Sandra didn't bother removing Ed's boots, or even his jacket as she landed face first on the bed, rolling as far as she could to face the wall.
She felt awful.
Guilty mostly, among the swirling feelings of anger, disappointment and sadness. It was all her fault.
They hadn't done anything to him, nothing.
But when Sandra proved to the people that he was perfectly available for communication, he was a threat, a crack in the system. So they took him, whoever they were. Sandra had little to no doubt that it was the homunculi, preferably Envy that had taken the old man.
Sandra burrowed her head into a pillow. She didn't even know if he was actually old or not. All he spoke of was a small family he wished to return to, and that was it. No requests, no pity, no background knowledge. Just a sad urge to go home. And now he was gone.
Sandra pretty much sure it was her fault. She should've seen it when she first met him. 'You led him to his death most likely. Because you're just a fucking dumbass.'
Sandra groaned and curled tighter into bed. "Shut up inner me."
'No.'
Snorting, Sandra ruffled her hair roughly and scowled at the ceiling. She hated the situation she was in. She hated being stuck in someone else's body, and she hated being separated from the only person that could've stood by her side the entire time.
Sandra felt like screaming when her inner voice spoke again. 'I'm sorry mom. I miss you.'
Ed's morning did not go well. After waking up with a sore throat and checking the mirror, the barely half girlish scream that came from his throat almost sent Sandra's mother's dishes flying.
"Is everything alright?" She yelled from the kitchen.
Ed scrambled for an excuse. "Fine! I just..." He pointed to the bruise in his reflection accusingly. "Whhyy?" He hissed to it.
Sandra's mother called again. "Sandra Lawrence, what happened?"
Edward felt himself flinch from her stern words. "I-I-I-I stubbed my toe against the sink!" He yelled back. He threw his hands in the air and added, "Damn it!" for emphasis.
Sandra's mother still seemed skeptical. "Are you sure?"
Ed groaned. "Yes, mom!" After a moment's pause, Ed heard the sound's he wanted to hear.
"Well, alright."
Abandoning the bathroom by his room, Ed poured through Sandra's closet, searching for a shirt or sweater long enough to cover up his neck.
Tank top through tee shirt, Ed couldn't find a suitable article of clothing until he sifted through the cabinets in her room. A baggy blue sweater sat by a small box in a corner, and Ed picked it up.
Switching clothes, Ed walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, sat stiffly in front of the breakfast table, and glued a small cheesy smile in place. "Morning." He said softly. "Mom." He added quickly.
Sandra's mother added a few eggs into a steaming pan. "Well good morning, miss Opera singer." She turned to face him, and stepped back when she saw the sweater. "Woah, who told you that we'd be having an ice-age?" She said.
Ed scoffed. "I felt like wearing it."
"But it's summer."
"It was," Ed stopped. "Cold in my room?" He shrugged.
Sandra's mother rolled her eyes and turned back to the stove. "Would you like the "Standard American" or my style?"
Ed blinked in confusion. "Uh, what?" "You know, eggs, sausage and bacon. Or my pancakes, whatever you want."
Edward chuckled awkwardly. "I'll let you do the choosing."
Sandra's mother sighed. "Alright. Oh!" She left the stove after a quick fluffing of the eggs, and walked over to a hoisted cabinet. She reached inside and pulled out a white paper bag, fishing out a pill bottle from inside. She opened it and passed a small circular pill to him. "Here." She said.
Ed picked up the pill and turned it over on it's side. "And this is...?"
"It's Cortef. Your doctor prescribed it as a type of anti shock medication." She replied while scraping the fluffy eggs onto separate plates. "Twice a day, with or without food."
Ed smiled. "Oh, so that's why you're cooking me a five star breakfast."
Sandra's mother laughed, the same bubbly sound that he'd heard in the hospital. The carefree laughter brought Ed into another state of homesickness. Is that how his mother had sounded like when she laughed? How she held herself? Ed struggled to find a memory but could only remember subtle things, like pictures.
Smiles.
Tears.
"Sweetie? What's wrong?"
Ed jumped at the random question. "I, uh. I'm fine." He stammered. Ed pouted when her concern melted into a frown. "Honestly." He huffed at her.
Sandra's mother raised a finger at Ed. "Don't you act sassy with me. Now what's bothering you?"
Ed felt his arm twitch, presumably an instinctive move to protect his neck, but he managed to keep his hand on his lap. "I uhh, um." He looked around, looking for a distraction. His eyes landed on the pan.
"You're gonna burn the eggs." He said lamely.
Sandra's mother turned back to the stove, albeit staring at Ed with narrowed eyes. "I'm watchin' you."
A few minutes later, Ed was picking at the remnants of his plate, barely touching the last bit of pancake sitting on the side of a few puffs of egg. The pill sat beside his glass of water, almost threatening to remind him of hospitals. In disgust, he put the fork down and put the pill in his mouth, drinking more water than necessary to down it.
