"Were we not planning on it?"

Chapter Seven-Deadly Silence

How much time had gone by? An hour, maybe two. It was hard to tell once the sun had set for the day. And as denial started to give way to acceptance, the two hostages of the wrecked car found it more and more difficult to stay awake. The thought of sleep was so tempting. Sleep meant going somewhere warm, somewhere that the pain couldn't follow. But sleep also meant death. It was heavy in the air around them, hovering nearby, waiting for the opportunity to close in. All the desperation and stubbornness in the world could not hold death back forever. Struggling just seemed like wasted effort now. The Major glanced over at the General, burying his chin more against the collar of his coat. His voice came out weak and muffled against the white fur.

"Hey, you're not dead yet are you?" Roy let out a short breath through his mouth before squinting over at him.

"No, not yet." It had become so dark that he couldn't even see Ed from where he was. "And you?"

"What? Do you think you're talking to a ghost? Not likely." Edward would have a sharp tongue until the day he died. But his tone was lacking his normal confident determination. A gust of wind blew through again however the two occupants of the car were too numb by now to notice. Death seemed to creep in a little closer as they're conversation quieted down. "We have to keep talking, okay?"

"What do you want to talk about?" Roy's head was feeling more and more heavy as he tried to lean back against the seat.

"I don't know. Why do you think you were set up like this?" A small laugh pushed from Roy's chest, barely making it out of his mouth.

"Isn't it obvious? It's cause I'm so attractive." Edward blinked in surprise and returned the laugh.

"You're such a bastard. No, seriously."

"What does it matter? Whatever the reason, it worked didn't it? If they wanted me out of the way, their plan succeeded." Edward sighed inwardly.

"There you go again, giving up. Quit it or I'll never forgive you for dragging me along." Although Roy didn't particularly like Ed's efforts to keep him alive, he couldn't help but notice how tired the Major sounded. He really didn't care too much about himself however he wasn't about to let Ed die.

"You don't exactly sound as fired up as you were before either. So don't think I'm going to let you give in either and leave me to feel guilty." The two of them would keep going around and around like this if for nothing else then to keep pushing each other.

"Hah, I don't quit as easily as you do."

"I never said I was quitting." They both got quiet again and Roy searched his thoughts, trying to come up with another topic.

"So what was Van's first word?"

"What?" The blond's worn out gaze shifted even though he couldn't see anything.

"You heard me. What did he say first?" The silence returned for several seconds before Ed responded.

"He called Winry Dada." Laughter erupted from the passenger side of the car as Roy tried to hold his side in an effort to keep still.

"I'm sure she loved that."

"Well it took us forever to explain that he should be calling me that instead. For a while there he called both of us Dada." Roy found his thoughts wondering again from the conversation. Edward didn't really brag too often about Van, usually he kept the toddler's cute moments to himself.

"So you were serious when you made that promise to him weren't you?"

"Well this is the first time I've been away for more then an eight hour shift, so yes." The blond let out a sigh. He'd already noticed that his own breathing had become shallow. His lungs didn't want to take in the frigid air while his mind begged for the much needed oxygen. "To be honest, I never wanted to leave. I figured that taking a job in Central would mean I got to stay put." He drew out the last three words indicating a slight annoyance on his part.

"You could have said no to this. It's not like you're under me anymore."

"I know that."

"So why'd you come then? Just to drive me crazy the whole time with your sarcastic remarks and obnoxious glares?"

"You really think I care that much about annoying you? Please."

"Then what? What was so important that you were willing to leave?" There was no answer as Ed took in several short breaths. He almost sounded like he was hyperventilating.

"Tell you what, we survive this, and I'll tell you."

"That's not very fair."

"Don't really care if you think it's fair."

"And what if I survive and you don't?"

"Well considering you got me into this mess, then I guess you'd better make sure we both get out of this alive."

"I could set the car on fire." Even though there was no humor to his tone, Ed knew Roy would never do something so stupid.

"As cold as I am now, I'd rather freeze to death then fry. Thank you."

"Thought you said we're getting out of this."

"We are, stop taking every thing I say so literal." There was a heavy sigh in response from the other side of the car. Roy knew that Ed was just trying to preoccupied him by keeping the conversation going, but his mind was too fatigued to continue talking. He noticed that he was no longer shivering from the cold which meant his body was no longer trying to stay warm. The writing was on the wall and he knew they wouldn't make it till morning. There was nothing he could do. Although he jokingly said he could set the car on fire, his glove had taken too much damage, preventing him from doing anything. He hated feeling so useless but it was even worse when it involved someone else. Speaking of which, Ed hadn't said anything for a while now, causing him to worry.

"Fine, I won't listen to anything you say from now on. Alright?" The silence was so deafening as it rang in his ears. The only sound he could make out was a faint movement of Ed's breathing. "Edward! Wake up! Come on, you can't give in yet?" Death crept in a little closer, so close that he could feel the pressure in the air around him. "Ed, open you're eyes! You have to make it! What about your promise?"

"Guh...Mmm?" Edward blinked several times, drifting in and out of consciousness. "My head really hurts," he admitted, leaning back against the seat.

"It'll be okay, you just have to hang in there for a little longer, okay?" The General's tone had a definite panicked quality to it.

"I...just...just gotta rest for...for a minute."

"Ed, don't!"

A/N-Soo I ran out of things to offer, but would still like reviews. You could just write them out of the kindness in your heart. :)