excuse the expletive please.

Edward and Alphonse stood outside of Roy's door and Edward kicked a small rock from the steps.

"Man, how come we're the ones that have to check up on that lazy ass Colonel?"

"It's not like you weren't worried about him, Brother." Alphonse said.

"Yeah, but I would have rather called."

"That's why we're here though. Hawkeye tried calling him three times and he never answered."

"Well makes her think he's going to answer here? He probably got drunk and is hung over."

Alphonse was making a mental face and looked at the door again.

"When did you knock last?"

"I dunno, about five minutes ago?"

"Knock again."

Edward sighed and knocked on the door again. After a few moments there was still no answer and he turned to walk away.

"He may not be home."

He headed down the steps but Alphonse tried the door and found that it was unlocked.

"Brother, the door's unlocked."

Edward spun around quickly as Alphonse opened the door a little more to show that it was open. Edward went up the steps again and they both walked in. It was warm in the house and Edward immediately noticed his superior lying on the couch in an awkward position. He walked over to him and reached out to touch him but gasped.

"He feels like fire and I haven't even touched him." He said, looking around for a second. He reached out further to touch Roy's shoulder. "Colonel? Colonel, wake up."

It took him a moment but Roy seemed to swim out of unconsciousness to look into Edward's golden eyes and blinked a little.

"Edward…" he said barely above a whisper.

"What have you been doing?"

"Sleeping." He moaned and sat up a little. He put his hand to his head and looked around. "What time is it?"

"Time for you to get up. You've been asleep for two days straight."

"I have?"

"Yeah… Ugh, you need to really get that looked at."

"Colonel, it's infected." Alphonse said.

Roy looked at his arm wound and found that it was in worse shape than before and that the bandage had come off of it. He looked at it lethargically, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"Yeah… that's pretty infected." He said.

He fell back onto the couch and Alphonse rushed to the phone as Edward ran to Roy to check his vitals. They were responsive but very slow and when Edward pulled back Roy's eyelid, his eyes rolled back into his head.

"He's unconscious."

"I'll go get some ice water to try and bring down the fever and to moisten his lips. The ambulance said they would be here soon…"

Edward nodded as he waited for him and looked again at the wound, grimacing on wondering what that mangled mess must have felt like. He could barely keep a chimaera off him when he went to Lior with his automail arm but a wolf ripping into his flesh arm? That may have been equivalent to when his arm and leg were ripped off by Truth. Eventually the ambulance got there and took Roy to the back of it, Edward Alphonse riding with him.

When Roy next awoke, his arm was throbbing and he felt something in the back of his hand. He realized he was in the hospital and looked around for a second. A nurse walked in and smiled at him as she held a clipboard.

"Good afternoon, Colonel. I hope you slept well?"

"As well as I could… How did I get here?"

"Major Elric and his brother called the ambulance due to your wound and passing out. Your wound his highly infected so we've put some salve on it to see if we can manage it before it causes any damage. It says here that you were bitten by a wolf?"

"Yeah, on assignment."

"I see… and did you fill out the animal accident report?"

"Yeah, some days ago, I just didn't get a chance to mail it out."

"Is there any way one of your subordinates could bring it? We need all the details for the file."

"I'll have to call one of them later."

"Indeed."

She piddled about for a bit and then left.

Roy sighed, feeling thirsty, but also feeling extremely warm. He wished he could get someone to turn the fan on and point it directly at him. He thought his hospital clothing was going to burst into flames from his body. God it was so hot! It was the heat that got him mostly, coursing from within his body and seemed to be pumping like fireworks in his blood. The heat was too much and he had to lay down all the way, hoping it would soon pass as he kicked the sheets off of him.

Someone knocked on the door and he told them to come in. It was Edward and Alphonse.

"How you feeling?"

"Nauseous and hot… I feel like my stomach is churning like someone whisking cake batter. You brought me here?"

"You passed out and your fever was off the charts. Plus the fact that your wound stunk and was infected and you've been MIA for two days."

"I just needed sleep."

Edward made a face like he didn't believe him. Although yes, his Colonel probably needed a few free winks of sleep because of the level of work he was doing but sleeping for two days straight wasn't a usual thing.

"So do I but I don't go hibernate like a bear in my home."

Roy decided that Edward wouldn't understand and stopped trying to make him.

"How long do I have to be in here?"

"Until they deem your wound infection free."

Roy scoffed and Edward threw his hands up in surrender.

"Hey, I'm the one who just let it be. I told you to go back to the hospital and Hawkeye did too."

"I don't appreciate you patronizing me." Roy snarled.

"Then don't be such a dick."

Alphonse hadn't said anything, just allowing the two to argue since what he said wasn't going to contribute much anyway, and just sighed in his corner. The doctor came in and smiled at Roy.

