The military finally gets everyone out of the facility (Hawkeye with more difficulty) and everyone goes to the hospital. Poor Fuery has to be taken to a veterinarian clinic that is just a couple of blocks away from the hospital. Alphonse says that he will go with them to give Fuery something familiar to look at. He looks really frightened, being in that cage and all, but I think that he is in there. It's weird to look at him just like it was weird to look at Nina. You could see where the private was and then where he wasn't. The same black hair was on his head and down his neck a little, but there was that spiky do that made Fuery, Fuery. Then there was the eyes. He always wore glasses and since he didn't have them he was always squinting at everyone to see. If the occasion hadn't been so bad, it would have been kind of funny.
The colonel and Havoc were taken to the hospital as soon as they were taken from the facility and Breda was taken there as well. Havoc said he might be able to help him with his mind but I don't think that that's going to be possible. If I hadn't seen the horrors of Mother's remains and having to do all I could just to bring back my brother's soul, I would be just like him. I understand his pain and confusion and hurt. To see someone you know turn into something that is kind of them but not is… not good.
Falman puts his hand on my shoulder and I look up.
"We're going to head back to Central. Riza will be taken good care of and we'll get her there."
I look over at the huge clump of flesh that a huge machine is using to move her from the building and frown.
"That's horrible what he's done to her."
"True but luckily, Hawkeye is a very strict person. She will do everything she can to be of use again, especially since the colonel is not in his right mind and harm has come to her men. She does not take this stuff lightly."
I nod, knowing that already and get in a car to go back to Central.
As I enter into the hospital, I tense up. I hate hospitals. Just the feel of death and the god-like aura they have. They produce birth and reap death like some sort of sick factory and it makes me feel weird every time. But I go up to the nurse's station and ask about the colonel and the others. She directs me to the floor they are on and I head up the elevator.
As I step out, I see that there are a couple of officers guarding a door. I also see Lieutenant Colonel Hughes waiting outside.
"Hey, Lt. Colonel." I say, stopping in front of him. "How is he?"
Hughes looks at me and smiles sadly, his green eyes going downcast; a total opposite of his stupid self that is relentlessly telling me about his family.
"It's not too good. Tucker did a lot of experiments on him. He broke his arm and leg to keep him from moving very much and beat him senseless. He also had to watch Hawkeye… expand, I guess. He had to watch that happen and then he was worried about Breda and heard the screams of Fuery. Nothing really went right. And we know that there were other internal experiments that happened but it was done with such advanced bio-alchemy that the doctors can't find any abnormalities."
I nod and sit beside him, stretching my legs out.
"When can we see him?"
"As soon as they are done with him. In a few moments… Thanks, Ed."
"Eh? For what?" I ask, surprised.
"I wish I could have led that hunt but the Fuhrer had me doing other things. If it hadn't been for you, we would have never found them. Thank you."
I sigh and turn away. "Yeah…"
The door opens and the doctor walks out, looking at a chart with some concern. We look up and he looks over.
"You're Lt. Colonel Hughes?"
"Yes." He says, getting up.
"Says you're his emergency contact after Lt. Riza Hawkeye?"
"Yes… How is he, Doc?"
"Not good. Not good at all. I'll tell you all about it. He can receive visitors." He says to me and I give him a halfhearted wave.
When he is out of sight with Hughes, I get up and walk into the hospital room. Mustang is on his back, looking pitiful and in pain as the tubes go into his arms and nose. I make a face and stop at the foot of the bed. His left arm is in a stint and his leg is elevated in a cast.
"You look like shit, colonel." I say to him, knowing he won't answer.
I sigh again and just hover over him, looking at him. I hope that Tucker didn't do anything too bad to him. Even if I don't like Mustang, getting caught by Tucker is just as much of a threat as getting caught by Scar was. The fact that Tucker knows about bio-alchemy is what is disturbing. He can do so many things and you'd never know it until it hit you one day.
Mustang stirs for a moment and then mumbles, opening his black eyes slightly. I look at him, hoping that I haven't startled him. He only mumbles again and turns his head, sleep taking over him once more. I move closer when he opens his eyes again but this time he stares at me. I stop moving as he stares, black eyes staring at me with lackluster…
"H-hey, Mustang…" I say softly, not wanting to spook him.
He says nothing and just continues to stare right through me as if I don't exist. I sigh, a little happy that he's not staring at me because his eyes are becoming almost too hard to look at. The opening of the door makes me jump and Hughes walks in, raking his fingers through his black hair.
"What did he say?"
"They ran a full diagnostic on him and he's been suffering a lot of afflictions, not just broken bones and scars. Seems that Tucker was using him as a guinea pig on health projects."
"Health projects?"
