In a smoke-filled tavern on the outskirts of a post war city, a young woman laid slumped over her table. Her pitcher of beer twice gone. She'd been there all night, but she was a regular so it was nothing new. As daylight broke through the musty glass window to her left, she raised her head. Amber eyes met an amber sunrise. Her golden braid a bit disheveled. She sighed heavily and stretched her overly stiff neck and shoulders, then waved down the waiter.

"Another round.." She said as she pushed her pitcher to the end of the table with a quiet skid. A huge yawn found its place on her face as she sat back, now stretching out her legs, one of which was numb from the knee down. Feeling a bit of a chill in the air, she slipped her arms back through her scarlet jacket, being sure that she didn't snag the sleeve on her automail. She was used to the response her automail recieved from most people, so it didn't bother her much anymore.

A tall man with a fresh uniform approached her table, and when she was about to repeat her request, the man put his hands on his hips like some sort of disappointed parent.

"Sorry miss, but you've been cut off."

She glared a bit with a confused smugness and held up a hand suggestively.

"Cut off?" She responded though hers was definitely accusing.

"Why don't you go get yourself a shower, and some real breakfast hm?"

"Ben...come on...you guys never turn me away..."

"Sorry El, but the boss says you need to go do something with your life before you rot in that booth. You've been drinking here in the same spot for three days."

His expression softened a little, his blue eyes locking with her golden ones. "Do yourself a favor and go get some fresh air. You'll feel better." He said and then picked up her pitcher and glass and walked back to the dish pit.

With an unmistakable pout, she stood from the table, which surprisingly took a bit of effort, dropped a few bucks down and then made her way out the door.

She was a bit short for her age, but she was beautiful. With baby soft skin that had been ever so gently kissed by the sun, long hair spun of gold, and eyes the purest ochre, she was definitely someone to stop and stare at. Though with her attitude a person might get punched for doing it. She'd been wandering these parts for years, trying to find ways to atone for her sin. The sin that took her brother from her, and created a monster in the place of her mother. Was there even a way to earn forgiveness for such a crime? She'd prayed over it enough times to hope so, but how can you know for sure? She moved to her car and climbed in, she'd borrowed it from a fairly well off man the next city over. Though, he was probably still too hungover to remember she'd taken it.

"Hmhm, never gets old." She hummed under her breath as she enjoyed the luxury of such a fine vehicle. Her only complaint with the thing was the steering wheel which sat a little too high to be truly comfortable. Next stop was Central City. There were plenty of poor saps there to lift off of. She was quite the pickpocket these days, she made her living off of it after all. After Alphonse had died, she didn't see a point in trying to live on the straight and narrow. It was too hard, took too long, and didn't usually end up very good anyways. So she'd decided to live out her current life as the best con artist in all of Amestris. With a cheerful air, she set off.

Central Command.

"This doesn't make any sense. " Roy commented as he paced his office, looking over the large area map tacked to his wall. "How does one girl, steal millions of dollars worth of things over a period of six years without anyone catching her..?"

"We have searched everywhere. She's just too good." Falman commented. He was tired of the chase, for six long years they'd been after the Fullmetal Alchemist. A young, mysterious woman with one automail arm, one automail leg, a notorious red jacket, and one hell of an attitude. Fullmetal Alchemist was her case name, but she'd adopted many nicknames over time, the most popular ones being the Scarlett Bandit and LaRosa. So maybe they were a bit cheesy, but she didn't really mind, as long as she had a name everyone recognized and respected.

"Where's she hiding..."Roy continued beneath his breath as he put an X through each place he'd looked as of recent, and each place that had ground men on the hunt. He'd been at this for three solid hours by this time, with no leads. The map was harsh on the eyes, with bright red crosses through hundreds of sites spanning in almost every direction.

"Look, boss, maybe shes just not in the area? Maybe shes got connections with the Underground?"

"Oh I'm sure she does, but she isn't afraid of doing things in plain daylight...she flaunts her skills and runs off with her treasure. If we time it right, we could use that to our advantage."

Riza walked in and sighed, the man was a workaholic. "Colonel, You've been ordered to take a break. Apparently you've been putting off way too much of your paperwork by searching for this brat." She said 'apparently' loosely, it was no secret that the man was slacking in his official work. "We'll find Scarlet one of these days. For now, focus on the stacks of work you have already." She ordered and then took a seat on the sofa, flipping through some old documents. Roy took on an exasperated demeanor and scrutinized the stacks of file work that posed on his desk like an ugly beast.

