Pinako stood near the door as the man walked in with a look of concern and sympathy. His hair was a deep chocolate brown, his eyes a rich hazel blend, and he seemed perhaps middle-aged. Despite being dressed in a thick coat, hat, scarf, and gloves, he carried an air of professionalism with him. In his right hand, he held a rather heavy looking, black leather bag.
"Excuse me, my name is Arthur Quinn, I'm one of the head doctors at the hospital in town. I've been a friend of the Elric family for...quite some time." He introduced as he removed his hat and held it at his side.
Roy blinked in surprise and rose to his feet, extending out his right hand for a firm shake.
"I'm surprised you were able to make it out here. Thank you for coming."
The doctor seemed to laugh a little under his breath in what seemed like a sheepish gesture. "The trucks couldn't get out here, so I actually walked. It took some time though so I do apologize."
Pinako came up to stand beside the two and then stood by Eloise. "We are grateful, please stay as long as you need. I can't imagine you making it back to town in the dark with this weather."
"Thank you." He replied in appreciation, quickly turning his attention to the girl who was mostly unconscious. "To think she's so ill. Seems a bit sad, having such a strong-willed person down for the count like this."
After removing his scarf, coat, and gloves, he knelt down to the girl's side. Roy and gramma stood back, watching as the man began a quick assessment of the situation. The doctor placed a hand to the patient's forehead, then felt her cheeks as well. A perturbed frown found it's way to his lips as he sighed and reached down into his bag, pulling out a small case and then from it revealing a glass thermometer.
"When did she start having symptoms?" The doctor asked quietly as he placed the thermometer in the alchemist's mouth, though she was in and out, she was still awake enough to cooperate for the most part. This was El, she hated doctors, so the fact that she didn't even have enough energy to argue over it, meant that she was really quite sick.
"She had mentioned not feeling well when she showed up here, but all of this didn't start until this morning."
"Alright. I took note of the symptoms you told me on the phone." While he waited for the thermometer to finish its measurements he turned and faced Roy. "I didn't catch your name, are you a friend of the family as well?"
Roy thought for a minute. "You could say that. My name is Roy Mustang." The official replied and watched as the doctor gave him a brief nod of acknowledgment but then reached down and gently removed the thermometer. When he looked at the glass reading he seemed to take a mental note and then set the instrument on the tableside on a cloth.
"She's sitting at about 40.3."
"That high?" Pinako muttered from the bedside.
"Judging by her current state, I'm assuming you gave her an ice bath?"
"Yes." The old woman answered, walking over to a closet and pulling out fresh bedding.
The doctor nodded and pulled out a stethoscope, placing the metal plate to the girl's chest. "If that's the case then you likely brought her temperature down to a degree. She could very well have been running around 41 degrees. Either way, her fever is still potentially dangerous.
As Arthur listened to the girl's chest he sighed in what sounded like relief, easing some of the tension.
"Good news is, it hasn't moved to her lungs. It seems she's come down with Influenza, though you should all be careful, it could quickly turn to pneumonia. Not to mention you all need to be on guard for symptoms of your own, this is highly contagious."
Roy took a seat in a chair near a desk in the room and watched as the doctor continued to check his subordinate. He couldn't help but feel bad for her, she was in such extreme discomfort.
"Eloise." The doctor began.
The alchemist slowly lifted her eyelids and looked on at him, a sleepy and pained expression on her face.
"I haven't seen you in years. Hmhm, you're going to be alright." The doctor smiled. "It isn't any fun right now, but you'll be better in no time. You just have to rest."
The Fullmetal alchemist groaned weakly and seemed to be a little more alert at the moment. Perhaps having been addressed by her name had helped? Wincing, her breath hitched in her throat. Arthur, of course, noticed and placed a gentle hand to her shoulder.
"What is it?"
"Hurts." She said quietly and brought a tired arm up and placed a hand to her head, grimacing at her own touch.
"I understand." He replied sympathetically. Over the next few minutes, the man fished around in his bag, wrote things down, discussed matters with the other two adults among other things. The storm raged on outside, causing the house to creak and unknown objects outside to be thrown around occasionally. There was no sign it was willing to let up anytime soon. Eloise listened to the voices around her the same way she would listen to the rain. They were there, and they were clear, but she drowned them out within her mind. Allowing them to become nothing more than static in the air. Her whole body ached and throbbed. Every little sound irritated the pain in her head, she couldn't think straight. Though she wasn't sure if there was really anything to think about in particular. She hated having time to sit around, even if she was sick. All it did was allow her mind to go through the dusty remains of the memories of long ago. She didn't want to think about those times, but it was those times that comforted her while simultaneously being the cause of her agony. Their faces, their smells, their touch. Her family. When left alone within the corridors of her mind, there was never a place to escape to. It was times like this when she was forced to stop running, that her past would catch up with her.
