Chapter 3

Roy gasped sharply and scrambled to sit up and push himself into the furthest corner of wherever he was as images of ravenous dogs flashed in his mind. He could almost hear them, feel their hungry breath nearing his throat, see their eyes gleaming. He curled in on himself defensively as his hand rose to his neck as if to make sure that he still wasn't bleeding.

But Roy froze as a machine besides him beeped- a sound that did not belong in his nightmares. Roy blinked, hoping some images would return as they did before, but no- still nothing. His scarred fingers curled into the soft sheets below him and he took in the sterile scent of the room he occupied.

He wasn't back there. He was safe. It was fine.

He was safe.

A slow, shaken exhale slipped through his lips as he willed his shoulders to relax.

Roy remained there for a moment until his pulse steadied, then eventually pushed himself to sit up and listened carefully to his surroundings. It was quieter than usual, but he could still make out the occasional steps of a hurried nurse down the hall every now and again. But besides that, he seemed to be alone. Someone would have said something by now.

"…Maes?" Roy said just above a whisper, his voice hoarse from the time he had been asleep. No response. The colonel shifted his legs through the sheets until he was sitting on the edge of the bed, mentally preparing himself to stand and fight back to deep-rooted nervousness that began to spring to life in his chest. "Anyone?"

And then he heard it: a light, subtle groan that sounded like Maes was indeed there, mumbling something in his sleep. The faint sound came from the corner that visitors tended to migrate to, thanks to the chair that was undoubtedly waiting there.

Discovering that Maes stuck with his promise to stay was comforting, but he still managed to feel ashamed of it at the same time. Roy shouldn't need anyone to watch over him. But like it or not, he had learned from experience that being blind and alone was a terrifying combination, and no amount of forced courage would change that.

However, he could still manage to endure. He would have to, at this rate.

He had to, he had to, he had to.

It seemed like another day passed, just as painfully as the one before. Every waking moment since the promised day consisted of pity and a deep, constant nervousness that only became stronger as time passed and he had to think about the future more and more. Tuning it out was impossible when it always ended in Roy remembering that opening and closing his eyes didn't do anything besides remind him of the merciless reality of the situation. At some point, he began to think that the sooner he accepted it, the easier this whole damnable process would be.

And then maybe he would stop feeling people's pitiful gazes impale him like spears every time someone walked into the room.

He wouldn't plummet to that miserable thing he became before; frightened of every creak in the floorboards, jumping from a gust of wind… Roy was better than that.

No matter what anyone else thought or said, he was better than that. He'd prove it if he had to.

But as that thought came to mind, a litany of cruel voices tried to stomp it out, reminding him that he was pathetic and useless and couldn't take three steps without freezing because he needed someone to guide him.

Roy pushed himself off the bed, well-braced for the chill that encompassed his feet the moment they made contact with the tile. As he stood, he took a moment for the small wave of dizziness to fade before carefully inching his way to the door.

The degrading voices continued, demanding that he lay back down, accept his fate. He was stupid for trying. He was going to hit something or fall on his face or get lost.

What was he even trying to do?

Roy had no way to answer, but something pushed him forwards regardless.

With his arms spread out, his fingertips soon found the wall and he was able to guide himself to the door with relative ease. Thankfully, he managed to reach a middle ground with the nurses by letting them bandage up his palms but keep his fingers mostly unbound. Had his hands not ached from being stabbed straight through, he would have argued with them on that as well.

But that was another entirely new and just as concerning matter. Knowing there was little he could do about it, Roy tried not to think about how his movement of some fingers was dulled even further than they already were. Hopefully that would heal, but for the time being, he had to be extra careful as he wandered around. The colonel was sure it was only a matter of time before someone tried to offer him a walking cane, but the idea was less than ideal, to say the absolute least.

Roy tested the door handle. Unlocked.

