Disclaimer: I don't own FMA, belongs always to Arakawa-san
Chapter 5: The Release
The Infirmary, Olivier's room
"C'mon mommy, can go to the toy store to buy a dolly now please?" Olivier pleaded politely towards Riza.
Olivier was now wearing her traditional Amestris blue uniform, along with her usual rank and medal chest patches, and wore her regular high boots along with her uniform. But the strangest part for her was that she's not used to wearing "grown up clothes." In her own childishness, she wished she wanted to wear some pretty clothes like a gown or some skirts.
"Bwah, I want some clothes mommy, not big people clothes!" childish Olivier protested and crouched down in her chagrin about the clothes she is wearing.
Riza smiled and kneeled down to the distraught Olivier and placed both of her hands on the child at heart's shoulders. "Olivier, I'm sorry but it's for your own good. Nothing much for mommy to do here with your clothes for now. We might get the clothes you want later on." Riza said with an optimistic smile.
She then cuddled up by wrapping her arms around the blonde first lieutenant. Riza then looked straight down towards her innocent puppy-like eyes. Olivier then looked back on the lieutenant once more with her usual request. "I still want a dolly, mommy." She said in a tired tone.
"Well…we have to wait for daddy to ask permission to get you out first. Then after that we can all go to the toy store for your dolly, ok?" Riza stated with a reluctant smile on her face.
The former ice queen, who has now the innocence of a child smiled back in joy to her new mother. "Ok, mommy. Let's wait for daddy first." Olivier then hugged Riza in comfort, while the lieutenant cradled the now calmed woman who was switched to her childhood self, slowly closed her eyes for a little rest.
"Yawns, I'm tired mommy. I want to sleep now." Olivier said as she rest her head beside Riza's shoulder for comfort.
Riza then went over to Olivier's bed and cradled her more while she relaxed her back to comfort the child-at-heart woman more with ease. "Ok, Olivier. Sleep well now." The lieutenant said while stroking the ice-hearted woman's hair.
She would find it weird now having the madam major general in full-uniform having the mind of a little girl. And it would be far strange with the Elric brother's reaction as they looked on with their smiles and eyes twitching like little clock hands.
Ed and Al sat down on near the tables and looked on to the two women who were on the bed. Witnessing a bonding moment of how a mother would comfort to the need of her child. They were taken a bit surprise of a side they never knew about the stern and serious blonde first lieutenant. The 15-year old state alchemist smiled and turned
"Wow, brother we never knew this about the lieutenant. I'll bet she would make a good mother one day." Al said optimistically.
Ed looked back a bit on the pleasant scenery unfolding between Olivier and Riza as she stroked the delicate blond locks near her left eye that was covered. Then the lieutenant smiled once more over her adored friend that slept peacefully.
The blonde alchemist then looked on Al. "Yeah Al…she would make a good mom no doubt…she did made a good lieutenant, why not being a mom huh?" Ed smiled as he chuckled lightly and turned his head up on the ceiling.
"Yeah she quite handles the miss Armstrong well, no doubt that reminds us of mom as well." Al said as he continued to look on Riza as she continued holding Olivier.
"Now, we got to somehow get the major general back to normal. I want to undo the wrong I've done on her, Al. She had nothing to do with what I was doing that night." Ed explained with his non-automail fist pounded on the palm of his automail side.
Ed then landed his head to the palm of his hand. Narrowing his face in frustration. "That is if the colonel can do something about it." Ed thought.
Al sighed in frustration about the incident happened with major general Armstrong that his brother did. "I know, it's just that we haven't found any clues of how we'll bring back the major general to her sense." Al stated.
"And furthermore, if we don't act now solving this problem, she might end up being that way forever." Al said apprehensively.
Ed looked down in distraught as his eyes saddened more while looking into the floor.
"I know. I just hate it of the damage I've caused and I can't fix it right away, Al. This isn't as simple as alchemy you know." Ed snapped in his response, then looked his head away with his arms crossed.
His armored brother once again sighed in disappointment.
Meanwhile Riza smiled on as she continued cradling Olivier to her deepest light sleep. "Major general, don't worry we're here for you. We'll find some way to bring you back." Riza said and smiled back towards the childish miss major general.
