Author's Note: Another chapter. Number 5 O_o Wow…And they are pretty well consistent in length. Anyways, to upload the next chapter I will need some encouragement lol. It's a little out of my comfort zone…Scary isn't it lol that I wrote it and yet it's not at all in my comfort zone…Let's just say that next chapter the bad day reaches its highest point and there are more than a few warnings for it. Hey, maybe you reviewers can give me some suggestions on how you would like it to go. Cookies to all who do ^_^

Chapter 5: Consequence

Envy tossed the boy like a ragdoll into the room and the young alchemist bit back a grunt of pain as he landed on bruised ribs. The room itself was small and appeared to be windowless, or at least whatever window's there might be were covered by solid wooden shutters. The floor was dusty and had thrown up a thin cloud of stifling debris as Edward hit the floor, rolling against a wall covered with peeling wallpaper. Slowly he pulled himself up from the filthy ground, coughing as some of the dust made his way into his lungs. Huddling into the corner he watched as the Homunculus closed the door, plunging his small world into a prison of black, haunting laughter echoing around him.

Now left alone, Edward could think about what led up to this. It was stupid, of course, to just give himself over to an enemy but in that moment, it was all he could think of. As mad as he was at the Colonel, the last thing he wanted was for him to die, especially when the one he was dying for happened to be standing right in front of him. Edward finally understood how Al must have felt watching as his older brother gave a cold blooded killer permission to kill him, and gave up fighting. He had never felt as helpless as he had in those few moments, bound so tight he couldn't get free. It had been scary, and lonely, to watch helplessly as someone you loved was about to be taken forever from your life. Quietly he apologized to his little brother for the pain he had to have felt in that moment. He chewed on his lower lip, wondering how he was going to get out of that mess. In that moment of sheer desperation he had given himself for Roy. It was equivalent exchange in its purest form, a life for a life.

But was it a fair trade? Wasn't he taught that a life can never equal another life, and that existence was something that couldn't be bartered? Was he being arrogant in assuming that he was worth what the Colonel was? Truthfully, Ed knew that the Homunculus was stronger, and didn't really need to negotiate at all. What assurance did Edward have that in this time he was left alone in the dark, Envy hadn't gone back to finish his lover off. Perhaps the reason he had stopped was not because of the boy's emotional plea...But because Envy had seen that the other was finished. Ed made a frustrated sound as he realized he had been a fool, and in meekly going with his captor he had done nothing more than belittle whatever price the Colonel had paid for him.

'What if he's dead now?!...' He thought miserably to himself and drained of any strength he may have had he laid his head down on his knees, holding back emotions that begged to be released. His head and body ached and his eyes burned from keeping back the tears but Edward knew he had to be strong. He needed to know the truth, and couldn't help but want to be at Roy's side, alive or dead. Silently he prayed for the first time in his life, to a God he had heard about but never believed in, that Roy was alive and would hold on until he could at least find a way to his side. His thoughts however, were interrupted as the door to his prison unlocked and Edward braced himself for whatever would come next.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dark eyes opened and stared into light's so bright he brought up an arm to shield himself from the piercing glare. Cringing as red-hot pain shot all the way up Roy gritted his teeth against the intensely uncomfortable sensation. Dumbly he stared at the bandages that covered his arm and shoulder, watching fascinated as a copper hued stain began to slowly spread, staining the white linens grotesquely. Colonel Mustang wondered idly why they used white; it just got dirty and looked like shit, reminding the patient what a sorry mess they were.

"The doctor wouldn't like to see you moving yet, Sir," a feminine voice admonished. Roy dropped his arm and looked over to see the worried face of his subordinate and friend, Riza Hawkeye. He noticed how worn she looked and wondered how long he had been out.

"About 48 hours…" the woman sighed, reading in the other's face what he needed to know. "Not counting whatever time you were laying unconscious in that alleyway. If we had come any later…" she trailed off frowning, and then shook her head to rid herself of the depressing thoughts.

"What happened Roy?" She asked, dropping the formal tone of a subordinate addressing her commanding officer to one that was concerned yet kind. "How did you end up bleeding to death on the sidewalk in downtown Central?" She laid a hand softly on his shoulder, remembering how a short while ago the doctor's had told her he may never wake up and to prepare his estate.

Mustang sat in silence for a few moments, mulling over the question then sat bolt upright in his bed, his mind clearing. The memory of what had transpired in what felt like minutes ago to the man flooded back, making him itch to move.

"Edward…He.." he started, in a voice thick with fear. Hawkeye looked confused, then cynical and she gave a dry laugh.

"Edward did what? I have a hard time believing FullMetal stabbed you. You guys fight but…" Roy raised a hand to stop her, shaking his head dismissively. Sure, Edward had probably been mad enough to cause Roy bodily hard, but he knew inside that Ed wouldn't hurt him this way.

"No, you're on the wrong track. Edward's in trouble!" Hurriedly he told Riza the story, leaving out his involvement with the teen and watched as the woman's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "We've got to find him!" He finished, emphasising his statement by getting out of the bed, ignoring the weakness that accompanied severe blood loss. "There's no time to waste."

Gentle hands guided him back to the pillows and held him there a second. Frustrated, he glared up at the other, who was staring down at him with a compassionate smile, as though she understood.

"You're right there's no time to waste, but you're in no state to go out after him. You need rest…Now. Leave everything to me Colonel. Get well." Ignoring the man's protests she saluted her friend and then left, leaving Mustang to face his nightmares alone.