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"...Going to stay here? Are you sure you can keep up something like this? I mean...wow Roy. How's your whiskey supply, by the way?"
"Very funny Maes. It's simple. I told you already, we just have to be seen in public together, and he shouldn't mind crashing here when he comes to Central. I'll probably have him report to me here as well. It'll save me the embarrassment he causes when he decides to pick a fight. I just hope he doesn't always crash and burn here."
Ed jerked upright, glaring. He saw starbursts of red and white and he couldn't tell Mustang and Hughes apart. He addressed what he thought was the area between them.
"Say the word and I'm gone, Colonel. " he croaked. His throat was dry and it felt like his leg was bleeding.
"Edward! Settle down, FullMetal. I'm not going to kick you out." His tone of voice was one to be used with 10 year olds out to prove themselves, not angry, dizzy, sick, hurting, embarrassed teenage alchemists.
"You don't have to." he growled savagely. Throwing the covers off himself, he gracefully stepped out of bed- and collided with the floor. He saw stars shooting in all directions and clutched his leg. He'd thought he couldn't embarrass himself anymore? Well this was what he got. He heard Mustang and Hughes jump up from their chairs next to the bed.
"Oh my God, Ed you're bleeding!" Maes exclaimed. Roy, who was definitely not happy with him, wrapped his arms around Ed and lifted him back onto the bed.
"Hughes, get a towel from the bathroom and call Ms.Rockbell." he ordered tersely. Maes dashed off, leaving Ed and Roy alone to wage war.
"Edward. You are an idiot." Roy informed him.
"Roy, you are a #$." Ed gasped back.
"I'm serious Edward. Why would you push yourself like that? Does it make you feel useful?"
"Don't mess with me right now!" Ed yelled.
"I will if I want to and I'm still going to throttle you once this is over. You're being an idiot!"
"Go to hell Roy!" Both were getting very loud.
"Don't talk to your superior that way! For once, be rational! You're not moving another inch until you're back on solid food, you hear me? I don't know if it's the fever or if it's really just you, but I'm not going to have you trying to kill yourself this way as long as I have a say in it! And you know I do!" Roy hit screaming pitch. Edward just glared.
"Keep it up and I'll slap you again, just like last time." Roy lowered his voice.
"Try it you big-!" Roy clapped his hands sharply together, causing Ed to flinch and raise one arm in defense.
"Is that really what you want?" Roy smirked for a moment. His mask of calm superiority fell away when he saw how hard Ed was shaking in fury.
'Good work, Roy. Now he'll never listen to you.'
Winry screamed behind him, scaring the living daylights out of him.
"Edward NO!" She was sobbing. Ed's eyes looked like dinner plates now.
"W-Winry?"
Hughes wrapped the towel around his leg to stop the blood flow while Winry sobbed on the edge of the bed. "Oh Ed. I'm so sorry."
"Winry, what's wrong?"
"Oh Ed! I don't know how it all happened! How could it have gotten this bad?" She continued to sob.
After a few moments, she stood suddenly, wiping the tears off her face. "OK. I'm going to need everyone's help. I have to fix Ed's arm and leg now." she said. Ed looked very pale, but hid any apprehension well. "Fine." he grunted, flopping back on the bed.
"Oh, but I don't want him touching me. He's been threatening me too much lately to trust." Ed gestured vaguely in Roy's direction. Roy felt himself flush pink. He could deny it, but...
"OK everyone! Ed hold still, I'm gonna sedate you. Alphonse I want you to hold him anyway. Hughes get more towels and hot water, Roy you're in charge of giving me what I need."
Winry took charge, looking pale. Ed sat up. "Hey wait a minute, I'm not letting you put me to sleep!"
"Al hold him."
"Sorry brother. But why not? It won't hurt."
"NOO!" Ed wrenched away from Al and clapped his hands threateningly, freezing everyone in their tracks.
"Alphonse. Contain your brother."
"No! Stay back Al."
"W-Winry...E-Edward..." Al stuttered.
"Oh let him hurt. It'll be fun if he screams." All heads swiveled to watch Roy smirk.
"$# Colonel!" Ed screamed.
Suddenly, like a hurricane blowing in, Hughes flew into the room, grabbed Winry's needle and threw it expertly into Ed's arm from 10 feet away. Ed was too shocked to protest. All heads swiveled to stare at Maes.
Ed moaned, lying back.