Of course, why wouldn't it be? He smiled grimly at himself as he slowly pushed the door open, listening for any oncoming traffic. Maes was still sound asleep, it seemed. Roy didn't mean to sneak out necessarily, but it made things easier. His friend, like everyone else, was worried about him. They spoke and moved around him as if he were made of glass. It was all painfully similar to his situation back when he was recovering from being imprisoned by Envy.

They meant well, he knew, but it was… tiring. He wanted to walk down a hall or two without someone hovering. If he couldn't even prove that he could do that much on his own, that what good was he? Even while handicapped before, he broke his way out of that underground prison, fought off Envy, and kept everyone else alive. He could do this much.

Roy took a deep, calming breath as he reassured himself that he was not breaking any rules. Earlier, nurses were even encouraging him to take a stroll. With overwhelming supervision, surely, but… still.

He stepped out and closed the door behind him, taking a moment to listen again to the halls. He still didn't hear any foot traffic at least, and picked a direction at random. With each slow step, he glided his hand across the smooth wall, hesitating slightly as each door and intersection he came across.

Despite the interruptions every moment his hand lost contact with the wall, Roy allowed his mind to wander.

There was something almost refreshing about walking around by himself, which he supposed was what his subconsciously looking for. The revived fear of being alone was still present, but this escapade of his was all for the purpose of combating it.

Somehow, he began to sense that he was reaching the end of the hall, and quickly felt the solid metal of one of the doors that blocked the staircase, ready to be locked in case of emergencies. But on this calm night, it was unlocked. Well, going up would look better than continuously pacing. Without thought, he pushed it open and kept walking, and nearly tripped when his foot collided into what he discovered to be a step after he nearly collapsed. Muttering a short stream of curses under his breath, Roy found the bar that curved along with the staircase and grabbed hold of it to pull himself to the next floor.

As he continued on aimlessly, the soft footfalls of a nurse grew closer and for a moment, Roy began to panic before willing himself to appear composed. He may have been blind, but he could still put on a decent show.

As methodically as possible, the colonel forced some confidence into his walk and faced ahead. All he had to do was keep his attention downcast but focused enough to not draw attention, and he hopefully wouldn't look like he was lost and without sight. And of course, hope the nurse did not recognize him.

The nurse's steps drew closer, towards him and apparently hasty. He was half afraid that he'd run into her, and kept close to the wall, silently bracing himself for whatever could happen as she neared him.

Her steps came and passed without much sign of hesitation, and more importantly, no attempts to stop him. He almost didn't expect that to work…

Roy allowed himself a small smile as the nurse's steps faded into another hall. As he reached an intersection, his feet slowed until he was standing still, gazing blankly at nothing. He felt inclined to ask himself yet again what he was even doing. What was he trying to accomplish? He came out here with the motivation to prove something, but what was there to prove when merely walking a straight line felt like an accomplishment?

He turned and strained his ears to listen down each path, hearing nothing of note in all directions. But then, his mind blinked in the darkness, and with one more turn in a random direction, Roy coldly realized that he had no idea where he had come from.

Fantastic…

That bitter, slightly confident sarcasm went just as quickly as it came, and Roy was left with only the uncertainty for company.

With a shaking exhale, he tried to think back and retrace his steps to the best of his ability. However, he hit a roadblock second afterwards.

Instead of walking to another hall as he expected, his hands found a wall in his path. The sudden feeling of being trapped burst in his chest, but he shoved it down the best he could, smothering memories from the past. This was different. He wasn't down there, escaping capture. He was safe.

Roy searched the surface in front of him, fingertips registering glass and a bar of cool metal, like those that led to staircases. Curious, he pushed it open and a cold gust swept over him. He paused, breath yanked from his lungs for a moment as he scrambled to compose himself. He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting, but that wasn't quite it.

But for some reason he couldn't quite explain, Roy stepped out nonetheless and the heavy door fell to close behind him.

