Chapter 16

Frank Archer was sitting up straight with his elbows on his desk. He stared at his hands which pressed upon each other only by his fingertips. He questioned who the woman in the hospital really was 'Was she Sila Wellbrick or the Changeling? Who was it that I slept with? If it were that androgynous thing…perhaps the rumors of my sexuality are true!'

Archer was shocked he would even think that. However it was something he needed to confirm. 'Is Sila Wellbrick real or she some character that creature made up in order to trap me?'

Frank's mind spun in a suspicious neurotic circle and the only conclusion he could come to was that he could no longer be associated with Sila Wellbrick. Archer had Galit take some dictation. Archer then signed some forms and had a Corporal deliver them.

Sila tossed and turned unconscious in her bed. The Doctor and nurse had brought down her fever and all they could do was wait. The doctor closed the door behind him leaving Sila with the nurse to tend her.

Lieutenant t Havoc waited in the hall, in one of the chairs lined up against the wall. He had gone to get lunch and missed Archer's visit.

He stood up and said to the doctor "She'll be alright, right?"

The doctor looked at Havoc over the rims of his glasses. "It's too soon to tell. That fever of hers is intense. We'll see."

"What do you mean? I thought she just had a sprain?" 'I can't leave her again!'

"I know Lieutenant, but we don't always know how the body is going to react to something like that. In this world one can never tell."

Havoc was not comforted by this comment and ended up staying for hours on end waiting for Sila to break her fever. Mustang noted Havoc's absence from their daily briefing and sent out a soldier to find him. Once the soldier returned with his location Mustang paid a visit.

Roy's boots clicked down the hallway as he approached Lieutenant Havoc. Havoc was sitting crouched over with his head in his hands and a single stream of smoke rising past the no smoking sign.

The Colonel came to a stop over Havoc and said "Don't make me arrest you for breaking the law Havoc. I don't think Sila would much appreciate your smoking either when she finally decides to become conscious again."

Havoc dropped his hands and looked up with a bleary red-eyed worry washed over his face. He went to stand and the Colonel told him to be at ease. The Colonel threw Havoc a brown paper bag and took a seat next to his Lieutenant. "So what's her prognosis, Lieutenant?"

"I don't know. The doctor doesn't either, sir" said Jean as his hand searched the bag and pulled out a sandwich.

The Colonel kept his piercing black eyes on Sila's door and asked "Has Archer come to see her?"

"Once, when I wasn't here. The nurse said he's the one who called Sila's fever to everyone's attention." Havoc took a bite of the sandwich and slowly chewed, keeping his bleary eyes on Sila's door.

"Do you think he is responsible for this?" asked Mustang.

"I don't know. It's crossed my mind, but I think if he was going to off her she would be dead by now."

"Mmm" 'We never know. Perhaps he's not sure if he needs her alive at this point' thought Mustang.

A third officer Roy and Havoc both recognized as serving under Archer arrived with a large envelope in his hand. "Excuse me sirs, is this the room of Captain Sila Wellbrick?"

Roy spoke up and said "Yes, it is. Do you have business with her?" Havoc stopped chewing and looked at the young officer with stern eyes.

"Actually, yes Colonel. This envelope is for her" said the young man.

Roy and Havoc looked at each other and Roy said "Let us have it. We'll pass it on to her when she wakes."

"I'm sorry Colonel, but I was instructed to give it to Captain Wellbrick and Captain Wellbrick only. You see," he pointed to the red Confidential stamp "I can't give it to anyone else. Orders, sirs."

Roy's patience was running thin. "Captain Wellbrick is unconscious and everyone knows how Lieutenant Havoc is always looking out for her"

Havoc's pale and drawn face deepened to a dark red with embarrassment. 'Does the entire base know my feelings for Sila? If so they must all know how she's rejected me over and over again!'

"I'm sorry sir" said the Corporal getting visibly nervous "Orders are orders. I don't doubt Lieutenant Havoc's or your own loyalty to her, but I can't just ignore—"

Roy cut him off and said "Well, Corporal, if it's a matter of the military I outrank you and the man who gave those to you. I order you to hand me that envelope."

"I'm sorry sir, I can't do that!" said the Corporal.