El smiled as she sold off a Lot of jewelry she'd swiped from a recently deceased woman's mansion. The way she saw it, the old lady didn't have a use for it anymore so why not? She didn't much like the thought of relatives scouting her house for valuables, so technically she was doing a great service by taking them off their hands.

"And four thousand...that it today love?" The tradesman asked as he placed the jewels in a padded safe. He was her number one guy when it came to cashing out, he had his own record of thieving so they shared a mutual agreement to never know too much about each other.

"That's all for right now...I'll be back sometime...hmhm.." She grinned once again and left. "Thanks Peter."

So much to steal, so many people to con. Occasionally she'd allow herself to be caught, just until the papers came out with the news, then she'd break free. It was the same each time. No matter how many chains they placed on her, she always managed to get away. Central City was where she really wanted to play. She didn't know what she was looking for, maybe a challenge? Who knew, but she was hoping it would be fun. With a quick adjustment to her automail arm, she left. Wyn was always giving her a hard time about how she always needed repairs. His work was the best as far as she was concerned, but he could be a bit of a pain in the ass when she was getting it fixed.

After about three hours of driving the Fullmetal alchemist arrived. Central city was a bit bigger than she'd previously imagined it to be, but she was pleasantly surprised. A bigger city meant more people to play with. She drove slowly until she parked outside a bar and left the keys on the seat for whoever wanted it next, it had served her well.

"Surprise me." She ordered as she sat down at the counter, she wasn't blind, she noticed the poster with her face on it that hung behind the bartender. She hadn't been as active the last two years to be honest. It felt good to be back though, and she was sure that the heat on her was mostly put out by now.

As her drink was served she threw it back in two large gulps. Embracing the ever so faint rush of fresh alcohol down her dry throat.

"You're not from around here are you little one?" A man beside her asked as he sipped a cold beer. He was decent looking, not anything to gawk at though. He had messy brown hair, just a tad bit of stubble and crystal green eyes. Of course, that wasn't on her mind at the moment. She turned on her stool to face the man, a coy grin playing on her lips.

"Did you just call me ' little one'?..." She questioned. Though she smiled, there was an air of danger about her.

The man seemed to scoff and gave her a dumb look. "Yeah? Why, don't like it? Little one?"

Fast forward three minutes.

The man, who had introduced himself as William, launched out of the bar, smashing through the closed door. He landed with a few displaced groans and grunts, and flat on his face. Without any time to think, he launched to his feet and tried to attack the alchemist, who made her way onto the front steps. Of course, that's where she stuck out her automail foot and let the man run square into it, knocking the wind out of him and cracking a few important bones here and there. Mostly ribs.

She took one last sip of her refilled drink and then poured the rest over the heaving man's head. "Well. Good day." She smiled and strode away. The sun was shining brightly now and the crisp air gave the hint that fall was on the way. With that, she set off on her journey into the intricate web of Central City.

"Sir!" Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc abruptly rushed into Roys office, startling him to the point that he spilled his coffee all over an important paper he had been writing. The Colonel didn't move, instead he sat very still and quiet as to not give in to the unhealthy urge of lighting his subordinate ablaze.

"S...Sorry Colonel.." Havoc apologized and felt the nervous prickle of sweat accumulate on his brow, for his own safety he stayed near the door for a quick escape should he need it.

Roy exhaled heavily, then gave himself another moment or two before speaking.

"I trust this is important? It had better be more important than this paper I was writing...three hours Havoc...this paper is worth three hours of my time..." He warned but watched as his teammate approached his desk and set down a file, avoiding the spilled liquid.

"Whats this..?"Mustang asked, sliding the folder closer and quietly flipping it open.

"It's Scarlet Sir. She's been spotted just southwest of here. We questioned a man who claimed he'd been in a physical altercation with her."

Roy's entire demeanor transformed as he looked over the incident. A wild chain of emotions and thoughts invading his senses. For almost a decade he'd been on the hunt for this particular kid. Could it be that she was actually in Central City? "Any photo evidence?..."

"No sir."

"Ah...of course not. She's not that sloppy." Roy commented but then smiled and stood. "Good man! I'll be giving you a raise. You can go now."

