-14-
One Late Night Part 2
Both Roy and Riza had managed to fall asleep for about twenty minutes before the phone rang. Although, Riza didn't allow herself to completely lose herself in sleep because she didn't want to miss Doctor Evans should he call. Looking over at Roy, she prayed the phone didn't wake him. Luckily, it didn't, he just stirred slightly. She raced over to the phone and picked it up after a ring and a half.
"Doctor Evans?" She spoke in the receiver.
"Yes." Evans replied, not at all surprised in the slightest that Riza answered his phone. He knew Roy well enough that he wouldn't call on his own accord. "How is he doing?"
Riza couldn't help it, she spoke frantically. "He's asleep right now, but earlier he was having a really bad spasm and his fever is through the roof. All of the pills you gave him are gone. He took them all, and now his symptoms are worse. And he refuses to go to the hospital."
"I warned him this would happen." Evans replied. "I'm sorry to have to say this Riza, but since he took all those pills too fast, after he wakes, the next few hours are going to be very rough on him."
Riza's mouth went agape. "Hours?" She repeated, praying that she'd heard him wrong.
"Yes." Evans told her. "I'm so sorry I'm so far away and can't get to him sooner. But I'm waiting on the next express train back right now. I should be back by 6a.m. Just try to stay calm and keep track of his symptoms. I will call you back at every stop we make. I know staying calm is easier said than done right now, but you and Roy can do this."
Six in the morning was not what Riza was hoping to hear, but the doctor was doing everything he could. "Okay. I will." Was all she could think of to say. There was nothing she could do to get him there any sooner, so protesting or complaining about it would be a waste of time.
Evans continued. "Right now, just keep him as comfortable as you can. As for you, I want you to take a deep, cleansing breath." He could tell over the phone that Riza was nearly hysterical, and if she kept this up, she risked a panic attack.
Riza did as she was told and took in a deep breath, and then released it slowly. It soothed her a little bit so she did this a couple of times.
"Good." Evans praised her. "Now just one more."
Riza did just that, and slowly, she could feel her nerves relaxing. "Thank you so much, Doctor Pierce." She said in a now slower and eased manner.
On the other end of the line, Evans smiled. "No worries, dear. It's my job. Oh, my train is arriving, remember, I'll call you back as soon as I'm able. Just you and Roy hang in there for me."
Riza smiled herself, although sadly. "We will, have a safe trip." And then she ended the call.
Now Riza had to wait for Roy to wake up to tell him that Pierce wasn't going to be there until six. She was dreaded it and hoped that he would just sleep through the night. Either way, she knew he would prefer suffering here in privacy, than going to the hospital getting help, surrounded by too many people. She then turned her attention to Roy's wall clock.
1:46a.m.
When she finally looked back to Roy, she saw he was already awake and squirming uncomfortably.
"What that Evans?" He asked.
The phone had woke him up.
Riza climbed back into bed with him again, getting under the covers. "Yes." She told him in a sad voice.
Roy noticed her somber tone. "What's the matter?"
Riza sighed heavily to brace herself. "Evans is out of town right now and he won't be back until 6a.m." She just decided to spit it out. "But he's hopping on the express train now, so maybe he can get back here sooner than that."
Roy sighed and his chest heaved a labored breath. "Son of a bitch."
"Hey…" She told him soothingly, petting his hair back. "You're going to make it through this, alright?" I'm right here beside you."
As hard as it was for her to stay strong for him, she refused to do otherwise. Where would they get if the both of them broke and gave up right now.
"Thank you…" He told her with a weak voice, feeling like such a burden to her these days.
Riza just smiled at him and continued to stroke his hair. "Shh…" She hushed him. "You don't have to talk right now, let alone thank me."
As Riza pet his hair, she felt his forehead. He was warm again. "I'm going to go and get you that compress again, okay?" She said, rising from the bed and into the bedroom's bathroom. Roy nodded.
She came back with a rag soaked with cold water. When she got back into bed with him, she dabbed it on his face a few times. Roy's cheeks were flush and warm too. "Hopefully this will help your fever a little."
"Riza…" Roy said suddenly with a shaky voice. "I-I'm f-f-freezing." He pulled the blankets to his chest and was shivering so hard his teeth were chattering. Riza knew that this meant Roy's fever was getting worse, but she had to keep the rag on his head to ease it. She went to the trunk at the foot of Roy's bed and pulled out his winter blanket, covering him up to his chin as fast as she could. She also wrapped her arms around him tight.
"We'll get you warmed up." She told him. "We'll get you all warmed up." She hated that she sounded so nervous that she was repeating herself.
Roy looked around the room in confusion. "Whe-where are we?" He asked.
This did nothing to ease Riza's shot nerves. His fever was so high he was hallucinating. Sure, he had forgotten where he was with this once or twice already, but never in his own home, his own bed.
