I'm back with another update!
"You got a letter from Rush Valley, Ed."
"Nice. Al said he was gonna take Winry there before he came back to East City." Ed smiled, tearing open the letter and reading, before he quietly went back to his work.
It'd been a little over a week since Ed had finished his latrine duty, and he was enjoying the desk work.
A man stepped into the office- short and balding, with a bowler and a potbelly, rather squat, in green slacks and a wool button up shirt. His mustache twitched as he examined the room, pushing his round glasses further up his nose, before his gaze landed on Ed, and he quickly strode over.
"Excuse me. Are you Ed?"
Ed blinked, looking up from his paperwork.
"Excuse me, can I help you?" Hawkeye was already striding over, all business.
"Actually, I was hoping I could talk to young Edward here..."
"I'm afraid you'll have to speak to the Colonel about it first. Colonel!"
True to form, the door of Roy's office opened, and he frowned, seeing the Lieutenant standing beside Ed's desk and a strange man having taken off his hat, fidgeting nervously.
"You have a visitor, Sir." Hawkeye nodded to the nervous looking man.
"Actually, I was here to see Edward..." the man said feebly.
"First you speak with me. Please, step into my office." Roy's charcoal gaze had sharpened, and his tone was authoritative and held no room for argument, so the rather portly man scurried after him into the office.
He looked at the man in disdain. "Are you another reporter?" he asked, barely able to hide the disdain in his tone. He'd had five reporters calling and harassing him this past week, trying to get an exclusive about the 'most grisly murder spree of the century'.
"No, I'm not." the man continued to fidget nervously, running his fingers over the rim of his hat anxiously and blinking.
Roy frowned. "Then who are you and why did you come here?".
"Well, I came here because of my daughter. She's been in the hospital, and she's having quite a bad time, and she talks about her friend Edward, and I was hoping a visit might help set her right before they resort to electric shock thearpy... Edward can see the dead too, can't he?"
Roy blinked, staring at the man. "Take a seat." he motioned towards the chair opposite his desk, and the man did so.
"Your daughter. Who is she?" Roy had a pretty good idea of who he was talking to.
"Her name is Lucy Kendrick, she's the girl who survived that awful factory. She's such a bright little thing, used to help at the bakery. Or she did, before that madman took her. She's been in the mental hospital since. She... she's having quite a hard time- she can talk to the dead. But the doctors think she's mad. And... well, she's always been a spitfire, even before she knew alchemy..."
Roy blinked. "The girl is six. She knows alchemy?"
"Oh yes. She has a book and everything. She says Edward taught her. She's quite good, if I do say so myself..." the man gave a quick smile, a hint of pride in his expression. "But the doctors dislike it immensely, because anytime they try to restrain her, she can get right out. No room she can't get out of, no locked door she can't destroy.".
Roy blinked. "Ed... taught her alchemy?"
"That's what she says. She took to it like a fish in water, but she's always been that way with... otherworldly things. She's the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, so she can see the dead, and she's stubborn as a mule, so she refuses to concede. The doctors have labeled her as 'explosive and uncooperative'. They want to put her on a bunch of powerful medication and do electroshock therapy to try and cure her. They won't let her back into our custody. But she's six- only six! A child needs her parents at that age, not shock therapy! You can agree with that, can't you?".
Roy nodded. "Yes. I can. And where does Edward fit into all of this? Aside from the fact he was the one who rescued your daughter and spent time with her in Sister's Mental Hospital?".
"Well, since your boy can see the dead too- I was hoping he could vouch for my Lucy. The doctors at Central's Mental Hospital don't want to hear a thing I say. But she's special, and Edward is too, and I was hoping his word could get her released before they destroy her mind with shock therapy. They say it will help because it causes memory loss, but if my little girl looses her memories, what will she be? A doll? A husk? I want my little girl back!" the man was near tears now.
"I understand that. But Edward... to be frank, the only way we got Edward out of the mental hospital was to have him lie through his teeth and say he didn't see dead people." Roy admitted. "If Ed tried to vouch for her, he'd only get thrown back into the mental ward with her. As it is, I'm under strict orders to watch him...".
