I DON'T KNOW WHY I WAS HAVING SUCH A HARD TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER! So sorry for the wait- I just haven't been in the mindset to write this story.
Just a warning though! This chapter has a cliff-hanger ending BUT I am going to update it again before next weekend. I just really wanted to update this story tonight, because I've been wanting to let you all know that this story isn't abandoned. And if I tell you that there will be a chapter before the next weekend, I will probably actually be able to do it!
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Al was picking at his food. He couldn't remember ever not feeling hungry- or at least full enough to not eat one more serving. Winry would sometimes mutter how she would lose her appetite when watching him cram his face full, hardly chewing before he was ready for his next mouthful. Until now, that seemed like a totally foreign concept to him.
Al had woken up by a shattered voice close to his ear and the frantic beats of Ed's heart-rate monitor picking up hardly a minute before and had still only been half-conscious when his brother had freaked out and demanded that they'd all leave the room.
Riza's firm grip on his shoulder didn't do much to calm his anguish. It felt nice to have someone trying to comfort him, but it didn't mean that it made him worry any less. From the brief conversation they had with Roy outside before he retreated to the room, it seemed like Ed was suffering from some kind of panic attack. Apparently a reaction to some unsettling news he had just received.
They were looking for an empty conference room to talk, when they ran into Maes Hughes. He was lounging in one of the comfy-looking overstuffed chairs in the waiting area looking half asleep. Raven hair disheveled, classes slightly skewed and his shirt crinkled with one of its flaps hanging sloppily at the outside of his slacks. Beneath the rumpled shirt, Al could make out the faint outlines of blue pajamas with ducklings on it.
The bespectacled man startled awake, rubbing his eyes tiredly and announced that he had brought them all breakfast. Sandwiches with cheese and ham (crust cut off), with a side of cut-up pieces of fruits and vegetables, packed neatly in small Tupperware containers. The gesture had Gracia written all over it with big bold letters.
For a moment, Alphonse had wondered if he had gotten Elicia's lunch by accident, but as he peered over towards Maes, who was chewing contently on a miniature sized carrot, he shut his mouth and tried to eat halfheartedly.
Once they were all seated at the round table in the vacant meeting room, Riza filled them both in on their tumultuous morning.
"Roy is still with him," she finished pointedly, and Al felt as if they were talking slightly over his head, but he couldn't make himself care considering the circumstances.
"Good," Maes hummed, still chewing loudly on the carrot. "He knows how to handle that kind of thing once he pulls his head out of his ass."
Al lowered his head awkwardly, feeling as if intruding on their conversation, but the two military officers didn't seem to mind that he was listening in.
"How are you holding up, Alphonse?" Maes asked, peering over at him. "It must have been quite a shock to have all of this happen in such a short amount of time. One day, you're just a kid trying to get by in school, worried about girls and homework," Maes smirked slightly, but quickly sobered as he continued, "and the next thing... well, you know; this."
Alphonse sighed and slid back on his chair. The abrupt start of the day still stung at the back of his eyes. His mind felt muddled and crammed, as if it didn't have enough space for him to really think. "Tired, I guess," he admitted finally.
Maes hummed lowly, looking down at his tea. He slipped two sugars into the cup, stirring it into the hot liquid. "You blame yourself, don't you?" The teen's attention snapped back at him. "For them taking Edward away."
How does he do that?
"You know it's not really your fault, right?" the man murmured softly into his beverage. Riza shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"I do, I guess. But it's hard not to when Ed's the one in that hospital and not me."
"Edward doesn't blame you," Maes continued, seemingly unaffected by Alphonse's words. "If anything, he probably blames himself too."
A frown tugged at the teen's features at that, because of course, Ed would feel guilty. He had always taken the blame for all the stupid things they did as children, so Al wouldn't get in trouble. Which in turn would make Al feel bad and try to take the blame instead. Their mom would end up laughing at them while they argued about who was to blame for tearing down the laundry from the clothing line in the backyard, causing the hole in the wall, cracking the cookie jar (the crumbs on Al's face always gave that one away)- and mom never yelled as long as they both promised to never do it again- they always did eventually do it again, but they really did try their best!
The bespectacled man chuckled. "You boys are so alike."
Alphonse couldn't keep away the gleam in his eyes at those words. "Really?"
"Oh, yeah. I mean, you are complete opposites, but your foundations are the same." Bright green eyes blinked behind glass, and it made butterflies flutter around in Alphonse's stomach.
Edward had always been his hero. As young as they were when separated, he remembered how brave and loving his older brother was. They fought, like all siblings, and he could be stubborn and way too impulsive sometimes, but what Maes was saying, was that their heart was the same. And Ed's heart was what Alphonse had always admired the most.
A warmth hugged his chest by the reminder that the two were part of one another and a blossoming pride that made him feel like that three-year-old again, standing amongst his friends while Edward showed them how to tie their shoelaces. It was a strange memory to recall right now, Ed had probably forgotten all about it and Al hadn't thought about it in ages, but he remembered feeling an unrelenting urge to shout that this was his big brother so everyone could hear! His big brother who was so smart and strong and cool and he knew everything and were so much cooler than all the other older brothers!
Despite how it might look right now, Al was still pretty sure that Ed could take on all of them!
"So, don't worry so much," Maes hummed warmly, blowing some steam off the hot beverage and sipping it loudly. Al's hazel gaze watched him intently for a moment before giving the older man a slight nod with a smile slowly curving at his lips.
"That's the kind of thing that gives you an ulcer," the bespectacled man preached matter-of-factly, index finger raised candidly.
