Downpour
Chapter 9- Recovery.
By: Fanficer21
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After a long awaited update, I'm finally done with the chapter. Please forgive this old spinster for not keeping up with updates. This might be the last chapter, because I don't really know what to do for an epilogue.
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Rated T: for fluff and stuff.
Disclaimer: FMA: B is not mine nor shall it ever be. But in my dreams, I rule the FMA universe. Muahahahaha!
Without further adieu...Enjoy!
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Gold eyes opened to see a white ceiling above him. The smell of antiseptic filled his nose as he breathed. Edward blinked several times before he focused on his surroundings. The hospital room was silent, save the beeping of the heart monitor.
"Good morning, brother!" He nearly jumped at Al's soft voice filling his ears. Snapping his head to the right, getting a sudden wave of dizziness, his eyes widened at the sight of his younger brother. Al sat in a large, wooden crate, his solid body torn to shreds. The rest of his loose parts were placed with care inside the crate beside him.
"Al!" Edward shouted with relief at seeing his brother alright. As he tried to get up, he realized it was a bad idea. His chest and shoulder ached painfully as his body shifted. Looking down, he noticed his chest was wrapped in thick, white bandages. Next, he noticed his automail. His eyes widened at the sight of his fixed arm.
"Winry came as soon as she could. She fixed your arm while you were sleeping." Alphonse said quietly, drawing his brother's attention. Looking back at his arm, Edward was impressed that his friend had been able to fix the port and arm so well, despite the terrible damage. He would make sure he gave her a proper thank you, this time.
Edward leaned back onto the mattress, his brow sweaty from his movement. He'd be sure to fix his brother as soon as he felt well enough. Without another word, the blonde closed his eyes and gave into the darkness. He could hear the fading voice of, "Sleep well, brother" as the darkness surrounded him.
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The next time Edward woke up, it was to the sound of soft voices. Cracking his eyes open, he saw Maes and Alphonse talking to a man in a white coat. It had to be the doctor. He watched as the doctor sat down, his head hung as he rubbed his eyes and forehead. "We've done all that we can for him. We've given him a blood transfusion, to make up for the blood loss. His right lung has been punctured, along with a small puncture to his left, barely missing his heart. Parts of his vertebrae were grazed. It could be a fifty-fifty chance of him becoming paralyzed. By all accounts, this man shouldn't even be alive right now. If he makes it through the night, I'd say he has maybe a 30% chance of recovery." The doctor chocked on his words, unable to look Maes in the eyes.
Edward's breath hitched at the news, eyes widening. The Colonel was going to die? He was going to lose his second father? The boy didn't realize his panicked thoughts made the heart monitor pick up speed, mirroring his own heart. Maes cursed, knowing the blonde heard everything the doctor said. Shoving the man from the room, the ebony quickly made his way to his young friend.
"Shhh. Shhh. Edward, it's going to be alright. We'll figure something out. It's going to be ok." He cooed as he leaned over the blonde, his fingers brushing through the golden hair and down the boy's pale, tear stained cheeks. Maes couldn't handle the look of agony on Edward's face as the boy's visage scrunched up with more tears. Sobs forced their way through the boy's open mouth.
"I know. I know." Was all the ebony could say as he held the boy in his arms. Tears of his own were starting to form at the thought of losing his best friend. They stayed like that until the boy fell asleep. Even then, Maes continued to hold the boy close. "I'm sorry you had to witness something so tragic, my boy. I know he means a lot to you." He whispered before laying Edward back on the bed. Getting up, he looked at Alphonse's downcast face. "We'll do what we can to save the Colonel." Maes said solemnly, fixing his glasses.
"I know. I'll watch over brother." Alphonse said in his calm voice, though Maes could hear the boy's voice faltering ever so slightly. He wouldn't be surprised if the boy cried as soon as he left. He knew Alphonse always tried to be strong, especially around Edward. Leaving the room, the ebony went to make sure everything for Roy's recovery was in order.
After Maes left, Alphonse did cry. His armored body creaked as he leaned forward in his crate, softly hitting his fists against the wood frame. He tried to control his sobs, making sure they were quiet as to not wake his brother. He didn't want Ed to worry about him too. He wanted to be strong for his brother, and for the Colonel.
