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Entry tags:
Hagaren ficlet: Tomorrow
Title: Tomorrow
Fandom: FullMetal Alchemist
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shamera
Character: Edward (no pairings)
Rating: G
Word count: 1,215
I wrote this when I first got to Taiwan- with nothing else to do but speculate and write utter nonsense. That was about a month ago. ^^;; I couldn't get it online because of the crappy computer, but now that we have a new computer, it's much easier to move the stories- although it's still hard to format to a different computer. >_<
"She must have dealt with the pain for many years already."
"How tragic... leaving two orphans like that."
Edward Elric clenched his automail fist as those words came unbidden into his mind. It was something he tried very hard not to think about, because he had his little brother to take care of, but the memory would spring back every now and then.
Clears skies in a beautiful country filled with rolling grass and plains. Freshly buried earth in front of a pristinely white tombstone in front of them, and people dressed in black filing all around, whispering to each other, never noticing that the two children in the front could hear their every word.
"People with this illness will suffer for many years," Rizenbul's doctor had once told him. "The effects could last from three years up to ten. Sadly, there's no cure to be offered... only pain medication to ease the symptoms. Your mother took the medicine for four years before she couldn't anymore."
Edward remembered the doctor's office quite vividly. Probably because it had been the first time he visited the doctor rather than the doctor making rounds. The smell of antiseptic had made his eyes water and his throat sting, and he had been glad that mother had always called the doctor over whenever he or Al had been sick. The white walls were near blinding as the sunlight streamed in through the window, and Ed had felt a pang of guilt as he remembered how he had left Al with the Rockbells in order to visit the doctor.
The memory as also surprisingly sharp considering it had been the day before he left for Central, the day Ed realized how important it was to make sure that Al was restored as soon as possible. The tinge of pain from the newly installed automail still hadn't completely faded yet, and the soreness that aligned his back was something that Ed almost resigned himself to feeling for the rest of his life.
He had complained of a headache to Winry in order to slip away from her grasp- because he had been suspicious about his mother's illness ever since she had died, and he wanted to leave any doubts he had of her behind him when he left. Why had she never told her children about the sickness? Why had she wanted her husband to come back so desperately? The answers could have been easily explained away as not wanting to worry her children- but Ed had noticed an underlying panic and despair in her eyes before she died- a frightened expression that had first spurred Ed into wanting to bring her back, so that he could ask her why.
He had gotten his answer that day, but had not been able to leave his doubts and worries behind like he had wanted to. Instead, Ed tried to forget what the doctor had told him, forget those words that no one ever wanted to hear.
"Niisan?"
Edward looked up at the giant suit of armor that was currently leaning over him, looking as worried as the small, boyish voice had suggested. Alphonse Elric pointed carefully at his older brother's arm, watching as Edward clenched and unclenched his fist, slowly.
"Maybe you should call Winry for a check-up." Al said worriedly. "Your automail doesn't seem as strong as before."
Edward already knew that.
"Ahh." He agreed, stopping his actions as he brought both arms over his head for a stretch. "I'll call her tomorrow. We still have to finish decoding Dr. Marco's book, though"
If Al could have rolled his eyes in exasperation, he would have.
"Yes," the suit of armor replied gravely. "I'm starting to think that the fish tacos might mean 'handle with care' and turkey gravy is 'extremely explosive' but that doesn't really get us anywhere and could still be considered warning for a dinner party, anyway."
Edward chuckled at the mental image (a dinner party for military personal with perhaps Colonel Mustang high on fish tacos and plenty of other guests desperately looking for a restroom.) and picked up his pen again. He doubted he would get his concentration back, though.
"Make sure that you call, though." Al reminded him again, sure that his brother would skip out of it if he could.
"I will." And maybe he could get her to pick up his 'allergy' medicine if he could.
He was running low on it lately.
Edward needed the answer to the Philosopher's Stone to be in Dr. Marco's notes. He was running out of time to help his brother- and it wasn't that Al was starting to forget about human sensations, either.
"I don't understand." An eleven-year old Edward had said in shock that day. The white walls and ceiling were near blinding. "There must have been a cure- this country excels in the medical department! Automail limbs, excellent hospitals?... an illness that slow-reacting must have some semblance of a cure!"