"But you believe me, don't you, Sir? Our children really are special- they can both talk to the dead! I have to... I have to do something, or they'll ruin her mind!"
Roy nodded. "Yes. I believe you. I... I've seen what Ed can do. But convincing a team of doctors that the supernatural is real is a fruitless endeavor. You'd be more likely to get her out if she lies- tells them what they want to hear. Surely you've thought of that?"
The man gave a breathless laugh. "I wish she would! She's six, and she's stubborn like her mother! And all the things... the things she saw, well, she's even more bull headed now. She tells... she told me how they beat a boy to death right in front of her and made her help cut him up into pieces! She refuses to lie or deny it. Any of it. They're trying to label her as psychotic, but she never hurt anyone until they tried to sedate her, and even then, they held her down! Do you know what a child will think, when they've been chained to a stake for a week and starved, and you hold them down and try to stick then with a needle?".
Roy inhaled deeply. "I can't say I do, no."
"Well- they bite themselves until they bleed and sketch an alchemy circle in their own blood to get away. Like an animal in a trap will chew off their own leg to get out. I... she... if you and your boy don't help us, I don't know what we're going to do." the man sounded close to tears, and he let out a breathless laugh, though he looked desperate.
"So... will you help me save my little girl?"
"I'm not opposed to trying." Roy admitted hesitantly. "But Edward's the key in this plan, isn't he? He's probably the only one who coudl convince her to lie about her abilities at this point."
"Oh yes. She loves that boy, talks about him all the time. She drew this, that's how I knew where to find him..." The man fished around in his pocket. It was a crumpled crayon sketch of Ed in his red coat.
Roy couldn't help but smile slightly. "I'll have to ask Edward if he wants to come. He's been through quite a lot."
"Of course, of course. Thank you." the man looked at him with gratitude, and Roy nodded, standing. "I'll be back in a few minutes.".
He stepped into the outer office to be met with everyone's gazes. "Fullmetal. Walk with me."
Ed nodded- even he could sense the shift in the air, apparently, because he fell into step beside his superior without complaint.
"What's that guy want?" he asked curiously, as they strode down the hall.
"You remember that girl you saved? Lucy? The one you were always talking to about alchemy?".
"Yeah, of course I remember her. They released her from the hospital right before I got out. She's pretty smart, for a kid." Ed admitted.
Roy frowned. "Who told you that?".
Ed shrugged. "One of the nurses said so. She was gone one day, they let her out.".
Roy stopped walking. "I don't know how to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it. She's been transferred to a mental hospital in Central City, and they're labeling her as psychotic."
Ed blinked. "What? Why the hell would they do that!?"
"Because she insists she can see dead people. She's... she's not doing well, Ed." Roy admitted, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to scare the boy.
Ed's eyes had widened. "Oh my god. That's how they knew to ask me! They asked me if I could see dead people, and I lied and said no. They must've done her psych evaluation first, and she said yes. I told her to lie and say no, but she's stubborn...".
Roy nodded. "So I've heard. Listen- that man in my office is her father. He came here because you're one of the only people she talks about. He was hoping you'd go visit her and try to convince her to play along with he doctors so she can leave sooner. Would you... are you okay with going to see her?".
Ed nodded. "Yeah. Of course I am. It's only a two hour train ride, I'll be fine by myself..."
"I'm coming with you. You aren't going alone." Mustang said certainly.
Ed seemed to relax a fraction. "Then yeah, I'll definitely be fine.".
"Right. We'll try and make this a day trip- we'll leave in a few minutes, get tickets to Central and see the kid tonight. I'll go let her Dad know.".
The train ride to Central was surprisingly boring, just the three of them sitting in their compartment.
"So Edward- how many brothers do you have?" Lucy's father asked from where he sat opposite them on the train bench.
"Huh?" Ed frowned, looking surprised. "Oh- um, just one.".
Lucy's father frowned. "Well, that's unusual. I thought you'd be the seventh son of a seventh son, because you have the gift. That's why my Lucy has it- she's the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. We knew when we saw her silver eyes when she was born. Is your father... is he special, then? Sensitive?"
