Chapter Five "Alive"

Edward awoke to a hospital bed and blindingly white walls all around him. His head ached with pain and he looked down at his arm to find the automail completely severed from his body and the stump of a right arm there to remind him what he and Al did all those years ago. His automail leg still remained, less damaged than his arm but the bandages were tight around his chest and the leg of little use now. The sterile smell around him was suffocating and he woke up restless. Once he propped himself to sit up he heard the quiet breath of Alphonse, he didn't even realize he was in the room. He lay outspread on the bed at his feet, bandaged, his own bed right beside him untouched. Edward wondered if he had laid there all night and now that the sun came out he was forced to sleep at last. It brought a smile to his face, seeing Alphonse there peacefully, but Edward's eyes were half sunken, unable to enjoy the sight of his brother's boyish face again. It was a mixed blessing, his brother was safe and alive and in human form but Edward made it cost him dear.

He moved back towards the head of the bed, letting Alphonse spread himself more as he slept. Pouting as if he were a little boy again unable to show affection and never being able to live it down, he quickly pulled the covers onto Alphonse and turned himself to him, pretending he hadn't. He laughed at himself, thinking how pathetic he was, and set his good arm over his other shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Al." He said this very ashamed but when Alphonse couldn't hear it; maybe he was cowardly or maybe it was that Alphonse's opinion was the one he valued most highly but he wasn't able to revisit what had happened the night before yet.

He wondered what had become of Scar and if the homunculi were using the stone right now for their own selfish ends. He couldn't discuss this with anyone now because it was too painful and the wounds too fresh. He told himself the excuse that he couldn't leave the room with the useless leg he had now, but really he had no idea what to talk to anyone. He took people's lives, only Alphonse and Scar knew this and it was eating away at him. As he let out a sad sigh Alphonse stirred behind him, wiping the sleep away. Edward was sitting at the edge of the bed, holding his knees, his back turned to him at the edge of the bed.

"Brother…?" Alphonse said with full concern and it made Edward's head twitch and his hair stand up.

His voice was no longer muffled by the suit of armor; he hadn't had time to notice that, it was the way it had always been. Alphonse looked like he hadn't aged a day since the night they tried to bring their mother back and now they were bruised and bandaged in hospital clothes, barely hanging on emotionally and physically. Edward refused to turn and face him, Alphonse's face, he was sure it was stern and cold and resenting from the trauma that Edward had put him through. It wasn't until Alphonse moved over and put his hand on his bandaged shoulder that Edward finally relented, ready to take his punishment and Alphonse's glare. However, what he saw was Alphonse's tear-filled eyes, reaching out for him, so afraid that he had lost his best friend in the world when he nearly bled to death. In the moment, Alphonse wrapped his arms around his older brother, so glad he was alive, nothing else could be considered after so much worry. Edward could not rejoice in the moment, he tried to hide that he was crying but it came out every time he tried to breathe, he let Alphonse hug him but he could not hug back, merely take it, he couldn't forgive himself as easily.

The moment was completely ruined when Armstrong came bursting through the door with a bouquet of flowers, latching onto them as if he forgot they were currently hospital patients. "ELRIC BROTHERS! I AM QUITE PLEASED TO SEE YOU ARE WELL!"

He ran in and interrupted the two, embracing them to where they wondered if he ever crushed people with affection in the master.

"Major, we can't… breathe…" Alphonse said and Armstrong surrendered and set them down.

"Today is a most wonderful blessing! I never expected to see you boys in such a state, had to carry you both home on my shoulders while Alphonse cried and cried!." Armstrong was enjoying poking fun at Alphonse in his own little way and it did actually make Alphonse blush in embarrassment.

To make matters worse Hughes showed up with Ross and Brosh, gleeful as ever and sprung into the room after hearing the commotion. "Good morning boys, sleep well?"

Edward wondered if he had used Armstrong as the ice-breaker for this situation and it made him half smile before rubbing the tears from his face, hiding the evidence from them.

The whole place went silent for a moment as Ross approached Edward, being used to Izumi's way of punishment Edward didn't dare make any sarcastic remarks this time to cover up his grief, instead he just looked down and said. "I'm sorry, you can hit me."

He expected her to do it and even closed his eyes, but instead she swooped in and held him with her arm and then after, did the same to Alphonse. "You two are reckless and you need to rely on grown-ups sometimes."

And again the instant was ruined when Armstrong nearly burst into tears and commented. "How beautiful!"

Alphonse and Edward frowned a bit, thinking that an odd thing to say. Edward couldn't sum up the courage to apologize to Ross so he merely nodded his head as she walked back over next to Brosh in an efficient fashion. Everything seemed to go back to normal, except… everyone was thinking and wondering the same thing yet none had managed to ask until Hughes finally did so very earnestly.

"Edward, I'm glad that Alphonse is back to normal but I have to ask you, what happened?" Hughes was no longer laughing ecstatically; you could tell that he was very serious about this question.

It pained Edward to think about it, he could still hear Alphonse's screaming voice in his head as he had made him see the gate. He knew he had no choice now, this was going to be discussed and he wasn't allowed to hide any longer.

Edward sunk his head and Alphonse's eyes turned solemn, and after a few long seconds of hesitation on Edward's part he managed to spit it out. "I created a Philosopher's Stone…"

End chapter