Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ A Trial of Sin ❯ For Us To Trust You, You Have To Trust Us ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: CCD
Mustang finds out that the military is after Ed, wanting to silence him. Meanwhile, Ed and Hughes have a heart to heart. Ed asks Mustang why he's getting sick.

Anime/Manga: Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Suspense / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.19.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 580 | Status: Completed

A Trial of Sin
Chapter 7: For Us To Trust You, You Have To Trust Us
December 23, 2005
By CCD
 
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“Are you absolutely sure about this, Hawkeye?” Roy Mustang asked as he stared at the paperwork in his hand.
 
“Yes sir, it appears that they want to keep all of this as low key as possible. If the higher ups condemn him, then the state's control could crumble a little. After all, those who have met Edward know him better than to kill his own brother.”
 
“So they put him in my custody to shut him up. Then there's no chance that they'll let him walk away.”
 
“Sir, they may threaten him to keep quiet after he turns eighteen. I'm sure he feels guilty about being alive when his brother isn't. Whose to say that the military won't target other people that he cares for or considers friends.”
 
“This is true. Don't mention anything about this to him. He has enough to deal with right now. I know he's normally solid about his decisions, but I can tell he's still struggling. This isn't over by a long shot.”
 
“Yes sir.”
 
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“Hughes, I may not be in the military, but if I see another picture of your daughter I'll take a note from the Colonel and torch it.”
 
“Now, don't get all worked up,” Hughes said as he placed his newest picture of his daughter in his pocket, “I just wanted to see if you really were Ok. You gave us all a scare when you were in the hospital and to be honest I don't think you're as fine as you say you are.”
 
“He's right chief. You're still not 100 percent back to your old self,” Havoc said agreeing with Hughes.
 
“I'm working on it. It's not easy you know and Mustang just makes it worse. He treats me like a porcelain doll and I hate it. I know that you guys think I'm going to do something crazy again, but I'm not. I just don't know what I can do to regain some trust around here.”
 
Hughes and Havoc looked at each other before nodding. At least the were in agreement. Hughes placed the back of his hand on Ed's forehead making the young alchemist frown.
 
“What?” he asked with a bit of anger in his voice.
 
“Well you don't have a fever. Ok who are you and what did you do with Edward Elric,” Hughes asked jokingly.
 
Ed pushed Hughes hand away. He was even more upset with Hughes than with Mustang at this point. He was trying so hard to get things back to normalcy and no one was making it easier for him or taking him seriously.
 
“Great, not you too,” he muttered under his breath.
 
“Seriously Ed, we're just looking out for you. I know it's hard since you're use to being the one who takes care of things, but for right now you need to heal and let us do the work. Trust me, your not ready to just pick things up where they left off and if you really want us to trust you, you have to do the same for a while. Why don't you try giving in to Roy sometimes and actually doing what he asks of you?” Hughes asked in a gentle tone.
 
“The day I follow that morally bankrupt Colonel with a God complex will be the day I do a successful human transmutation. Besides, his ego needs to be shot down once in a while,” Ed growled back through clenched teeth.

Havoc and Hughes started to laugh. There was the Fullmetal Alchemist they knew so well. It took a minute for them to calm down before Hughes continued.
 
“You have to face the fact that he's the one responsible for you at the moment Ed. He's the one who you have to gain the trust of and you'll see. Little by little the doors will open up to you again and you will be able to move forward like you did in the past. Things will get hard once those doors start to open again, but Roy will be there for you to lean on like you leaned on Al.”
 
“Yeah, and we'll be here to back up the Colonel, so you've got nothing to worry about, chief,” Havoc chimed in wanting to give his support as well.
 
The three of them were silent for a moment. Ed leaned back on the swing and tilted his head back. He closed his eyes and smiled.
 
“I'll think about it.”
 
“You'll think about what Fullmetal.”
 
Ed's eyes snapped open to see Mustang walk onto the porch followed by Lt. Hawkeye.
 
“Nothing you need to be concerned about Colonel.”
 
Mustang merely shrugged and looked at Lt. Havoc and Hughes.
 
