November 11th, 1958
It took two days to reach the nearest town but to Alphonse it felt like twenty. Ed had returned quickly as promised that first night, with snow that the heat melted to cool water enough for them all to drink and to soothe Elicia's fevered skin as Riza offered her scarf up as a cloth. It had taken Al time to get water into his wife's still form, but even unconscious the will to survive was there.
The horror that had struck him at the sight of her in the laboratory's underground cells had not faded. Al held Elicia to him and refused to let anyone else share the task, soothing her and protecting her even though he knew that there was nothing to protect her from in Ed's clever hiding place. He just didn't want to admit there was nothing else he could do.
Elicia didn't wake that night, or the next day, or in any time on their trek to the next town. Edward's traps snagged two rabbits the first morning and three in the next place they stopped. Barely meat enough for nine people, but that and water were better than nothing.
Al fretted, more concerned for the moment with Elicia's unconsciousness than his growling stomach. I'm so sorry, Elicia. I should have gotten there faster. Please wake up. Come back to me. Irrational it might be, but Al couldn't help the guilt that plagued him or the worry that, despite getting Elicia back, there might be something irrevocably wrong. He tried to think positive, but for once in his life he found it almost impossible.
Tired and dragging they reached the town late in the day and headed straight for the local tavern. The town was small enough and far enough out that it did not have even a real bed and breakfast. Travelers were rare.
Their arrival was not met with even the cautious friendliness they had received on the way in.
::Tamirov's men were here yesterday,:: the owner told them. ::They made a lot of noise about theft and destruction of property and that anyone caught helping you would be killed outright.::
::We just want to get out of here,:: Ed explained, gesturing to Elicia. ::But she needs a doctor badly.::
The man looked helplessly at Elicia for a moment, clearly torn between helping out people hurt by someone he despised and feared and worry for the safety of himself and his own family. ::We have an old truck parked in the garage,:: he said at last. ::It's not comfortable, and it won't seat you all inside, but it runs.::
::Thank you,:: Al felt his spirits lift for the first time in days.
It only took an hour to get the truck filled, some supplies, and pile everyone into it before they were on the road again toward Petrayevka at all speed. There really was very little room inside, so the Lieutenant was assigned to drive since he had proven the best for the job, and Winry and Riza sat in the front seat with him. Alphonse insisted on riding in the smaller back seat with Elicia. No one else tried. There was no argument that she should rest comfortably, and so she lay, now dressed in an old nightgown the tavern owner's wife had given up, and still wrapped in the blanket, her head resting on Al's lap. Roy, Ed, Tore, and the Major rode in the back of the truck, bundled up warm and dealing with the cold wind and the bouncing and jostling on the mountain roads.
With the cessation of fresh snow a couple of days before, truck ruts in the road between the small villages were clear and plentiful, and that meant that their own passing would be unremarkable.
Elicia's fever hadn't broken but it was lower. Al stroked her back, pressed cool cloths to her forehead from time to time, and tried to get her to drink water whenever she stirred at all. Al had anticipated the worst, he had anticipated the best - finding Elicia escaped the way Winry and Riza had managed - but the reality was almost worse than both. He had Elicia back; he should be relieved, but he couldn't help the niggling thoughts that said he could still lose her again.
November 13th, 1958
Except for gas and food stops, the truck pushed straight through back to Petrayveka. Whether they were ahead of, behind, or just on a completely different trail from Tamirov's men Alphonse had no idea. Everyone was just grateful that they did not have any run-ins that might cost them time or their lives. The Lieutenant, Major, and Edward all took turns driving.
"How's the back," Winry asked the first time Edward switched out to drive.
"Agony," Ed chuckled. "I've got aches in places I forgot I had and I can't feel my feet right now." He sounded in surprisingly good spirits for it though.
"Are you feeling okay?" Al asked Ed suspiciously.
Ed's smile faded as he turned to face forward, buckled up, and they started moving again. "They haven't caught us and Elicia's stable. Right now I'll count any blessing we can get."
Al tried to focus on the positives. If Ed could, surely Al could manage that much!
