Balancing a brown paper bag in one arm, Riza glanced down over her attire. She almost felt guilty for having stopped home to change into some casual clothing while she was out. Then again, she was less likely to stand out to the public eye this way. She reasoned that if Scar indeed was in the area, the fact she wasn't wearing her military blues would make her less recognizable. As a result, she would be less likely to lead the Ishvalan to the colonel.
Still, it was a bit of a stretch to say that's what she'd had in mind at the time. After stopping by the pharmacy and stocking up on things Mustang might need, Riza had remembered the uniforms that had been left behind the night prior. While she was worried for Mustang's fever, she knew the moment he was well he'd need to don that uniform… and it had best be clean by then. Hawkeye had reasoned to herself that if Roy got bad enough, Havoc ought to know what to do… or at least she'd hoped so.
She'd swung by the drycleaners to drop them off for a proper cleaning. At the very least, the lady behind the counter had assured her that the uniforms would be ready for retrieval the next morning. She wasn't sure why she'd elected to prolong her feeling of guilt by stopping home to change; only that it seemed like a natural choice. She really didn't want to stay in those fatigues if she didn't have to.
Now, standing on Roy Mustang's front stoop, she felt her chest clench a little. She supposed it was time to find out whether or not her side-trips had been worth the extra time. She turned the spare key in the lock and let herself inside.
Riza blinked. From the entryway she could hear…voices. Was the colonel awake again? She wondered. As she drew closer to Roy's room, their voices became clearer.
"…So the alchemist was an amateur, right? How'd you manage to end up getting caught in the storm then?" Havoc was asking.
"A labse id judgbedt od by pard." Roy muttered hoarsely, "I bistook her sou'd alcheby for… earth… alcheby…" He coughed harshly.
"Sow? There's such a thing as pig alchemy, chief?" Havoc asked with interest, though it was hard to tell if he was serious.
"Sou'd…dot sow," Roy groaned in exasperation, "You doh, like doise? Trusd be… by head is still killi'g be due to those freguencies." Another cough seemed to punctuate his sentence.
"What is going on in here?" Riza inquired, peering into the room.
"Ah, welcome back, Lieutenant Hawkeye." Havoc said brightly, standing from the wooden chair he'd previously been occupying.
"Thadk God you're here, lieutedadt… This guy wod't led be sleeb." Roy sighed plaintively, rubbing his temples.
"Hey! If I can't smoke, you can at least be a little social." Havoc countered, deciding to spare the colonel's pride by withholding his true reasoning behind keeping him chatting.
"That's quite enough, you two." Riza said calmly, putting an end to whatever argument might ensue. She glanced to Havoc, "How's his fever been?"
"It's gone down some, I think. The medicine you gave him earlier probably kicked in." Havoc stated.
Riza nodded, "Good, because I bought more of the same brand." She gave Roy a critical eye, "It would be in your best interest, sir, to keep your medicine cabinet better stocked in the future."
Roy blinked slowly, "Er…yes, lieutedadt."
She proceeded to set the bag down on his nightstand and produced from within a bottle of aspirin, some cough syrup, throat lozenges, and various other bottles that Roy didn't immediately recognize.
"Wow, you went all out." Havoc remarked.
"You should have seen his medicine cabinet." Hawkeye deadpanned in reply.
Havoc chuckled, "Anyway, if you don't need me any more I'll head back to HQ and get started on the mountain of paperwork that awaits me. I'll tell them you have security under control for the time being."
"Security?" Roy echoed wearily.
"Yes sir. In your compromised condition, we are providing security for you should Scar show up." Riza explained their alibi calmly.
Roy smiled wanly, "Ah, I see…bud you dod't look like b-buch of a b-b-body g-guard dr-dr-dressed l-like th-th-th-thad…Ehhh...Hhpt'CHUUuu!" He'd managed to make it through his sentence before a building sneeze got the better of him.
"I'm incognito, sir." Riza replied stoically, "Civilian clothing allows me to blend in."
Another weary smile, "I see."
"Anyway, get better soon, colonel." Havoc said mildly as he stepped into the hall.
"Just a minute, Lieutenant Havoc, I'll see you out." Riza called after him.
"Alright. Sure." Havoc said lightly, pausing in his stride.
Roy blinked, faintly wondering why Hawkeye felt the need to follow Havoc to the door.
Riza turned back to him, smirking slightly, "I'll be back in just a moment, sir."
"Take your tibe." Roy replied, leaning back into his pillow. Something about her tone felt annoyingly patronizing, but perhaps that was just his imagination.
With a quick nod, the first lieutenant ushered Havoc toward the door. She paused in the entryway to regard him, "Anything else you need to tell me before you go?" she asked in a hushed tone.
