Chapter Title: Fever
Characters: Scar, Al, Ed, Winry, Pinako, Armstrong
Pairings: None! I can't write romance for the life of me!
Spoilers: Yeah, for Scar's nightmare/past from Episode 24.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don't own it! Waaaaah!
A/N: Whoo, I'm back from Japan! I ate the sushi! I visited about ten Shinto Shrines! I saw real live Geishas! I bought cheap novelty junk, a sword, and a kimono! I even…dun dun dun…went to a public bath (very awkward)! IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! The only bad part was the thirteen hour plane trip (I was soooo bored…one can only write for so long…) and the giant lines at the airport. But I didn't get sick, hurt, or killed, and my tour group only got lost three times. More fun stuff down in the bottom AN. Now, on to the chapter (the longest one yet!)
The fifth day dawned bright. Very bright. Too bright for Scar, especially since the curtains on the window were open and the sun was shining directly into his eyes. He grimaced and closed his eyes tighter in a futile attempt to block out the sunlight, wishing that he could move his arm up to cover them.
"Do you want me to close the curtains, Scar-san?" Al asked. Since the animated suit of armor couldn't sleep, he had been in charge of watching the ill Ishbalan while everyone else slept. The arrangement had worked rather well so far.
Scar nodded in response to the question, and Al obligingly got up and shut the curtains. Ah, sweet darkness. He was feeling a little better that day; he hoped that he might get back enough strength to move soon. That was a pleasant thought.
Unfortunately, the feeling of getting better didn't last long; Scar's condition sort of started going downhill shortly after everyone else woke up and came downstairs. By midday he was on painkillers again for the massive headache he had acquired. But it seemed that his system didn't react well to something in the medicine, and so he was behaving rather…oddly.
"There is a blue goat in the corner," he stated very calmly. Then he gave a sort of half-laugh, "It has wings."
Ed, who was the only one in the room at the time, gaped soundlessly. He had never seen even the ghost of a smile on the Ishbalan's face, and here the man was laughing! About winged blue goats no less! He shouted up the stairs, "WINRY! Scar's drunk on the pain medicine! Get down here!" and then as an afterthought, "And bring a camera!"
By the time the effects of the medicine wore off, Ed had so much blackmail it wasn't even funny. Al had been slightly disapproving at first, but then Ed showed him the pictures and repeated some of the things Scar had been saying; it was impossible for Al not to laugh.
"Niisan, don't show him these pictures!" Al gasped out between laughs.
"Oh, don't worry about that, dear brother of mine," Ed grinned, "I don't want him to blow them up. These are precious moments that will never happen again!"
But the joviality was cut short a few minutes later, when the pair walked back into the living room. Scar, who had been sleeping peacefully when they had left, was hyperventilating, brow drenched with sweat and unfocused eyes full of pain.
"What's wrong with him?" Al cried, rushing over to him.
"I don't know! We couldn't have been gone for more than ten minutes!" Ed placed his left hand on Scar's forehead, withdrawing it quickly, "It feels like he's on fire! Where're Winry and Aunt Pinako?"
"I think they left to go to town a little while ago…Niisan, what do we do?" Al's worry for Scar was clearly evident in his voice.
Ed was trying to stay calm, "Okay, Al, don't panic! You stay here with him, and I'll go find them," he didn't wait for an answer before sprinting out the door. Fortunately, they were already coming back up the road, so he didn't have to run far. Unfortunately, there was a very familiar someone accompanying them.
"Hello, young Edward!" Armstrong waved, pink sparkles floating around him.
"M-major?" Ed screeched to a halt, "What are you doing here?"
"I have been sent to be your bodyguard once again, young Edward! Scar was sighted in Central again before you left, vanishing without a trace when you came here. It had been deemed too much to be a coincidence, and it was decided that one is better safe than sorry!"
Ed's mind raced, "Uh…well, we haven't seen him around here, so…uh…" then he remembered why he was out there in the first place, "Auntie, something happened back up at the house! There's something really wrong with him!"