"I'll take a turn," Tore offered at one point while he was crammed up front with Ed and the girls, thawing out. In reply, Ed snorted and shook his head, though he looked rather amused.
"Maybe in a year or two," Ed smirked before his expression returned to something more neutral. "These roads are slick and nasty. They're not safe for learning on."
Tore accepted the explanation without one of the sarcastic comments Al had come to expect when Tore and Ed started sniping at each other the way Ed and Roy had when Ed was that age. Whether it was a sign of maturity or Tore's continued need to deal with the horrors he had just witnessed firsthand, Al didn't know. Much like Ed, Tore would be upbeat one moment, snarky the next, and then downright depressed, then up again. He flitted through emotions like a butterfly in wildflowers.
Everyone was exhausted and edgy by the time they saw Petrayevka in the distance.
"Finally," Riza sighed with obvious relief.
::We'll go straight to the hospital,:: the Lieutenant said, and no one argued.
They arrived after sunset, but there were no suggestions of stopping anywhere to eat or even tell the government they were back before they made sure Elicia was seen to. Rushed inside, she was immediately taken to a room where a physician met them. Al gently settled Elicia in the bed while Edward and the Drachman officers explained the situation to the physician, who sounded mildly overwhelmed and shocked when he found out what had happened and knew who his patient was.
Al was prepared for bad news. What he was not prepared for was the doctor's insistence that he leave the room. ::What for?:: Al asked stubbornly.
::So you won't interfere with the examination,:: the doctor snorted. ::I and my nurses will handle it and you will simply crowd and slow matters. Wait outside.::
"Al," Ed's auto-mail hand came down on his shoulder, startling Al out of his intended angry response. "Let them do their jobs. It's best for Elicia. She'll be okay."
The soft concern in Ed's voice made any objection seem irrational. Al sighed and followed his brother to the waiting room, where he sat with the rest of them for nearly an hour. Or rather, some of them sat. Winry and Riza were seen to by another physician who checked their general health and took a look at the bump on Winry's head and then Riza's ankle. The two Drachman officers found a phone and called their headquarters to report, then let the Amestrians know they were going in person, but had also called the embassy to let Groves know they were all back and mostly intact.
Roy sat with Riza, and Edward alternately sat close with Winry or stood, moving from place to place occasionally and leaning here, or looking out the window, as unable to hold still when nervous as ever. It was obvious that he was worried about Elicia too. It was oddly comforting that everyone was worried even though it wasn't a surprise in the least.
Tore passed out on one of the benches, the teenager clearly exhausted from days of rigor he wasn't used to, fear, and even work as an alchemist. This had to be a lot for the kid.
Al... paced. He couldn't help it. He felt like a caged animal and he hated being away from Elicia for even a minute after everything that had happened recently. So when a nurse finally allowed him back inside it was all Al could do not to run her over getting back to Elicia's side!
Winry and Ed followed him in. Al could hear their steps as he crouched down beside Elicia's sleeping form. ::How is she?:: Al asked, solely focused on his beautiful wife. He hoped it wasn't his imagination that she looked better or, at least, more at rest. Her breathing looked steadier.
::We have given her medicine for the fever,:: the doctor replied, ::And for pain. Most of the extent of her injuries is external bruising. There appears to be no interior bleeding or damage.::
Al felt the knot in his belly start to loosen. ::That's good news.::
At least until Ed spoke up again. ::You said most...::
The doctor was silent for several long seconds. ::There are two things that concern me. The first is the compounds in her blood. I do not know how long they will take to leave her system, or if they will, and we do not entirely understand them. So I cannot tell you fully what they may do. I can only discuss possibilities.::
::I can tell you what they are,:: Ed said immediately. ::I don't know how to remove them either. That's not my area of expertise as an alchemist.::
::Anything you can tell me will be extremely helpful,:: the doctor looked startled and hopeful. ::But first, the second concern. I... while I do not know who it was, I'm sorry, but it seems that aside from being beaten your wife was... abused by her captors.::
At first, Al missed the reference. Confused, he looked up at the doctor. ::Well that's clear! They...:: his words broke off in a strangled gasp as he took in the meaning. "Those bastards!" He shouted, standing bolt upright in his anger before he even realized he had moved. I'll get them for this! The violation disgusted him deep down and for a moment he thought he might vomit. He turned and headed for the door, feeding on the righteous anger that filled him. He'd blow their fortress to the heavens! He'd drag them out and beat them until they cried for mercy. He'd-
"Al!" Ed was standing firmly in his way. "Hold on!"
