The next day was both better and worse. The pain in Anna's head had lessened to a dull thud, even after the doctor had come in and removed the gauze to check the damage. That had been an event she could have gone the rest of her life without living through, but what was done was done. At least he was sure the threat of infection was passed, and she was healing well.
Once he was gone, the nurses tried to get her to sleep more, but she could not stay in bed. Despite their protests, she finally managed to convince them that she needed to get clean more than she needed to sleep. They did not have showers available, but they were able to help provide her with a bath. It was better than nothing.
The only problem she had was trying to keep the water off her face. She had been told to not allow it to soak her eye. She was given a patch, but it was only somewhat helpful when she was trying to wash her hair. She tried not to think about what else would be affected by her carelessness while she put on a clean hospital gown. Not that she wanted to wear one, but it was the only option for the moment.
When she was finally back in her room, she felt restless. She felt less gross, yes, but had too much on her mind to settle, no matter how many times she was reprimanded. Every time the nurses came in, they found her near the window instead of in bed.
It was afternoon when the door opened once again, and Anna turned with a sigh. She was just getting ready to defend her need to get out of the hospital when she froze at the sight of a new but recognizable person. The woman gave her a small smile as she entered and closed the door.
"Hello, I am Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. I'm glad to see you're feeling better."
Anna knew she had been staring, so she shook off her shock and walked to shake the other woman's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Anna Stephenson. Was there something else you needed?"
Riza shook her head. "Not at all. I was asked to check and see if there was anything else you might need, or if you might remember anything else. I was the one to find you, so I'm glad to see you are already up and around."
Anna unconsciously reached up and touched the patch that had taken the place of the gauze before she shook off thoughts of that night. She managed to return the smile. "Thank you. I appreciate the help. Honestly, I have already given the Colonel all the information I can remember, but I am ready to get out of here. I'm not sure where I can go exactly, but I'm going stir-crazy."
The lieutenant smiled a little wider and held up a bag that had been behind her back. "Well, I can't say anything about when you can leave, but I was asked to bring this over. From what I heard, we doubted you would have clothes, so the Colonel asked me to bring something appropriate. I hope these fit."
Anna took the bag with a grin. That was the best thing she had heard all day. "Thank you! You have no idea how frustrating it is to only be able to wear this thing."
Riza chuckled as the woman disappeared behind a curtain for privacy. It was only a few minutes later that Anna emerged wearing a plain pair of black pants and a light blue button-up shirt. It wasn't the most feminine thing she had ever worn, but she preferred it to a dress, and it was worlds better than the hospital gown.
She grinned at Riza. "Thank you! Seriously. And, just for the record, I'm glad you brought pants."
The lieutenant shook her head with a smile. "I hoped it would work well enough for now. I didn't have time to go shopping, and I thought we were close to the same size. You look a little taller, but not by much."
Anna looked down in shock and then back over. "These are yours?"
Riza nodded once. "I hardly have a chance to wear much more than my uniform, so don't worry about it for now. You can return them as soon as you have the chance to get something else."
Anna wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, so she nodded. "Well, thank you again. I know you said you didn't know where I could go, but does this mean I can leave the hospital at least? Are the Elric brothers still in town? I know we are distant, but I am sure they could at least point me in the right direction."
Riza looked slightly uncomfortable, but she shook her head. "I have not heard that you have been released yet, but Ed and Al are still in town and will be for a few more days, at least. They are doing some research with one of the other state alchemists here in East City, so you should have plenty of time to speak to them before they leave."
Anna frowned at her answer. It wasn't so much that she couldn't leave yet, which was annoying, but there was only one thing those boys ever researched. She didn't think much of it had gone on in East City, which caused an unease that exploded into outright dread as another thought occurred to her. "Who? Who are they working with?"
Riza gave her a concerned look. "Ma'am, you should stay calm. I know that you may be wary of others right now, but I assure you those boys can take care of themselves."
Anna gritted her teeth and tried not to yell. She had a feeling she already knew, and if she were right, she didn't have time for them to restrain her for being mental. She somehow forced her voice to not shake as she asked again. "Would you please tell me who they are working with?"
The lieutenant frowned. She didn't see why it was important enough for the woman to be so insistent, but she also saw no reason to deny her request. Hopefully, it would calm her down. "They are working with the Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker."
Anna suddenly felt faint. She grabbed the windowsill to keep steady, but her brain was already a whirling mass of confusion and fear. It couldn't have happened yet, right? There was no way it happened. Surely, if it had, then the brothers wouldn't still be there. With that last thought, she looked up only to see Riza had moved to her side and was giving her a worried look. Before the woman could ask, Anna spoke up.
"I need to see them immediately. I know that isn't why you came, but can you at least tell me how to find them? I'll walk there if I have to."
Riza took a step back and frowned. "Miss Stephenson, I have already told you we have not been given permission to take you from the hospital yet. The Colonel is working on arrangements for a place for you to stay while we conclude the investigation, but in the meantime, it would be best if you remained here."