Ed shrugged. "I dunno. All I can say for sure is he was an asshole. Ran off when I was three." there was resentment hanging heavy in Ed's tone, and Lucy's father frowned.
"I see. Maybe your mother was sensitive, then?"
"I doubt it. If she was, she never talked about it."
"It's unusual, seeing the gift you have, to not have much history with the supernatural." Lucy's father admitted.
Ed sighed. "And if I told you I had a close encounter with death in childhood? Something that marked my soul forever and made me this way?".
Lucy's father straightened, eyes widening. "I'd say it explains a lot. How long have you had the gift?".
Ed shrugged. "I dunno. I didn't even know I had it until it turned out my best friend had been dead for six months and I was the only person who could see them." Ed hunched over in his seat, stuffing his hand in his pockets.
"That's awful." Lucy's father looked horrified.
"No shit. My life is a series of poor choices and unfortunate events. Let's talk about something else. How's Lucy?"
"Well, she's... cagey. Angers easily. Upset. She wants to come home. They keep her in a locked room most of the time, but it doesn't matter- she can get out easily. They tried taking that book she had away, but it doesn't matter- she just draws one of her circles and gets out.".
"Transmutation circles?" Ed asked, perking up slightly.
Lucy's dad nodded. "Yes, that's what she calls them. She's quite good at it- she can freeze water into ice with them, and she can take apart wood, metal, plastic- nothing they try to use to restrain her works. The hospital staff are quite upset by it, really- they lock the ward and they try to keep her in, but she's stubborn. They won't let her have chalk anymore, because she nearly got out of the courtyard by using it to make one of those circles and tunneling under the concrete...".
Roy blinked, surprised, and Ed sat forward, laughing. "That's my girl. She always said she never wanted to be trapped again. She's pretty smart for a kid.".
"She actually managed to manipulate concrete with alchemy? And she almost got out of a locked ward?" Roy was leaning forward now, surprised.
"Of course she did. I'm the one who taught her alchemy, after all." Ed puffed out his chest a little.
Lucy's father nodded. "Oh yes, she did. Was only a few feet shy of getting into the sewers underground and escaping. Was quite the mess. They have two orderlies assigned to guard her, but she's sly... I think she's going to have quite the career as an architect, with the ability to move dirt and things like she can."
"An alchemist prodigy." Roy remarked calmly, trying not to look at Ed. "Where have I heard about that before?".
The hospital was incredibly quiet and dreary. Slate gray hallways and rooms.
Mustang's rank as a Colonel granted them some leeway, and they nurse led them into the locked ward, looking hesitant.
"She's quite volatile, you know. Even with the pills we gave her this morning. Are you certain you want to see her?" the nurse asked, eying their trio nervously.
"I think we'll do just fine." Ed said calmly, swinging his watch around by the chain as he walked.
Roy frowned, noticing something etched on the wall. Scratched through the paint on the hallway was a heating array- it drew thermal energy from the surrounding molecules of air in the form of electrons and heated things.
"She made this, didn't she?" Roy paused, placing a hand on the array. It was a bit lopsided and clumsy, obviously drawn by a beginner, but it was of sufficient quality that it would have worked.
"Ah, yes. I'm afraid there are several of those around the ward. We haven't been able to get maintenance in to paint over them yet. We don't know what they do. All we know is she used them to get out of her zip ties." the nurse admitted reluctantly.
"It's a thermal array." Roy remarked, and Ed nodded his agreement. "Did you show this to her?" he asked. Ed shook his head. "No, but she's smart. She figured it out herself. What are the zip ties made of here?"
The nurse frowned. "Plastic."
"She drew in the heat and melted them off. Smart kid." Ed smirked.
Roy wordlessly nodded his agreement, and they kept walking.
"She may be smart, but she's also prone to dangerous hallucinations and quite unruly at times." the nurse said simply.
"How do you know she's hallucinating?" Ed asked the nurse calmly.
The nurse frowned. "Because nobody can speak to the dead, Major Elric. We're just lucky that our other patients aren't as quick as she is, or they'd be escaped by now and running mad in the city. She's in the main room. And she actually hasn't tried to escape yet today. Odd." the nurse admitted.