"I'm not sure what you're asking about, lieutenant." Havoc replied easily.
Riza rolled her eyes slightly, "The colonel claimed you 'wouldn't let him sleep.' If you have the decency not to smoke around a sick man, I doubt you're insensitive enough to deprive him of rest… Did something happen?" she asked carefully.
"Darn. Nothing gets by the Hawk's eye." Havoc thought to himself mildly as he studied her. "It wasn't anything overly major, but the colonel seemed to be having particularly vivid nightmares of the Ishvalan conflict for a while there. When he woke up, I thought talking about some everyday nonsense would give him a chance to get his mind off of it." He said calmly.
Riza pursed her lips, "Ishval, huh? Perhaps your decision was for the best."
She knew how tortured Roy felt over the horrible war, for they had both suffered through it together. The things they'd been forced to do… there was no forgiveness for them.
"Anyway, if that's all you wanted to ask me, lieutenant, may I head back to the command center now?" Havoc inquired easily, snapping her out of her pensive thoughts.
"Yes, Lieutenant Havoc. Thank you for your assistance." Riza replied stoically.
"Not a problem." Havoc said mildly as he headed out, "If I get enough work done, I'll still have time to make it for my dinner date tonight!" he continued cheerily as he walked.
Riza shook her head slightly and closed the door behind the second lieutenant. "Same as always." She thought mildly as she headed back to Roy's room.
As she drew closer, she heard hacking sounds. The flame alchemist had broken into another fit of coughing. Face reddened and eyes watering, he glanced up at his lieutenant as she returned.
Riza placed her hands on her hips as she appraised him, "I think it's about time for your first dose of cough syrup, sir." She said mildly.
"Probably." Roy muttered, lips curling into a grimace as the single word raked at his vocal cords.
Hawkeye was already measuring out a dose of the viscous substance into a spoon. A characteristically bitter scent wafted off from it. It wasn't a scent she was particularly fond of. Then again, medicine rarely smelled pleasant.
She held the spoon out to Roy, "Here you are, sir."
One look at the medicine told him it would be less than pleasant, but he really didn't feel like coughing up a lung either if he could help it. Roy plunged the spoon into his mouth without further deliberation. His face contorted as the syrup slowly slid down his raw throat like some sort of disgusting slug.
Riza smirked slightly at his disdainful expression as she retrieved the forgotten spoon from his fingers. "You may want to avoid talking for a while if you can help it, sir. They say it's best to let the syrup coat your throat."
"If you think I WANT to open my mouth after swallowing THAT…Ughh." Roy thought miserably. He'd almost forgotten how truly bitter and disgusting cough syrup could be.
It was no wonder small children often tried to avoid taking it at all costs. He smirked slightly at the thought; it reminded him of Edward. He wondered faintly if Fullmetal fought the idea of taking medicine when he was sick. The notion amused him greatly as he pictured poor Alphonse trying to corner the little squirt and force a spoonful of cough syrup down his throat.
"I didn't think I'd see that look on your face for a while, sir." Hawkeye stated calmly.
"Mm?" Roy blinked slowly, glancing up at his adjutant.
"You looked as though you were plotting the downfall of your enemies, sir." She explained.
Roy smirked tiredly, "Dot quide." He murmured.
"I see. Well I'll let you rest now, sir. I'll bring you some lunch in a couple hours." Riza said easily as she rounded up the medicine she'd purchased. She placed them back in the shopping bag for easy transport as she headed off to put them away in his medicine cabinet.
As for Roy, the cough syrup was starting to work its way into his system. The cough suppressant combined with his overall weariness turned the next few hours into a disjointed blur.
When he awoke this time, it was by the will of some outside force. Pounding? No. It was knocking. Wasn't his door already open?
Roy groaned, pushing the blankets back blindly as his mind was dragged further from the haze of sleep.
"Hey! Afternoon, Roy." A voice said good-naturedly from somewhere near the door.
Roy blinked tiredly as he glanced at the owner, "Nngh… Hughes?" he croaked.
"He came by with this, sir." Riza said as she stepped into the room from the hall, holding a pot in both hands.
"I told my sweet Gracia you were sick and wouldn't you know it, she whipped up a big pot of her homemade chicken noodle soup! You're a lucky man, Roy." Hughes said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Mmph." Roy rubbed his temples; Hughes was being just a bit too loud.
"Shall I heat it up on the stove, sir?" Riza inquired.
"Hmm? Heh… HUPT'chuu! Hhpt'CHUuu!" Roy sneezed into his pajama sleeve, "Nngh…sure." He sniffled.
Riza nodded and walked out with the pot of soup.
Hughes took the cue to approach Roy's bedside, "You look like you've had better days." He said, smiling sympathetically at his ailing friend.