Anna shook her head and swallowed back a scream. She knew it might not be as urgent as it felt, but this was one thing she refused to stand down for. "I appreciate your position, really I do. However, it is my life and my health, and I am perfectly capable of taking responsibility for it. I just need an address, and I will take care of the rest. This is something personal that I need to speak to them about, something I just remembered. It is also urgent. Please."
Riza gave her a troubled look. She could tell that something was bothering the woman, but she could also recognize the stubborn set of her jaw. She almost smiled as she wondered if that streak was a family trait. Finally, she pointed to the chair. "Rest and calm yourself for a moment. Let me go talk to the doctors, and I will see what I can do."
Anna realized the woman had not agreed to any of her requests, but she also recognized that this was a compromise. She could afford a few minutes, especially if it somehow worked to get her there faster in the end. She really did not relish the idea of trying to find them in a foreign city with nothing but a name. She finally nodded and took the seat as she watched the lieutenant walk out.
Nearly ten minutes had passed, and Anna had to fight the urge to get up and pace. It was only the thought that if Riza returned and saw her up and nervous again, she might not appreciate it. With that thought in mind, she tried her best to at least keep up an appearance of calm.
That didn't stop her from practically jumping up as soon as the lieutenant returned with a frowning doctor in tow. She took up a position by the door while the doctor approached Anna. He gestured to the bed. "Ms. Stephenson, please take a seat. I hear that you feel you are ready to leave? What could possibly be so important? I know this has to be hard for you, but you have to understand that your loss could cause complications. We need to be able to observe you for a few days still and make sure you are adjusting well."
Anna clenched her jaw and unconsciously touched the patch again before she shook her head. "I appreciate your efforts, but this is nothing compared to what could happen. I do not have the luxury of time to mourn my losses yet. Can we agree for me to come back for a check-up daily? That should be enough, right? You said yourself this morning that there is no infection, and I am already healing."
The man gave her a concerned look, but he shook his head. "I don't know why I bother. As soon as I found out you were related to that little, hard-headed, loud-mouthed, pain in the ass, I should have expected as much."
Anna blinked a few times to try and assimilate what he had said. To make sure she had heard him correctly. When it sank in, she clamped her lips together to keep from laughing. She somehow managed to swallow it and cleared her throat. "I am unsure if that was supposed to be a complimentary comparison or not, but you do understand that we are distant cousins, so the connection is tenuous at best, right? Still, is that a yes?"
The man made a disgusted noise and threw his hands in the air before he pinned her with a glare. "If you are not back here by 09:00 tomorrow for a check-up, then I will be asking to have you readmitted. Understood?"
She gave him a nod. "Of course."
He was still grumbling as he walked out, but Anna's attention had already turned to Riza. Before she could ask, the lieutenant opened the door. "I took the liberty of calling the Colonel while I was out. His instructions were that if you were released, then I was to take you to see your cousins."
Anna sighed in relief, but only took a moment before she walked out the open door. "I'm ready when you are."
Riza quickly fell into step beside her, and the two women didn't speak as they headed out and down to a car that was waiting. It wasn't until they were in the car and started down the road that Anna turned to her once again. "Thank you. I know this may seem strange to you, but I really appreciate you doing this."
Riza shook her head and smiled as she watched the road. "You may claim that your relationship is distant, but I have seen that look before. Those two seem to find their way into people's hearts pretty fast. I may not understand everything, but I can recognize worry when I see it. We'll be there in a few minutes."
Anna mumbled her thanks as she focused outside. Yes, she was worried about the boys, but that was only part of it. Now that they were on the way, she was more concerned about what they would find. It was practically tearing a hole in her stomach.
Thankfully, it was only a matter of minutes before they arrived. Almost as soon as the car stopped, Anna had the door open and was practically running down the sidewalk and to the front gate. It was standing open, and she froze when she stepped into the yard just in time to see the great Edward Elric being trounced by an overgrown sheepdog.
The sight sent a storm of emotions through her with relief being the strongest, followed quickly by rage and confusion. This was really happening. She felt her knees give way as Al stood from where he was talking to Nina. She barely noticed his metal body stiffen at the sight of her. She was too busy trying not to cry at the sight of the child and her dog playing so innocently with the Fullmetal alchemist.
She was pulled from her thoughts when both Al and Riza made it to her side at the same time. The lieutenant was frowning at her as Al helped her to her feet. He was the first to speak with concern. "Are you alright? Why are you here? Shouldn't you still be in the hospital?"
She wasn't given a chance to answer before a tiny head popped out from behind the giant suit of armor. "Hello, pretty lady. Are you a friend of Big Brother Al?"
Anna nearly choked, but she managed a smile. "Sort of. We're kind of related." She knelt at that point so she would be on the same level as the girl. "My name is Anna, what is yours?"