Havoc sort of sheepishly smiled but then saluted his commanding officer then turned and left.

"Hmhm...Now you're in my territory Scarlet.."The colonel mused as he immediately began preparations for an undercover search. "What crimes are you up to today?..."

...

El groaned as she held her stomach, both arms wrapped around her midsection tightly in a big miserable bear hug. She'd made another trip to a tavern and enjoyed the variety of drinks, it was a tradition. She always tried out new bars and compared them to the ones she'd been to before. Dizzy and drunk she braced herself weakly against a wall, in her mind she knew she'd overdone it, but she couldn't seem to process anything. Nausea crushed her other senses and it took everything to keep from spilling her guts. This wasnt like her, normally she held her liquor much more efficiently. Apparently not today. Out of nowhere her body rejected everything that had been in her stomach, the sickeningly strong stench of alcohol consuming every inch within ten feet of her small body.

"Ghk...sh..shit.." She muttered to herself and fell against the side of a building, once she was down there was no getting back up. Any strength she'd had left fell away when she hit the ground. In a daze she vomited two more times, but the force of her stomach muscles contracting violently made her vision fill with black and white spots and patches. Everything was confusing, the ground was unbalanced, the world danced and blurred in her sight. All she knew at the current moment was misery. A blend of pain, confusion, dizziness, and a kind of exhaustion she wouldn't have been able to explain. Finally, as her breathing became more irregular she slumped against the cold sidewalk and passed out. Her automail shoulder slamming against the wall as she fell over.

The loud thump gained the attention of the shopkeeper from within. An older woman, perhaps in her fifties, curiously opened the door to her establishment and looked around, expecting perhaps to see a dog or something causing mischief. However, when she turned to the right and peered down the side walk and saw the figure of a woman laying on the ground like a murder victim, she rushed to the scene. Dropping to her knees, avoiding the vomit that soaked the area, she used her apron to wipe the young alchemist's face and pulled her up into her arms.

"Hey!" The lady called out loudly and with much authority. "Miss are you okay!?" She yelled again, firmly landing a few slaps to the kids face to try and wake her up. After El didn't respond, and her breathing was obviously very shallow, the woman dashed back to her shop and dialed for emergency help. While she waited for an ambulance to arrive, she pulled off the girl's soiled jacket and as she did, she suddenly realized who she was dealing with. In her panic, she hadn't realized the kids automail arm and leg, nor had she connected the dots in regards to her flaming red jacket.

"Scarlet?" The woman asked her, as if expecting an answer. She couldn't believe she had in her arms one of the most wanted thieves in Amestris. Perhaps there was a reward for this? Feeling immediately guilty she shook her head from the thoughts and took on a more serious look. "Now don't go cursing me when you wake up. I've done my duty, as a woman of God I am required to help those in need. Even if those in need don't particularly deserve it." Again she spoke more or less to herself, defending her actions. It wasn't her intention to see a kid like this be locked up, but the girl had done this to herself and now she would have to take responsibility. As she sat with the alchemist and prepared to start CPR if needed, the distant sound of sirens filled her ears. Her grey hair seemed to take on a few new silver strands as she watched the paramedics arrive, bringing the ambulance to a sudden halt and hopping out quickly.

"Who've we got?" A medic asked as he rushed to her side and knelt down, checking the girl's vital signs while the others pulled out a stretcher.

"I'm not sure. She just collapsed here, clearly intoxicated." She didn't want to make any unnecessary claims if she happened to be wrong. Of course, she was one-hundred percent sure she was, in fact, the bandit that terrorized the country, but that was for them to decide. "Take care of her."

"Okay, thank you ma'am." The man replied while he and three others lifted the unconscious girl into the back of the ambulance.

...

"Where could she be..." Mustang muttered quietly to himself as he observed the map of Central. All the convenient alleyways, the easily accessible rooftops, Central was parkour heaven. It was no mystery that his little con artist was excellent at evading and escaping. He'd once seen her swan dive off of a five-story building, just barely landing in a well, then climb out completely unscathed.

Suddenly the phone rang, ripping him rather rudely from his thoughts.

"Colonel Mustang speaking." He said without thought. "What?" Some time went on while Mustang listened. A look of terror and excitement blooming into his facial features. "You're sure?... Alright, I'll be right down."

