter what they did. Now he knew why her resolve was cracking, she blamed herself for taking Hughes from his family. That however, would be a discussion for another time.

"Let me go get my sidearm while you and Barry secure the crate." She slipped out of the jeep and gave him a light kiss. "Don't go anywhere without me."


Roy hefted the crate of supplies out of the Jeep and carried it to the little isolated shack that was made with pallets and tarps. Riza held the canvas door open for him and he ducked inside the tiny building. His eyes scanned the beds immediately, looking at the dark skinned patients that possibly were here because of him. One woman clutched her blanket firmly upon seeing his uniform, terror in her red eyes. Riza took his arm and he returned her gaze to her.

"Back here." She instructed and walked ahead to the little alcove that was made out of empty crates.

Sara smiled as soon as she saw who the guest was. "Good to see you again Major."

Urey cocked his head as he finished splinting a broken hand on an Ishvalian boy. He wasn't going to question why Riza brought him here, he doubted she'd be able to give him an answer anyway. "So what news do you bring from the front?"

"It's probably going to be another three months, but the war is coming to an end." Roy watched Urey and Sara look at each other and smile. "It's not just boasting this time, it's for real."

"That is good news." Urey finished and picked the boy up off the table and set him down on his own two feet. He didn't want to risk having the boy jump down.

Roy froze as the boy walked past him, staring at him the entire time. He didn't know if there was recognition in those eyes or just curiosity. He closed his eyes and wondered if three more months of bloodshed was really good news or not.

"Well, I'm sure you didn't come here to spend time with us." Sara gave Riza an encouraging smile. "Thank you for the supplies dear, you should get some sleep."

Roy walked over to a picture on the wall held in place with a single push pin. The edges were worn out and the wood behind it was pockmarked with pin holes denoting the picture had been removed and rehung many times. Three kids, one little girl in a sundress with bright blue eyes and two boys she held in place with her arms. Clearly the boys weren't as interested in taking pictures as she was. One had a scowl plastered on his face and the other was laughing while trying to grab at a kitten.

Sara walked over to the picture that the Major was focused on. "Our little girl and her two friends from next door. You should come visit. Those boys are alchemists, I'm sure they'd love to meet you."

Roy was more surprised that she would subject those kids to a man like him, a man who used alchemy for everything she stood against, than the incriminating evidence that was the photo. Sure, it wasn't a family picture, just a nice picture of some Amestrian kids hanging in a refugee hospital, but one look at that little girl and you would know she was her mother's daughter. Apparently they all need constant reminders these days of why they were doing their jobs.

Sara continued, "You'll have to bring him around sometime, Riza."

Roy watched Sara leave sporting a sly grin and then caught the blush on Riza's face. "How about we start with that dinner I promised you?"

Riza nodded and made her way out of the hospital and to the waiting Jeep. She leaned against the vehicle and as soon as he was close enough she asked the question that had been eating away at her. "Why didn't you write?"

Roy put his hands in his pockets and sighed. "Well our government determined that the attack on the hospital might have had something to do with their boasting about my injury. Then in a new stroke of brilliance decided that they no longer wanted anyone knowing where I was. So they now classify all my missions as high risk and no longer allow me communication with the outside world. For my safety, of course."

"Oh."

"I wrote you anyway." He said as a smile crept over his face, excited that she was disappointed she lost contact with him. "I have them in my bag. I smuggled them out anyhow."

"You're turning into quite the outlaw." She said and listened to his soft laugh. It made her smile.

"You should hear what I have planned for after this damned war is over." He grinned.

"If you can't even send letters, how did you get away on furlough?" She asked.

"I said I had floaters in my eye." He shrugged. "Something you wrote up on my release form, and I said I urgently needed the attention of my attending surgeon to ensure it wasn't going to be an issue. You'd be amazed at how quickly my C.O. signed that furlough and threw his keys at me. I know we parted on mutually agreeable terms, but I needed you to know that I haven't stopped thinking about you. I need you to know that."

Riza pushed herself off the Jeep, wanting to confess that she clung to his memory like a security blanket as she weathered the storm here. How Hughes's loss had hit her hard and the uncertainty of what they shared was eating away at her. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to finish medical school, the enthusiasm that drove her for her career died along with so many out here in the desert. Instead, as she opened her mouth to say something a huge crash inside the makeshift building alerted them both to something going horribly wrong inside.

