A/N: So here's another chapter! I'm away on holiday for a week so it might be a little longer than I normally take to post something, but I'm taking my laptop with me so I'll hopefully be able to get loads more done while I'm relaxing in the sun! :) Thank you again to everyone that is still taking the time to read and comment on this. I absolutely adore hearing from you all!
Chapter 11
Roy led Riza out of the house once the military police had shown up. They had informed the officers of what had happened, leaving out the specifics of Edward's abuse before leaving the clean up to them. He had headed out to the car then, which Havoc was standing by seemingly at ease but to the trained eye Havoc was still on alert, just waiting for the slightest bit of danger. The girl was asleep in the back of the car, her head resting against the window. Edward was at her side, his elbows on his knees and his hands fisted into his now short blonde hair. Roy hesitated, watching the young man for a moment before turning to Havoc and nodding. Roy then got in the car, next to Edward, with Havoc in the passenger seat and Riza taking the wheel.
Edward didn't speak, and Roy wanted to reach out. He wanted to comfort him but he had no idea what he could say to make things better. There was nothing. With sigh, Roy did think of something to say to the blonde.
"We found Alphonse in the warehouse. I don't know how long after you were taken, but we managed to get him to the hospital." Roy said, watching as Edward's head shot up fast enough that it should have caused whiplash, wild amber eyes meeting his. "They had to perform surgery, and he was in a coma for a couple of weeks, but he is home now with Miss Rockbell watching him. He will no doubt be weak still, but I have been assured that he will recover fully."
Roy watched Edward as he spoke, watching the smile on his face. Gods he had missed that smile. Edward's relief was so clear, it was written in every aspect of him and that in itself, that love for his brother was enough to make Roy smile back at the blonde.
"Thanks." Ed mumbled, looking away again after a moment. "I didn't know if he was even alive. I thought I'd gotten him killed after everything. How pissed was Winry? Cause honestly it might have been better if you had left me there." Ed muttered, forcing a small laugh. Roy winced at the thought and looked out of the window to his left.
"She wasn't angry. Not at you at least. She cares for you both, she was sick with worry, but she seems like a strong girl. She has been helping console your brother since he woke up, stopping him from exhausting himself by hunting for you." Roy said, watching the blonde reflection nod. There was a stretch of silence before Edward spoke again.
"Who was she pissed at? She couldn't be pissed at Al, could she? He had just followed along with another of my stupid ideas." Roy didn't answer him, and just watched the fields go by as Hawkeye headed back towards the city. "Mustang, was she pissed at you? Why" Ed demanded, taking Roy's silence for the truth that he hadn't said.
"Miss Rockbell was simply upset and worried for you both." Roy answered. It was all he was going to say on the matter. The girl had been right to be angry at him, but seeing Edward naked and covered in wounds was causing him enough guilt without going over what the girl had shouted at him. She had been right of course. This was his fault. He'd sent this young, brilliant man into that warehouse. He had gotten a child involved in the military.
"Mustang, what the hell did she say? This isn't your fault."
"Get some rest, Edward. Its still another few hours until we get back to the city."
Alphonse could not sit still. He had gotten the call from Hawkeye telling him that they had found Edward. That he was alive, hurt and possibly going to be in a bad way, but that he was alive. The moment the line had went dead he had went charging into the kitchen where Winry was cooking lunch and told her everything. She didn't seem too surprised but he couldn't focus on that. His brother was alive. It didn't take much before they were both at the hospital, waiting for Mustang and his team to show up. Hawkeye had said that they would be coming here, that Edward and the girl found with him had needed to get checked first. He had no idea where they found him, but he was getting impatient. He could feel Winry's eyes following him, could feel her concern.
"Al, sit down. They said that they were a few hours out of the city." She said softly. It had been two hours since they had gotten the call, and she desperately wanted to see Edward, but she was also aware that Al still needed to rest. He had been through a lot, and this constant worry wasn't good for him, more so since he was pacing back and forth in front of her. He stopped when she spoke, frowning as he looked at her.
"They didn't say that." He said, watching as her eyes widened slightly. "Winry, what do you know?"
"Al..."
"Winry! Tell me."
The girl sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. She didn't speak for a long moment, and Alphonse felt himself getting more and more annoyed. He was about to demand that she answer him when she spoke again.
