Morphed

Chapter Twenty One

'Sup.

Don't say it. Not one word.

I know, it's been too long.

Sorry.

Sorry it's short.

Enjoy.

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This one goes to the castaways
Who break their backs slaving every day
All these things I can do without
Gotta burn it down, burn it down
Burn it down, burn it down
Burn it down, burn it down
Burn it down, burn it down

~Burn it Down (Skillet)

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Edward had run out of nights.

Last night was his last at the Hughes house.

And it had been spent underground in a cell.

Just the thought that he had wasted his last night made Edward want to scream, to throw something, to wreck something. But he couldn't. Because he was in a hospital, again, recovering from a piss poor injury that he didn't need to really even recover from! It wasn't even a deep wound! It only ran a couple of centimeters deep through his flesh, and it was already completely stitched up and bandaged, so he didn't understand why the doctors wouldn't let him leave.

"Come on Ed, you only need to stay another hour." Hughes was trying to help, but really all it did was make Ed mad.

"Another hour?!" He complained. "Dammit! I don't want to stay here another minute!" He slammed his fist on the little bedside table beside him and the wooden frame rattled, sending little bits and pieces toppling to the floor. "What's the big deal? I'm fine!"

"You are not fine, Ed! That wound is-"

"Not even an inch deep! I can barely even feel it anymore!" Maes frowned at him and Ed stopped arguing, knowing it would get nowhere. Hughes had become to much of a father to him, and Ed had learned when to concede. But that didn't mean he liked it. He took in a deep breath and huffed. He crossed his arms and clenched his fists, trying not to let his emotions rule him. He calmed slightly. It had been a good week, he didn't want to ruin it. Oh, wait. The sarcastic side of him drawled, reminding him of why he was here in the first place. His fowl mood returned to him in an instant, the drastic change didn't go unnoticed by his surrogate father.

"Ed. Talk to me." Maes said softly. "What's bothering you?" Ed opened his mouth. "And don't say 'the hospital'." Ed shut his mouth. "Seriously, Ed. What is it?"

Ed took in a deep breath. "Last night was the last night I was allowed to stay with you." He breathed. "And I wasn't there."

"Oh, Ed." Maes' green eyes looked sad as the man struggled to find something to say, and eventually, he simply said, "I'm sorry." Ed looked down. "Most people, people who didn't know him, would have said something like 'it wasn't your fault', but that would have only made Edward angry, because it was his fault, and Maes knew him to well to argue with that. It was in Ed's nature to blame himself, and so Maes didn't give him the opportunity.

Edward couldn't think of anything to say in response, so he said nothing.

"Ed, if it makes you feel any better, I'm gonna visit you as much as I can." Maes said, and Ed looked back up at him.