For the first time in a long time, Al shoved Ed out of the way. "Move, Ed. I'm going to make them sorry they ever looked at Elicia!"
Or at least, tried to shove. Ed moved only inches and then shoved back, still between Al and the door. "I know you're angry," Ed scowled. "What they did is despicable. We'll get them, but we just got here and we're all exhausted."
"I don't care!" Al grabbed Ed's coat and tried to drag him out of the way. "I'm not going to rest until I--oof!" He doubled over as Ed punched him in the stomach! Forcing himself upright Al tried to take a swing at his brother, but Ed dodged it easily and grabbed Al, who realized too late the mistake he'd made as he went tumbling to the ground with Ed on top, pinning him by the shoulders.
"Damn it, Alphonse!" Ed snarled, straddling Al's stomach. "Don't make me kick your ass!"
The ferocious anger in Ed's face, only inches from Al's, was like a sobering drink. Ed was just as angry about this as Al was. Al only made a half-hearted attempt to struggle, Ed had him well pinned and in a controlling position on top. The anger remained, but the sudden uncontrolled fury drained away, his tired body not up to sustaining it. Adrenaline drained and he lay still. "Fine," he replied flatly. "Will you get off me?"
"Only when you promise me you're not going to run off and get yourself killed on some personal quest for revenge," Ed replied, unmoving. "Elicia won't think either of us if you run off and die."
"I promise," Al snorted. "Now get off before I suffocate."
Ed smirked humorlessly as he stood up and offered Al a hand. "I'm not heavy enough to smother you."
Al turned around to see Winry's concerned expression and the doctor's patently neutral one. Suddenly he felt ashamed. ::I'm sorry,:: he replied.
::Your anger is understandable,:: the doctor replied. ::Please restrain yourself however, or you will be asked to leave.::
::I'll behave.:: Al returned to Elicia's side. ::How long do you think she will be unconscious? It's been days.::
::That I cannot say for certain,:: the doctor replied. ::We shall see when the fever breaks. General,:: he turned to Ed. ::If you would consult with me in private.::
::Of course.:: Ed followed the doctor out of the room but Al did not turn his eyes from Elicia again.
When they were gone, Al squeezed her limp hand in his, taking what little comfort he could from the fact that she felt less fevered and seemed to be resting more comfortably than she had in days. Her bald head was a blatant reminder of what had happened, and he wanted to hurt them for shaving off her beautiful hair. There was no good reason for such a vain and awful disfigurement. At least it would grow again. Tears welled in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Elicia," he whispered the words he had thought so often, but not dared to voice in the company of everyone else who would tell him it wasn't his fault.
A hand on his shoulder made him jump. "She'll be all right, Al." It was Winry, and before he could move she hugged him from behind. "Elicia's as strong as the rest of us."
"Maybe in spirit," Al sighed, wet eyes stinging, "But she's never been a fighter,Winry. She's never been in danger before, not once. This was supposed to be safe, fun, a harmless adventure... and she almost died for it."
"Almost," Winry replied softly. "But she's still here, still fighting. She fought as hard as Riza and I did when they took us. Do you think they'd have beaten her as bad as they did if she didn't try and fight them to? I bet she gave them a heck of a time."
While it sure didn't look like it, Al couldn't argue Winry's point, and her soothing presence, like it had been since they were kids, helped him regain some semblance of calm. "Thanks, Winry."
"She's my sister as much as you're my brother," Winry chuckled, loosening her grip. "I'm worried too, Al, but dwelling on the worst never improves the situation. When the government hears what happened they'll probably send troops in to deal with them once and for all and that will be an end to the horrible misuses of alchemy we saw."
