This is part two of the last chapter.

Emetophobia warning.

Buckle up for a hint of Royai :)))))))))

Some major angst :))))))))))))))))))))

All that good sickfic content :))))))))))))))))))))))))

And papa Roy in action :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

xxx

Light shone on the backs of Colonel Mustang's eyes, making his face scrunch in discomfort. Why was a light even on..? It was too late for this. He tried and failed to ignore it, hoping it was just the headlights from a passing car shining through his window that had interrupted his slumber. Slowly and reluctantly, he peered out into his dimly lit living room with one eye. Oh. Now he remembered. He was watching Fullmetal. Roy sighed and straightened in his stiff folding chair, groaning at the pain he felt in his back from sleeping in such a strange position. The Colonel rubbed his eyes to clear the blurriness from his vision and looked for the source of light that had penetrated his retinas. The bathroom door was open just a sliver, and golden light poured from it into the dark room, pointing straight at the Colonel's desk. What luck.

The man glanced at the couch to see that it was empty, only inhabiting a crumpled blanket. A spark of unease formed in the man's stomach.

He must be in the bathroom. That's all. Despite what he told himself, Roy rushed over to the lavoritory door. Just to make sure. Being precautious in order to not be seen or heard by the boy, he peered through the small crack in the door. His heart jumped with a flash of parental panic. Edward was leaning against the wall next to the toilet, pressing his flesh hand against his mouth. His automail hung limply at his side. He was trembling violently, barely holding himself up as he panted laboriously through his fingers. The teen was on the verge of hyperventilating. Roy pushed his way through the door unhesitatingly, almost running to the aide of his surrogate son.

"Fullmetal?" The boy's panicked eyes darted in his direction before being screwed shut once more. The rate of his breathing increased as he tried to speak, barely getting out more than a whimper before clamping his hand back onto his mouth with more force than before. Roy touched his subordinate's back gently, moving closer to him. "No, don't speak. You're fine." This did nothing to assure the young alchemist, however, as he seemed all the more panicked by Roy's presence alone.

"Calm down, Fullmetal. You're fine." The Colonel shifted the boy's weight from the wall onto himself, steadying the teen against his strong frame. Mustang had barely even touched the boy and yet he could feel heat radiating from his subordinate. Ed's shoulders heaved with each heavy breath taken through his nose, and with each inhale he shuddered. Sweat dripped down the side of the boy's pale face.

Roy rubbed hesitant circles on the blond's back, trying desperately to calm him down. Why was Ed so freaked out? He could see the effort Edward was putting in to not being sick. Why wouldn't he just let it come?

"If you hold it in you'll make it worse. Just calm down and get it over with." The boy shook his head slightly, trying his hardest not to move and aggravate his stomach further. Roy could feel frustration as well as worry building in his chest. He didn't understand. Sure it was unpleasant and painful, but it would be fine once the deed was done. The man would just have to convince the boy to calm down.

"Fullmetal." He changed his tone to a stern one, looking the boy in the face. "Stop. Look at me." No response. "Look at me, Fullmetal." Nothing. "Edward." Ed's eyes opened with what seemed to be much effort and met Roy's charcoal ones. "Stop. You're okay. Whatever is gonna happen will happen and we're just gonna have to deal with it. Calm down and take a breath." The Colonel's words seemed to work ever so slightly, as his breathing slowed just a hint. But then it shot back up again, and the boy attempted to pull himself away from the man, shaking his head once again, causing him to stumble into the wall. The sudden movement jarred his sensitive automail leg, however, and Edward would have collapsed were it not for Roy. Mustang now fully held the young alchemist against his side, not trusting Ed to stand on his own. He could feel the boy's raging temperature through both of their shirts.

"Edward," Roy hissed, hoping that hearing his name would give Ed some sense of security. "Calm down. Stop fighting it." He tried to be firm and soothing at the same time. Ed wouldn't be persuaded in any other way and Mustang knew it.

As the blond's body shook, his eyes continued to widen with pure fear. He was terrified for some reason that Roy couldn't figure out.

Suddenly, Ed's frame was wracked with a violent shudder as he tried to suppress a cough, lunging forward in the process.

