Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Descent ❯ Determination ( Chapter 29 )

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Descent

 

Chapter Twenty-Nine

 

Determination

 

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Roy leaned against the desk and waited for the head nurse to get off the phone. She was an older woman with fiery-red hair and way too much makeup. He tried not to blanch at the `mothball' scent that permeated from her and said politely when she hung up the phone, “I'm here to see Master Sergeant Kain Fuery.”

 

She stared at him for a moment and he sighed before reaching for his wallet. The woman was a stickler for protocol. Despite the fact that he came almost every day to see his subordinate, the woman insisted that he show identification.

 

Roy pulled out his wallet and opened it to his military photo identification. Not the watch; no, that thing meant nothing to her. He also pulled out the form from Kain's file that showed that he was, indeed, under Roy's command.

 

The woman, her nametag said Tabitha Crenshaw, studied the photo ID, then looked up at him and said, “You know where the room is, colonel?”

 

Roy nodded as he walked away and stuffed his wallet back in his pocket. As much as he disliked dealing with the woman, he felt that Fuery's safety mattered more than him being inconvenienced.

 

He was about to put his hand on the doorknob when he heard, “Colonel Mustang,” behind him. Roy turned and saw Doctor Booth walking toward him. The dark-haired man sighed. It was obvious that Doctor Booth didn't like him, but he probably deserved the dislike given how he'd acted that first day he came to see Fuery in the hospital.

 

“Doctor,” Roy said in a mild greeting.

 

“Colonel, a moment of your time, if you don't mind.”

 

“I actually don't have much of that at the moment, perhaps we could talk another time?” he said, not really in the mood to speak with the man.

 

“Colonel Mustang, we've done some tests on Mr. Fuery and his memory is...”

 

“You told me this on the phone,” Roy interrupted.

 

“I told you a few rudimentary things. Before you decide to either keep him in the military or discharge him, I think it would be best if we went over a few things.”

 

“Fine. I'll make an appointment with your secretary,” the colonel said flatly. “Now if you'll excuse me.” He turned and opened the door. Letting himself into the room, Roy shut the door and walked slowly to the bed in the dimly lit room.

 

Careful.

 

He'd have to be very careful about what he said in here.

 

During his visits, Roy had located several of the bugs hidden about the room and he'd desperately wanted to turn them off, but he didn't. He didn't want anyone to know that he was aware of them.

 

His eyes rested on his master sergeant, and Roy saw that the smaller man's eyes were open and watching him. The colonel smiled, pulled a chair up near the bed and sat down.

 

“Hi, Kain,” Roy whispered.

 

“Hi...” the man replied slowly, uncertainty filling his voice.

 

The colonel looked at him for several moments before saying anything else, then said, “Do you know who I am?”

 

Fuery searched his face, then sighed and shook his head. “You look...familiar...but, I'm sorry, I just don't know...”

 

“I see,” Roy said softly. “Do you remember anything?”

 

“Sometimes, but it comes and goes. The doctor said it's probably temporary... I hope so...”

 

Roy nodded. “I hope so too, Kain.”

 

They looked at each other for a moment before Fuery asked, “So...who are you?”

 

The colonel smiled a little and said, “My name is Roy Mustang. I'm your commanding officer.” When the man's forehead crinkled in confusion, Roy said, “You're a master sergeant in the military.”

 

“Oh...” Kain murmured.

 

“I can't stay long, but I came down here as soon as they let me know you were awake.”

 

“Oh. Well... thanks.” The man paused, then asked in a small voice, “Will you come visit me again?”

 

Roy stood and nodded. “Of course. I promise.” He stared for the door when Fuery called to him.

 

“Wait!”

 

Turning around, Roy glanced at the smaller man who was struggling to sit up. Kain's eyes were wide and a bit of confusion mixed in with the look as well. The man's face seemed to lose what little color it had previously had. “You're in danger...” Kain whispered, then terror flashed across his face and he buried his head in his hands.