Al wasn't entirely sure Winry believed that last, but she obviously hoped for it. "We'll see," he replied with a heavy sigh. For a couple of minutes of shared silence he simply watched Elicia sleep, then he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Under his lips, she stirred. Al sat back up, watching hopefully. "Winry, I think she's waking up!"
Elicia's brow furrowed then eased and her eyes blinked open, staring upward at the ceiling, first blank, then confused, then they widened in terror and she opened her mouth... and screamed!
"Elicia," Al immediately squeezed her hand, trying to calm her! "Elicia it's all right!"
She looked at him, almost as if unseeing, and quivered in terror. She shrieked louder and struggled, yanking away from him! "Get away! Don't touch me! Stay away!" she shouted, tumbling off the other side of the bed.
Stunned, Al stood and tried to catch her. Failing that he tried to get around the bed. "Elicia, honey, it's me, it's Alphonse. Please calm down I-"
"Stop it!" She shouted; no recognition evident. "Don't! No more!" She shoved away, curling up in the corner.
Footsteps pounded and the doctor and Ed returned as Al stood there, shocked and hurt. Didn't she recognize him? Or was Elicia upset with him for not being there? "Elicia?"
Ed looked shocked, as did Winry, but the doctor seemed un-phased. ::Step back, please,:: he said firmly. ::She's panicking.::
"I can see that!" Al snapped, but he backed up a few steps. "But what do I do? Doesn't she recognize us?"
::At this moment she may not know you.::
"What do you mean she may not know me?!" Al rounded fully on the doctor.
The doctor paused a moment, translating in his mind likely, before replying. ::There is often temporary disorientation dealing with unconscious patients when they revive, especially given odd foreign substances that might be messing with the brain. The ones General Elric here has explained to me would be a likely culprit. Right now in her delirium she may well think we are the men who hurt her.::
Not only had the bastard - or bastards - beaten and tortured and violated her, now Elicia might not even know him? It was just too much. ::It... it's temporary right?::
::In most cases,:: the doctor replied with a nod. ::Give her time. Right now her entire body chemistry is messed up and given how she was treated that is difficult for even a seasoned soldier or more worldly-wise person to deal with on an emotional level. Tie all that in with the fever and it is not surprising. It should pass as she improves.::
::May I try and calm her?:: Winry asked, looking at the doctor.
::A woman may be less threatening,:: he agreed with a nod.
Helpless, angry, and hurt by Elicia's blatant terror at his very presence, Al got out of the way as Winry stepped forward. "Elicia," Winry spoke softly, crouched down next to her friend. "Elicia, it's Winry. You're safe. You've been rescued. It's all right."
Elicia was trembling, eyes wide but seemingly unseeing. Then she looked at Winry, staring so hard she might as well be staring through her. "Winry? They... but you're dead! You and Riza both he said he.... said you were gone! He said..." she began sobbing.
He'd told her they were dead? How depraved could one man get? Al trembled as Winry reached out and lightly touched Elicia's arm. "I'm alive, Elicia. So is Riza. We were gone; we escaped. We're fine. We tried to get you. We came back for you, with Alphonse and Roy and Edward. It's okay. I'm not dead and neither are you. See, you can feel me can't you?"
Elicia watched her disbelievingly for several long seconds then looked down at Winry's hand on her arm. Slowly she reached out and clutched Winry's hand with hers. "Oh, Winry!" she gasped, breaking out into bawling tears as she collapsed into Winry's arms.
Winry wrapped her arms around her, stroking Elicia's back as she would any child. "It's all right now," she soothed. "No one can hurt you anymore. We're here. It's all right."
Al couldn't remember feeling more helpless, not even when Elicia was missing and they were still going to her rescue. Now she was here and he could do nothing, not even touch her.
::Visiting hours end strictly at eight o'clock,:: the doctor informed them.
::But that's in twenty minutes,:: Al objected. He couldn't leave Elicia now! He looked back at his crying wife.
