Brothers 2

dreaming of the sun

It had been raining all day. However the downpour had started only a few hours ago. The wind howled and made the entire house groan. Thunder cracked loudly with every flash of lightning and tree branches slapped against the windows. Ed would be the last one to ever admit it, but thunderstorms like these terrified him. On nights like these, he and Al would usually huddle underneath the blankets together and pretend the storm wasn't there. They would tell each other jokes and stories to keep their minds off of the terrible beast outside. However tonight Ed was alone in the large double bed he and Al usually shared. He hid underneath the covers by himself, head shoved underneath his pillow in a vain attempt to block out the noise of the thunder and wind. He was sure the house was going to fall in on him as the roof gave a loud groan and something fell on it with a loud whack.

Ed's missing brother wasn't too far away. He was in the spare room at the end of the hall usually reserved for the few, but occasional, guests. Another double bed sat in this medium sized room, head board against the wall. The room was mostly dark, save for the single lamp on the night stand near the head of the bed. The curtains had been drawn over the window to keep the chill of the air from the room. In bed lay Al, miserable with a high fever and a terrible cough that made it impossible for him to fall asleep. A glass of water sat on the night stand near him, untouched. The boy of eight coughed as he lay on his back, cheeks slightly red from his fever. He moaned softly as the cough hurt his raw throat and he rolled over on his side, burying his face into his pillow and coughing some more.

The door to the room suddenly opened an Trisha ended, wearing a white night dress underneath a fuzzy bathrobe with matching slippers. Her soft brown hair hung loosely around her face, not pulled into its usual ponytail that hung over her shoulders. She yawned, placing a slender hand over her mouth as she entered the room, feet silent on the carpet. She stopped at Al's bedside and smiled down at her son.

"Nearly two and still not asleep. My poor darling," She cooed softly.

Al turned his face from the pillow to look at her with teary eyes. Trisha took this moment to reach down and place a cool hand to her forehead. She frowned at the heat that radiated from his skin and withdrew her hand. She sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling the blankets further up on his shivering frame.

"There, there... the medicine will work soon, I promise. Just try and get some sleep, Alphonso," Trisha told him gentle, smoothing back his brown hair as he went into another coughing fit.

She frowned sympathetically at his cough and reached for the glass of water, holding it out to him.

"Here, try this."

Al, with one hand over his mouth, blinked at the water. After a moments thought he reached out with small hands and grasp it, bringing it toward him and taking several gulps. Trisha smiled as the water momentarily stopped his coughing. She took the water back, placing it on the wooden night stand and stood. She tucked the blankets around him one last time.

"I'll be back to check on you again. Just call if you need me sooner."

She then turned and walked silently from the room, closing the door only part way behind her. Stifling another yawn, Trisha turned and headed toward her room at the other end of the hall. She failed to notice a single golden eye peering through the small crack in the door beside her own. The eye watched her past and waited for the door to shut before Ed opened the door wider. He slipped into the hall, hugging a stuffed cat to his chest and wearing light blue pajamas. He quickly, but quietly, made his way to the room Trisha had just stepped out of. He peered through the small opening to see Al coughing into his pillow. Looking worried, Ed slipped into the room and shut the door behind him. The noise made Al look up and blink.

"Brother...? Why are you here...?" He muttered, voice hoarse from the sore throat and lack of sleep.

Ed didn't reply as he shuffled to Al's bedside and held out the rather ragged stuffed cat.

"U-Umm... here..." He said, eyes glancing at the floor.

Al blinked, trying to focus on the stuffed animal. He then smiled weakly and took it, cuddling it to his chest. Ed watched him with a small smirk.

"You're such a baby, sleeping with stuffed animals," He teased.

"I-I am not!" Al protested, then fell into another coughing fit.

Ed's face fell and he backed away a bit, guilty he had caused it. A loud clap of thunder shook the house and Al cried out, burrowing under the covers where he proceeded to cough more. Ed unconsciously inched toward the bed, eyeing the window fearfully. He then turned his eyes to the lump underneath the blanket, shaking with every cough. After a moment he then climbed up onto the bed, slipping once. The weight made Al peek out from under the covers.

"Ed... you can't. Mama said that if you're near me, you'll get sick too..." Al said, trying to prevent Ed from crawling underneath the covers with him.

"I won't get sick," Ed reassured his little brother.

"But Mama said-"

"I'm fine! See, I'm not sick now, right?"

Al blinked before coughing into the stuffed cat held tightly against his chest. Ed used this as an opportunity to pull back the blankets and crawl underneath, pulling the blankets over his head.

"You're scared of the thunder, right?" Ed asked quietly, now underneath the covers with the coughing Al.

Al nodded in-between his coughs, eyes cast downward in shame.

"Then I'll stay here and you won't be scared anymore."

Al nodded again and snuggled closer to Ed as another thunder clap rattled the window.

When Trisha returned to the room an hour later, she nearly panicked when she saw no one in the bed. However a second glance saw two lumps underneath the covers. Frowning, she walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers to reveal Ed and Al, both sound asleep. Although Al coughed occasionally, he was no doubt asleep. Trisha shook her head.

"Now you're going to get sick, Edward," She sighed softly, tucking the blankets around the both of them this time.

Trisha knew the best thing would be to separate the sleeping brothers. However looking at them, Al finally asleep due to Ed's presences, she just didn't have the heart. Instead, she tucked them in tightly, kissed them both on the forehead and left the room for the remainder of the night.