Help Me Chapter 5
"...Roy..."
"Roy."
"ROY! Please baby answer me..."
The sounds swirled in an uncomprehendable haze as Roy fell furthur away from reality. So much to handle...Only so much one can take. His mind couldn't fight back anymore. He had nothing to lose...Nothing to gain, and everything in the world weighing down on him with such a force he wasn't sure we was able to even attempt to pick himself up again.
He wasn't even sure what to think...Or if he was thinking clearly at all. He couldn't make the dark cloud lift. He couldn't bring himself above that state of complete dispair like he had before. There were just some things that he couldn't take...
He felt the hands shake him and he could see the faces, but they didn't register. He wasn't aware of who was before him. He knew they were there, but what did they mean anymore? He didn't know. And he wasnt about to try and comprehend it...Not when he knew he didn't have the strength...
"Roy! Please baby!" Ed cried as he shook Roy. He couldn't help the tears that spilled out and fell like raindroplets against Roy's neck. He was getting no response. And it was terrifying him.
"Maybe if we move him..." The man sitting next to Ed spoke softly. He'd been trying tochelp as well, but with no positive result.
He couldn't be too sure about how he ended up back on the other side of the gate and in the world he'd supposedly died in, but Hughes was not going to argue being pulled back into his old life, with his friends, his family...everything that had been important to him.
Ed had quickly explained it, something about homunculi, equal trade, and them being gone...sent to the 'other side'...But he didn't understand what it meant. He just knew that he was back.
Of course when he suddenly appeared, he wasn't expecting to see Ed with no automail, a human fleshy Al and Roy in a state of complete and utter horror, almost as if he were in a comatose state with his eyes open. This was somethign that was unfamiliar and at first he had to wonder if he was dreaming.
But he wasn't and now he had to figure out how to held Ed pull Roy out of this...state he was in. But how do you reach someone who's pulled themself away?
"We could try that." Ed sniffled as he stood up.
With Hughes help the two picked the Colonel up and carried him for the hall into one of the rooms. They placed him on the soft matress and covered him. Ed rested his hand against his face, gently brushing the hair out of his face.
Hughes watched Ed's concern realizing exactly what the two's relationship had become and he realized how much he'd missed. If the situation was better than he would have smiled at the display of affection. But things weren't looking to happy.
"What do we do..." Ed sobbed quitely.
"We'll think of something Nii-san," Al tried to comfort, but everyone knew that nothing short of Roy waking up would make the situation better.
"Ed, something's happened and the Fuhrer is missing, Havoc and I will go, please tell us if anything happens." Riza spoke as she stood in the door way.
"Okay, I will." Ed replied solemly. Riza saluted and left promptly with Havoc following close behind her.
"Ed..."
"I'll think of something...damn it Roy! Wake up! You can't stay like this! You can't! You've come so far! Your wounds were almost healed! Damn you Envy!" Ed slunk down on the floor next to Roy's bed and slammed his fists against the hard wood, ignoring the pain as the sides of his hands began to bruise.
"Ed...We'll get him out of this, If I know Roy...he'll pull back. He's strong...He may have weak spots but he's strong. He just needs to be reminded..." Hughes said placing a large hand on Ed's small shoulder.
Ed looked up at him with tears in his hopeful eyes. All he wanted was Roy back, that's all he wanted. Though he could thank Envy for giving him what he needed to fix himself, Al and bring Hughes back, he'd done something that almost counteracted that...He took away what meant the most to him...Envy had pushed Roy over the limits...And because of that Roy had locked himself inside himself...Where no one could reach him...So he could also hate Envy as well as appreciate.
"We will, I promise." He held out his hand to Ed and as the boy took it he helped in to his feet.
"Sir! Somethings-!"
A man in a uniform stormed in clearly looking for Roy. Izumi pushed him out and clapped her hands, transmuting a lock on the inside of the door to keep un wanted people out.
"Hopefully that'll keep them away, what'll they do if they see the colonel like this?" Pinako questioned glancing over at Ed.
"I-I don't know," He looked down.
Winry couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy agains the colonel, but she swallowed it. "Ed...We'll help in what ever way we can." She offered.
"Thank you Winry...But I don't even know what to do."
"I wish this was as easy as it was just picking up the phone and talking to him while he threatened to barbecue me..." Maes sighed.
Ed nodded and as he looked over, he noticed Roy twitch.
"Hey, he just moved!"
"He did?"
"Yeah!"
Hughes sat in a chair next to Roy. He thought for a moment then decided to try something out. "Hey Roy, remember that time when both of us got in trouble for making snow men in front of central headquarters?" Another twitch followed as he finished the sentence.
Ed followed quickly as he realized what was happening. "Or how about that time when I embarassed myself by falling off the stairs because my boot had hels that were too thick?" Roy's finger moved slightly.
"I think he's understanding some of this."