"Where is she?" Mustang asked the Nurse. He was business as usual but Riza and Falman could easily see that he was practically on his toes wanting to get at the famous miss Scarlet. What luck, finding her in a hospital? Only minutes from Central headquarters. As he thought this, however, he realized he was actually a bit disappointed. Had she become so careless as to allow herself to get hurt?

"She's resting sir. Back this way." The nurse answered and held the girl's file against her hip.

"I see." He replied. "What happened? Is she injured?"

Riza took a few notes as the woman spoke. Making sure not to miss any details.

"Well sir...shes, unfortunately, suffering alcohol poisoning. Our doctors deduced that she must have drank an incredible amount over the last few hours or so. And even more before that."

Roy was not pleased, he'd been hunting her down for years and she'd always been one step ahead of him, but now she was giving herself up because she hit the bottle too hard? It was too easy, it almost felt like cheating at the game. Damn kid, he thought.

"Anyway, she needs her rest. Criminal or not, here, she is a patient and you'll do well to remember that Colonel."

Roy raised a brow at the stern tone the woman took with an official like him, but part of him respected it. As he was shown to her room, he was a bit surprised by the sight. Inside he was sort of expecting something more amazing. Though before him, he saw nothing more than a child. In her left arm she was fed intravenous fluids, and wore a loosely wrapped blood pressure cuff that the staff used every hour or so, and to fight off the chill of the room she was covered up with a light blue blanket. Perfectly unconscious, and not a threat in the world.

"Sir, should we come back when she's recovered?" Riza asked quietly. Roy sighed and thought it over for a time but finally shook his head. There was no way he was going to let her out of his sight. This was the closest he'd ever been and he was not about to lose her again.

"No, you and I will stay here. When she wakes up she will probably try to make a run for it. The others can fall back and head to headquarters."

With that, the event was over before it began.

Two Days Later

Mustang was sipping on a hot cup of coffee, though to him it was probably the worst brew he'd ever had. He sat down beside the unconscious delinquent. The infamous Scarlet hadn't budged even once since being admitted. Roy allowed himself to be lost in the thoughts that invaded his mind. Who was this girl? What was her motive? She was quite possibly the best thief he'd ever seen, not to mention she could slip out of any restraint or lock. Riza walked in just then, her uniform fresh and ironed.

"Sir, the doctor will be in shortly to take her vitals again." She informed. She wasn't quite sure why this man was so interested in bringing justice down on this kid. There were plenty of other cases that needed to be addressed. Still, if he was this determined to close this case, then she wouldn't get in the way.

"I've been chasing this girl for years Hawkeye. I did my own research into her, there's nothing. I can't find a single thing on her anywhere and no one seems to have any answers. It's like she's a phantom. To see her here right now, it's almost unreal."

"I think you're just upset that she's made a fool of you more than once." The woman teased and took a seat next to her partner.

"What? Don't be ridiculous." He retorted and took another sip of his coffee, each time the heat becoming a little more tolerable.

"Hm. What about the time she made a distress call and half the force showed up at that abandoned building?"

He sighed. "And she'd left that banner..." He grumbled a little at the memory.

Long story short, after rushing full speed into the building, they'd tripped a wire she'd set and were dumped with a water and flour mixture. After they'd found their eyes again, they'd seen the banner that hung ahead of them that read 'You're it". It was juvenile, a silly game with old school pranks.

"You want revenge on her for all the times shes duped you." The woman said with an amused sigh. "So what now? You gonna prosecute her properly or are you gonna handle her yourself?"

"Alright, that's enough Lieutenant." The man warned but chuckled. The woman was one of his best assets and closest friends.

Just then the large metal door opened with a clank and the doctor walked in. He wore a long white coat, tan slacks and a professional blue button-up. His hair was the lightest blonde, and his eyes a crystal blue sea. With him he carried a strong energy, he was confident and a good leader.

"Ah, Colonel. I wasn't sure if you were still here. I can assure you she's quite secure with us." He smiled. "Forgive me, I'm Dr. James Watson. I'm not sure I was properly introduced during the heat of things." With these words, he offered a handshake to Roy who returned the favor.

The three of them fell silent and turned their attention to the patient who was supposedly sound asleep, but watched as her brows furrowed just a little.

