The door slid open and a 7-foot tall suit of armor and Riza Hawkeye walked in. If Al's armor was allowed to smile he would be smiling right now.
"Hey," Ed said calmly, but every thought was woven together with worry and fear.
Ed hoped no one could see the mixed emotions hidden under his skin the moment the door opened. Al walked to the side of the bed, joy was laced with each step. Hawkeye walked to the chair with a half smile.
"Can we talk outside?" Roy whispered to Hawkeye.
Ed looked at the bed sheets. Everyone within the military was going to know that the great Fullmetal Alchemist was defeated by a mere disease. It was going to remind everyone he was still a child.
"How are you feeling?" Al said.
He looked at Al and saw he had sat on the chair. Roy and Hawkeye had left the room.
"Do you know?" Ed asked, trying to piece together words that could explain the situation all the while keeping the hope that everything was ok locked up tight.
How to explain the search to reclaim their bodies had to be put on hold, all because the world decided they haven't been put through enough setbacks?
"Know what, brother?"
Ed paused for a moment, thinking.
"I-I... can't walk in the sun," Ed said dry and pitiful, but the words still did damage.
The room was plunged back into silence as Al tried to process the news. Ed worked up the courage to explain and answer the questions hijacking Al's mind.
"I have a disease that prevents me from walking in the sun. If a ray of sun hits me, I will burn and because of that and the fact that I am the first person to survive an attack from the murderer the bastard of a Colonel decided he would be looking after me like a bodyguard or the terminology the doctor used, a parent guardian." Ed said.
The room went silent.
Al thought about how this could be true while trying to connect the memories of the last couple of days before Ed was shot to the information he just learned, but no matter how the pieces were arranged and rearranged, they didn't fit together.
Al thought he would be the only one to carry the burden of not being able to feel, but at least Al could still see the morning sun hit beads of dew on grass blades making hillsides shimmer or the evening sun setting the sky on fire, threatening to burn everything it touches, but Ed couldn't. Stars turned to metal chains and Edward was now imprisoned to the hypnotic mercury sky.
Ed would be put in harm's way if they were to travel. What if the train was delayed or there was no town to stop before the sun rose. Central was the safest place even if it was crawling with a murderer. So what's the difference of staying with Roy? At least Al knew Ed was protected, trying to keep him safe from harm.
"Is there any treatment?"
"No, the doctor said it would go away in time, but no one knows when that would be."
"You know brother, it wouldn't hurt to stay with the Colonel until you get better. I was thinking of staying at the hotel, it's already paid for. I will continue to look into any leads, you focus on getting better." Al said.
"But-"
"But nothing, the Colonel will have his hands full with you, it would be unfair if I stay with him as well, but I will come visit," Al said.
Ed nodded, then realized what Al said, "Hey!"
Al tried to muffle the laughter as Ed was going on about what was said.
YOU ARE READING
Misery Looms
Fanfiction-Rewrite/edit of Fullmetal Vampire- The body count is rising and fear has settled within the streets of Central from a recent string of murders. After Edward survived an attack from the murderer, Roy was given the task to look after him, but it was...