"Mustang found something in your apartment when you were in the coma." She started, "I heard him talking to Havoc saying that it told them when those guys were going to attack again. They set up an ambush and managed to get information out of the guy who took Ed. They found out who had him, found out where the guy was staying. Mustang phoned when you were asleep and told me that they were going to check it out."
"What? Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Al snapped. "You've known all along that this was the plan? Before I even woke up. Why would you keep that from me, Win?"
"I didn't want to tell you Al, because I knew that you would want to run off and help. That you wouldn't take no for an answer. I didn't want you to get your hopes up in case Ed wasn't at that house. You need to rest, and we both know that if you knew you would have went along with Mustang regardless of what any of us told you. You almost died, Al. I wasn't about to let you risk that again."
Al paused, wanting to argue but he could understand why she did what she did. She was right, he would have went charging off in search for Ed, and did he really want to see whatever conditions his brother was being made to live in? Al sighed and sunk down into the seat next to a tearful Winry. He didn't hesitate when he pulled her closer into a hug.
"Its okay. I get it, Win." He told her, feeling her relax in his arms. They didn't stay like that for long. After a few moments the doors opened, Hawkeye coming in first with Mustang close behind her, a blonde bundle in his arms. Al shot to his feet, but froze when he looked at his brother. He was pale, his dirty hair cut short and there was bruises and cuts all over him. His eyes were shut, and if it hadn't been for Hawkeye telling him that his brother was alive over the phone, Al thought that he could easily believe that the form in Mustang's arms was no longer drawing breath. He felt Winry's hand in his as Mustang came closer. Al met the older man's eyes, recognising the grief that he felt himself and suddenly a thought came to him. Mustang cared for his team, of course he did, but would he care this much about the others. Did Mustang care more for his brother than he let on? He knew Edward had feelings for the other man, denying them until he was blue in the face, but Al knew his brother. Was it possible that the feelings were returned?
"He fell asleep on the journey back." Mustang explained as Al reached out to touch Ed's face. His skin was warm, and the action of touching him made Ed's eyelashes flutter against his cheeks as he slowly woke up. Golden eyes looked up at Al, unfocused at the start but steadily gaining awareness of his surroundings. Alphonse watched as his brother first curled up into Mustang's chest, watched as the older man fought against his feelings, refusing to let them show so publicly. Al watched as Ed opened his eyes fuller and finally took in Al's face.
"Al?" His voice was bleary, quiet. Al just nodded and silently watched as Edward finally realised that he was being carried – bridal style – by the man that Al had heard him moan in his sleep on a number of nights. The heat rose to his cheeks, tinting them pink as Mustang lowered him to stand on his own, his hands on Ed's back as if to steady him. The brothers didn't waste any time in throwing their arms around each other, their childhood friend soon joining them. Roy stepped back a bit, silently.
"Ed! I was so worried. Are you okay? What happened?" Al demanded, pulling away a little, just enough to look at his brother. He was thinner and his skin wasn't quiet the right colour. There was a bruising cut across his head, and what looked like bites on his skin. There was a metal collar around his neck, the skin underneath looking almost burnt. "Your hair. What did they do to you?"
"I cut it." Ed muttered, looking away, his eyes moving away and meeting Mustang's briefly before Ed pulled that gaze away also. Alphonse didn't understand the look that passed between them, but he knew that Mustang must know what happened, he must know what kind of hell his brother had been through. "Its okay though. I'm okay."
"General, what happened to him?" Al asked, ignoring the light smack Edward gave him.
"Al! I said its fine. You don't need to know. I'm back now."
After a pause Mustang nodded, his eyes flicking between the brothers. "I'm sorry Alphonse, but it's really not my place to disclose such information."
That was not the answer that he was looking for, but before he could demand more, a nurse called out for Edward to go with her. Alphonse watched as Ed hesitated, distrustful as ever. "Brother, you need to go. I can come with you, but if you don't want me know what happened to you, perhaps the General?"
Ed shook his head and let out a deep breath. "Yeah... I guess if you wouldn't mind, Mustang?" He said after a pause, not looking at Al so not seeing the slightly hurt look on his face. "I mean... Just... I have this thing with needles... And I assume you don't want a compliant about me like hitting a nurse or something." He rushed to add, blushing again. Roy just smiled at him.
"If it will save me any more paperwork then by all means I will stop you attacking hospital staff."
