Chapter 33

A Chapter by Keevan

I walked behind the Lieutenant into the colonel's office, not wanting to talk to him. I was still wearing her coat.

I didn't know what to expect, but someone's head was going to bleed if he yelled at me again.

"Take a seat, Lucy," the colonel said, sitting at his desk with his arms folded. I did. Lieutenant Hawkeye stood by Mustang's desk.

"Lieutenant, you are dismissed," he said. She hesitated, but said, "Yes sir," and left. After the door closed behind her, I lowered my head and hid behind my hair like it was a curtain.

"Lucy, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to go that far. But you should've used your head on that one."

"There was too much noise in my head," I replied quietly. "and to me, bringing Edward and Alphonse home safely was more important that taking care of a dead body."

"Well, Lieutenant Havoc and his men have already recovered the body," Mustang said. "so you're okay now. And Alphonse said that you killed him by...smashing his head against a brick wall countless times?"

"That's correct," I said, still not looking at him. "Bullets didn't work against him, and I don't know why. They seemed to...rebound off of his hands, if I remember right."

"That's odd," the colonel said. "We'll look into it."

"Can I go now?"

"In a minute," he said, getting up from his desk. I got up, too, taking a step back. He walked around his desk and stopped in front of me. I almost had trouble comprehending what happened next.

He hugged me and said, "I'm sorry I hit you. Don't scare me like that again, and please take better care of yourself." He then stepped back and said, "I admire that you pushed yourself so hard, but keep your health in mind. We can't have you dying on us, now, can we?"

I was about to turn and leave, when something flashed in my mind, and I said without thinking, "There was another casualty. A little girl. Did the lieutenant find her body?"

"I'll ask him," Mustang said walking back to his desk and his phone. He dialed a number and held the phone at his ear. The sound of that little girl's scream played over and over again in my head. The image of her falling, and that maniac killer killing her without a second thought was like a movie on repeat without an off button behind my eyelids. I fidgeted and twitched while the colonel had his back to me as he talked on the phone. Finally, he said, "Thanks," and hung up.

"Two men did find the body of a little girl," he said somberly. "They've been trying to notify her family, but no one answers. They think that her family was already dead, and she was trying to escape their fate." I shuddered.

Her scream played again in my mind, and I covered my ears with my hands, trying to block it out.

No such luck.

______________________________________________________________________________

I was laying in bed with a heavy white cast around my hand, fingers, and wrist. I fractured the middle of my hand and it effected all of my fingers, apparently. It was my right hand, too, so that just made me all the more stupid.

The colonel told me to go to bed, considering the night I had, and I went without a fight.

But I couldnt' close my eyes for more than a few seconds. I had to know if Edward was alright. Alphonse, too.

I decided to pay a visit to the infirmary and see how Edward was doing.

______________________________________________________________________________

I walked in the room and saw Edward laying on the bed staring at the ceiling, a white bandage wrapped about his head. His right arm was just a stub because the AutoMail had been completely destroyed. He looked tired and bored, with a hint of anger in his golden eyes.

I shuddered and walked into the room, closing the door behind me.

"Yo," I said, walking to the bed. Edward looked at me and sat up, saying, "You're okay."

"Yeah, I guess," I said, waving around my broken hand. "I just punched a brick wall like any genious would."

"Lucy, did things go well with the colonel?" I turned around and saw Alphonse slumped against the wall, no arms and no legs. He was looking at me, his armor looking sad. But his voice held a hopeful note in it's metallic ring.

I nodded.

"What happened with the colonel?" Edward asked.

"Nothing," I answered. "Everything's been said and done. No need to bring it up again."

"Okay then," Edward said, giving Alphonse a look that probably said Fill Me In Later. "Why did you punch a brick wall?"

"I was angry," I said, crossing my arms. "No further detail. Are you sure you're okay? Your head hurt?"

"I'm fine," Edward said after a moment, looking away."I just can't believe I was taken out that easily, is all."

"Then use it as a learning experiance," I said, suddenly thinking of it. "Don't see it as a failure, use it as an attempt in getting stronger."

"I don't really get what you mean, but thanks anyway," Edward said with a grin after a few moments of silence. I sighed and lightly bumped the top of his head saying, "You might've lost a few braincells in that fight."

"I think so, too," Alphonse said with a laugh.

"Not you, too, Al!" Edward shouted annoyed. "Who's side are you on!?"

Alphonse and Edward laughed, and I did something that I hadn't done in a very long time:

I smiled.

"Oh, and, Al told me how you carried me back," Edward said, looking like he was blushing a little. "so, uh, thanks for that."

"Uh, no problem," I said. "There weren't any other options, so don't think of it like I had a million other choices I could've made."

Edward laughed. I smiled again.

Then there was a knock on the door, and then it opened.

My smile quickly disappeared as the blonde walked in the room with a toolbox.

"Edawrd, I'm here to repair your AutoMail like you said over the phone," WInry said happily.

She froze when she saw me staring at her.

"Oh, hey, Winry," Edward said. "Glad you made it to Central okay. Remember Lucy?"

"Uh, yeah," she said, not meeting my gaze anymore. I don't know why, but I didn't like the way she was looking at Edward. She set her toolbox on the bed next to him and said, "Okay, let's work on your arm."

I turned around and headed for the door. I didn't like Winry much.

prev chapter