Yay! New chapter time! This chapter took a little while but I'm really happy with how it turned out.

The next chapter should be coming out at around the same time next month, I'm aiming to keep updating the story every month at around the end of the month.

I don't have much to say in this author's note, so I'll just thank you all instead for all the favorites, follows, and reviews. I feel like a broken record with how much I thank you guys, but I mean it so much. You guys are awesome and I want you to know that your support really makes me happy.

Stay awesome you guys, hope you like this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!

:3

Chapter 11

Mustang awoke to the soft patter of rain tapping gently against the window across from him. The day felt like it would be a dreary one, the pale gray light filtering through the window seemed to reflect how the colonel felt. He could feel Ed curled close to him, the heat that radiating off of him offsetting the slight chill the rain storm had brought to the air.

Edward lay beside him, his head buried under Mustang's chin, flesh arm gently clutching at the fabric of his shirt. The quilt he had been given the night before covered the lower half of his face, quivering slightly with each ragged breath. His automail arm was lying across the colonel's chest, as though the boy was making an unconscious attempt to keep the older man close. He let out a quiet huff of laughter when he realized that he was stuck there until Ed either moved or woke up.

The laughter died in his throat though as he noticed that Edward's fever from the night before had not subsided. If anything the unnatural heat that radiated off of the boy in waves seemed worse. Occasionally Ed would let out a few ragged coughs, the action shaking both of their bodies. Mustang tightened his grip around the boy's waist, pulling him a little closer in the hopes of making him more comfortable.

The colonel's thoughts were broken by a gentle clanking. At first he thought it was from the rain but when he payed attention the noise seemed to happen inconsistently from the weather outside. He realized quickly that it was from hollow metal hitting metal. Mustang turned his head slightly to see Alphonse sitting across from him, one of the books he had brought for the boy was in his hands. Every time Ed let out even the smallest cough his brother would raise his head from the book. He felt a rush of affection towards the younger brother, that even though he was seemingly focused on something else he still kept watch over the elder brother.

"Oh, good morning Mustang," Al said as he looked up, seeing that the colonel's gaze was upon him. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did as best I could with your brother practically laying on top of me. He's heavier than he looks that's for sure." Alphonse let out a small huff of laughter.

"It must be the automail; I've heard brother complain about the weight of it before." The two of them spoke in soft voices, hoping that they wouldn't wake up the sleeping boy between them.

"Either way I'll have to ask a nurse for extra pillows, the cast on his leg isn't much better." Mustang sat up as best he could. Edward stayed asleep as his head slid down from the colonel's neck to his chest. Mustang adjusted the quilt so that they boy wasn't smothered under the fabric.

"A nurse should be coming within the hour to check on brother, you can bring it up to them then." Al's voice was light but Mustang could tell he was worried about his brother. "How is brother's fever?"

The colonel let out a small sigh. "I think it's worsened overnight, we'll have to wait for him to wake up before we know how bad it is."

"What are you two talking about?" Mustang almost jumped when he heard a voice sound from below his head. Edward's eyes were half open, though they seemed glassy and unfocused.

"Morning Edward, how are you feeling?" He asked as the boy adjusted himself. He grabbed the nearby quilt with his flesh hand and began to trace the lines in the fabric.

"Like crap, but what else is new?" Alphonse let out a small laugh and Mustang smiled slightly.

"I mean does anywhere hurt more than normal, do you feel a chill?" The colonel kept his eye on Edward, who seemed more focused on the quilt than what he was actually saying.

"You said you would make up stories about the quilt right?" He could see that the boy was trying to change the subject and he decided to humor him.

"Yes, as a kid I did. I can't remember too many of them anymore though." Mustang turned his head to look at Edward's hand, trying to predict which fabric square he would pick.

"Do you remember the story about this one?" The boy asked, running his hand over a bit of fabric that depicted a sheep grazing in a meadow. The sheep was stitched in a way that made it seem like his body was made of the wool that took up most of the quilt square.

"I can remember that I named the sheep Eugene and that he liked to sit on his hill watching the valley below." Mustang smiled warmly, remembering how he'd sometimes talk to Eugene as a child.

"When I felt it I thought of sheep too." Edward rasped, "Remember all the sheep fields around our house Al?"

"Of course, there were tons of sheep in Resembool." The younger brother said fondly. "Den always loved chasing any that got too close to Winry's house."

"Yeah…" Ed's voice was a low whisper as his eyes slid closed. At first the colonel thought he had fallen back to sleep until his eyes snapped open. He let out a few coughs, taking a deep, ragged breath. "What is this one?"

