Author Note: I only gotten one review on the last chapter but since I'm just as eager as you guys are I'm gonna put this up now. It might be awhile before I upload the next one with all the tests and papers but I will do my best to get it up soon.
Disclaimer: FMA and its characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa
Chapter 27: You?
Edward stood impatiently outside the infirmary waiting to see if Sam was okay or not. At one point the doctor came out but only the general was allowed in. Alphonse had left to speak to Falman, who had been reassigned there, about what had happened so Edward was left alone. Edward jumped when he heard the door open. He turned and saw the general and doctor exit. The general left without so much as glancing at him but the doctor told him he could go in now. Edward raced in and stopped at Sam's bedside. He looked down at him worried but he seemed okay. His coat was back on, actually it was never removed just opened, so he couldn't see any of the bandages but he knew that there must have been many. Sam was positioned so that his back was against the pillows, his head hanging forward with his chin resting on his chest so that the hood would keep his features hidden. Edward sat down and waited for Sam to wake up.
Edward felt really bad about how Sam kept getting hurt protecting him. He was grateful that he went through so much trouble to protect him but still it bothered him when other people got hurt, especially for his sake. Edward gazed at what he could see of Sam's face and noticed a smudge of dark red on his jaw line. Thinking it was blood he reached up to wipe it away. He froze as his finger brushed against it. He realized it wasn't blood…it was hair. Edward slowly drew his suddenly trembling hand back a bit, overwhelmed by a flood of different emotions. Alarm, dread, fear, shock, disbelief and concern filled him to the brim and swirled around creating a whirlwind within him. It couldn't be…could it? But that hair…no one else could possibly… With shaking hands he reached up to push Sam's hood back. The hood fell back against the pillows and Edward's brain promptly shut down. Now he was filled with a different emotion, hurt, as well as a sense of betrayal.
Sarah's eyes fluttered open. She shot forward off the pillows when she saw that her hood wasn't in place. She placed a hand over her face and felt that her mask was also gone. She tensed when she sensed someone by her bedside. She slowly turned her head keeping the hand over her face and locked eyes with Edward through her fingers. Edward's brain finally restarted when their gazes met. He jumped up from his chair and began yelling at Sarah.
"You? This whole time…why didn't you tell me?" Sarah got off the bed and quickly made her way towards the door. Edward's hand shot out and grabbed her arm to prevent her from leaving. "Explain!" Sarah didn't speak nor did she move. "How am I supposed to know whether I can trust you or not if you don't explain why you didn't tell me?" Edward felt her tense before she ripped her arm from his grasp. She turned around sharply her tied back hair nearly whipping him in the face. She glared at him and began yelling back at him.
"How can you say that after everything I've done? I've protected you…saved your life so many times…I was there when you needed someone to talk to and I never repeated anything you told me to anyone else; I've kept your secrets…and still you don't know whether you can trust me? I may not have been myself when I was with you but I never lied to you. What more do I have to do to earn your trust?" Sarah finally stopped yelling. She had tears in her eyes that refused to fall. Edward stared at her with wide eyes unable to response. She suddenly turned and fled the room. Edward stood there frozen a moment before finally snapping back to his senses. He ran out into the hall looking around for her but she was already out of sight. Still he ran hoping to catch up but knew there was little chance of that.
It hurt…why…why did it hurt? Sarah couldn't understand why she was hurt by what Edward had said. Sarah cursed as she wiped those damn tears away. She sped down the hallway too fast for anyone to see. Sarah skidded to a stop when she saw the general walking in front of her. Sarah dodged the punch the general threw in response to a sudden presence behind her. The general stared at Sarah in surprise having reacted without knowing who was behind her.
"You are…" The general said disbelieving. The doctor that had tended to Sam's wounds had informed her that Sam was in fact a girl but she hadn't seen her face…till now. She was surprised that she was so young… not that age had anything to do with skill but still…
"General…" Sarah spoke politely hoping that doing so would convince the general to heed to the request she was about to make. "There is something that I need to take care of elsewhere so I will be leaving Briggs. I hope that you don't have a problem with that." She informed the general who straightened at the mention of her leaving; she wasn't supposed to be allowed to leave but…
"Very well…I will allow it." The general said surprising Sarah. "You would leave on your own anyway right?" Sarah nodded smiling.
