Welcome to chapter three. There will be some explaining in this chapter, I hope it all makes sense. ^.^
©Yakubi
Only Human: Chapter Three
Breathing harshly, the group moved though the train, finally selecting a pair of secluded seats in the back. The group shoved their luggage, with much help from Al, into the overhead shelves before sitting down. Ed and Cat on one bench and Al and Sarah on the other, Sarah and Edward having the window seats.
An uncomfortable silence choked the alchemists. Though they tried not to stare, three pair of eyes kept moving back to Sarah as she watched the country scenery go by.
"Sarah." Edward said, steel in his voice. He needed to know how she had transmuted her blood, a taboo act of human alchemy, and lived, much less avoided the gate.
Sarah continued to stare out the window, seemingly enthralled by the passing fields.
"Sarah?" Alphonse tried this time, his voice sounding hesitant.
Sarah sighed before turning her face away from the window. She let her head fall forward, her eyes locked on the red carpet of the train. "You want to know about my alchemy." It was not a question.
Catherine leaned forward, interlacing her fingers and placing her elbows on her knees. "You transmuted your blood. That's human alchemy; it's not possible for you to just commit a taboo and have nothing happen, not to mention you did it with out the use of circles." Catherine's hands tightened, her knuckles turning white as she fought off the memory of her parents' deaths. Now was not the time to be lost in the past. "How did you…?"
Sarah sighed again, something she seemed to be doing a lot of recently. "There is a disorder called hemochromatosis. Most people eat about ten milligrams of iron a day, but out of that, the body only takes about one percent. People with hemochromatosis could eat the exact same things as people who don't, but these people's bodies can take up to twenty percent of the iron ingested, regardless of how much iron is needed."
"What does that have to do with you committing a taboo?" Edward scoffed, his tone rude.
"Just let her finish, I'm sure she's got a reason to tell us this." Alphonse said calmly before turning back to Sarah.
"Usually, this excess iron is found in the blood or crusted around certain organs. The organs that have iron build up can fail, and hemochromatosis can also cause bone defects and even death." Sarah raised her eyes, a small chuckle escaping her lips, but her eyes looked sad. "Death… just by a little iron." Sarah faced the group. "There is no cure for this disorder, but there are treatments, such as limiting your diet or having blood drawn regularly. And although this is usually an adult onset disorder, some cases have shown symptoms in the early teens." Sarah shook her head. "I came up with my own treatment."
Catherine balked. "You have this hemochromatosis thing?"
"Yes. Because of this disorder, the iron builds up in my blood, if I don't get rid of the excess iron I could become very ill, or die."
Edward gasped. "You're not transmuting your blood…"
Sarah's eyes flashed. "No, I'm not. What I transmute is the excess iron; I use it before it can cause problems. Alchemy is my treatment." Sarah sighed. "And I do use circles. I have circles tattooed on the backs of my hands; I hit those two together causing a transmutation. I use that to transmute my blood into forming whatever circle I need onto the skin of my palms. Then I clap my hands together to transmute a second time.
The group let silence flow over them. Ed, Cat, and Alphonse let themselves think on the subject while Sarah went back to looking out the window.
"Sarah…" Alphonse started.
Sarah said nothing.
Edward looked over to the dark girl. "We're sorry alright? …we shouldn't have assumed."
Sarah stared into the glass, her eyes on her reflection. "It's fine; it was only a natural conclusion." Sarah turned to the group, her eyes sharp. "And don't pity me, I have a disease, it doesn't mean I'm going to drop to my knees and die.
Catherine laughed. "Don't worry; we don't pity you, we're just glad to finally know something about you."
Edward sighed as he leaned against the window. For some reason, he could feel it in his bones that this trip would not be as clean cut as he hoped. There was still much to learn about Sarah Kaine, and it was Ed and Cat's job to find out all they could.
The rest of the trip was spent in silence. The train's steady bumps over the tracks lulled the four companions to sleep, each with a different question in their minds.
A whistle blew sharp and clear in the country air, its shrill call waking the alchemists from their peaceful slumber. Working the kinks out of their necks, they got off the train, luggage in hand. Stepping onto the train platform, they made their way out into the small village. The village was home to farmers, their houses spread out wide so that their individual livestock had enough room to graze and wander. Here, in this tiny hamlet, Edward, Cat and Alphonse hoped to find a clue to the whereabouts of the Philosopher's Stone. Edward took the lead, the other three following him wordlessly.
"Where are we going?" Sarah asked, as she was not familiar with why they were in such a backwater town.
