Quick A/N: Remember, "text like this" when Roy is with Riza means that he is communicating with her via the code they invented when they were younger.
In response to freebird2992's question: "you really stay loyal to the whole 'edge of your seat' writing don't you?"
Yes. Yes I do. ;P (And thank you for the review, along with everyone else's; I just had to answer this one!) I will try to respond to reviews on here from now on. But really, thank you to everyone, because I do read them!
Sighing, Roy tried to will away the pain, pinching the bridge of his nose and leaning forward, pressing a blood soaked tissue to his nose with his free hand.
He should have learned the first time: Don't surprise Riza. Ever.
The nurses had warned him to wake Riza from her night terror slowly, but even his most cautious, snail-paced attempt wasn't enough.
As soon as he had grabbed her hand, she woke up, startled, and pulled her hand from his. In one swift motion, she managed to lash out at him, striking him in the nose with the palm of her hand.
Dr. Marcoh assured him that nothing was broken, but he wasn't concerned about himself.
The doctor explained that spikes in body temperature after surgical procedures were one of the most common complications. He noted that high fevers could disrupt the sleep cycle, causing vivid and lifelike dreams. The fact did nothing to comfort him, however. Roy was more concerned about what she had been dreaming and what had transpired through the dream. How long had she been sleeping like that? Did her nightmare start after he had left?
"I'm sorry."
He looked up upon hearing her voice, his eyes softening when he laid them on her. It was at least the sixth time she had apologized in the past couple of minutes.
Riza was sitting upright slightly, being supported by the elevated bed. She was staring down at her lap, her right arm lying across her abdomen. From this angle, he could tell just how thin she was now. He noted that her clothes hung loosely off of her body, akin to that of a child wearing an adult's clothing. The observation made him feel sick to his stomach.
He reached forward and gently took her arm in his hand, guiding her hand toward him and ignoring the flinch she responded with. He adjusted slowly and took her hand in between his. He wanted to get the point across that he was okay, because she didn't seem to believe it.
"I'm fine. Really," he tapped out in their code.
She shook her head slowly and spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, "I gave up."
He stopped, perplexed. "What do you-"
"I gave up!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking. Eyes still staring down at her lap, she took a shaky breath, trying her best to calm herself, but to no avail. "They gave me my gun. I-I was going to use it. They said I'd die there. I-"
"Stop."
But she kept going, babbling incoherently. Or maybe to him it was unintelligible; because his mind was racing at an unbelievable rate. He managed to catch the phrases "wasted time" and "would have been pointless."
Wasted time? Pointless? Was that what she thought? That she had been a burden? A pointless, worthless effort?
He slid off the chair and sat on the edge of her bed. Reaching behind her with his left arm, and in front of her with his right, Roy pulled her into an embrace, snapping her out of her hysteria.
"Stop. Do not ever say you are pointless."
She quickly recovered, though her shoulders were shaking now. "Sir-"
"Please," he begged, "Stop. You are too important."
"But, sir-"
"I forgive you," he interjected.
He knew that the only way she'd forgive herself was if he would "forgive" her. In reality, there was nothing that she had done that needed forgiveness. But if that was what she wanted, then he'd forgive her a thousand times and more. Because what she didn't realize was that she had been far stronger than he.
She fell silent when she had deciphered what he tapped on her shoulder. Leaning her body into his, she rested her head on his shoulder and beneath his jaw, murmuring one last time, "I'm sorry."
No. He was sorry. Roy remembered when he had given up. He still sought forgiveness.
But he also remembered being saved. Saved from the darkest corners of his mind.
Like her, he had been saved by the Fullmetal Alchemist.
"Brigadier General Mustang?"
Roy slowly opened his eyes and immediately turned his head to the right, seeing Riza's bed a few feet from his cot.
Shortly after their conversation, she had fallen asleep in his arms. He didn't mind… but the nurses did. After one of them came in for the next round of medications, she scolded him for allowing Riza to remain upright for so long. A brief argument ensued, the subject matter consisting of him letting Riza lie down and about whether or not he would go home. They compromised, allowing him to stay the remainder of the night.
His eyes focused on Riza. She was on her back, her right arm lightly placed atop her abdomen. Her breathing was more regulated now; her breaths long and deep. It appeared that, for the moment, she was at peace. No more nightmares.
"Sir?"
He jumped, unaware of the nurse standing to his left. Had she been the one that woke him up? He turned slightly and tore his stare away from Riza to focus on the woman.
"Sorry to wake you, sir, but you have a phone call."
Phone call? He watched her, slightly annoyed, waiting for her to elaborate further.
"It's urgent, sir," the nurse followed up quickly. "From a Lieutenant Colonel Rodin."
"Alright, thank you," he replied, slowly lowering his feet to the ground and turning his focus back on Riza. She was still sleeping.
Reluctantly, he stood and allowed the nurse to usher him to the door. After her countless reassurances that she would be there while he was gone, he finally stepped into the hallway and let her escort him to the nearest phone. Once she had gestured to the correct phone, he watched as she quickly whirled around and disappeared around the corner, heading back in the direction they had come.
