Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Times Never Forgotten ❯ The Illness ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Morning came and faded to noon. Edward slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the light shining through the window. Kate was still asleep in the same position she laid in before. Ed brushed his hand across her arm. Quietly, he got out of bed and walked over to the crib to see his son, but when he got there, baby Edward wasn't there. He started looking around the room, under the bed and in the curtains, whispering his son's name hoarsely. All of a sudden, he stopped, putting his hand on his head and sighing, “Wait a minute, he was just born yesterday. He can't walk,” he said to himself out loud. He opened the door and walked down the stairs and found Pinako holding baby Edward in her arms with a bottle full of white liquid.

“Oh Ed, you're finally awake,” she said smiling, “I brought Edward down because I thought he was hungry. He was making quite a fuss this morning, but I think the milk did the trick.” Pinako held baby Edward up in the air making him laugh and wave his arms, “Look at you; you're a mirror image of your father. Are you sure you sure you inherited some of your mother's traits?”

Baby Edward looked over to his father, laughing and holding out his arms. Ed smiled warmly as he held his son close to his chest. Edward jr. closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth Ed was giving him. Ed jr. wasn't very big at all. He only weighed about four pounds and he wasn't all that chubby either. “Look here,” Edward said pointing at his son's nose, “See that? That's Kate's nose. He did inherit something of hers after all.” Edward kissed Edward junior's nose, making him do a little sneeze. Edward squinted one eye shut, but laughed at the little incident.

“Speaking of mother, where's Kate? Is she alright?” asked Pinako to Edward.

Ed frowned. “I dunno, she said she didn't feel very good last night. I checked her and she was running one heck of a fever,” he said looking back up the stairs. “I'm gonna go check on her. Can you hold Ed for me?” he asked handing Pinako the baby. He ran up the stairs and into the room where Kate was laying. She was awake, but her eyes were open just slightly and she was looking straight up at the ceiling. Sweat poured down her face and she was breathing heavily. “Kate?” Edward walked over and checked her temperature. “Omigod Kate, you're on fire! We need a doctor or something!” Edward's expression changed from casual to frightened as he ran down the stairs. He ran straight to the phone but was stopped by Pinako.

“Ed! Wait! What's going on?!”

“It's Kate, she's really sick. I think we need the doctor here,” he said calming himself.

“What? What's wrong?” asked Winry with Alphonse behind her.

Edward sighed. Pinako picked up the phone and dialed the number to the nearest hospital. Edward sat in the other room with Alphonse, holding his son close to him, scared for Kate and what's wrong with her.

He sat awhile with Alphonse on the couch, who was worried also. Pinako walked into the room where the boys sat impatiently upon the sofa. She sighed as she took the pipe out of her mouth and blew a puff of smoke. “I told them all the symptoms, all the things that were wrong, and all what had happened between having the baby. They said that they would come up, but…” she sighed once more, putting her hand on her face, “there's not going to be much of a chance for her to carry on…”

“What?! You mean she's going to-” before Ed could say much more, Pinako nodded her head slightly. Edward's eyes narrowed, quickly standing up and running to the place where Kate laid. He ran to her side and put his hand on her. “This can't be,” he said almost in a sob, “After all we've been through- all these years of loving each other- having our first child…” Edward laid his head upon Kate, crying for her sake. “Kate… please don't die on us… We need you with us,” he said as he hugged her tightly, crying warm droplets of water.

“E-Ed-ward?” asked a faint voice from under his head. Edward gasped and looked at Kate, who was breathing slowly. Her eyes were cloudy and faint. Sweat dribbled down her temples.

Edward squinted his eyes and sniffed, then sobbed loudly. His shoulders shook as he cried but stopped when he felt a hand slide upon his back. “K-Kate?” he asked in a soft teary voice.

Kate tried her best to smile. “Yeah…” she said in a faint voice. She began to cough and wheeze. She cupped her hand over her mouth and pulled it away to find blood on her palm, oozing between her fingers.

Edward gasped. “I'm sorry… Kateland,” he said crying. He took his shirt and wiped the blood off her hand and used his left human hand to wipe the blood dribbling from her mouth. “The doctors will be here soon. They're going to make you better I promise,” he said smiling weakly, hoping for the very best, “I'll be here for you. I'll never leave your side,” he said climbing into bed with her. He pulled the covers over them both. “No matter what.” Kate smiled very weakly and snuggled up to Ed, who wrapped both arms around her tightly.

Alphonse, who was downstairs holding the baby, looked up at Pinako almost in tears. “Will she be alright, Aunty?”

Pinako sighed. “I sure hope so… I really do,” she said.

A few moments later, everyone heard a knock at the door. Pinako opened the door to find a tall man in his late 40s standing before her. “Good evening,” he said, “I'm Dr. Manchez. Where is Miss Rockwell?”