"I really appreciate this…oh I require my effects would you mind telling me where they are?"
"They are on the floor above us in the third room from that stairwell." The general said pointing towards the stairwell she had originally been heading for. "The room is locked." She informed her.
"I'm afraid I'm running short on time so as long as you don't mind me breaking the lock I'll get them myself." The general nodded somewhat reluctantly.
"Sarah!" The two jumped as a voice rang through the hallway. Sarah quickly turned around obviously panicked. She expected to see Edward standing at the end of the hallway but he wasn't there; he was still a long ways off but his yelling was so loud that its echoes made it sound as if he were standing right there. Sarah turned back to the general visibly nervous. The general stared at her intently coming to a conclusion regarding the girl's sudden change in behavior.
"Something happened between you two." She said more as a statement than a question.
"Yeah…just a fight… nothing important." Sarah said averting her eyes. The general looked at her frowning, not liking the flash of hurt that went across the girl's face. "Speaking of Edward…" Sarah said meeting her eyes, now visibly composed. "He will try to follow me but it is essential that he stay here… for now. Soon someone is going to come here to see him and he needs to be here when they do." Sarah said seriousness evident in her eyes and voice. The general regarded her a moment contemplating her words and the girl who said them. This girl seemed to radiate a sense of knowledge and wisdom of things that haven't happened yet…enough to convince even her.
"Fine…I will make sure he stays." Sarah smiled again at the general's acceptance.
"Thank you general. I'm sure we'll meet again." The general nodded her goodbye. Sarah went to walk around her but froze as Edward called out again. Sarah turned around once more and gasped. Edward was standing at the end of the hallway hunched over panting. Sarah cursed before darting away at top speed. The general blinked down at the spot where she had just been standing surprised by the girl's speed. She looked back up when Edward began running again.
"Wait!" Edward yelled attempting to run past the general. Edward ran face first into the arm that the general had outstretched. Edward fell to the floor holding his face, cursing. He glared up at the woman. "What the hell did you do that for? Never mind I don't have time to talk to you." He got back on his feet and went to run past her again but was prevented once again. The general began walking in the opposite direction of where Sarah had gone pulling Edward by the back of his collar while ignoring his struggling and curses. The general didn't release him till they reached the brig. She tossed the cursing Ed into the brig, placed restraints on his wrists preventing him from placing his hands together then slammed the door shut locking it. Edward immediately ran to the bars and demanded to be let out.
"No…you will remain here." The general said staring coldly at him. Edward gripped the bars tightly as he glared at the woman.
"I need to go after her." He insisted.
"No."
"But I need to-"
"Fool!" The general yelled shocking Edward into temporary silence. "I don't know what happened between you two but whatever you said or did hurt her. Why else would she run the moment she saw you? She didn't want to be around you at that moment. She needs time and space away from you." Edward stared at her with wide eyes not wanting to believe that there was truth to her words. "It doesn't matter right now. She asked me to keep you here. She said that it was essential that you remained here for the time being. I agreed to her request and I will fulfill it. Struggle all you want but you are not leaving." She turned and left before Edward had a chance to respond. Edward stared after her as her words sunk in. Sarah had never been wrong before when it came to future events but still he couldn't just sit there without apologizing to her first. He looked at the locked door and sighed before sinking down onto one of the benches. He didn't really have a choice now. Alphonse was also restrained and brought to the brig so that he couldn't help his brother escape. Alphonse was surprised when Edward told him that Sarah was Sam. True he didn't know her as well as his brother did but he still found it hard to believe that she was the masked man who had been helping them all this time. Alphonse stared at Edward as he stared at the ground his mind still reeling from the shock. Sarah. Edward kept thinking about her and how hurt she had seemed. He sighed as he truly regretted what he had said. I'll just have to make it right next time I see her.
Author Note: I hope this much awaited chapter was satisfactory and worth the wait.
Oh and the reason the coat wasn't removed was so that the hood would remain in place. The doctor just opened the coat and wrapped the bandages while someone held the coat away from the chest area.
This time I desperately want a review so please tell me what you think.