He picked up the receiver and held it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Hello, General," Rodin responded quickly.
Roy frowned, noting that for once the Lieutenant Colonel had remembered his formalities.
"I won't be able to talk long, but I wanted to give you an update," the Lieutenant Colonel continued. "I'm calling from a train line. We're heading back to Central and-."
"What?!" Roy interjected, his response harsh.
"I tried calling you earlier, sir, but I couldn't get ahold of the hospital. I received a memo this morning stating that I need to be back in Central tomorrow for a meeting and, unfortunately, the only train leaving between now and then was this one.
"We just stopped at the Resembool station, so we should be arriving in Central in about seven hours."
"I thought this case took precedence, Lieutenant Colonel," Roy growled through his clenched teeth.
"It does, sir, and right now being back in Central is the best we can do right now. The sandstorm that picked up yesterday still hasn't died down, so we wouldn't have been able to go out today even if we wanted to.
"We collected most of what we wanted yesterday, so my team and I will analyze it once we get back to Central.
"I know that this isn't what you wanted to hear, General Mustang, but I do plan on making the most out of this situation. For example, is Edward Elric there in Central?"
"Yes," the General shot back. "Why?"
"I need to speak with him again. He was the only one that potentially saw our suspects, and I need to see if he recalls any more details," Rodin replied quietly, sensing the General's displeasure.
"You already got his statement ten weeks ago. Do you honestly believe that he would remember anything else after all this time," Roy stated bitterly.
"I think he could, sir."
"Fine," Roy replied shortly. Despite his anger, he knew that what was done was done. They were already on the train and heading back. "Let me know as soon as you arrive."
"Yes, sir," the Lieutenant Colonel responded submissively.
Without another word, the General slammed the receiver down and turned away from the phone. Sure, he knew that what was done was done, but he was still allowed the right to be upset. As far as he was concerned, every moment that passed allowed the perpetrators another moment to flee, hide, or do more harm. The "evidence" that Rodin would present him had better justify his actions…
When he rounded the corner, he saw the same nurse that woke him quietly beckoning him toward her.
Heart racing, he rushed forward and to her side.
Seeing his look of concern, she shook her head gently and shot him a small smile. "I just wanted to let you know that I finished everything I needed to do."
He nodded and thanked her, calming his rapidly beating heart.
She smiled once last time before stepping around him and walking away from him and down the hall.
He turned back and stepped through the doorframe, making a beeline for his seat next to Riza's bedside, which he was convinced already have a permanent indentation from him already.
As soon as he slid into his seat, she opened her eyes and furrowed her brow. She still couldn't see him.
He took her hand in his and felt her usual flinch. Slowly he tapped out a quick "good morning," instantly putting her at ease. "Are you in pain?" he followed up.
She shook her head slowly and asked about his nose.
He smiled slightly as he informed her that he was feeling better, when in reality his nose and cheeks were bruised. But she didn't need to know those "minor" details.
He quickly followed up by tapping out small updates on their team members, trying to keep her mind off of anything that would distress her.
Roy told her about Havoc and his eleventh attempt to quit smoking. He told her about how Breda and how he had finally beaten Roy in a game of chess. Falman had memorized every detail of the plans laid out for the rebuilding, and Fuery and Sheska were "talking."
She seemed happy about the update, but Roy still noticed that something was bothering her.
Before he had the chance to ask, however, she spoke, "And Edward…"
Roy was taken aback by her comment, but quickly recovered. Why Edward? Oh... he was the last person she saw. He should have started his update with the boy.
"He is fine," Mustang simply replied. He knew that if he told her that the boy had stayed in Ishval and left his brother behind in Resembool, she'd feel guilty for separating the two. She shouldn't have to add that to her list of worries.
Thankfully she didn't ask, instead replying with a small nod.
Soon after that she fell asleep, leaving Roy alone with his thoughts. He knew exactly what he would say to the boy when he saw him next. But first, he decided, he would sit through Edward's second report.
He needed to hear it for himself.
"General?"
Roy opened his eyes partly and glanced to his right, realizing that he had fallen asleep in his chair.
The nurse smiled and gave him a small wave. "Sir, there is a Lieutenant Colonel Rodin here to see you."
His eyes shot open and he glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 5:00p.m. He had slept at least four hours. As he stood and stretched, he glanced at Riza, noting that she was still sleeping. He'd make this conversation with the Colonel short.
After following the nurse out of the room, Roy turned down a few hallways and finally came upon the waiting area. He instantly saw Rodin… and his entourage.
Standing to the right of the Lieutenant Colonel was Lieutenant Falman. Upon seeing his superior officer, the gray-haired man nodded and saluted. Roy threw the Lieutenant a sloppy salute; because he was too busy eyeing the person to the left of Rodin.