“The three of you need to be getting back to Headquarters before you're missed. We'll discuss this stuff tomorrow in my office.”
 
“Yes sir,” Lt Hawkeye said as she walked down the porch followed by Lt. Havoc.
 
Lt. Colonel Hughes started to follow, but stopped when he got the Colonel. He placed a hand gently on his friends shoulder.
 
“Take care of him, Roy. He needs looking after even if he won't tell you himself.”
 
“I do not!” Ed yelled when he heard him.
 
The two friends smiled. They knew Ed would deny it to his dying day and to them, that was Ok at the moment.
“Don't worry Maes, he's in safe hands. I'll take care of them. Now get back to the office before you're missed. Can't have you demoted now, can we?”
 
Hughes laughed and walked off the porch to the car. He turned and waved at Ed, who was still fuming on the porch. The Lt Colonel then climbed in the car and it sped away.
 
The black-haired alchemist took this opportunity to turn and look at the blond alchemist. It took a moment for the fuming alchemist realized that he was being stared at.
 
“What are you looking at?”
 
“I thought that was obvious, Fullmetal. I'm looking at you.”

”Well, stop. It's annoying.”
 
“Then stop fuming, Edward. Hughes is right. You do need looking after,” Roy said as he sat down on the swing next to Ed.”
 
“That doesn't mean I have to like it.”
 
The Colonel sighed. He had started to notice that when Ed got wound up, he started to run a fever and it eventually led to him collapsing.
“Settle down Edward, before I take you inside and put you to bed. You make yourself sick when you get like this and that's when you pass out. I know you don't want to be bedridden for another week.”
 
The young Colonel couldn't tell if this had calmed the boy down or wound him up even more. All he knew was that it was enough to shut him up for now, which was exactly what Mustang wanted at the moment. If Edward were quiet, then he would eventually calm down to the point where he would relax.
 
Roy closed his eyes for a moment. That was one of the things that had been bothering him. Where his young ward was mentally improving bit by bit, his body was struggling to keep up with the demands Ed was putting on them. Roy had a few ideas as to why, but he wanted a solid answer.
 
“Why?”
 
Roy's eyes snapped open and looked at Edward. The boy had drawn his legs up under his chin and with both arms wrapped around them. He stared off into the distance as if deep in thought.
 
“Why what, Edward?”
 
“Why do I still get sick when I'm trying so hard to get better?”
 
The Colonel shuttered. He was still not used to Edward being completely open with him and to be asked a question that he didn't have a definite answer to… Roy let the thought hanging in his mind. He had to be honest with Edward on this matter.
 
“I honestly don't know, Edward, but tomorrow the state had requested that you go in for a checkup so they can see how you're progressing. Maybe then we can get some definite answers.”
 
Ed nodded and then shivered. He tried to hide it from the Colonel because he knew it was getting colder outside as the sun started to set and he would have to go inside so as not to get worse. Unfortunately the Colonel did see him.
“Cold Fullmetal,”
 
Ed didn't respond. He didn't want to go inside. He wanted to enjoy the little bit of freedom he had gotten today a bit longer before going back inside. Going inside meant going back into a cage.
 
Mustang took his silence as a yes and he knew why. Edward had practically begged him to come outside, by whining as usual. Ed wouldn't want to go inside because of a little chill.
 
“We just finished talking about how you were sick and not improving and yet you want to stay out,” he muttered loud enough for Ed to hear as he got up and went into the house.
 
He came back out a moment later with a heavy blanket and threw it on the teen's head. Ed yanked it down and gave the Colonel his usual scowl.
 
“What was that for?”
 
“You're cold so bundle up. You can stay out for another hour and then you have to come in. Until then enjoy,” Mustang, replied as he walked back into the house and shut the door behind him.
 
Ed took the blanket and wrapped it around his thin form. He suspected that the Colonel knew he was sick, but that he didn't know how sick he was. The young alchemist wasn't just passing out, but having frequent dizzy spells and nighttime coughing fits. It had been mild all day, but he knew tonight would bring the same hacking cough that tore at his lungs and made his whole chest burn.
“Tomorrow,” he said weakly, “I can find out what's wrong with me tomorrow.”