A/N Extra long nice chapter for you! Please, please don't hurt me! I was feeling slightly inspired, so I think this chapter turned out pretty good. I'd like to say thanks for all of the people who read this fic; your praise is too gracious! Well, I really have nothing else to say, so here you are.

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never have, never will. Get over it.

"Get Hawkeye, tell her we've found him and that she needs to meet me at HQ," Roy said, laying Ed down in the backseat of the cab. "I'm counting on you Havoc." Havoc gave a hasty salute as Roy sat down in the cab, slammed the door, and was driven away.

"To the military HQ, quickly," Roy said plainly to the driver. Ed shifted, his hands clutching his stomach as it made a sick gurgling noise. "Hang on Ed."

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"Roy, I came back as soon as Havoc told me what had happened, where is he?" Riza asked, running into Roy's office unceremoniously.

"He's on the couch," Roy replied, "He passed out." Riza saw Ed's resting form and rushed forward, taking his pulse on an impulse.

"His heart beat is too fast," she muttered to herself sadly, sitting down next to Ed.

"How do you know that?" Roy asked, sitting down next to her.

"I took a course on it, remember? We all had to get at least the lowest degree of health care to be soldiers," Riza replied.

Roy thought back, he could vaguely remember sleeping through a lecture on the subject. "You actually paid attention?"

"Yeah, I even got a Nurse's degree," Riza replied, "Why?"

"Can you take a diagnosis of Ed?" Roy asked, "He needs your help."

"Alright," Riza replied nervously, "But I'm not very good, I can only try to figure out the most basic symptoms." Roy nodded his accent. Riza took in a deep breath, turning back to Ed. "Here goes nothing…" She pulled off his coat, checking his pulse again just to be sure. "Roy, leave."

"What?" Roy asked.

"I can't do this with you looming over my shoulder, get out," Riza replied icily, pointing towards the door. Roy nodded hesitantly, walking out of said door. Riza looked back to Ed, and pulled off his shirt, holding her breath. She gaped at what she saw, running her fingers over Ed's chest. "I think I'm going to be sick…"

Riza saw one thing, and one thing only when she looked over Ed's chest. Ribs. Every individual rib stuck out, the skin tightly folded over them. Riza took a notepad and pencil from Roy's desk. She pulled off Ed's pants; his muscles were receding and unhealthily thin on his legs as well. Riza wrote notes on the paper; symptoms that had appeared, average pulse, anything that might help lead to the answer of what was going on.

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"Roy, you can come in now," Riza said, opening the door for Roy to enter. Roy stopped pacing and waked in, shutting the door quietly behind him. Ed was still lying on the couch, covered by his coat.

"So nurse, what's you diagnosis?" Roy asked, sitting on the couch opposite Ed. Riza glared at him for a moment before picking back up her clipboard and sitting down next to him.

"Malnutrition, he's not eating." She said plainly, "That's the best I can say, it all fits together."

"Then why is he passing out and all of the blood, I don't get it," Roy replied impatiently.

"Calm down Roy," Riza replied, "Edward has had no energy lately because he's not eating. The body needs nutrition constantly either in the form of food or stored fats. That, along with cellular respiration is what keeps it going. Calcium for teeth and bones, vitamin C for healthy skin, there are dozens of different minerals we need and get through food. Without it, the body begins to eat its stored fats."

"Ok," Roy replied, "It all makes sense, but what happens when the he runs out of stored fat?"

"Once the body lacks any nutrition in either food or fat," Riza sighed, her voice melancholy, "It begins to devour itself." Roy balanced his elbows on his knees and put his face in his hands.

"And how do you cure it?"

"Sir," Riza said, "Once it does too much damage to itself, the damage is permanent. The only theory on how to help is a transplant, but it's untested and unsafe."

"Riza, I'm asking how we can help him now," Roy said loudly, "Are you saying we can't keep Ed from dieing!"

"No sir, not at all," Riza said, "Ed's may have permanent damage to his digestive tract from this, but if we help him now, he won't die. He simply needs to start eating again." Roy sighed, massaging his forehead.

"It's really that bad?" Roy asked, getting up and walking over beside Ed. Riza pulled the coat off of Ed's chest, revealing a long line of ribs and stretch marks. Roy breathed in quickly, looking away a moment later.

"Yes," Riza said simply, "He's done this to himself, slowly, over time."

"What now? Should we take him to a hospital?" Roy asked.

"Under no circumstances," Riza replied, "How blatantly obvious do you need something to be to get it? Roy, the reasons for all of this are mental, do anything that drastic and it'd have a greater chance of simply making him worse than helping him. I'll take care of him, I'm the only one who'd know what to do if something bad happened."

"The straw that broke the camel's back huh?" Roy said, thinking of Ed's teacher, "I'll help you carry him back to your dorm room, seeing as that's all I can do to help."

"Thanks," Riza said, "And I think you can help him more than anyone else Roy. I told you that it's mental." Roy shrugged his shoulders, picking up Ed and following Riza to her room.

"You know I still have almost no idea what you're talking about, I'm not good at all of this doctor stuff," Roy replied, stopping as Riza took out her keys and unlocked her door.

"Just lay him down on my bed," Riza gestured as Roy carried Ed in and put him down, "You'll understand eventually Roy. I'm going to sleep, it's practically midnight. I'll tell you when he wakes up ok?"

"Yeah, thanks," Roy replied, "Goodnight." Riza smiled weakly at him, before closing her door. Man she was worn out, Riza collapsed on her couch taking a spare pillow and laying her head on it.

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Riza's eyes snapped open. Her clock said it was about three thirty in the morning. Riza sat up uncertainly, turning on her lamp and looking about for what had awakened her. "Ed!" She gasped, getting up and running over to him. Ed lay, clutching his stomach, crying as blood leaked out of his mouth. "Ed, Ed are you ok?" Riza asked, wiping away as much blood from his mouth as she could.

Ed's eyes opened up slightly, looking up at her face just long enough to recognize it, before clenching shut again in pain. "H-hurts," he choked out from behind clenched teeth, "It hurts!"

A/N Also, as an important announcement, I do realize the last episode of the series has been aired on television, but I myself have not seen it. I've seen up to episode 49, and no further. So, as a consequence, I do not know the ending, and under no circumstances do I wish to know it before I see the episodes for myself. If I am told anything of the ending of the series, anything at all, I will discontinue and delete all of my current fanfics. So, here's my warning to you. If I hear anything about it in an email, a review, a message, or in any other way, I WILL delete my stories, and track down and viciously murder the person who told me. This is not an idle threat. In other news, hurray for cliffhangers! Oh yes, I am so very evil… as always, peppermint ice cream makes me update faster, good night.