He would rather get over it than keep looking at the damn thing for another few minutes. He picked up his plate and cup, emptied the last bits of food in the trash, and put the kitchenware in the sink. Patting his hands together, he made his way back to his room.
"Sandra!" Yelled a voice.
Ed looked back, facing where the sound came originated. It was from outside, so he left the foot of the stairs he was about to climb and walked to the front door. Unlocking it, he opened the door, but found no one outside, just a vivid green lawn and neighboring houses.
He shrugged, closed the door, and began making his way upstairs.
"God damn it Sandra! Hurry up!"
"Hurry up my ass." He muttered. He walked into his room and flopped onto the bed, closing his eyes.
"Oh, so you're just gonna ignore me like that. Okay hoe."
Ed jumped. The sound was from outside, just outside his window.
He turned to find a girl about Sandra's age, a bit thinner, with the greenest eyes he had ever seen. She rolled her eyes at him.
"It's a miracle! The bitch can hear!"
Ed frowned. "Fuck you." He hissed at her.
"How hard?" She shot back.
Ed stammered for an answer, and blushed. That response was completely unprecedented, let alone extremely vulgar. He crossed his arms. "What do you want?" He asked.
The girl tapped the window. "Well for starters, you can open this window so we can hang."
"Hang what?"
"Hang out." She replied in the same tone.
Ed felt conflicted. He wanted to punch the chick straight off the edge of the window, but then he also wanted to let her in. Something told him that her overly edgy act was just that, an act. A playful tease.
He sidled over and opened the window, and the mysterious girl bent down.
Ed immediately assumed the worse and slackened his stance, ready to knock the sassy bitch right off her toes, but when she reached over and vaulted what looked like bags of candy onto Sandra's bed, he relaxed.
"Pretty sure your mom heard me." She said. "But it's okay. I also brought her favorite."
"How-" Ed started to ask, but stopped as the girl flopped into his room and onto the floor between the wall and the mattress.
"The great Kaitlyn makes her appearance once again!" She said while flaring her hands up in the air.
Ed rolled his eyes. "Will the 'Great Kaitlyn' need any assistance getting up?" He asked.
"No."
...
"Yes."
"Alright." Ed muttered. He grabbed a random hand that poked out from the side of bed and pulled. She whipped her head up extravagantly and swished her hair away from her face. "Hey." She said while wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"If you're trying to look appealing," Ed said. "I suggest that you do it after I completely lift you up."
Kaitlyn frowned and groaned at Ed. "I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about."
Ed tugged her arm again and she popped out off the wedge. She laughed as she pointed at Ed.
"Your boobs totally bounced."
Ed blushed and crossed his arms, trying to cover what he could, despite the fact that he was already swathed in wool. "The-they did not!" He stammered at her.
"What's going on up here?"
Both teens turned to the doorway, as Sandra's mother walked into the room. She looked at Ed's calming blush and turned to Kaitlyn. "Don't tease my daughter."
Kaitlyn bit her lip and looked at the floor. "Don't know what you're talking about." She mumbled as she played innocent.
"Does your father know you're here?" Sandra's mother asked.
Kaitlyn looked up and pointed a finger. "Yes, Ms. Karins, and, I brought you something."
Sandra's mother looked at Ed and shrugged as Kaitlyn turned to the bed and pulled out a bag from the pile of wrappers. She walked back and tossed it to Sandra's mother.
She caught it with both hands. "Twizzlers." She said, without looking at the bag. "Is this a bribery?"
Kaitlyn scoffed. "Of course not. I would never."
"Ok, sure." Ms. Karins said while walking out of the bedroom.
Kaitlyn turned to Ed. "So what now? Movies? Games?"
An apology.
At least that's what Al suggested.
Riza doubted that they needed one to cheer Sandra up, but Mustang wanted to at least accompany Alphonse to speak with Sandra. He fiddled with his coat collar while walking through the hallway with Al.
'Stop acting like she's your daughter you dumbass. Just say something to make her feel better.'
"Do you want me to talk to her first?" Al asked.
Roy cleared his throat. "It's better you than me. You have a way of calming a person."
Al laughed softly. "I'm not even sure how's she going to respond. It's not like I always talk to people who've gotten their souls misplaced."
"But it's best that you to talk to her because you...both have something in common." Roy replied slowly.
Al glanced at Mustang before stopping in front of the dorm that Sandra was in. He knocked on the door lightly.
"Sandra? You up?"
Something stirred inside the room, and then a groan. Mustang and Al shared a look, before the former put his hands in his pockets.
"You must've woken her up."
Al knocked on tne door again, with a little more force. "Sandra can you open the door."
There was no reply. Alphonse proceeded to lift a gauntlet to the door, when they heard a weak sound.
"Say that again? I couldn't hear you."
"... I can't."
"Why-"
"Alphonse stop." Mustang interjected. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Just listen." He whispered.
They stood quietly in the hallway, waiting for whatever Mustang appeared to have heard. Al felt awkward, standing by the door so close trying to catch a sound.
Mustang put a finger up. "Now."
