Free Falling

Chapter 31: Back From the Dark

Pain. Like a fire. It burned. Like a fire. It hurt. It still hurt. Like a damned fire. I was making it roar larger by breathing. Adding oxygen to the flame makes more flame. More heat. More burning. More pain.

I winced and opened my eyes. I felt like myself. I didn't want to kill. I didn't want to kill...

Why didn't I want to kill? Edward...

My eyes searched the room and I turned my head to the side to get a better look. There barely any light in the room. But I could see Alphonse under a lamp. He had a book in his hand. My eyes moved down. Ed was asleep with his head resting on his arms. On the edge of the bed I was in.

"Edward?" I whispered. I looked back to look at Al again. "Alphonse?" I asked louder. Al looked up at me and gasped.

"Anna!?" He cried setting the book down.

"Where am I?" I asked moving my gaze around the room. Al stood up and sat in a chair closer to the bed.

"You're in the hospital." He said quickly.

"Why am I in the hospital? Did I get hurt?" I asked looking at him fully again. He stayed silence. "Alphonse?" I asked again.

"You've been in a coma for two weeks."

"A- a coma? How did I get into a coma?"

"You mean you don't remember?" I shook my head a little. "Brother brought you back."

"Back from where?" Alphonse looked down.

"From being a homoculous." My eyes widened. A homoculous? I wasn't a homoculous. Was I?

"What are you talking about? I'm not a homoculous Alphonse."

"You mean you don't remember the two weeks you were with them?" He asked. With who? The homoculi? I gave him a confused look. I shook my head a little. "Really? That's weird." He said scratching the metal helmet that was his head.

"Al, who are you talking too?" Ed said lowly as he rubbed his eyes. He looked up at my face and widened his eyes. "A- Anna!?" He cried.

"Hi Edward." I said with a small smile. He moved his chair over so he was closer to Al and I.

"How are you feeling?" He asked grabbing my hand. I winced a little.

"Everything hurts." I said quietly. "It feels like a fire is burning in my lungs. In my bones. My stomach. It hurts." Ed stood up.

"I'll go get a nurse." He told me running to the door. I moved my arm a little making me wince again.

"Anna, don't move yet. You'll be in too much pain." Al warned. I nodded slightly. Ed came back with a nurse who got the doctor before coming.

And I was going to do some joint movement. Fun.

"Alright. Can you sit up?" The doctor asked. He had a stubby beard and brown hair. Pretty tall and glasses. I nodded and tried to sit up with him helping me by placing a hand behind my back.

"Good. Good. Can you swing your legs over the edge of the bed?" I nodded again and slowly moved my legs. I winced as I did so but I did it. Ed watched with the 'I want to help' face.

"It hurts." I said quietly. The doctor nodded.

"That's because you've been lying here for two weeks." He said smiling. I smiled a little back. "Alright, can you rotate your ankle please?"

"Yeah." I said doing the action with the pain growing.

"Good. How does it feel when you do it?"

"Like my bones are on fire." He nodded.

"Alright. Can you lift your arm above your head?" I did what I was told. The burning grew. "How that feel? The same as your ankle?" I nodded.

"Yeah." I lowered my arm and placed my hand in my lap.

"Okay. I'm going to give you these pills. You have to take one at noon everyday for a month." He explained as the nurse took a bottle from the small locked cupboard. The nurse handed the doctor the pill bottle.

"Of you don't take them, the burning will come back. And take it easy for the next few days." I nodded and he turned to Ed and Al. "I'd like her stay another day and tomorrow around five you can take her home."

Ed nodded.

"Yeah. That's fine." He said . The doctor nodded back.

"Let her rest. Don't ask too many questions." Ed and Al looked at each other then nodded. The doctor left and Ed looked back over to me.

He walked over at sat next to me while Al sat back in his chair by the bed.

"So what happened?" I asked breaking the silence.

"You don't remember?" Ed asked surprised. I shook my head.

"Alphonse said the same thing." I said looking at Al.

"I did." He said sadly. "It's like Anna's having what I had after that night." Al explained. Ed gasped slightly.

"Then we have to get those memories back for you huh?" He asked smiling.

"No." I said automatically.

"'No?'" Al repeated.

"No. I have a feeling I did something horrible. I'd rather not remember. Ed smiled softly.

"Alright. We won't bother trying to get your memories back." He told me and stood up. "You should get some more rest." He told me. I nodded and swung my legs slowly to be on the bed again.

"Hey Edward? Alphonse?" I asked. He and Al looked at me again.

"Yeah?" They asked together.

"I apologize for any damage I had done to the city or to yourselves." I said quickly and bowing my head. Ed cocked his head to the side.

"You don't have to apologize. You weren't yourself."

I nodded as he turned off the light. I pulled the covers up and over my shoulder.

I wonder what happened. Did I hurt Ed? Did Father manipulate me? I was there for a week and half to two weeks.

I didn't want to think about it anymore. I closed my eyes and within seconds, I was asleep.