Misery Looms

Chapter 5- Unwelcome Chill

Roy walked through the hall of the hospital not paying attention to the outside havoc , but to his thoughts which seem to be more of a mess than the hospital. 

This wasn't a good idea. The only reason why Roy accepted was because Edward was going to be used as bait. However, he didn't think that's how parenting worked. How much work was this job going to take? The last time Edward had bodyguards, Ed and Al pull some crazy stunt in order to lose them. The thoughts stopped there because room 308 come into view.

Roy was about to open the door when a thought popped. How was Edward going to react? Maybe with yelling and cursing, but maybe - the most dangerous reaction - he won't accept this as reality. Roy took a deep breath and opened the door. The room didn't look different, except for Edward sitting in bed, awake.

"What the hell do you want?" Ed asked.

"How are you feeling?" Roy asked, closing the door and sitting down on the chair placed beside the bed. 

"Why?" Ed said with an arched eyebrow. 

"Just wondering." Roy said with a struggle. "You are aware someone decided to shoot you, right?"

"Yes."

"Tell me what happened."

Ed looked down. His hands were in fists clenching the bed spread. "I don't remember anything, nothing past when Al, Hughes and I exited the abandon building." Edward said, hands clenching the fabric even tighter. 

"That was eight days ago," 

Edward nodded again and Roy decided to go a different approach to the questions.

"Tell me about the building."

"The memories are hazy." Edward paused to think. "We split up. I was walking down a hall. Someone was talking, I think? They asked something." Edward shook his head. "It's to hazy." 

"You said someone was talking, was it Al or Hughes or someone else?"

"I think, someone else? Maybe?"

"Man or women?" Roy asked. 

Edward closed his eyes and thought. "A girl? I don't know?" His voice was laced with frustration. 

"It's a start," Roy said. 

The lead they thought they had, vanished. What was left, was scattered puzzle piece that belonged to different puzzles. With Edward's memory being as hazy as it was, they couldn't verify someone was in the building. Hughes said there was no one. He didn't believe his best friend had lied, especially after what happened to Edward. Maybe Hughes and Al didn't see anyone, but Edward did. Even with if that's true, it still doesn't explain what happened after. 

Ed looked around the room and notice something was missing.

"Where's Al?"

"At the library, reaching."

"Is there any lead on the person who shot me?" 

"So far, we draw up the conclusion you were attacked by the same murderer who has the whole military looking for them. For some reason, you are the first victim who survived. With that and now you can't walk in the sun, I-"

"It doesn't make sense, a disease like this doesn't show up one day," Ed said. 

"Fullmetal, the doctor decided a parent guardian was in order and no matter what, you are going to need a bodyguard because you are the first victim to survive. I came to the conclusion that staying with me, until we catch this murderer was the best option."

Shock flashed across Ed's face, but was quickly replaced with anger.

"No way, in hell, is that happening! I don't need you or anyone to take care of me." Ed yelled. 

"Do I look thrilled with these arrangements, no, but it was either me or having a bodyguard. No one knows who we are dealing with. You already almost died once, you will not die a second time."

Ed sighed and asked, "Does Al know?" 

"No, I haven't had time to inform him. However, if you want I can do that now." 

Ed nodded and without saying another thing Roy walked out of the room.

The door closed with a soft click leaving Edward alone. The thought of hearing short comments every time the two met made him shiver. That thought alone made Ed what to fight Roy on this decision, even if it meant getting bodyguards because Edward knew how to lose them. But what to do after, he couldn't travel, not with the risk he might burn. 

Ed turned to stare at the only window in the room that was covered with a thick black curtain. The doctor said the curtain was there to keep sunlight from coming in. Was it true that the smallest ray of sun would hurt like hell and burn him?

Ed grabbed the crutches that leaned on the wall beside the bed and carefully got up. This was a very stupid decision, but that didn't stop him from slowly walking to the black curtains.

Edward doubted the doctor and Mustang because within Ed's mind it didn't add up. After this, the wondering questions would get the answers they were craving.

Ed stopped and pulled the soft fabric gently, just enough to let a small beam of light into the room. Butterflies flew around the bottom of his stomach when putting his flesh hand near the light. 

How badly would this hurt?

Ed didn't linger over the thought as his hand was put directly into the sunlight. The decision was instantly regretted as hot sizzling pain made itself known. It started at the tips of his fingers and traveled down his hand that turned an angry shade of bright pink. 

Ed's hand was thrust back into the shadows of the room, the tingling pain followed, but it slowly subsided to a dull throb.

Ed stared down at his hand as realization hit full force. What to do next? He thought when dazedly closing the curtains and walked to the bed. He sat down, hoping it wasn't true, but deep down he knew even before doing that crazy stunt, they were right. 

For the time being he would stay with Roy only because he still wanted to be in the loop instead of being stuffed somewhere with eyes always watching and given that he couldn't go anywhere, he could focus on finding leads to get their bodies back to normal. This disease won't stop him. He just has to find ways around it. The door opened and Roy walked in. 

"They are going to be here in fifteen minutes." Roy said, walking to the chair and sat down. 

Ed nodded in response. They sat there, staring at anything other than each other, never saying a word. It stayed like that until Hawkeye and Al walked in.