TheParadoxGlitch56
(Formally ShatteredSoul56)
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Chapter Three
Patience
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"It kind of trails off after the holidays. We would love to keep the issue in the front of everyone and that child abuse happens all year long. Abuse doesn't take a holiday, doesn't take a day off, and we can't either." : Jane Donovan
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Reading 333 Ways to Get Kicked Out of HQ by iTorchic helped me get through this chapter. I just couldn't stop smiling. Thanks iTorchic !
You can also watch Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood here: (Sadly we have come to the end of Brotherhood, but boy was it exhilarating!) Thanks Alchemist of Steel !
http : / www . animefreak . tv/ watch/ fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood-english-dubbed-online-free
Thanks for all the feedback and support! I love to hear from you all.
Debility : the-ice-cold-alchemist : Alchemist of Steel : manga-animelove : merichuel : Animefreak11 : Bgranger1990 : Shield Stone : Atemu's Girl Yuugi's Twin : xXCourtneyStarshipXx : midnight13731 : longlivetheirishevilgenius
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Thirty minutes have passed since Roy Mustang left the hospital. He went from shop to shop collecting: clothes, a toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream, a razor, shampoo, chap-stick, healthy snacks, and other essential items. He had an extra bag full of basic supplies for the boy's. Their was two stuffed animals, one a cat and the other a dog. Smirking he could predict Breda's reaction to the adorable stuffed creature. He always had a soft spot for dogs. Also, inside the third bag: small packets of sugarless gum, a book of short stories, crayons, coloring books, etc.
Currently, he was dressed in casual deep green slacks and a black long sleeve shirt. He was sending his uniform back with his team, knowing full well Hughes would take it back to his apartment. Neatly he placed the folded blue clothes in the back seat of their military car. Mustang carried the three bags back up to the ICU, and since he had not received a phone call he assumed everything had gone smoothly.
When he reached Room 5 he suppressed a smirk at his staff's double take.
"Any change?"
"No, sir. He is going to be prepped for surgery in about twenty minutes." Hughes answered softly. Hawkeye, Havoc, and Breda were sitting in chairs outside the boy's room.
"The doctor informed us that Alphonse's surgery was routine and there is no need for any worry at the moment, sir." Hawkeye stated with a small smile as she stood. "He should be brought back here any second."
"Good." He sterilized his hands then entered the cool room. Edward looked exactly the same as when he left.
A image caught his eye. Taped on the side of the boy's monitor was their group photo that Mustang had required them all to be present in. He turned and noticed a second one on Alphonse's side of the room. Closing his eyes he smiled and made his way to the left side of Edward's bed. He stored his items in the closet. The sign above the sink reminded visitors not to bring any plants inside the room, in case another patient had an allergy. Only non-living gifts could be kept in the ICU. He pulled out the stuffed gifts and settled them in front of the narrow closet, he would give it to the boys when they returned from surgery.
Mustang picked up the information sheet on the counter and began to study their policies and rules for anyone staying in the ICU past visiting hours and through the night. He continued to read until he heard the doctors wheel the younger brother inside and prepared Edward for his surgery. The dark haired man walked up and held Edward's hand one last time.
"Your brother still needs you, kiddo. Things will be better when you wake. I promise." He whispered before moving back, so he was out of the way, until they took Edward away. Slowly he walked up to Alphonse's bed as the nurses bustled around him. "How long until he is conscious?" A brunet nurse smiled at him.
"Hard to tell. A couple days, a week at the most. We don't want him to move around just yet, so we are going to keep him sedated for a day or two." Mustang nodded and patiently waited for them to finish. Havoc entered and stood to Mustang's left.
"Hm, haven't thought up a nickname for Alphonse, yet. Alo doesn't sound right." The blond man chuckled softly. The Lieutenant Colonel could tell the stress was starting to get to the man, by the way he blathered on more than normal.
"Why not just Al?"
"Nah. That's no fun, sir." Mustang just nodded. After a slight pause Havoc continued, "However, if I am unable to find a suiting name, then Al is just fine, since it means friend." (A/N:1)
"And may I ask how you know that?" The blond looked away.
"I might have read a book or two on names before." He muttered softly, embarrassed. "Ed also means friend, well sort of. They just go together. Ed and Al." The dark haired man glanced at his nicotine addicted friend, who he had tried multiple time to get him to quite smoking. It actually surprised him that the man survived this long without a cigarette, though more important things were most likely the only thing on his mind.
"I saw the photos." Havoc grinned.
"Breda's idea."
"Hm." The nurses smiled at them as they left, until only one remained.
