Ed was dead weight as he carried him back through the woods, giving him an unwelcome reminders of the first time he'd carried the kid through this very woods.
Team Mustang and the investigators were all dead silent, and the only sound other than the braking of the twigs as they moved through the forest was the occasional whimper of the six year old girl, that Hughes was carrying.
Atkins was speaking to his team, who looked like they'd bene through the wringer- then again, Mustang supposed his men didn't look much better. They'd all been through hell, and seen things that were unexplainable.
"Captain Brown, you're on morgue duty- we'll grab more men from investigations, this is going to be a massive cleanup..." he was saying.
Captain Brown said nothing, looking mournful and exhausted as he trudged onwards- like a living doll- and Roy again found himself wondering how many all-nighters the man had pulled for this case. Because it looked like he hadn't slept in days.
Ed coughed from where he was limp in Mustang's grasp- his nosebleed had slowed, and Roy shifted his attention back to his precious burden.
Captain Brown was a grown man, he could handle himself. He had bigger problems right now- like the two children covered in blood he was now in charge of.
"What are we going to do with them, Sir?" Furey asked, voice low as he looked at Ed with a mixture of concern and pity.
Roy sighed, shifting Ed in his arms slightly so he was in a more comfortable position. "I... I don't know. Take them to the hospital, probably..."
"Belay that. I want to stop by headquarters and at least get pictures of them, on overall statement from the girl before she forgets what she's seen. We can leave them in the infirmary there for a little while."
"Are you serious!? These kids have seen hell!" Hughes protested, looking pissed. The girl he was holding clung to him tighter, burying her face is his chest.
Atkins sighed. "Fine. I won't interview them. At least let the crime scene photographers get pictures of them both before they're shipped to the hospital." Atkins cleared his throat. "Mustang- your team has been instrumental in this case- you can make the call, if you want." he offered, sounding hopeful.
"What call?" Mustang asked, looking baffled.
"The call to the girl's family. Let them know she's alive. It's the least I could offer..." Atkins looked at him nervously. Roy honestly felt bad for the man- he was a brilliant investigator, but he had the social skills and tact of a rock. He could see the man trying to make up for it now, but did it really matter?
Roy blinked, shaking his head. "You can do it."
Atkins paused, looking surprised. "You're sure? This is probably the only good part of the whole investigation..."
"I'm sure, Atkins. I've got more important things to attend to."
Ed groaned in his arms, and Atkins seemed to understand.
"Take it easy, Ed. Don't bother waking up- we're not anywhere important right now anyways." Roy said, drawing the boy closer to his chest as they strode by the large tree they'd found Ed and Patrick under only a few days ago.
Ed hummed and dropped back into oblivion, and Roy carefully settled his free hand on the back of the boy's head, holding him tightly to his chest so his head wouldn't flop as they started to descend the ravine.
Truthfully, Roy was hoping the kid stayed out until they got him to the hospital. Because as much as it worried him to see Ed so quiet and still, he didn't want to have to confront the realities the kid had probably seen when he woke up. So maybe it was selfish of him, but right now he wasn't sure how to deal with it, and he had a lot on his mind.
Havoc seemed to sense his uncertain mood, because the man thankfully didn't say anything, sliding into the divers seat of the car and letting Roy duck into the back, Ed in his lap.
The engine came to life, and Roy let out a sigh o relief as he shut the car door behind him, glad to be away from investigations, from other people- for the moment.
"HQ or hospital, Sir?" Havoc asked, glancing at him in the mirror.
Roy sighed. "HQ. Atkins has fifteen minutes to get his photos for the crime scene- plus I have to make sure he doesn't traumatize the girl that's going to be there too." He sighed again for good measure, throwing his head back, inhaling deeply and massaging his forehead with his free hand. "What a mess."
"No kidding." Havoc replied.
They lapsed back into silence.
Ed moaned and shifted slightly on Roy's lap, eyes twitching.
Havoc's eyes flicked to them in the rearview mirror. "He doing okay, Boss?"
"Yeah, he's waking up." Roy said, trying to hide his dismay. He really was hoping the kid would've woken up once he was at the hospital and out of those bloody clothes.
Golden eyes fluttered open, and Ed sat up, breathing quickly...
He was in Mustang's lap.