"We are going to see a man called Dr. Marcoh. He seems to have some information about the stone." Alphonse leaned down to whisper to the shorter girl.
Sarah nodded as Ed spoke. "We have a little bit of a walk. His house is on the outskirts of town from the information we gathered last time we were here."
"Why did you leave if it's so important that you talk to him?" Sarah asked, genuinely curious.
Edward smiled. "We had to come pick you up."
Sarah blushed and looked down. "…sorry."
Edward stopped and turned around, the other two standing next to him and he looked at Sarah. "Stop apologizing, it's not like you could help it. Let's just get to Marcoh, get the information and then go back to East."
Sarah nodded, as the group started moving again. The walk was long, the sun sinking ever lower and they marched down the old-fashioned dirt road. The dust in the air made coughing a regular sound among the group, but steady progress was made. The group finally reached the small clinic at the end of town; it was rumored to be run by Dr. Marcoh. The sun was now just barely peaking over the horizon.
Edward sighed. "You ready? I don't know what the guy will do, so make sure you're ready for anything."
"Alright." Catherine said. "Let's just go, I just want to get back to the town and get something to eat." The girl's stomach rumbled to accent her statement. A blush formed on the blond girl's cheeks at the sound. "Sorry…" She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
Sarah moved towards the front of the house. Waiting had never been something she was good at. Edward, Catherine and Alphonse jogged up to her, Ed taking the lead again, his brother behind him. Catherine stayed behind the brunette girl. Edward made his way up the steps, he felt reassured by the steady metal footfalls of his brother behind him. Stopping on the porch, which was only big enough for the two Elric brothers to stand on, he looked to his companions, Catherine and Sarah on the stairs. Edward turned back to the door and raised his hand, just as his knuckle touched the cold wood of the door it was yanked open from the inside.
Edward quickly looked the man over. He wore a worn brown suit jacket over a white shirt and plain pants. Grey framed the sides of the man's head. The man's eyes were open and panicked, they flashed down to Edward's front right pocket, the man's eyes widened further as he spotted the silver chain of the state alchemist's pocket watch. "You…!" The man pulled out a gun and aimed it at Edward. "I won't let you take me back!"
"Brother!" Alphonse pushed his brother behind him just at the man pulled the trigger, the bullet bounced harmlessly off of Al's metal body.
A dark shadow flew past the Elric brother's and shot at the man. The man was now pinned to the ground by Sarah. Catherine was right behind her and quickly relived the panicking man of his weapon. Sarah's gaze was hard as she looked the man in the eyes. She felt like something was gnawing at her from the inside. She let a little bit of it show as she spoke, the man being the only one that could see the change in her. "Who are you?" Her voice dripped venom.
"Ma-Marcoh…" The man stuttered.
Sarah reined herself back in and then turned to glance at the Elric brothers as they entered the clinic. "He says he's Dr. Marcoh."
"Then let him up." Edward looked stern.
Sarah got off of the man and even offered him a hand to help him up. The man got up on his own and moved towards the only table in the room. He sat down heavily in one of the chairs, he cradled his head in his hands as sobs shook his frame. "There's no hope is there? You're going to take me back…. I'll have to make those awful stones again…"
"Marcoh!" Edward nearly yelled as he stomped over to the man. "If you're done with you pity party why don't you listen to what we have to say?"
"I know what you're here to do!" The graying man yelled. "You're going to take be back!"
Edward was about three seconds away from decking the man. Old or not he was wearing away Ed's limited patience. "No we're not!" The man raised his eyes to stare at the blond youth. "We only came here talk."
Edward took a seat at on of the empty chairs; Catherine took the seat next to him to put emphasis on the point. Sarah and Alphonse remained standing behind the two blond alchemists. Marcoh looked up at the four, his eyes lingered a moment longer on Sarah before moving back to Edward. "If you're not here to take me back then what do you want?"
Edward had never been one to beat around the bush. "We want your research notes."
"What?"
"We want your research notes." Sarah said emotionlessly.
"…on the stone?" Marcoh whispered.
"Yes." Catherine said. "Please, we really need your notes."
Marcoh put his head back into his hands. "I will… I will never let anyone see those notes."
"What? Why?" Alphonse was shocked.
Marcoh looked up, his eyes glinting. "It's the devil's work! I refuse to let anyone else soil their hands with it!"
Edward got up, his bangs hiding his eyes. "I see." The blond walked up to the left wall.
"What are you doing?" Marcoh's voice shook.
"Your research," Edward raised his metal fist. "It's here isn't it?" The blond punched a hole in the wall, the wooden boards splintering and giving way to the force behind his metal arm.
