Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ A Love Forgotten ❯ Death ( Chapter 14 )

A Love Forgotten

By Joyfulmusic

 

I don't own FMA

Note: May contain spoilers!

 

Chapter 14: Death

 

 

Two weeks had gone by without much improvement. Briana remained in her vegetable state. Nothing the doctors could do did any good. Edward had remained at her side, refusing to be moved from his post. Even at night he stayed at the hospital. The lounger that had been provided made into a suitable bed. Al went back to the apartment where Winry had been staying with them.

 

It was during one of those dismal dark hours when something finally did change. Alarms were going off on the various machines that were attached to Brie. A nurse had rushed through the door at top speed. "Her vital signs are falling Dr. Mayodan." She explained to the bald old man that had entered behind her. "What should we do?"

 

The physician merely shook his head. "I'm afraid there's nothing much we can do. Contact..." His sentence broke off when the alarms ceased. The machines had gone back to normal. Glancing down, he noticed that the silent young man's right hand was now holding hers. His golden eyes were glued to her face.

 

A thought crossed the medical worker's mind that seemed extremely illogical. "Here, let me try something." Ed nodded, moving away, but still watching intently. The doctor took the woman's palm in his, holding it in the same way. Instantly her vital signs began to fall, slowly at first but then began to pick up speed. Holding her arm out to the man, he frowned. As soon as the alchemist took hold things returned to normal.

 

"Change hands." Dr. Mayodan ordered, having noticed the one being used was automail. But when Edward did as commanded nothing changed. However when the doctor tried it the machines started to give off their warning again. "Very odd." He gave her back to the blond then asked. "What are you to her?"

 

"Husband." The alchemist answered, not really paying mind to anything but his beloved wife. And that was the way the personnel left them. It didn't make any sense and when he tried to look it up the doctor found that similar events had happened but they were extremely rare. Unfortunately he couldn't convince his superiors how invaluable research on the phenomenon would be.

 

 

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A month later, one of the leaders of the hospital came through the door. He was a doctor; though it was apparent that he had the bedside manner of Mustang. In fact he favored the colonel except that his face was a slight bit narrower and he had a goatee. "I'm afraid that due to lack of progress we shall be forced to discontinue the IV." The nurse was doing so, her orders already having been given.

 

"What!" Edward jumped out of his chair. That was the most movement he'd managed to show all day. "How can you do that? What about her vital signs when she took my hand? That proves that she's still in there! You can't just let her starve to death. It would be murder!"

 

Shaking his head the tall dark man continued. "I'm very sorry for your loss. But should she show any sign of improvement between now and her death we shall re-insert the IV." Giving a slight wave he turned, realizing that the only thing that kept him from being torn apart was the armored hand on the short guy's shoulder.

 

"Brother calm down." Alphonse insisted once they'd been left alone with Winry. She looked very dismayed as well. "There's still a chance. Maybe… maybe she'll turn over or something. You'll see. She'll be just fine." In all truth he was agitated. But he had to be the strong one at that moment.

 

"What if she doesn't Al? What if I loose her forever?" Tears welled up in his golden eyes as his sibling released him. The younger knew now just how much she meant to Ed. But she'd been hurt because she'd been carrying a descendent of their father. 'Maybe if I would have turned her away Envy wouldn't have known it was mine.'

 

The usual nurse poked her head in the door. She looked as though she were about to fall apart herself. "I'm sorry, but visiting hours are now over." However just before she left she added, "Dr. Mayodan tried his best to keep this from happening. I'm so very sorry about it."

 

"Thank you." Ed told her, retaking his seat. "You've been very kind." He realized that she was the one who'd taken great care with Briana. She had also been the one to bring in the lounger, after having seen him asleep in the wooden chair, his head resting on the hospital bed.

 

Nodding the woman left. Alphonse laid a gauntlet on his sibling's shoulder once more. "We'll see you two tomorrow, alright?" He only received a nod. Then, holding his hand out to Winry, she took it. It was evident that she was in no shape to say anything without tears choking her.

 

"Do you think she'll be alright?" The blond finally managed, after they were out in the hallway. Her face was wet with the many tears she'd been crying. She was too upset to be mad. But she silently vowed, 'Later I'll take care of that doctor. I won't let him get away with killing Brie.'

 

 

"I don't know." Al admitted, although he didn't want to. "I hope she will, but… I just don't know." He'd seen so many people die in his lifetime. The last thing he wanted was to loose his new sister. She'd become a close friend, and what's more, had brought life back into his and Ed's world.

 

 

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When the door had closed and he was sure there would be no more visitors, Edward did something he'd never done before. Sliding off his shoes he gently climbed onto the bed, slipping under the blanket. Shifting her limp body so that her back was pressed against his chest he let go all the tears he'd ever felt.