Roy saw the way the kid tensed and placed both hands on his shoulders, looking him in the eyes. "Take it easy, Ed. You're in the car with me and Havoc. We're heading back to HQ. You're safe, I promise you..."
Ed blinked. "T-the woods?" he asked hoarsely.
"I carried you out. It's done- you're not going back there ever again, it's over- for you, this case is over."
Ed's hands were shaking, his automail fingers rattling slightly, and Roy frowned, reaching over to place his own gloved hand on them and still them and placing his other hand on Ed's flesh shoulder.
"Take a deep breath, Ed. It's gonna be alright."
Ed's lower lip was trembling, and his eyes, which were screwed shut, finally gave in as the damn broke.
He burst into tears- but instead of flinging himself as far away from Roy as he could get on the opposite side of the back seat, he buried his face in his superiors chest and sobbed, large, heaving sobs...
"All those kids!" he muttered, horrified golden eyes looking up at Mustang's face. "And... the oldest boy- he was... he said he was going to be seventeen..." Ed gasped a couple heavy, ragged breaths- "But he was gonna kill me, he said so, he wouldn't stop... I killed him!"
"Did he hurt you? Is that how your face got cut up?" Mustang reached over, gloved thumb smearing some of the crimson from a deep gash on Ed's cheek just below his eye.
Ed nodded, head bobbing frantically, eyes wide. "He said he was trying to slit my throat! Oh god, I killed him, I fucking killed him!"
"Listen to me." Mustang's voice had gone steely as he tried to calm Ed down, because the kid was near hysterical. "He was going to kill you. You did what you had to do- it was self-defense..."
"That doesn't make it any easier!" Ed shouted, pulling away from Mustang like the man had burned him. "You can say it all you want, but he's dead because of me!"
Mustang blinked, unsure what to say. "You're right." he admitted finally, looking defeated. "I'm sorry kid- I'm not good at this." he looked at Ed, who was still watching him, eyes wide, like a frightened rabbit's. Maybe he should've let Hughes take Ed- because despite his selfish heart wanting him to be the one to look after the boy, Hughes really was better suited for these conversations...
Ed was biting his lip so hard it was bleeding- god, the kid really was a total mess. What did he say?
Say what's on your mind. Be honest with him. Ed appreciates hat- he values your opinion, even though he'll never tell you that. Hughes voice came out of the recesses of his mind.
"But for what it's worth- I'm glad you did it." Mustang admitted hesitantly.
"Because it was him or you- and I'm a selfish bastard. I don't..." he fumbled, voice going thick with emotion- his eyes widened, his hands were shaking- he placed them both on Ed's shoulders to steady himself, looking he boy in the eyes.
"I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't come out of that basement." he admitted.
Ed's eyes widened in shock, and for once- the man with a million ambitions let his heart lead instead of his head, grabbing hold of Ed and pulling him close, squeezing the kid tight to him- every hitched, tear-filled snuffle and breath on his neck was proof the kid was alive...
Ed crumbled in his arms. His quiet, hiccupping sobs became frantic wails, and the kid finally let any semblance of self-control and poise go- he was just a kid, he's still only fourteen.
"All... all those kids... Why'd they have to die?" Ed ground out between sobs. "They were innocent!" he shouted, rasping out a breath like he'd been punched in the stomach. "A-and they died alone... they were so scared, all of them..."
"I don't know." Mustang admitted, tightening his grip on the kid in his lap and rapidly trying to reign his own emotions in. His heart was galloping a thousand miles a minute, his thoughts were racing.
His hand rose to up cradle the back of Ed's head, holding the boy closer to him as though by grip alone he could hold the kid tight, keep him from all the demented, twisted realities of this world...
"I don't know, Ed, I'm sorry..." he really wished he and an answer for the kid. Some magical truth- but there was nothing. Reality was a bitch.
Ed dissolved into fresh tears, burying his face in Mustang's shoulder and letting go.
And Roy let him- what else could he do but let the kid fall apart? There were no words to describe what Ed had seen, the evil he'd witnessed...
There was no balm for the soul. Whiskey would dull the pain, but Ed was too young for that, and so Roy just held him and let him cry- and Ed was crying epically- until he'd exhausted himself, and his snuffling breaths were even and slow, because the kid had cried himself right back to sleep, head on his shoulder.
Roy sighed, shifting slightly.
