"Edward Elric, if you get one scratch on my car, so help me, I will kill you!" Colonel Roy Mustang shouted behind from his desk. Edward had no choice but to use the Colonel's car.
"I won't let anything happen to your precious tin can." Edward mocked as he left the inner office.
"Why am I even letting you take my car? You are probably to short to reach the gas pedal!" Mustang called after him.
Mustang wasn't going home that night (too much paperwork), and he had offered to let Edward take his car home. The rain was coming down in buckets and the boy had just been released from the hospital from his last little misadventure.
Edward hadn't been able to take a new lead, due to sore muscles and tender injuries, but Mustang had deemed it a good time to have Fullmetal write a few reports that were long due.
Edward had looked pretty surprised when the Colonel had offered to let him take his car back his and Alphonse's dorm. What Roy Mustang didn't say was that he had seen the way Edward unconsciously rubbed his shoulder and thigh where the automail met flesh. The boy was probably in pain due to the pressure in the air because of the rain, like how some injuries hurt or old joints.
"That was kind, Sir." Hawkeye commended.
"Fullmetal is my subordinate. I would do it for any of them." Havoc seemed to have heard this; he turned to his boss.
"No you don't. I asked you if I could use your car for a date and you said 'no'."
"A date is entirely different from a kid who was just released from the hospital."
"Aww~, Boss, do you have a soft spot for Ed?"
"No, I do not have a soft spot for Fullmetal! He's a little brat."
Edward drove down the dark, wet streets, carefully avoiding any puddles or bumps. As much as he would love to total the Colonel's car just because the man was a total jerk, who cared more about his car than his subordinate, he didn't want to be in an accident.
Edward felt the car slide a little in a puddle.
"Oops." Edward said as he tried to right the car. The car went just a little too far to the left, and the left front wheel went off the road into the mud. Edward smiled a little as he tried to get out and mud splattered all the way up to the window. Mustang wouldn't have enjoyed that. The rain would likely wash off the mud, but it was still amusing. Edward tried to back up, but it didn't work well. He inched forward slightly, but vehicle wasn't moving very well. He pushed down harder, but the wheels spun under the car, not letting the vehicle move one inch.
"Stupid, stupid car." Edward pushed down hard on the gas. The car lurched forward suddenly; tumbling heavily into the ditch. Edward's head smacked against the steering wheel. He groaned when the car came to a stop. The vehicle was on its side in the ditch. And Edward's older wounds spiked.
"Argh, Mustang's going to kill me." Edward could tell he didn't have any serious injuries. He would probably have a bruise on his head, and, the way his wrist was aching, he could guess that he had maybe sprained it.
The seat belt dug painfully into Edward's hip bone. He fumbled with the seat buckle; his automail struggling to undo the lock without any feeling in it. Finally the buckle clicked, and Edward tumbled out. He hit the broken glass on the floor as his head made contact with a large stone that had broken the passenger window. A horrible cracking sound was heard, and black spots filled Edward's vision. He reached back with his gloved automail and touched the back of his head. Wincing, he pulled his hand back and saw red on the white. His vision dimmed slightly around the edges before it turned completely black with only the pounding rain to be heard.
Mustang signed the last paper and sighed.
"Lieutenant, I'm done with the last one." Mustang announced.
"I told you you could finish it if you just concentrated." Hawkeye said as if telling a child that she had been right all along. In a way that might have been how she saw it.
"I just want to go home and sleep." Mustang stood up, stretching out his stiff muscles. He physically deflated when he remembered that he had let Fullmetal take his car.
Hawkeye's mouth twitched with a smile. "I can drive you, Sir. I would have to go by your place anyway. It's on the way home for me."
"Thanks, Lieutenant, it is much appreciated." Roy smiled at Hawkeye.
"Let's just go, Sir."
The walk to Hawkeye's car was silent in a companionable way. The two officers boarded the vehicle and set off.
Edward's eyes flickered open he was lying in glass and freezing water covered his legs. He was glad that the car's side was laying slightly diagonal, or his face would have been completely covered in water. He tried to push himself up, forgetting about his sprained wrist.
"Argh," He fell back down, black spots filled his vision. He could have used his automail to push himself up, but his ports hurt so badly Edward thought he might throw up if he tried to using his automail in any way. He heard the rain still bearing down on the roof of the car. His body was racked with violent shivers. A spike of pain speared Edward's temples.
Migraine, Edward realised. Maybe I have a concussion?
Edward faded into unconsciousness yet again.