Winry Rockbell stood beside the Lieutenant Colonel, a large red duffel bag tossed over her shoulder and a smaller, black one sitting next to her. If Roy hadn't done a double-take, he almost wouldn't have recognized the girl. Her hair, normally thrown up in a ponytail, was down, cascading over her shoulders and back. Since he had last seen her she had grown a couple of inches as well, though her growth spurt was nothing compared to Edward's. Her blue eyes were watching him, studying him.
Why was she there?
Colonel Rodin stepped forward and saluted Roy, his usually happy demeanor masked by his look of concern. "Are you alright, sir?" he asked, reaching up and touching his own face, mirroring Mustang's.
Roy suddenly remembered that half of his face was one large bruise. Reaching up and rubbing his cheek, he murmured, "Yes. Just a small accident."
Seeming to accept the General's brief explanation, the Lieutenant Colonel continued, "I hope you don't mind, sir, but I brought Miss Rockbell along," he gestured to the girl standing just behind him. "Coincidentally she was on the same train as us and she recognized Lieutenant Falman. Since we were all heading in the same direction, we gave her a ride."
Roy nodded and glanced at Winry. "Hello Miss Rockbell. I'm assuming you're looking for Edward?"
Winry slowly nodded in reply, her blue eyes watching the General intently. "Is he here?"
"Unfortunately, he's not," Roy replied shortly.
"Oh… okay," she responded, casting her eyes downward.
Upon seeing her look of disappointment, he changed his tone, his words softer. "You're here to fix his automail leg," he nodded toward the black duffel bag next to her. "I can take you to him."
She looked up. "A-are you sure?" She raised her hands slightly and waved them back and forth, "If it's too much trouble, I can come back later. Or I can-"
"It's fine," Roy cut in, trying his best to flash her a small, sincere smile. "He's having some trouble moving around, so I'm sure he'd be eager to have you look at it." He turned to Lieutenant Colonel Rodin, "I'll be right back; I'm just going to grab a few things."
After Roy had turned and made it to the doorframe separating the waiting area with the rest of the hospital, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face Rodin.
"Sir, I'm going to need to speak with Edward tonight. That meeting I have tomorrow is with my advisor. It would be nice to have everything laid out for him tomorrow; this second statement would be a great addition to the evidence I have."
"Understood," Roy responded. He hoped that Edward had pulled himself together enough to give the statement, but regardless, there wasn't much time. It had to be tonight.
"Is there anything you need from me?" Roy asked.
The Lieutenant Colonel shook his head. "No. And while a statement from Lieutenant Hawkeye would be invaluable, I know that in her condition it is going to be a while before I get one."
Roy raised his eyebrows. How did he know about her condition? He didn't remember telling the man anything.
As if he had read the General's mind, the Lieutenant Colonel answered, "I talked to one of the attending physicians earlier before I spoke with you. I figured you wouldn't be up to providing details, so I went ahead and asked the doctor himself."
That made sense.
"Alright. I'll be back."
Roy knelt down next to Riza's bed and gently took her hand in his.
She opened her eyes wearily and stared toward him.
"I have to leave for a little while," he explained. "I promise I will be back soon."
She nodded indolently, trying her best to keep her eyes open. Roy noted that the additional sleep medication Dr. Marcoh had prescribed was probably the culprit. She'd probably sleep the entire time he was gone. At least she would be too tired to have nightmares.
He waited until she closed her eyes again. When she did, he quietly gathered his things and made his way to the door. He cast one final glance over his shoulder toward her before walking through it and down the hallway.
Edward had finally come to terms with the fact that he and Mustang were going to talk. It was inevitable.
After coming to that conclusion, Edward allowed himself to" relax," to an extent, even going as far as making himself some canned soup he had found in one of the cupboards; though he quickly cleaned up the evidence that he had even been in the kitchen.
Now he was sitting on the couch, trying to focus on the book in his lap. Even though he had convinced himself that he was relaxed, he still nervously bounced his knee up and down, moving the book along with it.
He had run over a plethora of situations in his head that ranged from the two talking civilly to Mustang simply walking through the door, snapping his fingers, and setting Edward on fire. He sometimes found himself thinking that the latter option would be less painful.
Sure, he had come to terms with it, but that didn't mean he was ready. He would never be prepared. Because he would never be ready to look Mustang straight in the eyes and tell him that he had screwed up, almost costing the man everything that he held dear.
Edward couldn't ask for forgiveness, not now; because he never once felt that he deserved it.
The sound of keys in the door's lock jolted him from his thoughts. He swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly closed the book in his lap.
He wasn't ready.
He wasn't ready!
Edward flinched as the door swung open, revealing not one, but three silhouettes.
Yes, Edward had finally come to terms with the fact that he and Mustang were going to talk. What he didn't anticipate, however, was having an audience.
A/N: For some reason this chapter was difficult for me to write! I think it's because I wanted to write "Simple Orders" (the next chapter) more than this one. So I hope it wasn't too scattered or fast-paced and I hope that the quality of writing is still there (please let me know if it isn't).