"Hey, easy there. You're okay." Roy tightened his grip. The teen's eyes still remained screwed shut as he clamped a hand over his mouth, swallowing repeatedly. "You're not gonna die, Edward, you're fine. Let it happen. It won't stop until you do it."

Ed still was breathing heavily through his nose, hyperventilating.

"It'll be unpleasant just for a second, but then it's done."

The boy didn't respond but still continued to fight against the urge to be sick.

"Edward. Calm down. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna make sure you're okay, I won't let anything happen." Edward was going to kill him as soon as he was lucid enough to remember it, but Roy didn't care. He needed to be there for his subordinate whether Ed liked it or not. For several minutes the Colonel whispered words of comfort into the young alchemist's ear, holding his weight and massaging circles into his back. And it seemed to work. Ed removed his hand from his mouth after a few minutes and steadied it on the edge of the porcelain toilet seat, bracing himself. He was still trembling uncontrollably.

The blond jerked forward as he coughed, almost losing his balance. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes but they refused to fall.

"Easy, easy."

He coughed again, gagging as his automail arm twitched, trying and failing to wrap around his abdomen. Sensing what was coming next, Roy pulled Ed's bangs from his face as the boy retched into the porcelain bowl. He heaved several times, emptying the meager contents of his stomach. The wave of vomiting was over in just a few minutes, but it looked like absolute torture. Roy was at his side the whole time, never wavering to offer comfort and support. Edward sagged against the Colonel, head hanging and energy wasted as the man flushed the mess down the toilet. Roy led the blond to the sink, filling a plastic cup with water and letting Ed rinse the taste of bile from his mouth. It was pitiful. The boy's head lolled as if he didn't even have the energy to hold it up.

"Come on." Roy braced the boy and took a step forward, which proved to be a mistake. Ed had put weight on his metal leg in the process of moving and cried out in pain as he stumbled into the Colonel. "Damn, kid, I'm sorry." The man moved his subordinate with much more care, making sure to not once brush up against the automail. He couldn't even carry the boy because there was an artificial limb on both sides of Ed's body. After depositing the teen onto the couch and covering him with the blanket once more, Roy searched around frantically for the thermometer and pain meds. Ed seemed to have found his voice.

"I... I don't want to... die." His voice sounded as bad as his appearance looked. The young alchemist was still panting and sweating profusely, trembling all the while.

"You're not going to die. You're going to be just fine."

"I don't... want to die like her," he slurred. His eyes slid in and out of focus. Oh, God. How high could his fever possibly be?

Roy didn't reply but instead approached the teen with the thermometer. "Open up for me, Fullmetal."

"Why... don't you call me by m... my name?" Ed managed to ask between coughs. He seemed to be losing consciousness. The man couldn't tell if it was from the fever or simply the lack of energy.

He placed his palm on Ed's forehead, heart skipping a beat because of the heat he felt. "Would you like me to call you by your name?"

"Yeah... You did earlier..," Edward mumbled, his voice failing and eyes sliding shut.

"Hey, stay with me. You can't sleep yet." Roy tapped his cheek with one finger, keeping the boy alert.

"Mm... tired." A weak coughing fit overtook the blond, and Roy reached out and touched his arm in sympathy.

"Put this in your mouth and once it goes off you can sleep, okay?" Ed nodded lazily Mustang slid the end of the thermometer into the teen's mouth. "It's going to take a minute. I need you to stay awake until it makes a noise." The alchemist's unfocused, golden eyes met Roy's sharp, black ones and held the stare. Edward seemed to be staring at him in confusion. Just how much damage was the fever doing? The Colonel swallowed his fear and repeated what he had said to Ed inside his head. He was gonna be fine. He was okay. It would be fine.

The thermometer beeped gently, and Roy hastily plucked it from his subordinate's mouth, anxious to see the result. Glancing at the small digital screen, he breathed a small breath of relief. 103.1. Any healthy youth could fight that off without a problem. It was still a lot higher than Roy would have liked, but at least the boy's brain wasn't cooking in his skull.

"Colonel..?"

"Yes, Edward, you can go to sleep."

"Okay..." His eyes began to slide closed. "Am... I gonna be okay?"

