Chapter 5, redone, expanded, whatever you want to think! This chapter seems kinda boring and dragging in my point of view... but that's just mine. What do you think?

Roy's thoughts seem the most detailed at this point...

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Chapter 5: Heard

"Full... Fullmetal?" I breathed.

There he was, standing at the doorway, just like I wished back then when I still had hope. I would wish he would appear oneday, a grin on his face as he proceeded to bring the life back into the room with his rants and pouts. However, he did no such thing at the moment. He just stood there, staring at me with a questioning look in his eyes.

I prayed this wasn't a dream. I prayed I hadn't fallen asleep and imagined that blonde boy to have returned from wherever the hell he had been before. My reasons?

One, Riza would kill me for slacking.

Two... it would hurt too much when I woke up and realized I was just dreaming.

I had tried to get over Ed's disappearance... it worked whenever I was awake, but during the times I would fall asleep...

During those times, I would dream of the last time I saw him, grinning as he ran off to face some unknown danger.

I suppose I should have gotten used to it by now. It didn't hurt me as much as it used to when I dreamt of those times...

But a dream like this, when he would return...

I knew it would hurt.

So I prayed... I prayed this wasn't another dream.

I prayed he was there, staring at me with that confused gaze...

... why was he staring at me like that?

"Fullmetal?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Who... who is "Fullmetal"? Who... who are you?"

At those words, I knew that if ever I do wake up, I would be heavy with the pain I so desperately tried to avoid.

What's wrong? Why didn't he remember me?

I glanced at Alphonse, and he looked back, his eyes telling me he already knew.

Turning back to Ed, I decided to hide that pain and do the thing I would most probably do if the situation had been otherwise.

Smirking, I asked,

"Don't tell me your height is now interferring with your memory, Fullmetal."

I saw his face quickly evolve into anger. Alphonse, seeing this, quickly grabbed his older brother and tried to calm him down.

"Brother..." He whispered into his ear, slightly embarrassed.

"Let me get him!" He cried angrily, struggling against his brother's firm grip.

I couldn't help but chuckle. Ed hadn't changed one bit... even though he was older, he still had that tantrum...

He hadn't changed... much...

"Alphonse?" I asked as soon as Edward managed to calm himself down.

The younger Elric looked up at me worridly.

"Yes, General?" He asked.

"Why..." I gave a quick glance at Ed before reverting my gaze back to Al's eyes. "Why doesn't he-"

Before I could continue, however, I heard the sound of coughing.

Both our heads quickly turned to Ed, who stood there, his mouth covered. His eyes widened in horror, then he immediately began another coughing fit as his knees gave way.

"Brother!" Al cried, rushing to his brother's side. I could see blood covering Ed's white gloves...

'Shit.' I thought, picking up the phone as I rapidly dailed the hospital's number.

--

At the hospital, outside Ed's room.

Roy sighed, nodding.

"So that's how you found Fu- Ed." He said, cursing himself in his mind for nearly using Ed's military title.

'He isn't a dog of the state anymore...' He reminded himself.

Alphonse nodded and said quietly, "But he couldn't remember me..."

"I can see that..."

Roy knew that Al was the one in the most pain. He and his brother had been together for many years, and the fact that Edward could not remember a single one of those times...

Grey eyes turned to the window of Ed's room. The blonde boy was asleep, resting from the coughing fit he had awhile ago.

"Has this happen before?" Mustang asked.

Al shook his head in reply. "Just now... I'm wondering if Ed just kept this condition to himself... he always does that when something's wrong with him. He hates being worried about."

The raven nodded in agreement. Sighing, he placed a hand on Al's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Alphonse... everything will be fine eventually. It always ends that way..."

Somehow, Alphonse doubted it.

After all, when has that happened?

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Two edits up in one night! I'm glad...