Ed had been in the military for a few months so far, and he had met a multitude of people who he had become quick friends with, regardless of their age differences. He felt comfortable around his team, and even enjoyed being around them.
Ed knew when he joined the military that he would make many enemies, it was just another occupational hazard that he would deal with. However, he never expected them to be among the people who were supposed to be on his side.
There were many people who made it clear that they didn't like Ed, whether it be out of jealousy or because they thought of him as just some insolent brat. Ed did his best to avoid them, but it would be a lie if there hadn't been a few who he had dangled from alchemized hands by their feet. He claimed self defense.
Though he could and would not hesitate to protect himself, there were a few soldiers that scared Ed more than he cared to admit, and that brought him to where he was now.
Ed stood in the halls of Eastern Command, report in hand, just trying to get to Colonel Mustang and get home, but as he hurried through the corridor, he was stopped dead in his tracks upon ramming into a large form stood in the middle of the hall.
"Watch where you're going, brat!" Ed glanced up to see exactly what he was trying to avoid. Colonel Stratton, looking as stuck-up and pompous as ever, blocking the hallway with his inhumanly wide shoulders. Ed sighed. He really didn't feel like dealing with this asshole right now.
"Look, I'm sorry. Just let me through and I'll be out of your way." Though Ed hated to back down from a fight, Stratton had made it very clear that he would not hesitate to court-martial him if Ed tried anything. Ed needed this job, for Al, so he couldn't really take the risk, though his fist ached to be in Colonel Stratton's face.
"Now why would I do that, boy, when I can do this?" Before Ed could even process what that meant, he was met with a swift kick to the face. Ed's breath caught in his throat. Stratton and his lackeys had taunted and teased Ed relentlessly, but they had never been physical with him before. Ed grabbed his sore face as he stared into space. He turned to look up at Stratton, but instead got a eyeful of steel-toed boot. Stratton kneeled down to look a wide-eyed Ed dead in the face, grabbing him by his collar. His piercing blue eyes burned into Ed's honey golden ones.
"Now you listen here, Elric." He spat, as if Edward's name was poison in his mouth. "I don't like you wandering around my halls." Ed shivered under his ice cold glare. "I trust I won't see you around here for the rest of the day, or it may end badly for you." He released his grip on Ed's collar, and stood up straight. Before departing, he took one last swing at Ed's gut, the hard tip of his shoe colliding painfully with Ed's ribs. Ed found himself without air for a minute, wrapping his flesh arm around his sore body. He choked and took a deep breath that pulled at his aching side. When he had gathered himself enough to take a look around, Stratton was no where to be seen. Ed closed his eyes and sighed. He shakily got to his feet, leaning slightly to the right to take pressure of off his sore side. He limped slightly the rest of the way to Mustang's office. He didn't kick in the door today.
"Hey chief! Hey- what happened?" Asked Havoc, as he quickly got to his feet. Ed cursed inwardly. Was it that obvious?
"What do you mean?" Jean walked over to Ed, poking a sore spot on his face. Ed backed away with a hiss. Havoc frowned.
"You're bleeding, Ed." He said matter of factly. Ed reached up and dabbed at a drop of blood streaming down his face.
"Oh." He commented timidly. Havoc grabbed Ed's hand and pulled him over to his desk, pushing him to sit down in his chair.
"Stay here, I'll be right back." Ed looked up to Havoc with a hazy look in his eyes, too out of it with the shock of being hit to protest. Havoc returned a minute later with a concerned-looking colonel and a first aid kit.
"What the hell happened to you, Fullmetal?" He asked, crouching in front of Ed. Ed shrugged, wincing at the movement to his ribs.
"Colonel Stratton doesn't like me very much." He laughed with a humorless chuckle. Roy looked furious.
"He did this to you?" He barked. Ed was taken aback by his reaction, but nodded. "That son of a bitch." Havoc looked angry as well, even as he dug through the first aid kit. "Why would he do this?"
"He's never liked me, him and his friends. Always gave me a hard time, never hit me before, though. Well, until now." Roy furrowed his brow.
"What happened, Ed?" Roy asked, his voice calm.