Roy was quick to pull his gloves out of his pockets as he removed his hands, slipping them on without thinking about it at this point. Riza darted in front of him, racing to the sound of distress in the sanctuary and not considering there might be lurking danger within the shoddy walls. He had his gun drawn as he pushed through the canvas door and his eyes focused on the man who had a hand around Urey's throat and was lifting him in the air. His gun was immediately on the target, ready to fire into the huge Ishvalian's shoulder, then the chaos took another turn as all the patients panicked. An Amestrian soldier with a gun was the last thing the refugees needed to see.

Riza pulled her own sidearm, standard issue for any officer in the military, but as the Ishvalian turned to see what was causing the panic she was knocked over by a patient scrambling for the door. She held onto the gun and looked up as beds were flipped across the room and Roy stood firm against the waves of people and fired.

Sara screamed, "Don't kill him!"

Roy unloaded two rounds into the enraged man, but it was like being armed with a slingshot against a rhino. The man's rage enabled him to power past the bullet wounds and swat the alchemist's gun away before slamming him into the wall. The wall gave way, being made of pallets nailed together without a solid base and they fell into the operating room.

Riza finally leveled her own gun at the man and fired,hitting him in the shoulder which distracted him from trying to crush Roy's face with his hand. She wasn't even sure if this was a man, his eyes were wild with an animalistic craze and she froze. Shooting was one thing she was more than comfortable with, but killing was something she wasn't. Especially when looking at the eyes of the man who she was targeting. Then there was a snap and a burst of flame as Roy struck back.

The Ishvalian reacted to the agony of the burn on his arm and released his hold on the soldier. Roy prepared to hit him again, but heard Sara's scream above the din of all else.

"NO! He's just confused!" Sara hollered at the top of her lungs. "Like you were Major when you woke up blind!"

Roy doubted that to be the case, he saw something rabid in this man that wasn't misdirection or confusion. However, the image of those three kids stuck in his mind and the idea that maybe these people wouldn't be ashamed to say they knew him made him change his tactics. He focused on the oxygen now, but to force it into the man's vicinity in order to cause him to become lightheaded and hopefully pass out before he did too much damage.

Riza watched the man stumble back, his balance thrown off. He was already in bad shape before, but now he was bleeding from three bullet wounds and a fresh burn on his tattooed arm. She scrambled to the OR to grab sedative, not sure what state the Rockbells were in. She looked up as Sara jumped over her, already on her way with a syringe of morphine. and glanced back at Roy. His jaw was set in grim determination and his brow furrowed with intense concentration as he performed some transmutation that only he was aware of. Riza had no idea what he was doing, but as she heard a crash she knew it worked. Her eyes shifted to the crumpled body on the floor, as she looked under two undamaged beds to see their attacker's scarred face.

Roy let his hand fall and watched the two Rockbells fret over their patient, now exponentially worse than he was before. Urey seemed unharmed, Sara appeared relieved and he glanced over to Riza to see a look of confusion. "I manipulate oxygen. I just increased the concentration around him to make him pass out."

Riza crawled over to his side and looked him over. Her heart racing as she tried to work past the mixed emotions and adrenaline. Her hands shook as she touched him, needing the reassurance that he wasn't harmed by just being involved in her life. How by doing the right thing a good man already died and another two were almost killed. "Are you hurt?"

"Are you?" He asked and took her trembling hand.

"We're going to need help getting him onto the operating table!" Sara called out.

Roy and Riza shared a look that required no explanation, one they understood clearly without a single word. The insanity of saving a man, only to have him try to kill you, then saving him again. Of all the people who had died in front of them both, people who so desperately wanted to have a second chance to maybe be in a different place or time, this man with the scar was going to be lucky enough to have three doctors try to save him. Again.

So two young people that had this cruel world toy with their good intentions, now saw an understanding in the glistening orbs of another human being and knew weren't alone anymore. Sometimes all you needed was to know that there was just one person out there who understood the conflicting emotions of what you had to do because the choices were never so simple as right or wrong. The decisions that haunted you, the ones that made you question your direction in life when you were faced with something your mind and soul fought over, but you trudged ahead anyway because there was a job to be done.

So he held out his hand after he stood up and said, "I'm not going anywhere, I'll watch over you."