Mustang looked down at the injured boy, concerned. Ed's eyes were glassy and his breathing was shallow and raspy. Edward's gaze drifted towards the colonel as though he could actually see him. "What about this one?"

As Ed repeated his question Mustang was snapped out of his thoughts. The square under the boy's hand depicted a baby bird looking up at a yellow and black butterfly. The red spots on the butterfly's wings gleamed vibrantly and the bird seemed entranced.

"It has a baby bird looking at a butterfly. As a kid I always thought that they were friends and that the bird was asking it about how to fly." Edward nodded at Mustang's answer, his eyes threatening to close again.

"Mom would tell us how butterflies were the dead trying to talk to us." Ed wheezed, "She said it was a sign that that person was still around us, trying to tell us everything would be alright…"

"Brother, are you okay?" Alphonse leaned over his brother, soulful eyes seeming to glow with worry.

"I'm fine…" Edward's eyes were half open, the dull golden orbs staring into space. "We have to catch the butterflies Al, they're getting away…"

"What are you talking about brother?" Al sounded confused and scared. Mustang could feel Ed's fever burning like a raging fire against him.

"Butterflies," Edward rasped, "Mom wanted to see who could catch the most…" His eyelids were fluttering as the boy desperately tried to stay awake. The colonel began to feel panic well up inside him. Ed was too far gone, his fever finally taking hold as he mumbled something so quietly that he couldn't make it out.

"Alphonse, get a nurse quickly!" Mustang sat up fully, cradling Edward in his arms. Al seemed frozen for a second, but in an instant he had dropped his book and was racing from the room. The colonel held the boy close, trying to stay calm. Ed looked so fragile, dark circles were like shadows against his too pale skin. His eyes would open, only for his eyelids to flicker and close within the same moment.

"Edward, stay with me." Mustang whispered, hoping that the boy would hear him. All he received was a low moan as Ed tried to focus on him. His eyes were dull and glazed over; even if he had still had his sight the colonel doubted that he would be able to see him.

Commotion in the doorway made Mustang look up. A nurse rushed into the room, thermometer in hand as she neared the bed. The colonel helped to raise Ed up as she placed the thermometer under the boy's tongue. She said nothing, her gaze focused on Edward as Alphonse made his way across the room.

"Is he going to be okay?" Al asked, his voice full of fear. As the nurse removed the thermometer she shook her head in confusion.

"I don't know. His fever is dangerously high. I'll need to speak with a doctor about this. Stay here while I look for his doctor." The nurse rushed from the room, calling to someone as she raced down the hallway.

"Mustang, what do you think?" Al asked as he knelt beside his brother's bed. His voice was full of the same fear and concern that the colonel himself felt.

"I don't know Alphonse." Mustang said as he looked down at Edward, who had now fallen fully unconscious. "I don't know."

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Rain splattered against the window of the room, thunder rumbled threateningly in the distance. In just the few hours between the morning and now, the light rain had morphed into a full-fledged storm. It was as though Mother Nature herself could sense the emotions that flowed through the small hospital room.

Mustang sat at Edward's side, holding his left hand with his own. The boy was hardly aware of anything happening around him. Doctors and nurses had been in and out of the room all day and he had barely acknowledged them. The only time he seemed at least remotely aware was when a nurse had come in to draw blood. Ed had just whimpered and begged for his brother or the colonel to protect him.

Even now Edward was murmuring words that either made no sense or were unintelligible. He would occasionally start to thrash in his bed, his head lolling from side to side as he let out low moans. His coughing had worsened as well, the coughs coming more frequently and violently, each one seeming to take more energy than his body could muster.

The nurses and doctors still had no real clue as to what was truly going on and why the illness had come on so suddenly. Edward's main doctor wasn't even at the hospital yet, his shift was fast approaching though and Mustang hoped he would have some answers.

Alphonse had sat motionless and silent by his brother's side the whole time. It was almost as though he had shut down and truly become a statue, even his soul fire eyes appeared dim. He held his brother's automail hand in his own, eyes focused on Edward as though the armored boy thought his brother would vanish if he looked away.

Mustang could hear voices talking quietly from the hallway. He tried to focus on them but they were too faint to make out, though he knew one of the voices belonged to Ed's doctor. Hope soared briefly in his chest at the thought of a trained professional taking over the situation. Maybe he had some answers.

The colonel was once again drawn back to Edward, who was letting out small whimpers of discomfort. Mustang ran his free hand through the sweaty blond strands of hair that covered the boy's face. He could feel the cold sweat dampening his shirt sleeve but at his touch Ed seemed to calm slightly. He leaned into the touch and Mustang saw his lips part, as though trying to speak, but no sound escaped him. The colonel wanted so desperately to hold the poor boy, to keep him close and never let anything, or anyone, hurt him again. But he held back the urge, settling instead on letting his head rest against the damp golden hair. He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath, trying not to let his emotions overwhelm him.