Something faint and insistent prodded at the back of Maes' mind. He tried to swat it away and leaned further into the hard wooden chair that he had somehow managed to get comfortable in, but it persisted. He groaned irritably when it pulled him out of his sleep, and finally opened his tired, groggy eyes just to make the feeling shut up. He scanned around the darkened hospital room, not expecting to see anything out of the ordinary. He almost closed his eyes again, but not before the sight before him slapped him in the face, causing him to sit up with haste, nearly losing his balance in the process.

Roy was gone.

Eyes wide and heart suddenly racing in his throat, all traces of that previous tiredness vanished in an instant. He rose to his feet, eyes scanning the room for any signs, but after a frantic moment, he willed himself to back up and take a deep breath. This could mean anything. Don't freak out just yet.

But after a quick check out the door, the nearest restroom, and even out the window, he allowed himself to freak out.

Where the hell did he go!? And how did a blind man sneak out without waking him? Maes wasn't above admitting that he may have switched back into parent mode since Roy begged him to stay, and would have been woken if a mouse stepped foot into the room.

Or at least, that's what he thought, but that was apparently not the case.

Ed's room, maybe? He wasn't sure how the man could find it, and this was hardly the time to be visiting fellow patients, but then again, he wouldn't have known how late it was. Or maybe he thought Maes had left him alone, and went looking for him?

Whatever the case, he wasn't going to waste any more time pacing around the room. Maes hurried out and raced down the hall as quietly as he could. His pulse quickened the closer he got to the Elric's room until he haphazardly pushed the door open, eyes straining to make out the scene.

It was just the two brothers, sleeping soundly with no sight of the lost colonel.

Maes' shoulders fell in defeat as he ran a hand through his messy hair.

Damn it… Where the hell did he go!?

"Hughes?" a tired, slurred voice muttered from further within the room.

Maes blinked his attention to Edward as the kid slowly pushed himself to sit up, rubbing at his eyes wearily. "What're you doing here?"

"Sorry to wake you," he whispered despondently. "I'm looking for Roy."

That seemed to shake some more awareness into the blond. "He's missing?"

"I… yeah," he admitted, the words burning in his mouth. "I just woke up and he was gone."

Edward muttered a worn, equally tired "shit" as he lethargically inched off the bed, his sore muscles surely slowing him down.

Maes was about to tell the kid to lay back down, but before he could get the words out, the second Elric was stirred awake as well.

"Brother?" Al murmured, his young voice noticeably lacking the metallic tint that he had grown so used to. "Mr. Hughes? What's going on?"

"Mustang ran off somehow," Edward supplied as he stood up. "We're gonna go look for him."

"Actually, I-" Maes began to again tell him that it would be best if Ed rested as well, but was promptly cut off.

"Oh no," Al gasped as he began to push himself to sit up, with much more effort put into the action. "Where do you think he went?"

"Whoa- hey, lay back down."

"But I want to help," the younger brother complained.

"You need to rest," the older brother corrected sternly. "I'm only going because I know what that bastard's dealing with right now. I watched him deal with the same thing for weeks. And if this is anything like how it was back then, then… I need to be there for him."

As he listened, Maes felt the argument he had prepared die on his lips. What could he have even said? There was no use arguing against that.

Alphonse seemed to come to the same conclusion as his shoulder slumped and he allowed his weakened body to drop back onto the bed. "Alright," he huffed quietly. Then with a faint smile, he added "you better hurry up and find him then."

In response, Edward grinned confidently and nodded before turning to face Maes. "Let's go," he announced and hurried past him and out the door.

He was on a balcony. The cool wind swept over the building and the distant sounds of traffic filled the air and warding off the maddening ringing that sung every time he was somewhere that was just a little too quiet. At least out here, he could feel the air and the space around him, and there was never a moment of pure silence.

Roy found himself cautiously walking further out, vaguely recalling the relative length of the balcony from trips there far in the past.