"Ugh… Hughes, dod't ged too close. I'b codtagious…Thidk aboud your wife a'd daughter, mad." The colonel coughed.
"Relax, Roy. I won't be staying here long. Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't come to see you when you were ill?" Maes Hughes inquired.
"A smard ode." Roy countered dryly, nose twitching slightly.
Hughes, however, was unfazed, "My sweet little Elicia was worried about you too! She said to make sure 'Mr. Roy eats all his soup so he can get better soon!' Isn't that simply adorable?" He gushed.
"Heh… Ehhh… Hukt'chuu!" Roy sneezed again, turning away from his friend as he stifled the blast into his elbow.
"Gesundheit." Hughes offered the prompt blessing.
Roy scrubbed at his nose, "Dard, I'd kill for a hadkerchief aboud dow." He muttered.
"Here, use one of mine." Hughes said lightly, pulling a cloth from his pocket.
"This bakes two borrowed hadkerchiefs id two days." Mustang mused as he blew his nose into the fabric square.
"Oh. Whose handkerchief did you borrow yesterday? Lieutenant Hawkeye's?" Hughes inquired, eyes twinkling mischievously.
Roy eyed him strangely as he drew the cloth away from his face, "Doh. Furey's."
"Ah." Hughes said simply. He pulled a chair up beside Roy's bed and looked thoughtful a moment as he tried to think of the best way to cheer his seemingly miserable companion. "Be prepared, Roy. Gracia's soup will knock that flu right out of your system! I'm not kidding!"
Roy smirked wanly, "Ad this poidt I'd settle for kicking this dard fever. Id's messi'g with by bind, Hughes."
"Most fevers do." Hughes replied easily.
Roy draped an arm over his eyes and sighed, "Whed by dreabs ared't jubbled nodsedse, they're idcredibly vivid mebories."
"Pleasant ones?" Hughes inquired, tilting his head slightly.
The colonel grunted, "I wish."
Hughes blinked, but let the subject drop, "Anyway, there's more important matters to address." He said decisively.
Roy let his arm drop, coal black eyes focusing on the lieutenant colonel, "Sobe leads od the Scar case… or is this aboud yesderday's idcededt?"
"No! Don't be ridiculous!" Hughes laughed. He produced a handful of photos from his pocket, "Look! These five are from this morning! Isn't Elicia adorable?"
"H-Hughes!.. Heh.. Ehhh." Mustang's breathing hitched as he attempted to bat the photos away.
"Aw, don't worry if you get some germs on them, colonel. I always make several copies, so these ones are for you!" Hughes grinned, dropping a few of the pictures into Roy's lap.
"H-H-Hughes…Hehhh..Dard… ehhhhh… it… hehh…HUPT'CHUUUU!" the flame alchemist sneezed loudly into his borrowed handkerchief. Roy sniffled wetly as he attempted to empty his sinuses into the cloth. "Ugh… Dard it, Hughes. Was id thad hard to tell I was goi'g to sdeeze?"
"You had the handkerchief, so I wasn't worried." His friend responded simply.
Roy gave a strangled groan, "You doh thad's dot whad I mead."
"I hope you aren't exasperating the colonel too much, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes." A calm voice said mildly.
Hughes stood, pulling the chair away from Roy's bedside in order to make a clear path.
Roy blinked and glanced to the doorway in time to see Riza carrying in a steaming bowl of soup.
"Mrs. Hughes's soup heated up quite nicely." The lieutenant said calmly as she brought the bowl over to her superior.
"Of course! Gracia's cooking is always the epitome of perfection!" Hughes declared.
Roy couldn't help smirking in spite of himself as he began to eat. While Hughes was loud and obnoxious at times, he was right about one thing. The soup was wonderful. He sighed pleasantly as he let himself enjoy mouthful after mouthful.
He supposed he was pretty lucky. Two nights in a row he was treated to homemade soup, the work of two different women. Their names and identities aside, it was enough to make half of the men at headquarters envious.
"The advadtages of bei'g be." Roy murmured sleepily.
"What was that?" Hughes inquired.
Riza smiled knowingly, "Don't mind him too much, lieutenant colonel. He's due for more aspirin. It's probably his fever talking."
Author's Note:
And so here we have chapter 9. I know, I know. It's been far too long! You have my deepest apologies, my dear readers. This chapter took longer in coming together partially due to Valentine's Day, and partially due to some real life stuff. Though don't worry, I didn't forget about this fic!
I just love writing sick Roy… and making puns via his congested voice. *laughs* Hope no one wanted to strangle me over the 'sow' joke, but I couldn't resist!
Reviews make me happy and I'll see you in Chapter 10!