"Hello, Colonel, I see you're back."

"No shit." He said with a lift of his eyebrow.

"Although we haven't gotten the animal bite report yet, I'd like to take another look at the wound. When you came in some days ago, the wound looked like it would be fine but from what I understand it seemed to be highly infected now."

"Yeah, that's what I hear."

The doctor motioned to Roy's arm and he held it out for him to unwrap. As the doctor unwrapped it, the bandages were already starting to stain by the time he went around the second time. By the third, the pus was starting to show and by the fourth, the smell was atrocious. The doctor looked like he was going to vomit but completely unwrapped the wound and stuck the bandage in the trashcan.

"Oh my god… Are you sure it wasn't some sort of feral wolf?"

"I assure you, it was on assignment." Roy said, the only seeming to not take in the concern of his arm.

"Damn, Colonel…" Edward said, staring at his arm.

"We will have to perform surgery on the arm immediately or the infection will spread and you could lose the whole arm. By the way it's going, if we don't do it now, by nightfall it will have taken hold of your hand and almost to your shoulder."

Roy looked at it for a moment and sighed.

"Is there nothing else you can do to fix this?"

"Not that far along."

Roy grabbed the doctor with his other arm and pulled him to him.

"Then why the fuck did you tell me I was alright when I came in? Huh? If you had done your job the first damned time, I wouldn't be in this mess!"

"I-I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't think-"

"No. You didn't think. You just waved me off like you do all your other patients. This could cost me my career."

"P-Please don't hurt me…"

"Colonel, let him go." Alphonse said, coming over.

Roy let go and Alphonse righted the doctor from being pulled over the bed.

"It might be best if you just went ahead and prepared for the surgery."

The doctor nodded and ran out of the door. As soon as the door closed, Edward whirled on him.

"What was that all about?!"

"If he had been paying attention, I wouldn't be in this mess." Roy growled, starting to pull at things.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"I'm getting out of here."

"Uh, did you not just hear what he said? You have to get the surgery or you will not have an arm."

Roy turned to him swiftly and Edward gasped, stepping back a little.

"Al… c-come away from there."

"Brother?"

"What's your problem, Fullmetal?" Roy spat.

"Nothing… uh… if you want to go then just go."

"Brother!"

"Good." Roy said, pulling out all of the tubes. He looked around for a moment and pointed to the wound.

"Can you find me a bandage or something? Why are you just standing there?"

Edward nodded and quickly looked through the hospital room to find some gauze and bandages. Alphonse was very confused about what was going on but didn't say anything. He seemed to have missed something and he was sure Edward would tell him later.

Edward finally found gauze and wrapping and also some ointment.

"Do you want me to put some ointment on it?"

"That might be best."

Edward used his automail hand to apply the ointment and then wrapped the wound in gauze and then bandages. Roy stood up and pointed to the door.

"Get out."

Edward immediately obliged, grabbing Alphonse as they left and heading to the bathroom.

When Edward got in the bathroom, he found an open stall and began to vomit. Alphonse waited for him to finish and he flushed the toilet. He then washed his hands and washed the seat of the toilet off.

"Brother, what happened?"

Edward leaned against the wall and breathed in a little.

"For a split second he wasn't the Colonel anymore. He… his eyes looked at me as if he were going to eat my face off if I didn't do what he said. He's never looked at me that way before. I've never felt so much fear than that moment. Not even when I had to face Truth to get you back. I was scared but I was confident… this… he made me feel like a child."

Alphonse was stunned, unable to believe a look from Roy could have done that to his brother who was so strong and unshakeable.

Edward ran his fingers through his hair and then crossed his arms.

"Something happened at that assignment and I need to figure out what it was. I… I don't think he's the same Colonel anymore."

If Alphonse's face was able to make expressions, he would have been lifting an eyebrow.

"You're not suggesting that he might be turning into a wolf, are you?"

"No… at least not right now…"

"Brother-"

"I remember him saying it had to do with bio-alchemy they were using on the wolves. If it's bio-alchemy, not matter what species, if it's inside another creature, it could affect others… I'm going to ask Hawkeye where he had that assignment and ask them some questions."

"You're just going to let the Colonel leave on his own like that?"

Edward pulled from the wall and headed out the restroom.

"You didn't see the malice in his eyes, Al… Those were the eyes of a predator, a killer. I honestly have no doubts that he would have stabbed me or burnt me to a crisp if I didn't help him out."

Alphonse followed Edward out in worry, hoping that the Colonel wasn't turning into something inhuman and that they found out something worthwhile at the assignment.

oh no, seems like roy's a bit on the angry side... and yes, i know that it's not very responsible for leaving with a horrid infection like that but this is fma and drama so... he has to. it irks me cuz it's not accurate but yeah...