Yeah, I really am a selfish bastard. he thought to himself. Because despite all the horror they'd seen today, all the crazy shit- he was alright. Even though Ed was a wreck, just holding the kid like this, he could be sure he'd protect him- the realities of life were painful, but he could guide the kid through this, and Ed was in his arms, he was alive... That was something to be grateful for, after all the poor souls they'd found today that weren't, lives cut short at the hands of a madman.
Havoc said nothing, which Roy was grateful for- he didn't easily express his emotions as it was, and he was glad he'd finally been able to without being mocked for it.
Havoc even opened the car door for them once they got back to HQ, looking at the sleeping teen in Mustang's arms with a touch of remorse.
"Kid's had a rough one." was all he said.
"That's an understatement. I might have to go give orders and grab a few forms- do you mind staying with him at the infirmary for a few minutes? He's going to be frightened if he wakes up alone, and I don't want Atkins or his team waking him up and bugging him. He needs the sleep." Roy felt something wet on his neck and frowned, touching his fingers to where Ed was laying against him and frowning when they came back bloody. Ed's nose was bleeding again. "And maybe another blood transfusion." he admitted, unable to keep the concern out o his voice.
"You got it, Boss." Havoc said, hurrying to open the door to HQ, since Roy had his hands full.
The halls were a flurry of activity- junior investigators sprinted around, hands full of papers, orders being shouted, names being called.
Still, Roy was confident everything was going to be fine when he left Ed on a bed in the infirmary, Havoc at his side.
Ed's automail fist clutched the lapel of his jacket so tightly, Roy was pretty sure he'd rip it if he tried to pry it out of the poor kid's grip. And he didn't have the heart to take it away from him, so instead, he shrugged off the blue garment altogether, draping it over the kid's sleeping form and heading to the office, intending to hunt down the crime scene photographer so they could take whatever photos of evidence they needed of Ed and he could get the kid to the hospital.
He sighed, already over today- some of his team had already gotten back, and he strode over to his desk to grab a few things, surprised when Captain Brown stepped into the room, looking like he hadn't slept in years.
"Colonel Mustang, Sir?" the man' voice was hoarse and raspy, and Roy internally winced at the sound, slightly surprised. "Captain. Why don't you have a seat- you look like you could use it." he motioned to the chair.
"I'll only be a minute, Sir. I just... I was wondering if you could do me a favor? If you could deliver this letter for me?"
Roy blinked. "What?" this was slightly bizarre.
"You're a good officer, Sir- you care about your men. I know... I feel like I can trust you. Sorry to bother you..."
"No, no, it's fine, I'll deliver it." Roy blinked, looking at the man's bloodshot eyes and exhausted stance and trying to figure out what to say.
"Is everything alright, soldier? When's the last time you slept?"
Captain Brown barked a hoarse laugh. "Honestly- I'm going home now to get some rest. Screw Atkins, I need a long sleep."
Roy nodded slightly- something still felt... off... about this whole interaction, but he nodded. "Have a good rest then."
"Thanks. For what it's worth- I hope that kid, the major- I hope he does better soon." Captain Brown turned and ducked out of the room. Roy noticed the slight tremor to the man's hands and gave his curiosity all of two second wait before he tore open the envelope- it was addressed to a woman, he realized...
Mom,
I'm so sorry, but I can't do this anymore. When you receive this letter, call Colonel Roy Mustang at 555-474-6283. Don't go to my apartment. I don't want you to see what's left behind. I did my best, but there's only so long you can look at dead kids before your soul withers away too. I'm doing to die quickly, I won't suffer- I love you and I hope I see you again...
Roy jerked to his feet, knocking his chair over. Furey, Breda and Falman all started, staring at him.
He took a breath, nostrils flaring. Captain Brown had really wanted him to deliver a suicide note to his mother?
"Captain Brown's going to off himself. We have to get to him before he does." Roy spoke quickly, the urgency in his tone not missed by his men.
At once, they were all jogging down the hallway after the Captain...
"He's probably on the first floor. Made it sound like he was going to do it at home..."
"What do you mean you're leaving for the day!? Atkins blinked, looking at his soldier numbly.
"I'm leaving, Sir. I need... I need a break." Captain Brown was saying, just as Mustang and his men came tearing into the room.
"Captain- don't do it!" Roy shouted.
