Chapter fourteen
A/N: so as I mentioned in the rant in the last chapter there may be a little more of Ed in this chapter. There may be a bit of parental Roy here but that's just to help along with the whole plot so this isn't going to go down that path.
Me: hey ed I just thought of something. About you being little.
Ed: Style why the hell you keep calling me little?
ME: well compared to me you aren't little.
Ed: what the hell I'm like 5'2" are you small
Me: Yeah, 5'1.5" (looks away)
Ed: (hugs wildly and kisses) Yay finally someone shorter than me!
Me: *Melts from kiss*
Ed: Stlye? *poke poke* oh well on with the story!
Mustang heard it coming but there was nothing he could do to stop it. He heard it coming whizzing and then felt a terrible pain in his shoulder. He was then falling until he hit his knees. His world felt different everything was spinning now. Everything was in motion he heard his name being called and saw someone coming over to him. That someone was Breda.
"Sir? Sir? Sir we need to get you off the battle field immediately," Breda said.
Roy shook his head. He could deal with the pain and the babies could too. Roy took the bottom of Breda's shirt and ripped it off. He tied it around his bicep using his free hand and teeth. He then went back on the front line.
"Sir what the hell do you think you're doing. You're going to hurt-," it was then that Breda understood. The General was in a lot of pain and knew that he should get off the battle field immediately. But a General was also not brought down by a bullet. 'At first I thought he was going to harm the babies by keeping in the battle like this' Breda thought, 'Now I realize he's protecting them. If he acts like it's not that big of a deal people won't question him.' With that Breda headed back to his post and kept fighting.
Riza had seen the whole incident from her side of the field and though it crazy that Roy was still going to fight. She wanted to go over there and pound some sense into the General but she knew that she had to stand her ground. She kept commanding the soldiers even after her voice left her. 'I'm beginning to wonder,' she thought to herself, 'could this be the end of us all?'
Soon the North army became tired and some of them started to fall. Roy watched as he saw a few of his men lying dead beside him. He started to shake a little. He hated seeing his men dead not to mention that all the blood loss was bothering him. He knew thought that he had to be strong for his army and for his country. So with seemingly endless energy he barked out orders at the soldiers and still followed with a burst of flame every time he said the word fire. After every one of his commands the other side would command the same thing and more of the men would fall to the ground next to Roy.
On Riza's side of the field things weren't looking to good either. Many of her soldiers had fallen. She kept barking out commands and kept shooting down the enemy with her sniper skills. 'I hope night comes soon,' she thought looking at the orange sky. Just then Jean was grazed in the knee by a bullet.
"Jean!" Riza shouted going towards him.
"Riza what the heck are you doing? Command the army like Roy told you it's just a graze I'll be fine," Jean said smiling.
Riza nodded her head in understanding. She looked lovingly at him and went back to commanding the troops. She made sure that every man they aimed for fell. The luck of her soldiers plus her sniper like skills easily brought down many of the forces of the enemy.
Roy looked over at Riza and smiled. He loved how she would just keep going with no question or no hesitation. Soon though Roy heard the voice of Breda behind him.
"Sir we are losing too many men have the soldiers stand back and let the alchemists take care of this one," Breda said.
"Breda that would be impossible and I would not ask that of my alchemists."
"But sir all the alchemists have been trying to avoid getting hit by our men. Let them do their jobs."
"Fine I will try for just a moment. All soldiers hold your fire!" Mustang yelled. The soldiers gave him odd looks but brought down their guns. "Alchemists do whatever it takes to bring the troops down now." Roy being an alchemist himself stepped up more and sent a huge blast unlike anything he had sent before into the midst of the enemy soldiers. When the flames disappeared a quarter of the battlefield was cooked, ground included. Ed had sent up more spikes and was determined to beat the enemy. His gold eyes glared with fury. Armstrong was sparkling and punching the ground as he went making many soldiers fall or fly to their death.
"That is the blood that has been passed down through the Armstrong generations," he said bringing up some spikes like Ed's and then proceeding to flex his muscles.
The soldiers were happy for the break and the alchemists were happy to have a clear shot of the enemy. 'Not a bad idea Breda remind me to give you something for this later,' thought Roy as he looked at the enemy. There were few left alive let alone standing. The alchemists kept transmuting and taking down more enemy soldiers for a good portion of the day. However, close to sunset Roy knew he wanted all the men to help so that they may achieve a small victory for the day.
"Soldiers at the ready. Alchemists take your stance! Attack!" roy shouted and Riza did the same on the opposite end of the field. After this shoot the sun started to dip signifying that it was evening and that they battle was over, for now at least. Mustang and his men cheered. They had gained significant ground on the enemy today. But then amidst the hooraying and shouts came a bloodcurdling scream. Riza had heard the shot and looked over to see Ed falling to his knees.
