It's been a while hasn't it? Just letting you know I'm still here : )
You might find this a bit of a filler.
Once again, Jean found himself bored out of his mind, pacing through yet another endless corridor. For each step taken, the distant turning seemed to get further and further from reach. Hands shoved deep in his pockets and spine slouched lazily, he caught a glimpse of his two colleagues. Breda had a similar posture and a matching expression to accompany it. As always, Major Armstrong appeared to be as enthusiastic as ever, despite the grim circumstances. His held was held height and his back straighter than anything Havoc had ever set eyes upon before. Sometimes, he wished he could share the same attitude as the man, and then perhaps he would actually look forward to waking up in the mornings instead of frowning like this. Like he was tired of life and all the things within it.
Rubbing his temples, Jean groaned and turned to the Major.
"All the halls look the same, how do you know we haven't been here before?"
"Sooner or later we'll end up wearing holes in the floor," Breda added with a sigh.
"Now now men, where is your spirit?! I-"
"You know what?" Jean looked to Breda and curled his lips into a false smile for the Major, "I suddenly feel much better."
As soon as the Strong Armed alchemist turned his back the blonde dropped his jaw and ran a hand through his short hair, wincing as his fingertips brushed the matted crimson mess at the back of his skull.
As irritating as Risa and Roy could be sometimes, Havoc wasn't a huge fan of optimism, and would much rather prefer his chances of being roasted or held at gunpoint. Suddenly, the exhausted blonde ceased his thoughts and realised that the end of the hallway was closer than he'd expected. The window revealed the violet midnight sky, beginning to crumble and surrender to the sun, the faint sign of pink and orange appearing in the distant horizon. It was then the man remembered just how long the goose chase had been happening.
It seemed like just hours ago when Jean had been preparing for bed after a late night of drinking. Just as his hand had touched the covers the phone had begun to ring. He'd almost decided not to answer it. There was only one person who'd dare call at that time of night. His superior.
Emerging from the comfort of his inner thoughts, Havoc began to curse. It appeared his mind strayed easily when he was tired. He just hoped it wouldn't happen when he needed his concentration the most.
Just as the three men neared the turning, Breda gave Jean a light tap on the shoulder to gain his attention. Before either could utter a word, a raven haired figure appeared from nowhere and ran breathlessly past them without stopping for a single glance. The three looked to each other, and then back to the familiar man getting further and further from view.
"COLONEL?" Jean bellowed, almost questioning his sanity. Was lack of sleep making him see things?
The Colonel didn't batter an eyelid and continued to sprint, nursing a stitch under his ribs.
"What do we-"
"After him of course!" Armstrong interrupted Breda and quickly began to run himself, calling out to the man in military uniform.
Roy almost tripped when he heard a familiar trio of voices cry out to him. They'd never called him by his first name before. He came to a sudden halt and turned, catching his breath in large gasps.
"What-are-you-"
"You sent us this way. Remember?" Jean grinned cockily, his smirk dropping when the Colonel resumed his running, his subordinates could only follow him in question.
"Why are we-"
"Ed!" Roy panted, "They-have-Ed!"
"Where?"
"Do you think- I'd still- be-looking-if I knew?!" he snapped at the blonde in frustration, ignoring the throbbing protest in his legs. //
"Dad?" Edward winced at the cracked sound emerging from his lips that was supposed to be his voice, the scratchiness of his throat rubbed like sandpaper. There was a long haired figure perched at his bedside. Bed?
The teen could barely see a thing through his badly blurred vision, but the piercing whiteness of the room was defiantly visible. The floors, sheets, even the walls burned his eyes. The thin sheets and mattress itched against Ed's skin, making him shift in discomfort. He hissed. It seemed something in his system was slowly fading from his bloodstream. It had to be a drug of some kind, blood loss didn't feel like this.
A hand grasped his arm gently.
"You gave me quite a scare Edward... I was beginning to think you'd never wake up.
"How long?"
"Three weeks..."
The blonde was surprised the pain was still so dominant after so many weeks of sleeping it out. He didn't remember it hurting so much the last time, but that was many years ago. Perhaps his mind had become a little hazy since then. He sincerely hoped this would be the last time he lost another limb. It was almost like each time he blinked... another would disappear.
"Well... at least it wasn't my fault this time," the teen said, gazing down at the empty spot beside his left leg. A tired smile graced his features. Hohenheim gave his son a look of relief and confusion.
"Something wrong old man?"
"It concerns me how you can smile so soon... you're recovering quite quickly."
"Could've fooled me."
Ed knew what the man meant. He was talking about his mental recovery.
"You seem to forget, I've been through this before."
Hohenheim still couldn't understand how his eldest son managed to speak such words as if they meant nothing. Most men would have been a nervous wreck put in the same unfortunate position. It appeared Edward Elric had emotions of steel.
"You still keep surprising me," the man smiled, "Even after all these years."
"I'll be fine," Ed smiled, locking eyes with his father. After a few years of living together, both blondes were pleased to say their relationship had grown successfully, with the help of Edward's maturity.
"I've had worse. I'm just glad..."
"Glad?" The elder blonde raised a brow, questioning the teen's sanity.
"I'm just glad they don't have to see me like this."
Of course by then, he was referring to his friends in Amestris. Hohenheim knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but give the blonde a look of sympathy, lowering his gaze to avoid a pang of guilt. He only wished he could have been there the first time... when his family needed him.
"Don't look at me like that," Ed sighed, "I don't need your sympathy."
The man looked on silently.
"I said don't! I swear if I wasn't like this I'd-" he stopped when his father began to laugh.
"Always been quite the stubborn one haven't you?" (To be continued in a further chapter)//
His lungs heaved painfully, another spout of chesty coughs starving his body of oxygen. Edward grimaced at the sound. There was nothing healthy about it whatsoever. The wet splatter of blood pooled beneath his head. He had the urge to break free from the restraints and wipe his lips clean.
Opening a pair of hazy golden eyes, the blonde could have sworn it was everywhere; the walls, floor, his clothes, and even the tips of his mellow hair were stained with the disgusting coppery substance. He could feel the panic swell inside of him. The more he thought, the worse his breathing became, ragged gasps of air escaping his think lips between each heave of his aching chest.
Ed began to think. This defiantly wasn't just any cough. Was it the syringe that did it? Poison? How was he going to find an antidote?! The teen bit down hard on his lip as the panic began to rise. He couldn't think about it. He wouldn't.
The deceiving darkness wasn't enough to fool the prodigy.
"Come here... where I can see you."
As a bored looking Archer emerged from the shadows, Ed couldn't help but notice the disappointment plastered across the man's features. He wasn't laughing any more.
"Are you done with me now?" the blonde winced as his chest rattled again, a burning sensation teasing his airways.
"If I said yes would you believe me?" he replied dryly, folding his arms with a sigh, "It's a shame... you're not much use to me in this condition."
"Use?"
"But lucky for you I wouldn't want to waste such a fine specimen..." Archer paused in deep thought, lowering his deep blue gaze to Edwards, lips curling into an eerie smile. His hands were ready to clap.
That was when the Elric really began to panic.
Was a little on the short side wasn't it?
Sorry, I didn't mean for it to be that short. See you next chapter, and thanks again for taking the time to read and review. I wouldn't have done this without you all : )