Hughes ran his shaking hands through his hair as he pleaded with his anxiety ridden best friend to lay back down. "Roy, I said I would keep you updated, they just said that Ed was experiencing distress when he woke up. You can't blame the kid, he was not even told he was being put under."

"I don't care Hughes! I want him in my sight at all times damnit!"

"He's fine…you have to calm down, they are going to sedate you again."

Mustang sighed in frustration as he collapsed back on the many pillows behind him, it had only been two days since both he and Ed were brought back to Central and put in this God forsaken hospital. Ed was put under as soon as he arrived at the hospital and put in the ICU under critical surveillance while Mustang was put on a lower level of the hospital to simply recover from some of his more major injuries. He had questioned Hughes about why he had to stay for three whole days in inpatient, his friend simply told him it was to ensure he got rest.

But Hughes had lied slightly, the colonel was actually being held for three days for psych evaluation, he was showing extreme signs of hostility, Hughes had tried fighting the doctors but it was no use. The man had to admit he was a bit scared for his friend, sure Mustang had his rage filled days but nothing like now, he was paranoid and would only ever ask about Ed. When Maes finally got the guts to ask the psychologist what the possible diagnosis was he was taken aback a bit.

"We believe Colonel Mustang may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. I have had a couple of short sessions with him and it is quite obvious that certain things seem to trigger quite a violent reaction from him. Ive hypothesized that this is because he is experiencing a series of flashbacks from the incident."

It had been difficult news to take in for both Hughes and Hawkeye, the only two people allowed to know this. The more and more the two took their shifts with Roy though, the more it made sense. He was acting completely out of character. Mae's remembered how shaken and drained the colonel was when he returned from Ishval, but even times like that were not nearly as devastating as this it seemed.

No one could blame the man's anger or paranoia though, it had been bad news all around in just the short time they had spent at the hospital. No one had known how injured Ed was upon arrival, they all had gotten a pretty good idea it wasn't great but the reality of how severe it all was hit as soon as the teenager got a full diagnosis at the hospital. It ranged from many fractured bones to the boys nearly collapsed lung from his stab wound. In the short amount of time Ed had been there nothing had gone right, not to mention his mental lapses every now and then.

Where Roy was showing moderate symptoms of PTSD, Ed was slowly becoming the worse case of PTSD and anxiety the psychiatric unit staff had ever seen. So much so that Mustang had already been forced to sign papers to have Ed institutionalized directly after his discharge from the ICU. Ed hadn't really been conscious half the time he had been in the hospital but when he did finally drift back into reality it seemed he could never understand where he was.

Winry and Alphonse were the only ones he would allow in the room when he got too paranoid and started talking about Sin drugging him to hallucinate everything again. It had taken Alphonse a long time to accept everything he had been told, Winry was still in complete denial.

The two were horrified when everything was explained carefully, they had both cried as soon as Ed woke up the first time resulting in him having a massive episode and ripping out his I.V.s. After that incident Winry and Alphonse quickly realized they had to be calm and cautious at all times when Ed was awake, if only to ensure his tiny grasp of reality.

"Brother…please believe us, you are just hallucinating again! Sin is gone now, its really us! Alphonse and Winry…please…your scaring me brother." Al's armored hand hesitantly reached out to a ever paleing Ed whom had somehow pulled his I.V. out of his now bloodied arm and was hunched in the farthest corner of the hospital room shaking as he anxiously watched the approaching figures.

"Just stay back damnit! I- I can escape anytime I want so I suggest you just stay back!" Ed's eyes were glazed over- Winry saw the delusional state from a mile away as she stuck close to the exit of the room and slowly snuck out to get help.

Alphonse was well aware of her escape as he tried to coax his brother further. "You do not have your arm brother, you can't escape."

Ed smirked manically as he stood, his body quaking as violent tremors set off across his entire being- he was losing blood quickly now, Alphonse soul grew with fear as he saw his brothers bandages around his stomach start to dampen with crimson.

"You think I can't escape Sin? You better listen to me right now you bastard….I can escape anytime I want!" Ed sprung to the massive window only a few feet away from his spot in the corner.

Alphonse made quick time in nearing the dissociating teen but was soon stopped short as Ed broke the glass with ease using his metal arm joint meant to hold the now vacant auto mail arm. "I would not move Sin."

Meanwhile…

"Doctor Ty! Doctor Ty, please help. It's Ed- he has gotten worse, w-we were just out for a few minutes and he got out of his restraints and has already ripped his I.V. out. I-I….I'm sorry, you told me to watch him and now he is bleeding and scared…"

Doctor Ty set a faint comforting hand on Winry's shoulder as she let out a sob and brushed a stray tear away, "Don't worry my dear, It isn't your fault whatsoever, my team and I should have put him on a one to one or in the mental health clinical bay. Lets hurry, whos knows what other damage he could be causing." Doctor Ty was exahsted, but he had instisted upon his arrival back that he would personally see Ed through this tragedy himself.

