A/N: Well I guess it looks like this fic might be kinda put on hold for a little, some things (well more like a lot, sadly) have come up at work and I've been BUSY and samped with stuff (seriously stressed out) I won't go into the crap and drama, but it looks like I will be for a while. I've found very little time to even take a lunch break OR a deep breath... but I promise I won't forget the story, updates will just be more strung out once I find time to get away and write for a few minutes even, but I WILL continue this, but only if you do something for me... keep reviewing! And don't forget this story, I love continuing writing it! Thanks again, and enjoy...!
"Come on now Edward, you have to drink your milk." Trisha spoke with a gentle scolding tone.
"I hate it, it tastes bad!" Young Ed protested.
"But you have to drink it if you want to grow up big and strong like daddy." Trisha smiled.
Little Al finished his quickly, "I'm all done!"
"That's a good boy." Trisha turned back to Ed. "Come on now, Alphonse doesn't protest."
"He doesn't mind drinking cow vomit."
"Brother!" Al frowned.
"Your body needs the nutrients if you want to be healthy."
"I don't need milk to be healthy... and I don't wan to grow up to be like dad!" Ed ran off. Trisha sighed sadly.
Al looked up, sensing her change in mood, "Don't worry mom, I'll grow up big and strong like daddy. I'll make you proud and I'll make you happy."
Trisha smile down warmly at her son, giving him a hug as she picked him up, "You already make me proud and happy my little boy."
"Eh...?" Ed's eyes snapped open, he sighed and his heartbeat returend to normal as he sat up, rubbing his head. "Those memories, it was all just a dream..." He looked over at Al who had been up all night working while Ed had passed out sometime after midnight.
"Well brother, it looks like your theory about you having cancer was right." Al deducted as he closed the last book.
"Yeah, well, that's no big surprise I guess…" Ed sighed, still a little groggy as he flipped through some of the papers of notes they'd made. He put his hand on his stomach, "But a cancerous ulcer? Didn't see that one coming…"
"Well, there are factors to take in such as your work, stress, your eating habits…" Al counted on his fingers.
"Okay, okay, alright, I get it… so it was inevitable that I brought this upon myself." Ed smirked. "Me and my big head… But this is my problem Al, I don't want to bring you into it."
"Like it or not, brother, we're brothers. Wherever you go, I go, whatever happens to you, happens to me."
"Fine then, if that's the way you want it… then what do you propose we do?"
"Well hope is slim, the cancer has spread from your stomach to other organs it seems like, gauging from your symptoms from tests and exams, it doesn't look like it's as bad a damage yet in your liver or kidneys, but it has made its way into your intestines."
"Ugh." Ed stuck out his tongue, grossed out. "Why me? I mean I figured it'd be something REALLY bad since it was REALLY painful… so what now, am I doomed to die a slow horribly painful death?"
"No, I said there was a slim chance of hope."
"There is….?" Ed perked up a bit at that. "Hey, wait a sec… how much does it cost…?"
"It's actually ironic, I read about it only after coming across it by accident in school journals. Radiation was the starting cause, and it's also being used as a cure. But it's experimental."
"What? So it's only in the test stage…" Ed grew nervous, but repeated. "How much?"
"Well along with the, what they're calling chemo, they're using other non-medical techniques. It's a health college study, so it's free."
"Buuuut…?" Ed was waiting for it.
"Survival rates are very low in success, but it has worked in some cases. Brother, this may be our only chance, our one FREE shot at your survival!"
Ed was still a bit hesitant, "Well…. alright, I guess I'll give it a chance."
"Oh brother, thank you!" Al jumped up and hugged him tightly.
"Okay, okay, okay…!" Ed struggled. "I can't breathe!"
"Sorry…" Al got off, blushing with a bit of embarrassment. "So."
"So, what?"
"When are we off to the university?"
"Ugh…" Ed ruffled his hair. "Eh, I dunno, whenever I guess."
"Whenever huh? As in, whenever I want?"
"Sure, whatever."
"Then tomorrow we'll make plans so we can leave the next day."
"Great, great, fine." Ed wore a toothy grimace and looked away in thought, still a little nervous and unsure about all of this. But it was for Al, and for Al, he'd do anything.
The next day Al was bustling with excitement, up early to pack clothes and food for their trip as well as make travel arrangements with what money they had left, after this they would have practically nothing left, so Al had told the situation to the apartment owner. Luckily the old man was kind and understanding, so he said that he would save it for them once they came back, because it was a special circumstance. Ed quit his job, he didn't bother going into explanations of medical leaves of absence, and also he didn't think he'd survive, so why hold onto a job for a dead man? By the end of the day everything was ready and set to go, Al made a meal of all the perishable foods left in the house that wouldn't be taken with them. Al was happy, eager with excitement, but Ed ate quietly and slowly, having been lost in thought all day. Al noticed this of his brother but didn't say anything and brushed it off and acted normally, he understood Ed's reasons and decided to leave it at that, and start the talking tomorrow when they began their journey. And the next day, their journey did indeed begin…
"I hate Germany's bus stations…" Ed frowned as he looked around the street.
"Come on brother, it's better than walking." Al smiled, recalling their adventure for the stone again.