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The two days later, Edward felt more rested. He fixed Alphonse's body as soon as he got out of bed. His wounds didn't hurt so much, since he was loaded with Morphine. Both deciding to visit the Colonel, Alphonse carried his brother to the designated room. Edward's heart pounded as he feared the worst, but he pushed the feelings back. He needed to see the man. He had to make sure Roy Mustang was going to be alright.
As they neared the room, they picked up the quiet voice of a woman. "I need you to pull through, Roy. For me, and for the boys. They need you! Maes told me how devastated they were to find out your condition from the doctor, Edward especially. He won't admit it, but you're more a father to him than you realize. You push the boys, and they hate it. But I know you care too. You want them to be able to take care of themselves. You want to be there for them when they need someone to lean on. We all need you."
The boys peeked around to corner to see Riza Hawkeye sitting in a chair beside the Colonel's bed. Her hand was wrapped around one of Roy's while her other hand brushed gently through his hair. She was careful of his breathing mask when she traced his cheeks with her fingers. Leaning down, she whispered, "Please, wake up." She gently pressed her lips to his cheek.
Standing up, she said her silent farewell for a few hours, before leaving the bed. It was then she noticed the boys standing in the doorway. Her heart clenched at the broken expression on Edward's face. Kneeling down, she pulled Edward into a hug, kissing his cheek. She then moved to Alphonse and did the same. "Talk to him. He needs to hear your voices." Riza softly spoke, subtly wiping tears from her eyes.
When she left the room to tend to her duties, Edward moved to stand at the base of Colonel Mustang's bed, biting his lip to prevent himself from showing any emotion. He didn't want anyone aside from his closest friends to see him crying. His eyes roamed the expanse of the man's bed, taking in every detail with a grain of salt.
Roy lay in the hospital bed beneath the plain white sheets. The only sound in the room was the beeping from the heart monitor and the Colonel's labored breaths and wheezes. The oxygen mask over his nose and mouth fogged up with each breath. The pain continued to affect him despite the heavy medication he was put on, even in his sleep, his body jerked once in a while when he took a deep breath. His right cheek was covered with small cuts. His chest was wrapped beneath the light colored hospital clothes. IV's were placed into his left wrist, one for morphine to take away the pain, the other to keep the man hydrated. His right forearm bandaged from the elbow to the wrist. Blood was beginning to seep through the fresh material.
"Come on, stupid Colonel. You got to pull through this. Who else am I going to make fun of...without y-you...around." Edward tried to tease the man, but his emotions kept getting in the way. He really didn't want anyone to see him like this. Biting his lip once again, he gripped the end of the bed, feeling his pent up emotions rising to the surface.
"Brother. Please be more kind." Alphonse gently scolded the blonde, watching as his brother's jaw clenched tightly. Leaning his head down, Edward thrust it upwards with emotion when he couldn't take it anymore.
"You know what, stupid Colonel. Go ahead! Go ahead and leave us. Just like our dad did. Go ahead and abandon us! I don't care anymore! You're just some stupid prick anyway! I hate you! I hate you!" He shouted, startling Alphonse and a few others outside in the hallway. "Why did you have to go and get yourself killed?! I had everything under control! I could take care of myself! So why did you have to sacrifice your life for mine! You're more important than a pathetic kid like me! This country needs you! Everyone else needs you...I...I...n-need...you." Edward leaned his head down, allowing the fresh tears to fall as his shoulders shook uncontrollably.
"Y-You're more a father to me, than even my own dad! Please, Roy! Don't die on me!" He paused in his shouting, taking a deep breath. "After mom died, I didn't think I would feel this pain again. But I did when Alphonse was taken from me. And I feel it now, at the thought of losing the man I never thought I would see as a father. Please, wake up. Don't leave us. We need you." The blonde finished quietly, dropping to his knees as his adrenaline rush was fading. Hearing some sniffs behind him, he looked to see Maes, and everyone else from the office in the room with him and his brother. No one spoke, only watched to see if the Colonel would wake after such a moving speech. But nothing changed.
Silence filled the room as everyone said their farewells, in case their leader didn't make it. Winry maneuvered her way around the others to stand by Edward. Wrapping her arms around him, she remained silent as he cried in her arms.
