Chapter Seven
Edward sat on an examination table with a nurse in front of him. According to Doctor Warren, she was a nurse that specialized in eating disorders. The nurse was currently looking at his hands, as she had already checked his throat and done much of what the doctor at the other hospital had done.
"Well?" Ed snapped when the nurse was writing in the file that Doctor Warren had given her to write the results in.
"Mister Elric, as a certified nurse, I can't say that you don't have disordered eating," the nurse said. "You have all the signs of Bulimia that I usually see."
"I don't have that!" Edward exclaimed. "I don't have Bulimia; I'm not some stupid girl!"
Doctor Warren, who had been waiting outside the room with Hughes, sighed.
"I think we're going to need to keep him for observation," she said.
"For how long?" Hughes asked.
"Well, typically we keep patients under observation for three days. He'd be upstairs with the other patients," Doctor Warren explained. "We can go over all of this with the papers when his legal guardian arrives."
"I'll call him and tell him to get over here," Hughes said.
Edward was left to wait in the examination room after the nurse left with papers for Doctor Warren. Hughes was quick to find a phone, calling Mustang.
"Colonel Mustang," the colonel answered in a bored tone.
"Roy, you gotta get down here; the doctor wants to talk about observation stuff," Hughes said.
"So it's confirmed that he has a problem?" Mustang asked.
"Well, the nurse that just examined him seems to think so, but we won't know for sure what to do until we do observation," Hughes explained. "You really need to get down here."
"I'm on my way now; I'll be there in fifteen minutes," Roy said. "And Hughes?"
"Yeah?"
"Make sure Fullmetal stays alive until I get there," the colonel said before hanging up the phone.
Hughes sighed. They were in for one hell of a trip.
"So, what's the verdict?" Mustang asked when he arrived to Doctor Warren's office.
"We firmly believe that Edward has Bulimia Nervosa," Doctor Warren answered. "In order to confirm the belief, we'll need to keep him under observation for a few days. Patients typically stay for three days."
"What will go on during the observation?" Hughes asked. Mustang was glad his friend had asked; it was on his mind but he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.
"Well, during the time of observation, we're going to let him do whatever he pleases. We have security cameras everywhere and we'll be able to observe everything he does," Doctor Warren explained. "He'll be alone for quite a bit."
"He's not going to die, is he?" Mustang asked.
"He's not in immediate danger," Doctor Warren answered. "If he were in immediate danger from this disease, we wouldn't put him under observation like this. Fortunately, it is perfectly safe for him to be observed like this."
"What if he doesn't have a problem?" the colonel asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Then he'll be sent home with a clean bill of health," Doctor Warren said. "But I seriously doubt that he doesn't have a problem."
"And if he does have a problem?" Hughes asked.
"We'll discuss treatment methods and residence," Doctor Warren answered. "Colonel Mustang, I'll need you to sign a few papers in order for Edward to go under observation." She reached into a drawer in her desk and handed over papers and a pen.
"He's going to be so pissed off at me," Mustang said as he signed the papers.
"When isn't he pissed off at you?" Hughes asked, trying to lighten the mood.
It didn't work.
"Where does he go now?" Roy asked after signing the papers for the observation consent.
"He'll be escorted to an observation room by my nurse," Doctor Warren said. "He'll be given time to speak with you before my nurse takes him down."
"What will he need while he's here?" Hughes asked. "I'll bring anything he needs; he keeps all his stuff at my house."
"We'll provide him with clothing during the observation period, as well as any toiletries he may need. When we assess the situation, we'll decide what treatment steps to take and let you know what he'll need," Doctor Warren explained.
Hughes and Mustang were guided to the examination room that Ed was being kept in. The teenager looked up to the men with pathetic eyes.
"You're going to let them take me, aren't you?" Edward asked the two. Hughes nodded with a heavy heart. "Why?"
"Because you're sick, Edward," Hughes answered. "You need help."
"I told you a million times; I'm not sick," Ed protested.
"The doctors will be the judge of that," Mustang interjected. "They're going to keep you here until they know what the problem is." The colonel chose not to mention that the staff would be monitoring him all day. He didn't want to sabotage the results.
"Fine, let the doctors do what they do, but there's nothing wrong with me," the teen spat out before a nurse walked into the room alongside a large male orderly.
"Come with us, Edward. We'll get you ready to go," the nurse instructed. Ed cast a look of betrayal to Hughes and Mustang before walking with the nurse and orderly.
It was three days of worrying for the two men. Alphonse knew nothing of his brother's issue. Hughes and Mustang had collectively agreed to tell Alphonse that Edward was in the hospital, but nothing more.
Of course Al had asked Hughes if he could visit his brother. The man had only responded with, "Ed's in bad shape; the hospital will call and let me know when we can see him." It was vague, but it wasn't a lie.
After the three days of observation, the doctor finally called. She called both Mustang, who then called Hughes. The colonel definitely wouldn't be going to the hospital without the his friend - Ed trusted Hughes more than he would ever trust Mustang.
Hughes still didn't tell Alphonse that the doctor had called. He didn't want to tell Alphonse anything of what was going on with Edward. That was Ed's job to do.
Both men arrived at the hospital at the same time. The doctor was waiting in the waiting room for the two, which could only be a bad sign.
"What's the verdict?" Mustang asked while Doctor Warren led the men to her office.
"It's not good," Doctor Warren answered. "We monitored him with video surveillance. He spent most of his time in the observation room, which we had assumed he would. There was a camera set up, and we brought his meals to his room for him."
"So what went wrong?" Hughes asked.
"See for yourself." Doctor Warren allowed the men to enter her office. She then gestured to the chairs in front of her desk while she pushed a tape inside of a small television that was seated on her desk.
