Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Mustang -Elric Apartment
10:00 pm
Roy watched with concern as Edward slept. Ed hadn't woken for more than a few minutes at a time since he had picked Ed up this afternoon. He had even slept through being bathed and dressed. Something Roy was sure under normal circumstances the boy would have argued against. He debated waking him again, long enough to get him to drink some water.
Riza and the boys were sleeping in the next room, and Roy could hear through the wall that Yuery was not happy with the change in routine. He had cried for about ten minutes before finally growing quiet about fifteen minutes ago, long after his normal bedtime. Normally, Yuery was a fairly easy child to put to bed, rarely putting up a fuss for it. William was more difficult, requiring a lullaby and sometimes a walk around the living room in his pram before he was willing to sleep.
Yuery had never been put to bed by Riza before, in fact it was rare for anyone aside from Ed to tuck either boy in at night. It was part of his own nighttime routine. Nights belonged to Ed, early mornings to Roy, and the rest of the day was split between the four of them when Winry was there. When Yuery was smaller, before the women moved in, Ed only allowed Roy to help with Yuery. Just Roy.
Roy could never tell if the change had come thanks to the addition of a second child, or Ed maturing, but he now extended that list to Alphonse ( before he left) Winry and Riza. He still never let anyone aside from them help him with the kids, and if he were to wake lucid right now, he would be worried when the boys weren't in their little bed over in the corner.
Ed began stirring around again as Roy opened the journal he was reading. Roy glanced up at his son, worriedly, but Ed settled after a moment so Roy returned to the unpleasant book. He was equal parts disgusted, sympathetic and enraged at the things he'd read so far and he still had three journals to go.
Hohenheim deserved to be punched in the jaw, but he also had earned Roy's sympathy. The man had done horrible cold frightening things in these recordings, to save Amestris. Some part of Roy wondered what lengths he himself would have gone to to save this country. He certainly had done questionable things as it was. Still, he knew exactly why these books disturbed his sons. He wasn't certain if either of them had read far enough to see what their father had to say about their mother.
Roy wasn't sure he'd want to know if he was them either. He asked Al how far Al had gotten in the journals the last time they had spoken. Al admitted he had gotten to Journal three, but he had found a half written letter in the pages, addressed to Edward, that had said that Ed was the salvation of their people as long as he was strong enough to walk away from Al, who had not been part of the plan. He threw the letter away and ignored the journals after that.
Ed groaned, returning Roy's attention to his son. He put the journal down and reached out to check his temperature. Ed jerked away as Roy placed a hand on his head and muttered more before thrashing. Roy assumed the boy was having a nightmare, Roy had enough of them himself. He also knew how prone to nightmare Edward was. Being sick like this wasn't going to help either. No matter how mature Edward seemed, or how high ranking he had become, at the end of the day he was a sixteen-year-old boy. He didn't truly know his own limitations, as he had proven over and over again. Roy shouldn't have let him go out in the sun like that by himself. He should have joined the team himself. Ed had overtaxed himself as it was, then adding in the heat and dehydration.
Riza appeared in the doorway as Roy debated refreshing the water and waking Ed again. She looked a bit rattled herself so Roy stood and followed her out to the hallway. " I finally got ahold of Winry just now. She was upset. She said we need to check his leg for burns." Riza said quietly, the babies were both finally asleep and she didn't want to wake them. Hayate and Franklin were curled up on the bed with them. She had still left the door ajar in case they made any noise.
"I already did. He had the beginnings of burns right at the edge of the housing, I put burn cream on it and cooled the metal. " Roy said with a sigh. "I read up on automail care back when Ed joined up. He was so young, I wanted to be sure I knew if he was being cared for…it's ironic it took until now to need that information when he was almost grown."
"I know as well as you do this isn't the first time you've taken care of him." Riza said. "You spent more time worrying about his maintenance and check ups than he did."
"Of course I did, he was a child, he couldn't be expected to be practical. I should have adopted him sooner, you know. It took everything falling apart for me to do the right thing, an because of that he lost his childhood."
"He lost his childhood because his father walked away and his mother died. He was a miniature adult when you met him and we both know it."
"No. He was still a child then, and I did whatever I could to shelter him, but I failed."
"Roy-"
"Don't. I failed him. Both of them. But I wasn't the first to fail them, and if Hohenheim were still around, I'd punch him myself." Roy replied. "I can't believe how cold he became. I would do anything to keep my people safe, but I can't imagine ever going so far as to simply stop caring."
"Didn't he care for them at all?"