Soon, he felt the railing of the roof and grasped onto it and releasing a deep exhale the moment he did. The colonel failed to realize just how nervous walking out here made him until he had something to hold onto.

But if just this set him off, how was he supposed to do anything else? How was he supposed to continue his career or get from one place to another or even shop for groceries so he didn't starve to death?

There wasn't any way to do any of that without someone holding his hand, was there? Roy leaned his forearms on the bar, head bowed, allowing the wind to sweep through his hair and thin hospital clothes. It was cold and probably some ungodly hour of the night, but that at least the steady breeze kept him from thinking about the crypt- or the coffin.

A violent shiver ran down his spine, and he quickly banished the thought.

Roy was a stubborn man. He took pride in his relentless attitude even when all hope seemed lost. But he could only manage that because the future was unknown. Because if he kept trying, kept persevering, doors might open and allow him a way out. And they always did. He always managed somehow. The entire ordeal with Envy was a testament to that. But being blind closed the doors in front of him. He was stuck at a dead end, with the only way forward being a miserable, useless existence.

Roy's stiff, scarred hand moved slowly up to his neck, lightly feeling for the rough scar that remained there. A reminder of when he gave up and tried to escape his daunting fate. A cold pit formed in his gut from the memory of it- and when Edward found his unconscious, bleeding body.

Out of the entire experience, his greatest regret may have been allowing the kid to stumble upon him like that. But it would have been monumentally worse if Roy had died that night. But because of Ed and Maes, he lived.

He lived, he struggled, he healed, and when he finally pulled himself out of that pit of despair, he was kicked backed down and lost his eyes in the fall.

And there he stood, at the edge of a hospital balcony, several floors up from the ground, and with no idea of how to get back to his room.

Who am I trying to kid? Roy thought viciously, his knuckles curling tighter around the bar. I can't do shit by myself anymore. He hunched his back further until his forehead made contact with the chilled metal, stubbornly ignoring how his body shivered.

All of the false confidence he had been pushing onto himself- this feigned sense of acceptance- all a complete waste of energy. Roy kept trying to tell himself that he was better than this, that he would somehow manage, that he was fine with losing everything… What a disgusting lie.

He was useless like this.

Useless, useless, useless, and he would drag all of the others down with him. They stuck by him before with the hope that he could overcome the challenges that being trapped and isolated in complete darkness for so long caused. But this- there was no overcoming this.

There was coping. And maybe he could do that much. Maybe he could get a trained dog to pull him around and accomplish nothing. He would be alive, which is all he could really hope for at this point. But he couldn't let the others wait up for him. He couldn't let them be dragged down by him. Roy would simply not allow it. He would make them continue on without him so they could succeed where he had failed, and he would wave them off with a smile, and hold it as long as he could. It wouldn't reach his eyes, he knew, but he had no right to expect his eyes to cooperate by now.

"Roy!"

The colonel blinked and rose his head, half wondering if the voice he heard was real or not, and half appalled that he could feel a warm swell in his eyes. But a beat later, and he was sure of it. He could hear the footfalls approach him from behind, and his back froze stiff, refusing to turn to face them.

"What the hell are you doing up here?" Edward's voice called, failing to belly the fear in his tone.

Roy didn't know how to respond. He straightened up from his closed posture, quickly rubbing at his eyes to get rid of the damn tears before they could fall. "Nothing," he said lamely, his voice coming out far more mumbled and despondent than he had planned. But it was true, wasn't it? Nothing was all that he could do.

"Damn it, Roy," Maes huffed as he drew closer. Roy felt himself turn away as shame coiled in his chest. "You can't just run off like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

To that, the colonel did not respond. A torrent of disorganized thoughts streamed through his mind, making him incapable of forming something coherent, but he could feel his friend's frustration undulating off of him in waves. But Roy's lack of a response allowed the silence to pass for several moments, and he eventually heard Maes take a deep breath.

"Just step away from the rail, Roy."