She tried hard to keep her voice steady and even so as to not cause him panic. "Y-you're in your own bed at your own house." She assured him, her own voice stuttering now. "And I am right here with you. You're safe."
Roy continued to shiver hard. "My ch-chest hurts." He said tightly.
The fever was making him delirious at this point, so much so he wasn't speaking with his normal tact. So she put her hand underneath the white t-shirt he was wearing and rubbed circles on his chest. His whole body was hot. Maybe this would help.
"I know." She said sadly. "But Doctor Evans is on his way here. So, you just have to hang on a little longer for me, okay?"
Suddenly, the phone rang again. It was way too soon from Evans last call for it to be him, so she wanted to just ignore it. But she couldn't take the risk of it being something important. As much as she didn't want to leave Roy's side, she told him she'd be right back and went to answer the phone.
"Hello?" She asked into the phone. Riza was thrown when she heard a woman's voice on the other end of the line.
"Lieutenant Hawkeye?' The voice asked.
"General Armstrong?" Riza answered in surprise.
"Yes." Armstrong answered, the tone in her voice was compassionate and concerned.
Riza wasn't as shocked as she thought she'd be, but it still took a moment for her to respond. She wasn't used to this softer side of the General yet.
"I saw that a call went out to the hospital from the Fuhrer's quarters." Armstrong told her. "I didn't tell anyone about it, don't worry. Suddenly, her voice became even more somber as she asked a burning question. "How is he?"
Riza briefly looked over at Roy, who was shivering in bed with his eyes tightly closed. "He isn't good, Olivier." She felt odd using her first name, she didn't even know why she'd done it, but she felt close enough to her through all of this to do it. "He doesn't know where he is and he has a high fever that sends him into shivers. He doesn't know, but I found blood on his pillow too."
"I see." Armstrong answered. "Wasn't he doing a lot better as of late?" The fear and worry in the General's voice was apparent. And this did nothing to help Riza's nerves.
"That's the thing." Riza told her. "He never really was doing better in the first place. He was abusing the pills that Evans had given him. It was the only way he could get out of his pain. I'm sure I would have done the same. Being Fuhrer is his top priority right now and did what he had to do. But now he's out of them and Evans won't be able to make it here until way later this morning."
Both Riza and Armstrong paused to take a look at their respective clocks. It was just after 2.a.m. So the ladies knew that Roy had a lot more time to suffer before he could get the only help he'd expect.
"He's stubborn." Armstrong said. "But so damn resilient." Her voice conveyed that of pride and respect. "He's going to get through this, Hawkeye. In the morning, I'll call Fullmetal and get a status report as to where he is with this training." She insisted. "Roy is strong, Riza–and so are you. You're the best person he could be with right now."
Riza wiped the tears from her red eyes. "Thank you so much." She told her. "I'll do the best I can." The General's next words surprised her.
"May I speak with him?" She asked, surprising Riza again. It wasn't shocking that she called in the first place, what made it odd is that she cared enough to talk to him so late at night to make sure he was okay. Did the night of the inaugural ball concern her as much as it did Riza?
Riza cleared her throat before she answered. "Of course you can. But I'm warning you, General, he's really out of it."
"I know." Armstrong replied. "I just need to say something to him myself. He doesn't have to say anything."
"Okay." Riza agreed and walked closer to the bed, handing Roy the phone. "It's General Armstrong." She told him. "She wants to talk to you for a minute."
Roy took a few hard, labored breaths before he could speak. "Hurts…to talk." He grated out.
Riza felt herself gulp. "She told me she doesn't need you to talk, just to listen."
With this, he weakly raised his arm to take the phone. He didn't need to say hello before she started talking. It was clear she wanted him to conserve his strength.
"Roy, it's Armstrong. Don't talk, Just listen." She instructed him. "I need you to do anything you can to stay alive until Pierce gets there. You have to pull through this. No matter what. After what you did for me and Belle…we just can't lose you now. I mean…fuck it, you're my best friend, okay?"
Roy remained silent—but stunned.
"I lied before when I said you didn't have to say anything." She admitted to him. "I need you to promise me you're going to survive. I don't even care if you mean it, or believe it. I just need to hear you say the words. I don't care if it hurts, I know you can handle say the words. Please, Roy." She pleaded, her voice desperate. He'd never heard her sound that way.
Roy steeled himself and willed his voice to work. "I-I promise." He managed to spit out. He even managed to smile through his pain.
"Thank you, Fuhrer." She said, he could tell over the phone that her voice was breaking. A moment later, her voice changed back to sounding more professional. But it was a farce and they both knew it. "You can hand the phone back to Hawkeye now."
Roy looked at Riza and handed her back the phone, still smiling.
This made Riza smile as well "I don't know what you said to him, General, but you got him smiling. Thank you so much."
"He's lucky to have you, Hawkeye." Armstrong said sweetly.
