Pills and Buttons

Key hole

"A key?" He yawned, looking over at a sleeping May. "No, not that I recall. Ask the nurse with the tattoos. He should know." He bit the Colonel good-bye, hearing soft murmurs from the pile of blankets next to him. Al chuckled quietly, picking up the sleepy panda shaped lump and setting her back in the small box of cotton she had been given.

"Who was that?" May had awoken when the phone rang but didn't wake fully til Al had hung up again.

"Colonel Mustang. Ed woke up before and he was asking about a key." He kissed her forehead, smiling. "Just go back to sleep, we can go see him later." His lips widen in a yawn and he plops back down with the smaller girl, cuddling her as they both started to sleep again. Xiao Mei wiggled back onto May's pillow, nuzzling into her hair. A cat also followed, claiming Al's pillow. A sleepy family.

==========

Roy did as Al suggested, finding the nurse as he left one of the other rooms in that hall. "Was Edward Elric wearing a key around his neck when he was brought in?" David thought a moment, opening and closing his mouth several times.

"I believe so. Ora at the front desk would have that. It's a sharp object capable of harm to another or one's self." He nodded his head, checking on another patient.

What is this? A wild goose chase?! He rolled his eyes, sighing as he found her at the desk. "Do you have a key from room 240A's patient? I would like to claim it with all the other items for investigation."

Her large sugar brown eyes seemed a bit startled but relaxed. "Yes, of course." She pulled a key from around her own neck and opened a bottom drawer, tossing a plastic bag on the counter. Her one hand shuffled through it, pulling out a skeleton key made of iron. It was on a felt chain, slightly rusted around the diamond shape handle but otherwise in fantastic condition. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Roy nodded, finding Major Armstrong drinking a glass of water in a break room that had been offered to the guards. He looked like he hasn't slept in days, but he was still walking and coherently speaking so he must be fine.

"Colonel, what can I do for you?" The Major turned around, giving a short salute and offering a slight smirk.

"Take me to that basement. I can have Riza fill in your shift later. She's still here, I believe." He forced himself to look up at Alex, realizing how Ed felt about his height.

"Are you sure you want to see it?" He seemed hesitant, but still pulled a set of keys from a wall hook.

"What would I ask if I didn't?"

This made him smile a bit. "Then follow me, Mustang." Armstrong lead the Flame Alchemist out to a silver town car, claiming the driver's seat and starting it up.

The drive itself was a solid hour of static radio and small talk. It was out somewhere without phone signal, an unlisted section of land that was part of the deep south. The only road that turned off was marked with yellow streamers and Alex turned onto it sharply.

"Hold onto your hat, Colonel." The ride was very bumpy, but that lasted only two minutes. It still managed to tick the flame boy off. Eventually a squat house of their target came into view. Cords and wires lead from the door to both the house and the cellar, off somewhere to a power and water source. The wood that plated the outside was rotten and run down, a deep stained brown black color. Tan, healthy wood boards replaced the windows and no steam curled from the chimney.

The cellar doors were the only color to be seen, chipped away blue paint covering them. A heavy chain that had held them shut was melted into a blob on the left panel. The right a pinned down with a brick for easy access. "Filthy." Roy muttered as he stepped out, gravel twisting under his boot. The skeleton key slapped his neck as he bent out of the car, straighten up again. He marched towards the cellar, tossing the brick away in anger and forcing the rotting wood open. A burst of stale air exploded up at him, smelling of flesh and blood long dried and stained into the concrete below.

A light bulb on a string was the only light down the steps but Roy pulled a candle from his pocket and used a glove to light it. What he saw made him want to get sick. Stacks of crates overflowed with organs and were drenched in blood, piles of plastic bags held fresh blood, another box held plastic tubing that had IV needles on the ends. This is fucking torture... a wall had hooks with four sucking cups connected to thin wires. Red hairs were tangled to them, which lead Mustang to believe these were Luna's shocking devices. He turned again, catching sight of red oak. A coffin sat atop a table, below was two cabinets with locks. One labeled as finished and the other unread. Ed said they hadn't finished it, so he opened the second door. There was only ten or twelve books in there, so Roy took them all. They were thick, seven of them titled with Harry Potter. The others were all mystery or suspense. None of them were Die For Me. So, he opened the other cabinet. On top of the other 86 was what he came for. Mustang took that one and shut the door. He straightens back up, taking a final look around. Complete suits of skin stared at him with empty eyes and he decided that was enough looking.

Hiking back up the stairs and blowing out the candle, he shut the doors and replaced the brick with his foot. Armstrong looked at him in confusion from the driver's seat as he dumped the books in the back.

"What are those?" He asked, generally curious.

"Ed said she read to him." He shut the back door after stacking the twelve books up. He held the unfinished one. "I thought I would keep it going."

"Ah, a simple comfort. Good idea." Mustang nodded, staring at the cover. The author's name, Karen Rose, was typed on the front, accompanied by the image of a girl with a hand around her throat. One of the many mystery novel. He mused, opening up to the first page. Might as well start from the beginning.

The first thing that hit Warren Keyes was the smell. Ammonia...