"Ed!" she screamed catching the attention of Roy and the rest of the team.
Roy and Breda hurried to the middle of the battlefield while Riza and Falman came from the other side with Jean watching in horror.
"Ed! Fullmetal where did you get hit? Ed say something!" Roy shouted. His reponse was Ed spitting up blood.
"He got hit in the abdomen," Havoc shouted being able to see from his angle on the ground.
Riza looked down horrified that Havoc was right. Ed was clutching his stomach and there was blood dripping through his fingers. She put her hand on his shoulder.
"Breda I'm gonna need you to put pressure on that NOW! And Falman go to the radio room and get an ambulance here now," Roy barked worried to death about the youngest member of their group.
Breda took his shirt and used some clean water from Hawkeye's canteen to wet the shirt. Then with the help of Hawkeye and Mustang they moved Ed so that he was sitting, but putting all his weight on the Lieutenant. Breda pressed the shirt to Ed's wound and started to apply pressure. Ed screamed.
"Hang in there chief," Breda said as he frowned slightly. He kept the pressure on and looked u p as he heard footsteps approaching them. Falman was running towards them at high speed.
"The ambulance should be here in about two minutes. How's he doing?" Falman asked looking at the kid.
"Not too good," Hawkeye responded feeling her blues getting wet with the kids sweat. "He's going into shock put your jacket around him Roy."
Roy places his military jacket around the boy whose breathing had now become labored. 'come on Fullmetal you've gotta pull through,' he thought as he heard sirens in the background.
"Riza I can speak for mys-," Ed started to say but was cut off by a cough. He started coughing some more making him bleed through his wound more. Breda pushed down harder. Ed screamed again tears of pain running down his face.
"Easy Edward," breda said.
"Go get them and quick he's bleeding out," Hawkeye stated. Falman rushed off to get the ambulance.
Falman rushed off and soon there were two paramedics by Ed's side. One assessed the wound and spoke quickly with the other paramedic. Immediately they started to staunch the flow of the blood from Ed's wound. The paramedics didn't know if the bullet had missed Ed's femoral artery or not so they loaded him into the ambulance as fast as they could. Roy was allowed to go with Ed and the rest followed in the car with Hawkeye driving like a madwoman.
As they sat in the ambulance time seemed to slow down. Roy looked at the boy and could barely decipher what the paramedics were saying. He thought he heard a "get him oxygen now" and another "we're losing him come on we've got to help this kid." AS the time slowed though all Roy could do was clutch his belly and watch as small Edward grew paler and paler by the second. At the very moment Mustang thought Ed was gone he felt the ambulance slowing down. Soon Roy regained his senses and realized that the paramedics were taking Ed out of the ambulance and wheeling him towards the ER of the Northern General Hospital. Roy swiftly got out and followed them into the ER. He looked back to see that Hawkeye and crew were in tow.
Roy sat waiting in the ER for news on the youngest member of their team. It had been nearly three hours since Ed had arrived and there was no word on whether or not the kid was even alive. Roy looked up to see Riza pacing the floor looking like she would shoot the nurse if they didn't hear about Edward soon. Breda and Falman twiddled their thumbs in an anxious way. Jean had gone outside to have a cigarette or five. Roy looked at the floor trying to occupy himself with something. The babies were restless and were kicking hard at this moment. Roy rubbed his belly and started talking to them.
"Shhhhhhh now it's all right daddy is going through a rough patch right now he's worried about your Uncle Edward. Ed should be fine though," Roy said more to himself than his babies. He wasn't at all sure if Ed was going to pull through. Heck he didn't even know if Ed was still alive for all he knew they could be taking so long because they were embalming the poor kid. Kain came over to Roy knowing what was going through his mind.
"He'll be fine Roy, Ed is a tough kid. There isn't anything so far that he hasn't pulled through for," Kain smiled after saying this. He knew though deep in his heart that it was a high possibility that the eldest Elric brother had met his end. it was actually the most probable thing to happen considering where Ed was shot. Just as the team thought Ed was gone for good a doctor emerged from the Emergancy Room doors.
"Who here is with Edward Elric?" the doctor asked and the whole team rose to their feet. "please come with me I need to tell you something."
The team followed as instructed. The doctor led them past many normal ER rooms and through twisting corridors. To Roy it seemed like a horrible maze that was meant to make one go mentally insane before they saw their dead loved ones. Maybe they used the twisted passage because the brain would become confused and it would take longer for the death of the person to sink in and there wouldn't be as much shock. At last the reached another door and all were horrified of what it said.
