Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Unknown Sacrifice ❯ Awakening ( Chapter 11 )

Unknown Sacrifice

AU from Manga chapter 35

Chapter 11 - Awakening

 

The leaves were beginning to turn colors. While Al had always had his sense of sight, he enjoyed the crispness to the air. The wind blowing through his hair was an added bonus that brought a smile to the blonde's face. The only thing he missed was the feel of a warm body next to him sitting against the tree trunk.

 

It had been two months since the teen had his body returned, and still his brother was his blood loss induced coma. Al spent all of the visiting hours he could with Edward; holding his hand, feeling the calluses on his hand, the coldness of his skin. Al recalled his brother being warmer to the touch, a perfect heater to curl up to on rain nights or when nightmares visited. Now though, Alphonse was always tempted to hug his brother close to his chest in an attempt to transfer heat in to the lifeless body. The only thing that held him back were the tubes in Ed's body. He did not want to risk disturbing them and delaying the day when those golden eyes would open. For the moment, the young alchemist made due with holding hands and pressing his checks to the other boy's.

 

While the doctor had said it would take one to seven months for his brother to heal, even more so depending on trauma (which Al suspected was huge) he could not help himself from hoping that Edward would wake up any day.

 

“Oh! Hello Alphonse.” Al looked up to see Sheska looking down at him. “I was on my way to the Dawn Treader. Want to come?”

 

During his spare time, when he was unable to visit his brother, the blonde teen had taken to spending time in the library, and hence with Sheska. While he was not as avid a reader as his brother was, Al still enjoyed learning new things.. His current reads were books on comas (books that might have explained Ed's predicament would have shown up when they combed the place for leads on the Stone) as well as cooking books. He really did relish his rediscovered taste of food. The Dawn Treader was a used bookstore in the area that they frequented on occasion. It was a nice break to read a fiction book once in awhile, research reading could be so dry. Skeska just enjoyed the hunt for something she hadn't to read yet. Once found, it would be devoured and added to the already overflowing apartment of books she lived in.

 

“Sure, why not?” He stood, brushed off his pants, and fell into step with her. “How was work today?”

 

“Hmm, not bad. Nothing interesting came in today, just some reports for the Scar case.” Given her talent, Skeska was told to read all reports that came in so there was a backup record in his mind should anything happen to the orginials.

 

“Scar? But you know--”

 

“Yes yes, but that's not exactly common knowledge now is it?” She winked at him. “To most of the world, he's still out there somewhere.”

 

“Oh yeah…”

 

“So…how's Edward doing?”

 

Alphonse sighed. “The same. Winry left today. It was sad to see her go, but I could tell it pained her to see Brother that way.”

 

The librarian fell silent for a moment. “I just know he'll get better soon Al!”

 

“Thanks,” he shot a smile her way.

 

They had reached their destination and the pair separated, heading off in different directions to find treasures. After a couple hours, when the time of twilight took over they headed to Sheska's apartment for tea and quality time with there purchases. It was a perfect evening.

 

 

The next morning saw Al at his brother's side as soon as he could. As always, he started his visit by relaying to Ed what his day had consisted of after he had left.

 

“I wish you could join me in the book shop some day soon Brother,” Al's voice trailed off and he started at Ed's hand clasped in his. He let go and contented himself with stoking the back of the elder's hand, trailing his fingers down the others on occasion. “There is always something new, and Mrs. Palmer is a truly--”

 

He was going to say `sweet old lady' when something distracted him. In an instant his was rapidly pressing the nurse call button. A few seconds later Natasha came rushing in the open door, for Ed's room was only a couple doors down from the nurse's station. “Al! What's wrong?”

 

She expected to find the comatose patient to have stopped breathing or something with a pale Alphonse next to the bed. That being so, the brunette was caught completely off guard when the teen launched himself at her and gathered her in a large hug.

 

“Al?”

 

“He moved a finger!”

 

“Really?!” The nurse pushed Al away from her to see his light face, “That's wonderful!” She grabbed his hands and started dancing with her partner.

 

“Nurse! What's wrong?” The doctor had entered the scene, and it was obvious he was confused.

 

“Doctor!” Alphonse let of Natasha's hands and skipped up to the new arrival. “Bother moved his finger!” The grin on the boy's face was so bright Al alone could contain it; it spread to the doctor's face too.

 

“That's wonderful,” he breathed and before he knew it Al was running out of the room with a yell of `I've go to tell everyone!'

 

 

The door burst open with enough force that it slammed against the wall and shut itself. The noise startled everyone in the room, causing them to look up from their desks. Well, all but one. Hawkeye was on her way to see the colonel when she found a blonde head buried in her chest.

 

“Alphonse,” she breathed, fallen papers forgotten, “Alphonse, what's wrong?”

 

“Who's making all that racket?! I am trying to…” the next word, whether it was nap or work, was lost as Mustang took in the shocked faces of his team members and the younger Elric clinging onto the first lieutenant.

 

“Alphonse, what's wrong?” the woman asked softly, running her hand over the boy's back in a soothing gesture. She feared the worst; that Edward was lost and the child in her arms would soon break down. No one else spoke.

 

“Alphonse?” She lifted the blonde's face up, expecting a tear streaked face, or at least watery eyes.

 

A huge grin greeted her instead, pearly whites displayed in all their glory. Riza blinked. Once. Twice, not knowing where to go next.

 

“He moved his finger!!” Al exclaimed, giving his current hold a tighter squeeze before letting go.

 

The stillness of the room broke.

 

“Really?!” asked Brenda.

 

“I knew he'd get better!” Havoc was saying to Fury who just beamed in return.

 

Roy had tensed up when he saw Al in Hawkeye's arms, but now he relaxed and leaned into the doorframe. “That's good to know. When can he be out and about?”

 

“Doesn't he have to open his eyes first?” Falman asked

 

“Well, yeah,” Al blushed “but this means he's finally starting to recover! It really was just blood loss!” With that the blonde left them, the door staying open in his wake as he returned to his brother.

 

“Sir?” Riza posted a question to the man leaning in the doorframe, “If it ended up not being blood loss…”

 

“Don't think of what could have or might have happen,” came the response, “and just be happy with what did.”

 

All she could do was nod.

 

 

It took another two weeks for Edward to open his eyes, and he was meet with a very exuberant Al. Therapy followed to regain lost muscles, and five months later the blonde was given a clean bill of health. Some of the deeper wounds had left nasty scars that would prove troublesome in colder weather, but despite that he was sound.

 

No longer needing the benefits of the military, Edward left their employment. He returned to Resembol, only to last a year. The peace and quite there was too peaceful and quite after all that his military career had enveloped. The brothers moved back to Central, and thanks to Al's connections they managed to land jobs at Mrs. Palmer's bookstore. Eventually, she retired and left the store to the brothers. Both were avid readers who were quick to recommend a book and participated in the community. Elysia Hughes never missed a story time.

 

Of course, they could not just give up alchemy. Edward had published several works on his theories, and together the two of them created beneficial arrays that improved medicine and agriculture. Old colleges stopped in every so often, for a chat or advice. Ed was often consulted about military alchemy, for he was the local genius.

 

“Al?”

Alphonse looked up from the new shipment of books they had received. “Yes Brother?”

 

“I'm just…glad to have you back.”

 

“So am I.”

Ah, sorry for the wait, but I had my first bout of writer's block, and still don't like the ending. But here is is, the All Is Well Ending, for those of you who voted for it. However, I still want to write that BBI final chapter, and will get around to that eventually. And then...I'm be working on my KH fic, Endless Supply, and perhaps add a chapter to Rosemary. And I have an idea (that turns into many) for Harry Potter.