The Fallen

Chapter 3

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"Hey, Brother, the doctors say you can go home today..." Alphonse whispered to his brother.

Edward had grown pale over the three days that he had stayed in the hospital. He was awake most of the time, but he didn't talk very much. He was too weak to do anything.

"Brother?"

"I'm fine, Alphonse..." Edward sat up and looked out the window to his right. "Can you help me up?"

"Of course." Alphonse nodded and fought the tears that threatened to fall as he placed Edward's arm around his shoulder and lifted him up from the bed. Alphonse was grateful that his brother could at least stand on his own for a short period of time now.

"Mr. Mustang is waiting outside the door for you... He's going to drive us to his house... He said we could stay there for awhile."

"Great... Pity ofMustang," Edward whispered under his breath and frowned.

A moment from earlier that week flashed in his mind. He saw Mustang sitting beside, the man looked as if he were sad and deep in thought. God damned Mustang... I hate him... No I don't... Dammit even more! Edward thought as he walked out the door and almost ran into Mustang.

"So... Full-Edward, how are you feeling?" Mustang smiled down at Edward, who was still pretty short...

"Much better, Colonel-General Bastard...

"Ah... I see you're feeling like your old self... It's good to have to back, shrimp..."

Edward didn't respond to the insult. Instead, he just walked past Mustang and sat in a chair in the waiting room and stared at a nurse that was talking to a visiter.

Alphonse sighed heavily next to the General. "Mr. Mustang, can you try not to upset Ed... He's still not feeling well and he's going to need a lot of kindness for awhile-I suppose."

"Fine... I'll try, Alphonse, but no promises."

"All I ask if for you to try. Thank you."

Alphonse and Roy walked over to Edward and walked him out of the hospital.

Outside the double doors of the hospital waited a black militairy vehicle with Riza Hawkeye sitting in the driver's seat.

After the three situated themselves in the car, conversations began to start up again. Alphonse, who sat in the front with Hawkeye, talked about the new gun Riza had aquired.

In the back of the vehicle, Edward questioned Roy on the new living arrangements.

"So, Mustang, I hear we're going to live with you..."

"You heard correctly. Do you have a problem?"

"No... It's just a bit odd..."

"Why is it odd?"

"It's odd because we're not good friends."

"No one else would take you two in."

"We don't need a place to stay... We could stay in the dorms or a hotel or something..."

"Fullmetal," Mustang started off in a serious tone, "you two need protection. You can't stay alone..."

"We can protect ourselves... We have been for years..."

"Things are different now..."

Memories flashed before the General's eyes. He saw Edward collapse onto the ground, bleeding and unconscious. He saw Edward lying in the hospital bed, pale and weak. And finally, he saw the doctor talking to him- telling him about Edward's declining health and how he might now make it another year.

Roy wondered if Edward had been told he had less than a year left. After all...Edward wasn't an adult yet and the doctor might have thought that Roy, supposedly Edward's guardian, would tell him.

"Hey, Mustang! What are you spacing out for?"!

"I was just thinking about something..." There's no reason to tell him... Not until he asks...not until it's necessary that he knows...

"Damned Mustang..."

"Stupid Shrimp..."