"It is a disease of the blood, child." The old doctor had said sadly. "And unless we drain every last drop- there is no known cure. The longest that someone's survived once the disease is active is ten years, and the last three of those years were spent in a high maintenance hospital in Central. I'm sorry, Edward, I hate giving news like this to someone so young"
Ten years. He was nearly sixteen now. He was already pushing his luck as it was with all the stunts he was pulling. The same disease that his mother had carried had been passed to him- one of the few things he had inherited from her considering that he had almost none of her physical features, nor her innate patience and kindness. Those, after all, had all gone to his younger brother.
He didn't know what to tell Alphonse. It wasn't something that he wanted to think about. He had cross-examined previous blood samples of Al's with almost every doctor in Central and East City to confirm that his younger brother wouldn't succumb to the illness once he got his physical body back.
Why hadn't mother told them about the illness? Because she had been afraid that that they wouldn't understand? Or maybe because she had known that it was possible that her children might die or the same disease as well, and couldn't stand to face the thought?
Why couldn't he find the courage to tell Al?
It made little to no sense when someone thought about it- but it was different for Ed. He had much more at stake than just his life if Al reacted badly (which Edward was sure that he would). Al would demand that Edward rest; would be grief-stricken and probably fall to pieces if he knew. Ed couldn't risk that. He had to make sure that Al was restored above all else. Al was the most important person in Edward's life.
"Maybe you should sleep, Niisan." Al's voice once again broke through Edward's scattered thoughts. "You look tired, and we could always just continue this tomorrow."
Ed shook his head to try and clear the slight headache that had been developing behind his eyes. "No, I can continue for a few more hours."
After all, he might not have tomorrow.
Huh. Yeah. Not very coherent, so I might bully one of my friends into beta'ing for me. ^^;;
Notes: I'm so evil to Edward. ^^;; In the manga, it was said that their mother died of the plague, but they didn't say that in the anime, so that's what I'm working with. But I always wondered about that illness... and Alphonse couldn't have contracted it since he doesn't exactly have a body. ^^;; So there was only Edward. Knowing Ed, though, he would be too stubborn to fall sick until he made sure that Al would live happily into old age.
Fandom: FullMetal Alchemist
Author:
shameraCharacter: Edward (no pairings)
Rating: G
Word count: 1,215
I wrote this when I first got to Taiwan- with nothing else to do but speculate and write utter nonsense. That was about a month ago. ^^;; I couldn't get it online because of the crappy computer, but now that we have a new computer, it's much easier to move the stories- although it's still hard to format to a different computer. >_<
"She must have dealt with the pain for many years already."
"How tragic... leaving two orphans like that."
Edward Elric clenched his automail fist as those words came unbidden into his mind. It was something he tried very hard not to think about, because he had his little brother to take care of, but the memory would spring back every now and then.
Clears skies in a beautiful country filled with rolling grass and plains. Freshly buried earth in front of a pristinely white tombstone in front of them, and people dressed in black filing all around, whispering to each other, never noticing that the two children in the front could hear their every word.
"People with this illness will suffer for many years," Rizenbul's doctor had once told him. "The effects could last from three years up to ten. Sadly, there's no cure to be offered... only pain medication to ease the symptoms. Your mother took the medicine for four years before she couldn't anymore."
Edward remembered the doctor's office quite vividly. Probably because it had been the first time he visited the doctor rather than the doctor making rounds. The smell of antiseptic had made his eyes water and his throat sting, and he had been glad that mother had always called the doctor over whenever he or Al had been sick. The white walls were near blinding as the sunlight streamed in through the window, and Ed had felt a pang of guilt as he remembered how he had left Al with the Rockbells in order to visit the doctor.
The memory as also surprisingly sharp considering it had been the day before he left for Central, the day Ed realized how important it was to make sure that Al was restored as soon as possible. The tinge of pain from the newly installed automail still hadn't completely faded yet, and the soreness that aligned his back was something that Ed almost resigned himself to feeling for the rest of his life.
He had complained of a headache to Winry in order to slip away from her grasp- because he had been suspicious about his mother's illness ever since she had died, and he wanted to leave any doubts he had of her behind him when he left. Why had she never told her children about the sickness? Why had she wanted her husband to come back so desperately? The answers could have been easily explained away as not wanting to worry her children- but Ed had noticed an underlying panic and despair in her eyes before she died- a frightened expression that had first spurred Ed into wanting to bring her back, so that he could ask her why.