A faint cough broke Mustang from his thoughts and he looked up to see the doctor who had explained yesterday's surgery standing in the doorway. He was a fairly tall older man with short brown hair, the wrinkles on his face showed that he had seen much in his time as a doctor. Mustang hoped he was as experienced as he looked.

"I hear that Mr. Elric is sick." The doctor walked into the room, casting a concerned look at the boy who lay moaning in the bed. "I can see that the nurses were right when they told me of the severity."

"What's wrong with him? Will he be okay?" Mustang almost jumped when he heard Al's desperate voice. The younger brother was looking desperately at the doctor now, his eyes glowing with fear.

"I can't know for sure until I've examined him." The doctor spoke as he removed the stethoscope from around his neck. Mustang and Alphonse withdrew a bit from the bed, letting the doctor do his exam.

The doctor started by looking up at the various machines that surrounded him. He then put the stethoscope to Ed's chest, listening carefully as Edward let out a few coughs. The doctor then withdrew the stethoscope and pulled back, a concerned look on his face as he grabbed the chart a nurse had left by the foot of the bed.

"What's wrong?" Alphonse asked in a small voice as the doctor skimmed through the charts.

"His fever is very high and his lungs sound terrible. His blood work is also showing an elevated white blood cell count which means he's fighting off an infection." The doctor's voice was low, barely loud enough to be heard. When he looked up there was a dreadful certainty in his gaze. "I fear that Mr. Elric has developed pneumonia."

The room was silent, the only noise coming from Ed as he began to cough. By the time Edward had stopped and taken a ragged breath Mustang had composed himself. "How did this happen? You told us it was just a cold!"

The doctor remained calm, either not hearing the anger in the colonel's voice or choosing to ignore it. "His immune system must have been compromised by the anesthesia used during his surgery. This allowed the cold to develop into pneumonia. His body is so weak that it wasn't able to fend it off before it could take over."

"You told us he was well enough to go into surgery!" Mustang growled, glaring at the doctor. "How could you have let this happen?"

"This is a very rare thing to have happen." The doctor said in a detached voice that only served to anger the colonel more. "It's so rare in fact that we don't even prepare for it. There is nothing we could have done to prevent it."

"Is there anything you can do for him now?!" Mustang snarled, his body was shaking as he tried to hold back his anger. Hearing Edward let out a flurry of ragged coughs only added fuel to the fire burning within him.

"He will be closely monitored and we'll start him on antibiotics to help fight the infection from within. We'll also provide oxygen therapy that will hopefully strengthen his lungs. I'd refrain from giving him medication for his fever as I believe his body must let it break on its own." The doctor stayed professional, though his eyes did narrow slightly when he looked towards the colonel.

Mustang wanted to say more, to make the doctor hurt even just a fraction as much as he did, but Alphonse cut in before he could voice his anger. "Thank you doctor, is there anything we can do to help him as well?"

The doctor smiled slightly as he looked towards Al. "You two just stay with him and keep his spirits high. That's something neither I nor the nurses could help with."

Alphonse nodded while the doctor looked wearily back towards the colonel. Mustang shot him an apologetic glance before the man turned and left the room, calling to a nearby nurse as he made his way back into the hallway. The colonel looked towards Al, watching as the armored boy turned his attention back to his brother.

"You handled yourself well there Alphonse." Mustang said with pride in his voice.

"I've learned from both you and brother on how to keep a cool head under pressure." Al said, amused. "You and brother are pretty similar in certain ways. Though I never thought I'd have to be the calm one with you."

"Sorry," The colonel said quietly. "This whole situation is just stressing to me. Sometimes I forget to heed my own advice."

"I understand, I'm upset too, but getting angry about something out of your control does nothing to help the situation." Alphonse said as he brushed at the sweaty hair that clung to Ed's face.

Mustang smiled faintly, "I never thought you'd be the one to remind me of that. I'm proud of you." Al's eyes seemed to glow brighter from his praise but both of them turned their attention back to Edward as the boy began to cough violently.

"He'll pull through this, right?" Alphonse asked after his brother had stopped coughing and had taken in a shaky breath.

"I hope so." Mustang knew this wasn't the answer the boy was looking for, but he couldn't help but doubt it as he looked at Edward. Ed looked frail and small, like his usual energy had escaped him. All the colonel hoped was that Hawkeye was right, that the fire within the boy still burned even if it looked to be extinguished from the outside.

