Bane; "Wow. You reviewers are the absolute coolest."
A; smiles
Bane; "Why are YOU smiling?"
A; "Drumstick's…disappeared."
Bane: "Oh…do you know when she'll be back?"
A; "Not for a good chapter or so."
Bane; "Did you get a chance to ask her why?"
A; "Ohh…I could…guess."
Bane; "And?"
A; "And what?"
Bane; "Well, what did you guess about where she's gone?"
A; "…She went to…Brazil."
Bane; "Oh, so you were teaching her Portuguese just a minute ago in the back room that stores all our knives, pointy objects, and magical teleporting devices!"
A; "…umm…sure."
Bane; "Was she any good at the language?"
A; "Some good…"
Bane; "Did she know anything?"
A; "What?"
Bane; "Did she know any Portuguese words to start with?"
A; "Oh. Yeah…she sure knew how to say…but…nevermind."
Bane; "No, say what?"
A; "She said that sex isn't the answer to everything."
Bane; "Oh. She has a good start. I bet she was dying to go to Brazil."
A; "DYING? She's NOT dying!"
Bane; "Aww, A, it was a metaphor. I'm sorry. Why so jumpy?"
A; "I'mnotjumpy. "
Bane; "I would be too. I'm sorry- didn't mean to scare you. You'd probably be so depressed IF she DID die. I would too. I wouldn't be able to write fanfictions for days."
A; 0.0'
Bane; "A…" recognizes guilty look "…You…"
A; X' ()
Bane; 0.o "You…A…you wouldn't…" o.0
A; "Why don't we…do the next chapter!"
Bane; "But before we do, I'd like to say a few things to tell every wonderful reviewer who is reading this. (And every wonderful reader reading this, IN GENERAL). To some of you, I've been put under 'favorite authors' (2, isn't it?) Others have put my Fanfictions under their favorite stories. And I really don't think you understand exactly how great that makes me feel. But, in truth, there's something even better that shines through everything else. Now, A asked me the other day;"
A; "Why are you so happy that a lot of people almost cried about your story?"
Bane; "And this surprised me; I thought she, as a fellow writer would understand. But obviously she's never posted an angst story. (Yes, I'm changing it from drama to angst.) So, here's the reason (which will eventually be apparent).
I've cried for so many reasons, mainly, because someone else was sad (melancholy, or stressed). That sounds stupid, doesn't it? But think about it. I cried when I found out about WarofShadow's life. I cried because my school friend wasn't happy that day. I cried when I understood that someone I had known for six long years had begun to break away. I cried. Isn't the phrase 'I cried' so…weakening? But it's true. I did. But nobody ever tells about how they cried because something horrid occurs in the 6th book of Harry Potter. (Those who've read it, you know what I'm talking about…) Nobody really ever talks about how they sobbed over the passing of the main character of an enticing book. But people do sob. Just because it's never mentioned, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
Now, put yourself in the eyes of a writer, not necessarily me. And pretend someone actually tells you they cried over your character. Okay? That's wonderful. But there's still something deeper, more gratifying about hearing the words 'I cried'.
If anyone who really doesn't like writing has ever HAD to write something, you'll surely be able to tell by reading it. It can't be devoid of emotion. And emotion forms the threads of everything. And someone saying that they liked the emotion is one thing. It is quite another to know that they almost shed tears over it, and this is why; It's an amazing feeling to have people that read your work actually be able to relate their feelings with those of the characters. It's phenomenal to string words together that not only catch the attention of the readers, but also have them feeling the exact emotion that flows through the character. And that's what makes a writer understand their place. That's what makes a writer feel like a writer."
A; "I'm just going to tell you, for her to be this happily descriptive about something so small, she must really love you guys, and must really love what you guys reviewed about. And without further ado; Things Well Hidden."
Bane; "I lied. There is a further ado. This is about 2-4 months later."