And then it dawned on the alchemist what they were so afraid of. He paused as the thought sunk in before he finally pushed himself to face them. "Did you think I was going to jump?"

"I- no, I just…" he stumbled and trailed off.

Roy sighed and shoved down the unreasonable vehemence. "Or is it because I'm blind? And you're afraid I'll trip and die."

"Come on Roy, that's not fair."

"Nothing about this is fair," he growled, Ed's words echoing in his head.

"It's gonna be okay, Mustang. You did this once; you can do it again," Edward added, a plea hidden in his tone as he threw Roy's own words back at him.

The colonel heard himself scoff at the recent memory. He was trying to be optimistic for Ed's sake, but the fact of the matter was that everything he said before were hollow lies, used to convince himself despite the situation. It's only been a few days, but Roy was tired of this charade. "I don't want to do it again. I barely managed the first time. But this isn't the same, Fullmetal. This is different."

"You're right about that much," the kid fired back without missing a beat. "When you were trapped underground, you were alone. But you're not this time. It won't be as bad."

"That's hopeful thinking," Roy mumbled.

"What's wrong with that?" Again, the older alchemist did not respond, and he heard Edward take a few steps closer to him. "Listen, Mustang; I was thinking about it… Al and I were able to get our bodies back from the gate. There's… there's gotta be a way for you to get your eyes back."

Roy paused, mouth held slightly ajar as he tried to wrap his bustling mind around the statement.

"I still need to work it out," Edward continued, slightly quieter as his voice combated against the wind. "But no matter what Truth tries to spin, this wasn't equivalent. But until we figure it out, you need to carry on no matter what. Just like how Al and I did."

Roy slackened his shoulders. The hope in Edward's voice stilled the spinning of his head, allowing him to actually focus on them for a moment. Despite all his sorrow, he couldn't help but hold onto the kid's words. If he had learned anything over the past few years, it was that Edward wouldn't let anything stop him.

But at the same time, he couldn't quite help the shame that shadowed that small spark of hope. Edward had already fought and won his battle. Why should he have to do the same for Roy?

"Right," Maes added with a lighter tone in his voice all of a sudden. This must have been the first he had heard of Ed's plan too. "And until then, it'll be alright, Roy. We can work something out with Grumman, especially if Ed thinks there's a way to fix this. There are still things you can do."

"Like what?" he snapped back under his breath.

"Like... what about Ishval? You've been planning the restoration for years! Are you just going to give up on all of that?"

Roy did not respond.

"You don't need to see to promote it, Roy," Maes pressed further. "Whether or not Edward figures something out, with the homunculi gone and Grumman as Fuhrer, there isn't anything stopping you from doing this."

Roy hesitated to let them get his hopes up any higher. Any more so, and the potential failure would become a devastating blow. But then again, such a decision was nothing new to him, to say the least.

"I… suppose…" he heard himself breath, though he wasn't sure if he was agreeing with them even at this point. A cold sense of resignation spread through his system, but it could very well be due to him lacking the energy to argue.

"Yeah," Maes replied quietly, relief flowing easily through his tone nonetheless. "Now we should really get back inside. You look like you're freezing."

Roy, still lacking any words, simply nodded and took a few uncertain steps forward, acutely aware of Maes' attempts to hurry him back inside. But again, after having become more conscious of his surroundings due to their intervention, the prospect of wandering sightlessly on the windy balcony struck a chord in his chest that the other two must have picked up on in a split second. He heard hasty footsteps and froze to the spot, suddenly dizzy.

But Maes appeared by his side and slung an arm over his shoulder, while he felt Ed hover around protectively. Roy might have minded, but for the moment, he was too focused on the warmth and the stability that having them there gave him.

"Damn, you're shivering," Edward muttered under his breath as they began moving towards the door. Some stubborn defiance sparked in Roy's mind, convincing him to reach out for the kid's shoulder.

"So are you," he said, as if that somehow won an argument.

