"OK, today I thought we might try artificially stimulating your arm, alright?"

Ed shuffled on the table silently. He was never rude or too distant from Dr. Yao, but he wasn't exactly talkative either. He hated feeling impaired and helpless even without adding his conditioned reaction to strangers being to brace himself for anything including alchemic attacks, fist fights or attempts on his life.

"We're just going to attach these little electric pads to you and see if we can wake up those nerves."

Al was watching from the other room anxiously but politely staying out of the way instead of hovering like a worried mother.

"Worried mother..ha," Al sighed to himself. He watched Dr. Yao attach some little square things with cords coming off them to Ed's arm. He didn't spend very long wondering what exactly they were. Ed would tell him everything on the way home. Al smiled a little as he began to imagine Ed's cranky, fed-up tone of voice as he explained everything to Al as if it were all extremely annoying. The only way Ed had learned to talk to Al about everyday matters was to act as if he were complaining. That was an unfortunate side effect of Ed's bull-headed acceptance of their... "former state". Al swallowed hard at the thought of how well they'd gotten to know Mustang during that time. Ed may have hated Mustang's manipulative know-it-all manner and attitude, but that didn't mean Edward totally denied Roy's being a human being and entitled to emotions. Not that Ed usually cared much about those emotions but drastic times had called for some seriously out-of-character pardons to certain people from Ed. Certain Colonels coming to the forefront of Al's mind because that's who he was thinking about anyway.

Squeaking interrupted that thought, as well as a familiar voice.

"I hate puddles now, you know that? I hate puddles."

"Sure, Hav." Breda sounded tired and for a moment Al wondered if Breda felt as tired of taking care of Jean as he felt of caring for Ed. Not a 'sick-of' tired, but he had to admit it wasn't easy. Especially because Ed absolutely refused to be limited by his condition, which meant he was constantly on the move and constantly needing Al to pick him up after he'd fallen on his face. Al wondered if Jean was more laid back or not. He watched Breda crouching down to inspect Havoc's squeaky wheels while the blond sat there looking irritated.

"We'll oil them when we get back, OK?" Breda offered.

"We'll have to pick up more oil on the way. I've almost emptied the can Roy gave me."

"General, Havoc. We're in a military clinic."

Al decided Havoc wasn't all that laid back. Jean had always seemed to be the most relaxed of the East HQ crew, but Al now recalled that the former second lieutenant had never stayed still for long. Maybe he was going stir-crazy. That was probably it.

Al couldn't even count the times now that Ed had woken him in the middle of the night or right as he was falling asleep, insisting they explore the city or go to a park or a library. Ed seemed to forget that most libraries were not open at eleven and two and four at night or that he had always hated Central City and got bored exploring it.

"But," Al thought, "At least the First Lieutenant doesn't refuse to use a wheelchair."

That fact made Ed an especially irritating victim of midnight wanderlust.

"Hey Alphonse!" Jean rolled over. "So... Is Ed here?"

Al smiled and nodded, opening his mouth but eing cut off by an enourmously loud yelp. Al rushed to the door, shoving through to see why Ed had yelled.

"I'm so sorry, Dr. I really am, Oh God. I'm so sorry Mr. Elric."

Ed was giving the nurse a very bitter look right now and Al's cry of "BROTHER!" didn't even make him flinch.

"It's OK, Al. She dropped one of the electric pads on me."

"Um...oh," Al said faintly. Right behind him, Jean started laughing. Loudly.

"That's what happens when you glare at people all the time, Ed. It comes back and bites you in the ass."

"Shut the hell up! What are you even doing here?"

"I'm here to ask the doctor a question."

"Hmp." Ed pulled his shirt on with the doctor's help before leaning on Al's offered shoulder and hobbling out the door, glaring at Jean on the way.

"Jeez, Ed. What's the matter, couldn't afford a wheelchair so you're making your brother carry you?"

"What! I'm not gonna sit on my ass all day and make people push me around!"

"Hey! I do not make people push me! I can do it myself! At least get a crutch so you don't kill poor Alphonse."

"I-... forgot it at home." Ed blushed, looking away. Al sighed.

"Brother. You got bored and transmuted it. Several times. I thought it ended up as a color-coded spice rack but I haven't seen it for a few days so I thought you'd used it to fix that leak."

"No... I used your other pair of shoes for that."

"Edward Elric! How many times have I told you not to use my stuff without asking! I liked those shoes!"

"They were ugly and it was leaking really badly. And don't use that stupid Mother-Hen tone with me! you're younger than I am!"

"But more considerate."

"What?" Ed continued to berate Alphonse as the two shuffled out the door.

Jean looked after them for a bit after the door shut before Dr. Yao beckoned him in. "You had a question for me?"

"Um, yeah... I-uh, wanted to know if it's OK for me to live alone yet. My dorm's all wheelchair modified, so can Breda here go back to his?"

"As long as you have someone very close by who you can call in case of emergency."

"Yeah. I know lots of people in the dorms, plus Roy lives... Well actually he's a bit far. Ed's closer." Jean looked thoughtful.

"Ed? I've never heard you mention him before. Did you make a new friend?" The Dr. smiled. Occasionally he seemed to go into a talking-to-a-four-year-old mode and Jean had not appreciated it at all when they had first met.

"Met up with an old one. The kid who just left here. Edward."

"Oh! You know, he's about in the same state as you are right now. Since you keep refusing to come to group therapy-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Breda interrupted. "Ed is not someone you want to look to for emotional support."

"Often it's the most stubborn patients that find comfort in others like them," The doctor replied as if he'd forgotten Havoc was still right there and probably didn't want to hear how stubborn he was.

"Yeah, well," was Jean's only reply.

"Well anyway, thanks Doc. Sleeping on his couch and waking up with my face mashed into the armrest is not as enjoyable as he seems to think it should be." Breda waved goodbye as Jean grinned widely.

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Short chappie, but at least I'm updating!! I'm sorry I abandoned this story for so long, the next chapter should be up very soon. R&R please!