"You may all come inside to visit him, if you like. I don't really have to tell you to be careful, right?" Mustang nodded as Havoc left to inform the crew. "The breathing tube will be removed in a day or two." The dark haired young man thanked her and walked up so he could stroked the child's hand. His thin wrist were wrapped tightly. The white hospital information band, was worn around his right wrist, and glowed brightly in the lit room. His left wrist and left leg was encased by an ocean blue cast and Al's neck was supported by a soft neck brace. In the light, you could see the wrappings around the child's torso underneath his white shirt. Remembering the stuffed animal he bought for the boy, Mustang went to retrieve it.
"He looks a lot better than his brother." Breda whispered.
"It's all right. I'm sure he is on so many drugs nothing will wake him." Mustang said, from Edward's side of the room, carefully rummaging through the small closet. Hawkeye smiled and sat in one of the chairs against the curtained window, Breda followed her lead. Hughes stood by Alphonse's bed side. The boy's long hair was an utter mess. The man moved forward and plucked a clump of dirt from his matted hair.
"Mäes ."
"Roy." Hughes watched as his friend sat a pure white stuffed cat under the boy's right hand.
"Anyone who leaves children in this condition is a monster." Came a harsh whisper.
"I agree." The men shared a glance. Hughes eyes softened as he jokingly scratched the stuffed animal under it's chin. Havoc, who stood on the opposite side of the two men, smiled as his blue eye glittered in the light.
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Two hours later Hughes became restless. All of them were still gathered in the ICU, waiting for word on Edward. "I'm going to get a soda, anyone want one?"
"Sure." Mustang replied, along with Breda and Havoc.
"I think I'll go with you." Riza said as she stood and stretched her legs.
Twenty minutes later Mustang's phone rang. With a sigh he stood and walked over to the closet to grab his phone and answered. "Lieutenant Colonel Mustang."
"Sir, the medical papers are being processed, and the guardianship will have to be approved later."
"Thank you."
"Is that all you needed, sir?"
"Yes. Relieve Falman and head home, Fuery." Mustang always tried to make sure his crew didn't work too late, unless required. He did not need tired subordinates, who were going to make mistakes and get him killed before he reached his goal of becoming Führer.
"Thank you, sir."
"Sleep well."
"You too, sir." With that both men hung up. The dark haired man placed his phone on vibrate and set it back inside the closet. Slowly he turned around and studied his crew. Havoc stayed with Alphonse, alternating between humming and softly talking to the boy. Breda was reading a book, that he retrieved from the lobby downstairs. Armstrong sat reclined on the sofa chair, with his eyes closed. Ross and Brosh had left thirty minutes ago to get some dinner for them at a near by deli, and when they returned, since there were so many of them, the soldiers would be forced to eat three stories down in the cafeteria. The nurse promised to inform them if anything important occurred while they were gone, and to retrieve Mustang if any papers needed to be signed.
It was now twenty past eight, a total of two and a half hours since Edward was taken to surgery.
"Dinners here." Brosh announced from outside the room. The gang slowly stood and reluctantly left the room.
"We'll be back in a few, buddy." Havoc said softly, giving the boy's shoulder a firm squeeze before standing. One by one they left, sanitized their hands, and gathered into the elevator.
Shoulder to shoulder they marched down the halls, with Armstrong and Breda bringing up the rear. None of them spoke, just followed the signs that led them to the cafeteria. They all gathered near the back and sat down at a long bench. The cafeteria was mainly forest green, tuscan red, and beige. Which had a strange calming effect. Brosh and Havoc passed out the food silently, using the food order list as a reference. Many had to force themselves to eat, because they had long since lost their appetite. Mustang took another bite of his club sandwich, which he had chosen because nothing else sounded good.
"Sir, what do you think it going to happen to them now?" Ross asked quietly.
"I don't know." Mustang replied, not looking up from his meal.
"If they survive, the next stage is to be sent into foster care." Hughes said. "I have heard it's extremely rare for siblings to get adopted together." The man paused and took a long drink from his soda. "I don't want to see them go into a situation like that. In the end, if it comes to it, I will foster the boys." Roy rested his head in his left hand and leaned on the table.
"How difficult would it be to adopt them?" He asked casually.
"I'm not sure, but, Roy, it will take more than just giving them a home. They will require special care. Maybe even years of rehabilitation, especially Edward." Mustang remained quiet for the rest of their meal. The turning feeling in his stomach would not let up. He was so deep in his thoughts he did not notice his crew standing up to go back up to the ICU. "Roy?" Mäes wave his hand in front of his younger counterpart. "You all right there?"
"Yes."
"Well, we are heading back to the ICU." Mustang gave Hughes a look.
"You all go ahead of us."
"Sir!" Concerned, they looked back at them, but followed his orders without hesitation. Once the group filed out Hughes sat down.
"So, what's up?" Roy's face was now hidden by his hand.
"Who do I have to talk to if I want to...bring the boy's home with me?"