"Yes. I promise."

"But I... it hurts. I don't feel right." Mustang could tell he was having a hard time staying conscious. His flesh arm curled around his abdomen unconsciously.

"I know. But you will. Just give it a little time."

"What... if I die? I d...on't want to die yet..." Ed's sentences were slowly becoming less decipherable.

"You won't. You're gonna be just fine."

"But s... she died like... how I am..." The teen's eyes finally slid shut, his head lolling against the arm of the sofa.

Damn. Roy had definitely signed up for more than he could handle. It was overwhelming. Edward never spoke of anything personal, and now it was all rushing out at the cause of a fever-induced state. But at least the Colonel now knew why the blond was so panicked. He felt stupid for not realizing it earlier. His mother had died of illness and probably had shared the same symptoms that Ed was experiencing. The boy must be living a nightmare.

But God... That had gotten intense. The situation surely would have spiraled out of control had the Colonel not shown up, and he was glad he did. He hated the idea of Ed suffering through that mental and physical torment alone. It pained him, also, that the blond wasn't able to or was too afraid to wake the man. Roy decided not to dwell on it. Edward clearly wasn't lucid enough to be making logical decisions, anyways.

Mustang stood and took a breath, trying to expel the shock and fear he still felt from facing the previous situation. It didn't work to the extent that he wanted it to. Deciding to keep himself occupied in order to dispell his nerves, Roy busied himself with making a cold compress. He pulled a clean cloth from a drawer and ran it under cold water from his kitchen sink. He let it soak then wrung it out repeatedly until he deemed it worthy. He thought about bringing a bowl of cold water but figured it wouldn't stay cold long enough for the next use. He would just make use of the sink again.

He was back at the boy's side in an instant, pushing his blond bangs aside and positioning the cloth on his forehead. Ed didn't react in the slightest. The episode he experienced earlier had knocked him out cold. As Roy continued to position the compress and run his fingers through Edward's hair, he noticed once again just how small his sofa was. Maybe he should move Ed to the bedroom..? The only issue was that the bed took up almost every inch of the tiny room, and Mustang wouldn't have room to sit and watch over the boy. That was unless he made use of the bed, as well, however. Roy shook his head. No. No. Ed would kill him. He was already in deep enough trouble as it was. But... Another glance at the blond started to waver his decision. Ed was curled into himself, and yet his feet were up against the arm of the couch. His knees hung off of the cushions. It did look incredibly cramped... And the boy's fever was spiking...

After a few minutes of mental debate, Roy sighed. They were both just going to have to swallow their pride.

Supporting the boy under his arms and knees, the raven-haired man lifted Ed from the sofa, being precautious of the alchemist's tender automail ports. He was taken off guard by the weight of the two artificial limbs, however, and Mustang was forced to abandon his first attempt and try again. After much struggling, the teen was (somehow) asleep in his arms. Being as careful as possible, he kicked open his bedroom door and deposited the young alchemist onto the bed. Roy straightened the rumpled sheets and tucked them around his precious subordinate, pulling the covers to his chin. He retrieved the compress and wet it again, pressing it against the blond's forehead when he deemed it ready. As long as he could control the fever, Ed would be fine. Mustang wouldn't let anything happen to his subordinate, even if he didn't quite know what he was doing. Nothing bad would happen. Not under Roy's watch.

xxx

Roy's head jerked up again, jarring him into consciousness once more. He had caught himself dozing off for almost an hour. The man had simply run out of things to do. He had done everything that he needed to, or everything that he could think of at least. Mustang had brought in a bowl of water, deciding to simply cool it with his alchemic powers every now and then. Sure, it was a bowl meant for cereal, but it was all the Colonel had and it did the job just fine. Then he brought in a trash bin in case Ed decided to be sick again. The man debated bringing in more blankets but then decided against it, considering the severity of the boy's fever. Roy had a thermometer, meds, an extra compress, and a glass of water on standby for when the teen would need them. He had food ready to be heated on his kitchen counter for when Edward was ready. A pile of paperwork and books sat in front of him, just something to keep him awake and occupied. He read the same page of a book seven times over before he realized he hadn't processed a single word of it and attempting to focus was simply pointless. So he moved on to his paperwork and found that the lines of ink blurred before his eyes. He then tended to Edward for a bit, checked his temperature, made him more comfortable, switched the compress, felt his forehead, checked his temperature for the second time in five minutes, brushed away his bangs, sat down, fidgeted for a bit, stood up, re-cooled the water, changed the compress, and finally forced himself to sit down once again.