"Yeah. From what the doctor described it was experiments to help advance bio-alchemy. Things like can alchemy treat serious wounds to organs? Can it help to prevent diseases? Can it create life if there is a host? Things of that nature. They're not quite sure what happened but they can see scarring on some organs and he has the same wounds on his skin. Plus, his mentality is a cause for concern…"
We look at Mustang as he stares off in the direction I had been standing at.
"Will he pull through?"
"They say with therapy and help from his friends that he might be alright. We just have to help him deal with some things… Where's your brother?"
"He went with the other officers to help with Fuery. They wouldn't let him come to the hospital since he's… um…"
"What do you mean?" Hughes asks, his eyes curious.
"They didn't tell you what happened?" I ask, confused.
He knew about the others but why not Fuery.
"They only told me about who was coming here. Is he… is he dead?"
I look at the floor, my hands in my pocket and my hands clenching inside of them.
"Tucker fused him together with an animal. I think it was a dog of some sort… just like Nina and his wife…"
Hughes' eyes widen in horror and he takes off his glasses.
"Damn… Damn, damn, dammit! No!" he yells, smacking the wall as hard as he can.
I wince at his frustration and look over at Mustang. I narrow my eyes at him and then gulp as I realize that even though Mustang looks stoic, his eyes are shedding silent tears. He had heard us.
*~*ALPHONSE*~*
The whole time that we head toward the veterinarian's office, Private Fuery is huddled up against my armor, shivering in fear. The shivering rattles the metal but I stay put, knowing that he is very scared. He was scared when they finally coaxed him out of the cell where he and Riza were and only came out after Riza convinced him that everything was alright and when I went in after Brother left. He recognized me instantly and slunk over to my leg to hide. He had let me pick him up and seemed to be trusting only me.
The car stops and Fuery looks up at me. I look down at him and feel like I'm smiling at him but of course, the armor can't move so I hope he understands. When the car doors open, he jumps and skuttles next to me. I hold him close as a soldier opens the door.
"Give him to me." He says harshly.
"I- I think I should do it." I say nervously.
The soldier looks at me for a moment and then moves to let me get out. Fuery looks up at me as I carry him into the vet's office. We come into the place where a doctor is ready to take him away. He whimpers but I look down at him and hope that the smile I want to give reaches him.
"It's alright, I'll be right out here. They are just going to make sure that you're alright. Be good and let them help you." I lean closer to him. "If you do what they say, you'll get out faster." I whisper.
His black tail wags and I let the doctor take him. He sets him on the floor and he trots away, though his tail is between his legs. I walk up to the helper and ask to use her phone to call the hospital in Central. I call and ask for Brother since I know he's there.
"Hello? You called for me?" I hear later, suspicion on his voice.
"Brother, it's me. I'm at the vet's office."
"Oh, okay. How is everything? Are they treating him well?"
"They seem to. I only just got here and they took him back to get examined. I think he really understands everything. I think this is more complex than what Tucker did with Nina and Alexander. It seems so much more… in tune."
"Does he know about himself?"
"I don't think so. But right now he knows me and trusts me. Brother, we have to find a way to save him."
"I dunno, Al… We couldn't even save Nina, what makes you think we can save him?"
"We have to try, Brother!" I say a little too loudly, banging my hand on the counter. "He's our friend and our comrade. Plus, he's Mustang's man… He's been so nice to us and…"
"I know, Al. I want to help too but there's only so much bio-alchemy that we know. Tucker is a master at it, which is why it's so damned perfect. The only thing we can do is study harder…"
"Is everything okay?" I ask, sensing that Ed is not acting himself.
"I'm tired and worn out over all this mess. Can't wait for a good meal and some sleep."
"Is Mustang alright?"
"He's stable. Tucker did a lot of things to him, Al. I'll tell you later when we have more time. They're going to let us see Havoc in a moment so just come to the hospital when they're done with Fuery."
"Alright. See you."
I hang up and then hear a yelp and commotion in the back. I turn as a ticking sound thunders across the floor. I turn and Fuery scurries under the swinging doors and over to me, fear in his eyes.
"Where is he?! Get that dog!" the doctor yells, running out.
"Wait, he's right here… What's going on?"
"We need to do tests on him right away! It's the most amazing dog we've ever seen! It talks!"
Fuery shivers behind me and I glare at the doctors. I am about to say something when the soldiers hold up their guns to the doctor and the staff gasp, holding up their hands.
"We were told to come here because you are the best. You are to do your job as a veterinary doctor and we will leave your facility. If we cannot trust you we may have to put this place out of business." The soldier threatens.
The doctor makes a face but sighs and looks over at me.
"We still need to run some X-rays of him. If you don't mind we will take him back and examine him."
"I'm coming with you. He will be calmer if I go with you." I say, walking into the back.
The doctor doesn't make me leave and I carry Fuery to the back.