As it turned out, Ed had to be taken out of the hospital a mere two days later.

Doctor Silas had suggested it, and Roy couldn't say that he disagreed with his assessment. Since he was stable, and was scheduled to be off the IV, there really was no reason to keep him there aside from wound care and his pending automail repair. Though it wasn't ideal, it was probably the safest option. The busy, chaotic environment was simply too much for Ed in his current state. He wasn't sleeping well at all, and he seemed to be in a constant state of alertness. Silas said such a state would only slow his physical and emotional healing, and that was the last thing he needed right now. Though he still needed more care, Silas said that with the team willing to pitch in and with daily house calls, Ed could recover faster in a more peaceful environment.

This, of course, left the question of where he was going to stay.

Roy still wasn't at ease with them being in the barracks, but there just wasn't a better place for them. Havoc and Breda shared a flat that was simply too far from the hospital, Falman and Feury stayed in the barracks, and Hawkeye had only a small apartment that wouldn't be able to accommodate Al. His home was completely out of the question. His relationship with Ed was strained on the best of days, and he doubted the boy would take well to staying in his home for any stretch of time in his current state.

And besides all of that, Silas insisted that he would do much better in a familiar environment. Alphonse immediately latched on to this idea, saying that Ed would be much more at ease in their old dorm and he could take care of his own brother just fine.

Roy was starting to get the gnawing impression that Alphonse was becoming jealous of the role he had in Ed's care. Since the boys had no family to speak of, and since he was Ed's commanding officer, he became the legal guardian in these instances and all decisions regarding Ed's care fell to him. Al made it a point to voice his opinion frequently and strongly, and did so with a challenging glare Roy's way.

It was undeniable that Ed and Al had a special relationship, their bond made unbreakable by hardship and loss no children should have to endure. They were all each other had, so Roy supposed it was only natural for Alphonse to become even more protective, more distrustful, when the very cornerstone of his whole world had shattered.

With lack of a better option, Roy signed the release form and transferred Ed back to his old dorm.

Needless to say, Ed didn't take the stress well. Silas wanted to avoid sedating him and putting the extra strain on his fragile system, but when Ed nearly punched an orderly's lights out and cracked the rib of another with his automail foot, all before they even got off the second floor, Silas had no choice but to put him under.

Once Ed was sedated, the trip was relatively uneventful. They quickly made it out of the hospital and left all the nurses and doctors behind. Havoc drove while Al held Ed in the back of Roy's car, his emaciated body swathed in blankets that moved gently with his shallow breathing. There, cradled in his little brother's arms and deep in artificial sleep, Roy decided it was the most peaceful he had seen him look since is rescue.

They arrived at the barracks, and Al carried his brother down the long corridor to their dorm. Mustang couldn't help but be surprised at how tidy the place was. Here and there an article of clothing was draped over a chair, or a few files were strewn on the floor, but overall, everything was neat and clean. If he had to guess, though, he would bet it was Alphonse's doing.

They put him to bed, and though Roy wished he could, he didn't have time to wait for Ed to wake up before he had to leave. He had spent far too much time away from his office over the past week and besides, he had an appointment to keep.

Though he would be lying if he said he wouldn't call to cancel it if he could.

He stepped into the Fuhrer's office, saluting smartly as he did. "Sir."

"Ah, Colonel Mustang," Bradley greeted with a warm smile and a casual salute from behind his grand desk on the other side of the room. His office was naturally the largest on base, making Mustang's own office feel like a janitor's closet in comparison. The windows behind the Fuhrer reached almost to the high ceiling, letting in a cheery stream of golden sunlight to wash over the desk and its occupant. The light, however, did nothing to dissipate Mustang's apprehension. "At ease, soldier," the Fuhrer said. "Won't you sit down?"

Roy marched up to the desk, seating himself rigidly at the edge of a chair in front of his superior. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, I did," the older man said, pushing aside a stack of papers and propping his elbows on the desk's polished surface. He leaned forward and fixed his only eye on Roy, and though his expression appeared open, Roy didn't like the sense of unease creeping up his spine. Being around the Fuhrer always put him on edge for some reason, but this was something else. This was the sensing of bad news. "I hear you found Fullmetal. I'm relieved to hear you got him back here safely."

Safe is a relative term.

"Yes, sir, we are pleased to have him back," Roy answered politely, but though his words were respectful, his mind was working overtime to puzzle out the true nature of this meeting. Granted Ed was a well-known and prized alchemist for the military, but Roy found it odd that the Fuhrer was getting involved at this point, after Ed's rescue.

"I'm sure," Bradley nodded. "Though of course, I hear his state is rather delicate. Your report stated he was badly tortured, even blinded."

Roy hated how he just said it, like it was just a strange happening and not a crippling, life-shattering event. He kept his mouth shut and only offered a stiff nod, lest he say something he regretted.

"This presents us with a problem, Colonel," Bradley continued, folding his hands before him. "To be harsh, the military has no use for soldiers that can't fight, and I'm afraid that Fullmetal is no longer capable of fulfilling his duties. The paperwork is currently being sent to your office for his discharge. I trust you'll see to it personally?"