He was just so... restless. Why was he so anxious? He felt like he should be doing more. Sitting there being useless pained him when there was a suffering blond next to him, tossing and turning in a restless sleep. Roy was terrified to fall asleep again. The last time he had, Ed came close to having a panic attack. Thinking back over his situation and how it was four in the damn morning and how he could barely keep his eyes open, Mustang decided it would just end up being worse if he didn't sleep. He didn't want to miss something about his subordinate's condition because he was sleep deprived. And besides, Ed would be right next to him this time. It would be fine. Roy wasn't exactly what one would call a light sleeper, but something told him that if he sensed something wrong with the boy lying next to him, he would know and wake up immediately.

It would be fine.

Making sure that he wasn't too comfortable, Mustang stretched out on the empty side of the bed, facing Edward. He looked at the boy, frowning. A slight feverish blush had finally set on the boy's face, covering his cheekbones and nose ever so slightly. The rest of his complexion was shockingly pale. Edward shivered underneath the covers despite the sweat that beaded on his forehead and hairline. The teen was rolled on his side, facing Mustang, with his flesh hand hanging limply over his abdomen as if it were still in pain. His breathing was labored, uneven, and at times he coughed lightly in his sleep. Despite all of these physical ailments, his face remained blank and peaceful, uninterrupted by nightmares or restlessness even if it were just for a moment. Roy was glad the boy could at least sleep without being disturbed.

Suddenly, Ed choked on a breath and began coughing painfully. His eyebrows drew together in pain as he curled into himself, only semi-conscious. Instinctively, Roy sat up, reaching over to rub between the boy's shoulder blades. Edward calmed slightly, un-tensing his shoulders and loosening his chest. The coughing subsided soon after, still leaving Edward out of breath. His eyes were still closed as if he lacked the energy to open them. Nevertheless, the young alchemist's arm snaked its way over to Roy, feeling its way to the Colonel's shirt. His fingers grasped for the cotton material, clasping it tightly like an infant would. Roy smiled, laying down next to his subordinate once more. After replacing the compress, the man's long, calloused hands ran along the curve of Ed's back and back up again, reaching for his blond hair. He massaged the teen's back and chest and neck, any place that was subjected to discomfort due to the illness. His fingers explored, longing to provide a source of comfort and... What was the word? Love. That's right. He loved Edward like he would love a son.

Heat spread through Roy's chest, a startling yet calming feeling. He had finally accepted it. He was no longer denying that the prodigy in front of him was someone that he valued before anyone else. It wasn't a desire, no. Nothing of the sort. It was an instinctive calling, like a tug of affection that Mustang had no control over. Glancing at his surrogate son's face once more, he decided that he liked the feeling.

xxx

"Wh... Where am I?" Edward's glassy golden eyes were unfocused and dull, never staying put on one spot for more than two seconds.

Roy hadn't even been asleep an hour when the boy awoke screaming, which could not have been helpful on his throat. He thrashed and shouted, calling for his mother as well as his younger brother, seemingly in some hallucinatory state. It took the man twenty minutes to calm him down. The Colonel had nearly resorted to restraining his subordinate with the use of straps because of the way he was clawing at himself. Ed had yelled and thrashed and cried, and it was unlike anything Roy had ever seen. How high had his fever even gotten in the short time they had been asleep? The last time Roy had checked, it was at a steady 103.6. It must have gotten to at least in the 104 range. In the middle of the episode, Edward leaned over and vomited into the trash bin, nearly missing it. The bouts of yelling were only broken by rounds of coughing.

After a while, however, the boy had calmed enough for Roy to release his subordinate. Tears leaked from his glassy eyes, wetting the pillow underneath his head as he moaned. He was terrified, scared out of his wits. It physically hurt Mustang to see him in such a state.