"I don't care whether or not it's 'family only' or not. I constructed the amazing bendable spine. I gave it to them, and they surgically fused it within him. Now that they've stitched half his body back together, and your overdose of drugs haven't killed him, I want to visit him. Let me in or this wrech will become family with your face!"
He winced for the nurse's sake, and was amused by her undergoing Winry's fury. It was about time something happened around here. So far, it'd only been treatments and psychological tests. But still, on the other hand, he relished the thought of what might happen if the staff tried throwing her out. Ed's thoughts were broken by his predictions becoming reality.
"I'm sorry, we're going to have to ask you to lea-"
He heard a thump, as Winry's tool must have collided with the now unconscious nurse's head.
Edward heard her mutter under her breath, "Don't fuck with me." Before entering his room.
Winry was fuming; her eyes blurred with loathing of the medical staff. But she still noticed the sight of him sitting upright in bed, in the process of writing something.
"Hey, Shrimp."
And she had thought that it'd be getting better. Ed barely even looked at her. He attempted to fake a smile, which only resulted in exposing exactly how despairing he was.
Trying to keep the conversation, she asked casually, "So, what's the novel for?"
He appeared confused at first, but after a brief pointing fit from Winry, he answered ruefully.
"I-uhh…bills for the medication."
It looked more like a journal to her.
"Oh."
He tried to nonchalantly pull the papers out of sight, but it was obvious.
"Are they that high?"
"What? Noo-I mean, yeah. Yeah, they are."
"Mmm."
The door burst open, followed by a very embarrassed Al.
"I'm sorry, it's hard to know my strength now that I'm…me again."
Winry laughed, and Ed? Ed's eyes twinkled with joy for only a second before they became dead and emotionless once more.
"Anyway, Brother?"
"What? Am I gonna' be let out?"
Edward's face lit up with sudden hope. It was now so plain that he hated everything about this place. Al's own features drooped slightly from the guilt that now flowed through his veins.
"No…sorry, Brother, they want you again at rehab in about ten minutes."
"Can I at least walk on my own?"
"The lady- Ms. Arntald- said that they're out of wheel chairs, and that I'd have to carry you."
"Did she say anything about Ed kicking and screaming?" Winry smirked, knowing full well that the metallic teen would do just that if he wasn't so injured that…that, well, that he'd actually need to go to rehabilitation, for one.
"I'm walking. Try and stop me."
Al grinned maliciously.
"This is why she gave me ten minutes this time, not two."
Ed's legs knocked together gently with each long stride that his brother took.
"You know, I'm gonna' chase you around this entire hellhole for this the day I get better."
He looked up in disgust from his place in his younger sibling's arms. Winry ran around them both and said something about how Al's baby brother was so cute. Another short crack- and still, it didn't do anything, no reaction. Maybe it was because he was so much taller at eighteen. Maybe. Still, Al was taller.
"Brother?"
"WHAT?" he snapped, still miffed at having to be carried.
"Have you been eating?"
"Umm, yes." He lied through his teeth. Lately, he hadn't had the courage to eat. What was the point? He'd have to eat again the next day.
"I SAID, have you been eating?"
How the hell did Alfonse know?
"Fine. I haven't, happy? I wasn't hungry, so I didn't eat."
"And how long have you 'not been hungry'?"
"A lunchtime today."
The glare this earned Ed caused him to release a heavy sigh.
" Fine. The last three days."
They had stopped moving now, and Winry was watching, wordlessly.
"Do you know what this is doing to you?"
Ed shrugged guiltily, this winced.
"You don't care, do you? Brother, starving yourself isn't helping you. You need calories. You've lost almost a third of your body weight. And over the last three days, you've gotten lighter. I can tell. Do you see how easy it is for me to lift you?"
His older brother wouldn't look at him. Did it matter? So WHAT if he'd lost weight?
"I'll be fine."
The phrase worked so much better when he could shrug his shoulders and walk off. Being held in the arms of someone, however, was not fitting, and it hurt to move his shoulders much.
"Look at me."