"Maybe coming out here was a bad idea for both of us," the blond suggested pointedly.

Despite himself, Roy felt himself smile thinly. "Maybe so… if it makes you feel any better, I didn't come here on purpose."

"Then what the hell were you trying to do?" Edward asked, not so harshly despite his choice of phrasing.

"I-" Roy paused as they stepped through the doorway, caught off guard when the cool winds suddenly disappeared and was replaced by the slightly warmer air that smelled of medicine and floor wax. "I'm not sure..."

He might have said that he was trying to prove something, but that would surely just make him look doubly pathetic. And something told Roy that it wouldn't have been entirely true anyway. That was the excuse he gave himself earlier, but perhaps he was just feeling somewhat self-destructive.

Edward's eyes stayed glued to him as they walked through the empty halls, targeting Roy with a sort of knowingly dubious stare. Though it may had been pushed far into the past, the colonel had quite a bit of experience with sensing when eyes were on him, and the weight they carried. The way Edward looked at him, and Roy didn't need to see to know he was reading deeply into his seemingly unhelpful, terse answer.

He never replied, however. There wasn't really anything to be said. But something told him that Ed knew exactly what he meant, long before Roy figured it out for himself.

The image of Roy standing on the edge of the roof had seared itself into Maes' eyes, and stubbornly haunted him that night for every waking moment, as well as when he managed to drift off sporadically as he slouched in the room's uncomfortable armchair. But in spite of how much the sight had terrified him, Maes made a point to avoid mentioning it much. That moment must have meant something to Roy. His comportment changed after that night- how exactly, Maes wasn't yet sure. Perhaps he didn't need to know the details. It seemed positive, from what he could tell.

He seemed more willing, at least. He agreed to having the team over the next day, perhaps believing that their presence would do him some good. He was trying. Sure, he would drop into a sullen sulk every now and again and still panic any period of silence lasted longer than a few seconds, but he was trying.

Maes had no earthly idea who planned it, but the team coordinated themselves to come to the hospital with an air of positivity that entirely bit back the usual despondence that filled the room. And a few days of persistent encouragement, they unanimously decided that it was time for the next stage. The team entered the hospital room with a few books in hand and the determination to give Roy some sort of purpose, which quickly lead into the issue of Ishval.

Which was… curious.

Of course they all knew of Roy's desire to restore Ishval to what it once was before the war, but since the man had gone blind, they've all been distracted and worried that he would digress back into the sad creature he was many months ago. As far as he was aware, Maes was the first to mention Ishval since before the promised day, and he certainly didn't think to suggest the others come prepared to encourage the idea. To be fair, Maes planned on doing that later- after giving Roy a little more time. But they saw their superior putting in a slight effort, and had no intentions on missing the opportunity.

Something told him that Edward played a part in that decision as well. The kid was not known for his patience, after all. But Maes was too distracted by overseeing the clamor the team caused to hunt him down.

Roy did not appear all too eager to play along with his team when they jumped right into quizzing him on Ishvalan cultures and customs so he could better relate to the people and help rebuild their land. Ordinarily, the man may have blocked them out, insisting that he would be unable to do his job without his eyes. But as Maes had speculated, there was something very subtly different about him since the night he found himself on the balcony. Something that allowed him to at least sit up straight and participate to the best of his ability. it was almost microscopic at first, but in comparison, it had certainly grown, though it wasn't always easy to tell.

Of course, there still remained a disquieting sense around him, which seemed to be impossible to avoid as long as he couldn't see, but… at least it wasn't crippling.

Hawkeye had joined the group as well, watching contently from the armchair that Maes was quick to offer. She was keeping the talking to a minimum until her wound healed, but her presence seemed to help Roy somewhat; all of them did, after he was steadily readjusting to the multiple bodies filling the room.

