Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or its characters, nor do I own or claim to own the FMA movie. I am just a fan. My ideas are original. If I use another show's ideas or themes, I will list them at the bottom of the chapter. However, I do not intentionally base my work on the work of others.
Author's note: Just a few facts to get you into the story. First, this story takes place three years after the movie, so five years after the anime series. Therefore, the year is 1925, and Ed is 20, and Al is 19.
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Chapter 7: Caught Up
Alphonse was sitting on the edge of his chair. He was replaying the events of the past 36 hours in his mind.
It was now a day and a half after he and his brother had helped that girl in the alley.
He couldn't get the sounds of her scream out of his mind.
And the blood… so much blood.
How did she survive?
Edward had carried the girl into the restaurant through the front doors. At that time, she was still unconscious.
No one could help. They were just in shock. Eventually, after Al was able to calm down one of the waiters, he pointed them in the direction of the hospital.
Edward probably would have gotten better results if he hadn't burst through the doors with an unconscious, blood girl in his arms. But Alphonse understood. Neither of them wanted to see another person die. They had seen enough death and suffering. They had seen more than most would see in a lifetime.
It felt wrong, what they ended up doing. But maybe Ed was right… he was nearly always right.
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Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The sound of the clock was driving Ed insane. He was curled up in a chair in the corner of the room. He had covered himself with a blanket so he could sleep. The best he could do, though, was slip in and out of consciousness for a few minutes at a time.
Ed was now staring at the girl lying unconscious on his bed. His jaw was tense and he was unknowingly frowning.
Who are you?
He tried to listen for signs of stirring.
So far there was nothing. She had only screamed that once, while the doctor was cutting her wound open again so he could sew it shut properly.
"Someone had tried to sew her wound closed. It wasn't done well, but it perhaps saved her from bleeding out too fast" the doctor had explained earlier.
"We'll need blood. But that won't guarantee her survival. She's already sustained a lot of injury and who knows how long she'd been…"
Ed stopped listening. He was done listening. What do you mean won't guarantee her survival? He knew he was being childish. He knew even alchemy wouldn't help.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Did I do the right thing?
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Just be alright.
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Silence.
She couldn't hear anything. For a few glorious moments, she had forgotten the events that had taken place a short while ago.
Suddenly, her memories came rushing back to her as she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side.
Her eyes fluttered open. Everything around her was blurry. Her eyelids felt heavy. As if they had never been opened before. Her pupils widened in order to let more light in. After her eyes finally accommodated, the images in front of her became sharper.
It was light outside. She could see rays of sunlight peaking through the cracks between the heavy curtain panels.
She was on a bed. She was covered. She couldn't explain why, but she felt safe.
She slowly moved the blankets a little so she could look at her side. She had been wrapped heavily in bandages. She gingerly massaged around her wound in hopes of relieving some of the pain.
Suddenly, she became aware that she wasn't alone in the room.
In the corner of the room, there was a candle nearing its end. It was struggling to keep burning. In its warm glow, she saw him.
His face was gentle. He was sleeping peacefully, curled up in an armchair, with his head propped up with his left arm.
That man…
Scenes from the previous night began flashing through her mind.
She remembered falling hard to the ground. She remembered getting up again to fight, but instead of killing her, that man helped her.
You stupid man. What have you gotten yourself involved in?
