THIS CHAPTER WAS EDITED ON DECEMBER 23RD 2017.

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Chapter 2: Pa

Roy knew where he was before he even opened his eyes. The constant beeping of a machine somewhere in the room that smelled unmistakably of antiseptic... He knew he was in a hospital. Why though? The last thing he remembered was him and Hawkeye walking from Grumman's office to his own. Then there had been a very bright light when he opened the door to his office. Was it a bomb? Did someone somehow manage to sneak in to Central Headquarters undetected and planted a bomb?

With great effort he opened his eyes, squinting at the harsh fluorescent that greeted his view. Onyx eyes surveyed the room, finding a small bedside table to his left with a vase of flowers on it. The sun shone through the small window to his right, its position telling him it was either late in the afternoon or early in the morning. But what was most noticeable was that he was alone in the room and it didn't help settle the anxious feeling in his stomach.

Where was Riza?

She had been standing behind him when the bomb –or whatever it was- exploded. He was able to grab her arms to shove her away but they were both caught in the bright explosion. If there had been a direct threat to his life, surely she'd be by his side now. How could she protect him if she wasn't there?

Unless...

The Brigadier General gingerly sat up, groaning in pain when he felt the stitches in his abdomen pull at his effort. He had to get up and find out what the hell happened. He was sure his men were stationed just outside.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and grabbed hold of the IV pole, the starchy light blue hospital gown scratching his skin in an irritating way at each movement. His shaky legs seemed able to hold his weight and he slowly started his unsteady walk toward the door. He was able to walk halfway towards the door when the shaking of his legs got worse and he stumbled over his own feet, sending him sprawling on the floor.

The door opened and a nurse rushed in. "Oh no, Mr Mustang! You shouldn't get out of bed just yet!" She helped him stand up and get back to bed.

"Where's Hawkeye?" he rasped, he felt like he had just run a marathon. Was he really that out of shape? He mentally noted to schedule a few sessions at the gym near Madame Christmas' bar this week.

The nurse smiled kindly at him before checking to make sure he didn't dislodge is IV. "She's next door, Mr. Mustang. But I'll have it arranged so you could share a room with your wife." She picked the chart that she had dropped earlier when she rushed to him. "She had been asking for you as soon as she woke up from her surgery. Also, the kids are being treated in Pediatrics as we speak. Just small scratches and some bruises, so you need not worry much."

The next time he awoke it was already sunset, the sun casting the room with an orange glow. He noticed the bedside table was gone and his bed had been pushed to the window to make room for another one.

"I'm glad you're fine, sir," a soft voice sounded from the bed beside him.

He paused in his observations and turned to her. She sat with her back propped by many pillows against the headboard. Her blond hair curled around her face, free from its usual unforgiving bun. She closed the book that she had been reading when he made a move to get out of his bed.

"I think you should not be moving too much, sir. You'll reopen your wounds," she scolded. "The nurse told me you actually tried to walk on your own earlier and she asked me to keep a close eye on you since you're the 'adventurous' type of patient."

"What..." he began in a hoarse voice. "What is going on?"

Hawkeye pursed her lips and a dent appeared on her forehead as she thought deeply. "The nurses told me that we were on our way to a picnic when our car was hit by a drunk driver. I don't know how a person could get drunk at eight in the morning," she mused before continuing. "You were the one driving and you tried to swerve from the highway but we hit another car instead." She gestured towards his head. "You had a concussion and a sharp metal sliced open your abdomen that's why you should take it easy for now."

"The nurses told you that?" he asked in disbelief. "Are you sure they're not talking about some other guy? We were not on our way to a picnic when we got attacked. We don't even do picnics! Coup d'état maybe, but not picnics!"

Something wasn't right. It was already night time when the meeting with Grumman finished, but the accident happened at eight in the morning. And why would he and Hawkeye even go to a picnic? Surely, he'd remember if it ever happened, right?

"I don't know, sir. A lot of things aren't adding up. I just saw a very bright light when you opened the door to your office and the next thing I know is I'm lying in a hospital bed and this," she slightly hesitated before lifting the blanket covering her legs which were both in casts.

Roy stared, horrified, at Hawkeye's legs. The cast went up to just below her knees so she'd still have a bit of movement. "And," he swallowed thickly. "What did they say happened to you?"

Riza shifted and she hissed as the starchy clothes scratched the raw skin on her forearms."According to them, I got trapped in my seat when the dashboard caved in on my legs. Luckily, Havoc and the guys were convoying us and immediately called for emergency services."

"So the men are somewhere in the vicinity as well," he mused, the cogs in his brain turning as he processed each information he had of the situation. "But I could have sworn I saw the Elric brothers in the office before I lost consciousness. And that bright light is unmistakably caused by some alchemic reaction."

The blonde captain nodded, confirming that Edward and Alphonse were indeed in the office at that time. "And the Elric brothers plus alchemy..."

"...equals trouble," he finished for her. Then he remembered something that the nurse from before had mentioned. "And one more thing, Captain. I don't know if the medical personnel just had our information wrong but I think she called you my wife when I asked her where you were earlier."

Again, Riza shifted in discomfort. Clearly, she knew something about that too. "Ah, about that, sir..." she raised her hand toward him and showed him her patient's wristband.

Name: Riza Mustang

Emergency Contact: Roy Mustang

Relation to the patient: Spouse

Hello hello! So here's the edited version of Chapter 2. I made some changes in the dialogues but the content is still pretty much the same.