Chapter seventeen: Reality
Coniniaue's eyes flickered open. It was dark, and Edward and Alphonse were asleep in the chairs beside her. She could hear voices out in the hall: Who was it…? It sounded like Denny Bloch, Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang. "What…" She began, but silenced herself.
"I don't trust her. She's like a homunculus!" Roy said to Denny.
What did I ever do to you, Fireboy? She thought.
"But she's not, Roy." Risa said. "She's a human being. Her insides are just different."
"Her entire body is different. Sure, it might look the same on the outside, but her healing rate… At this rate, her wound will seal up before we can even do the operation!" Denny exclaimed.
My healing rate is just a little faster than humans…
"You're exaggerating, Bloch. Coniniaue's healing rate is just a little faster than ours." Riza shot back. "If anything, she's better than us."
"Riza, I'm shocked." Roy commented. "That you would stand up for such a…"
"Monster?"
Coniniaue froze. Monster.
"Exactly."
"She's not a monster. She is just like us!" Riza replied. "She's better than us. Better."
"Lieutenant Hawkeye!" Roy said in his colonel voice.
"Sir!" Riza saluted.
"I will have no more of this!"
Coniniaue sung her legs over the side of her bed. She clamped her left hand over her wound because it hurt so much. She walked to the door, still listening and undetected.
"She is a monster! A threat to the human race."
She paused at the door as Roy continued.
"Now listen up! Bloch! Hawkeye! We must do something about that whether we want to or not!"
Coniniaue opened the door. Roy had his back to her, but Bloch and Hawkeye froze.
"The president does not yet know of her bloodless state. If we tell him, she will cast from the military and put up in a laboratory. We are going to find out why she is how she is, and…"
He blinked as Coniniaue tapped his shoulder. There she stood, standing at about elbow height, her hospital gown falling off her right shoulder, where her hand was clamped over her wound. The fury in her eyes was unmatchable by even Mustang's fire gloves.
"Colonel…" She hissed.
Hawkeye shot Mustang a 'You are a true idiot' glare.
She said nothing. Coniniaue slapped her hands together and pressed them into the ground, making a curved wall around the door of her room. She made a small window and glared out at him. Instead of yelling, she spun on her heel and went back to bed. Edward was awake when she got back. "What…?"
"Shut up and go to sleep."