He had gotten his answer that day, but had not been able to leave his doubts and worries behind like he had wanted to. Instead, Ed tried to forget what the doctor had told him, forget those words that no one ever wanted to hear.
"Niisan?"
Edward looked up at the giant suit of armor that was currently leaning over him, looking as worried as the small, boyish voice had suggested. Alphonse Elric pointed carefully at his older brother's arm, watching as Edward clenched and unclenched his fist, slowly.
"Maybe you should call Winry for a check-up." Al said worriedly. "Your automail doesn't seem as strong as before."
Edward already knew that.
"Ahh." He agreed, stopping his actions as he brought both arms over his head for a stretch. "I'll call her tomorrow. We still have to finish decoding Dr. Marco's book, though"
If Al could have rolled his eyes in exasperation, he would have.
"Yes," the suit of armor replied gravely. "I'm starting to think that the fish tacos might mean 'handle with care' and turkey gravy is 'extremely explosive' but that doesn't really get us anywhere and could still be considered warning for a dinner party, anyway."
Edward chuckled at the mental image (a dinner party for military personal with perhaps Colonel Mustang high on fish tacos and plenty of other guests desperately looking for a restroom.) and picked up his pen again. He doubted he would get his concentration back, though.
"Make sure that you call, though." Al reminded him again, sure that his brother would skip out of it if he could.
"I will." And maybe he could get her to pick up his 'allergy' medicine if he could.
He was running low on it lately.
Edward needed the answer to the Philosopher's Stone to be in Dr. Marco's notes. He was running out of time to help his brother- and it wasn't that Al was starting to forget about human sensations, either.
"I don't understand." An eleven-year old Edward had said in shock that day. The white walls and ceiling were near blinding. "There must have been a cure- this country excels in the medical department! Automail limbs, excellent hospitals?... an illness that slow-reacting must have some semblance of a cure!"
"It is a disease of the blood, child." The old doctor had said sadly. "And unless we drain every last drop- there is no known cure. The longest that someone's survived once the disease is active is ten years, and the last three of those years were spent in a high maintenance hospital in Central. I'm sorry, Edward, I hate giving news like this to someone so young"
Ten years. He was nearly sixteen now. He was already pushing his luck as it was with all the stunts he was pulling. The same disease that his mother had carried had been passed to him- one of the few things he had inherited from her considering that he had almost none of her physical features, nor her innate patience and kindness. Those, after all, had all gone to his younger brother.
He didn't know what to tell Alphonse. It wasn't something that he wanted to think about. He had cross-examined previous blood samples of Al's with almost every doctor in Central and East City to confirm that his younger brother wouldn't succumb to the illness once he got his physical body back.
Why hadn't mother told them about the illness? Because she had been afraid that that they wouldn't understand? Or maybe because she had known that it was possible that her children might die or the same disease as well, and couldn't stand to face the thought?
Why couldn't he find the courage to tell Al?
It made little to no sense when someone thought about it- but it was different for Ed. He had much more at stake than just his life if Al reacted badly (which Edward was sure that he would). Al would demand that Edward rest; would be grief-stricken and probably fall to pieces if he knew. Ed couldn't risk that. He had to make sure that Al was restored above all else. Al was the most important person in Edward's life.
"Maybe you should sleep, Niisan." Al's voice once again broke through Edward's scattered thoughts. "You look tired, and we could always just continue this tomorrow."
Ed shook his head to try and clear the slight headache that had been developing behind his eyes. "No, I can continue for a few more hours."
After all, he might not have tomorrow.
Huh. Yeah. Not very coherent, so I might bully one of my friends into beta'ing for me. ^^;;
Notes: I'm so evil to Edward. ^^;; In the manga, it was said that their mother died of the plague, but they didn't say that in the anime, so that's what I'm working with. But I always wondered about that illness... and Alphonse couldn't have contracted it since he doesn't exactly have a body. ^^;; So there was only Edward. Knowing Ed, though, he would be too stubborn to fall sick until he made sure that Al would live happily into old age.