 

Quickly, Roy walked back and put his hand on Fuery's shoulder. “Are you alright?” he asked, wondering if the man was in pain. “Do you need me to get you a doctor or a nurse?”

 

Kain's head shook to the negative, then he slowly looked up at Roy. Panic and alarm filled Fuery's features and he grabbed weakly onto Roy's arm. “I don't know why... or how... but suddenly...” Kain shook his head and Roy could see tears shimmering in his eyes. “I think I'm afraid to remember... I'm sorry...”

 

Pressing his lips together, Roy looked down at his subordinate with concern and worry. After what had happened, he supposed he'd be afraid to remember too. “Don't worry about it,” Roy said with a small smile. “Just...” Just what? Remember soon so he could use the man again? Hurry up and get well so that you can be in danger again?

 

Probably it was best if Kain never remembered anything.

 

“Just, rest. It will all be okay, you'll see,” he finished.

 

By the look on Kain's face, the man didn't look too convinced. “Please... be careful.”

 

Roy sighed softly. He wanted to assure the man that everything would be fine, or maybe even fill him in on some things, but he couldn't. Not here. Not in this bugged hospital room.

 

“I'll try, Kain...” he said quietly. “I'll try.”

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

Ed glanced from the window to where Sig Curtis sat on the other train bench in front of him. The large butcher was silently studying him and Ed had to fight the urge to run away.

 

Sighing irritably, he reached over and fished a pen out of one of the side pockets on his... Roy's... suitcase before leaning against the window and putting the tip of the pen in his mouth. What he really needed right now was a fucking cigarette.

 

This was all Havoc's fault.

 

Ed fiddled idly with the pen, running it back and forth over his lips.

 

It felt so much better to have someone to blame. He couldn't blame Havoc for everything, but for getting him hooked on smoking, he definitely blamed the man. At least, right now he did. Ed knew that it had been his choice, but he was overlooking that fact for now until he could get a fix.

 

Again he glanced at Sig and began sucking on the pen.

 

South.

 

He was going south.

 

Damn it all...

 

Not that he was in any big hurry to get back to Central; in fact, he'd felt that he needed more time to think, but going to Dublith had definitely not been in his plans...

 

“She'll be glad to see you,” Sig said in his deep voice and Ed sighed.

 

“No, she won't...” he muttered, trying to push down his nervousness. Izumi would probably skin him alive...

 

He hadn't seen her since she'd come to visit them in Rizembool, and she'd constantly been trying to get him alone. Ed knew she wanted to ask him about how he got Al's body back, and so he'd avoided being alone with her.

 

He'd also been extremely moody at the time, but had tried really hard to be pleasant when she and Sig had been there. Ed frowned unhappily. If only he had tried to be more pleasant to Al... but what was done, was done. There was nothing he could do but go forward...

 

Somehow...

 

Ed absentmindedly pushed his bangs back. He didn't want to tell her, but it was hard to not tell her something when she asked; Izumi was just that kind of woman. But here he was, on his way to see her. He could have said `no' when Sig had asked him to come, but he couldn't. The big man's eyes had held a look that spoke volumes.

 

She wasn't getting better. Izumi only looked strong, but Ed knew it was only a matter of time before she could no longer maintain that tough exterior. The consequences of her sin were taking their fatal toll on her and someday...

 

Someday soon...

 

The teen shook his head. He didn't want to think of that. She had been their teacher, but she'd also been something more. Izumi had been like a second mother to him and Al, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing yet another mother...

 

He supposed that was part of why he had a difficult time not telling something if she asked. He couldn't, though...he just couldn't. It had hurt too much, telling her what him and Al had done, how they'd tried to bring back their mother, but this...

 

No.

 

He couldn't.

 

He was too ashamed.

 

Ed couldn't tell her, and he couldn't tell Al. If his brother knew that he'd gotten his body back because Ed had...

 

No...

 

He had to keep this from Al to protect him. Not knowing would be better for him. Al was too gentle of a person. It would hurt him too much if he knew...