Captain Brown's face fell. "You opened the letter?"
Roy nodded, breathing heavily, hand out. "Yes, I opened it. This isn't the way, I know you're confused and exhausted and struggling, but..."
The Captain had already pulled his pistol form his holster and seated it beneath his chin. The man's hands were trembling, he was crying...
"Colonel- I can't do this anymore!" he shouted, eyes hollow and entire body trembling. Atkins stared in shock, stepping back...
"Captain- Captain, please, don't do anything hasty..." Atkins floundered.
"I won't do it, Atkins! I'm tired of talking to dead kids! They don't talk to us- they never talk to us! Only the kid can hear them, NOT US! But you don't... you don't listen, you never listen to us..." Captain Brown stumbled, he was swaying on his feet...
"I'm not going back." he turned to look at Roy, still in tears, and set his jaw. "You can't make me go back!"
"Captain- Captain, listen to me! Nobody is making you do anything. You don't... you never have to go to another morgue for the rest of your life if you don't want to, but for the love of God, put the gun down." Roy stepped forward, both hands held in front of him like he was trying to pacify a wild animal.
The Captain shook his head, tears still tumbling down his cheeks. "God, Colonel, I don't know how you do it... after Ishval... I've stared at corpses for days, they don't... they don't talk, they're not supposed to, they don't know anything, they can't give us evidence!" the Captain was yelling again, and Roy took another step forward, hand out.
"I know." he swallowed hard- there was ash in the back of his throat and he could smell burning flesh. "Believe me, Captain, I know. You're exhausted, soldier, and you're a mess- this doesn't have to end like this. Please. Just... give me the gun, okay?" Roy was two steps out of reach for the man, and he edged closer.
"No!" Captain Brown shook his head rapidly, still crying. "I.. I can't! Living... it's too much, I can't do this!"
"You don't have to do this! You don't have to do any of this!" Roy motioned to the room around them. "Fuck the military, fuck everything! You could resign, burn your uniform, move to the countryside, become a plumber- there are infinite possibilities for you, but they only happen if you put the gun down!" Roy said, taking another step forward.
Captain Brown was still crying, his hands still trembling, and Roy gave the man a pitying look.
"Please, Captain. I don't want to have to write a letter to your mother explaining... Explaining how you died. Just... give me the gun, kid- it's gonna be okay."
Shaky hands gave mustang the pistol, and then Captain Brown was on the floor, still crying...
"It's gonna be alright, soldier." Mustang placed a hand on the man's shoulder, motioning to Fury, who was already moving to call an ambulance.
"Colonel- I'm scared." Captain Brown looked up at him, eyes wet with emotion, and Roy nodded. "It's alright. It's gonna be okay. Maybe not right now, but..." he swallowed. "eventually, it will be okay."
The medics came and escorted the man out, and Roy was left with an extra pistol to lock in his drawer.
Slowly, the activity in the room went back to normal, an Roy sighed, pocketing the extra pistol for the moment and turning, heading back upstairs.
Hawkeye was in the room with Havoc, and Ed was still asleep in the infirmary when he stepped into the room.
"That took awhile. Crime scene photographer has come and went already- Hughes went to take the girl to the hospital. He offered to take Ed, but we figured you'd want to be with him..." Hawkeye remarked, but when she saw the shaken expression on his face she stopped talking. "What is it, Sir?"
"Captain Brown just lost it. Tried to get me to deliver a suicide note to his mother and was going to go home and eat a bullet. Had to talk to gun out of his hands." He reached into his pocket, handing the pistol to Riza. "You mind locking that in my desk for me?"
Havoc sat forward, looking shocked. "You're kidding me."
"I assure you, Havoc, I'm not..."
Havoc swallowed. "That's the third person in the investigations team that's been... well... put away... this week." Havoc said, looking unnerved. "Tell him, Hawk."
Hawkeye sighed, looking troubled. "Unfortunately, he's right. Lieutenant Colonel Atkins has been running his men ragged- one of the female investigators voluntarily signed herself into a psych hospital yesterday, and one of the members who got back from the factory is catatonic- won't talk to anyone. Just stares straight ahead. They're getting sent to a mental ward, too, I believe. There's been... talks... of mandatory psych evaluations for everyone involved in this case, Sir. The higher ups have taken notice."