"Edward, we have your food," a nurse said as she walked into the room. She placed the tray of food on the bedside table. The teenager was sulking in the bed he was given, picking at the hospital shirt and pants he was being forced to wear.
"Thanks," the teen muttered before the nurse walked out of the room.
Once the door was shut behind the nurse, Ed decided to pick apart the food he was given. It was a sandwich with a fruit cup and three candy bars. It seemed suspicious that they would give him that many candy bars with his food.
Edward was a state alchemist, and able to deduce certain situations. He looked around the room, trying to find a camera. When finding none that he could see, the teenager decided to go up to the door, pulling on the handle to find that it was locked.
He would hear if anyone was beginning to walk into the room.
With all of the factors saying that he could get away with what he wanted to do without getting caught right away, Ed grabbed the tray of food, scarfing the food down like he was dying of starvation.
With the speed that he was forcing the food down, it wasn't long until Edward was finished with the food. He pushed the plate aside, walking into the private bathroom they had given him.
While there had been no cameras in the bathroom, the men and doctor could hear the sounds of the boy purging.
"Oh god..." Hughes trailed off.
"Well, you said after observing him you'd diagnose him and we'd figure out treatment," Mustang said. "What's next?"
"Well, personally, I would recommend residential treatment here, but there are other options," Doctor Warren said.
"No," Hughes interjected. "I don't want Ed going into residential treatment unless there are no other options."
"What are our current options, then, Hughes?" Mustang asked.
"He stays with me and we deal with it. I'll research on bulimia so that we can help him," Hughes explained. "That kid's as good as family to me, Roy, I can't just abandon him at some hospital. You told me yourself that you thought of the kid as a son."
"I didn't say son," Mustang said with a glare. "You're remembering wrong."
"No, you said son," Hughes said. "I'm in the investigations department; I don't forget easily - even if it was two years ago."
"Shut up."
"Well, if you'd like to keep him at home, we offer outpatient treatment," Doctor Warren said.
"And what's that?" Mustang asked.
"Outpatient therapy and a dietitian twice a week," Doctor Warren answered. "He'll have someone to talk to and the dietitian will give him a diet plan to follow. The only thing is that you'd have to make sure that he follows it and monitor him after meals until he's digested."
"And he'll be able to get better without a hospital that way?" Hughes asked.
"Well, he'll be weighed with the dietitian once a week so that we can make sure he's following the diet plan," Doctor Warren explained. "Our goal is to keep him healthy and keep him from binging and purging."
"How exactly are we supposed to keep him from binging?" Mustang raised an eyebrow.
"Just keep an eye on him," Doctor Warren said. "It's the only way to keep him from doing it."
"So we can take him home now?" Hughes asked.
"Yes, I'll just need the colonel to sign some release forms." Doctor Warren pulled out some forms from her desk and handed them to the colonel along with a pen. "You can make an appointment at the receptionist for the dietitian and therapist here if you'd like. We have an excellent one on staff, and incidentally, if Edward needed to be hospitalized for any reason, he would still be seeing the same therapist if he came here," the woman explained as Mustang signed the papers.
"Would he see other kids with his issues when he comes?" Hughes asked. While he sort of wanted Edward to see what would happen to him if he continued with this problem, he was also worried of the teenager's reaction to other sick children.
"Well, we do have group therapy available for outpatient patients," Doctor warren said. "It's on Saturdays and is completely optional."
"Thank you," Mustang said. "Where is Edward?"
"We'll have a nurse bring him out to you if you wait in the waiting room."
Hughes and Mustang waited until the door that lead to all examination and patient rooms opened. A nurse walked out with Edward, who looked absolutely miserable.
"Hey, Ed," Hughes greeted cheerily, trying to lighten up the mood. He really didn't feel like being cheery about this situation, though. Mustang felt the same way, but didn't go out of his way to act like everything was all right. "How you doing?" Hughes reached a hand out to pat the teenager's shoulder when it was slapped away.
"Don't touch me," Edward practically growled. "You two just left me in there. You left me in there to rot for three days!"
"It was for your own good, Fullmetal," the colonel said. "You're killing yourself with this. I have half a mind to throw you back in there for the doctors to treat you, and I would have if it wasn't for Hughes."
"You're coming home with me," Hughes said. "We're gonna make sure you get better."
"I'm not staying with you," Ed responded. "I'm taking Al and we're getting on the next train out of Central."
"Actually, you're not," Mustang said.
"And why not?" Edward asked.
"Because I suspended all your funds out of your State Alchemist account as well as your title," Mustang answered. "You're not going anywhere or doing anything until you're healthy."
"You can't do that!" Ed protested.
"I'm your colonel; I can do whatever I need to," Mustang said. "I can't have a soldier not be at his best because he's not eating properly."
"Fuck you," Ed spat.
"Okay, let's go," Hughes said, guiding Ed to where he kept the car parked. Edward brooded in the car while Hughes drove them back to his place, worrying about what to tell Alphonse. When the two walked through the front door, Al practically attacked Edward with a hug.
"Brother, Mr. Hughes told me you were at the doctor," Alphonse said. "What happened? Was it because of your fever?"
"It's nothing, Al," Ed said. "I'm going to sleep now."
"Ed," Hughes said as Edward began to climb the stairs. The boy stopped where he stood. "When you wake up, we're going to have a talk about what happens next."
"Great," Ed said sarcastically, finishing his climb to his bedroom and collapsing on the bed.
I do not have some stupid disease, Edward thought to himself.
Sorry I took so long, everyone! I had another relapse and my back still isn't better yet. I also had to play 'mom' for a week because my parents went out of state and I'm the only one out of my siblings with a drivers license.