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Mustang was tired. The gentle sound of rain threatened to lull him into sleep, the dimly lit hospital room not helping in his quest to stay conscious. He knew he should get some rest, it was very late in the night, but he was too worried about the sick boy lying beside him.

Edward hadn't truly woken up yet, though he would occasionally open his eyes and start mumbling about nothing in particular. He was still wracked by violent bouts of coughing, it seemed as though all his energy was being spent during these fits, energy that he didn't even seem to have.

Though the coughing hadn't lessened the mumbling and chills from the boy's fever had eased. A kind nurse, the one who had given the colonel the cot he currently rested against, had placed a cool washcloth on his forehead and hour or two ago. She had told them to run it under cold water when they thought it had heated up too much.

The colonel wanted to stay awake incase Ed needed comforting when he woke up. He knew Al could never sleep and, in turn, keep an eye on his brother through the night. He felt he also had to stay awake at least long enough that Alphonse could take a break from his vigil if he needed to.

Ed was lying beside Mustang, his head resting limply against his chest. When his frequent coughing fits would cause both of their bodies to shake, the colonel would hold the boy close and hope that the contact would help in any way.

Edward's fever was still like a fire raging beside him, but Mustang could tell the cold cloth was at least making him feel more comfortable. He had stopped thrashing and was now resting as peacefully as he could, given his situation. The doctor had said there was no real way to cure his fever, the infection seemed viral and needed to work its way out of the body. He had said the fever would break on its own, but the colonel was still worried, he knew how deadly an untreated fever could be.

He was brought back to the present as Edward began to stir beside him, his brow furrowing as he let out a bout of coughs, ending in a small groan. The colonel could see Al perk up from his position on the other side of the bed, his gaze locked onto his brother as Ed opened his eyes.

"Colonel..? Alphonse..?" Edward's voice was quiet and rough, like he hadn't spoken in years. His hazy eyes seemed to instinctively try to find them even though he still couldn't see. Still the colonel felt hopeful, this was the most lucid the boy had been in hours. "Are you there?"

"We're both right here brother." Al said quickly, seeming as relieved as Mustang felt. "How are you feeling?"

Ed hesitated, seeming to think before answering. "The man…Is he still here..?" He asked in a shaky voice, panic glittering in his eyes as he began to cough violently.

Both Mustang's and Alphonse's hopes were dashed. They had hoped that Edward was aware enough to know the man wasn't there.

"He's never been here, Edward." The colonel spoke gently, pulling the boy closer in the hopes that the contact would comfort him.

Ed flinched slightly when he realized the colonel was next to him but quickly relaxed when Mustang began to run his free hand through the boy's tangled hair. "I thought I heard him laugh…" He rasped as his eyes began to close. "I just had to be sure before…" Whatever Edward was going to say was cut off as he let out a flurry of coughs. His breath wheezed in his chest as his eyes slid closed, his body going limp as he lost consciousness.

Alphonse let out a sad sigh the same time Mustang did. He knew, without words being spoken aloud, that the younger brother felt just as disappointed as he did.

"I had hoped that maybe his fever had gone down enough for him to talk to us…" Al said sadly, looking at his brother as his shoulders slumped.

"Me too…" The colonel said quietly, his eyes drawn back to Ed as he began to cough.

"I just wish I could take his place, I hate to see him suffer like this." Al's voice was low and full of sadness. Mustang felt like his heart would break at the anguish in the younger brother's voice.

"I'd trade places with him in a heartbeat." The colonel felt another small bit of hope soar in his chest as Edward opened his eyes once more. He was quiet as his sightless eyes slowly scanned the room; it was almost like he was searching for someone. Mustang was beginning to lose hope that the boy was truly conscious once again.

"Alphonse? Are you there..?" Ed rasped, his voice ending in a cascade of coughs. When he finally stopped coughing long enough to catch his breath Al spoke.

"Of course I'm here brother," His voice was a soothing whisper. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

Edward was silent for a moment, as though he were deep in thought, before he answered. "My throat is very dry; could you get me some water please?"

"Of course," Alphonse was up at once. "Is there anything else you need?"

Mustang looked down at Ed, surprised to see the boy looking right at him. There was a look in his eyes that told him that Ed wanted to talk to him, without his brother in the room.

"Actually, Alphonse, I think that you should run his washcloth under cold water. It's starting to heat up again." The colonel said as he ran a hand over Edward's forehead. The cloth had in fact heated up again, he took comfort in the fact that the extra heat leaving his body would probably help keep the boy comfortable instead of thrashing around like before.