Roy sighed. "Well, that's just great. Look- Hawkeye- I'm not sure I have time to listen to this right now..."
"I think you should. Because it concerns Edward." Hawkeye said seriously, and Roy blinked at her.
"He... well, to be frank, Sir, he knocked out a senior officer, stole his revolver, and mutilated a corpse."
Roy blinked. "Yes. He did. The circumstances were extreme..."
Hawkeye sighed. "While I know that, and you know that, and the vast majority of the investigations team knows that... To be honest, Sir, everyone has been leaving the supernatural elements out of the official reports to the brass for fear of sounding insane. And without that context... Ed's actions are very hard to justify."
Roy paused, heartrate picking up. "What are you saying?"
"There's... there's talk of officers launching investigations into how Atkins ran his team and ours. Due to all the... incidents happening. And Edwards actions... well, to be frank with you, Sir- if you bring him to a hospital, I have a feeling he's going to be sent to a psych ward."
"No." Roy sagged into chair, resting his head in his hands. "No. You have to be kidding me, this is wrong! He's the whole reason we solved this case!"
"We know, Boss. It's not fair." Havoc said, looking pissed as he lit a cigarettes.
"So- we were thinking- before we move forward- we all need to have our story straight. If the brass finds out about Ed's... abilities... to communicate with the dead..."
Roy blinked, back going ram-rod straight. "They'd ship him off to a lab."
"Exactly." Hawkeye said seriously. "So- since we want to leave the paranormal elements out of this, and get Ed home as quickly as possible- I say we say it was a lapse of judgement. Edward just had to fight for his life and kill a boy to come out of that basement alive- he saw countless atrocities- we say that he was so disgusted at the killer's actions, he went and enacted justice as he saw fit."
"By attacking the killer's corpse." Roy said, sounding less than thrilled.
Hawkeye nodded. "Yes."
"So we say he had a violent outburst? That's not going to look good to the brass..."
"No, but it's better than him being taken to a lab." Hawkeye admitted, pursing her lips. "I... I know it doesn't sound good, colonel, but by denying the supernatural elements here, we keep Ed safe and get him home to us while keeping him off the military's radar. What do you think they'd have him do if they found out he could communicate with the dead? Have him on cold cases, maybe?"
"If he's lucky. They'd probably put him into the really messed up investigations department." Havoc said, sounding frustrated. "Then he'd never have time to help his brother."
"Besides- with all the seasoned investigators having issues after this case, Ed- well, it'd be reasonable for him to lose his head for a few minutes, he's young." Hawkeye said, casting a glance to the boy still asleep on the bed.
"I just want what's best for him, Sir." Hawkeye said seriously.
"So do I. I just don't like what I'm hearing." Roy grunted, getting to his feet. He looked down at he small form still asleep on the bed, brushing at the grimy blond locks on the kid's face.
"So when I take him to the hospital, lieutenant- what exactly am I walking into?" he asked, never once taking his eyes off Ed.
"Well, I'm assuming they're stabilizing him in the ER, check in his anemia- and then they'll admit him to the mental health ward."
Roy winced. "Right. Do we have any idea how long they want home, what the brass wants him to demonstrate, before he can leave?"
"I expect they'll keep him on a three day psych hold at minimum, Sir. Have a psychologist certify that... that there isn't anything to be concerned about... before he's cleared for duty."
"They're sending that little girl to a mental health ward too." Havoc said seriously.
Roy blinked. "You're kidding. What about her parents?"
Hawkeye sighed. "This entire investigation has turned into a clusterfuck, sir. The girl... she can see the dead for some reason, as well, maybe it's her age, or a natural ability- but- after what she's been through, the brass wants to make sure she wasn't turned into a psychopath like the boy who tried to kill Edward. I'm assuming once she can demonstrate she's sane, they'll let her leave with he parents as well..."
Ro sighed, hanging his head in defeat. "And there's nothing we can do but go along with this?"
"I'm afraid so, Sir."
Roy bit the inside of his cheek, looking down at Ed's sleeping form on the bed and heaving a sigh.
"Right. Lieutenant- brief everyone on the story we'll be telling the brass form here on out. We'll have to deny all supernatural elements..."
"And Edward, Sir?" Hawkeye asked, looking at him nervously.
Roy had already bent down, gathering the sleeping boy into his arms. "I'm going to tell him on the ride to the hospital."