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Edward sat on a chair beside Riza, both watching over the slumbering ebony. They had been doing this for the last three days. The room was filled with silence save the heart monitor, which became a rhythmic pattern to them. They hardly payed attention to it anymore. But that all changed when the patterned beeping made the heart-stopping sound of a flat line. Jumping to her feet, Riza began doing compressions while screaming for the nurse and a defibrillator. Edward stared at the ebony's body shifting with each compression, his mind and body numb, only allowing him to watch. He couldn't form words, nor move. Just watch as tears came to his eyes.
The moment several nurses and doctors rushed into the room, Riza pulled back, her hands covering her mouth as the reality of the situation finally hit her. Tears in her eyes, she turned her head to Edward, seeing the dead look in the boy's eyes. She immediately swooped over, pulling him into a bone crushing embrace, holding his now shaking body close to her. They tried to ignore the screams of the nurses and doctors as they tried to resusitate the colonel with the defibrillator. Riza squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face into the blonde hair as she listened to the wails escaping Edwards mouth. His hands gripped her coat tightly, refusing to let go.
Whispering words of comfort to the boy, Riza desperately hoped they were words of truth. That everything was going to be okay. That the Colonel would live, despite this tragic moment. Kissing the top of Edwards head, Riza heard the heart monitor kick back into its rhythmic routine. A rush of relief surged through her body, followed by Edward's body deflating in her hold. She tightened her grip so the boy wouldn't fall to the floor.
"He's stable for now, we'll keep close watch in case it happens again." One nurse said, her eyes filled with sympathy at the two blondes. She left the room without another word as Riza sat back down, bringing Edward with her. She kept her arms around the boy for comfort. "He's going to be okay, Edward. You know how stubborn he is. He won't leave us." The woman pressed her lips to Edwards head in a gentle kiss before resting her cheek against the top of his head. She blinked back fresh tears as her nose burned, praying silently that she wasn't lying to the boy. She smiled slightly as the boy nodded his head against her chest, causing her to wrap her arms tighter around the boy.
Blinking back more tears, she was glad that Alphonse was not present to witness the scene. Winry took him out on the town to distract the worried boy. It wasn't good for him to be cooped up for so long. She wished that Edward would join them, but the boy absolutely refused to be anywhere but at the Colonel's side.
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Another week had passed before the Colonel showed any signs of waking. During the week, his body recovered more, but slower that it normally should have. The doctor and nurses were surprised that he didn't die right away. The way his body was so damaged, he shouldn't have survived. But they were glad for it this way. The IV's and breathing mask had been removed the day previous, leaving only the heart monitor connected to the man.
Since the Colonel seemed to be out of the red, Winry took Alphonse back to Resembol with her. She wanted Ed to come with, but the young alchemist refused to leave the man's side. Instead, Edward looked into reports to distract his tired and worried mind while he waited for the man he thought of as a father to awake.
The room was full of presents, balloons, flowers and cards for the Colonel from those who wished him a good recovery. They knew the Colonel didn't like to given gifts, but they knew he would appreciate their gestures of care. Edward sat in the chair by the Colonel's bed, resting while he read a report given to him by Riza. He had just flipped the page when he heard a groan coming from the bed. Throwing the report to the seat next to him, he jumped to his feet and leaned over the bed, pressing his hands into the mattress. He remained silent, but his golden eyes shifted over every part of the ebony to catch any sign of movement. He hoped that he hadn't just imagined it. When nothing else happened, Edward released a disappointed sigh as he stood back up and turned to grab the report again.
He swung his body around again when he heard the soft rustle of sheets, followed by a deep intake of breath. Eyes wide, he stared at the Colonel's right arm lifting to rub at his eyes.
Edward leaned back over the bed, pressing his hands into the mattress once again, watching the man continue to rub at his closed eyes. "R-Roy?" The boy asked quietly, hoping this wasn't a dream. He watched as the ebony's motions stopped, before a pair of dark eyes opened only to shut again at the bright lights. Mustang slowly opened them again, allowing his vision to focus on his surroundings. He took in the white ceiling, the white sheet, presents, balloons, flowers, the bed, Edward, the heart moni-
Snapping his head to meet the boy, Roy's eyes widened, memories of the attack flashing through his mind. He tried to sit up, but growled at the pain of his still healing wounds. "E-Edward! What are you doing here? You shouldn't be up in your condition." The ebony gasped, eyes looking at the bandages coming up from beneath the blonde's shirt. "Edward?" Roy asked when the boy remained silent. Sitting up a little more, he watched as Edward backed up with tears in his eyes. Shaking his head, Edward made his way towards the door, stopping only when he heard the heart monitor flat line. Eyes wide and breath held, the boy spun around to see what was the matter.