"I can do that." The younger brother said as he gently placed his hand on Ed's forehead. Even though he couldn't feel the heat radiating off his brother the colonel guessed it was just instinct to check at this point. Al let out a sigh as he grabbed the cloth. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

As soon as the armored boy left the room Mustang turned his attention to Edward. "I could tell that there was something you wanted to tell me without Alphonse around to hear it. What is it?"

Ed's eyes had glazed over and the colonel worried that the boy had lost consciousness again, but the boy took in as deep of a breath as he could before answering.

"I-I wanted to ask you a question-" He broke off as another violent coughing fit took his breath away. As Edward's coughing lessened and he was able to breathe again Mustang warily waited for the question. He felt dread drop like a pit in his stomach, he had a bad feeling about the boy's next words.

"When…When I die…"

"No Edward, don't you dare think like that." Mustang said in a low, fierce voice as Ed took in a ragged breath. "You are going to get through this; everything is going to be fine."

Edward just shook his head sadly, his eyes closing for a heartbeat before he spoke. "I can feel it getting worse…I don't know how long I can keep fighting it…I'm just so tired…"

"Edward, please, just rest. That's all you need to do now, just rest and let your body heal." The colonel tried to keep the desperation he felt inside from creeping into his voice, but he failed.

"There's no point anymore…" Ed breathed out before he began to cough once again. Mustang could see tears glittering in the boy's eyes and he realized how hard this must be for Ed. The boy had always been optimistic, capable of his own abilities and able to face any challenge head on. But this was different; this battle wasn't one that could be fought face to face. He was at the mercy of his own body, a body that had been through so much in just the span of a few days. The boy was at the end of his rope and he knew himself better than anyone else. Edward was just as helpless and scared as the colonel himself.

Mustang's thoughts were interrupted when he heard Ed wheeze out the rest of his sentence. "What's the point of fighting anymore..? I can't keep going in a world I can't even see…I-I don't know how much longer I have left…"

"Edward, everything will work out. Just rest and let yourself heal. None of this is permanent." The colonel didn't try to hide his desperation this time. He wanted Ed to know just how much he needed him, how much his brother needed him. He couldn't imagine a world without Edward, he didn't want to.

"Please…Please, Roy…" Ed sounded as though he was about to break down. This was one of the only times the boy had actually addressed him by his first name. "Just-Just promise to take care of Al for me…Please just tell me you'll keep him safe…Please…"

Mustang could feel himself starting to break down as well. He felt like crying alongside Ed, but he knew one of them needed to stay strong. The colonel pulled the boy as close to him as he could, resting his head against his forehead. Edward was shaking; Mustang could feel the boy's hot tears soaking into his shirt. The colonel held Ed tightly as though by some miracle it could make everything better; make what felt like just a sick nightmare end.

"I promise." He put all of his energy, all of his strength and sorrow into his voice as he made the promise. Edward let out a wretched whimper that sounded like the mix of a sob and a cough.

"T-Thank you…Thank you so much…" Ed was cut off as he began to cough once again, his body shaking as he began to sob. Once the coughing fit was over he cried into Mustang's chest. Mustang held him tight as he began to whisper, "It's okay, everything will be fine. Just rest…"

His words seemed to calm the boy down, as Edward began to take in a ragged breath and his shaking eased. The colonel heard a loud clanking and looked up to see Alphonse standing in the doorway, a damp washcloth in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

"What's wrong, is he okay?" Al dashed into the room, stopping to kneel beside his brother's bed.

"He's fine, Alphonse. He's just tired right now." Mustang's voice was once again calm and collected as he raised his head from Ed's hair to look at the younger brother. He knew not to tell any of the previous conversation to Al; it would only make him more worried than he already was.

"I got brother some water and made sure the cloth was cold enough." Alphonse said, his gaze seeming to look through the colonel. Before the younger brother could find an answer Edward turned his head towards his brother.

"Thank you Al." Ed's voice was hoarse and sounded as though it belonged to someone much older. The darkness of the room obscured his tear streaked face as he untangled himself from Mustang. The boy grabbed the glass and, with some help from his brother, drained it.

By the time Edward finished his drink his eyes were already starting to close. Mustang mused that he had probably worn himself out from the combination of crying and coughing.

"Thanks Al, I love you…" Ed's voice trailed off as he lost his battle to stay conscious. Edward went limp; his body sagged against Mustang who then gently wrapped his arms around the boy. He positioned Ed's body so that his head was once again resting on his chest. Alphonse then placed the washcloth on his brother's head, his gaze flickering over the unconscious body below him.

The colonel could feel himself beginning to drift off as the days earlier stress finally caught up with him. Mustang was just able to wish Alphonse a goodnight before drifting into a blissful darkness.