At the edge of his peripheral, Alphonse could see Riza pinching the Lieutenant Colonel in the arm, rolling her eyes obviously, but his attention was fixed on the lowering door nob at the other end of the room.
The door slowly squeaked open, and the front of a wheelchair with one leg-support up, carrying a casted leg dressed in a striped, homemade wool sock peeked in. Al recognized the striped knotted rag from Granny's knitting needles (she had hummed happily about how convenient it was that she didn't need to make a matching pair).
A hand reached in, accompanied by a harsh tenor voice, trying to hold the door open while uttering a few creative profanities still out of view. Quickly, Maes was on his feet, bouncing over and holding the door open with a huge grin as Roy ented, pushing Edward's chair into the crowded room.
The IV-stand was attached to a small hook on the wheelchair, and Edward had curled himself inside of a thick woolen blanket. He was shaking slightly from the chilled temperature at the infirmary, still a little feverish.
Alphonse rose to his feet at the sight of his brother being (technically) up and about.
"Ed!" he greeted excitedly. "How are you feeling?"
Riza started clearing some chairs away from the table to make room for Ed while Maes dug around in his bag for Roy and Ed's lunches.
"I'm all right," Edward drawled and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, and I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to snap at you. It wasn't your fault."
Edward looked sincerely regretful, gaze downcasted for a moment before he dared to look directly at his little brother, a small sad smile asking for forgiveness.
"That's okay brother," Alphonse replied immediately, feeling a wave of relief wash down his back. "Miss Riza told me what happened. It really wasn't your fault either."
A short silence followed as Edward looked dejectedly into his lap. Of course, it was his fault- it wasn't Al who had freaked out and thrown him out of the room. He was the one who was broken and screwed up- his brother had just been caught in the crossfire of one of his stupid panic attacks.
"What are you doing here?" Roy asked as he finished settling Ed's chair by the table and took a seat next to it. Hughes pushed the lunchboxes over to the two.
"First, eat."
Roy half-turned, ready to help Edward with the lid but the boy was already ripping it off with his teeth. Wide-eyed, he took in the deliciousness hiding in the red container. With no time to waste, he started stuffing his mouth.
"I see your appetite is back," Roy muttered lamely, stupified by the boy's speed. After a few mouthfuls, he felt the need to stop Edward and hand him a fork, reminding him to chew before swallowing so he wouldn't choke.
"This is amazing," Edward moaned out of breath. "I don't remember the last time I ate something this tasty."
The boy positively beamed, taking a large bite of the sandwich, overexaggerating his chewing to show Roy, who smirked approvingly. Though; he still had to give Ed a gentle push in the shoulder to make sure the moment didn't seem too mushy in front of his best friend- it appeared that Maes Hughes had gotten the notion that Roy could be persuaded into becoming a family man one day, and had obviously appointed himself as the best person to make that happen.
The young colonel watched as the others ate, being quite content with just a cup of coffee. He had never really been a breakfast person and was grateful that Maes didn't nag him because of it today.
As they finished up their meal, Maes shuffled through his briefcase, retrieving a small stack of papers that he laid on the table in front of him.
"I might as well do this now since we're all here." He paused, making sure he had everyone's attention. As soon as everybody was looking up, he proceeded, now talking in a much more professional tone.
"Yesterday, Dr. Isla Lucy was apprehended. She was interrogated as soon as they arrived at the station and-" the next sentences were as hard to get out as he had feared they would. He stared at the writing on papers in front of him, then at everyone else. Riza looked as unyielding as always, albeit a bit more rigid. Roy seemed calm and attentive but Maes knew he was biting his tongue. But it was the brothers Maes was worried about. They both awaited the news so anxiously.
"Listen, boys. Our suspicions were right. She admitted to everything... and then some."
Maes felt his throat constrict. His tea was nearly empty, so he downed the rest of it and cleared his throat. Riza was quick to fill it up with warm water from a thermos.
"The charge she was brought in with, was attempted murder. She confessed right away. To that and the murder of your father."
"Did she say why she did it?" Alphonse choked out silently.
"We will get to that. But there was a lot more to this than we had initially thought, and I think you boys have a right to know." He looked to Roy as if for permission. The raven nodded.
"Your father worked as a strategist for the Amestrian army. And, a long time ago, when the war was still waging, he was forced to make a decision. A decision that unfortunately left many people dead. Three of these people were Isla Lucy's husband and two sons."
Maes assessed the two boys warily. Alphonse frowned sadly. Edward looked emotionlessly into his lap. Almost dead.
"I think she went mad with grief," Maes muttered sadly, subconsciously touching his breast-pocket where he held his small photo-album, close to his heart.
The man sobered. "But that's not an excuse to do what she has done of course. After a few years, she had finally managed to move on with her life. She moved to a different town, got a job there… and that's where she first saw you."
Alphonse's head snapped up. "She worked at the hospital in Resembool?"
Maes nodded curtly. "Yes. She recognized your names when your mother took you for a yearly physical. That must have triggered something horrible inside of her, because…"
The way Maes stared at his hands made Roy feel sick. What was he about to tell them that was bad enough to make his friend like this? It didn't seem like him at all. Roy was about to urge him to continue, but the tall man interrupted him.
"Boys… what do you remember about the fire?"
New chapter up sometime before the 17th of May (which is my country's day of independence! It's gonna be weird with everything that's going on with the coronavirus).
I've been revisiting the earlier chapters on ao3, but I'll start fixing them on here too pretty soon!
Stay safe!