"Get away from me Sin! G-get away! I am not afraid to jump and I know you couldn't stand that- so just let me go…let me go!" Ed's once golden orbs seemed to be tiny little pin pricks as his eyes widened even more. His hand was placed on the jagged broken glass bottem of the window, blood began to pool around his hand as he leaned more towards the window, Alphonse knew his brother could jump through the window at any given moment and being on the fourth floor he also knew his brother would likely die from the fall.

"Brother…please…I'll move, ok? I will- please don't jump!" Alphonse slowly backed away to the farthest wall from the door, maracuiously Ed let go of the bottem of the window and began to inch away from the broken opening.

"Edward! Y-you broke the window?!" Winry's outburst seemed to throw Ed right back to where he was before, except now Al was sure that if the teen leaned anymore outside the window he would surly slip and fall.

"Wow! Edward…try to just take a few breaths, ok? What are you seeing? Talk to me…talk through it." Doctor Ty coaxed as he inched further inside the doorway, he gently pushed Winry out of sight and, without looking away from Ed, he whispered, "get Mustang immediately."

Winry was not an athlete, she wasn't a runner, sprinter- none of that. However, just that one time that one very specific day, she was sure she broke records as she barraled through the hallways and stairwells from her place on the fifth floor all the way to the first where she stumbled in on an arguing Maes Hughes and Colonel Mustang.

"Winry?"

She could feel herself getting weaker, her vision had spots in it now, when was the last time she had actually eaten? It had been days now, ever since Ed arrived she hadn't done much of anything except stay awake and by his side. "Ed's in trouble- needs you." With that she let herself fall, Hughes barely caught her as she fell forward.

"Hey! Winry? She fainted…jeez Roy, shes so pale, I know she and Al have been watching over Edward but who the hell is watching over the three of them? This isn't healthy for a kid…." As Maes quited down from his babbling and got the nearest medical team to get Winry her own room for vitals and fluids, he kept going over what she said only a few minutes prior. "I think you need to go see Ed right now." Hughes said as he walked back into the colonels room.

"Roy?" Hughes smirked as he turned on his heel and speed to the nearest stairwell, he figured Mustang wouldn't wait up for him, the wheel chair was close enough for the man to access and the elevator was just outside his room, it was probably for the best he left when he did.

Emrald eyes darted around the final stairwell as Hughes heard an ear piercing cry erupt from the other side of the wall he was currently standing behind, he made sure atleast one throwing dagger was carefully placed in between his fingers as he cautiously rounded the corner and stealithly made his way to the sound. The only hospital room that was opened in the hall was the ground zero of all hell being broke loose throughout the entirety of the hospital. There were nurses on ethier sides of the door making their way down the hallways and assuring the other patients that everything was ok.

That's when it clicked in the investegators mind, "Ed." Of course it was Ed, he really needed to get some damn sleep if he couldn't figure out that much. Hughes ran towards the door but was stopped short by Dr. Ty who seemed to be caught up in a cold sweat, a suit of trembling armor stayed close to the doctor as the two kept safe distance from the door.

"Whats happening? Is Ed ok?"

Dr. Ty shook his head, "I should have requested him to the mental health floor, I-I thought he was relatively stable enough to stay on this unit for a few more days. I hope Roy can talk some sense into him."

Hughes nodded, oddly satisfied with the situation, he knew the two were closer then ever now so if anyone could help the kid thrugh this episode it was Roy.

"Fullmetal."

"…Mustang?"

Roy carefully rolled through Ed's hospital room door in his wheelchair, he smirked which seemed to put Ed at ease as his grip on the broken window glass visablly eased.

"So you broke the window…"

"Sin was here, Roy."

Mustang frowned, "No Ed…he was not. Hes…hes dead remember? We both saw his body." The colonels nerves were not calmed as Ed stood faithfully beside the hospital window, his eyes now shimmering with unshead tears.

"No…"

"Ed…you know he is gone now…you know you can rest, please let yourself have that peace of mind atleast."

"No…no, no, no, he lied! It was not really him! Hes going to come back Mustang!"

Roy took a minute to let the statement sink in, he half way believed it but did not let on one bit that he was buying into it, it certainly would not help the current situation. "Do you trust me?"

The fog in Ed's eyes seemed to clear at that, "..yes."

"Ok…theres a safe place I know of, its somewhere we can both hide. You have to follow me and doctor Ty though, ok?"

Ed was hesitant, Roy couldn't blame him considering the situation.

"W-what if this is all fake?" Ed said aloud to himself.

"It's not Ed…I swear I wouldn't lie to you- please." Roy wheeled himself forward, his pulse quickening as he watched Ed subconsciously lean more towards the broken window. He knew all it took was a slip and Ed would fall to his death.

Ed took a shaky breath, he was shaking, but then again, so was Roy. He seemed real enough, but maybe everything was just too real right now. "Promise?"