"Alphonse.." She whimpered under her breath in a quiet whisper. Silently, hot, salty tears began to invade her eyes and then drip onto her clammy cheeks. Like a double-edged sword, they burned her skin in long uneven lines, but then cooled and soothed the hot surface of her face. How she wished she could just end it, sometimes it seemed like that would be her best option. That thing which was so frowned upon in society. The ultimate escape. She felt so alone, what was there for her to live for anymore?
"Hey." A louder voice came from right beside her. The sound startled her from her black hole of a mind and she found herself staring into the coal black eyes of Roy Mustang. He looked upon her with a scrutinizing expression. "You looked like you were somewhere you shouldn't be." He continued, picking up a handkerchief from the bedside table and wiping her eyes and cheeks with its soft cotton.
That's right. How could she have forgotten?
As the man doted upon her tears, she blushed, unable to speak, unable to think about anything other than what was happening now. Roy was there, he'd always been there. Despite her running from him, he was never far behind. For years, he never knew that she was the Elric 'boy' he'd done his report on when she'd attempted human transmutation. Still, he had been there. All of this time, she never realized. Through everything, even if she didn't want him to be, he had been there. Suddenly she thought of a world where, perhaps, he wasn't there. The feeling that broke through her chest with that thought caused her eyes to water even more. He was the one thing that never gave up on her, yeah so maybe his motive was to throw her in handcuffs, but he had still never given up the chase.
"Kid?" The man asked as he wiped away her fresh tears. His eyes were soft this time, and his brows knit together in a worried way. "Are you alright? Doctor Quinn said you'll be well soon. Just gotta give it some time."
He gave her a kind-hearted smile and she was sure her heart would stop. What was this feeling? She truly didn't understand, but she managed to give him a small grin in return, despite being sickly and covered in sweat.
The man was shocked, she'd never given him a smile like that. In fact, she'd never really smiled at him in general. She was always throwing fits, arguing, trying to best him in any way she could manage, she was sort of a brat in general. Right now, however, he felt he could see her true colors. Although she was bedridden with a high fever, that smile seemed genuine.
With a small grin touching at his lips, he sighed and shook his head. Returning to his feet, he tousled her damp hair, then without warning slipped his hands beneath her body and lifted her up into his arms. Though she was weak and tired, her eyes widened with sudden embarrassment. Her messy blonde locks draped over his arm as he held her close.
"P-Put me down!" She whined and squirmed the best she could, though her movements were stiff and weak.
A bit irritated at her struggling, Roy held her a little tighter.
"Relax, they are changing the bedding. Let me help you." He insisted though was caught off guard by what she did next.
"No! I don't need your help! I don't need you or anyone!" She cried out, her golden eyes thick with desperation. The man stood in silence, looking down upon her in confusion. Like a blade to his gut, he tensed. The worst part was he didn't even know why but something within was not happy with her at the moment. She was just sick and not feeling well, though her fever had come down to a small degree. Steeling his own emotional state, he glared at her through piercing eyes.
"What are you talking about? I'm only here to bring you back. You're a criminal who needs to be supervised. That's all, but I can't do that until you're well."
With the bed remade with clean fittings, Pinako approached the two and seemed to have a serious air about her.
"I think it's time Ellie got some sleep, you too Mustang. It's going on two a.m" The old woman instructed in a way that expressed there were no other options. She could be rather intimidating for a half-pint elder.
Feeling the tension rising, the doctor cleared his throat and reached into his bag, the sound of items clanking and shuffling around from within filled the small room.
"I'm going to give her something to hopefully at least help with the pain and fever. I also have something to help her sleep soundly."
Eloise was laid back in bed, her body still hot and clammy. Mustang quietly covered her up with a light sheet to prevent her from overheating even more. He didn't feel well, he felt rigid. His neck and back were aching from some kind of intense stress. Why had she said those things to him? Did she really hate him that much? She seemed happy for once, and then like a light switch she changed. She was closed off once again, hiding her emotions deep within where no one could reach them.
After a short, pitiful protest, the Fullmetal alchemist was made to swallow a couple of pills and then to rest against her pillow once more. Though she tried, she just didn't have the strength to stay awake once the drug began to take effect. Finding it would probably just be better to let go and sleep, she rolled over. She could hear the shuffling and footsteps that moved towards the bedroom door. How she wanted someone to stay with her. To not be alone. Why had she told him off like that? It wasn't like she'd meant to, not necessarily. She just, felt like she had no choice. He was bringing out something inside her that she didn't recognize, that she wasn't sure of. It scared her to be unfamiliar with her own feelings.
"Goodnight Eloise." Gramma Pinako said as she turned off the light and quietly left, following the two men out.
Ellie's lip quivered as she tucked her face beneath her sheet. It hurt. Why couldn't she just let herself be close to others? Roy always made her feel strange, she didn't know if she hated his guts, or if...
Feeling more tired now, and the pain in her head subsiding, she closed her eyes as a few lonely tears fell down her cheeks to soak into the bed. Lost within her own mind, she eventually succumbed to sleep.
...
Sorry its a bit short this time around, but I hope you enjoyed!