"She seems to be waking up." Dr. Watson announced as he promptly put his stethoscope to his ears and placed the plate down onto her chest. The girl breathed a little deeper and seemed to be upset about the mask that rested securely on her face, but unable to react much to it.

"Heart and lungs sound good.." He commented and moved the plate beneath her shirt to listen to various areas of her abdomen. "Sounds good there too.." He said with a sigh of relief. "Thankfully she's young enough the drinking hasn't permanently affected her liver or kidneys. Though it might cause her stomach upset, better avoid it in the future. She was severely dehydrated when they brought her in to me, and she was on the verge of hypothermia."

"M...mom..?" The patient muttered almost inaudibly though soon after she cracked her eyes open just a little, which looked weary from sleep. Weakly, she attempted to find out where she was, still in a bit of a haze.

"Easy now. I'm Dr. Watson, you're in the hospital." The doctor told her as he pressed on her legs in a few specified spots to check for swelling. "Seems you're quite the drinker. Your blood pressure was so low we almost lost you."

"Hospital...?" She managed to whisper, though her voice was hoarse and weak. Regaining her strength, albeit slowly, she attempted to sit up. As she tried to pull herself up, however, the doctor placed a firm hand to her chest and slowly caused her to lie back down giving her a look that clearly said 'no'.

During this time, the Colonel and Lieutenant stayed quiet, simply observing.

"M..My head.." She moaned as she grimaced, bringing a heavy hand slowly to her skull. It felt strange to lift her arm, to move. Her own touch seemed foreign to her, like she'd been in stasis for the last millennia.

"I'll go get you some pain medication. Sit tight I'll be right back." Watson explained and then stood from his chair and left the room. For about five minutes, Eloise stayed still, slowly gathering more of her own awareness.

"..l..like hell..." She mustered up and looked down at her arms, delicately removing her I.V' and her oxygen mask. Though she was incredibly sore and a bit off balance from being in bed for so long she was surprisingly fluid in her movements.

"Hey, hey, hey!.." Mustang scolded and jumped from his seat, taking hold of her arms and forcing her to be still. Scarlet froze, a look of pure terror on her young features. She then realized what was going on. She'd lost this round of the game, they had her.

"M..Mustang...?" She whispered a bit under her breath. Something like fear accented her tone, which didn't upset Roy in the slightest.

"That's Colonel Mustang.." He corrected firmly. "That's right, I've got you. You won't be going anywhere except for with me, but that won't be until you get clearance from the doctor."

Immediately she swung her arm down to create an automail blade, but she couldn't quite move fast enough, Roy captured her arms again. The action made her feel even more weak, more tired. She breathed heavily as if she'd just lept from the bed.

"Don't try it." He said authoritatively. "There's no sense in fighting right now. You're sick..."

The doctor walked back in at that moment and was a bit shocked and disappointed to see the two in their current state.

"Alright, that's enough. Child you need to relax." He ordered, bringing in a large round pill and a cup of water. Roy was a bit leery of letting her go, considering this kid somehow used alchemy without transmutation circles.

"Come on, settle down. You're safe here." The doctor affirmed and gave Roy a bit of a stern look. As the teen slowly relaxed her body and lowered her arms, the Colonel let go and found his place back in the seat near Riza who was watching very closely, a hand just shy of her pistol just in case.

"Now. What is your name?" The doctor asked. Roy perked up at this bit. In all of his years, he hadn't found her true identity. El just smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Really. Don't you know who I am? I'm rather famous you know." She mused though her vocal cords were still rough and raspy, her golden eyes shimmered a little in the bright ceiling lights.

"This isn't a game girl." Watson was more firm this time. A dangerous tone laced his normally passive ones. Roy was surprised at how quickly this man could go from kind and collected to strict and rigid.

"Oh alright." She said and sighed heavily. "Well lets see...there's Scarlet..um...The Child of Sin...The Red Phantom...um...I've been named a lot..it goes on for a while you might want a bigger notepad."

The doctors face seemed to drop, he wasn't nearly as amused by this as his patient was. "Alright, you don't want to cooperate. I understand." As he said this he moved aside and a pair of large, muscular men walked in carrying a straight jacket.

"Woah, you're putting her in a ward?" Roy spoke up, sounding a touch defensive.