"I killed her. I killed her. I killed her." Ed had repeated the phrase until Roy was able to grab his attention and distract the teen from his torment. Still, the boy was too restless and agitated for the man to even attempt to get a read on his temperature. When he felt of the blond's forehead, his heart stopped and his entrails turned to ice. That was way too hot to be safe.

As Roy tried to leave in order to retrieve ice to cool Edward's raging temperature, the teen grabbed at his shirt and begged him not to leave. So he stayed, trying desperately to get the blond calm enough to hold a thermometer in his mouth.

"You're at my apartment, Edward. I've already told you." Roy had found that using the boy's name helped keep the teen's focus. Trying his hardest to keep his voice from shaking, Roy held out the thermometer said, "Can you put this in your mouth for me?"

Ed's eyes flew around the dark room and eventually landed on the Colonel. "Dad?"

Roy's heart froze.

Tell him what he needs to hear.

"Yes. Yeah, it's me."

"Really?" Edward attempted to sit up, only to be gently pushed back by Roy's strong hands.

"Yes. I'm here." Collecting both of the compresses, Mustang re-cooled the water and dipped the rags into the icy liquid, not even wringing them out. He placed one on Ed's forehead and one on the back of his neck. It was the best Roy could do until Ed released him. Water dripped down Edward's face, but he didn't seem to even notice.

"Those... those are hot." Fear shot through the Colonel.

"Keep them on, Edward. It's important."

"Okay." His hand still gripped Mustang's shirt. "Why... Why is it so hot?"

"Because you have a fever." Roy stepped back once again, trying to make a break for the freezer but Edward snatched at his clothing in fear before he could make it more than two steps.

"No! No, don't leave me here." The rise in his voice triggered a bout of coughing, leaving Ed doubled over and wheezing. "Dad, Dad, it hurts," the boy moaned, swaying and quite nearly falling from the mattress. Roy pressed him back down on the bed, running his fingers through the teen's blond hair.

"It's okay, I know. I know."

Picking up the glass and a few fever-relieving pills, Roy said, "Drink this for me. It'll make it go away."

Ed started to retract, shaking his head frantically. "No. No. I won't let... you poison me."

"Edward, you need to drink this."

"I need t... to see Al. Where's Al?"

"Edward," Roy said, gently taking Ed's chin and turning it to face the man. "Look at me." Golden and watery eyes met strong, charcoal ones. Roy held the glass to the boy's lips, and he took a hesitant swallow. Then another. But then he turned his head away, causing water to spill down the front of his shirt.

"No more, I don't... He can't drink that..."

"One more, Edward." Upon hearing his name, the boy turned his head and faced the Colonel. "One more drink. Please."

"For my brother?"

"For your brother."

Slipping the pills between the blond's lips, Roy tipped the ice-cold water into the boy's mouth until he refused it. That should help for the time being. Mustang really needed to get ice... Maybe he should just break free and run for it? It was a sort of tough love situation. He hated it. But he knew he needed to do it.

"Edward. I need to go and get something." He retracted his hand, but Ed clung to it.

"No, no. Don't... leave. No."

"I have to. I'll be right back."

"No!" Coughs shook the boy's frame as he sat up and clutched at Roy's wrist. "I don't... I'm alone, don't... I don't want to be. No!" He choked out the words between bouts of hacking, struggling to breathe.

"Edward, calm down." He tried to pry the boy's fingers from his arm in vain. The grip was simply too tight.

"No, don't... I need him here! I'm alone, he's... he's alone. No, stay!" The boy rambled, gibberish spewing from his lips. Roy tried and failed to press him down to the mattress again. Ed was struggling too much again, and it was simply worsening the blond's condition. The boy coughed and thrashed, tears beginning to gather in his eyes. Nothing the Colonel said calmed him down.

"I c... can't... don't... Not him, no-" A harsh round of coughing interrupted his feverish rambling, worse than before.

"Hey, shh. Calm down. I'm not leaving." The man's words were ineffective. Edward continued to cough, gagging when he couldn't stop. It was getting out of control. What would his mother or father have done in this situation? How would they have calmed their son down?