"I don't know. I haven't gotten to the boys and their mother yet, frankly I'm a bit afraid to get there. If he was as cold toward them as he is to everything else, what do I do with that? Do I hide the books from the boys? Do I let them rip themselves apart by reading it? How do I handle the aftermath either way?"
"You'll do what's best for them, I know you will."
"I wish I had your faith in me."
Ed groaned from behind them and Roy quickly rushed back to the boy, who had managed to sit up enough to lean over the bed and vomit into the waste basket. Roy joined him on the bed to rub his back and hold back his golden hair. Riza watched on with concern before picking up the water to refill it and the bowl.
His temperature was closer to normal now, though still a bit high, and Roy decided that if he had not shown signs of recovery by morning he was sending for Pinako Rockbelle. He wasn't going to risk long term or permanent damage to either Edward's leg or his brain. He wanted to call for Pinako now, it would take until morning for her to arrive, but that would be better than delaying any further.
When Riza reentered the room he asked that she sit with Edward for a few minutes while he made the call. He knew this conversation was likely to be unpleasant, certain that Pinako would blame him as much as he blamed himself for the state Edward was in. It didn't matter though, as long as he recovered. They needed to get a doctor or two out here too.
Other injuries, other illnesses were going to come up if not on the compound then in the city and as far as Roy knew no one with medical training had arrived among the refugees as of yet. He wasn't certain of that, of course, he hadn't exactly sat down and demanded a complete list of refugees. They were attempting to restore the homelands to the people who belonged there, not control them.
It would be nice, now that it came up, to know if there was anyone closer than Rockbelle to call on in this kind of situation, especially with two toddlers among their party. Riza had taken Roy's place next to the bed, and was replacing the cloths with new wet ones to help regulate Ed's temperature. Roy left the room quickly, wanting to get the call out of the way and return before Ed began stirring again.
Roy peeked into his own room, and smiled at the two boys curled together on the center of the bed surrounded by the dogs, the cat now with them as well. The pets looked up at him in unison before curling back against the tiny humans. Roy smiled at them before moving on toward the main room and phone.
The line rang for a few minutes before Pinako picked up the other side. "Dr Rockbelle, it's General Mustang. I'm calling in regard to Edward."
"Winry called me earlier and warned that you may need me. She's getting on the next available train." Pinako said. "Well, out with it, how bad off is he?"
"He still hasn't really woken since he fell unconscious this afternoon. There is some minor looking blistering around his leg, but frankly I'm more concerned with his body temperature." Roy replied as he sat down, he hadn't voiced his concern to Riza, or himself until now. "I bathed him which helped some, and have been keeping him covered in cool cloths, but his temperature is still elevated."
"With the housing integrated into his body like it is, it is actually a great deal harder for Edward to regulate his body temperature than an average person. I lectured him last year when he informed me he had just returned from a trip to Xerxes ruins that he must avoid extreme temperature then he promptly went North to Briggs. That boy is going to be the death of me and my granddaughter."
"Me as well. He was out running repairs this afternoon. He had been instructed not to overdo it, and not to go for more than one block at a time because we are in a heat wave at the moment. Breda came to collect me when he refused to stop working after four blocks. He brushed off both Breda and Havoc's concerns to keep going." Roy sighed heavily. " I however take full responsibility. I should have joined him to ensure that he stopped when he began wearing out. Instead he depleted his energy so completely that I am uncertain if it is exhaustion or heat that is causing his symptoms. Both an elevated temperature and loss of consciousness are as much signs of Alchemic Exhaustion as heat stroke. It's therefore nearly impossible to determine which he is suffering from."
"With that boy, it's likely both." Pinako growled. "He never knew when to quit. I will be there in a few hours, let me get some supplies together and get the neighbor to help me hitch up the carriage."
"Thank you madam." Roy said, relieved a professional was on the way. He then waived off her mutterings, and set the phone down.
He returned to the bedroom, after peeking at the boys once again on his way through. Once he had returned he told Riza to return to bed, it would do them no good if both of them were too tired to care for the boys in the morning. After bidding her goodnight, he once again switched out the clothes resting on Ed's head and chest, before picking back up the journal.
It was as much to keep him awake as it was to study at this point, and frankly, he was tired of this book. He wished he could walk away from it but if he did then Ed would know and pick them back up. Part of why this happened was because Ed was so distracted by these books. A large part of Roy wanted to burn them all and be done with it.
