Title: Ascension

Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist

Rating: T+

Disclaimer: I wish, but can't say that I own any of Hiromu Arakawa's works

Summary: It wasn't normal, anyone could tell him that. He only ignored them and closed his eyes once more.

Medication

Voices? From where?

Opening his tired eyes numbly, Edward twisted around in hopes of seeing who they belonged to. He could recognize one; Al's, the same muffled child's voice from that suit of armor that always spoke to him. The other was to quiet and he only picked a few words from what the stranger said.

Surrounded by the same darkness he had last woken up to, the fifteen year old raised himself on shaking arms. The bed creaked loudly underneath him and Ed froze as the voices stopped rapidly. His breathes grew quick enough to start choking him and he let out an abnormal cough, though he wouldn't call it a cough at all. It sounded like someone had just scratched at a piece of wood more then anything else.

Shaking away the troubling thoughts that had set some fear, he moved to the edge of the bed. A few inches from it, he nearly pulled himself off but was interrupted when the room's door opened and a strip of yellow light landed on his form.

"Mr. Elric, I highly advise you to stay in bed for the time being. Until we can figure things out," a man's voice wheezed and Ed glared at his silhouette.

"Figure what out?" he attempted to say but couldn't, his tongue felt caught in the back of his dry throat. Once more he tried but only mouthed the words. Finally, a look of disgust crossed his face and he stopped.

Why the hell can't I talk?

The lights flickered on. A sudden wave of dizziness passed over him and blurred the bright room. Ed closed his eyes to block out the blinding white and managed to shorten his breathes enough to stop any questions about them. He wouldn't say it, but everything was passing by to fast and his world had already begun to spin upon awakening.

"Figure out the reason for your sudden fainting spell and paranoia. You're brother's outside worried. I'm Dr. Landon," the man replied, his voice faded slightly. Ed only grunted in response, seeming that that was that only sound he could make at the moment besides the raspy coughs.

The doctor continued to talk but Ed merely ignored him. Opening one eye to keep track of what was happening around him, he squinted against the while walls that acted as mirrors to the light. He hated hospitals, the overwhelming stench of medicines, the fake calmness of the doctors, no sense of time anywhere; everything gathered together to make its walls hell. Someone could have died in the exact bed he now sat in and yet no one paid a second look; any attention as a matter of fact. It irritated Ed greatly.

"Just as I thought…" Dr. Landon sighed with a sad shake of his head. Ed looked at him with an alarmed expression, the words trapped in his mouth just begging to be said though he knew very well that he couldn't.

The doctor seemed to catch Ed's bewildered look. "Your sudden 'confusion' last night was caused by an illness known as sepsis which is an bacterial infection growing in your lungs, thus causing the symptoms you have now."

Overwhelmed by the sudden update, Ed shook his head rapidly in denial. He wasn't sick, he couldn't be. Everything that had happened yesterday was real, everything!

Furious by the situation, Ed pushed the sheets that had gathered around him and staggered to a stand with his automail hand wrapped the bed's metal frame tight enough to bend it. He probably would have too if his knees hadn't buckled out the second his body weight shifted onto them. With a yelp of surprise and disorientation, a heavy metal hand clasped his shoulder before he could hit the tiled ground below.

"Brother, what are you doing standing up?" his brother scolded as if he was a five year who was just found guilty. Edward attempted to explain but only squeaked at a few letters.

Where is my voice dammit? The thought entered his mind blankly but slowly began to terrify him after a few seconds of realizing it. Is it part of the illness? Even Alphonse seemed a bit taken back by his lack of words.

"We're still trying to figure out what caused your brother's muteness. It may be because of the infection but this isn't a normal side effect," Dr. Landon explained when Alphonse asked for the reason why Edward wouldn't reply normally. 'Trying' didn't seem to amuse either of the brothers.

He couldn't be mute, he needed his voice! Most things in the future would require him speaking and now, all that was gone. How was he supposed to communicate with everyone now, he sure didn't want to scribble down every word that came to mind.

Golden eyes dulled from the situation, a series of cold chills ran though his body as the fifteen year old sat down on the edge of the bed and buried his head in trembling hands.

"Brother, are you ok?"

Edward remained silent with no reason to answer, as he did for the next few days. Not even a yawn left the straight line his mouth had formed. Each minute dragged on to feel like hours and Al's attempts to talk with him only failed and left the blonde feeling empty; even the nurses started to try to spark some conversation which made them appear to be talking to themselves rather then Edward. He hated it but the loneliness that thickened the air when the room was empty strangled him more then anything else he could imagine. In the end, he couldn't even open an eyes without feeling strained.

"It's one of the symptoms of sepsis, he has a rather high fever," the doctor would say in his usual passive way. "He needs more rest."

Ed hated that voice. He could care less how much sleep he got, each night was the exact same no matter what drug they gave him.

"Oh, ok," Al's voice sighed as the familiar clanking of metal feet began.

Don't leave me Al, stay.

But Ed couldn't say so; he could only listen to the footsteps fade and the sound of the lights being turned off.

Turning slightly though applying any pressure on his chest would lead to rather long vomiting sessions, he lay there on his back and forced both eyes open. It didn't matter that it was pitch black and he could barely see two inches away from his own face, they had closed the curtains to make it that way and "help with his sleeping problems". Like he had any.

"Edward…"

His breathes stopped and it took him a few seconds to decide what it truly was.

Damn pills.

The thought gave him an excuse but his eyes still scanned the room; only expecting to see that same figure. His hands tightened around the sheets and tears filled his eyes, invisible to anything else but him.

Slowly regaining the air in his pained lungs, he pushed himself up on a tense elbow and moved off the bed as best he could in the darkness. Disliking the cold ground against his bare foot, he moved to the bathroom as quickly as he could though it wasn't fast at all. Ed's hand waved before him blindly in an attempt to come in contact with the door. Something warm tickled the tips of his fingers and in a fast movement, swung his hand away. Doors weren't warm.

Scrambling away from it, his back pressed against wall behind him. It wasn't a dream, couldn't be. If he was still asleep he would have woken up by now. At least he thought so.

"Edward, where are you?"

At that, his eyes closed.

Go away.

The tears now burnt his cheeks. It was a replay of last night except Al wouldn't find him this time. No one would.

I'm all alone.

Not the longest chapter, time really bugs me. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and please continue to voice your opinions xD

RxR