Gold locked into gold. Al almost dropped his sibling. No pride, no real stubborness remained. A slight fleck of guilt, and more despair than Alfonse might have ever thought possible flashed back to him. No hope, no faith, and no joy resided in the depths of amber. Only a withered, dying look took solace in those eyes, only a look a bewilderment mingling with loss.
Bane; "Damn it… Hey everyone, the full moon's gone. I didn't realize the day before yesterday was the last day…"
A; 0.o
Bane; "Just…to tell you…"
-silence-
"Lift your arm…Damn it, Mr. Elric, the point of rehab is to do it slowly. If you strain yourself like this, you're not going to get any better."
His instructor was fiery and short of patience, much like Teacher had been.
"No pain, no gain."
"You know who invented that phrase?"
"Does anyone?"
"No, Mr. Elric. And you know why?"
"No. According to you, nobody does."
"Because they pained so much, that they had no gain, and guess why you don't know them?"
"They didn't have to get automail?"
"Funny. They didn't gain enough to be known, and were ridiculed for their foolish words. And all that is known of them is that comic phrase."
"Mmm. is that a true story?"
"It'll be your story if you don't do everything slowly and stop using stupid phrases like that."
His muscles were weak from lack of movement- not that this was at all the blame of Edward. In fact, he had refused heartily to lay down for so long. Unfortunately, still having to heal from the two operations, and the sewing and fusing of skin against metal, his threats to walk out of the hospital on his own were cut short by the temper of Al and Winry.
And so, he was resigned to his fate. He went to every damn rehabilitation appointment, and suffered every psychiatric freak in the building.
Alfonse knew for the most part- that they were having him talk to psychologists, and actively irritating Edward. But only the basic information; he didn't know on what level this was necessary. If only he could have known.
Bane; "I was gonna' cut it off here, but you've reviewed so much, and waited so long…"
Edward's body relaxed a bit, and when Al looked down, he found that his sibling had nodded off on the way back from rehab.
"Mm. The pain-killers must be working."
"I really wish he wasn't so stubborn. He'd get better so much quicker if he didn't put up a fight."
"Yeah…stubborn…" Al trailed absent-mindedly, suddenly recalling the gaze they had shared earlier.
Was it a trick of the light? Could it ever be possible for someone to feel that low? Alfonse's thoughts were quick to reply to his own questions, Brother could.
Bane; "To those (who I'm sure are thinking it) this is not incest. OKAY? It's brotherly concern. Geez."
In the next week, he had four psychologist visits, and on thefourth , they told him that, at last, he could go home.
"Hey Ed?"
It was one of those blessed moments when he was alone with Winry.
"Yeah?"
"How exactly did you start fighting with the doctors? They won't tell me."
He let a slight smirk cross his face.
"It's my fault. I panicked when I woke up. Apparently I'd had…a nightmare, and they planned on giving me another sedative, or something like that."
"That's it?"
"No. I tried to get up, but the pain in my back jumpstarted, I guess. So in the time I recuperated, they managed to get my right arm into one of the leather straps on the bed. I managed to rip it and roll out of the bed. I think the bigger guy kicked me a few times, everything was really blurred. I made a break for it, crawled to the door, and finally got it open. But the guy picked me up and forced me against the wall. The end."
Silence stood it's ground for moments before Winry, on a happier note, attempted to force it backwards.
"You realize you're going to stay in resembool, right?"
"Al and I don't want to be a burden…"
"You're going to be a burden if I have to carry you both."
Bane; "I have to cut off here, but for a good reason. The next one has to be action packed, and it's going to be really, really, really long. And if I go any further, I'll ruin it. In the next 3-4 days, I'll have it finished. There are no review limits this time, because you exceeded my review limit by 3! But it would be nice if you reviewed…you know…to keep my motivation up… And a chapter from kikyoreborn9295 might be nice (go, my pretties, attack kikyoreborn9295!)
A; "Disclaimer; BANE DOES NOT OWN ANYTHING FROM FULL METAL ALCHEMIST. There. How many times do I have to say it?