It wasn't really a faint sound, more like an average tone, but Alphonse still needed to strain to hear clearly. It sounded like a small squawk, and in between each was a wet cough.
Suddenly, Mustang jabbed at the doorknob.
"She's dry heaving." He said hurriedly.
They both flew into the room without a warning and found Sandra huddled in the bathroom.
Al knelt by her side and held her steady while pushing her hair back, and Mustang immediately flushed the toilet due to the stench of vomit. He picked up a cup from the sink and filled it quickly with water, while Sandra began to cough.
After a few hoarse barks, she nimbly grasped the cup. "You couldn't have just opened the fucking door?" She groaned after spitting the water into the toilet. "I couldn't get up."
Mustand and Alphonse stared at each other with the same worried concern. Mustang felt Sandra's forehead, uttering a small curse.
"She has a fever."
Sandra cried out suddenly, and Al let go of his tightened grip on her arm.
"Let's get her to bed."
As they moved her to the bunk bed, Al removed the red coat and draped it over a nearby chair.
Mustang picked up the phone handle from the receiver and dialed his private number. After a short ring, Hawkeye picked up the phone.
"Mustang's office." She said curtly.
"Hawkeye, I need you call that doctor."
"Is something wrong?" She replied calmly but pointedly.
"Fullmetal's come down with something." He said.
"I see." She said. "Do you want me to ask Fallman for some suggestions?"
"Yes."
"And sir?"
"Yes?"
"Please refer to 'That Doctor' as Dr. Jethrem. Edward may not like hospitals but he has an understanding with him."
Mustang sighed. "Very well."
Placing the phone handle back in the receiver, he turned to find Sandra with just a tanktop on, Ed's bare automail glinting softly from the hallway light.
Sandra had a faraway look in her eyes. Curious, Mustang pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat be her.
"Warring flashbacks?" He joked.
Sandra blinked slowly. "You could say that." She said.
Mustang stared. "From...the transfer?"
Sandra turned her head and scanned Mustang's face, obviously dazed by the effects of the fever. "Don't I wish." She replied slowly.
"Then what?" Mustang felt himself asking. He knew that it was wrong to take advantage of her sickness, but he wanted to find out more about her.
"You'd think a girl as young as sixteen wouldn't know what a gunshot sounded like." She answered calmly.
Mustang felt jarred. He put a hand to the back of his head and diverted his gaze. Should he...?
"Or blood spatter." Sandra continued.
Mustang shuffled in his seat. "Is that why you can't hold a smile for very long?"
Sandra smiled softly before chuckling. "For someone nicknamed "Wet match" you sure have a bright eye for spotting things."
"Well, you just have to put some context clues together." Mustang said.
"Yeah."
Al left the bathroom with a wet rag and placed it on Sandra's forehead, nodding at Mustang in silent understanding.
"What I wouldn't give." Whispered Sandra, too silent for either of them to hear.
"Come on, again."
"No, Kaitlyn. This is the fifth Twenty One Pilots song in a row." Ed said. He folded his arms.
"Come ooon," Kaitlyn repeated. "You act like you don't like this song."
"I kinda like it, but I have my limits."
Kaitlyn scoffed. "Which is?"
Edward rolled his eyes. "Not listening to a song so many times I hate it."
"Pleeease? Just one more?" She asked.
Ed groaned. "One. More. Song. That's it."
Kaitlyn threw her hands in the air. "Yay!"
"Kaitlyn, you have to go home!" Ms. Karins yelled from below.
Kaitlyn's arms fell. "Aww."
Ed stood up from Sandra's bed and opened the window. "Alright. Back to the depths from whence you came."
Ms. Karins' voice called again. "And through the front door this time!"
Ed slowly shut the window..
Few minutes later, Ed waved at Kaitlyn by the doorway leaning on the frame. When she left his plane of veiw, he closed the door and walked into the kitchen.
"Sandra, I wanna ask you something." Sandra's mom said.
"Shoot."
Ms. Karins chuckled nervously. "I was called for a special job placement down in Cuba for a journalism opportunity. Now, I would usually let you stay with your grandparents, but I want to know if you want to come with me on this trip?"
Ed was in the middle of pouring juice. "How...long will we be gone?" He asked.
"A few weeks."
Ed took a slow sip. He had to check where Cuba was, obviously, and just make sure it wasn't a really hostile place. And transport. Ed knew he didn't want to be airborne for a while.
"Can I think about it?" He asked.
"Sure. But we have a week before I need to start packing."
"Alright." Ed finished his glass of juice and put it in the sink. He made his way up the stairs, already checking the phone befoe hitting the first step.
What's this?
A chapter? During hiatus?
My word!
My goodness it's almost 6am where I live and I haven't slept a wink. Hiatus isn't broken but it will be soon, don't worry.
Also, I wanted to started a guessing game, if you guess the song by context clues or straight band name, I'll write down a headcanon I have but can't actually put down, I don't know I just want to try it.
Thank you for reading please review, and as always, Ed's a pipsqueak.
Bye!