Marcoh gasped. "What are you doing?"
Edward pulled back his hand. Small bottles filled with a crimson liquid filled the inside of the wall. "This is your research right?" Ed grabbed one of the bottles and held it up to the light; the bottle cast a blood red shadow on his face. "Where are your notes?" Ed glanced at the shaking man, his amber eyes flashing.
"I won't tell you, its evil work."
"I'll decide that, where are your notes?"
Sarah sighed. "Dr. Marcoh, just-"
"Dr. Maroh!" A tan man burst through the door, interrupting the gathering of alchemists. The man paused at the sight of the four strangers in the house. "I'm sorry to interrupt but please, you must come to the square!"
Marcoh rose from his chair, worry etched in every line of his elderly face. "What happened?"
"It's Emily! That weak old barn finally collapsed, but at the wrong time! Emily and her friend's were playing in it and it came down, everyone else got out but little Em's stuck in there!"
Before the man had even finished his sentence the five alchemists where running down the street, the tan man behind them. Though running to the center of town took some time, the place was easy to find by the large crowd around it.
Marcoh ran though the crowd. "Please! Get out of the way!" Though some of the people turned around to recognize the town doctor, 'Dr. Maroh', most didn't even blink an eye as the alchemists tried to get through.
Catherine turned to Al with a sigh. "Alphonse! Maybe you could get some of these people outta our way?" Cat nearly had to shout to be heard over the roar of the crowd.
Alphonse nodded understanding and turned forward. After pulled the four other alchemists behind him Alphonse turned back to the crowd. "Everyone, get out of the way!" Though Alphonse was usually a very polite and somewhat quiet boy, no one other than his three companions knew that. That crowd parted quickly in the face of what seemed to be a giant of a man in a suit of armor. "Thank you very much." Al said in his normal tone. The five alchemists hurried forward.
There, in the left side of the square, sat the toppled remains of what used to be a large barn. What seemed to be the girl's family sat closest to the rubble heap, crying could be heard from the group of people. Edward ran forward, using his metal leg to propel himself forward faster. "Sarah, Catherine! Help me clear the debris out of the way! Alphonse, get in there the moment you see and opening, get the girl out!"
Sarah and Catherine dashed forward, the two girls running to the sides of the barn and using both muscle and alchemy to move the splintered pieces of wood aside. Al and Ed ran to the front of the barn, Edward doing his best to make an entrance into the rubble using alchemy. "We don't know where she is!" Edward yelled to Al. "Sarah and Cat will work their way to the center and I'll start from here, you go inside and see what you can find!" Alphonse dove in without a word, his metal body disappearing quickly in the ruin of the barn.
Marcoh stood back, astounded. Here where these people he had just met, working so hard to save the life of someone they didn't even know. Soon, even the dazed Marcoh could hear the cries of the child lost inside the ruble.
Transmutations flared brightly from the barn, Catherine suddenly gasped. "I found her!" Catherine pulled the crying child from the remains of the barn. Catherine ran over to Marcoh, the child in her arms wailing loudly, her tiny fists wound tightly into the blue material of Catherine's shirt. Soon, Sarah, Edward and Alphonse were at her side as they made their way to Marcoh, the family of the girl struggling to make their way to the doctor. "Marcoh!" The blond girl held the child out to the startled man. "You're a doctor! Do something!"
Marcoh looked the girl over quickly, she seemed to have a small wound on her head, but there was a large bleeding gash on the girls left arm. Marcoh fished through his pocket until he felt cool glass on his fingers. Quickly pulling out the bottle in his pocket, he pulled the stopper from it and let the red liquid flow into his hand. With the touch of oxygen, he felt the substance become semi-solid. Putting the gelatinous substance up to the girl's wound, he willed a transmutation. With a flash of light from the stone, the girl's bleeding stopped and the wound seemed to knit itself back together.
The girl's family finally pushed its way through the crowd. "Emily!" the girl's mother's voice sounded shrill in the ears of the listeners. "Emily! Give me back my Emily!" The woman cried.
Marcoh turned to Catherine. "Take her to the clinic, I'll be there shortly with the girl's family." Catherine and the other's took off at a brisk jog. The sooner they got to the girl to a place she could rest the better. Something tore at Catherine's heart as she ran away, the calls of the girl's mother ringing in her ears.
Explaining Sarah was hard. One of the reasons I write fanfiction is so I can avoid having to tell people about the characters because they already know.
Oh well.
Oh, and hemochromatosis is a real disease. ^.^
Hopefully you liked this chapter. Please leave a review.
Yakubi