Edward sat in complete silence, not a surprise considering he was completely deaf. He only added to the silence with his own lack noise. The fact that he couldn't hear himself speaking bothered him more than he would like to admit so he avoided speaking if at all possible. He could tell that his silence was worrying those around him. Of course they would be worried he was, by nature, loud and almost never quiet so his silence was very out of character.

Edward flinched away from an unknown, cold object making contact with his flesh arm - that is in the small area that wasn't covered with bandages. Looking to his left, the direction the object had come from, Edward saw Alphonse holding a glass of water, somehow looking guilty even as a suit of armour.

'I'm sorry.' Edward could almost imagine his little brother muttering those words guiltily. He was about too tell Alphonse that he was fine when his brother turned towards the door. A short pause and then the door opened.

Colonel Mustang walked in waving to both the boys. He turned slightly to Alphonse speaking to Edward's little brother.

Edward watched Mustang's lips as they formed sentences. He wasn't able to understand all of what was said but he did catch a few words from the older man's mouth.

'How...doing?...change?' That was all Edward had cought and he couldn't be completely sure that was what was said but it was most likely what was said; at least part of what was said.

Mustang turned and looked at Edward, who quickly looked away and stared at the wall, ignoring both Mustang and Alphonse, and as an after thought, the glass of water Alphonse had tried to give him before Mustang had arrived.

Mustang glanced at the kid he had come to visit. Edward just sat there silently, not moving, not acknowledging anyone's existence, except for the occasional glance in Mustang's direction. He had been like that sense he woke up and found out about his condition, two days earlier. To be completely honest it really worried Roy seeing Edward act so unlike himself. He tried not to let it show, He couldn't let anyone know how He felt about those kids. That would be beyond embarrassing.

"Alphonse, has your brother told you why he won't talk?" Mustang finally managed to ask.

"No, he is really making me worried. I don't want him to act like this. If I know my brother, and I do, he is probably blaming himself." Alphonse paused and looked right at Mustang with his red soul fire eyes. "H- he looked like he was about to talk to me before you came in, b- but then he stopped like..." Alphonse trailed off.

"Like what?" Mustang asked genuinely wanting to know the answer.

"Like- like he was scared someone would hear him." Alphonse seemed really upset at the idea that his big brother might be scared to let them hear his voice.

"Alphonse, your brother has every right to be scared. He probably just needs time. What he- what he's going through..." Mustang wasn't sure of what he should say to the boy. "...He's going through something that none of us would understand. You are probably the only one he completely trusts especially after this- this situation."

"Colonel, I can't- He knows when you're talking so he knows you care, but- but when I talk to him without writing it down he doesn't know. I don't have a body so he can't see my lips moving when I try to talk to him. What if he thinks I don't care or that I am ignoring him because he can't- because he can't..."

"Alphonse, you're being ridicules. I may not know Edward as well as you do, but I know that that isn't like him at all. He knows you care. He just, probably, is confused right now. And I know he wouldn't want you to think any less of him." Alphonse looked right into Mustang's eyes.

"But I would never-" Alphonse was interrupted by a small bout of coughing originating from the figure propped up on the hospital bed.

"Edward! Are you okay!?" Alphonse exclaimed. His brother had, two days ago, soon after Alphonse had gone to get some water for Edward, started coughing and coughing. It had really frightened Mustang, who had stayed with Edward while Alphonse fetched the water. It had been especially worrisome when blood splattered across Edward's hands. The doctors had assured them that Edward would be fine and that this was only a side effect of his lung being punctured, and that he just needed to expel the blood from his lungs. The assuring was lost on Mustang though.

"Alphonse, he's fine. He's not even coughing up any blood." Mustang reassured calmly. Truth be told Roy was not calm, not in the slightest. He was only trying to keep up the facade so that he didn't make anyone worry anymore then they already were.

In a short minute the coughing ceased and Alphonse was offering Edward the same glass of water he had earlier rejected. This time Edward took the glass downing the soothing liquid in a few gulps.

"Alphonse, will you pass me the note pad and a pen?" Alphonse passed the said objects to Mustang and returned to comforting his brother, who was desperately trying to preserve his pride by pushing off the comforting hands of his little brother.