In the main room there was a large picture window. The girl. with wavy blonde locks to her shoulders sat in a white gown, cross-legged, in front of the glass. In either corner of the room, an orderly sat watching her. She leaned forward and pressed her face to the glass, fogging it up with her breath.
"Well. There she is. Don't you want to go say hello?" the nurse asked seriously.
"Not yet. We're observing.". Mustang watched as she continued to fog up the glass with her breath. She glanced around quickly, before she was drawing in the mist...
A moment later there was a blue glow as she activated the hurriedly sketched transmutation circle, and the glass window shattered into a thousand pieces.
The orderlies were shouting as glass fell down, and Ed clapped his hands together, stepping forward and pressing them to the ground.
A moment later, the glass had reassembled itself in perfect order.
The blue alchemic light had faded, and Lucy whirled, surprised, to see Ed kneeling on the floor. "Not bad, Lucy. You've gotten pretty handy with alchemy since the last time I saw you."
"Ed!" Lucy squealed, running over and wrapping her arms around Ed. Ed returned the hug, patting her head affectionately. "I see you've bene giving them hell here."
"I wanna go home! They won't let me go home, because I can talk to dead people and they can't!"
"I know. That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Ed said seriously.
A white-clad nurse came striding into the room with an electric trimmer. "Lucy- it's time for your haircut, love.".
Lucy frowned, looking at her warily. "No.".
"She needs to be shaved so we can properly place the electrodes for her treatment tomorrow." the nurse said, looking unamused.
Ed frowned. "What treatment?".
"Lucy is due to get her first round of electrical pulse therapy tomorrow to help with her hallucinations." the nurse said simply.
Lucy squeaked, looking up at Ed with wide eyes and tugging on his shirt. "Help me! Don't let them do it, please!".
"I won't allow it! I'm signing her out of this hospital NOW!" Lucy's father thundered, looking enraged.
"For the hundredth time, Mr. Kendrick, we can't allow that. The girl is under the custody of the state until she's deemed stable to be released..."
"Then I'm signing her out." Mustang spoke up quickly. "I'm a Colonel, that should be enough rank for me to take her out of the hospital under my supervision for a little while.".
The nurses frowned, exchanging glances. "Ordinarily, yes. But she's a flight risk and unstable- her violent hallucinations and constant attempts to run make her a flight risk."
"She's an alchemist. And she's nearly broken out of your facility too many times to count. Edward and I are probably the best people to have her in custody.".
"And what do you plan to do with her, Colonel? She's delusional, she believes she can speak to the dead. How do you and your subordinate plan on fixing what modern medicine can't? Really, it's for the best she get this treatment...".
"Ed. Take her for a walk. I have to negotiate." Mustang ordered.
"Right. Sounds like a plan." Ed took Lucy's hand and led her down the hall, though Lucy looked behind her nervously.
"You won't let them do those things to me, will you?" she asked.
Ed shook his head. "No, I won't. You know I won't."
"Good. Do you still see them? The other kids? I haven't seem them as often, they're gone, but I can still see people, sometimes..." Lucy admitted.
Ed paused. "Yes. Yes, I can. I haven't seen the other kids either, but I can still see them. But that's what I need to talk to you about." Ed glanced behind them nervously, making sure they were alone in the hallway. "You need to lie. You need to tell them you can't see and talk to dead people. Or they're going to put you through that treatment." Ed said seriously.
Lucy frowned. "But if I lie, that's like forgetting about them! All those kids, all our friends! I don't see them anymore, but I still remember them- they kept me company down in that basement, they talked to me. Especially Jake." she looked close to tears.
"I know. I know they did. And it's okay. It's okay to lie about it. Because you have to, if you want to get out of this hospital- you have to lie. But ti doesn't mean that they weren't real or that they weren't good friends to you." Ed said seriously.
"I hate this place. I hate it almost as much as I do that factory." Lucy admitted, tugging on his shirt. Ed sighed and picked her up, bouncing her slightly.
"I know you do. And I'm sorry."