"Doctor are you sure this is where our friend is?" Riza asked looking skeptically at the lettering on the door that said ICU. To all of them it was a shock. Ed had never been in the ICU before. That wasn't what scared them though. The fact of the matter was that Ed hated hospitals. Hated was somewhat of an understatement. And this was when he was in a normal room with a problem like a broken arm. To be in the ICU though….none of them wanted to be around when he woke up.
Roy was the first to step into Edward's room. It was brightly lit and there were monitors everywhere. Roy saw they were measuring a variety of things such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and brain activity. He felt sorry for Ed. 'Why did this have to happen to him? He already has two fake limbs that cause him pain. Why him why not one of us?' Roy thought as he looked onto the pale Edward.
"Why did it take so long for you to get us?" Jean asked in a snippy voice.
"Mr. Elric here was doing badly in surgery. We were also having some trouble getting the bullet out. He is stable now, but I should say that anything can go wrong at any moment. He isn't 100% yet and he may never be again."
"What do you mean by he might never be again?" Breda asked looking at the kid.
"Well the bullet hit him in such a spot that he may never be able to walk again," the doctor looked down at his feet and then sadly back up at the team of people who had come to support the child in bed, "I am very sorry about this."
"Is there anything…." Hawkeye was cut off by a sound coming from nearby.
The doctor looked over and almost jumped out of his skin in shock. The kid that had gotten out of surgery only and hour or so ago was lying there awake as if nothing had happened. The shocking thing was that he was also remaining stable. Most patients that woke up after that kind of surgery destabilized immediately. Then something that seemed like a miracle to the doctor happened… Ed spoke.
"Hey where am I? What happened? Can I have some time alone with my friends?" Ed asked the doctor. The doctor stood there looking stunned and replied with a curt nod and left the room and the gathering of people to tend to Edward and tell him what happened.
"Well Ed you got shot and then…" Roy was cut off by Ed waving his hand impatiently.
"I know I got shot. Its my abdomen that hurts and my memory isn't shot," Ed replied, "But I still want to know….WHERE THE HELL AM I?"
"Calm yourself Edward," Riza said in a soothing voice, "Your in the ICU at Northern General. You have just gone through some surgery to remove the bullet and have come of the drugs remarkably quickly."
"You took me to a hospital?" Edward asked starting to boil with anger.
"You would die if we didn't Fullmetal! Now what the hell is your problem? Would you rather die than be hospitalized? Would you love to leave Al and never get his body back?" roy yelled starting to cry. He then clutched his stomach protectively. Ed's eyes got a large as dinner plates as he stammered out the next sentence.
"G-general w-what h-ha-p-pened to y-your st-stomach?" Edward said glancing at it nervously.
Roy looked at his subordinates nervously wondering if he should tell Ed what had been happening. Riza nodded her approval and Jean looked at Roy with a 'go ahead' look. The others waited with baited breath as the General turned to fully face Edward.
"I'm pregnant with triplets Edward,"Roy responded patting his tummy where the babies had now calmed down.
"Wait what?" Ed said looking at the stomach.
"You heard me I'm pregnant."
"So there are babies in there? C-can I touch your abdomen?" Edward asked looking lovingly at Mustang.
"Of course you can," Roy said stepping forward knowing that Ed was fascinated with the miracle of birth.
Ed reached out his hand and touched the General's stomach. He felt one of the babies kick and his eyes widened. He was amazed that there could be life in there and it could be advanced enough to move and kick through the parents stomach. Ed continued to feel around Mustang's stomach feeling all the movements of each of the triplets.
"So they really are in there?" Ed asked looking astounded.
"Yes they are Edward," Roy responded looking lovingly at the child.
Riza smiled at Ed as he smiled at Roy. She knew the kid was curious about the kids and she was too. Riza and Jean had been planning on having one of their own soon. Originally the couple thought that Riza would have to leave her military post to take care of the baby during her term, but after seeing Mustang use flame alchemy while pregnant with triplets had given them a different idea of how to raise the children. Riza looked behind her and saw a metal chunk coming through the hall to the room. It could only be one person, Al. Al was always concerned with Edward's health and she had had no doubt that the younger Elric brother would show up sooner or later.
"Brother are you ok?" Al said as he rushed into the room.
"I'm fine Al just a gunshot wound," Ed replied ending his conversation with Mustang. Just then something happened that would blow the whole northern operation. Riza heard military shoes clacking on the floor. She turned to see who it was. Roy turned to face the door protectively clutching his stomach. Then the worst thing that could possibly happen to Roy happened in just that moment. Riza was the only one to speak to the person coming into the room.
"Hello Fuhrer Bradley," she said saluting the head of the country.
A/N: SO as we can see Roy may be in some trouble, Al is in the picture and Ed found out about Roy being pregnant. Another chappie should be up soon.