"Edward, its okay. Shh." An idea popped into his head. It was time to swallow even more of his pride. He wracked his brain, trying to recover the words he had heard only a few hours before.

"Sleep my child," Roy began, pausing to remember the lyrics. "Dream sweetly in the warmth and comfort of your bed." Ed's body began to relax almost instantly, his hacking becoming less violent. Mustang knew he couldn't sing and knew he was very out of tune, but it seemed to be working. And so he continued, humming when he couldn't recall the words. Slowly, the teen began to calm and fell back on the bed, holding the port of his automail arm. It was familiar to him, comforting the young alchemist when nothing else would. Hesitantly, Edward's grip began to loosen from the Colonel's arm and fell to his side. His eyes looked distant, but not in a bad way. He seemed to be lost in memories, caught up in the feverish hallucinations that his fever gave to him. The spell was only broken by weak coughs.

Still singing, Roy began to slowly back up towards the door, not taking his eyes off of the boy in front of him. He fingered for the doorknob, opening it as slowly as he could manage. He continued to back into the hallway, almost as if he were dealing with a dangerous animal instead of a bedridden teenager. As soon as he was out of the boy's sight, he made a mad dash for the kitchen. He ripped the entire ice tray from his freezer, dropping it on his countertop with as he searched his drawers for plastic bags. As quietly as he could muster, he threw open drawers frantically, rushing to get back before Ed noticed the man was missing. Roy grabbed the box of plastic bags once he had spotted them, gripping it with such force that he dented the casing. He tossed them onto the counter and grabbed the phone from the wall next to him, dialing his Lieutenant's number as quickly as he could muster. It rang several times.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up." He shoved the receiver between the side of his face and his shoulder, hastily filling the small bags with ice. He had to get back before his subordinate realized his absence and began to panic again.

The other line clicked and a voice crackled through the speaker. "Lieutenant Hawkeye speaking."

"Hawkeye! Thank God." He almost dropped the ice tray in relief.

"Colonel, it's five thirty in the morning. This had better be good."

"It is. I have Ed- er, Fullmetal here and I could really use some help with this if you don't mind-"

"Sir, with all due respect, your personal matters are really none of my concern." There was movement on the other line.

"Wait, wait, don't hang up!" Internally, he shushed himself. He couldn't have Ed hearing. "He's sick and I don't know what to do."

"He's sick? Why do you have him, sir? I can't say you're the most educated about this."

"You think I don't know that?! No one else could take him!" he hissed into the phone, scowling deeply and sighing. "Look, he's delirious and wouldn't let me leave for two seconds until I calmed him down enough, and I've only managed to do it once. He thinks I'm his father or something."

"How high is the fever?"

"I don't know, I can't get him still enough to get a good read. The last time I checked it was 103.6, but that was about two hours ago."

Hawkeye made a noise somewhere between worry and disappointment. "How high do you think it is now?"

"I'd say in the 104 range. I'm this close to taking him to a damn hospital."

"Maybe you should, sir."

"He made me promise that I wouldn't. He warned me, too. Maybe this is normal for him?" Roy groaned and threw down another bag filled with ice. "I don't know what I'm doing!"

"Clearly, sir." The woman sighed. "What else has happened?"

Mustang sighed. "His fever dropped for about an hour and then shot up again. He was complaining about his throat, head, and he can't do so much as touch his automail, either. He vomited a couple times and can't go a good thirty seconds without coughing. He's woken up screaming from nightmares and has been hallucinating since. He hasn't been lucid since yesterday evening. I'm about out of options here."

"That sounds rather serious." Hawkeyes paused for a minute as if she were having a mental debate. "Alright, sir. I'll see if I can get over there."

Roy sighed in relief, sagging against the countertop. He would finally have help. "Thank God. Thank you, Hawkeye."

"Just don't let him die before I get there, Colonel." The line made a click as she hung up the phone. Hanging up the receiver, he gathered the few bags of ice he had in his hands and ran back to Edward.

xxx

WELL I GUESS THIS IS COMING OUT IN THREE PARTS.

MAY OR MAY NOT BE OUT SOON. MAY BE A WHILE.

;-;

EHHH