Eleventy-Nine: thank you. And here I thought my conclusions were getting kinda cheesy But seriously, your comment that my story is original really means a lot to me, although I feel like it is nearly impossible to be original in fanfiction, I mean, that's the point of it. It's based on someone else's work. So thanks ever so much!
Abstractication: thanks. Sorry, I can't really tell you what's going to happen to Al. But this chapter may shed some light on things for you. Or, it might just make you wonder more. Haha #that was meant to be an evil laugh# Enjoy.
Silent:Tears:Fall: wow. Best post series story? #dies# Sure, I'll gladly update, anything for you!
Finding the Catch: Far From Home
Before Al even opened his eyes he knew something was wrong. He didn't know what it was, exactly, that he had expected from the transmutation, but it was not this.
He was no longer in the temple; he was in a bed. Opening his eyes, he realized it was a hospital bed, with clean, crisp white sheets. Not an Ishbalan hospital, he mused. Was he in East City, then?
He looked down at himself: his body seemed intact. He flexed his fingers; curled his toes. What had happened then? Where was his brother?
A nurse came in and was doing something with one of the machines by his bed. "How long have I been sleeping?" he asked her. His voice felt raw.
She turned to him, surprised. "You were brought in a few hours ago," she said kindly. "After the explosion."
Transmutation, he corrected her, although his mind still felt cloudy.
"I'll let your friend know you're awake," the nurse said brightly, and exited the room.
Soon a pale, thin man appeared by his bedside. "You gave us quite a scare, Alphonse," the man said. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay…" he answered politely. Was this someone he was supposed to know?
"The doctor said you passed out from the smoke," the man told him.
"What happened?" he asked.
The man sat down in the chair beside the bed. "All they could determine was that something caught fire in the lab, causing the explosion… Alphonse?" the man asked, his voice urgent. "Edward wasn't with you in the lab, was he?"
He felt his eyes widen. "Edward?" he repeated, his heart pounding.
The man looked concerned. "We've been unable to locate him since the accident; was he with you?"
"How do you know my brother?" Alphonse asked.
The stranger frowned. "Your brother?" His concern seemed to deepen. "I'm talking about Edward Elric, your, ah, partner. We need to know if he was in the lab with you during the explosion."
His voice came out very faint. "What explosion?"
The man stood up. "Perhaps you need to rest some more," he suggested. "I'll stop by later tonight if we find anything."
Alphonse could hear the conversation outside his room, and every sentence fed his mounting confusion.
"Memory loss is common in an incident like this. He may never remember the events surrounding the explosion; it isn't something to really concern yourself over. Physically, he's fine, we'd just like to watch him over night as a formality."
"Doctor, it's not just the explosion he doesn't remember. I tried to ask him if he knew anything about his partner on the project, and he didn't seem to know who he was. They're very close, I find it hard to believe he could forget him. Is it possible he has amnesia?"
"He didn't show any signs of head trauma when he was brought in and his pupils responded normally to the light. It's highly unlikely. Perhaps he was just confused. Does he have any family that you can locate? I don't know if it would be right to send him home alone."
"He doesn't have any family at all, that I know of. He lives with his research partner, the one we've been trying to locate. You're sure you don't have any unidentified patients in the hospital that fit his description?"
"No, I'm sorry sir, there hasn't been anyone."
"I'm afraid he must have been in the lab with Alphonse when it exploded. There was no, ah, body found, but the building was completely destroyed."
"Excuse me," he asked the nurse when she returned, his voice shaking. "Am I in East City? Or… where am I? What hospital is this?"
She cast her sympathetic gaze on him. "You're in Munich's University Hospital," she answered. Before he could ask her where on earth Munich was, she continued gently, "Mr. Heiderich, you really need to get some rest."
Ah, perhaps that explained things! "I'm sorry, my name isn't Heiderich," he said, still polite. "It's Elric, Alphonse Elric. You must have me confused with another patient. I wasn't in an explosion, I-" he stopped, realizing that it was unlikely the man who seemed to know him was just confusing him with someone else who had a similar name. It also didn't explain why the man knew Ed.
"Get some rest," the nurse repeated, looking slightly panicked. She left the room in what seemed like a hurry, leaving Alphonse to sit in utter confusion.