'Ballsy' thought Colonel Mustang. Roy's eyes shifted down the hallway and then back again to the Corporal. "What if the Fuhrer himself wanted to see the contents of that envelope? Would you let him see it?"

"Uh, Colonel, sir, that's a bit unlikely" smiled the Corporal sheepishly.

"But what indeed…" said an unfamiliar voice. The Corporal turned around and was shocked. It was the Fuhrer himself.

"S-S-SIR!" saluted the Corporal.

The Fuhrer came to a stop and asked "May I see that envelope, Corporal?"

The Corporal looked nervously back and forth between Roy and Havoc who were standing at attention, and the Fuhrer. The young officer shot a glance at Havoc who only smirked at him with a dying cigarette in his mouth.

The Fuhrer saw the Corporal's hesitation and said "I don't want to make that an order, Corporal. Please, give me the envelope."

The Corporal gave in and handed Bradley the envelope. 'This had better not be a love letter. I don't think I could hold myself together, even in front of these officers…'

The Fuhrer read the contents of the envelope and sighed in what Roy could only identify as relief. Havoc and Roy exchanged a questioning glance.

The Fuhrer said "I see no reason why these other officers can't share in this information." The Fuhrer handed the envelope to Colonel Mustang and returned the way he had come. He thought 'I guess he's not clinging to that Wellbrick girl as tightly as I thought. But why? Why does he have to hate me? It's not fair! It's just not fair!'

The Corporal said "Sirs, at least promise me that you will pass the information on to Captain Wellbrick?"

Havoc spoke up and said "Of course."

The Corporal saluted his superiors and left.

Roy pulled out the papers and read through them. "Hmf. I guess Archer decided she was too much of a liability" said the Colonel.

"Sila!" blurted Havoc as he read the papers. They were papers discharging her from the military. "But she loves the military!"

"Yes, but—"

Havoc got angry and his fists trembled "That Archer is just getting her out of the way!"

"And has done so by giving her honors. Anyone who contests will have to say she doesn't deserve the honor. I don't think anyone would want to take that from Sila. Plus Archer has a host of very powerful connections." Mustang turned to Havoc and said "Leave this one alone Lieutenant. Sila is safe this way and no one loses face. She gets to retire in comfort and honor. Archer actually could have gotten her out of the way in a much simpler and deadlier way."

Havoc shook with frustration. "Colonel! You're not seriously defending him? She deserves—"

"Lieutenant!" said the Colonel, effectively silencing Havoc.

The nurse then walked by and said good afternoon to the two officers. When the nurse went into the room, Roy and Jean sat down in their chairs again. The nurse came out and ran for the doctor. Havoc became afraid, but when he entered the room he looked at Sila and saw her eyes open and that she was trying to sit herself up.

Havoc was then pushed aside by the nurse and the doctor settled on the side of her bed. The nurse poured some water into a cup and handed it to a disoriented Sila. She looked up as the doctor listened to her breathing and took her pulse. "Havoc?" she asked groggily.

He took a step forward and nodded. She said "Come here, please."

Havoc came and sat on the opposite side of the bed as the doctor. "Yes, Sila? What would you like? I'll…I'll do anything."

"Will you hold my hand?" 'What is wrong with me? This is Havoc! The smoker-jerk!' Sila then thought back on all the kindnesses Havoc had shown her and how determined he was to help her recently despite the risks to his own life. 'Yes, Havoc.' She extended her hand and he took it.

The doctor finished his exam and said "It looks like your fever has broken, Sila. You'll need plenty of rest regardless." He looked at the young couple and said "I'll give you five minutes, Lieutenant, but then the Captain needs to sleep."

The Colonel walked in the door and said "She'll have all the time she needs to sleep."

Sila said "Huh?" then Roy handed her the envelope. Sila read the contents and the shock was evident on her face. "Discharged? But…"

Havoc gave her hand a gentle squeeze of encouragement and she cried. "That bastard! Why? I love my job! That jerk! He used me and and and now that I'm ill, I'm of no use? Is that it?" Sila cried feeling like she was powerless against Lieutenant Colonel Archer. The thought of his betrayal, after the love she thought they shared, burned her deeply.

Havoc looked at the Colonel and raised his eyebrows. Colonel Mustang came closer to the bed and said "Well, if you feel that way Ms Wellbrick, why don't we arrange a time to chat?"