Roy woke to his own screams in his ears. He cut himself off and panted heavily.
Edward was sitting up in the hospital bed, looking down at him with an expression like... Concern?
No, that couldn't be right. He blinked and the expression was gone. Edward was now rolling his eyes.
Roy held his breath. He sighed in relief.
He didn't know what possessed him to do what he did next. Maybe it was fatherly instincts, or maybe it was just his pure relief.
Roy leapt up and hugged Fullmetal.
Edward yelped and tried to pull away. Roy held on. A moment later he released Fullmetal, realising that he probably hurt the kid a great deal.
"Fullmetal, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I shouldn't have done that."
Edward looked shocked. He looked like he had just been told that he could have anything he ever could have wanted for nothing at all. It took a few minutes for his reaction to settle. He sighed shakily as if still surprised.
"Fullmetal, I really am sorry."
Edward rolled his eyes again and smacked Roy over the head, wincing slightly. His eyes spoke as clearly as any words. "Idiot."
"How are you feeling?" Roy asked, fully expecting to decipher Fullmetal's one-handed hand motions. And also trying to lead the conversation, if it could be called that when only one person could talk, on another direction.
Edward grabbed a notebook from his other side, flipped it open, and started to write.
Roy grabbed Fullmetal's hand. "What do you think you're doing? You broke your wrist. You shouldn't be writing with that hand."
Edward's facial expression was either trying to say, "Get your hand of me you creep." or "Get your hand off me or I'll bite you." Either one was possible with Edward. Or it might even have been "How the hell am I supposed to use the other arm if I don't know where it is?"
Roy sighed and released Edward's hand.
Fullmetal lifted the notebook so that Roy could see the word written there. It was shaky, very shaky. It simply said "Fine."
"You aren't fine, so I want you to give me the truth this time." Roy sighed exhaustedly "And that's an order."
Edward looked into his eyes in frustration. He shoved the notebook into Roy's face with a frown. A yelp sounded from Edward and he pulled his wrist to the safety of his chest.
"What were you thinking?"
Edward was scowling. He glared at Roy.
"Let me see your wrist, Fullmetal." Roy held out his hand, but Edward just turned further away, shaking his head.
Roy was unsettled by how this was going. Fullmetal wasn't shouting like he should. He couldn't.
Edward sighed and laid down, back facing Roy.
"Fullmetal, I want you to tell me the truth," Roy ordered sternly. He was done with Edward's lies. He knew he wasn't fine. Roy had to admit, at least to himself, that he wasn't fine either. He was shaken and heavy with guilt.
Edward growled a little in his throat. He sat up, grabbing his notebook again and quickly scratched something down. He tossed the book at Roy and laid back down with a frustrated huff.
Roy read the note and scowled, cursing himself. The note read "I can't really TELL you anything, can I?" Edward's annoyance was clear through the way he wrote "tell" boldly and in all capitals.
"Damnit! Fullmetal, you know that isn't what I meant!" Roy shouted. "I'm not so bastardly that I'd joke about that!"
Edward turned and glared at Roy with a withering stare that said, "Could have fooled me."
Damnit... I really am that bastardly, aren't I?
Next chapter should be the last, but it won't be unloaded today or tomorrow. And it will not be following the next prompt.