He expected to see the colonel laying on the mattress, dead. Instead, the ebony was on his feet, the monitor pads were pulled from his chest, now resting on the sheets. Relief flooded Edward's mind as he let out a sigh. The beeping continued, alerting the nurses, but neither man nor boy seemed to hear it anymore as they stared at each other.
Edward silently walked up to Colonel Mustang, the ebony watching the blonde curiously. Roy could see the blonde's cheeks growing pink as tears grew in the corners of his eyes. Continuing till there was no space left between them, Edward rest his forehead against Roy's chest, his arms encircling the man's waist in an embrace. The boy's shoulders started to shake, sniffing as tears began sliding down his face. He tried desperately to keep the dam from breaking, but the moment the Colonel's arms wrapped around him, he lost it.
Tightening his arms around the man, Edward wailed into his father figure's shirt, the tears showing no signs of stopping. "I th-thought I lo-ost y-you." He screamed into the man's chest, tightening his arms around the ebony. Roy only tightened his arms in response, bending down to rest his forehead against the top of Edwards head.
"I'm here, Edward. You didn't lose me. I'm okay, now." Mustang whispered, jumping when two nurses rushed into the room. They stopped the moment they saw the Colonel and the Fullmetal Alchemist in an embrace. One nurse put her hands to her mouth, tears of relief in her eyes at the Colonel's recovery while the other shut off the machine. The first nurse pulled the other nurse from the room and shut the door, giving the two some privacy.
Mustang chuckled to himself. Looking back down at the boy, he noticed the golden eyes looking up at him in mirth. "Better not let anyone else see us like this. I wouldn't want to be court-martialed." Edward teased, causing Roy to let out a huff of laughter. "This time you get a pass. Next time, be on your guard." Mustang smirked before a yawn silenced him. With a silent nod to himself, the Colonel sat down on the bed and scooted to the middle for a more comfortable position, all while holding an embarrassed Edward close to him. "Wh-What are you doing, stupid Colonel." Edward barked, his cheeks flushed.
"I'm tired. You must be as well. Let's rest for a bit. Then you can fill me in on what I've missed around here." Roy said, closing his eyes, pulling Edward close to his chest. He ignored, the pain from his still healing wounds, knowing that the boy secretly craved the attention. Closing his eyes, Mustang took a deep breath before he fell asleep.
Edward lay on the bed, looking at the door, hoping no one would walk in and see them like this. Turning his attention to the ebony, he lay his head down the man's chest, remembering when his mother used to hold him and Alphonse like this. He listened to the steady breathing of his father figure, pushing back the memories of the attack. A smile made its way to his lips. The colonel was right. He was okay. He was here. Snuggling a little closer to the man, Edward allowed his eyes to close and fall into a comfortable sleep.
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Winry and Alphonse walked down the hall towards the Colonel's room, knowing they would find Edward there too. Turning the corner, they stopped when they saw Maes standing outside the Colonel's room, looking like he just saw the most adorable thing. "Al, Winry. Come here. Take a look. Isn't it just the most adorable thing you've ever seen? Besides my daughter, of course." The man pointed to the window in the door. Leaning closer, both Winry and Al gasped at the sight of Edward cuddled up to the Colonel on the bed. Both were sound asleep with the ebony's arms wrapped around the blonde's shoulders, while Edwards right arm was draped across the man's waist.
"Aww. That's so cute!" Winry gushed, clasping her hands together and squealing softly. Al chuckled softly, glad that the Colonel was okay, and glad that Ed was able to get the attention that he'd been craving for so long. Standing on the other side of the door, Al wished that he too could be snuggled next to the Colonel. Perhaps later they could figure it out. With a chuckle, he took Winry's hand and pulled her down the hallway to give his brother some privacy. He heard the click of a camera followed by a giggle before Maes followed them.
Putting the camera in his pocket, Maes promised to use this bit of cuteness as blackmail if the need arose. Fixing his glasses, he couldn't help the mirthful grin spreading across his lips.
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The End...maybe? I may do an Epilogue or not. Not sure yet.