Alphonse watched as they both walked away, sighing. He turned back to Winry who had stayed silent through everything, returning her attempt at a smile. What had happened to Edward that was so bad that he didn't want to tell Al? Maybe he would tell him later? Perhaps it was just that he didn't want to talk about his abuse at the hospital. Sitting back down, Al noticed Havoc and a girl coming towards them. She was pretty, about Ed's age and had a metal collar around her throat just like Ed's. Another slave? Al did admit that he recognised her face.
"Al, Winry, this is Cara." Havoc said as they stopped in front of them, gesturing to the girl at his side. Cara offered them a small smile, but her eyes never left Al. It was uncomfortable, having a stranger look so closely at him. "We found her with the boss. They'd been sold together."
"I was at the warehouse." Cara explained, and suddenly it all made sense. That's why Al knew her face. She was one of the civilians that they had tried, and failed to save. "I've been with Edward since the start. I think they were just using me to try and keep him in line."
That made sense. Ed wouldn't kick off and risk someone else's health. He would happily throw caution to the wind when it came to his own well-being, but if someone else was in the equation he was always hesitant. Alphonse smiled at her. She seemed unharmed, and that was a small relief. Seeing other people hurt always bothered him, and Al knew that if anyone got hurt because he stepped out of line, or had done something, then his brother would never forgive himself.
"I'm sorry that we didn't stop them." Al said quietly, his own guilt lingering with their failure.
"Don't be. You did everything you could. Your brother said that you had been shot, can hardly blame you for not catching the bad guys after that. I'm glad to see that you're okay though. Edward and I... I think we became quite close. I was always sent in afterwards to tend to him."
"Tend to him? What happened to him? Why did he cut his hair? And why does it look like he's covered in bite marks." Al asked, hoping that she would tell him what Edward and the General didn't. He felt Winry place her hand on his leg, but he didn't look at her, his eyes searching the girl in front of him. Cara looked down after a moment, breaking off all eye contact. She stayed painfully silent though.
"He was raped." Winry spoke, her voice soft, quiet and broken. Al froze. His heart stuttered and his eyes widened. Cara didn't have to confirm Winry's suspicions because it all made sense. Horrific, terrible sense. Nausea swamped him, and the whole spun too fast and he was very relieved that he was already sitting down because he was sure that his legs wouldn't have held him upright just then. He didn't want to even consider that. He'd never had sex himself, and he knew that Ed only had a few times before. To have that forced on him was disgusting. It brought tears to his eyes and suddenly he couldn't stop them. They left wet tracks down his face as Winry curled up against him, her own tears leaving his top damp. Cara sat next to him, and the three of them sat like that in silence, save for the small whimpers of their crying.
Edward was asked to lie down on one of those awful examination beds. Roy stayed back, lingering by the door as if he was intruding, but if Ed was honest to himself, he wanted the older man closer. He was terrified, and not only because of his usual apprehension of doctors and hospitals, but because he knew that he would need to talk about what happened to him. He would need to go over all his wounds and the story of how he got them and he would rather go hide in a dark, dank cave for the rest of his miserable life than talk to anyone about what had been done to him – especially a stranger. The doctor was a young woman, and that made Ed want to talk even less, but she had sat down next to him to look at the skin around the collar, a frown on her pretty face.
"Major Elric, wasn't it?" She asked, looking at him and smiling, before glancing over at Roy. "And you are his commanding officer, correct? As the Major is an adult you don't have to be here for this bit."
"It's okay." Ed said in a rush, pushing up onto his elbows and trying to ignore the way his skin pulled painfully around the burn on his ribs. "Truth is that I'm not a good patient. Better if someone is here." He mumbled, blushing slightly and carefully avoiding Roy's eyes. The doctor paused for a moment before she nodded.
"Well as long as you are okay with it." She said, looking back at Edward. "From what I can see of the skin around your neck, it will heal and it shouldn't scar. Its fairly superficial – as are the bruises from the... bites?" She guessed, nodding sadly as Edward looked away. "I've been informed that there are other injuries? I'll need to see them all to check them."
No. God no. He couldn't do this. Edward sat up, his heart racing in a panic. He couldn't take his clothes off and show the signs of abuse to this stranger. He couldn't. By the time he was on his feet, fully intending on fleeing from the room, Roy was at his side, dark eyes meeting his. He swallowed, forced himself not to cry from the sheer force of his panic and held Roy's gaze.