"Mommy…" Olivier said as she slept on after a slight sound of words from her adopted lieutenant mother's words.
"Ma'am…" Riza said in return as she went back cradling her often. Olivier then giggled a bit and smiled back at her while asleep.
The lieutenant wasn't hesitant to smile back for her care towards the childish Olivier, which doesn't seem strange to her now.
The Infirmary, Hallways
Colonel Mustang walked normally throughout the hallways slowly as he passed by some bystanders who were obstacles in his path. As he passed he waved by some friends, injured soldiers and mostly his favorite pastime of hospital care-female nurses.
He then saw two of his subordinates coming by his path. Roy was a bit shocked and taken aback by worry of major Armstrong, but kept his composure.
Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc and Major Alex Louis Armstrong, the "strong-arm alchemist."
Both men saluted to the incoming colonel as he went towards their path. Roy saluted in return.
"Sir!" Both Alex and Jean shouted lightly. Roy then passed a bit by them.
"At ease, you two. May I asked why you two are here in the infirmary?" Roy asked, while his eyes narrowed on them.
Havoc then let out a pack of cigarettes out his pocket and slip out a piece. "Well colonel, we were just checking some old friends who might've ended up here as a wreck on our breaks, that's all." The cigarette-addict second lieutenant added.
"I see. By the way second lieutenant, smoking is not allowed on infirmary grounds. Have you forgotten?" Roy implied with a jeer.
The second lieutenant dropped the stick and cigarette packs with complete shock. "Oh right…I've forgotten." Havoc forgetfully said.
Major Armstrong stood out proudly with his prideful sparkles, as his bold blue uniform covered almost all of his physical build. "Yes sir. Checking up on our comrades welfare has been one of our top priority of the bonds of friendships we soldiers have! THAT'S WHY FORMING BONDS LIKE THAT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN THROUGH THE ARMSTRONG FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS!" Roared the major as he ripped off his blue military tunic and flexed out his bursting muscles, with the sparkles to add with.
The colonel then face-palmed after major Armstrong's charade. "Right, major…well I've got to get going now you too. There's someone I have to check out of the infirmary and seek help fast. Carry on." Roy said as he quickly saluted to the two officers under his command, and went on his way.
"Ok, colonel. See you back in the office soon." Havoc implied with a salute as well. He then stroked his chin in confusion. "I wonder who the colonel's gonna check out of the infirmary? Could it be one of his girlfriends? Nah…" Questioned the second lieutenant.
Major Armstrong then stroked his chin in question as well. "hmmm, I doubt it would be one of the misses the colonel has went with. But I still do have suspicions someone else is involved with this checkout from the colonel. But who?" The strong-arm alchemist said.
Roy swiftly walked a little fast throughout the hallways towards the reception desk. A nurse named Cindy Jones was present on the desk doing paperwork after a dismissing a patient moments ago.
He then went over the small podium where the nurse was stationed, "Excuse me ma'am. My name is colonel Roy Mustang. I'm here for a checkout of a patient." He said straightly.
"Hello colonel, I'm nurse Jones. What can I do for your checkout?" the nurse said as she went over to the file drawer.
"May I have the name, colonel?" The nurse added. As she took out her glasses and began shuffling the manila folders looking for said name.
Roy nodded in response. "Major general Olivier Mira Armstrong, commanding officer of Fort Briggs."
The nurse who has brown hair and a ponytail to her end, heard the name clearly and randomly still shuffling through the files.
"Armstrong…Armstrong…Armstrong…" Nurse Jones said continuously looking for said file.
"Ah! Here it is!" The nurse said as she finally detected the folder named Armstrong she placed it on the table and opened the folder exploring the contents.
She began flipping the various pages while Roy smiled and awaited for her response. "Let's see, the patient suffered a blunt shock trauma in her cerebral cortex, but nothing serious. Now suffers from post-regression. She'll be quarantined until further notice."
The colonel eyed on the documents concerning Olivier's status, "Quarrantine? Nurse, she doesn't need to be kept all alone until something comes up, it will make her condition worse." Roy added.