"I still hear them, you know. I can't see them anymore, but I hear them- when I try to sleep. They used to want to play hide and seek with me. And run around. And they hated the factory too." Lucy admitted.
Ed nodded, closing his eyes. He still remembered those hushed whispers that seemed to dart around the large open room, the childish voices, the laughter, the screaming...
"Wanna play hide and seek?"
"Hide!"
They rose to the forefront of his mind. "Help me. I want to go home. That's one of the voices I heard." Ed recited what he still remembered, though his tone was even and steady, and didn't do justice to the frantic begging and screaming of the disembodied voices in the factory.
Lucy blinked her silver eyes at him calmly. "I can't get out. I need to get out." she recited calmly.
Ed sighed. He didn't like remembering the desperate begging, but it was all coming back to him now. "They lied to me, mom, help.".
"It burns! That's what the one boy was always crying about, I'd see him walking around, and he left ash footprints. And there was the girl who was always wet and smelled funny, she'd keep me company sometimes. What else did they say?" Lucy looked up at him hopefully.
"Umm... Mom. Help. They lied to me, mom, help." Ed recited calmly.
"They hated it there. They'd say the word hate a lot." Lucy admitted.
"Yeah, they did. I hate this place, and I can't get out! I hate it here!" Ed recalled.
"I hate it too, I hate them!" Lucy parroted right back to him without hesitation.
"Burn this place." Ed recalled, managing to mimic how the tone was filled with hate.
"Burn it to the ground." Lucy agreed.
They looked at one another for a long moment, silver and gold eyes locking.
"Burn it." they said in unison.
A cold wind whipped through the hallway, though they were indoors.
"They're right here." Mustang strode around the corner to find Ed and Lucy locked in a staring contest of sorts.
The nurse gasped. "His nose is bleeding. Did she do that to him? I told you, she can be violent!" the nurse looked shocked.
The spell was broken, and Ed frowned, looking up. "What? No, she didn't hit me...".
Mustang frowned, stepping forward and handing Ed a handkerchief. "It happens to him sometimes." was all he said, though his gaze lingered on Ed.
"This is highly unusual. I can only give her to you for twenty four hour day pass, then we'll re-evaluate and continue treating her in East City...".
"I know. You said that five times already. Fullmetal, kid- let's get the hell out of here." Roy ordered.
The train ride back to East City was relatively quiet- it was nearly eight at night, and Roy frowned, watching them.
"So Lucy- when you get back to the hospital, what are you going to do?" Roy quizzed.
"Lie. Lie lie lie and tell them I can't see dead people or talk to dead people. Stop doing alchemy and trying to escape.".
Roy nodded. "The military will send an independent doctor to evaluate her before they condone the electrical treatment. If she lies through the evaluation, she should be fine..." Roy tried to reassure Lucy's father, who was looking grim from where he sat beside Mustang.
"Right. Thank you, really- you've done so much already. Really. Getting her transferred back to East City was a big step, too, now me and my wife can come visit more often..." he gave a worried glance at his daughter.
"It was nothing."
Lucy tugged Ed's sleeve so he was leaning over and whispered in his ear "Burn it.".
Ed nodded. "I know. I know." he looked over at the two adults who were eying them cautiously.
"What are you two talking about? Alchemy mumbo jumbo?" Lucy's father tried to make conversation.
Mustang nodded. "Enlighten us.".
Ed shrugged. "You wouldn't understand it.".
"I might not, but your Colonel is an alchemist, I'm sure he could understand." Mr. Kendrick tried.
"It's not about alchemy. You wouldn't get it. It's about what dead people say." Ed admitted seriously.
Most of the ride back to East City was silent after that.
They'd arrived back at the train station by four in the afternoon, but it was November, now, and it was starting to get dusky.
"So I signed her out, she's technically under my military watch right now. You and her are both welcome to sleep at my place until we have to take her back to the hospital tomorrow..." Mustang was speaking with Mr. Kendrick on the train platform after they'd disembarked.
"Daddy- I hafta pee." Lucy tugged her father's sleeve.
"I'll take her." Ed volunteered.
"Thank you, Edward." Mr. Kendrick agreed, and the two men continued to talk about adult matters.