"This is entirely confidential, Edward. She just needs to make sure the wounds are clean, make sure that they don't get infected. You don't need to talk about any of it yet, okay?" Roy said, and Edward blinked dumbly up at him. He wanted out of here, the walls were closing in on him but he closed his eyes, breathed in deep and held it. When he let it out, he nodded and peeled off his top, opening his eyes and clutching the fabric tightly in his automail hand. He turned his back to the doctor, flinched at her gasp and dropped his gaze to the floor.
"What on earth...?"
"A whip." Edward answered before she could even really ask him. He didn't want to talk about his abuse. He wasn't going to talk about it, but he figured that if he just spoke about what caused the injuries that it would be enough. He didn't see what the doctor was doing, or thinking. He felt Roy at his side, solid, steady and he clung to that feeling. Roy supported him, without even touching him and that kept him grounded, kept his panic back behind some wall that only just held it.
"And the burn? This is fairly fresh."
Edward nodded, trying to force the memory back and out of his head. His jaw clenched as the tears stung his eyes and he wanted to run away and hide somewhere. He wanted to hide his shame, his wounds, needed to hide it and stop anyone seeing them, stop them pitying him, judging him. "A fire poker. That had been left in the fire." He said, his voice hoarse and quiet. He tried to pretend that he didn't hear the sad noise that the doctor made. It continued this way for each injury. Sometimes the doctor would clean one, or put a cream on another. Paper stitches were applied to the cut on his head. Just as Edward shrugged back into his top and was about to dart out of the room, Mustang spoke for the first time since the doctor had started her exam.
"May I request a blood test too?"
Edward snapped his head to look at Mustang so fast that his hair almost smacked the doctor in the face. He had gotten this far without any needles and now the bastard was trying to get one stuck into him. What the hell was his problem?
"For what in particular? I don't see any wounds that require it?" The doctor replied, and Edward wanted to thank her and drag Mustang out of here kicking and screaming. He did not need a fucking blood test. Before he could inform them both of that, Mustang spoke again and everything in Ed turned to ice.
"He was raped."
"Ah. Of course. Let me just go and grab the stuff." The doctor said and was on her feet and out of the room before Edward could get his head around Roy's words.
"What the fuck, Mustang?" He practically screeched it, his hands in fists at his sides, and his rage making him want to smack the smug bastard in front of him. Although, he didn't look so smug at that moment, he looked haunted, exhausted and so sad. It was enough of a shock that it almost put the fire of Ed's anger. Almost. "I don't need a fucking blood test, and how the hell do you even know that? Where do you get off on accusing something like that?"
"Other than the position I found you in, Edward?" Mustang sighed, running a hand through his hair and Edward pulled his glare away. Shit. Of course. Mustang had found him naked and bloody and bruised, only just waking up from being knocked out. Only hours after the rape. "Your friend told me when I enquired about your hair. And while I can not imagine what you are feeling, you do need this blood test."
"Like hell I do!" Edward snapped. Anger was safe. He knew how to handle his anger. It had been there for so long that it was now almost a part of him. "What good with sticking a needle in me do, anyway?" He didn't realise that he was shouting until Roy spoke again, softly and reluctantly.
"Have you never considered what you might have caught? Its fairly easy to catch a range of diseases from that Edward. A blood test is better than the other exams that a doctor might wish to you put you through."
The doctor came back in then, cutting off anything Edward could say. He didn't know what to say though. How was he meant to reply to that? He was barely coping with the fact that it happened, let alone considering all the things that could do wrong because of it. Ed slumped back down to sit on the bed as the doctor set up the needle and vials for collecting his blood, talking him through was she was going to do, but he was barely listening. It was only when she picked up the needle that he jerked back a little, scowling. He froze when Roy held his hand out to him, and looked up at him bewildered.
"Take my hand in your automail one." Roy said, waiting until Edward did as he was told, still looking up confused. "Focus on not breaking it. It'll take your mind off the needle."
Smart. Edward had to admit that it was smart. It was what Al did too, but Edward had a feeling that Mustang hadn't gotten this tip from his brother. He closed his eyes and nodded to let the doctor know that he was ready. As ready as he would ever be. He swallowed the whimper as the needle pierced his skin, his fists clenching automatically until he heard Mustang grunt in pain and he pushed all his focus onto that. Cling to him, but not too tightly. Too tight and it would break – and wasn't that just a fucking perfect metaphor for his life.