Chapter twenty-seven

Roy was walking next to Ed, Ed holding his finger tightly as Alphonse pushed his wheelchair through the hospital. Ed was continuously whimpering and yelped at the sight of passing strangers. Havoc and Breda were walking behind them as they were the designated drivers for the sixteen-hour drive back to East City. Hughes, Hawkeye, Fuery, Falman and Major Armstrong had left the day before in order to get a head start and begin setting Roy's house up for their arrival. Roy hadn't been there in a month and with Hawkeye moving in and everything, it meant that Roy also needed an extra bed for instance. Roy did have a guest room and his own king-size bed was enough for both him and Ed while Ed was basically learning to feel safe not sleeping on the cold ground. And while he learnt how to actually use a bed. He still spent his nights curled up and resting his head on Roy's thigh, after all, which wasn't exactly the healthiest way of doing things in the long run.

So Ed would hopefully learn to sleep in his own bed, although Roy guessed that they'd be sharing the bedroom for a while because of Ed's mental state and the fact that he could potentially harm himself if left unsupervised and if he was unlucky.

…And knowing Ed, he probably would be.

Ed was dressed in a blue sweater and and a pair of light grey sweatpants. He had a loose, blue slipper on his remaining foot, as pulling on a sock would only hurt his toes and therefore scare him shitless. And Ed was already scared enough as it was by the changing of clothes and being transported in the wheelchair. Ed had thankfully understood the concept of the contraption and got into it by himself after the first demonstration three days ago as long as he saw that it was merely helping him get around and nothing bad happened.

Meaning that Ed had only been given a shower once, which was the day when they got there and Ed was sedated to high heaven and surrounded by a bunch of nurses who wouldn't let Roy near him. When Roy had tried taking Ed to the shower room the next day, Ed had panicked once he realised where they were headed and Roy had had to carry the screaming and thrashing boy back to the room, leaving one of the nurses to bring the wheelchair while Roy brought Ed to the safe corner.

And so Roy really hoped that Ed would respond better to bathtubs.

Roy had quickly come to realise just how little Ed knew about just about everything. And just what that meant when Roy was the one who had earned Ed's trust. Because Roy had really become the boy's carer.

Thankfully, Ed had learnt to use the toilet tube during their week in the cage, meaning that Roy knew how to recognise the symptoms for when Ed had to use the toilet. Ed made a kind of curious whimper like he wasn't exactly sure what his body was up to about five minutes before he had to go, but he couldn't really control it for more than that specified amount of time.

Meaning that Ed had been wearing diapers ever since they were admitted to the hospital.

And that Roy was the only one whom the boy trusted enough to change them and wipe him dry and clean him.

He might have let Al do it too, but if there was one thing Roy didn't want Al to have to do, then it was to change his twelve-year-old big brother's diapers just to rub it in how much their relationship had changed because of this. Besides, Al couldn't feel his fingers and that made it even more risky because Ed was already jumpy as hell when Roy did it.

No, Roy was beginning to realise just how much work there was involved in this. When he had begged the Führer to let him take Ed in, he'd been panicking, not really thinking about what it would really mean. But caring for Ed in the cage as opposed to caring for Ed as a free being? Ed was scared by wearing clothes! It would be like training a traumatised toddler trapped in the body of a crippled adolescent. Although the motor skills were definitely better.

Then there was Alphonse too. Roy had said he'd take the brothers in, meaning that if things went as they should…

Then I'm going to become their father…

The thought scared Roy shitless. He had no clue how to be one. The closest he had been was when he was keeping Edward from dying of hypothermia while letting the exhausted child cry on his shoulder.

…That wasn't exactly the greatest place to start when figuring out the secrets of fatherhood.

You could just keep things like they are, Roy. You don't have to be their father at all. Nurse/distant uncle is far easier.

For some reason, the thought made him feel sick. There was no equivalency in that approach.

Hey, boys! I'm just going to come in, ruin your lives, and then keep you at an arm's length after Ed is probably the only reason I'm not stuck in a straitjacket at the moment. So yeah, I'm just going to ignore the fact that you two probably need a parent right now more than ever to because that's easier for me!

The idea was still daunting as hell, though. He knew nothing about raising children. He knew only small parts of the Elrics's childhood through what Ed had told him as they spent their time in that damned cage.

"Colonel? Are you okay?" Alphonse asked him.

Roy mentally shook away all the thoughts and fears buzzing through his mind at the moment. "Yeah, Al … I guess I just got lost in thought, that's all."

"Oh, okay. So you're sure you're all right?"

No! Because holy crap! I'm taking in a couple of boys and I have no clue what I'm getting myself into and I've been so focused on getting home and keeping Ed safe that I haven't even realised it before now and holy shitfuckcraphell!

"Yes, Alphonse, I'm sure," Roy said smoothly.

"Okay, Colonel."

I wonder what Alphonse is expecting from me? He doesn't sound like his hopes are high. Am I putting too much thought into this? Does he even want a father? Ed's military files say that their father left nine years ago, maybe any efforts on my side will be unwelcome?

"Bo-uh," Ed said, squeezing Roy's finger tighter. Ed used to say that to cheer Roy up after that first response to the word and Roy still appreciated the fact that Ed actually felt the need to cheer him up.

That's progress, after all, isn't it?

"I don't think Brother agrees with your response, sir," Alphonse said, his voice sounding like his soul was smiling sadly.

"Bo-uh."

"I'm just thoughtful, that's all."

Because I'm going to be your guardian and I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to be doing anymore!

"Bo-uh," Ed said, looking up at Roy curiously.

Roy gave him an encouraging smile.

Then they were delivering the signed release forms at the front desk and so they were off through the large double doors.

Then came the part that had needed some preparation.

Because they would have to keep Ed happy with being stuck in a relatively small box for sixteen hours. They had decided to use the same military truck that they arrived in and placed a mattress in the far corner so that Ed could keep both warm and comfortable, especially as Alphonse had been kind enough to transmute said mattress so that it couldn't slide around while it also had the edge facing the tailgate folded up ninety degrees so that Ed had a fifteen centimetre "fence". And of course, he had a few duvets and pillows to do with as he liked.

And so, spotting what was undoubtedly a new safe corner, Ed got inside the truck once Al stopped pushing the wheelchair and dragged himself over to his snuggly corner. Once he was done pulling the duvet over himself, he stretched out his hand to Roy who was just getting ready to sit down on a bench. Instead, he walked over and offered Ed his finger and the boy gently began pulling Roy towards him as he mewled, obviously telling him that he wanted him to sit down.

And so Roy did. He had to say, they really had given Ed a comfortable area and Roy pulled a duvet around himself while Ed lay down with his head on Roy's lap and gripped his finger once more.

Roy looked between the large suit of armour as it sat down on the floor in front of them and Ed's curled up form and gave a weak smile to the boys, trying to be encouraging.

Okay, boys, it's us against the world from this point on.