Roy opened his eyes and looked around for a minute. He squinted his eyes a little, remembering the situation he had been in just a few hours before and it seemed quite similar. He looked over at his arm and found that it was wrapped up but everything seemed different somehow. He looked around the room but no one was there. He went to say something but the only thing that came out was a squeak. He licked his lips but decided not to yell out again. The door opened and a doctor walked in, going to the end of the bed and picking up a chart. He started looking over it, pointing at a couple of things and then looked up.

"Oh, you're awake. You had a close call. You're very weak because of the spreading and the amount of morphine we're having to give you so talking may be pretty hard. At least coherent talking anyway."

Roy just nodded, understanding that his speech would probably end up off the deep end and just watched the doctor as he looked over his chart.

"We did surgery on your arm to stop the spreading but um… there are some… issues." Roy lifted an eyebrow. "Luckily it didn't sink into the bone but it was damn near close. Most of your skin is missing off of your arm and a lot of muscle."

Roy growled and the doctor shot him a surprised look. He pushed his glasses up and cleared his throat.

"If you had stayed then we could have resolved this quicker."

Even if Roy could talk, he decided he wasn't going to say anything to the man about it. He knew who was to blame and it wasn't him.

The doctor took his vitals and wrote some information down.

"Usually a nurse would do this but I feel partly responsible for it. The doctor who diagnosed you was running off of a fourteen hour shift due to me being out on a house call longer than expected. I should have called in someone else to take the shift in which you first came in, but I didn't. Now, your arm is mutilated and it will be a long hard recovery."

Another snarl erupted from Roy and this time the doctor actually jumped. Roy could smell the fear in him and it made him feel good.

"Either way, you have some people who have been wanting to talk with you for a while now. I think they'll be happy to know that you're awake."

He put the clipboard back and smiled, going out the door.

As the doctor came out of Roy's room, Riza and the others all stood up in worry, wondering what the diagnosis was.

"Doctor…" she said, walking forward a little.

"He's fine. He's awake actually. He's not good for extensive conversation but he'll live. The hard part is the recovery of his arm… May I walk with you for a moment?"

Riza nodded and walked to the side with the doctor. He pushed his glasses up and leaned against the wall a little.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye, I did some additional tests since they told me that he was bitten by a wolf on assignment and the infection spread very quickly. What I saw was a little unnerving."

"And what is it you found?"

"It seems like there are minute traces of alchemical activity within his blood that registered on our scans."

"From what he told me, they are trying to heighten wolf intelligence by use of bioalchemy introduced internally through food or water."

"I see… I don't know what that could do to someone but I know the infection has stopped spreading. We got most of it out and like I said, the hardest part will be recovery and muscle memory."

"Muscle memory?"

"We had to dig the infection out of his arm pretty deep. Almost to the bone, actually. The recovery will be anything but easy."

Riza made a face as the doctor sighed.

"Look, I just thought you may want to know about what I found. Usually it's doctor-patient confidentiality but you are listed as a person I can discuss medical issues with and I have a feeling he won't do anything if he heard what I had to say."

"True; he's not exactly the best at taking bad news well."

"I figured as much. That being said, if anything odd happens, I would like to think that you would try to get him back here."

"Of course. Thank you."

He nodded and left and Riza made a face. She hoped nothing odd was happening because of the assignment. She walked back over to everyone and they looked up.

"The Colonel is awake and we can visit him. He said that he's on a lot of painkiller so he may not be coherent."

Everyone nodded as they all went into the Colonel's room.

The door opened and most of his office seemed to spill into the room and Roy smiled a little, feeling better already.

"Hi."

"Colonel, you scared the hell of me." Havoc said, glaring at his superior.

"I'm sorry…" he said softly, swallowing.

"Why did you leave the hospital in the first place?" Riza asked calmly but firmly.