If not for the near constant mentions of magic he would have gotten rid of them, but this was for Yuery, and for his boys. This last entry had mentioned the birth of Albus Dumbledore. Roy recognized the name as the man that Ed trusted least of all the wizards. Roy had no idea what that meant as far as these journal entries went, but his father had clearly known Dumbledore for some time.
He reopened the book but once again, before he could turn the page Ed began stirring around. Roy set down the journal to check on the boy, who settled down at his voice. Ed blinked awake after he stopped thrashing, and looked over at Roy. "Dad?" he asked weakly.
"Yeah Ed, I'm right here." Roy said as he smoothed Ed's bangs back and replaced the cloth again.
"Where are- Are the boys okay?" Ed asked.
"Yeah, they're right next door sleeping in my bed with Ji Mu, Yuery was a bit upset at bedtime, but settled in just fine." Roy said with a smile. It was just like Ed to ask about the boys or Al before himself. "How are you feeling? You're temperature is still up but not as bad as it was."
"Oh. I messed up again didn't I? I was just trying to get enough places done before the weather got too bad. Now it's going to take even longer because you have to stay here with me. Please just go on out and help Dad, I'll be okay. Don't let them wait over this." Ed rambled, his eyes were still glassy, but he seemed to know what was going on, so Roy relaxed slightly. There didn't seem to be any damage to his brain then, as far as Roy could tell. Before Roy could reply, Ed was leaning over the edge of the bed vomiting into the waste basket again.
Roy sat with him, assuring him everything was all right until he was able to lay back again. "It's not your fault Ed, if anything it's mine. I should have gone out there with you myself to make sure you didn't overdo it. Why didn't you mention you were losing weight though? Do you not feel well or is it a matter of rations, because we call always order in more rations. I need you to stay healthy. Not just for this mission but for you and your family."
"It seemed so wrong to eat this much when there are people right here that need the food more than I do. It's not that I'm not eating, it's that I'm refusing extra rations. I don't need it."
"You really do though, Ed. You may not be supporting Al anymore, but you are supporting automail and alchemy. It takes energy to use energy." Roy said calmly, when he really wanted to scream at the boy for being so foolish. It was late at night, the babies and Riza were sleeping, and Ed though he was being rational. This line over conversation was likely to lead to screaming which would not help any of them. "Pinako will be here in the morning, try to get some more sleep. I'll be right here."
"Can you lay here with me?" Ed asked, sounding small and scared. Roy was heartbroken over that tone especially when he had to shake his head. He understood, Ed felt bad and wanted to be hugged, but that would only raise the boy's body heat when they were trying to get it down. Instead he sat on the edge of the bed and held the boy's hand until he fell back to sleep.
8:00 am
Roy jerked awake, the journal fell to the floor with a loud *thunk*, as a loud knock sounded at the front door. Ed jerked awake at the sound, which made Roy feel bad, but at the same time was relieved, since Ed was responsive this morning. Roy could hear Riza answer the door and the boys yelling and playing in the other room. "What are you reading?" Ed asked, sounding raspy but less upset than the night before.
"Nothing of importance. I think Pinako just arrived." Roy said as he picked the journal back up to place out of reach.
"It's one of his journals isn't it? Have you gotten to my mom yet?" Ed asked as he struggled to sit up.
"No. Albus Dumbledore is mentioned here though." Roy replied, deciding against trying to keep anything from him. "It appears you father knew Albus from birth, that he played matchmaker to his parents actually."
"You're kidding." Ed said flatly. Roy shook his head. Ed groaned. "There really is no aspect of my life that can't traceback to that bastard. He helped create the man that wanted to kill my son? Really?"
"He mentioned some people named Potter as well." Roy said, might as well tell him it all at once, at least as far as he had gotten.
"You're kidding! Did he help set up their entire war?! What about the other one…I don't know the name, we can't find out." Ed said as Pinako and Riza came into the room. Riza had William on her hip, Yuery slipping in between the two adults to rush toward the bed.
"Daddy! You was goned all night!" Yuery said with an accusing tone as he jumped onto the bed.
"Daddy didn't feel well, baby, but he was right here I promise." Ed said as he hugged the boy. Yuery frowned but nodded his acceptance.
"Will'am crieded. Lots." Yuery said, but then snuggled up next to Ed and let the matter drop. Ed felt bad, even as his son forgave him.
William struggled to get free once he saw his dad as well. "Dadda! Dadda! Down." William demanded until Riza placed him on the bed next to his father and brother. Pinako shook her head at them, as she lifted the sheet to take a look at Ed's leg.
