Roy woke to the smell of water and clean linen. He blinked, and then put his hand to his left eye, which had not blinked. There was bandage covering it, as well as most of the left side of his head. Thinking to find a mirror to see the damage, he began to sit up, but a splitting pain in his right shoulder stopped him. Sinking back into the pillows, he looked over to see that his right shoulder was, in fact, all that remained of his right arm. He grimaced as he remembered everything that had happened in the workroom. Then he did sit upright, pain in his shoulder be damned, because Riza was in danger.
"Whoa, hey there," someone said. Roy had to turn his head to completely see the man sitting by his bedside, wearing a military uniform and a braid in his blonde hair.
"Where is she?" Roy said, and was surprised to hear his voice come out normally.
"Your friend in the armor? Right over there," the man said, pointing.
Roy looked, and saw the robot huddled against the wall. He sighed, then, exhaling everything supporting him and lay back down.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I've caused a lot of trouble, haven't I?"
"I caused it too." Riza's voice sounded strange and hollow coming out of the machine. Roy closed his eye and turned his head away from her.
"So who are you?" he asked the officer.
"The one who bandaged you up, so a little gratitude would be appreciated," the man said, raising his eyebrow.
Roy ducked his head. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," the officer said. "I'm Major Edward Elric."
"What are you doing here? I mean, we're not exactly close to any military bases."
"You've been making a name for yourself, Roy Mustang," Major Elric said, allowing a bit of a smile into his voice. "The brilliant assistant to Bert Hawkeye, correcting his master's work – your name's gotten around. I came to investigate."
"You want to take him into the army," Riza said suddenly, bitterly.
"Not if he doesn't want to go," the major said smoothly. "But it's an option. State alchemists are afforded a lot of privileges, and a very handsome salary. Roy, you're a very talented alchemist already. You could do your country a lot of good as a state alchemist."
"My father said that state alchemists are the dogs of the military," Riza continued.
Major Elric smirked ruefully. "He was right, but that doesn't mean it's all bad. You have a lot of authority, and you get a pretty hefty research grant each year. State alchemists aren't regular soldiers."
"Are you a state alchemist?" Roy asked, shooting Riza a glance.
"I am, but I'm also a soldier," Elric said. He reached into his pocket and produced a silver pocket watch. "This is the badge of a state alchemist, that's given to you when you pass the exam. You also receive a second name related to your particular skills."
"So what's yours?"
Elric smiled a little, obviously proud. "I'm the Fullmetal alchemist."
Roy nodded, but did not continue the conversation. After several moments of silence, Elric stood.
"I'm going to make up a bed in the next room. I'll stay the night with you two, and in the morning we can see about getting you to a proper doctor," he said.
"Do you need any help?" Riza asked automatically, as she had always asked her father.
"I'll be fine, thank you," Elric said. He left the room and closed the door with a small click.
"Do you need a bed?" Roy asked as soon as the door was closed.
"I don't think so," Riza said slowly. "I don't… I'm not sleepy. I don't think I can sleep, even if I wanted to."
"Are you sure?"
"You were out for a long time," she said. "I tried."
"Okay."
Riza still sat on the floor, but with the major gone, she found herself more anxious to watch over Roy herself. She stood, trying to be quiet, but she clanked and creaked the whole way up. Roy was looking at her, and she could tell that he was trying not to stare.
"How do I look?" she joked weakly as she stepped to the bedside chair.
"Like a robot," he said simply.
"Ha ha." She tried to make a face at him, but nothing changed.
"Your eyes glow," Roy said after a second. "They're kind of reddish."
"Huh."
And then she was crying. She didn't know how she was doing it, lacking everything that should be producing the tears, but she was crying anyway, big heaving sobs from the gut of her soul. Roy tried to calm her down, but failed when he began to cry.
Vision unblurred by tears, Riza was able to see when he flinched and grabbed his shoulder after a particularly big sob. That, unfortunately, made her cry harder. They fed off each other like this for a while, until Roy quieted into an unhappy doze. Riza leaned on the bed and looked at him, so pale and gaunt. He had seemed so much stronger than her when he swore they could get her father back. And now there he was, and she – well, she was a robot. She supposed she would have to spend a while figuring out how to work herself, especially with a gun for a hand.
But her thoughts were interrupted. Roy wasn't asleep, and he clenched his remaining hand tightly around the sheets.
"Riza, I promise you that I'll do everything I can to get you your body back," he whispered.
"And you," she replied, and almost laughed to see the startled look he wore. "Did you think I'd let you go sacrifice yourself for me again? We're in this together. I'll get your body back too."
The next morning, Major Elric brought a tray of food up for the two children. They were grateful and in better spirits than in the night; the bright sunlight streaming through the bedroom windows made sure of that. They did, however, fall subdued when they saw the look on the major's face.
"I went into the basement last night," he said. The kids looked at each other guiltily. "Human transmutation is forbidden," he continued. "I don't think I have to explain why, now."
"No sir," Roy mumbled. Riza hung her head.
"Do you mind if I ask who it was?" Elric pressed.
"My dad," Riza said tonelessly.
Elric crossed to her side and put his hand on her shoulder. "I understand. My father left when I was very young, and my mother died a few years later."
"Did you-"
"No," Elric said sharply. "But I almost did. My brother and I were desperate, but no. Not that desperate."
"Will you arrest us?" Roy asked.
"No," Elric said. "You're just kids, and you know better. But you can never tell anyone that you did this. Not everyone is as understanding as I am."
It sounded like a threat, but it was certainly true.
"Are you gonna blackmail us?" Roy asked, Master Hawkeye's distrust of the military kicking in.
Elric chuckled bitterly. "No, kid. I'm not that kind of a man. You'll have to trust me on that." He looked down at Riza, whose plate of food was untouched. "Go on, eat. You'll need your strength."
"I'm not hungry," she said.
"Even so, you should-"
"No, I'm not hungry. I can't be hungry," Riza insisted. When he looked like he was going to protest, she grabbed the tiny handle she had discovered in the front of her chest casing and pulled open the panel. "I'm not human anymore. I'm not hungry."
Elric stared in shock, but Roy managed a tight smile.
"That's my doing, sir. The rebound took her body, but I sealed her soul to a prototype robot in the workroom. You can see the sigil in the back, there."
"This is- you did this?"
Roy nodded.
"After the rebound got your arm and your eye?"
"No sir, the rebound only took my eye. I lost the arm bringing her back," Roy said.
"I'll be damned," Elric muttered. "You really are something else, boy."
The conversation died as Riza closed herself back up, but there was still business to attend to.
"Now, I have a friend in Central who's an automail mechanic," Elric said after Roy ate some of his breakfast. "You don't have to do it, but she could give you a new arm."