“Upstairs to the room on the left,” Pinako said quickly, pointing her finger in that direction. Manchez quickly walked to the destination.

When he got there, he opened the door to find Edward lying in bed with Kate, softly rubbing her ribs to her waist. “Miss Rockwell?” Manchez asked.

“You must be the doctor,” said Edward, continuing to stroke Kate's side.

“Umm, I'm sorry sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room,” Manchez said in his deep bold tone.

Edward gasped, but nodded his head slightly and sadly. He rose up from under the covers, ready to get out of bed but froze when he felt a hand hold on to his. “No, Edward,” Kate said in a very faint voice. Ed looked back over to Kate. “Stay here with me. Please don't go…” she said.

“Miss Rockwell? Are you sure?” Manchez asked.

“Don't leave me,” she said hugging Ed's waist. She looked over to her doctor with barely enough energy to move anymore. “You don't understand doctor,” she said on the verge of tears, “He's all I have…”

Edward laid back down and kissed her head softly with his warm tender lips. He loved Kate more than anything, even his own life. He couldn't get the horrible thought that she was going to die out of his head. Her illness reminded him of how his mother died. There was no cure to it.

Manchez sighed. He stepped outside the door and said to the others downstairs, “This room is to be off-limits until further noticed.” Closing the door behind him, he walked back into room with a stethoscope. He put it on Kate's chest and listened to her heart beat. A few minutes later he took it away, sighing. “Your heart rate's low,” he said, “it's slower than a normal beat.”

Back downstairs sat Pinako, Alphonse, and Winry. Ed jr. cried very softly, wanting his mother and father. His beloved uncle stood stroking his nephew's back, whispering to him and calming his tears. All they could do was wait.

“Like I said on the phone,” said Manchez sadly, “She isn't going to live much longer. I'm sorry but… she's going to die.”

“No, she can't! There's no way she can! We have a SON to watch over!” Edward exclaimed.

“There's no point to argue. It is what it is and there's nothing I can do. The illness she caught has no cure. I can't do anything about it, Mr. Elric.”

Edward put his hand on his face, frustrated and crying.

Manchez sighed sadly. “I won't charge anything…” he said walking out of the room.

“Wait Doc.!” Edward yelled making Manchez stop in his place. “There's at least something you can do!”

“I'm sorry,” Manchez said continuing to walk out of the room. He left the house in sorrow and grief, knowing that there was nothing he could do.

Edward broke down on his knees. She can't die… he thought as he cried. He walked back over to the bed and lied next to Kate. “You're not going to die,” he said putting his hand on her head.

“You know what he said Edward…” Kate said looking at him, making him gasp. “There's no cure to it… We all have to die someday…” She smiled weakly with a tear rolling down her face. Edward set his head upon her, crying helplessly. “Shhhhhhh…” she said very softly. Kate set her weak shaky hand on his back and began to hum, `Lullaby for a Stormy Night.' She hugged him with all the strength she had left, calmly stroking his back.

Edward continued to cry. She reminded him so much of his mother, her gentle smile and soft personality. His mother also hummed him that song when he was younger. He listened to Kate's soft sweet voice hum her last melody. She put one of her hands down to hold his.

Pinako, Al, and Winry came upstairs. Winry and Alphonse had tears in their faces. “Kate…” Alphonse ran over to the bed, handing Winry baby Edward. Everyone crowded around the place where Kate laid half alive. Winry wiped her eye and set Kate's son next to her. Kate smiled weakly and put both her arms around him. He hugged her with his little arms in return, smiling as if nothing were wrong.

Edward held his love's hand tightly. His tear-stained face rested upon her shoulder as he continued to cry. “Edward…” Kate said putting her hand on his shoulder and smiling weakly. “Take good care of our son…”

“Kate no,” said Edward, “You're not going to die… you can't…” he said almost in a sob.

“Don't worry… Edward,” she said as her voice grew fainter and fainter. “I'll still be with you… in spirit.”

“Kate…” said Edward faintly. “What about the gate?” Baby Edward's smile faded as he felt his mother get colder.

“I won't go in just yet…” she said “Remember… Edward my love… I'll always… love you…” she said in a faint voice. Her eyes clouded and her eyelids closed. Her hand slowly slid off of Edward's shoulder and her grip on his hand loosened. Her smile slowly faded away along with her life as she died. Edward sobbed aloud and wrapped both arms around her lifeless body. Winry ran out of the room crying and Pinako tightened her fists. Alphonse began to cry as he set his head on the bed. Edward could feel the cold chill rise up out of Kate's body. He heard her voice, the voice of her spirit sing the very end of the song she sang before. “And you'll still be here in the morning…”

Okay, don't kill me yet there's still more to come. Those of you who thought this was sad and thinks Kate shouldn't have died will be rewarded in the end. Other than that, please review me. I promise in the later chapters you will be happy of what happened. You'll see… ^_^