"I don't know, but I can find out." Mäes said, looked at his friend with narrow eyes, searching for something. "You do understand that they can't live with you in a one bedroom apartment." A slight nod. "They require more needs and help than those of other children their age." Another nod. "It will be extremely difficult for you, a single young man, to adopt them." Mäes smiled at the man's grunt. "If you are willing to put fourth the effort I will support you the entire way, but you can't do this half-assed. No doubt. No regret. You have to be positively sure you want this, because these are children's lives you are dealing with. You will be giving up a lot of freedom...for years. They will take precedence over many things you currently see as a priority. Just think it over, and in a month or so from now, if your gut is still telling you this, we will take the proper steps. For now, becoming their legal guardian is our best goal, but their father has to either be stripped of his custody rights or he has to give them up. We also have to check to see if they have any other living relatives." Hughes watched the man silently for a moment. "You sure have grown up, Roy." (A/N:2)
"Thanks."
"Don't look so miserable. Lets work on getting them healthy first."
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Mustang's crew was allowed to stay past visiting hours, as long as they remained quiet. They agreed that after Edward returned Mustang would be the only one remaining.
It was around nine at night when the first news on Edward's condition was received.
"The surgeons have successfully clipped his aneurysm. He is doing fine so far. There was not very many complications. There is good news, his arm can be saved, however; he may not ever gain one hundred percent functionality from it again.
I will explain in depth later. They finished his leg and are stetting the bones in his arm and jaw. He will require intense physical therapy to regain mobility. We will fit him with a prosthetic and go from there. He should be done in an hour or so." The doctor informed and the gang breathed a collected sigh of relief. "Any questions?"
"Could you tell if there was any brain damage?" Mustang asked after a moment of silence.
"There is no certainty until he wakes."
"He is going to be all right?" Hughes asked.
"Only time will tell." Hughes did not look happy with that answer, but kept silent.
"We need records of their injuries." The tall dark haired man informed.
"Yes, of course. We will have a copy made for you."
"We also need photos." Hughes asked hesitantly.
"This is the best time to do such a thing." Hughes nodded and left for the car.
"How long until they are healed enough for us the move them to East City?" Mustang ask, in his tired voice.
"We have scheduled to have two of East City's medevacs pick them up. Alphonse could be moved in a week or so. Edward could possibly leave at the same time since the flight will only take thirty minutes. We will know for sure once they are conscious." The man let out a small, unnoticed, sigh of relief. He was please he wouldn't have to leave his crew for long, and the doctors could quickly get a hold of him while at work. When he made it back to East City Mustang planned on finding a two bedroom house or condo, he knew he wasn't going to change him mind. Once they were in East City he would allow the boys to get familiar with him and also take the opportunity to get to know them better.
The doctor left them with a small smile. Breda pulled out a chess board and challenged Mustang. Armstrong laid back on the recliner. Ross and Brosh patiently sat outside the room, waiting for Edward to return from his surgery. Havoc stood on the left side of Alphonse's bed, staring at the small beaten face. The blond's fingers traced the swollen smaller ones, since he could not hold his left hand.
Once Hughes returned he pulled out a ruler and laid it on the pillow next to Alphonse's head. Havoc sighed and moved a foot away from the bed to give Hughes room. The man snapped a few photos of the boy's bruised face and braced neck. Busted lips, and a black eye. Then the child's left leg and tiny swollen toes. He pulled the blanket back to get a photo of Alphonse's chest. Hughes held the boy's right hand up and snapped a photo of his black chewed nails. The man made sure not to miss a single bruise.
"That should be enough." Hughes set the camera aside, so he could take some photos of Edward once he returned, and resumed a book that he kepts hidden in the front right pocket on his blue pants.
"If you don't mind, Boss, I'd like to take a walk." Mustang look up and tilted his head slightly. "Thanks, Boss."
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After checking out, Havoc headed outside and fished out his cigarette box from his side pocket, having moved them from his front pocket when he removed his jacket. He grabbed his trusty lighter and held up a cigarette. For twenty minutes he hung around the entrance of the hospital. After watching an ambulance pull up he silently turned and headed east toward the hotel. He reached a street and decided to wait there. Standing next to the light pole he put out his cigarette on the bottom of his shoe and grabbed a new one.
He was pleased to hear that Hughes would take the boys in, if they found no other home. He wanted to take them also, but knew he barely took care of himself as it was. It would take a lot of effort to care and raise them, and he just did not think he would be able to stand the pressure. Though, he did promise himself that he would make himself available for the Hughes family, if they ever needed a break or a ride.
The nights cool breeze ruffled his hair slightly. He closed his eyes for a second, enjoying the fresh air, and stayed that way for twenty minutes. Unnoticed his cigarette slowly shriveled away. He took advantage of the small respite to sort out his jumbled thoughts and emotions. He had never felt so old in his life.
"Sir?" A quiet voice came from behind him. Havoc turned slightly. "Edward has returned from surgery." The man felt less drained than before and his smile returned.