"Maybe we're jogging his memory"
The others watched as the two continued to list off past things that ened in good memories. But they soon found that they were getting no where. Roy heard it, but he wasn't listening...
"Damn it!" Ed put his head down against the bed sheets. "WE'd gotten so FAR! You always asked me when you needed my help, why not now? I can help you...I can..." He sobbed covering his face with his arms.
Hughes put a hand on Ed shoulder, in a futile attempt to comfort. He was unaware of what happened with Roy prior to this incident, and he had no idea what Ed was babbling about, but the least he could do was try to help.
"Roy...I was there for you...When you needed me. I helped you when your nightmares were too much to handle..." He sniffed.
"Nii-san," Al approached hoping to calm his brother down, but Izumi held him back, simply shaking her head. Al's shoulders dropped as he stood back.
"I was there when you saw things in your reflection you didn't want to see..."
Winry watched realizing how deep the bond between the two was. She looked down at the floor, realizing how bad the situation really was. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked back at Al, who held a sorrowful look in his eyes as the two both focused their attention back to the hysterical Ed.
"I helped you when you couldn't take it anymore!" Ed's eyes clamped shut as tears fell freely into the sheets. His fists clenched as his heart seized. "I pulled you back in that window. The one you tried to escape your life with. I told you then, I'd ALWAYS be here, all you had to do was ASK!
Winry...she forgives you...She told me herself..That she was happy that at least they were together...her parents...And the lives you've saved...Think about the people who think of you as their hero! You saved me. And Hughes, he's standing right next to me. He wants to talk to you Roy...He came back just to see you..." Ed sobbed unable to contain himself as he began to list off everything in his mind.
"That's right, Mustang-san."
Ed looked up through blurry eyes and turned to see Winry approaching slowly.
"I forgive you. I don't hate you...or blame you..." She whispered.
Ed blinked and his gaze turned back to Roy. His eyes widened as he saw tears pooling the edges of the man's eyes. He leaned forward and wiped the tears away, while fighting back his own.
"Please Roy...I need you..."
Roy's eyes closed and opened again slowly. It almost seemed like they were coming back into focus.
"Roy..."
Ed looked up at Hughes as he knelt down at the edge of the bed.
"Oi, Roy it's time to wake up..." The man's voice made Roy blink again and his bottom lip quivered as he recognized it. "You can't sleep your life away you know."
Tears spilt over and rolled down Roy's face as he realized his surroundings. He turned his head slowly...Dark eyes connected with gold ones. He saw the tears in the smaller boy's eyes.
"Ed..." He whispered.
"Yes, Roy. I'm here." He replied barely able to keep from bursting into hysterical crying. Roy was coming back. He knew they were there. He heard them.
Roy couldn't help but look up upon realizing that there was someone next to Ed. Someone who was clealry bigger than he was. Instinctive he reached out upon registering the face. He had to...He had to know he was real.
A shaky hand connected with the major's face. Roy seemed as if he was in disblief. His tired eyes held a look of uncertainty and even denial. How could he be back? It didn't make sense.
"Maes..."
"I'm real Roy...You're not dreaming..." Maes smiled slightly, greatly relieved to hear his friends voice again. "You gave us a real scare pal."
"Sorry..." He replied as his eyes drooped.
"Someone, go tell Riza and Havoc that he's alright." Ed said looking at the others, Fury and Freda took the task and left the room quickly.
Ed ran a hand through Roy's short hair. As he soothed both Roy and himself. He'd never been so afraid in his life. Not even the failed attempt at resurrecting his mother had shook him as much as the thought of losing Roy.
"Everything will be alright Roy...I promise..."
Roy reached a hand up and placed it on the side of Ed's face. "I'm sorry...koi...For not asking you...for help..."
"It's okay, get some sleep Roy, but promise me you'll wake up this time..."
Roy gave Ed a faint smile before closing his eyes and drifting off. Edward stood up and turned around. He looked at his brother and smiled wearily. Al smiled back. Ed looked down at his hands, both his own, fleshy and mortal. Then he glanced a Hughes, alive and kicking.
He smiled to himself. And shook his head slightly.
He couldn't help but appreciate what his half brother had done. For what it was worth, he could have not said anything at all, and left Ed and Al with incomplete bodies, Hughes would still be dead, and Roy would be lost completely. Mentally destroying himself in an attempt to escape, though it was caused by Envy...
'Thank you Envy,' he thought to himself. 'I hate you and I love you, my brother...'
He looked over at his sleeping colonel. Everything would be alright. Everything would get better. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger as they say. They'd all recover from this incident...And they'd be happy. Ed would make sure of that.
xxx
Leo: Okay, I hope that chapter was alright. The next one's going to be a little happier...I hope I cleared up at least SOMETHING with this one...Oh and sorry for the late update. Been having computer problems.