"I bumped into him on my way here, he knocked me to the ground, kicked me around. I came here. Speaking of..." He dug around in his jacket, pulling out a manila folder. "My report." Roy sighed, taking the report, when his eyes widened in realization.
"Wait, did you say he kicked you?" He asked, sounding worried. Ed shifted uncomfortably.
"Uh, yeah?" Roy rubbed his face.
"The military boots are steel-toed, Fullmetal. He could've fractured your skull." Ed shook his head.
"Oh uh, no, don't worry about it! I feel fine!" He waved his automail hand in front of him, but kept his flesh arm protectively around his waist. Roy looked to Ed's flesh arm, then back up to Ed, eyes narrowed.
"Let me see it, Ed." Ed froze.
"Huh?" He asked dumbly.
"He kicked you in the ribs. Let me see it." Ed frowned, and opened his mouth to protest, but the look in Roy's eye made him think twice about arguing with him. Ed sighed in defeat and moved his arm away from his body. Ed hissed as Havoc wiped blood from the gash in his cheekbone, muttering soft apologies to Ed. Roy gently lifted the bottom edge of Ed's black tank top, eyes widening. He let the fabric fall again.
"Take off your shirt, Ed." Ed quickly turned red, but hesitantly shrugged off his jacket anyway. He sighed as he unbuttoned his black jacket, carefully taking it off as well. He grabbed the bottom of his tank top, but hesitated for a moment. Roy urged him on with a nod. Ed gingerly brought his shirt over his head, revealing the quickly darkening violet bruise blossoming over his ribs. Now, Havoc and Roy both stared wide eyed at Ed's torso.
"Hm. That doesn't look so good." Ed commented non-chalantly. Roy sighed.
"No, Fullmetal. That doesn't look so good." He looked to Ed. "I'm gonna feel around a bit, tell me to stop if it hurts too bad, okay?" Ed looked unsure at the idea of Roy poking at the sore spot, but nodded nonetheless. With gentle hands on either side of Ed's ribs, Roy softly prodded at the bones. When he ran over the bruised area, Ed's breath hitched in his throat and he doubled over slightly with a whimper. Roy frowned. "Sorry kid, I know it hurts. It's broken." Ed groaned and rolled his eyes. Just his luck. Roy looked up to Havoc who was holding a gauze pad to Ed's under-eye.
"This needs stitches too, boss. Sorry chief." Havoc smiled sympathetically. Roy sighed as he stood up from his crouched position.
"Well, Fullmetal; looks like we're going to the hospital." Ed froze before he frantically shook his head.
"Uh, no thanks. I'll just go back to the dorms and take a nap or something." He chuckled nervously. Roy shook his head.
"Sorry, kid. We've got to go. If that rib punctured anything you'll be in deep trouble." Roy placed a reassuring hand on Ed's shoulder. He frowned, but made to get up anyway. He tossed on his red jacket, and pulled the sides over his bare body, not wanting to bother putting on his shirt just to take it off again at the hospital. Roy and Havoc hovered around Ed anxiously, ready to catch him if he were to fall. They padded through the hallways, Ed's foot steps sounding uneven as he limped his way along. Ed rounded a corner, when his stomach dropped.
"I thought I told you I didn't want to see you around here today, Elric?" Spat a towering Colonel Stratton, punctuating Ed's last name by throwing him to the ground.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Stratton straightened up at the voice. Colonel Mustang stood alongside Havoc, arms crossed, staring Stratton down.
"C-colonel Mustang. Nothing, sir." He stuttered. Though they were the same rank, most people thought it wise to be respectful to the man who could burn you to a crisp in seconds.
"I don't think General Grumman would see it that way, Stratton." Mustang retorted, eyes narrowed. Stratton gulped and visibly paled at the mention of the General. "I think you'll find it wise to make yourself scarce now, Stratton. See, I don't take too kindly to people hurting my subordinates." Stratton then skittered away like a scared dog. Roy kneeled next to Ed. "You okay?"
Ed had his flesh arm wrapped tightly around himself, a gloved automail hand to his mouth as he shook with coughs. He screwed his eyes shut as each cough rattled his broken rib. Soon, his mouth tasted of copper, and crimson began to seep from the sides of his mouth. His ears began to ring. Roy paled.