::She is in no danger here,:: the doctor pointed out firmly. ::Safe from harm and clearly in no danger of expiring in the near future, of that I assure you. What she needs right now is rest. We will give her a sedative and let her sleep while she heals. Once the fever is broken and she is truly rested she will be more responsive.::
Al's next objection was forestalled by a warning glint in Ed's eyes that turned quickly to brotherly concern. "Al, there's nothing more we can do tonight. Tomorrow, when we're all rested, we can deal with things sensibly."
"Sensibly?" It was one of the last things Al would have expected to hear from Ed of all people. That was his line... normally. "All right," he resigned himself to a long, sleepless night. ::How early can we come back?:: he asked the doctor, his eyes still locked on Winry as she helped Elicia up and back onto the bed, the younger woman still clinging to her friend tightly.
::Eight in the morning,:: the doctor replied.
::We'll be back then.:: Al turned and stalked out of the room. He couldn't take it anymore. Useless... that's all I am here. Absolutely useless to the woman he loved more than anything.
Cars were waiting, courtesy of Groves, to drive them all back to the Embassy. The Ambassador was relieved to see them. "Thank goodness you're safe," he said as they came in the door. "I'm so sorry to hear about Elicia. Will she be all right?"
"In time," Edward answered for Al, who hadn't spoken a word since they left the hospital. Given the situation, Ed thought it best to let him be for now. In time Al would sort himself out. Ed knew he'd be a mess in the same position. He wanted to go drive a sword through Tamirov's balls as it was.
"I'm told there's a session planned for the morning to discuss the matter," Groves informed them as they settled down around the dining table to wait for food to be served. Dinner had been delayed when the call came that they had returned. "I intend to go of course."
"We'll go," Roy commented immediately in his most stubborn no-argument tone.
Riza nodded. "They'll need someone there who was a part of the mission. Roy and I will handle that."
There were no objections. Ed thought it was a good idea. Certainly it shouldn't be Al, who seemed unlikely to be willing to do anything but go back to Elicia as early as he could get back inside the building. Winry and Tore would stick with him. The two military officers would almost certainly be in attendance at that session as well. "We'll stick with Al and Elicia tomorrow," he voiced his own preference. Again, there were no objections though he wasn't entirely sure Al was paying attention. He seemed totally lost in his own thoughts.
Dinner was quiet though ravenously devoured. Their first truly full meal in days, no one nibbled delicately or worried much about table-manners. Roy and Riza finished first, vanishing up to their room immediately after, then the Groves'. Tore and Al were the only ones still eating when Ed and Winry went upstairs.
Restless, irritable, Ed wanted to get his mind off everything if he could. Tired as he was, he wasn't sure whether he should find it amusing or pathetic that he craved Winry's company on a purely instinctual level. It was their first night alone since the kidnapping and if he needed a distraction he knew the one that worked best.
As soon as the door closed behind them he pulled Winry to him with a heated kiss, hoping she wasn't going to turn him down tonight. After everything that had happened, it would be her right and he wouldn't argue, but it would be depressing.
Winry seemed startled but she kissed him back, apparently in full understanding of his current frame of mind. She wrapped her arms around him and didn't fight when he steered them towards the bed.
Nearly an hour later, feeling physically spent, the irritated inability to hold still thoroughly worked out of him, Ed cuddled under the covers with Winry, her head resting nestled in between his side and right arm, her body pressed against his down the length, warm and alive. "Feel better?" she asked softly, kissing his cheek.
Ed sighed, turning his face to look into those beautiful blue eyes. "Yeah, thank you."
"You're welcome," Winry replied gently, her hand still lazily tracing little patterns on his chest with her fingers. It was a pleasant sensation. "I needed the distraction too," she admitted. "I feel so bad for Elicia and..."
"Alphonse?" They were of the same mind tonight it seemed. Ed nodded. "I've never seen him so rattled Winry or so.... outraged. I've seen him lose his temper, and I've seen him really angry with someone but this..."