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

Al looked down at the paper and sighed. After all the work he'd put into this, he'd only been able to produce something so...

 

Mediocre...

 

The urge to crumple the paper up and try again was strong, but he refrained. So it wasn't perfect... neither was he. There really wasn't anything more he could think of to make it better. This just wasn't his strong point, but he'd wanted to do something like this...

 

Letting out his breath in exasperation, Al set the paper on the desk, got up from his chair and flopped down on his bed.

 

“I can't do this...” he whispered to himself. His heart beat wildly just thinking about it and the air suddenly seemed thicker. He turned onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow.

 

Although he'd been planning this for a while, he couldn't help feeling scared to death. What if he was wrong about the signals he'd been getting? What if...

 

No.

 

Al began hitting his head against his pillow.

 

No, he...

 

“What are you doing?”

 

The alchemist froze in the act of hitting his head yet another time against his pillow, then quickly rolled over so he could look at the door. Unfortunately, he was too close to the edge of the bed and he fell off, landing painfully on the floor.

 

Feeling completely mortified, Al felt blood rush to his cheeks and he glanced up to where Winry was sticking her head into the room. Her lips were pressed together as if she were trying to hold back a laugh.

 

“Are you alright?” she asked, amusement mixing with concern.

 

“Yeah...” he muttered and was about to get to his feet when the sound of barking coming closer met his ears. He looked up at Winry, who was looking out the door.

 

“Den!” she yelled and moments later a small brown blur raced into the room and hid under the bed. This was followed by Den trying to come into the room, but Winry pushed him out and shut the door.

 

He could hear her scolding the dog on the other side of the door and he laid down on his back and sighed. For a moment he just stared up at the ceiling, then he turned his head and looked at the small brown tabby.

 

Al let a smile touch his lips and he wiggled his fingers for the kitten to come. For a moment, CinCin simply looked at him, then she came out and rubbed her head against his fingers.

 

“What do you think?” he asked the kitten.

 

The small animal simply ignored him and instead scampered to one of the crumpled up wads of paper and began batting at it.

 

“Thanks...” he muttered and laid his arm over his eyes before sighing in resignation.

 

He'd just have to do it.

 

That's all there was to it.

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

Russell glanced over at Urayami feeling frustrated and angry. And yet another day of the other teen's ceaseless questions and commentary. Did he even know the meaning of the words `none of your business'? The questions had gone from personal, to very personal, as in, what were his favorite sex positions and the like.

 

He'd tried hinting that perhaps Urayami should split off from him and travel east without him, but the guy was dead set on traveling north with him. Somehow he had to get away. He just didn't think he could handle being around the other teen any longer. Even if it meant sneaking away in the middle of the night, Russell was determined to get to Rizembool without this nuisance...

 

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

 

Roy sighed heavily and shut the door behind him. It had been another long day. He bent over, untied his boots and pulled them off before making his way into the kitchen. And now, it would be another long, lonely night.

 

He opened the cupboard, grabbed one of the bottles and glanced at the black label covering the square bottle and nodded.

 

That would work.

 

The colonel sighed, and took a drink before tossing the top on the counter and making his way back to the bedroom. As he walked, Roy took another swig and began undoing the buttons on his uniform jacket.

 

He crossed his bedroom and set the bottle down before taking his jacket off and hanging it up. It was the least he could do... Roy knew it would be better if he took off the rest of his uniform, but he didn't. Instead, he pulled his white button up shirt out of his pants then threw himself on his bed.

 

Rolling over, Roy grabbed the bottle, propped himself up for a moment, and took a deep drink of the amber colored liquid. He set the bottle down and stared at the ceiling thinking about everything that was going on.

 

He didn't know what to do about Kain Fuery. The man could be in danger again if the wrong people believed he would say the wrong things, but he could also be a huge liability if he told those wrong people about Roy's plans...