Mustang smiled a bit, it was strange but in that moment the Fullmetal alchemist actually sounded like what he was supposed to be- a kid. "I promise."

With that simple phrase Ed fell forward, away from the window, Roy was not quick enough to catch the boy as he crashed to the hospital floor with a sickening thud.

"I-I think he fainted!" Roy assured the hidden party behind him, Doctor Ty quickly entered the room and, with the help of Hughes, ushered the uncooperating teens body onto a mobile hospital bed.

Doctor Ty cleared his throat as he turned to Mustang, "I suppose now is a better time than any…I think it would benfit both you and Fullmetal to be evalutated and instutionalized. I will make sure it's the best mental facility I can find but..you both are showing considerable signs of PTSD and while I think you could just attend outpatient therapy…I don't think Ed can be without you right now."

Mustang nodded, "my thoughts exactly. Its not ideal, but right now…I think we could both use a break." The colonels fists clenched as he said this, it was humiliating, demeaning but he knew it was for the best right now.

Hughes heart dropped as he overheard his friend, a sense of pride and terror filled his being. His best friend was making the best possible choice, they both needed help and it was true, Ed would likley collapse into another episode of insanity without Roy. Even so, hearing his friend admit the harsh reality seemed to put an uncomfrortable twist in the mans gut.

"Very well." Doctor Ty proclaimed, "We will get the two of you ready to transport soon enough, lets get you all to the holding bay. Usually the process is very lengthy but sense you are military personel it will be a lot quicker."

Roy nodded as he let himself be pushed out by Hughes, Doctor Ty stayed behind to hook Ed back to the appropriate, and mobile, machines he would need, he also called two nurses in to check on stitching's and rebandaging.

"You did the right thing, you know." Hughes tried.

"Yea… hopefully we aren't away for too long, never thought I would go to a mental facility."

Hughes smirked, "I didn't know you would ever go to one- this early atleast. I figured you had a couple of years before you cracked."

Roy let out a small laugh, "shut up." His small smile quickly flattened back out as Riza neared from the end of the hall.

"Sir." She saluted. Falman, Breta, Havoc and Fuery were all standing in appropriate order beside her as they each saluted accordingly.

"You all will be on paid leave for a while, I should return in a few weeks." Roy never once looked up as he glared at the ground, humiliation seemed to cloud over him as his shoulders slumped.

"Sir…may I ask where you are going?"

Of course Jean fucking Havoc would ask wouldn't he? Roy growled but accepted defeat, they would find out soon enough anyways. "Fullmetal and I will be attending an institution for evaluation and recovery, nothing more, nothing less."

"Oh! Like a psych ward?"

Riza could practically see the blood run to Mustangs head as he gripped his fists, "Havoc…"

"Uh! Sorry sir…I understand sir. I hope all goes well!"

Hughes took that cue to quickly stroll away with the enraged fire alchemist in toll. "You know he didn't mean anything by it, Roy."

He sighed, "I know, hes just an idiot….even so, it doesn't make this any less embarrassing."

Roy nearly fell forward as Hughes halted and suddenly appeared right in front of his face, "there is nothing to be embarrassed of. You aren't crazy, you just need extra help is all…when…Gracia went it really helped her just get her mind cleared."

That caught Roy's attention, "you sent her to one of those places?"

"No, not quite, she disappeared one night very early…I was terrified but right before I was about to issue a search party the hospital called and said she had checked herself in to the nearest mental hospital. She had a horrific postpartum depression episode after our precious Elisia was born- I thought she had honestly killed herself or something awful that night Roy…that's why I feel confident that you and Ed will get through this and see it through."

Roy took that bit of information in and smiled to himself, "You're right Hughes…we are going to be just fine."

For once things went just as Roy said they would- fine, the next several weeks were both challenging and very helpful to the two alchemist. They not only worked on the recent trauma but their past struggles as well.

Finally, a month later, the two found themselves sitting in the discharge room awaiting Hughes to arrive and sign the papers symbolizing their freedom.

"This is it Ed, how do you feel?"

Ed smirked, "like I'm ready to kick the worlds ass again, what about you colonel bastard? Ready to go sign allll those documents that have been piling up after all this time?"

Mustang visablly paled at that, "you know maybe I'm not ready…"

The two smiled as Hughes entered the room, he beamed as he held the papers up. "You guys sure you don't want to stay any longer?" Hughes was cut off as the two all but ran out of the small room and into the bright sunlight just outside the building.

Ed raised his arms and basked in the beauty of that cold morning, he smiled to himself as he ran to catch up with Hughes and Mustang, a overly excited Alphonse and smiling Winry now running towards him from the military car parked. He had been through hell, now Ed was going to cause it in the best way to better both himself and the world. "I'm going to be just fine."

Endings really aren't my deal guys- so I apologize if it seemed abrupt! In any case, I enjoyed writing this and I really hope it was just as enjoyable to read. I'll be posting a poll on my page to gauge what genre I should write next! So please check it out and vote! :) Thank you all~