"And I'm lucky to have him too." Riza replied. "You as well, General."
"Take care of yourself too, Riza." Armstrong told her.
"You too."
After the call ended, Riza hung up the phone and got back in bed with Roy. "Do you feel any better?" She asked hopefully.
Roy nodded. "Yeah. She's such a good person." He winced.
Riza went back to rubbing on his chest. "We don't have to talk if you don't want to, but can I ask you something?"
Roy nodded again. "The pain is less now." He explained to her. And I can always talk to you. What did you want to ask me?"
Riza stared at the blanket on top of her, running her fingers soothingly over Roy's chest. "You and Armstrong never seemed to get along before, she never really seemed like she was close with anyone. What happened to make you comfortable enough to share your illness with her?" She told him. "And at the military ball, she already knew what was wrong with you. She even helped me make sure you got home and got some rest. Because of your episode."
Roy let out a breath. "She knows because I told her." He said bluntly.
Riza shook her head in confusion. "But…why?" She asked.
"The General had found out through some of her own searching that I was the one who killed Bradley. After that she told me she would help me cover it up."
Riza's head shot up and looked at Roy. "She knows about Bradley?" She exclaimed. "Why on earth would she help you cover up killing the Fuhrer?"
Riza couldn't fully comprehend everything Roy had just said. Was she the one with the fever?
"Armstrong knows all about the dark side of Bradley. She had her own reasons for wanting him dead, but that's all I can say about it." As much as Roy loved and trusted Riza, he wasn't going to betray Armstrong's trust by telling anyone. Not even Riza.
Riza understood where Roy was coming from, so she wasn't offended or threatened. Armstrong was a very private person. It made total sense that she didn't want her private life spreading like a wildfire. The only thing she was really curious about was how he was able to crack her diamond shell. She was honestly amazed by it. But any secrets between the two were between them, and she trusted the man she loves. After all they were soldiers, they'd gotten good at confidentiality over the years.
"I understand." She told him. "But, how is that linked to her knowing about your illness?: She asked. Feeling like she was missing a piece of the puzzle.
Roy continued. "She wanted Bradley dead, like I said before. It gave her closure. She'd also noticed how sick I was looking lately, so she offered to cover up my crime in exchange for me telling her what was wrong with me. Guess I wasn't as good at hiding my injuries as I thought." Roy grunted through a sudden pain, but luckily it eased off fairly quickly. It took him a moment before he could continue. "So, I told her everything about what I'd done. About what I did to save Fullmetal, and the price I had to pay for it. We both agreed to one another's secrets and since then we've been close."
Riza smiled at him warmly. She thought it was nice that they could lean on one another like comrades should. Two people that were like oil and water, became confidants–friends. "I'm glad you two have each other." She said, "Sounds like you help one another more than you both realize."
Rou just nodded in response. Talking was becoming painful again. Riza just continued doing what she could—rubbing his chest and holding him. His heart was pounding so hard against her hand.
"Just close your eyes and try to get some rest." She told him. "We don't have to talk any more." Riza noticed that this conversation alone was exhausting for him. After about a minute, Roy was practically asleep,
Just then, the phone began to ring, Riza prayed that it wouldn't wake him from his sleep again, gratefully, it didn't. Darting as fast as she could to the phone and picking it up. Before she could get a word in edgewise, the doctor beat her to it.
"Ms. Hawkeye?" he asked.
"Yes?" Riza's nerves were eating away at her anticipating what the doctor was going to say.
"I'm getting there as fast as I can." Evans assured her with a hastened voice. "We had one short layover about an hour ago, but I should still be there before six. Hopefully sooner."
"No,no." Riza said, waving it off. "It's like you can control the train schedule. I know you're doing everything you can to get here."
Riza was hoping that Pierce was calling to tell her that he was going to get here quicker than expected, but she was just relieved it wouldn't be later than that.
"How's his condition?" Evans asked her reluctantly.
"Umm…" Riza paused for a moment to calm herself. "He's got a high fever, and he's hallucinating, along with not knowing where he , he keeps falling in and out of consciousness. I don't know what to do."
Evans sighed. "All of that isn't too uncommon with a fever, but you still need to monitor him closely." He said.. "Is he asleep?"
"Yes, he is right now. I'm terrified he's going to have more nightmares and make his condition worse, but it's the only way to get him out of pain right now. He could barely even speak just a little while ago." She explained. "I just don't know what to do."
"Let him sleep." Evans instructed her. Riza was glad her initial assumption was correct. "It'll give him a brief reprieve from the pain. I'm getting there as fast a I can."
"I know and I appreciate it."
"Just keep him as comfortable as you can for now and try to lower his fever if possible. I'll call you again when I'm able." He paused for a moment. "You're doing a wonderful job,"
Riza wanted to break down right then and there, but she willed herself not to. She just peered over at the wall clock again.
3:37a.m.