"Still, this is just like old times, isn't it?"
"Yeah I guess so, trying to get my body back to normal again eh?" Ed laughed.
"You should take care of it." Al winked. "You never know what you miss till it's gone."
"Don't worry Al, I'm sure everything will be just fine." Ed assured with a smile.
"Right, I know." Al sat down on the bench. Ed sighed and let the luggage sit on the ground rather than holding it, and he leaned against one of the posts that held up the overhang that was over the bench. Nobody else was there so Al relaxed. "You know, I'm actually a little bit excited about this trip?"
"Yeah? Well, me too to be honest."
"When we get there we have to go to the university and ask for the health studies professor."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. The receptionist at the library looked it up in the school records when I returned the books, she's a very nice lady to help us out so much." Al sat up. "Well, the bus is here."
Ed picked up his bags, "Let's mosey." Ed got on the bus first and handed the driver two tickets, it looked like an old, big and long VW bus, it was a little run down looking though. Ed went in to look for a place to sit, it was a little crowded.
"There's a spot there brother."
Ed was hesitant, "No, let's keep going." Ed and Al continued, as Al walked past the girl with the open seat next to her, he froze a bit, looking at her and realizing now why Ed had said no. They found a two seat open in the back and they both sat down.
"I'm sorry brother."
"No, it's alright. It just made me miss it, is all, she reminded me of somebody back home…"
Al kept staring over at the young blonde German girl, "Winery…" As they drove, Al noticed how the further they got the more and more restless and fidgety Ed got. "What's the matter, are you nervous?"
"A little. I hate doctors…"
"You don't have to remind me, I know. You remember the time mom had to make the doctor do a house call?"
"Oh yeah…" Ed smirked at the memory. "It was that time I had strep really bad."
"Yeah, and when mom would make appointments you would run away somewhere or hide in the house and she'd never find you until it was too late and you revealed yourself. I don't know how you did it, with that fever, having all that energy to be an escape artist."
Al laughed, imagining it. "You were so proud, wearing that big dopey grin."
"Meh, well I hated that doctor anyway…" Ed turned up his nose. "He left the damn thermometer in my mouth for like a half an hour, I swear!"
"Probably enjoying the peace and quiet."
"Hey…" Ed went back into the thought. "It's funny though, every time I looked over at mom she would just smile back at me, as if to like re-assure me. So it calmed me down."
"Yeah, I know what you mean about, that smile..."
"Yeah, even in our last memory of her last moments, she was smiling."
Al sighed thoughtfully, "I miss that smile of hers…"
"Yeah." Ed closed his eyes. "I miss her too…"
"You know brother, if not for, what happened back home… we'd still be there, we could be happy, none of this would ever have happened, and you wouldn't have gotten sick."
"No, don't do that Al…" Ed's eyes tensed underneath the lids as he spoke quietly through his gritted teeth. "Everything happens for a reason, EVERYTHING… even if it's bad, we have to move on, even if we don't like it, because it's not up to us."
"I know brother, I know…" Al sighed, smirking a bit apologetically. The sun was starting to set as they neared the destination town. "We're almost there…"
"Yeah, I can hardly wait." Ed sighed to himself.
At the university, they caught the health studies professor shortly before his night lecture and introduced themselves. He recalled their names from the scheduled appointment call and remembered their story, understanding their situation. Ed was given a full on complete physical exam so they could have all the data about his body on file before they began. Once they got the diagnostic report back in and read his case, he was accepted. Al had brought a file folder full of all of his notepapers, and so he was allowed to stay with them, seeing as they were all each other had the doctor understood their situation and was nice enough to let Al stay. And beside he knew, judging from how Ed was acting, that Ed would need Al there more than Al would need to be with Ed.
"That was a good first day." The head nursing student was walking Ed back to his room where Al was already there and in his bed asleep.
"Yeah, thanks for the introductory procedures I guess." Ed was quiet in speaking.
"Oh, one last question I forgot to mention, are you taking any medication?"
"What?" Ed stopped then looked away as he dug into his pocket, pulling out the pain mediation he'd purchased from the doctor back at the hospital. He held the bottle up, "Just this... but it looks like it's almost gone."
The nurse took it to inspect the label, "Ah I see. Well, you won't need this anymore."
"What? But without it..." Ed stopped, hesitant, remembering the horrible pain he'd been in when he first became ill and didn't have the medicine yet.
"Don't worry." The nurse smiled. "We have our own pain medications we'll be giving you, I assure you, it will be alright."
Ed stared at her and then sighed, "That's fine..."
"You must be tired, you should get a good rest, tomorrow will be a busy day." The nurse opened the door, Ed nodded and went inside.
Ed went into their room and closed the door, finding his way to the bed in the darkness. He sighed as he laid down, he glanced over at Al who was wearing a smile in his relaxed sleep. Ed closed his eyes and drifted off. That night as the boys slept, Ed was NOT in a very good mood. Sadly for him, though, if he thought the examination was tedious and annoying enough, the real pain and strenuous testing would be very hard for him to take. But he would handle it, he would endure the suffering again, because he knew why he was doing it, he was doing it all for Al.