"This is usually your department," Winry replied in a phrase that was both quip and sensible observation in one. "Given the emotional strain he's under, I'm just glad he's held up this well. Once Elicia's better he'll be all right."
Ed cringed. "That's... that's what I'm not so sure of."
Winry's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
The last thing Ed really wanted to do was share what information had passed between himself and the doctor. "I'm not sure how much Elicia will fully recover," he admitted, "Neither is the doctor. I mean, sure the fever will break, she'll be healthier, but we don't know how to get her system cleared of everything Tamirov did to her and... Well think about it Winry, what kind of a mess was I after the Xing War?"
"Bad at first," Winry replied, following his train of thought easily, "In the head longer than physically."
"And I'm a trained soldier," Ed pointed out flatly. "I've been seeing and dealing out death since I was a teenager. This kind of thing is my life. Much worse has happened to me, and even to you. But other than Hughes' death, Elicia had no preparation for anything like this, no experience to harden her or give her a way to deal."
Winry did not look surprised by his revelations. The sadness in her eyes spoke clearly that she had considered the same thing. "She's no weakling though, Ed. She's always had a strong mind. Besides, she has Al and the kids and all of us."
"And she'll need all of us I think," Ed agreed. Damn, this was making his head hurt! His own worries swirled around in his head, as buzzing as ever despite his temporarily successful attempts to keep his mind elsewhere. "Permission to get gloriously piss-ass drunk?"
"Permission denied, General," Winry replied with a small shake of her head and a sad smirk. She hugged him tightly.
Ed sighed but smiled weakly, squeezing her shoulders with the arm around them. "Yes ma'am." It was the answer he had known was coming, but he had to ask anyway. Somehow that definitive no made it easier on those rare occasions when he really wanted to find a fast way to temporary oblivion. "I had to ask."
"I know," Winry nodded. "Talk about a mess of things. Someday I'd like to take a trip with you that doesn't involve this kind of drama."
"I'm sorry," Ed apologized, feeling a twinge of guilt again. He hadn't meant for this to happen. The feeling of almost losing her again was still fresh enough that he'd had bad dreams the past few nights during what little sleep he had managed to catch.
"It's not your fault, Ed," Winry assured him. "These things just happen and we were invited up here. I doubt the government really expected us to get kidnapped. After all, it really strains relations between the countries."
"There is that," Ed sighed. He had entertained notions of conspiracy, but they seemed far-fetched even to him. He shifted his weight, trying to get comfortable.
"Are you all right?" Winry asked, loosening her grip briefly.
Ed couldn't help the slightly abashed smile as he shrugged. "Just another moment where I don't want to admit I'm over twenty-five. A full stomach and a little fun with you don't seem to go as well together as they used to." Or at least, that was what he said partially in gest.
As usual, it didn't work. Winry shook her head again. "True as that might be I'm not buying it. There's more troubling you." Oh how well she knew him.
Ed sighed, giving up. "It's just - I thought I was done with chimeras and human transmutation, Winry. Back home we finally have things peaceful; no open violence, especially not against the military, no major alchemical taboos broken in a full generation. It seemed like we were past this, but still there are idiots who want to learn things the hard way and will hurt people to do it!"
"Easy," Winry ran her hand down his chest as he tensed. "You're undoing all that nice calm we had going a few minutes ago."
"Sorry," Ed exhaled and tried to relax again. Maybe tomorrow he should take a little time and try some of those Xingese relaxation techniques Old Bao had taught him. "It's frustrating and infuriating and I just don't know the best way to go about handling it." That was what really bugged him. What he wanted to do was bully the military into sending a proper offensive against that little fortress and demolishing the place and everyone in it. Those poor chimeras were better off dead anyway. But that wasn't how this worked, at least not without proper diplomatic channels.
"With patience," Winry suggested. "We're all safe now so there's no immediate threat. Coming after us in Petrayevka would be suicide. Let's see what happens tomorrow and leave it until tomorrow."
"I'll try," Ed promised, pulling her close for a softer but no less meaningful kiss than the ones they had shared earlier. "But the rest of me may take a little more convincing."
