Stand by You

XXVI

Envy, now back in his human-well, as human as he can get-Edward, Alphonse, and I walked down the sewer until we approached a wooden door with wires sticking all over the place. "Hey, where the hell are you taking us?" Edward demanded.

"Get in," Envy ordered, glaring at us as the wooden doors parted, revealing the concrete interior of an elevator.

Skeptically, we climbed in as the doors closed and the elevator starting going up, giving me the feeling of my stomach being left on the floor underneath us. While we were on the elevator, Envy shifted into a random soldier. Once the doors opened, it revealed a very familiar interior of a building. "Is this...?" Edward sputtered, running up to the glass windows. Alphonse and I ran up to the window and looked outside as well. I recognized the garden outside.

"The Command Center," Alphonse said. "What's going on here?"

"Hey!" Envy yelled. "You guys are filthy."

"Ed," I spoke up. "I'm going to the military hospital and check my shoulder out." I leaned towards Edward. "Don't do anything stupid," I warned. "The Führer resides here. You're underneath his thumb while your here."

"Okay," he nodded as I headed off to the medical ward.

*~*~*~*~*~

I sat on the hospital bed, wearing the heavy hospital gown as I swung my feet back and forth, as they didn't touch the floor. The nurse returned with the results. "Joyce, you were extremely lucky this time," the nurse reported. "Your collarbone was only cracked a little bit."

"Cracked," I felt a wave of relief wash over me. This was the best news I've heard in a long time.

"Don't get so relaxed," the nurse continued. "You will have to have restricted moment for two weeks at least and after that, cease movement in your shoulder to an absolute minimum."

"Are you going to splint my entire arm?" I cried.

"Not exactly," the nurse replied. "A sling will do an adequate job in restriction."

"Ah," I deflated, feeling relaxed once more.

"I was informed that you just got stitches," the nurse added.

"Stitches? What do you mean--" I felt my body until my fingers brushed over the thread on my side. "Oh...yeah those..." I laughed dryly.

"May I take a look at them?" They asked.

"Um...sure?" I replied, lifting my gown up and they bent down to examine my side.

"These are barely holding up by the thread!" They gasped. "Just what have you been doing? And...is the thread soaked with blood?"

"Um..." I wasn't so sure how to answer them.

"Forget just slinging your arm-you're not going to move for the next two weeks!"

"WHAT?!" I screeched. "What if I really do have to move?!"

"If it's necessary," the nurse sighed. "You will be traveling by wheelchair."

They presented me a chair on wheels and I deflated, this time with despair and grief. Edward and Alphonse...will have to be their research on hold for the next few weeks because I can't freaking move?! I thought as I groaned.

*~*~*~*~*~

Edward, Alphonse, Colonel Mustang and Führer Bradley, or Wrath, all sat in his office, teacups in front of them as they sipped the tea and stared at each other. Edward leaned over towards Colonel. "Colonel, what happened?" He whispered.