Take It All Away

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, just the plot.

Chapter 7:

Going Under the Blade

Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, had never been so restless in his life. It seemed that he couldn't sit still for more than a moment before he resumed the task of pacing in front of the General's room. Less than an hour had passed since Winry had kicked the brothers out of Mustang's room in order to perform the necessary surgery for the General, but to the brothers it seemed like days.

Alphonse was seated in the floor next to the General's door and was currently watching his older brother pace. Where his brother was restless and had taken to rambling, the younger Elric remained seated and was quiet for the most part. Other than an occasional "hum" and a few well placed nods, Al had just listened to his brother babble.

From the time the procedure had begun Edward had begun to think of every worst case scenario possible in the situation. The youngest Elric was finding it hard to find the words to comfort his brother. The worst case scenario had already happened, so it was hard to tell him that everything was going to be fine this time around. They were just lucky that no permanent damage had been done to the nerves in Mustang's leg.

As soon as Winry caught wind of the General's problem the girl had called Pinako to ask her to join her at headquarters. It had taken the blonde a while to convince the old woman to help the General, but Pinako had finally given in when she heard the brothers pleas over the phone. Upon her arrival she and Winry discussed the problem in hushed tones before they came to a conclusion.

Due to the General's comatose state at the time of the surgery, it was a possibility that the nerves in his leg could be unresponsive. If this was the case and the auto mail was attached, the General could very well lose all use of his leg, along with the chance of future prosthetics. The stakes of performing the procedure were high, too high for most mechanics to risk. Pinako had refused to perform the surgery on comatose patients countless times, but the headstrong Winry had believed she could pull it off. But luck was not on her side.

Thankfully the General had become aware of the lack of feeling in his leg early on. This allowed the mistake to be fixed before any permanent damage was done. The prosthetic would cause the General more pain than the average patient, but in time he would grow accustomed to it.

A muffled scream was emitted from Mustang's room, making both of the teens jump to their feet. Alphonse grabbed Ed's shoulders before the blonde could enter the room. "Calm down, brother!" He pleaded, startled at the amount of thrashing that came from the eldest Elric. Edward seemed desperate to get into that room. "It's a normal part of the procedure!"

Edward was beyond listening as the screams became more pronounced and frequent. He struggled against Alphonse, managing to get away for only a handful of seconds before he was recaptured. "Let me go, dammit!" He screamed, turning frantic eyes to his younger brother.

Alphonse shook his head and kept a firm hold on Edward. "Brother, they've reached the final phase of the surgery. It's…always like this." He explained, his voice softening. He watched as realization dawned on Edward's face.

Edward lowered his head, shoulders sagging. He found he was unable to meet his younger brother's eyes as he asked softly, "You mean you've had to sit through this…every time I-"

Alphonse cut him off before he could finish his question. "It's not always so bad. Sometimes you would barely make a squeak." He teased softly, though there was no mirth in his voice. In truth Alphonse would never be able to forget the day that Edward received his first prosthetic. The boy's screams still haunted his sleep from time to time, usually melding with the memory of the fateful day that they had lost everything. Alphonse would never be able to tell anyone just how glad he was that it wasn't Ed who become ensnared when the transmutation went out of control. The youngest Elric would never have been able to think as fast as Edward had, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to cut off his arm without hesitation. That was just how Ed was. He was impulsive and he didn't give himself time to regret his actions. If it wasn't for his older brother, Alphonse wouldn't be where he was today. He wouldn't be alive. The boy just hoped he'd be able to repay his brother some day.

"Al…I-" Edward breathed, startling Alphonse from his morbid thoughts.

Another ear piercing scream split the air, followed by the sound of crashing objects and curse from Pinako. Alphonse didn't even have a chance to reach for his older brother. Ed was already gone.

R-2-F

Pinako looked up from her place next to the operation table and swore softly when the oldest Elric brother flew into the room. His eyes were wild and his appearance was utmost disheveled, giving him a wild appearance. His eyes softened when they landed on the General.

Mustang lay on the operating table, his upper body strapped down to the table to prevent movement that could result in further harming him. His eyes were tightly closed and his jaw was set. Fists that were once adorned with white gloves now clenched in pain. The harsh light of the room made his already ashen skin appear sickly pale and his face was covered in light beads of sweat.

When the sound of the door opening and closing reached Mustang's ears he cracked an eye open. His face relaxed ever so slightly when his eyes met those of Edward Elric. Their eyes remained locked as the teen closed the distance in between them.

"Edward, you can't be in here!" Winry snapped, her wrench in hand as she looked up from her work. Her annoyance was ignored, however, by the blonde who turned his eyes to Pinako.

"Do you have a damp rag or something?" He inquired softly.

Pinako nodded mutely, startled by the intensity of the boy's gaze. She'd only seen that look in his eyes once before, when he decided he wanted to join the military to find out about the stone and return Al back to normal. Now the boy's eyes were less naïve and gave the impression he'd seen far too much for a man his age. The intense look he gave her was no longer that of a boy with a dream, but of a young man with a purpose.

Edward ignored her searching gaze as he moved to the sink, rewetting the cloth and wringing it out before returning to his place by the bed. Neither of the women in the room missed how the General's eyes had followed the boy's every move. They simply chose not to comment on it.

"How you hanging in there?" Ed asked the General softly, dabbing at the pale skin of his face with the washcloth.

"I've been-" Mustang began but hissed lightly when Winry continued her work. It appeared the women had decided to let the blonde stay. "B-better."

"I'm sure." Ed replied. His lip turned up slightly at the corner in a lopsided smile but he didn't say anything else. He continued to wash Mustang's face with the rag, noting how the man's breathing became less erratic from the action.

The next half hour passed by uneventfully after that. Edward talked to Mustang about anything and everything, keeping the man's attention from the pain as much as possible in the situation. Winry and Pinako were able to finish the procedure with no complications now that the General was distracted. There was only a few instances when the pain became too much for Mustang, but each time Edward would smooth back his hair and talk him through the spell. The women found they were grateful that Edward had intervened. Without him they wouldn't have been able to finish so quickly.

Five o'clock found Winry and Pinako leaving the room, each with a secretive smile on their face. This confused the suit of armor that stood just outside the door, waiting for some sort of signal that he could go see his brother and the General. Instead of explaining the reason for their strange behavior, both women pointed back inside the room.

Curiosity got the best of Alphonse and he peeked his head inside the room, his lips pulling into a grin at the sight that met his eyes.

There in the middle of the room laid the General, his face peaceful as he slept. But it wasn't the General that he was smiling at, it was the blonde in the man's arms. Apparently the two had fallen asleep while talking, if the uncomfortable position Ed was in was any indication. His upper body was on the bed, but he remained on his feet. The only thing that was keeping the blonde up was the older man's hold on him.

Al crossed the room silently and picked his brother up, prepared to take him to his room where he could properly rest. The movement caused both of the sleeping men to protest, Mustang reaching out and grabbing Edward's waist and pulling him closer. Al's jaw dropped as his brother snuggled up to the General's side, both sighing contently.

He looked at the door to see Winry smiling at him and beckoning him to leave them be. He sighed and with a final look at his sleeping brother decided to let them sleep. He was sure tomorrow they wouldn't be nearly as quiet.