Riza took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. Normally a statement like that would imply she needed protecting, but she looked into those onyx eyes and saw a man who knew she was also uneasy with the choice that had been made. That she was going to have to take a bullet out that she shot a man with and it went against her oath as a live saver. He was here to watch over them and make sure that if something had to be done, it would be his call and the three people trying to save a life wouldn't have that blood on their hands. It wasn't a statement of her need, it was a promise from someone who didn't want to see her hurt or have to struggle with any more.

To save the man they now referred to as Scar, since he arrived unconscious and remained so, the three exhausted doctors labored well into the night. Roy sat on a crate against the wall and watched them work, sketching out the tattoo the man had on his arms in his little black notebook. Then he heard Sara's exhausted voice address him.

"Major. Perhaps you can drive Riza back? I'm sure Colonel Archer will notice we're not around at some point. We're taking a risk all being out of camp together." Sara wiped her arm across her brow and gave him a weak smile. "And ask Barry to make a trip out here to watch over our friend?"

Roy noted that Riza did not protest. He stood, put his book away and checked Scar once more to make sure the man wasn't going to repeat his previous rampage. Somehow he was still alive and Roy couldn't help but wonder if the alchemic tattoo had something to do with it. "Exactly how is it that you all managed to escape Archer's scrutiny?"

"He thinks we sneak away to engage in marital acts." Urey said without a trace of emotion. "Always has. Hughes lectured him once about the importance of stress relief and he never asked again."

Riza walked over to Roy and wrapped her arm around his, leaning into him and resting her head against his upper arm. His uniform still stank of smoke and she didn't care. She just shot a man for him and she knew she'd do it again if the situation called for it. Right now, she wanted to get out of here before her dammed up emotions overwhelmed her and she started to cry. Sara and Urey would not make the same mistake twice and they would keep Scar sedated until Barry arrived, it was safe to leave. She heard Roy's voice but didn't really comprehend the words, just that they were some form of a goodbye. So she let him lead her out of the small sanctuary and to the Jeep before breaking down and crying into his shoulder. His arms and smokey scent enveloped her as he lightly ran his hand over her hair and placed light kisses on her head. A comforting and encouraging warmth wrapped around her, a stark contrast to the cold and disapproving voice from her childhood who told her that crying only wasted time and never accomplished anything. Right now, it was the best feeling in the world because she didn't have to think.

Roy rested his chin on her head and said softly, "You really do go to some extreme measures to avoid going out on a date with me. A simple no, as opposed to a mercenary attack or attempted murder, would suffice."

She had to laugh, an awkward half crying half chuckling sobbing laugh. "I guess I just need a hero."

"I seem to recall things a little differently." Roy wiped away a tear after she looked up at him. "I think you've saved me quite a few times and I haven't even known you a week. You're the real hero here, Riza Hawkeye, don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

She choked up and couldn't say anything, so she grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him down to a kiss.

"How about we get out of here and you fall asleep in my arms like you promised earlier?" He asked when she finally pulled away to wipe her eyes and sniffle.

"Sounds like a date."

"I don't know, you're establishing some fairly high standards for dates." He wrapped his arm around her and walked her to her door. He opened it and looked at her before she got in. "At this rate I'm going to have to save the world in order to keep your interest."

She cleared her throat. "So, that's what I should expect for next time? If so, I'll make sure to have my bags packed."

"Nah." He gave her a thoughtful smile. "I'm going to start by fixing Amestris first, then we can tackle the world once I'm Fuhrer."

She was in the process of sitting down in her seat when he said it and she glanced up at him as he slammed the door shut. Something about the way he said it, it sounded like it was premeditated. His eyes told her her suspicions were right and playful smirk told her now wasn't the right time to ask. So she sat back in the uncomfortable seat of the army Jeep and ponered it. Soon however, her thoughts were solely on the important question of whether or not Roy Mustang was just excited to get back to camp or really was the worst driver she had ever met.


Author Note: So this was supposed to be the last chapter, however I started to ramble and had to bump the original ending to the next chapter. Unfortunately since this all was written before posting it means Chapter 8 is only half written. (It will be the final chapter, I swear! )

Also, I tend to dabble in AUs because I really like having Hughes live. Unfortunately he was perfect for the part of Lt. Col. Henry Blake in this story which meant that...I had to follow through with the same demise. Which sucked. A lot.