Whumptober 2020 Day 13: Breathe In, Breath Out—Delayed Drowning/Chemical Pneumonia/Oxygen Mask
Word Count:
Author: Katie/Ally (aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl)
Rating: T
Characters: Riza Hawkeye, Roy Mustang, Jean Havoc, Team Mustang
Summary: No one anticipated this as a consequence of the fire. Good thing Havoc pays attention to his teammates.
Notes: Hopefully my ten minutes of googling things worked out correctly.

Difficult Breaths

Riza didn't think much about the small cough. It wasn't unusual to cough a bit around an area where Roy Mustang had used his flame alchemy. It was fire. Fire burned things, and that typically created smoke. It wasn't unusual, so Riza didn't think anything of it.

She probably should have.

She looked around the area, absentmindedly rubbing her chest. Clean up was in process after the brief but destructive battle. They had managed to capture the suspect with minimal damage outside of this particular area, at least. There was a small fire that was currently being put out, and fire damage to the tower she had been in for this mission. That had been a bit terrifying, actually, feeling the flames and the smoke from the building that she was in burning. True, it wasn't the first time, but it wasn't something that she wanted to experience again. Fortunately, it was put out before it consumed the tower and before she had to decide if it would be better to jump, or to try to go through the flames.

She coughed again, pausing to do so, and taking a moment to get her breath back.

"You okay, there, Hawkeye?" Havoc asked, eyeing her as he stopped from where he had been walking by her.

She nodded and waved off his concern. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine," she said, a touch breathlessly. "Just a little smoke inhalation."

"You sure?" he asked her, turning to face her more fully.

"I'm sure," she said reassuringly. "I'll be fine—" her words were belayed by another series of coughs. These were harsher and longer, surprising her with their ferocity, and she suddenly found Havoc's hands on her elbows, giving her some support that she hadn't even realized that she needed.

"Woah, hey, no, you need to sit down!" he said, looking around and pulling her towards a crate to sit on. He sat her down and knelt in front of her. "Hey, that doesn't sound so good," he said, worry in his eyes.

"I'm fine," she said, although there wasn't much power to her voice.

Havoc ignored her, instead looking around and flagging down Fuery. "Hey, Fuery! Get the boss over here!"

"Is everything okay?" Fuery asked as he came to a stop.

"Just go get the boss. Hawkeye isn't sounding so good."

Without another word the younger man scurried off.

"Really, Havoc, it's not—"

"Don't tell me it's not a big deal, Riza," he said. "You have a cough that was about to send you to your knees."

She didn't argue. She wasn't sure she had the breath. Her lungs felt tight, like she was having trouble getting in air. Besides, Havoc had an instinct about these sorts of things. If he was worried, there likely was good reason to be.

It only took a moment or two for Mustang to show up, his concern clear on his face. "What happened?" he asked, clearly addressing Havoc, although his eyes were already looking Riza over.

Havoc shook his head. "Not sure, boss. She started coughing, and now she's short of breath. But it's not normal whatever it is."

"Lieutenant?" Mustang moved in front of her. Riza had taken to focusing just on breathing, and not moving too much or trying to talk. "What's going on?"

She looked up at him, breathing hard. "It's hard… to breathe…" she said.

Roy frowned. "Havoc, get a medic over here."

"Yessir," he said, getting up and heading towards the medics to flag them down.

Roy reached out to take one of her hands, moving to take her pulse. She didn't stop him. She just focused on breathing. For a moment, that was all that they did, but his touch still brought some comfort to her.

"Sir?" Falman interrupted, coming up beside them. "Sir, I think that this might be relevant."

"What is it, Falman?" Roy said.

"It's a list of what was burning in the bottom of the tower. There were some barrels with chemicals in there."

Roy's eyes widened, and Riza looked up at him. Falman continued on.

"Lieutenant, when the building was burning, did you feel an irritation in your eyes or a burning sensation in your nose or mouth?'

"…yes.." she said.

"It could be that your inhaled some of the chemicals, then," he said, "and that's what's effecting your breathing right now."

"What needs to be done?" Roy demanded, and Riza felt herself waiting for Falman's answer.

"Uncertain. That will be up to the doctors."

Roy nodded.

The medics rushed over, Havoc accompanying them, and her team was pushed out of the way as they put oxygen on her and quickly bustled her away. Her last glimpse was of all of them watching as she was carted off to the ambulance and loaded in it for the hospital.

Chemical pneumonia. That was the diagnosis that the doctors gave her. The chemicals that she had inhaled had irritated her lungs, leading to problems with breathing. The doctors had put her on oxygen and admitted her for observation overnight, but it was honestly more precautionary then anything. Most of it was a waiting game, to see how her lungs healed and cleared it up on their own.

The team had dropped by to check on her, making sure she was doing well. Fuery promised to look after Hayate for the night, which Riza appreciated. Falman promised to bring by some books for her, and Havoc and Breda teased and said they'd try to keep Mustang on track. Mustang, for his part, rolled his eyes at them, but now he was the only one who was left, standing next to her bed. For a few moments, they just looked at each other.

"… I'm sorry," he finally said.

"Why?" she asked him.

"If I had been more careful, then you wouldn't have been in danger. You wouldn't have inhaled those chemicals."

She shook her head. "No. You couldn't have predicted this. It's not your fault."

"Still," he said. "I'm sorry it hurt you."

She gave him a bit of a smile. "I'll heal," she said. "With time and rest."

He returned her smile. "I know you will," he said. He reached out and gave her bangs a brush. "Rest well, then, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir."

She watched as he left, and then settled back into bed. It was still hard to breath, but it was easing. She would be fine, soon. And her team would keep things running in the meantime.