so just to be clear, the symbols are alchemical symbols but i couldn't find any to put here and i don't think takes third party fonts so we have to go with this.

ps: sorry to post a new story when i have others i really need to finish/work on. i promise i am doing so and will eventually get them posted as well. this one i just started writing it at work so enjoy

There was a knock on the door but there was no answer. He knew it would take him a moment to get to the door so Jean waited patiently. After a few moments of nothing happening with the door, Jean rang the bell instead. A couple seconds later, the locks to the door clicked and the door was opened a crack big enough for an eye to be seen.

"Password?"

"Uh..." Jean dug in his pocket for a second and pulled out a piece of paper with some symbols on it and held it up to him.

"Read them out to me."

"Aw, come on, man, I don't know this stuff."

"Then trace them in my palm." He said, holding his hand out the door.

Jean growled and took the piece of paper back to get a closer look at them. He traced the symbols into his hand and the person nodded, the door closing momentarily. The door opened back up and Jean was ushered inside.

"Did anyone see you?"

"Colonel, no one cares... How's your side?"

"It's fine." He snapped.

Jean looked at his superior's side and noticed the pink seeping through Roy's white tee. Roy put his hand over the spot and glared at his subordinate.

"Can you focus?" He growled.

"I am... What's with all the secrecy and smoke and mirrors? It's not like the military doesn't know about this."

"Yeah but they don't know I'm trying to work on it from the outside. They have me on leave for a reason."

"Yeah, because you almost died."

"Exactly. So me working on the case is a violation of my leave and they also don't want me on it for the closeness of the issue."

Jean lifted an eyebrow. "That's not going to stop you at all... um... You've gone pale, Colonel."

Roy backed up to the couch and reached back to find the arm of his sofa.

"Yeah... it happens." He grunted, slowly sitting down.

Jean went to help him but Roy waved him off as he sat down finally. He breathed shallowly, trying to keep from causing himself more pain and Jean watched helplessly. Finally, after getting his bearings back, he looked at Jean and gave a rueful laugh.

"I must look so pathetic."

"Not at all, Colonel. You just look like you're in a lot of pain. Have you been taking your pills?" He looked away. "As I thought. The doctors let you come home because you were terrorizing the nurses and threatening the hospital. If you can't do things right, you'll end up back at the hospital."

"I can't just-"

Roys face drained of color and Jean ran to him as Roy began to gag. He put his hands on his chest and back as Roy held his side as hard as he could and barely rang the trashcan in front of him. Jean held fast as his superior emptied his stomach, blood marbled in the bile and Jean frowned.

"You haven't eaten."

"I can't..." Roy heaved.

"You have to have something in your stomach or this will keep happening..."

"I'm at an impasse, Havoc. If I eat, I vomit but I need food to take my pills for pain, but the pain makes me sick and if take them without food, I still get sick. No matter what I do, I stay in pain and get sick."

Jean moved to look at the wound, pulling his shirt up. He moved the bandages to take a look and made a face.

"You need to get checked. Maybe we can get a salve that has a numbing agent in it..."

Roy was shaking and leaned his forehead on Jean's shoulder.

"Tell... tell me you... you..."

Jean put his hand on his superior's back as he tried not to sob.

"You don't have to force yourself, Colonel. We're doing all we can when we can. We have Fuery eavesdropping on lines in his spare time and anyone near that place that's on mission is looking as well. You taught us well, Colonel, and we're using our skills to the full."

He nodded and Jean sighed, rubbing Roy's back.

"Get some sleep, Roy. You're only causing yourself problems by denying yourself."

"I can't... I can't knowing she's out there and she probably thinks I'm dead and-"

He went into a coughing fit and Jean felt blood on his shoulder as Roy held his other shoulder to brace himself. When he was done he squeezed Jean's shoulder hard to keep the pain at bay. Jean helped him lay down on the couch and he shivered.

"I'll call the doctor."

Roy nodded and Jean went over to the phone to call the doctor to come and check on his superior while he went back to work. He had driven over on his lunch break and he was pretty sure he was over the time limit, but if he didn't come over then Roy would get himself into trouble. With an affirmation from the doctor, Jean covered Roy up on the couch.

"Stay put and don't do anything to make things worse. I'm going back to work. If I find out anything, I'll let you know immediately. You need to get your strength back so you can come back to work and help us, okay?"

"Okay…"

"We're rooting for you, Colonel. Try and get some rest…"

He nodded and Jean left to head back to Central.

sorry for the shortness but they first couple of chapters will be short due to me not being able to judge word count on my phone...