What Ed had coughed up into the bowl was a disgusting soup of pus and blood. Al dutifully held his brother's head and endured hearing the raking coughs, but even he had to turn away from the contents of the bowl. From the way Ana was holding a towel to her face, Al figured it must smell bad, too. It ended with a gasp and then Ed went limp again. Limp, but breathing much better.

Ana climbed off the bed and threw a towel over the bowl, "Poor kid." She muttered. Picking it up she said, "Alphonse, do NOT let go of him. Keep him sitting up. I'll be right back."

When she had gone Al said, "Brother? Are you all right now? Brother?"

But there was no answer, no movement, save for a steady, deep breathing, which in itself was comforting.

Ana came back carrying a rather large basin of steaming hot water. When she set it on the floor Al could see bits of herbs and some flower petals floating in it. Ana dipped a cloth in it and started wiping down the breastplate of Al's armor.

"Hey!" he pulled back a bit, "Please, please be careful."

"I won't wet your seal. Alphonse." She sighed as she wiped the dried blood and all off him, "Even tho it's not really finished."

"What?"

She slapped the wet cloth into Al's hand, "Wash your brother. Everywhere. Then wrap him in this." She pointed to a battered old quilt, "So I can make the bed." Ana started to leave, "And do NOT lay him flat. Keep his head up! Understood?"

"Y-yes, ma'am."

At last Edward was settled into the clean bed, bolstered up with several pillows and covered with the battered quilt. He was clean, dry and breathing pretty normal. Al was still nervous, to him Ed looked deathly pale and he was still unconscious. Ana had cautioned about scrubbing off the array on his chest and back. She said they might need it again.

Ana had picked up Ed's soiled clothes, the bath basin and used linens and left the brothers alone. Al sat there staring at Ed, wondering what was really wrong with him. This illness, frightening in it's severity, had seemed to come on so suddenly. And there was Ana. She truly did help Brother. She seemed kind and caring, tho a bit eccentric. And how did she know their names? What's more how did Al know her name.

Al was full of questions when she returned to the room. Her hair was wet and she wore only an oversized tshirt. Carrying two sealed envelopes, she crawled on the bed at Ed's side. Sitting there, she examined the envelopes, then tossed one to Al, "Must be his orders." She said casually. The other was full of money which made her smile.

Al opened his envelope and read the orders.

"Well?" Ana asked as she counted the money.

"Oh! Um-they want us to locate the Darkblood Alchemist and bring him to Central.'

"That all?"

"Yea. You wouldn't happen to know...?"

"Sorry, baby. Wow! This is a load of dough! This Darkblood Alchemist must be pretty special for Mustang to fork over the cash like this. Well, our Ed will be needing medicine, and food, and stuff." She tucked the money in a drawer. "Well, good night, sweetie." Ana stretched out next to Ed.

Al kind of got flustered.

"It's my bed, Alphonse!"

The bedroom had a window, but it was painted over with red so only a minimal amount of light got in and that dim light was the only indication that it was morning. Al was considering scratching some of the paint off when a sound from the bed caught his attention. It was a soft whimpering sound...and it was coming from Ed.

Al leaned forward, "Brother?"

Ana, lying on the other side of the bed, raised her head. Her eyes and brain still clouded with sleep. She wrinkled her nose, "Huh?"

At that moment Al's hand made contact with Ed's human shoulder. It was a gesture of concern, of brotherly love. It was gentle. As gentle as Al's voice, "Brother?"

And all hell broke loose.

Edward reacted as if someone had suddenly started beating him with a searing hot lead pipe. He jerked away, screaming. His automail arm barely missing Ana's head. She, in turn, rolled away and fell to the floor with a soft thud.

Now Ed was screaming, thrashing about as if to fight off some unseen foe. Al tried again to touch, to comfort.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Ana shouted as she stood up. Without bothering to explain further, she darted from the room.

Ana returned with a small bottle. She popped the cork and sniffed it, "Gah! This must be 20 years old."

Ed was now quiet, leaning on the pillows, panting a bit, eyes closed.

"Seizure. " Ana said as she climbed on the bed very carefully, "Alphonse, if he kills me, I leave all my worldly pleasures to you." With that she crawled up Ed's body and straddled his hips. Al watched, mesmerized, as she leaned forward just a hair and said, "Edward...Preciousmetal..."

Ed raised his head, uncomprehending, eyes barely open. He gasped as another spasm ripped thru his body. Ana froze, awaiting the blow, but it did not come. So she very carefully lifted Ed's head and tipped the bottle, letting the few remaining drops fall on his tongue.

Ed's head lolled back onto the supporting pillows, his body relaxed somewhat. Eyes slitted open, but unfocused, lips parted. Ana rolled off to her side of the bed and yanked the quilt up over Ed's hips. She rested her head on one of the pillows and sighed.

"That pain killer should last a few hours. Make him feel happy, too." She sat up again, looking at Edward intently, "This was done to him, Alphonse."

"What?"

"This was done to him. This sickness. Whatever it is. He didn't catch a 'bug', or a 'germ'. He didn't get it from bad food or tainted water, or doorknobs or toilet seats." She looked up at Al, "Someone did this to him. Did it deliberately on purpose. Someone wanted to..."

"Kill him?" Al's voice was barely a squeak.

She shook her head, "More like torture him. Has something to do with those orders."

"You mean this has something to do with this Darkblood Alchemist? Why would somebody want to do that? To stop Ed from finding him?" Al was getting angry. "Mustang!"

Ana waved her hand, "Oh, don't go blaming everything on Colonel ChickenButt. Mustang can be a jerk sometimes, but he's not cruel. This.." she pointed down at Ed, "...is pure cruelty.

A soft giggle came from under golden bangs.

"Brother!" Al sounded hopeful.

Another giggle.

"Are you feeling better?" Hopeful Al

Giggle. "No." Ed looked up at his brother sporting a huge goofy grin, "I want to die." Giggle.

Startled, Al looked to Ana, "What! Why!"

Ana reached for Ed's chin and gently turned his head, "Preciousmetal?"

"Who?" Ed blinked.

Ana shook her head, and released him. "We need to go shopping, Alphonse." She scooted off the bed and took the money packet out of the drawer.

"What! I'm not leaving Brother like this!"

:"Sweet baby brother." Ed slurred. "Please kill me before I die."

"What's he talking about?" Al fretted.

"The medicine was old, had lost potency, he's still sick, still in pain. The drug has him in a kind of haze. I don't know how long it will last, so we need to go get some more. "

"Why do I have to go?" Al protested.

He got no answer as Ana had left the room. So he sat there watching his brother's pale face and listening to his giggles. And hearing, "I want to die." Until he thought going with Ana sounded like a good idea.