Discharged.

Discharged . . . Ed . . . discharged . . .

That word . . . it wasn't fair that a word so simple could abolish so much.

Roy honestly hadn't even thought of it. How stupid could he be?! There was no way Ed could be allowed to stay in the military with a handicap like that!

But this . . . this was all Ed had left, his only hope of getting their bodies back. What would this do to him? The boy was already at the end of his rope, and with this last bit of his old life slipping away, what would be left for him to hold on to?

It was the final nail in the coffin, and Roy felt his chest go numb. He swallowed thickly, but his voice was steady when he replied, "I'll take care of it, sir."

Bradley nodded, mouth turned down sympathetically. "He has a long road ahead of him, but his time in the military has been quite lucrative. I'm sure he won't have much trouble in that regard."

Roy had all but tuned him out at this point. He could feel his hands shaking. "Sir," he murmured, a frail sort of agreement, but it was all he could muster.

The older man offered him a small, sad smile. "That is all, Colonel. I am truly sorry. Dismissed."

Roy barely got his feet under him, bringing a hand up to his forehead in a stiff salute before leaving on shaky legs.

Discharged . . . discharged . . . The word chased itself around the inside of his head in an infinite, despairing loop. How was he going to tell Ed? How was he going to tell him that his last and best chance of restoring their bodies was gone?

Ed was all but destroyed now, but there was a very real chance that this could finish the job.

When Roy got back to his office, he ignored the soft greetings of the men and woman under his command. He walked past the front office and closed his door, then put his head down on his desk and closed his eyes.


Ed had been back in their dorm for almost a week. It was almost strange being in an environment that was once so familiar to him when he could see it. Ed recalled it almost as well as their old house in Resembool. He remembered it was small, nothing more than a glorified shoe box, really. The dorm had a small kitchenette and an even smaller bathroom, leaving only just enough room in the living area for two single beds on opposite walls and his desk, with a hole of a closet in the corner for their meager belongings. There was a window on the far wall that faced West, and Ed recalled with a stab of longing that he used to enjoy watching the sun set over the military grounds from his desk in front of it. The walls of the dorm were beige and at one time barren, but Al had long ago decided it was too depressing and had begun tacking post cards and maps around the room to bring some life to them, adding something new every time they returned from their travels.

It was small and crowded, but this was where he and Al spent most of their time when they were in Central. In a small, sad sort of way, it was home.

Not so much anymore.

Yes, there were certainly things that made the environment the same, familiar place it once was. The scents helped more than anything: the smell of iron from Al's suit, the clean, bright scent of the soap Winry had given him, and the dusty, thick smell of carpet and a room well lived in.

But there were things about it that had become foreign and unnerving, and in a strange way, it stung him. It felt as if somehow, the room itself had betrayed him. It was much quieter than the hospital was, but that was a double edged sword in itself, making the noises that were there that much more startling, that much more threatening. And the room itself, one that Ed once thought entirely too small, felt enormous. He had tried to walk from his bed to the kitchenette, only to become disoriented seconds later, that awful floating feeling stealing over him until his breath only came in quick, strangled gasps and he had to sit down and curl up on the floor, holding his throat until Al found him and gently guided him back to bed.

Ed hated that. He hated how his mind wondered, how the smallest of things jolted him back to that basement; cloth would swish and he could hear wolves padding through the dark like a whispered breeze, or an injury would flair and he could feel one inch nails being driven between his ribs, almost hear the cruel laughs of his captors as they tore him apart . . .

"Brother?" Al asked from Ed's side.

Ed pressed his body against Al's armor, trying to ground himself in the moment, to force himself to feel where he was. He was safe, in his dorm. It was night time, undoubtedly well after midnight, and Al had probably thought he was asleep. But Ed hated sleep these days, and the best he could manage was closing his eyes until his exhaustion was too great to fight. It seemed that Al had found him out, though. "What is it?"

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, his voice worried as it always was these days. "You're shaking."

Ed forced his lips into a fragile smile. "I'm fine. Just a little cold in here."

Al hesitated a moment. "Are you sure you don't want to go back to bed, Brother?" he asked. "It'll be warmer and you'll probably be more comfortable—"

Ed shook his head, tightening his grip on Al's weathered knee, as if afraid Al would force him to go. In all honestly, his body couldn't seem to adjust to the idea of a bed anymore, even after being in the hospital. The softness of it made him unstable, like he was drifting. There was nothing solid to hang on to, and it was too easy to let his mind wonder to images and memories he'd rather not think on.

Besides, he wanted to be as close to his little brother as possible. He much preferred sleeping on the floor, buried under a pile of blankets with his back pressed to Alphonse's side.

He felt his brother move and couldn't help but tense when the blankets over him shifted. Al wrapped the cloth about him tighter, then put a huge arm around him, holding him close.

Something about that small gesture made Ed sick.

He was so weak, so pathetic, and here Al was, holding him together. It was his job to be the caretaker, the guardian, and now Alphonse had to do it for him. When had their roles been reversed? When did Al become the big brother?

Alphonse shouldn't have to do that . . . he had already lost so much, and now, in a way, he had lost his big brother, too.