"I know, but it's that her condition has been on a close eye so far. We can't risk her being checked out because Dr. Holt advised on that." The nurse explained as she faced the colonel with serious eyes.
Roy was taken defeated at the nurse's remarks. "I see…" Then, a man in a white lab coat with a little smirk etched across his face, it was indeed Dr. Holt as he walked towards the desk where Roy and nurse Jones were at. The colonel was a bit taken back on Dr. Holt's visit.
"Colonel, what a surprise. You never told me you want to take major general Armstrong now?" The doctor chuckled.
The flame alchemist let out a light breath of air. "Sighs, yes doctor. I wanted to take her now because I might know of how to get her old self back."
"Retracing back your steps, eh?" Dr. Holt responded with a light smile. Roy then nodded straightly.
Nurse Jones then widened her face a bit from seeing the doctor's approval with the colonel's intentions.
"Alright. I'll let major general Armstrong check out of the infirmary today, but under your supervision, understand? You sure you know what are you doing, colonel?" Dr. Holt added.
"Yes sir, I do." The flame alchemist replied, as his thoughts drifted on both his concern of Riza and Olivier.
Dr. Holt then turned his attention to the nurse. "Nurse Jones, I'm authorizing a release of major general Olivier Armstrong from the infirmary. Would you please have the release papers ready for colonel Mustang?" The doctor said to nurse Jones.
"Yes, doctor Holt." The nurse nodded back in approval as she went over the other drawer, pulling out a blank form for the patient's release. She then put the papers directly to Roy's sights.
"Yes, thank you doctor." Roy responded back to the doctor with a little smiled he exhibited.
The colonel nodded and then signed the papers and handed them back to the nurse. He then waved goodbye to the two as they did likewise to him in response, as Roy headed back to Olivier's room for the good news.
"Hang on there, Olivier. I may have found a way…" Roy said with resolve as he continued to walk across the hallways of the infirmary.
Just at the corner near the reception, both second lieutenant Havoc and major Armstrong then tailed on Roy as he was far heading back of said room. With the colonel unaware that he's being followed by his two subordinates.
As major Armstrong walked with Havoc, he narrowed a bit straightly towards the colonel walking. "Hmmm…something isn't right here with what the colonel's scheme. What is he doing?" Answered a concerned major.
To Be continued…
Corporalredhound: "Whew! What a story so far, right guys?" (sweating a lot)
Ed: "Alright, we're not gonna kill you anyway… Unless you make this story crappy with us being victims here, we'll just have to capture you and have you torture you to death!"
Corporalredhound: "Not on your life, lawn gnome!" (I leered)
Ed: "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT SO LOW YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE A SPEC OF GRAIN ON THOSE TWO EYES OF YOURS?(Ed roared as Al held him back)
Al: "He didn't mean those words, brother."
Riza: "Can you PLEASE have this story done as soon as possible. I don't want to carry the major general anymore…my back hurts…"
Corporalredhound: "Sorry, Riza-chan. I guess I overdid it a little huh?"
Riza: "It's ok, corporalredhound."
Roy: "At least I'll be the hero in this story of his!" (He said as he stood out with a grin)
Ed: "Yeah, sure colonel show-off." (Ed mocked)
Roy: "Watch it." (glares at Ed)
Riza: "C'mon colonel. You don't want to get child abuse on your military record."
Ed: "yeah colonel." (Ed grinned)
Roy: "Sighs, your right lieutenant."
Olivier: face-palms "I DO NOT want to be saved."
Roy: "Oh come on. Just for once be grateful I'll be by your side." (he smiled towards Olivier)
Olivier: "Rather be in a body bag dead then beside you, deformity." (She eyed on Roy)
Roy: (gulps)
Ed, Al and Riza in unison: "Oh boy…" (all face-palmed)
Corporalredhound: "Once again, until next chapter everyone!" (smiles)
A/N: Sorry for the long delay and chapters everyone. I have been busy cleaning up the house more over the weekend because my aunt and uncle had visitors coming this Sunday and stuff, plus over the past week nothing but writer's block and my jerk little bros whining with his things. Hopefully I'll update more chapters as much as I can. Well, thanks again and please R&R!