"Shit! Call an ambulance, Havoc!" Roy quickly joined Ed on the ground, pulling him onto his lap so his left shoulder leaned against Roy's chest. He gently rubbed circles on Ed's back. "Okay, relax, kid. Breathe." Ed continued to hack, blood pouring from his mouth and painting his white glove a muddy red. He wanted to scream that that was what he was trying to do, but it was kind of difficult to breathe through the blood in his windpipe. Each breath came out as a sickening gurgle. Roy pulled away the edges of Ed's red coat, revealing that the bruised area from before had nearly doubled in size, the skin directly over the broken bone a nauseating midnight purple. He cursed under his breath. Roy patted Ed's back in attempts to clear his airways, only resulting in sharp pains in Ed's lungs with every hit.
"Stop..." He wheezed. "hurts..." Roy frowned but continued patting.
"I know, kiddo. I know it hurts, but it's gonna help you breathe, okay?" Ed shook his head.
"But it hurts." He croaked, eyes beginning to water. Roy bit his lip. He wanted to do anything but cause the kid more pain, but he wanted to save his life more.
"Sorry, kiddo. I'm sorry. I know it hurts. Just breathe and stay awake, okay?" Ed wanted to cry. He wanted to sleep. It felt like years since his last full breath. He wanted it to stop. He wanted to scream, tell Roy to make it stop, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Ed just whimpered and let his head fall to Roy's chest. He rubbed soothing circles on Ed's back, and Ed felt his eyelids start to become heavy.
"No, hey- Ed, don't fall asleep. You need to stay awake." Roy snapped in front of Ed's face, thankfully not wearing his gloves. Ed's eyes fluttered open, revealing slivers of his honey-gold irises.
"M'tired." He slurred in protest. Roy smiled sadly at him.
"I know, kid. You can sleep when the ambulance gets here." Ed shifted in his lap barking a sharp cough, causing more blood to run through his teeth. He lay his head in the crook of Roy's neck, mewling softly. Roy hugged him close with one arm and carded his free hand through Ed's bangs. "Just focus on staying awake, Ed. Just breathe and stay awake."
Ed wondered if he was going to die like this. Curled up in his superior officer's arms, the sharp taste of metal still bitter on his tongue. He wouldn't die from a bullet, he wouldn't die in a war, he wouldn't die a heroic or tragic death, he would bleed out in the halls of a military base. The man responsible for his death under the same roof and bearing the same blue uniform worn by his many friends and colleagues. He hadn't even gotten Al's body back. Some brother he was. He couldn't even stand up to his own bullies, and it had been the death of him.
Havoc ran up beside the two alchemists, looking panicked when seeing the state Ed was in.
"The ambulance will be here in five minutes, sir." He dropped to his knees alongside Roy, looking into Ed's hazy half-lidded eyes. "How is he?"
"When Stratton threw him to the ground, he landed on the broken rib. I think this caused it to shift and puncture his lung, hence the blood."
Havoc took a handkerchief out of his pocket and began to wipe off the blood running down Ed's chin. Ed wanted to protest, tell them to stop treating him like a child, but he could barely even hold his own head up.
Roy's brow furrowed, a look of pure fury on his face. "When I get my hands on that scumbag he's going to wish he was never born." He hissed, rubbing comforting circles on Ed's back as he wheezed and choked.
Ed could barely register the voices around him at this point. His eyelids bobbed open and closed, and he wanted nothing more than to just give in and slip away into blissful sleep. His mouth tasted of death and his limbs were heavier with each second that passed. It hurt to breathe. He felt a warm hand rubbing his back and his head leaned against a beating heart. The steady pounding was like a lullaby to Ed's already exhausted body. Ed thought he could see people dressed in white running towards him, but his vision was blurred and his surroundings appeared like splotchy watercolour. He felt himself being pulled away from the warm body, and immediately missed the comfort. He heard muffled voices float through the air and whisp through his ears. He wondered why they sounded worried.
He was just too tired, he let his eyes fall closed, and the last thing he remembered was someone squeezing his hand.