 

Roy took another drink and thought about the implications of this and how he could possibly protect himself and his subordinates. It didn't take long for him to devise something that might work, which was good since the more he drank, the less he was able to concentrate. He had a great buzz going and he just needed to relax, not worry about his plans and ambitions.

 

Roy's glanced over to the bookshelf where Ed's red coat hung where the teen had left it. Ed never wore it anymore, given how much he was growing, and Roy supposed he understood it being left here. Ed didn't have any more use of it. He used the black overcoat issued to him by the military when he wanted a coat.

 

It was sad in a way because the red coat just seemed so much apart of Ed. The blond had worn it so much that it was strange to think that he wouldn't be wearing it any longer.

 

The colonel stared at it a moment longer, then took another swig from the bottle before pulling out his watch. Opening it, Roy looked at the picture of him and Maes inside and said, “What do you think?”

 

“I think you should stop focusing on Ed so much.” Words from long ago echoed in his head. “I think that you even considering that boy for a partner is wrong.”

 

Roy hadn't said anything at the time and still he kept quiet, letting his dead friend's words ring loudly in his ears.

 

“Ed is fourteen years younger than you, Roy. You need someone your own age and someone who can handle all that comes with having you as a partner...”

 

“Ed can handle it,” Roy murmured to the picture and took another drink. “He's just acting like a little brat right now. There are just some things I can't tell him. You understand that, right, Maes? I mean, you should, you kept me in the dark until the very end...”

 

Until the end.

 

Roy felt tears gather in his eyes and he snapped the watch shut and set it on the night stand before letting his fingers brush against the bottle. If he got Ed involved... But he wouldn't.

 

He couldn't.

 

Roy didn't think he'd be able to handle it if anything happened to Ed. Besides, there really was no reason to get him involved. It was better just to keep him researching and away from the danger; away from suspicion...

 

“Ed, where are you?” he whispered.

 

Roy had figured maybe two weeks at the most, but it was going on three weeks now and he hadn't even gotten a phone call from him. He really felt like this situation was out if his control and it was driving him crazy.

 

The colonel took another drink from the bottle, then opened the drawer and took out a picture of Ed that he'd taken a couple of weeks ago. He wasn't naked like Roy had wanted him to be; Ed had been too embarrassed to have a nude picture taken of him, but he definitely looked sexy as hell just wearing one of Roy's white button up shirts.

 

Roy leaned the picture against the bottle and smiled faintly at the photo before frowning. Ed had made it quite clear that he didn't like how much Roy drank. It was stupid, really... It wasn't as if he was drunk all the time. He didn't drink at work normally, but lately he had been so stressed that he'd taken a little nip here and there throughout the say, but no one seemed to notice, so it was no big deal...

 

Suddenly a fuzzy memory flashed through his mind; a memory of having Ed's head in his hands, of not letting the teen pull away, of forcing his drunk young lover to swallow...

 

With shaking hands, Roy moved the picture aside, grabbed the bottle and took a long drink.

 

I didn't do that... Roy thought desperately. I didn't. It was just a dream. If I had, Ed would have said something...

 

A small voice inside his head, that sounded suspiciously like Maes's voice, said, `Wasn't it right after that night that Ed started protesting your drinking?'

 

Roy picked up the picture and stared at it. Somewhere deep inside of him, he knew that was correct. He also knew in that same deep down place that what had happened the night he and Ed had gotten sloshed was no dream.

 

But he didn't want to believe it.

 

He couldn't.

 

Roy didn't want to think that he was capable of hurting Ed like that...

 

Maybe Ed had a right to be angry.

 

Maybe.

 

Roy shook his head, put his arm under his pillow, laid his head on the pillow and set the picture where he'd be able to see it easily. No... it had just been a dream. That was all... Ed was much more physically capable than he was. There was no way he could force Ed into doing something he didn't want to do.

 

His eyelids felt heavy and his body felt comfortably warm. Roy let his eyes shut and he instantly saw Ed in his mind.

 

No.

 

There was nothing wrong with him or how much he drank; Ed was simply making a big deal out of nothing.

 

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