Riza turned away from the bed to give Ed his privacy, though he wasn't bothered. Looking at his leg was almost as common place as looking at his arm used to be. He wasn't exactly comfortable being stripped, but modesty was not a true feeling for him after five years of invasive medical exams.
He wasn't out in public, and no one was going to be pulling on him, so it was a step up. Roy didn't look away, instead leaning in to get a closer look at the burns he had treated the night before. He was relieved to see that the burns were not as bad as he originally feared. There was some minor blistering , but overall the skin was healthy, if a little inflamed around the blisters.
"Right. Well young man, you got off lucky this time. It's good that your Dad knew how to treat this right away." Pinako said as she took his temperature. "It's my understanding that you immediately dunked him into a bath to lower the temperature, then applied the salve and cold compresses?" She added to Roy directly.
Roy nodded, though Ed eyes rolled, before widening he took the thermometer out of his mouth to say. "Wait! You bathed me?! Who was there?" Pinako plucked the thermometer out of his hand, shook it and put it back in his mouth with a glare.
"Just me." Roy assured. "Riza and the boys didn't come home until I had a chance to settle you into your bed, she kept them over at the office so they wouldn't be underfoot.
"Goof" Ed muttered and ignored Pinako smacking his shoulder. No modesty was one thing, it only went as far as not caring about the scars and metal all over him. When it came to nudity, he preferred to keep that list as low as possible, and not his stepmother, or his sister in law whenever he got one of those. "Well young man if you don't want to risk someone seeing your naked butt perhaps you shouldn't make foolish choices."
"Granny!" Ed whined as she removed the thermometer, his face turning red.
"Oh please boy. I changed your diapers. I preformed your surgeries. And I saw you running around your mother's house in your no clothes stage. Stop looking shocked and offended."
"Dad, make her stop." Ed whined. "I'm fine I don't need the old bat here."
Pinako shook out the thermometer. "Well your temperature's close to normal, but with that burn I want you in bed for the next week. No fighting me on it or I'll have to come back here and force you to stay in bed. One week Edward."
"I'll make sure he obeys." Roy assured her as she walked out of the room with Riza offering her tea. Everyone ignored Edward's flustered muttering. He didn't want to be in bed for a week, he had too much to get finished. Yuery snuggled closer to him then though, so he pulled both boys into a hug and glared at the doorway.
Yuery and William were content to lay in bed snuggling for a few more minutes before they both started squirming around to get down and play. Ed started to get up with them, but a wave of dizziness hit him, and he laid back down before calling for the others, maybe he needed a day or two after all. At least a few hours.
.
Journal Three
1625-1635
12/12/26
The wedding was lovely, and we are
Heading abroad to celebrate. When we return, she
Will introduce me to her former Headmaster,
Demetri Le Crosse.
I have decided to take an alias, to better blend into this
Country. Nicolas, and I made the unconventional choice
Of taking Perenelle's family name instead of her taking mine.
Hohenheim stands out in France. Flamel does not have the same
Affect. From this day forward, I am at least publicly Nicolas Flamel.
_ T.B.V.N.F.H
07/09/27
Perenelle and I have been invited to teach by Demetri.
We discussed it a great deal, and have agreed. We will
Be moving to the school later this month. She needs
A change in scenery. The stress he has been placing upon herself
Over the continued barrenness is adding a strain to my lovely wife
I loathed to see.
I have informed her, that in time it will come, but only if
We stop worrying so much. She reluctantly agreed and
Will be turning her focus to the children of the school.
_T.B.V.N.F.H.
09/01/30
Demetri has noticed that I do not change.
I explained it away for now, but he is likely
To bring it up again. Perenelle knows that
I do not age, and why, but I loathed to tell
Another. I will have to come up with a reliable
Story to cover this.
As it is, I had to explain away my inability to
Preform spells beyond potions. I simply
Claim to dislike wandwork, and that I
Prefer alchemy overall. Demetri
Has accepted this as I am the Potions
Master, and no other magic really matters
In my class. Perenelle greatly aides to hide
My lack of ability, she has made several custom
Made spells, that I can activate if needed that
Then appear as though I cast them myself.
Demetri is naturally suspicious, I believe.
An unfortunate side effect of being raised
Out among the non magic users. He doesn't
Trust or like 'muggles' and lives in fear of
His school being discovered. I am not muggle,
But not a wizard either. I think…I've done enough
Research to believe it is very possible for one
To be both, but they would have to be born able.
_T.B.V.N.F.H.