Ed just kept letting him down.

"Brother," Al began, the sound vibrating through his metal body. Ed had never noticed it so much until now, when his sight was gone. The suit hummed every time Al spoke, and Ed leaned into it, relishing the direct link to his little brother, as if he were feeling Al's very soul vibrate. "I've been thinking . . ." he trailed off, hesitating.

Ed hated how Al had to walk on eggshells around him, and he hated it even more that he knew he needed it. "About what?"

"Well, I wanted to go to the library and do some research sometime soon. Maybe in the morning or something," he said slowly, as if confessing a great sin.

Ed felt his own body go ridged, as if that were exactly what Al had done. The thought of Al being gone for any length of time seemed unbearable. He had just gotten back to his little brother. He wasn't ready to let him out of arms reach yet . . . "Oh?" he asked, trying vainly to sound indifferent, but the word came out choked.

"It wouldn't be long. Just an hour or so to find some books, but if you don't want me to, I understand. It can wait," he said, the last part rushed, probably sensing Ed's growing anxiety.

Ed took a calming breath, in and out slowly. "No, Al. You go if you want to. I'm sure I'll be fine for that long." He tried to sound teasing, but it came across weak. Really, though, he couldn't just expect Al to stick around the dorm all day, taking care of him like some kind of nurse. He couldn't expect everyone else's world come to a halt just because his had.

"Hey, it might be a good opportunity for the Colonel to come visit," he suggested brightly. "He's had to get caught up on a lot of work, so he has never been able to stay very long when Doctor Silas visits, but I bet he wouldn't mind coming over for a while."

Ed was torn. One part of him, the old Ed, was enraged at the implication that he couldn't take care of himself, even with this new hindrance. He had suffered handicaps before and managed to do most things by himself just fine.

The other part of him though, this new creature that cowered from unexpected thumps and unfamiliar voices, was terrified at the thought of being left alone for any amount of time. Who was going to pull him back from the nightmarish images in his head when he lost touch with reality? Who would save him when the monsters lurking in the darkness of his mind tried to overtake him?

"I don't need a babysitter," he said, but the protest was weak at best. He felt his cheeks flush with shame. It was one thing to be weak and vulnerable in front of his brother. It was a blow to his pride certainly, but Al had seen him at his worst before and, Ed hoped, would love him regardless.

Mustang, on the other hand . . . the man who constantly mocked and belittled him, who sent him out on wild chases and false leads and wasted his time on worthless missions. For him to see him like this, a ghost of himself, was nearly unbearable. Mustang was someone he had always tried to show up, to prove to him that he could be a dog of the military, but no one would ever own him, and that he could get their bodies back, despite his past mistakes.

With the proof of his failure burning fresh in his sightless eyes, Ed didn't know if he had the courage to be alone with Mustang again.

"I'm not saying that!" Al objected quickly. "It'll just be a good time for you to catch up."

Ed didn't respond, pulling the blankets tighter around himself. "Yeah, guess so," he relented, as if there had somehow been a chance he couldn't have accepted anyways.

He needed constant supervision. He needed someone to watch him, to be there when his mind dragged him back to that basement so they could drag him back out. He needed help changing the dressings on his wounds, to eat, to dress, to shower, and to even find the bathroom. He couldn't stand silence, but he could stand noise even less. Someone had to be there, watching him and helping him, or the darkness would consume him.

If he wasn't the most wretched creature in existence, he didn't know what else could be.

He buried his head in the blankets and wished desperately for light.


*faceplants* Sorry this update took so long! I wanted the chapter itself to be longer, but time . . . I just didn't have it lol. I have been super busy with play practice and job hunting and art commissions and this just sort of got put on the back burner. But in other news, I may have a job! I'm really excited about it, and that means that I have more time to work on things I love since half my life won't be devoted to the hunt lol.

Oh, and someone pointed out something, so I felt the need to clarify; In the last chapter, Ed didn't want to transmute because he thought it would be dangerous for Al. It's not that he has lost his ability to do alchemy because his sight is gone (because obviously Mustang could transmute when he was blind) but just from things I've read and my own imagination, I feel that an alchemist has to make all kinds of observations about what something is made of, how much of it there is, and other things to make a good, solid transmutation. Something that's really hard to do without seeing it. With something as delicate as the suit of armor with Al's blood seal attached to it, I would think Ed wouldn't want to risk it if there was a higher chance of something going wrong without a really good reason. Sorry I didn't explain myself well there!

Okay, reviews to Heart have all been responded to! Now I just have to respond to you guys from last chapter xD

BUT. BUUUUUUUT. For those of you that read Heart; you will not believe. You just won't, because I didn't. Go to youtube and type in "Vic Mignogna reads quote from fanfic." It should be the very top one. Yes, it MEANS WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS! I am floored. If you don't recognize it (though I don't know why you wouldn't xD), read the description. Seriously, I'm about to die from HAPPINESS. My week could not possibly get any better. There's no way :'D

You guys are awesome! If you have time WATCH THE VIDEO, drop a review, and hopefully the next update will be sooner :'D

I must go die of happiness now.

God Bless,

-RainFlame