"Al..." he cried weakly. He was out like a light, tears running down still cheeks. All heads swiveled to watch Ed now. Al stood protectively close.
"Winry! Hurry. You should have known..." Al didn't finish. Winry jumped back into surgeon mode.
"Colonel! Run through a practice with me. Scalpel! Thanks. Saw! Thanks. Disinfectant, thanks. Number 10 screwdriver...This is a 1. Yes that one. Thank you. Number 20 wrench...WRENCH ROY. WRENCH. Thank you."
Hughes snorted loudly watching Roy fumble. "I'll torch you." Roy growled.
"Whoa there Mr. Flame Alchemist! Here's your water, miss."
"OK everyone. I need you all to stay calm. OK? Ed's in bad shape, but I still expect you to remain functional, alright? That goes for you too Al.
"20 wrench and pick please."
She lodged the wrench around Ed's upper arm and inserted her pick into his shoulder, then started turning and pulling on his arm. After a moment, she swore.
"Ugh. His body heat sent the new thermostat into overtime. It broke down and welded his arm to his shoulder. Dammit. Give me a hammer!"
She slammed it against his shoulder. Roy flinched, Maes froze and Al cried out in protest. Winry fixed the wrench around his arm again and hauled it off. Tossing it aside, she choked on the words "Scalpel please." Roy's eyes widened in shock as she carefully set it into him to separate the rest of the metal from his shoulder. She was crying now as she picked at it, easing it off. The smell hit Roy like a tidal wave. Burnt, decaying flesh. All he'd done wrong...
By the time she had removed both his arm and leg, rendering him a flesh sleeping body, not only could no one in the room stand on their shaky legs, but Ed was moaning again, just starting to wake up.
Winry just didn't like this. Pinako could handle it. 'Just do what needs to be done." she said. But to cut pieces of someone away like that was something that still horrified Winry.
Both Roy and Hughes were overwhelmed by the smell and Roy was trying desperately to suppress memories he associated with the smell of burnt flesh. Al was as horrified as Winry was, too shaky, even in his armor body, to stand. He was only slightly relieved that Ed still seemed relaxed from the sedative.
"...Al?" Ed whispered.
"Brother!" Al jumped up.
"What happened to me?" When Al didn't answer, Winry cut in.
"Edward. Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell anyone your automail hurt? Why?"
"Winry...I'm sorry." Ed was still groggy. Winry was sobbing again. Hughes followed her out the door to console and comfort her.
Roy Mustang didn't know what to do with himself.
"Colonel?" Roy prepared himself for the unknown. Edward had never said his name like that before. It wasn't grudging or insulting. It was trusting. Trusting him to tell him the truth.
"What happened? My nerves are knocked out from that drug." Ed slurred slightly.
"To be blunt, she separated the metal ports from your body. You look almost exactly as you did when I first met you."
Ed swallowed hard. In a shaky attempt at humor, he told Roy "I'm a lot taller than I was back then!"
"Here, Winry said you should try to drink something. I think she's going to give you a shot of antibiotics too." Ed nodded, then reached to take the glass of water from Roy. After drinking some of it, he set it down and nonchalantly took a needle and a small bottle off the table Winry had used during the operation.
"What are you doing?" Roy asked curiously as Ed poked the needle through the bottle's cap and drew something out into the syringe. Ed shrugged off Roy's question and swiveled the needle in his single hand so that it pointed toward his arm.
"What are you doing?" Roy repeated more urgently. Ed started to shake. Suddenly jerking the needle at Roy and hiding his face by looking in the opposite direction he said. "Here. You do it. It's antibiotics. Just do it."
"Are you sure about the dosage?" Roy inquired, taking the needle. Ed nodded.
"Alright then."
Ed jumped when Roy slapped his arm, hard. "Hey!-" Mustang smirked and pulled the needle out of Ed's arm. "I think Winry's been too gentle with you."
"Whatever. Shut up." Ed blushed.
Al came back over, legs a little less shaky, to look at Ed's face. He wasn't too worried anymore. Ed was already fighting with Mustang, so he must be OK. With a grin in his voice he started teasing Ed. "Oooh Colonel." he teased, looking at Ed's red cheeks "I think he liked that."
"ALPHONSE!" Ed screamed. Roy started laughing hysterically. He'd never seen Al tease Ed before.
"Now now Brother. Don't start bleeding again." Al tsked, taunting him. Ed glared and flopped back, shutting his eyes.
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