The young nurse turned to face the pair, asking which one of them would like to go first. Roy noticed the abrupt change in his subordinate's body language. He saw the apprehension in Ed's eyes and the tension in his shoulders. Suddenly, everything made sense. Edward's irrational anger at the sudden appointment. His snappy attitude in the car. The way he glared daggers at the needles that laid menacingly on the counter.
"I'll go first,'' Roy announced. Edward looked up at him curiously. Without acknowledging Edward's lingering gaze. Roy confidently strode forward and sat in the chair. "I'm gonna need you to roll up your sleeves", Ms. Rixx instructed.
The young woman quickly prepped Roy's arm for the shot. "This may hurt a bit", she warned. The way Edward physically flinched did not escape Roy's notice.
Roy took the shot without even batting an eye. He'd be lying if he said it was a pleasant feeling. but he couldn't let it show. Edward was already scared of needles as it was. He didn't need to add on to it. Roy could only hope that his lack of reaction to the shot had the desired effect.
"Alright", the nurse said in a cheerful tone, "we're all done with you sir! It's Edward's turn now." At her announcement, the man got up and moved to the side of the chair. Gingerly, Edward walked to where Roy previously sat. Roy could tell the kid was nervous. It was hard to watch. Without thinking, Roy grabbed Ed's hand. To his surprise, Ed didn't try to shrug him off.
"Okay, Edward. I'm going to give you the shot now. I'll try to make it quick", the nurse comforted. Ed simply nodded. As soon as the needle pricked his skin, he flinched and squeezed his eyes tight. Thankfully, the nurse sensed how scared he was.
"I'm sorry, I think I've left my band-aids on my desk. I'll go grab them" she said, quickly excusing herself. Roy inwardly thanked her, remembering the fact she had a newly opened box of band-aids in her pocket. Turning his attention back to Ed, he noticed that he could feel him trembling. If his ears weren't mistaking him, he could have sworn he heard a small sniffle.
Roy couldn't stand to see him like this. "Edward…" Roy began, unsure of how he should go about comforting a child. "don't focus on her or the shot. listen to me. It'll be okay. over before you could even blink. This is nothing compared to what you've been through. You got automail and went through all the physical therapy in half the time it should've taken. You're a brave kid. Let's get this over with, okay?"
Edward nodded, bringing his hand up to dry his tears. Almost on cue, strolled back into the room. "Thank you for your patience! I've been doing silly things all day. You ready Ed?"
"Yeah…. I'm ready."
The genius Fullmetal alchemist was reduced to such a nervous wreck by a small needle. Roy almost couldn't believe the boy that clung to him was the same boy who had screamed colorful profanities in his face hours earlier. It was times like these, that Roy was reminded that Edward was still a child.