The Rumour

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

Chapter 10: The Accident

Edward Elric decided that having to spend time with the Colonel, walking around and smiling through Recruitment Day, gave him three things. A headache so bad he thought Al had hit him again, an all over rash from having to wear the uniform for more than an hour, and an absolute hatred of the Colonel that exceeded any hatred he'd ever had for the man before. The man never let up. Suave, smooth and smiling, he dragged Ed with him everywhere. He could not get two feet away before the Colonel's smooth, casual voice would be saying "isn't that right, Fullmetal?" and he'd have to turn back and smile and agree and wish that murdering your superior officer was not a capital offence.

It didn't help with the looks he was getting from the other soldiers around him either. Several secretaries seemed to understand his predicament and had tried to distract Mustang, but the man had shrugged them off and kept going. They had tried to insist that Ed was needed for other duties, but even that hadn't worked. Mustang would point out that he was the Major's Commanding Officer and as such, he was the one to determine what the Major's duties were and today he was to accompany the Colonel for as long as the Colonel saw fit. Ed began to seriously consider suicide at that point. Or desertion at the very least.

By the time lunchtime came around Edward had lost his appetite. Food had always been a comfort, but today he couldn't even look at it. Probably because it was his one chance to escape from the Colonel's company. The Colonel walked to the mess with Edward right behind him but as soon as Mustang opened the door and entered, Ed turned and darted off to the left. He would have kept on running right out of the compound if he hadn't been collared by Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes. Ed squawked as a hand snagged his collar and pulled him sideways, causing him to nearly fall over.

"Hughes!" he protested as he straightened both himself and his uniform.

"Going somewhere, Ed?" The tall man grinned at him and Ed glowered back.

"Shove it, Hughes. This is my one chance to be free of him."

"Where did you leave him?"

"In the mess hall," Ed shrugged. "Look Hughes, I really need to get out of here. I've done my duty. If I have stay with him another minute I'm going to kill him, or something."

Maes laughed and ignored the frown Ed gave him. "Look, just stay with me for a bit and then sneak off. Then I can tell Roy you didn't just run away."

"I'm not running away!" Ed growled.

"Oh really? What do you call it then?"

"Leaving," Ed said matter-of-factly and Maes grinned at him.

"Come on Ed. Another hour and I'll let you leave early."

"Fine," Ed grumbled and sighed. Sometimes, even Maes Hughes could be a bastard.

The mess hall had been rearranged for the day, and extra tables had been set up with light refreshments for the visitors as well the usual bains-marie for the soldiers and for those who wanted to try real military food. Colonel Mustang discovered Ed was missing when no braided blond head pushed past him to join the lines. He turned and couldn't see the boy… young man anywhere.

"Lost your shadow, Chief?" Havoc's cheerful enquiry had him sighing.

"So it would appear, Havoc. Unless he's become even shorter than usual." There was no ranting blond suddenly screaming in his face so that meant Ed was at least fifty feet away. It was amazing just how acute Fullmetal's hearing was when the 'smaller' words were used.

"I'll take care of him." He had said the words lightly enough to Al, but he had meant them. He knew how much Ed detested these events and he had thought that keeping him close would enable him to keep Ed from getting into trouble, and not cause Al to worry more than he already did. So much for altruism, he thought. The fact that keeping Fullmetal from causing any major damage and disruptions would be personally advantageous had nothing to do with it.

"He's probably gone to the Library," Havoc said in a thoughtful voice and then frowned.

"What's wrong?" Mustang asked curiously. Havoc rarely frowned like that.

"Hawkeye and Breda are having lunch together."

"They often do. Hawkeye's grandfather was a great tactician." Mustang shrugged and scanned the room. Edward was definitely not here and he wondered if he should go and look for him. He looked back at Havoc, the man was practically glowering at the distant pair.

"Colonel?" Mustang turned and found Fuery beside him. The small man looked rather breathless.

Yes, Fuery?"

"There's been an accident," Fuery informed with him. Mustang raised an eyebrow. "It's Ed and the Lieutenant-Colonel."

Mustang paled slightly. Ed and Maes. Al and Gracia would kill him if anything happened to either of those two. "How bad is it?"

"Broken bones I think. I wasn't there. Falman sent me to get you. He's gone with them to the hospital."

"Havoc! I'll be at the hospital. Tell Hawkeye and Breda to cover for me." He whirled away from them and left the mess in a hurry.

"You pair of moronic idiots!" Roy Mustang shouted at the two occupants of a hospital room. One had a cast on his left arm and the other had a cast on his right leg. One had a bandage around his head, the other was sporting an impressive bruise down one side of his face. Both were wincing as the Colonel yelled at them. "Just what were you thinking? Oh I'm sorry. You weren't thinking at all, were you? While I expect Ed to do stupid things, Maes, I never expected you to follow suit! Was there something completely lacking in your head? Like intelligent thought?"

Maes waved a languid hand. "Enough Roy, you're making my headache worse."

"It serves you right!" Roy snapped back. "And when Al gets in here, don't expect him to go easy on you, Fullmetal!" Ed groaned pulling the pillow over his head with his right arm, and trying to block out the noises that made his head throb.

"It was an accident Roy. If Ed hadn't reacted quickly it could have been a lot worse."

"How was it an accident? You were seen operating that truck. You were seen as it swerved into the officer's shower block. You were seen jumping out of it seconds before it exploded. Tell me how was this an accident?" Roy seethed, putting as much sarcasm into his voice as he could.

"One of the new recruits was driving it, not us. We were there to show some wannabees what it was like to be in a transport truck. Ed got everyone else off and I made sure it didn't go straight through the crowd by directing it at the only solid thing I could find. Now please Roy, take your sarcasm and your attitude and get out of our room!" Maes clutched at his head and groaned. "And don't forget to call Gracia for me," he said before he followed Ed's example and buried his aching head under his pillow.

Roy left the room. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Colonel?" The young voice queried.

"Yes, Al. It's your turn to have a go at them now." He smiled slightly. "Good luck."

The Fullmetal Alchemist was rumoured to be at death's door and the Colonel was holding a vigil at his bedside along with Fullmetal's brother.

Author's Note: They just keep coming from somewhere… grins

Enjoy

silken :)