Mustang smiled slightly at the scene before he turned to the pages on the note pad and began to write.

-Hey Shorty,

How are you feeling today? Any better?-

Mustang gave Edward the note pad and smirked at the boy's twitching eyebrow. Roy ducked as the same note pad came hurtling towards his head.

"Crap, Mustang! Crap!" Edward roared then, in surprise, his eyes widened and he turned away. "A- and I'm not short." The last part was said as, almost, a timid whisper. Both Mustang and Alphonse gave each other a look. Something was definatly wrong with Edward, well that is, apart from his hearing.

"Alphonse, do you think his silence might have something to do with the fact that he can't hear himself or maybe because he can't remember much of anything from the accident?" Like, maybe, he is surprised or scared of the silence he is met with when he talks even though he knows that he should be hearing his own voice, but he just can't. Or maybe he's just trying to remember what it is that happened by thinking heavily about it. Mustang decided against saying the second part of what was on his mind about the older of the Elrics.

"Colonel, you think he is afraid of not hearing his voice when he talks?" Alphonse's voice cracked when he asked it. "No, He can't be. Brother wouldn't be scared of- he wouldn't!"

Alphonse almost seemed like he was crying. He couldn't really cry it was more like dry in-soul sob.

"Alphonse, it was only a theory. It might not be right but we shouldn't rule it out yet," Mustang sighed. "Anyways, I don't mean to be insensitive, but I didn't actually come here solely to visit. Investigations is beginning to think that the crash was intentional. I was just wondering- "

"What do you mean!? Intentional!? Why would someone- why would someone do that!?" Alphonse burst out, looking shocked even as a suit of armour.

"We're looking into that, and as I said they aren't sure if it was intentional our not. The evidence is leaning towards it being intentional though," Mustang paused for a second. "His," Roy gestured to the boy on the hospital bed. "His injuries imply that he may have been in a fight with someone."

"Well than, what do you need from us?" Alphonse asked hoping that he could help in the way Mustang wanted.

"Well, actually, Alphonse, I was hoping that, maybe, your brother had regained some of his memories from the accident." Mustang said hopefully.

"As I said, he isn't really talking much, so I'm not sure." Alphonse replied stealing a glance at his brother as he said it. His helmet gave off a gentle clacking sound as he moved.

"I understand. I'll have to ask him about it myself."

Edward wanted so desperately to leave. They were talking about him; he knew it. And worst of all they were doing it right infront of him, and he couldn't even hear it one bit. Leaving wasn't an option and neither was yelling at the top of his lungs for them to shut up or at least stop talking about him when he couldn't hear. It wasn't like he thought they were bad mouthing him. Alphonse would never, at least that's what Edward hoped. It was solely because he, though he would never admit it out loud, was frightened. Losing his hearing was hard, understandably. Not being able to hear was challenging in more ways than one. It was torment not to be able to hear his brother's voice. That was all be had left to prove that his little brother did reside in that armour prison, all but the blood seal stained inside the back of the armour. That was Edward's fault, it all was. Every bad thing that had happened was his fault. Even the loss of his hearing was his fault. Alphonse had offered to help, but Edward had denied it. All the proof be needed to tell himself it was his fault was in his own words. His own denial of help.

Edward was jostled from his self blame by the note pad, once again, being shoved into his hands, rather rudely, by none other than Colonel Mustang. Edward hissed in annoyance, not that he could hear it, and read the scrolled out writing.

- The train accident is beginning to look less accidental. We need to know if you remember anything. Tell me any of what you remember. It's all important.-

'I know it's all important that's why I want it back!All I remember are blurs of a fight and a name! A bad name from a bad man.

Gunner Pierce.'

A/N: Ha! I'm back after a long wait. Sorry about that I have had a really hard time finding time. Also I was experiencing a slight writer's block. Not to worry, though, I'm out off that. The delay is slightly due, also, to my sucky Wi-Fi that keeps deleting huge chunks of my stories as I write them.

If you are wondering why I skipped those two days in the hospital, I will be coming back to that in a later chapter. It will envolve paternal/Roy. Yay! So just be patient.

-IME