As soon as they were out of sight, they both broke into a run away from the train station.
It was four fifty seven pm when Ed hurried back into the office, tearing open his desk drawer and digging around for his wallet.
"Edward? I thought you were in Central with the Colonel and that man." Hawkeye looked over, surprised to see him.
"Yeah, I was, it went great, I just forgot something." Ed assured her hurriedly.
He grabbed a crumpled up twenty cen note, stuffing it into his pocket. "Gotta go, bye!" he darted back out the door.
The clerk at seven eleven was only paid minimum wage. So when a short emo kid and a six year old came into his store trying to buy a lighter at dusk, he had reason to be concerned.
"What are you two planning to do with it? You're a little young- are you planning on playing with matches or something? I'm not allowed to sell just lighters to kids. You have to buy something else with it."
Ed grew red in the face, slamming his state alchemist's watch on the table. "Fine, give me a pack of cigarettes too then!" Ed huffed.
"You got ID?"
"I have THIS! Military ID is proof enough, right!?"
"I guess." the clerk grabbed a pack of cigarettes, and Ed grabbed his watch, the lighter, and the cigarettes off the counter, dropping down some crumpled bills and grabbing Lucy's hand, ducking out of the store.
"They ditched us at the train station. What time did you say they were here?" Roy demanded.
He and Mr. Kendrick had realized after a half hour has passed that the kids had, in fact, ditched them.
"Almost five. Ed was in a hurry, he grabbed a bunch of cash out of his desk and left..."
"Do you have any idea where they'd have gone?"
"I saw Ed walk into the seven eleven across the street from the window. That's the last place I saw them." Havoc commented.
"Where do you think they'd go?" Mr. Kendrick asked, wringing his hands nervously. "Is Edward trustworthy?"
"He wouldn't let anything happen to her, if that's what your asking. They've both been oddly quiet all night, they're in this together, whatever they're doing..." Roy was annoyed. Once again, Ed had run off ahead without briefing him on anything.
The clerk at seven eleven was still paid minimum wage.
But he took notice when six people clad in military uniform stormed his seven eleven.
Roy brushed past his regular alcoholic customers buying their daily six packs and slammed his watch on the counter.
Breda was hanging over the ice chest. "This icecream looks suspicious. Gonna have to confiscate it." he remarked.
"Save me a chocolate one, wouldya?" Havoc asked.
"Have you seen a kid in a red coat and a little girl in white?" Roy demanded, getting the clerk's attention again.
The clerk nodded.
"When?" Roy growled.
"About half an hour ago." the clerk said calmly.
"And what did he buy here?"
"A pack of cigarettes." the clerk said plainly.
Roy blinked. "A pack of cigarettes!?" he turned to glare at Havoc, who shook his head.
"Hey, it wasn't me, boss! I never send Chief to get me ciggarettes... Hawkeye said I can't do that anymore!"
He was clenching his jaw so hard that he was starting to get a headache. Edward was DEAD when he caught him.
"He bought cigarettes? What kind?"
"Menthols."
"What the hell! He didn't even buy good ones, he got the cheap crap!" Havoc looked personally offended.
"That's all he bought was a pack of ciggs?" Roy asked. Interrogating this cashier was like pulling teeth. It didn't make any sense, especially because Ed didn't smoke... Unless he did. In which case he'd personally beat the kid's ass when he found him.
"Well actually, he really seemed interested in the lighter. That's all he wanted to start with, but I told him I couldn't just sell a lighter to two kids, how does that look? That'd look bad. So he threw his watch on the table and asked for a pack of cigarettes too.". the cashier was finally giving him information.
Havoc's cigarette fell out of his mouth.
Roy inhaled deeply through his nose. "So instead of just selling them a lighter, you decided it'd look better to sell two kids cigarettes and a lighter? How does that even make sense!?"
"I dunno! I just work here, man! The kid had military ID, so I sold it to him!"
"Did he say where he was going?"
"No. But he traded the pack of cigarettes for a bottle of liquor from the hobo who sleeps on the sidewalk out front."
If Roy's blood pressure got much higher, he was going to explode.
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