Author's Note: Wow. I can't believe that I reached 100 reviews… I am shocked. Thanks guys! I agree with some of the reviews… the last one at the end was a bit rushed but don't worry I will go in detail of Al's fight later. Now let's see if I am cruel enough to kill Ed…

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. But now I own the 23 volume (English version) after 4 months of waiting! YAY! But now I have to wait till next year for the 24th one…sob.

Chapter Eighteen: The Wait

Al watched the medics as they tried to get his brother's heart beating again. Every shock Ed received Al flinched as he felt his soul being pulled away.

No brother can't die! HE CAN'T! He can't leave me all alone! We still have to get our bodies back! He can't die like this! Especially when it was my fault! Please! Get your heart beating!

The medics shocked him and shocked him but still no signs of life came from the battered teenager. They turned up the voltage and began the compressions again. Al noticed tears falling from Winry's cheeks as she watched Ed die. This was not happening. He saw the pained looks from all their friends from Eastern command and Hughes. Ed cannot die.

"PLEASE WAKE UP! WE STILL HAVE TO FINISH OUR JOURNEY! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M SORRY! BROTHER!" Al cried out as he fell onto his knees.

A soft groan was barely audible from the teen as he responded to his brother's plea. The medics stopped the compressions and immediately began prepping him to get onto the ambulance. Everyone looked at Ed in disbelief. Had he really pulled through it? But it wasn't over yet. Al just looked at his brother silently and then followed the medics to the ambulance. The others stood there in shock. Mustang was the first to snap out of it.

"Alphonse take Winry to the other ambulance and keep an eye out for Ed. The rest of us will follow you later when we finish things here."

Al simply nodded and tore his eyes away from his brother and led Winry into the other ambulance. The two ambulances headed off towards the hospital. Mustang walked over to Hughes and sighed.

"I thought we lost him there…"Hughes said. "Luckily he is too good of an older brother to let his little brother down."

"I guess it just shows how close the relationship between those two really is." Mustang said.

The others murmured in agreement.

"I hope the kid makes it…" Havoc said.

The others had worried looks on their faces thinking about what Ed had just been put through. It was not fair to him. He had enough problems and now their goal is a step further away because of the time that they had lost. Everyone couldn't help but pity him. They just hoped that he would recover from this without any problems.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Ed's too stubborn to give up like that." Mustang said.

The others smiled and agreed. Nothing can stop him. They all went to work and did their best to get things sorted out in the rubbles of the fight that had just happened. They wanted to visit Ed as soon as possible. Mustang and Hawkeye made their way to the prisoners. All four of them had burns and bruises covering their bodies. They were all stuck between in a cage that Alphonse had created to make sure that they couldn't escape all of them had handcuffs too so that they couldn't perform alchemy. It was unlikely that they could though. They were all unconscious. Al and the rest of the military had done quite a job on fighting them. Fortunately for them it wasn't hard taking down one of the alchemists: the one who had kidnapped Ed. A smirk made its way to the colonel.

I knew Ed wouldn't leave this guy unscathed. The boy sure has a lot of guts…

…

Back at the hospital Al and Winry were waiting outside of the surgery room. Winry had just gotten her cheek checked and now had a bandage on it. Other than the cut on her cheek and a bit of dehydration she was perfectly fine; the cut wouldn't even leave a scar. Ed on the other hand had been in surgery for more than three hours now. During the whole time Al hadn't said a word to anyone. When the nurses asked some questions about Ed the words just seemed to phase through him. Winry ended up answering all of the questions, but unluckily for the nurse Winry was almost as shocked as Al was and was barely able to say the answers before lapsing into silence again. They were so worried about Ed. They managed to get his heart started but it didn't mean that he wasn't out of the woods just yet. Ed would have to live through the surgery first. And then he would have to recover from all the physical and mental wounds. But they didn't really care much for that part yet.

The thought that they were on the brink of losing Ed was too much for the two of them. They just couldn't picture their lives without Edward; he was too big a part of it. The both of them sat there in silence thinking about Ed and wondering if he was okay. The silence was interrupted by the sound of loud footsteps. Al didn't seem to notice but Winry lifted her head to check who it was. It was Mustang and his crew. A worried smile came to her lips as she greeted the seven of them.

"How long has it been?" ask Hughes anxiously.

"More than three hours now… they were having troubles stopping the blood flow because he had so many injuries…"

The seven of them looked toward the surgery door wishing that the doctor would come out to say that everything was going to be fine. But of course they didn't get what they wanted. All of them took a seat by Winry and Al wishing for the best. They didn't want to go back to head quarters to finish up on the report of this whole fiasco, but they needed Ed's report as well so that could wait. All they wanted to do was to see the guy awake and well.

The group only had a few moments of small talk and the rest was just pure silence. It was a quiet day at the hospital and they were alone in the surgery floor. It was eerie but it made the perfect atmosphere for them to think. Havoc and the other three guys were unusually quiet. They loved Ed like a little brother and worried about him… though not as much as the others. They feared him a little bit more now after seeing the condition fo that alchemist when he stepped outside. And the kid had done that with those injuries. Yikes.

Hughes was thinking of Ed not really worried about him dying. He knew better than that. His thoughts sometimes drifted back to his daughter but he did his best to focus on Ed. She would have all the time after he knows that he is getting better.

As many might think that the Colonel of Eastern Command was only waiting in the hospital because he might lose one of his dogs. You. Are. Wrong. Mustang was more anxious that Hughes. Unlike Hughes he was worried about the boy's condition. He wanted the doctor to come out already and tell them about Ed. He fidgeted with his fingers while he waited impatiently. His hands we clamped down by strong hand of Lieutenant Hawkeye. She looked as calm as ever. But Mustang knew that she as well was a bit worried for Ed. He looked into her eyes and she said:

"Stop fidgeting. He's going to be alright, sir."

Mustang smiled and then sighed. She was right of course but how long would they have to wait. It was already 5 hours since Ed entered surgery! Mustang looked at Alphonse, who was patiently waiting by the door. He hadn't moved an inch since they arrived here. He didn't bother pester him about it though.

He still must be in shock. Once he knows that Ed is okay, he'll snap out of it.

As if on cue the doctor walked out of the surgery doors. He looked tired. There was blood all over his robe and gloves. All nine of them waited for an answer. The doctor pulled down his mask and said two words:

"He's okay."

Author's Note: I was sooo tempted to make this one a cliffy too but I didn't. I could have made the doctor stop and then end the chapter but then I thought people might get mad at me so I didn't. I could never kill Ed. I love him too much. This was just a filler chappie. Pretty boring but I wanted to show how everyone was feeling…so yeah. There are only a few chapters left! Yikes. Oh well… I still have to think of how to end this… I'll make something up…eventually.