"Thank you." Putting out his cigarette he turned to head back inside.
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"It is a miracle, really. Despite the damage done to his heart he survived." Dubious, the doctor shook his head slightly. They all gathered outside the ICU room, waiting for an update on Edward, who had just arrived a moment ago. They did not believe it to be possible for the boy to look any worse, but his small head was completely wrapped in gauze, which had begun to soak the blood up from the new wound. His swollen face was nearly covered by the wrapping around his jaw. The boy's eyes had swollen shut. Ed's right arm was surrounded by a red cast, blood was still caked under his nails. The most heart breaking sight was the way his blanket ended at the knee on the left side.
"Edward is still not out of the woods, but if he can manage to make it through the night, with little complication, his chances for survive rise greatly." Mustang nearly collapsed back into his chair. The first time in years he felt his eye moisten. Quickly he closed his eyes and forced them away.
"His arm was saved, as I mentioned before; however, there was extensive nerve damage. Tissue had died due to blood loss. With intense rehabilitation I'm sure he will still be able to lift and hold things. It is possible to work through some of the side effects, but he may suffer from weakness and spasms, which are painful. We placed him on muscle relaxers to help relieve their intensity. He will be on those for a while, though it is possible that he will require them for the rest of his life."
"Is writing possible?" Mustang forced out.
"Rehabilitation will be difficult. Relearning how to move his fingers precisely, in the manor for writing, may be impossible." Mustang glared at nothing in particular, but he could not stop it from forming on his face. Taking care of the boys was going to be difficult. He never thought of it before, but he was beginning to wonder how much school these boys have missed. And that's when a dreadful thought entered his mind. Have they every even been to school ?
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That next morning they were ordered to head back to the boy's house and continue documenting. At the last moment he asked for them to search for any school records. Afterwards his crew would head back to East City, leaving Mustang at the hospital.
"At least the hospital has decent food in the morning." Havoc said as he took a bite of the scrambled eggs that he smothered in ketchup. After resting up a bit everyone was animated and determined to complete their job at the Elric household.
"I heard a nine year old boy died, in room 6, last night." Hawkeye stated.
"Mm. Car accident." (A/N:3) Mustang breathed. "It kept me up all night." Though he would not admit it was due to his constant pacing and checking the boy's vital signs. Every sound those darn machines made had him racing over to make sure they were still breathing. All night the nurses reassured him that they were fine and progressing as they should be.
Now, he is a real gentlemen.
Yes, he stayed up all night watching over them, very self-sacrificing.
So sweet.
Mustang shivered, remembering the way they fussed over him. When morning came they made sure to bid farewell to the sweet young man.
"Cold, Boss?" The onyx eyes stared hard at his toast.
"Just a draft." His team would never let him live it down if they found out how the nurses treated him, The Flame Alchemist, like a child.
His crew resumed their quiet chatter as they quickly finished their breakfast. Together they returned to ICU room 5. Inside the room a young women stood next to Alphonse's bed. She was vigorously writing on her clip board.
"Excuse me, miss. What are you doing here?" She turned and lifted her reading glasses. With a soft smile she gestured for them to enter and close the door behind them.
"Hello. My name is Kimi Hoshiko. I am from the department of Child Protective Services and I have take the Elric brothers case. I understand we have one Roy Mustang petitioning to become both Edward and Alphonse Elric's guardian.
"Yes, I am Lieutenant Colonel Mustang." The man said needlessly.
"As of now, I am here to make sure that does not happen."
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"So help me heal these wounds. They've been open for way too long. Help me fill this soul. Even though this is not your fault." : Good Charlotte
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1) I looked up name meanings. Ed:Friend Edward:Wealthy,happy,guardian Al:Friend Alphonse:Ready for a fight
2) I assume Mäes has some general knowledge of adoption, simply because of his job in the Investigations Office and his love for children, but I could be wrong.
3) When I was visiting my aunt in the ICU there was a child that passed away during the night. I believe they said it was due to complications from cancer, but I am not positive. And it happened in the room next to hers.
I hope this isn't getting too boring, just try to bare with me. Tell me if I am getting too out of character, I'm trying really hard to capture each of them just right. I hope it shows. Love ya'll. Sorry I was hoping to post this yesterday. Hope you all had a enjoyable and safe 4th!
Update: for those watching the story Cry Uncle. I planed the story line to last about five years, but that still could change. I have separated my notes into five years. Now, I am separating them into months, as I did with this story, because of the mass amount of notes I have collected the past year. This will give me the opportunity to re-read them and create a better outline. I have written only two and a half chapters thus far, I am sorry for the wait.
I have posted images for the fiction. http:/ groups. yahoo. com/ group/ theparadoxglitch056/
June 03, 2010
Posted : June 05, 2010
TheParadoxGlitch56