"I just didn't want to be here. They messed me up so…"

"*You* messed you up, Colonel. The doctor had said to stay there and you didn't. Then you put your burden on Lieutenant Havoc. I'm ashamed of you, sir."

Roy smiled a little. "I'm sorry."

"They said that they had to dig out a large chunk of infection." Edward said.

"That's what they say…" Roy said with a frown. "Hawkeye, Fullmetal." The two stood at attention. "I want you to go back to the assignment and get more information on the project they were doing. I want to know the odd little details, the side effects, anything you can get on those wolves."

"How long were you there before the dog bit you?" Edward asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Roy narrowed his eyes at Edward. "Don't call them dogs. I'm serious. I never said the experiment didn't work, I just said it was stupid and there is no need for it. They know when you're talking about them and that's why Shiro Kiba bit me."

"I see." Edward said, looking a little skeptical.

Roy lowered his gaze and Edward stepped back involuntarily although subtly, his superior's black eyes seeming a little glowier than usual.

"I'm serious, Fullmetal. Those wolves really are intelligent beyond their normal capacity and Shiro Kiba is the leader of those wolves. If he directed it, he would tear you limb from limb. He's their alpha."

Edward grinned. "True, but I'll show that dumb dog like I showed that chimera in Lior with my automail."

Roy peered at him more. "Shiro Kiba could rip it right off. Don't understand him."

Edward made a face as Roy leaned back and scratched at the bandages.

"I hate to be a bother but do you mind if I catch a couple of winks?"

Everyone smiled and headed toward the door.

"Hope for a speedy recovery, Colonel." Breda said, saluting.

"Good look." Havoc said, leaving.

"Night, Colonel. Sweet dreams."

Edward lingered for a little bit and Roy looked at him.

"Fullmetal, have I spoken another language that you can't understand?"

"Brother, come on." Alphonse said, urging his brother out.

"Hold on… Go on without me." Alphonse left as Edward looked at Roy again. "Colonel…"

"What, Fullmetal? What don't you get about leaving me alone?!" he growled.

"You keep getting really angry with me about everything that I do. Why just me?"

"I don't know. Get. Out."

Edward instead walked closer to Roy and looked into his eyes, noticing they were lighter than they had ever been since he knew the annoying man.

"You're not alright. The doctor may have gotten the infection out of your arm but you can't change your blood." Edward growled, pointing at his superior. "Overheard him talking and there's alchemy in your blood. Roy, you have to get them to try and clean that out."

"My blood is fine, Fullmetal. You're not a doctor nor are you a scientist, so there's no reason why you should be eavesdropping on the conversation of my doctor. And even if that were true, it'll clean out soon."

Edward leaned over to him.

"Bioalchemy doesn't just 'pass through', Roy! It blends! That's what it's made to do! It has to do with the chemical makeup of the human body and things around it! The traces won't dissipate but attach and you have no idea what they were really doing to those wolves! I think…"

Edward pulled back, not going to voice his silly opinion and put his hands in his pockets.

"Whatever. I'm just a kid, I don't know much."

Roy watched him for a second. "Fullmetal." Edward turned back. "Are you trying to say that I will turn into a werewolf?"

Edward clenched his fists. "I'm not trying to say it… I… really have a gut feeling about this. I don't believe in the fantastical as much as any alchemist (that isn't of their own hand, of course) but you don't see what I see. Something from those wolves is still inside you and for some reason, it doesn't like me. Werewolf, wolf, nothing… it's all plausible. I just hope you'll be strong enough for it."

He walked away again but Roy growled low.

"Edward."

"What?" he said, looking back.

"You truly believe that I'm the Big Bad Wolf?"

"I believe you're something and that something doesn't like me. I have no doubts that you'll huff and puff and blow in my defenses."

"Then I suggest you build them with bricks."

Edward frowned at his superior, their banter suddenly turning into a threat.

so much 3 little pigs! anyway, hopefully things will be fine when they go to check out the assignment