Chapter 2: Day Before

Ed

Today was the same as any other, yet so different. It was the day before the surgery, a Thursday. I was restless.

I didn't want to get the surgery because of that woman. Surgery involves needles. She used needles. 159 to be exact.

I was pulled from my thoughts as Mustang walked over to me with a cup of coffee at hand and a concerned look on his face.

"Ed? Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, Panicking for a moment. He was like this more often now, panicky and guilty every time he saw me. It was almost as if he blamed himself for this whole situation.

Wait a minute...was that it? Did he honestly blame himself for what that witch did to me? Sure, proving him wrong was one of the reasons I did it in the first place, but that wasn't the only reason, nor the most important one to me.

The most important reason was much more simple than that. I just wanted to help. I wanted to help the possible future victims, save them from the horrible fate they faced. Mustang could be so stupid sometimes. He thinks everything is his fault, that the world revolves around his mistakes.

"Ed! Ed! Come on! Snap out of it!" Mustang yelled at me. Surprisingly, I followed his order. I guess there really is a first time for everything.

I laughed a little at the irony though. He said to 'snap out of it' which he did quite often in his line of work. If he snapped, he could burst any foe into flames in an instant, getting him out the easy way.

Mustang looked a mixture of relieved, confused, and surprise at my sudden outburst of laughter. It just made it funnier, seeing as to how he didn't get it at all. He really was a stupid man. Or was I just a stupid kid that takes things too literally. Maybe that's why nobody likes me.

"Edward? Edward? Oh god... EDWARD! WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOU TODAY? NURSE! NURSE! WE NEED TO GET A NURSE IN HERE!" Mustang screamed into the air around us, waiting for a response.

"What is it?! is Mr. Elric hurt?! is he OK?!" A frantic nurse exclaimed as she dashed into the room, to see a sweat covered Ed spaced out on his bed with an extremely scared and worried Roy Mustang standing beside him.

The nurse ran over to me and gave me a quick check up to make sure I was fine. When she was finished, she let out a sigh of relief. "He's OK. He is just thinking about something..."

That's when I came back from the world of my thoughts. "Wha..what's going on? Quit looking at me like that!" I snapped, seeing Mustang beside me with a look of worried relief on his face.

"Like what?" Mustang asked, honestly confused. He could usually mask his emotions, never letting anyone know what was going on in his head, so it was only to be expected he wouldn't realize that anyone could read him like a book.

"Never mind... I'm a little tired...can I sleep without displeasuring his Colonel Sir?" I asked jokingly.

"Of course you can sleep!" He replied, clearly taking it seriously. "I need a coffee anyway..."

I couldn't hear what he said next though, for I had already fallen asleep.

Roy

I watched Ed as he slept soundly, sighing softly. "You don't get enough rest, Fullm-... Edward. You really need it for the surgery tomorrow."

I then went to the hospital cafeteria to get some coffee. Riza said I was addicted to it. I like to think of drinking coffee as a rather frequent hobby of mine.

When I got to the coffee machine, I put 100 cens inside the slot and waited. When I saw the date, I realized why Ed had been so worried. It was June 12th, the day before the surgery.

Wait a second...if tomorrow is a Friday...then Ed's surgery is going to be on Friday the 13th, the most unlucky day. Poor kid has bad enough luck already... I thought to myself as the coffee poured itself into a styrofoam cup. I hope he'll be alright.

Riza

I looked through the door to Ed's room, a small smile on my face as I saw him asleep, getting the rest he needed. The smile disappeared soon after though as I saw the expression on his face. He was frowning, eyes closed tight and muttering softly in his sleep.

I couldn't make out most of the words he was saying, but I did catch a couple 'please stop's and 'help me's mixed in with the gibberish he was murmuring through a mask of sleep.

I ran to him, trying to wake him from his nightmare, shaking his small form. I noticed how light he really was, probably because of the fact he was missing three limbs and had no automail at the moment.

Soon I realized that none of my efforts were succeeding, and settled for just wrapping my arms around his shaking form, hoping he would calm down and gain consciousness soon.

This poor child. He would definitely need therapy to recover mentally from this event, after recovering physically. It would take a long time now though, with his leg in the condition it is, and missing his last remaining arm.

He would need more automail surgery. Oh god...more automail? He's been through enough pain in the last month to last an entire lifetime, he didn't need to suffer anymore. I thought as I continued to hold the boy, letting him cry into my shoulder.

It took about a half hour for the child to come back into the real world, still crying and shaking from the pure horror of the nightmare he had just experienced.

"She-she's not h-here, r-right?" He asked me in between terrified sobs.

"No, Ed. She's not here. You're safe here." I repeated comfortingly as I traced invisible circles on his back with my fingers, soothing him as much as I could, hoping it would help him.

Soon after, he did relax. Though he would never admit it to anyone, he felt safe in the room at the moment.

"Guess What Ed, we're getting Xingese Take-Out tonight as a get-well present! We all know you love it." I said softly to him as he sat there, relaxed in my arms, not fighting to push himself away per usual. I guess the rock-hard shell he had formed over the past few years was starting to soften.