 

"Don't go Brie. Please don't leave me." But she felt so cold to his human arm. His automail was in under her. He shivered with the cruel truth that was facing him. "I need you Brie. I love you. Please stay. I swear I'll try harder. I swear I'll be whatever you want. Just don't go." Closing his eyes he eventually drifted off to sleep.

 

 

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"Briana, darling." Standing on the other side of the bed was his double. Blinking twice Edward realized that he was also seeing himself lying there with her. The twin stroked her face gently, a sad smile on his lips. "Come on baby don't do this. You need to stay here."

 

The alchemist's stomach churned. "Are you Jacob?" Without so much as a glance in his direction, he was given a nod. 'So this is the man she loved. He's the one she married.' Clearing his throat he asked, although he was hesitant to do so, "Why have you come?"

 

That was enough to lock the golden eyes on him, with a face that scowled. "I'm here because you let that guy do this to her." Turning back to the woman in the bed he took her hand in his. "How could you do that? I would have never left her alone. I would have protected her."

 

Swallowing hard, Edward tried to hold it together. "I'm sorry. I thought… I don't know what I thought. I guess I wasn't thinking." Shaking his head he felt his heart sinking. 'Of course you wouldn't do this to her. You're the saint, while I'm the sinner.' Turning his attention back to Briana he felt sick.

 

"This isn't the first time you let someone get hurt that you cared about is it?" Jake was angry, it was visible in his expression which was now trained on the alchemist. "This is like a game you keep playing. But you keep loosing and when you do you cost people their lives."

 

"No!" Ed yelled, shaking his head fiercely. "I didn't…" But he felt that he couldn't refute the claim. It was true. Many people had been lost because of him. "Please stop." He finally requested, not wanting to take anymore. "If you're here to see about Brie then just do it and go."

 

"Why?" His own voice growled back at him. "Why should I leave her here with you?

You, the great Fullmetal Alchemist, dog of the military couldn't do a simple human transmutation! You failed your mother. Now she's stuck as a homunculus and it's your fault!"

 

He couldn't deny it. Couldn't stop the tears that began to fall. "Please stop." He begged. How could he argue with himself when he agreed? It was as if his hidden feelings were being thrown back at him from his own lips, and in a way that made it worse. It was as if he were admitting it.

 

But his counterpart was enjoying himself. For some reason Jacob seemed to revel in Ed's pain. "You shouldn't have taken her from me. I kept Brie safe when she was with me. I loved her with all my heart. Then you had to come along and ruin it all! You should have just stayed gone!"

 

"No." The older Elric breathed with ragged breath. Was it just him, or was the room getting hotter? He was, in spite of everything, necessary, wasn't he? "Al still needs me. I've got to get his body back. We have to find the Philosopher's stone together. I have to do at least that much before I go."

 

There was that wicked grin once more. "Of course you have to save him from the fate you bestowed upon him. It's your fault that he's in that armor right now. Your fault that he can't feel or live like a normal human being." Jake pushed further. "You're the one to blame and you know it's true. Without you Alphonse would still be human."

 

That was more than enough to make the alchemist's blood boil. "Al is human!" But as he moved around the bed to face his other self he was stopped. A transformation began to take place and within seconds it was the younger Elric who stood before him. Not grown as Envy had portrayed him, but as the boy who had been lost.

 

"Brother, why?" His voice was that of a child, one who had been lost, believing never to be found again. His wide silver eyes were full of tears. " Why didn't you find me? How could you just leave me like that? I thought we promised mom we would watch out for each other."

 

Kneeling down, Edward wrapped his arms around the young boy. "I'm so sorry Al. I never meant for this to happen.” Holding him close, the alchemist began to sob. 'This isn't Al. He's at home with Winry' But no matter how much he told himself that, it didn't work. He knew this couldn't be real, it had to be an elusion, and yet he continued to play along.

 

"You allowed that man to kill our child.” This time it was Briana's voice that spoke. Shifting so that he was looking up at her, he realized that he had a hold of her waist. Her blue green eyes were peering down at him with a sorrow that went on forever. "And now, you've condemned me to death. You could have stopped that doctor but you didn't even try."

 

Standing so that they were face to face the alchemist touched her cheek. 'This can't be Brie.' But she was exactly like his wife. Turning slightly, he glanced over his shoulder. There, lying on the bed, in his own arms was the woman he loved. Returning to the person standing beside him, he frowned. "Who are you really? You're not Jacob, and certainly not Al or Brie."

 

An evil smile crossed its lips as it became the Fullmetal Alchemist's double. "I am you Edward Elric. I speak the words you hide in your heart. I am the voice that whispers in your ear about all the evil things you have done.” He pointed to the bed. “And now you have added to your list of transgressions. You've destroyed the woman you love. Taken her life and ruined it."

 

Then the two Edward's heard something. It seemed to be someone fussing rather loudly. What's more, it was coming from somewhere near by. `It seems so close.' Then he felt as though someone were shaking him fiercely. `This isn't real. It's a dream and someone's trying to wake me.'