"Only about five minutes now, Sir." Hawkeye informed the Colonel. It was late in the night and Roy could barely see the road not illuminated by the headlights on the car.
"Thank you, Hawkeye."
They rounded the bend that came up. Hawkeye abruptly stopped the car. It wasn't too much of a problem because this road wasn't used very often at this time of night. Both Mustang and Hawkeye jumped out of the car running over to the sight of a crash. The car didn't look too damaged. Just broken glass and bent in metal. That wasn't what they were worried about, though. They were worried about the well being of whoever was in the car.
Mustang froze, and his heart stopped when he recognised the car as his own. The car he had let Edward take. The car that Edward had driven was laying sideways in a ditch with water rushing past.
Hawkeye also seemed to recognise the car. "Sir, that- that's..."
She turned to the Colonel, noticing the obvious horror in his face.
"Fullmetal!" Mustang shouted, rushing towards the crash. He slid down the muddy slope of the ditch and into the water that continued rushing down the ditch. Through the broken windshield Roy could see almost nothing. It was too dark to see properly
"Fullmetal? Are you in there? Kid?" Mustang climbed into the car, feeling glass embed itself into the palms of his hands.
"Fullmetal?" He saw a gentle movement on the ground. His eyes widened when he recognized the familiar flashy red coat.
He reached forward, placing his middle and index finger on the boy's neck. He had already come to the conclusion that the gentle movement was the rising and falling of the kid's chest. The pulse was weak, though.
Edward opened his eyes to the blurry darkness. He saw the back of a man leaving.
"...No... Dad... Don't... don't go..."
Mustang spun around.
"Fullmetal?" He moved to the boy's side. "Shh, everything will be just fine."
"...Co... Colonel...?"
"Yeah, I'm right here."
"...Your... your car..."
"Don't worry about the car."
"...I think... I think I scratched it..." Edward stuttered.
"Yeah, I would say so. I was planning on getting a new paint job anyway. I'm just worried about you."
Edward wanted to cry. Mustang didn't care about the car? He just cared about his subordinate. He was worried about Edward?
Mustang had already called out to Hawkeye that they were in need of an ambulance. It was a relief that Roy's house was only a few minutes away. Hawkeye had already set off in that direction for the phone. He was just hoping that the call had been made. He was frightened for the boy. He crawled out of the wreckage, attempting to get a better view of the road for a second.
"...No... Dad... Don't... don't go..."
Mustang spun back around to face the delirious teen. "Fullmetal?" He asked, making sure Edward really was 'awake'. "Shh, everything will be just fine."
"...Co... Colonel...?"
"Yeah, I'm right here." Mustang almost could imagine Edward's face turning bright red when he would realise what he had said.
"...Your... your car..." Mustang couldn't believe that's what Edward thought he was worried about. Why was Edward worried about the car right now anyway?
"Don't worry about the car." Roy calmed.
"...I think... I think I scratched it..." Edward stumbled through his words.
Mustang did a quick take of the vehicle. "Yeah, I would say so." He smirked at Edward despite the situation. "I was planning on getting a new paint job anyway. I'm just worried about you."
It was quiet for what seemed like forever then there was the sound of sirens. Mustang was so relieved.
"They're coming, Fullmetal. Just wait."
Edward had hypothermia and a concussion. His self-diagnosis of the sprained wrist was correct. He was just relieved at the moment not to be in that sideways, water filled car. Of course, the hospital wasn't always so great. It was far better than being stuck in a ditch filled with freezing water, though.
Edward had first woken in the hospital to Roy Mustang at his side, but now he was alone. The Colonel had been taken away so that he could be given some cold medicine. It turns out that sitting in a ditch of freezing water with a half conscious teen can give you a cold.
The door to the hospital room opened. Hawkeye came in, Mustang following behind.
"I called Alphonse. He's on his way. He'll be here shortly." Hawkeye announced.
"Thanks," Edward replied awkwardly.
"No problem. Now, Edward, I'm going to take the Colonel home so that he can rest in his own bed till his cold blows over. Do you want me to come back after?" Hawkeye asked, already knowing the answer she would be given.
"No."
"I'll stop by tomorrow morning to check on you," Hawkeye informed.
"Colonel, Lieutenant... thanks for getting me out of that ditch," Edward said, blushing bright red.
"Of course, Edward," The Colonel said, sneezing right after.
"And, Colonel, thanks for not killing me. I think, I scratched the car."
Roy laughed gently. He and Hawkeye left the room.
Edward chuckled as they left, only a small headache left after the medicine they gave him.
"Thank you," He said again to their receding backs.
The End
A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!