"With whom? Alphonse?" Armstrong asked curiously.
"No, with…well, there's this sick person that we're taking care of…" Ed trailed off.
"I see," Pinako interrupted, "Winry, Ed, get up there as fast as you can. I'll be there soon after."
"Right," they spoke at the same time, turning to run back up to the house.
It seemed like ages were passing as Al sat by Scar's side and waited desperately for Ed, Winry, and Pinako. He was afraid to do anything, in case he just made things worse. At last, Ed and Winry hurtled through the door and stopped in front of the couch.
"It looks like his fever's spiking…we can't do much for him except wait it out and keep the fever from getting too high," Winry gave him a sympathetic look, "Poor guy…but we have bigger problems at the moment."
Ed explained hurriedly, "Al, Major Armstrong is here. We have to hide Scar now."
"W-what? Why is he here?"
"No time to explain right now; he'll be here any second and-" Ed was cut off by the sound of an opening door, "He's here! Quick, get in front of the couch!"
A few seconds later, Armstrong and Pinako entered the living room to find Ed, Al, and Winry standing in a line blocking any view of the couch.
"Er…hi, Armstrong-san…" Al waved weakly.
"Greetings, Alphonse! What is it that you are all standing in front of?"
"Well, he's that sick person I told you about…" Ed trailed off, hoping that the Major would accept the incomplete explanation.
"Ah, I see. He wishes to have privacy, does he not? But why are you standing idle when you had seemed frantic about a problem in his condition just minutes ago?"
"Well, yes, but there isn't much we can do for him right now…" Winry gave a worried half frown-half smile.
"Perhaps I can be of assistance, with the artistic healing technique passed down through the Armstrong family line for generations!" Armstrong did his classic sparkly shirtless posing, stunning everyone else into temporary paralysis. This delayed reaction time, although it hadn't been intended, allowed him to stride forward towards the couch and see exactly who was lying on it.
"Major, wait-!" Ed shouted, but it was too late.
As soon as Armstrong saw Scar, he swept Ed, Al, and Winry behind him and adopted an offensive stance, "Stay back, young Elrics and Miss Rockbell! I will make sure that you are not hurt by this dangerous criminal!"
"Armstrong-san, it's fine, really…" Al moved his hands in a calming manner.
"He can't even move, actually- he's really sick," Ed added.
"Yes," Pinako walked forward, "Now if you will all either calm down or go somewhere else so that I can stabilize his condition somewhat…"
Armstrong looked hesitant to leave the room, but another look at Scar in his present condition was all it took. He, Ed, and Al walked out of the room, leaving Pinako and Winry to their work.
Once they were out, Ed turned to Armstrong, "Listen, Major, I know this might be an…odd situation, but it's really completely under control. He swore not to hurt anyone, providing we don't turn him in to the military."
"But how did he come to be here? Did he ask for your aid?" Armstrong looked skeptical about this last question.
Ed waved his hand dismissively, "No. Al found him unconscious and kidnapped him."
"I didn't kidnap him, Niisan!" Al protested.
"Al, you stuffed him in your armor and ran off with him, without his consent. That constitutes kidnapping."
Armstrong interrupted before the argument got out of hand, "If this is true, then why did he not destroy you with his right arm upon awakening, as one would expect him to?"
Ed shrugged, "For some reason, he hasn't been able to use it. He's been too weak to even move since Al found him."
"Armstrong-san, he's really no danger at all. He's been almost perfectly civil to everyone, even Niisan, this whole time," Al was using his metaphorical puppy-dog eyes, "Please don't tell anyone that he's here!"
Armstrong never could stand up against puppy-dog eyes, not even metaphorical ones, "Very well. I will trust your judgment, although I will remain here. It would seem suspicious if I were to return to Central alone after being assigned to protect the two of you while you are here. And I will not be the cause of the breaking of the agreement that is keeping you all safe."