The girl giggled and grabbed onto Al's leg. "I'm Nina. That's Alexander playing with Little Big Brother Ed."
"Well, he looks like a great friend." Anna could hear a scream echoing inside her head, but it never made it out of her mouth. She hoped it wasn't showing on her face, but she felt she wasn't doing such a good job when the girl frowned.
"Are you sick? Is that why you are wearing that thing on your eye?"
Anna suddenly did feel slightly ill. It was too much seeing this flesh and blood girl. It was horrifying thinking of what might happen to a fictional character, but this girl was still a baby. She had a life. Somehow she managed to shake her head. "No, I'm not sick, but I was injured. I'll be okay. I was hoping to have a chance to speak with Ed and Al. I know you are playing, but would it be alright if I borrow them both for just a few minutes? I promise it won't be long."
Nina seemed to contemplate her request for a moment. "Will you play with us too? After you talk?"
Anna tasted ash on her tongue as she knew her next words were a lie. She didn't know what would come next, but she had no doubt there would be no playing. She still nodded. "I would love to play with you."
Nina giggled again before she called for Alexander. Riza had watched the exchange with a critical eye. At first, she had thought the woman was not as recovered as she claimed to be, but it was not difficult to discern that the longer she talked to the girl, the worse she felt. It was a look of thinly concealed horror. One that she had seen too often on the faces of her fellow soldiers in the last years. The look of someone that had a mission to accomplish and hated every minute of it.
Despite her doubt, she did not move to interfere when the child took the dog back in the house, and the Elrics faced their long-lost cousin with frowns. Ed had made his way over. He glanced at the Lieutenant with a deeper frown before he pulled the woman to the far corner of the yard. Riza frowned. Her instincts were screaming that they were up to something. Still, she trusted the Elrics enough to stand back and watch, plus she trusted her superior, and those had been his orders. For now.
Once Ed, Al, and Anna were out of earshot, he turned to her and whispered angrily. "What are you doing here? Didn't we say to stay low?"
Anna squared her shoulders. "Yes, but that was before I knew where you were. W-who you were working with."
"But we aren't working with anyone. Despite Brother being a state alchemist, we pretty much work alone."
Al's voice sounded almost confused, but Anna shook her head. "That isn't what I meant." She then turned to face Ed. "Your motto is equivalent exchange, right?"
Ed raised a brow at her question and nodded. "Yeah, so what?"
She ignored his look and continued. "Then it shouldn't surprise you that I have something to offer. Your help in me not getting put into a mental institute when people try to figure out where I came from, and me giving you information as I figure it out."
Ed stood up straight and gave her a smirk. "Glad you brought it up. I didn't want to push you last night since you looked like you were about to pass out, but yeah. That is exactly what I was thinking."
Anna nearly glared at him. Not that his attitude bothered her, but she was sick just thinking about what she was about to say. "Good. Now that that's out of the way, there is something you need to know now."
Al leaned a little closer, and Ed gave her a hard look. "Now? As in this minute or else?"
They both stood stiffly when she nodded. She didn't wait for them to ask questions. "I told you I had heard many conflicting stories, so I wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't, right? Well, one of them was the same throughout. They all agreed on one thing, and I refuse to let it go unchecked."
"What is it already!?"
Ed's temper barely fazed Anna. She had too many other things on her mind. She shook the horrors off and pinned the shorter male with a glare of her own. "You are smart, Edward. Think. Did it not strike you as odd that Tucker's wife 'left' him at the same time he had his first significant breakthrough."
Ed's eyes narrowed before they widened, and he took a step back. "No."
Anna gave him a disgusted nod. "Yes. His wife never really left."
Al had caught up by that point. His gasp was broken when Ed pushed past Anna hard enough to knock her off her feet. He didn't even pause. Al looked down hesitantly, but she shook her head. "Go after him! You know he can't do what he's planning. That isn't justice." When he still seemed hesitant, she pointed to the house. "Go stop him!"
He jumped when she yelled and ran after his brother. Anna was shocked when Riza was immediately by her side and helping her up with a frown. "Do I want to know what just happened?"
Anna shook her head. "We need to get in there and stop Ed from trying to kill Shou Tucker."
Riza's eyes widened, but Anna was impressed that was all she did. The lieutenant told her to sit on the steps while she ran to the car. She was only gone a few moments before she was back with her gun drawn and running into the house after the two boys. Anna put her head in her hands. She only allowed herself a moment before she pushed herself up. No matter what happened, there would be a confused little girl in there that would not understand any of this. No matter what he did, or planned to do, Shou Tucker was still that little girl's father. Anna had no doubt that she might have saved the girl's life, but that didn't mean this was going to be painless for any of them.
A/N: And we see our first big familiar scene. As you can tell, things are already going to be shaken up, so canon might get a bit patchy, but I'm hoping it will still be a story you will all enjoy. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think, please!
