Pills and Buttons

Pressed

Roy was just about 250 pages in when they arrived back at the hospital Ed was housed in. He knew the plot of the book and was pretty deep into it, often messing with the bookmark Luna had left at their stopping point. The sun was just starting to trickle over the hills and spill over onto the buildings, bathing everything and everyone in a warming light. Few stars clung to the fading night sky in the west, the moon shaded into the background.

"Using the modeling database, he could search for the attributes he wanted. There's -" Roy was interrupted as the car jerked to a stop and the engine shut off. He whined a bit internally, shutting the book with his finger on his page. "Thanks, Major." He ducked out of the front seat, opening the back door with a flourish. The books were stacked in a box that had conveniently been in the back seat. "Go home and get some rest." He used his hip to shut the door, shifting the box in his arms as he walked. The three nurses at the desk gave him an odd look but ignored the sight as he walked by. The two guards, one of which being Riza, saluted and Hawkeye opened the door.

"S-stay back." Roy dropped the box on the table, scaring the doctor trying to inject Ed with something colored pale blue. She held the syringe dangerously close to his eye. "Please!"

"What are you doing?!" Mustang demanded to know, his flame brightening his eyes with anger. "Get away from him!" Edward was huddled in Roy's coat still, feeling protected inside its warmth.

"I'm doing my job! It's to activate the optic nerve in his eye- hey!" The Colonel snatched the needle from the doctor, not really thinking straight. He made a promise to protect his small blonde, and he was doing as he said.

"You can't just go around jabbing people's eyes with needles, saying this and that." If he was able, Roy would have steam sprouting from his ears and his face would be redder than a cherry, like a cartoon. "Besides, a military official has to be in the room with you when accessing one of ours." He snapped, grinding his teeth behind closed lips.

"The guards were outside, I thought that was enough for you." She narrowed her eyes. "I never understood why my sister wanted to become one of you anyway. Maybe if she was here I would actually be able to do my job." She stole the needle back, a tattoo on her hand catching his eye. He could only see a star before her sleeve covered it. "Now that you're here, can I do my work?"

He snapped his eyes to hers. "Of course, Doctor." Edward was gripping the sheets close to his chest, scared eyes flicking across the space in a failed attempt to see. Roy moved over and sat on the bed next to him, startling him slightly.

"It will hurt for a minute, burn even, but not for long." The woman prepped a second syringe of clear liquid and she held that between her lips. One hand grasped Ed's chin roughly and held him in place. In retaliation, Edward closed his eyes. Bloody tears pricked his skin and he searched for Mustang's hand or arm. The military man gave his hand, squeezing it softly. His breathing had become wild, so he calmed down and opened his eyes again.

"One, two, three." The syringe poked into his eye and she quickly pressed the plunger, pulling straight out. After that, Ed squished his eyes shut and screamed in pain.

"It burns!" Mustang kept him from clawing his eyes out, hugging him into his chest. "It burns so much!" Ed's voice was hoarse with tears as he buried his face into the Colonel's shirt.

"This would cool it, if you would open your eyes!" The doctor was very annoyed as she pinned Ed down. Roy was not happy, just held Edward's hands in his own. This really hurt his heart to watch and listen to. The second syringe went into the other eye and Ed stopped screaming. He was breathing heavily and scrambled into Roy's lap again, demanding hugs in a silent way. He cooperated, squeezing Ed into a tight hug and shushing him. The boy cried his eyes out, or so it seemed, and finally took a silent breath after fifteen minutes.

"Don't let her near me again." He croaked, sniffling and lifting the key he had felt around Roy's neck. "You found it." He fingered it, enjoying its feel. "You got them, didn't you?!" His face lit up like a Christmas tree, eyes sparkling a new. They weren't back to their honey gold color, but the warmth was felt as Mustang pressed Die For Me into his hands. Edward's face grew into a smile as he felt the book and its two bookmarks. One was for Roy, who had now become infatuated with the story. The other was only a few tens of pages from his own spot. He had caught up fairly quickly.

"Personally, I find it to be very interesting and quite insightful into the mind of the Medieval times and the torturer's weapons of trade." Ed rolls his eyes, his smile still held in place. Something the Fullmetal Alchemist hadn't told Mustang was that there were a few sex scenes and reading those in the car had made him uncomfortable in the Major's presence.

"You enjoyed the sex scene didn't you?" Ed must have mind reading abilities.

"No." The blonde rose a brow.

"Liar. I don't even have to see you to know you're lying."

"..." he stayed quiet. "Okay maybe a little."

Fullmetal laughed, closing his eyes and sitting cross legged on the bed after shifting his legs by hand. Roy moved so his thigh was pressed against Ed's hip and his shoulder was behind his head. Ed used that as a pillow when the Flame Alchemist began to read.

She headed for the washroom to get the makeup off her face before she broke out in hives. That was not how she wanted to be seen by Vito tonight...