Both Ed and Al sighed in relief, thinking what good fortune it was that their 'bodyguard' was Armstrong and not someone else. Someone else that wouldn't have been as understanding of the odd situation, nor as lenient.
Scar was having the nightmare again. The one where Ishbal was destroyed, and a shadowed State Alchemist killed his brother and master while he was helpless to do anything but watch. As the cruelly smirking alchemist turned his attention on Scar, the Ishbalan found himself rooted to the spot with blind fear as the cursed hands were stretched towards him…and then just as he was about to be killed, his eyes snapped open, ending the terrible dream. He looked around him in a panic, having forgotten for an instant where he was. Then he saw Winry and Pinako sitting beside him, and he calmed; they were something familiar, something safe.
"Oh, you're awake! Good, good," Winry smiled, "Are you feeling all right?"
"I-I'm feeling…" Scar had been about to say 'fine', but suddenly he felt nauseous, and a sour taste grew in the back of his mouth. 'Oh, no…' his eyes widened as he realized what these signs meant was about to happen, "I'm going to-" he was cut off mid-sentence as his stomach heaved and began to empty itself. Fortunately, Pinako was experienced with sick people and had kept a bucket near the couch. When it was over, there wasn't much that wasn't in the bucket, but the blankets and robe would still have to be washed. Al was called in to carry Scar to a temporary new spot while everything was changed; the only thing available was a surgery bed in another room down the hall. Then came the problem of finding a temporary replacement robe. After some searching, the only one that could be found was a fluffy pink one with bunnies, hearts, and rainbows stitched around the hems; Winry had gotten it as a gift from someone who obviously didn't know her very well. Scar looked rather silly in it; Ed's 'Blackmail Album' got a few new additions on account of this, much to Scar's chagrin.
Later that night, Al was alone with Scar once again. The Ishbalan was lying awake, staring into space and thinking, when Al spoke.
"Scar-san…earlier today when you were feverish…you kept crying out for your brother. What were you dreaming about?"
Scar looked surprised at the question, then turned his eyes downward, "Ishbal."
"Oh…" Al sounded sad, and felt a bit guilty for bringing it up, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," was the only reply as Scar slowly fell asleep. 'Don't be…'
A/N: Aaaawwww…how sweet! You know, I react like that to some pain medicines; I saw a video of myself once acting just like Scar must have been…it was hilarious. I have to watch what I take. And ooooh, I got that fluffy pink bathrobe in there after all! I snuck it in while Scar was spazzing about the plane ride.
Scar: I don't LIKE flying!
Envy: Don't like it? That's the understatement of the century! You were terrified! I thought you were going to crush the armrests you were gripping them so hard!
Don't be mean, Envy. That was a pretty rough flight for a first-timer. Ten hours of near constant turbulence, and over an ocean the whole way, too. And don't forget how you reacted to the airline food…
Envy: Hey, that stuff was MOVING.
Well that's what you get for asking for beef on an airplane. Anyway, I'll answer reviews now, before this argument turns into its own story.
The Great NeoDragon: I'm glad you think I'm keeping them fairly in character. And you know, I didn't think about the little brother thing...that's such a cute idea! I might have to write an alternate ending...
Anasazi Darkmoon: Hahaha, me too. Yay for manga!
ImperialJedi: Yay! I'm glad you liked it so much.
crazyanimefreak15: Oh, I watched it! It was good. -nodnod- Yeah, Ed cheats at cards all the time apparently.
no one's friend: That's a good idea. Do you mind if I use it?
Roxie Faye: -eye twitch- Aaaaaaaaaa...nuuuu...that's not what I'm going for at all. I hate that pairing. Maybe friends.
candidus-lupus-full Moon: Thanks!
Silvertails Tora: That they do. I'll email you the AMVs, cause the list is kinda long...
D.C talk: Thank you! That he is. And such pretty, pretty eyes.
LadyRiona: Heeee, thank you! I'm working on the sketches, trying to get them to look right.
Wind Wanderer: Thank you! I love that line too.
Darkness Shadow of Hatred: Run faster, run faster! XD