Maes watched by the sidelines with a weary smile on his face, leaning against the wall by the door. For a brief moment, Roy almost seemed like his usual self again as he spoke amongst the team, in between their quizzing. He was sure that many trials still awaited them and he tried to prepare himself for the pep talks he may need to have ready next time Roy began to doubt himself. It seemed as if the entirety of Roy's team was dead set on dragging him back to the top, kicking and screaming if necessary.

Poor Roy really couldn't catch a break, Maes thought with a quiet, amused sigh.

He would have been perfectly happy if this moment went on forever, and was determined to enjoy every moment of it. It felt to be the first semi-peaceful moment since the promised day. It already felt so long ago…

But interrupting his musing, Maes heard muffled voices behind the door. The other occupants in the room didn't seem to notice as he curiously opened it and stepped outside, eyes immediately falling on a set of blond teens.

"Don't drive me into the wall, Brother!" Alphonse, in a wheelchair guided by Edward, lightly exclaimed just a meter or two from where Maes stood.

"Stop shifting your weight," the older Elric shot back easily.

"I hardly weigh anything!"

Ed opened his mouth to make some kind of remark, but his golden eyes fell on the lieutenant colonel first and drew his thoughts away from the non-issue. "Oh- hey. We came to see how Mustang's doing."

Maes watched him curiously, trying to read into his expression and see if there was anything of note there- to see if he happened to know that Roy was currently in the middle of a history lesson. But the sly kid must have taken a page out of Roy's book, because he couldn't quite come to a conclusion.

"He looks to be doing better," Maes said with a smile, almost amazed that he was allowed to say that. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you both."

"That's good to hear," Al replied from the wheelchair. "I haven't been able to see him at all yet."

He wasn't sure how much Edward decided to relay to his younger brother, but Roy's voice stating that he never got to see what Alphonse looked like echoed in his mind, and his smile faltered for a moment, hopefully too quickly for them to pick up on.

But nonetheless, Maes moved to open the door for them, hoping their presence would further boost his friend's mood.

"Mr. Hughes!"

He paused with an arm extended for the door, and the three of them turned to see a nurse quickly approaching. Reading from her expression, she didn't seem overly concerned, but it was enough to put him at pause all the same.

"Yes?"

"The colonel is very popular today," the young nurse said cheerfully. He furrowed his brow, unsure why they were having this conversation, but she continued before he could ask. "He has another guest who's asking to visit. Dr. Marcoh; he said he knows you all."

Maes' eyes fell to the two blonds, who returned it with equally curious glances.

"Shall I send him up?"

"…yes, let's see what he wants."

The nurse nodded and turned on her heel to return the way she came, leaving the three alone with their thoughts.

Maes was about to make light of it; say some offhanded comment about the doctor hearing the news and give his regards. But the lack of sleep must have been getting to him, because he didn't realize what the man's visit could have meant until he looked back up at Edward and caught the look on his face.

From behind the wheelchair and out of his brother's line of sight, Edward was giving the floor a hard stare, eyes churning with an unsaid intensity, and Al wasn't far behind on his train of thought, it seemed. And then Maes remembered that Marcoh was known for performing miracles, but with the help of a philosopher's stone.

But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to stew on that thought at that very moment.

"Come on, let's let Roy know you're here," he said, suddenly breaking Edward out of his thoughts with a startled jump.

"Good idea," Alphonse replied for his brother, smiling thinly. They all knew the situation had the potential to get much more complicated as soon as Marcoh made his way up. But until then, they might as well greet the colonel.

The future was uncertain, but at least in that moment, Maes couldn't bring himself to feel too worried. Inside that room was his friend who had suffered an unfair amount of great trials. When he opened the door to join him, that friend was surrounded by people who cared for him; and despite his previous doubts, Roy was smiling. And though he had no idea how this ordeal would end, something told him with utmost certainty that it would be alright.

And that's that. That's it, no more Postmortem content. I hope you all enjoyed the journey. Thanks for sticking around. :)
As always, updates of my next projects will be on my profile!