"Do you see that automail arm of hers?" The doctor pointed out. "That weapon hospitalized my brother four years ago, who also happens to be an alchemist. I don't have enough knowledge in automail mechanics, I could destroy her nerve endings if I tried to remove them. She doesn't want to cooperate, so she will be placed in one of these while she is deemed a threat." With those sentencing words, the man turned around and picked up a needle with an unknown substance inside, then moved closer. "Now." His attention was back to her now. "If you try to refuse or cause trouble, I will have no choice but to put you to sleep. Do you understand?"

El sat back further on the bed, analyzing the room carefully. Though her nausea was making a horrible comeback she lept to her feet, at first extremely unsteady but in defiance of her body's protests, she forced herself to remain upright. In a flash of blinding blue light, her arm transformed into a dangerous looking blade. A look in her eyes that even Mustang had never seen before, like deep pools of swirling fire. The doctor took a careful step back and raised his hands to show her he wasn't moving.

"There's one thing you should know about me.." She warned and kept her blade raised, doing her best to dismiss the vertigo that was flooding her head. "I hate doctors.." Pause. "And I hate needles. Coming at me with one is a sure way to get yourself killed." Feeling tension and pain in her arms, she looked down and saw the I.V's were stressed. Though it made her extremely squeamish, she pulled the tape off and took them out, then gave a quick shudder. Riza had her gun pointed directly at the panicked patient, assuming she wouldn't have to fire, but prepared nevertheless.

"Alright, alright." Mustang slowly moved closer to the assistants and opened the door, ushering them out. "No one is gonna do anything. Tell you what, you come with me quietly, and you won't have to worry about them anymore."

The girl's eyes remained fixed on the doctor, but they shifted to the man in blue who was obviously trying to diffuse the situation and potentially prevent any loss of life. If doctors made her this nervous, then perhaps she would cooperate. Taking going with him as the lesser of two evils. It was worth a shot. Standing was proving difficult, El was beyond dizzy and for a moment gripped the bed rail with her flesh hand to steady herself. She breathed faster as her body screamed to lie back down, she was simply too worn out to go through a battle, and she knew it. After another minute of suffering, a deep blush found its way to her cheeks as she looked to Roy, with a sort of pleading essence about them.

"You swear?"She asked in a higher pitched voice.

"You have my word." He responded firmly but with a gentleness that she didn't think he was capable of. "On one condition, you have to put your weapon away."

Immediately feeling like this was some sort of trap, she growled and looked down, shielding her eyes from the artificial light that stung them so. The group watched intently as the alchemist cautiously, and tenderly crept along the side of the bed, never taking her eyes off the doctor. Mustang grew tense and watched her with unfaltering precision as she approached him, blade still in hand. Though when she came closer, the same electric flash of light zapped around her arm and her automail was once again a hand and wrist. Suddenly she became so dizzy that she lost her balance and fell directly into the man, who caught her without a hitch. Having her in his arms was...strange. She was so small, so tired. This was not the Scarlet he knew. While she was leaning against him, he hoisted her up into his arms bridal style, her hospital gown bunching up around her midsection. It seemed a little silly, seeing the famous con artist slash thief curled up in his arms, wearing a white and mint green striped nightshirt.

"Wh..what are you doing?" She whined. "Put me down! I..I can walk just fine!"

Roy simply ignored her, but suddenly tightened his hold on her. "Relax." He hushed, still his typical serious self, but there was something else that slipped by everyone but Riza. She looked to him curiously, he was acting a little different than usual. He treated this criminal like she, belonged to him. Was his obsession a little too strong these days? She wondered but sighed and drove the thoughts away, taking the needle from the doctor and taking a stance beside her commanding officer. The man held Scarlet in such a way that she couldn't see behind her, this was when Hawkeye injected the sedative into the girls left upper arm. The sudden pinch caused Scarlet to squeak a panicked whimper.

"W..wait, you gave your word!" She girl argued but found Roy's arms comforting, she was close enough to absorb his heat and take in the subtle hint of cologne on his collar. Though she had initially tried to escape his hold, she now simply rested in his security. The drug calming her mind, but she'd accepted for now that it would be best for her to just make her escape later, when she felt better.

"I did. I promised you wouldn't have to worry about them." He replied and tilted his head back towards the doctor and his assistants.

The hospital staff watched as the military duo carried El out the large hospital doors and into the cold weather outside. Though it was only the beginning of October, the sky was littering the ground with tiny white snowflakes.