Royai One-Shots

"Nothing's Too Small"

Summary: Overworked and sleep-deprived, Riza suffers a panic attack while on duty and Roy does what he can to help her.

"You getting lunch?"

Roy's question snapped Riza from her trance. He was already halfway out the office door as he waited for her response.

"Not just yet," she said quickly. "There's a few more things I wanted to get done."

Roy shrugged. "Suit yourself."

With that, he slipped off to the cafeteria. In truth, Riza felt like anything but eating. She had been slightly nauseous for the last hour or so, something she blamed on her poor night's sleep. It had been days since she slept well, kept up by an overwhelming amount of work that needed to be done.

Not long after being left alone in the office, Riza began to feel inexplicably weak. This too she blamed on her lack of sleep combined with the high demands of her job. The sensation became rapidly unbearable, however, building up to terrifying within minutes. Her grip on the side of the desk slipped as she struggled to keep herself standing.

"You're okay...you're okay..." she told herself firmly. There was a crushing sensation in her chest that grew more and more intense. It was like she was unable to get any air inside her lungs. Her knees hit the ground without her really knowing and a cold sweat broke out over her entire body. The sheer panic that brought her to her knees only lasted a few minutes from start to finish, but it left her feeling weak and incredibly frightened.

Reclaiming her grip on the desk, she stood up. The ringing in her ears swelled to a deafening volume as she struggled to catch her breath. Steeling herself, she walked rather numbly down the hall and into the washroom. Her last bit of strength and composure was dedicated to finding somewhere she wouldn't be walked in on.

She was grateful no one else was around as she splashed her face with cold water from the sink. There was really no proper way she could describe what happened. At the same time, she was desperate for someone to talk to. She thought of Roy, but quickly dismissed the idea. He was busy enough as it was, and she just couldn't bring herself to, whether out of embarrassment or something else. But she might not have a choice. She would have to speak with him in order to take the rest of the day off, and he would likely be able to tell just by looking at her that something had happened.

A dull pang of anxiety twinge in her chest as she made her way back to the office. She was absolutely terrified to go back in there, especially knowing that Roy had likely returned from his lunch break. Her legs were like jelly as she gently pushed open the door.

The office was quiet. Roy was sitting at his desk, looking over some of the paperwork that was beginning to pile high in front of him. He looked like he was trying hard to concentrate, his brow furrowed as he leaned against one of his hands. She stopped in front of his desk, doing everything she could to keep herself from trembling. He briefly glanced up at her from his paperwork before scribbling down his signature.

"Hey, Lieutenant," he said. "I was wondering where you went."

She swallowed, hardly able to keep herself from gasping for breath. Why was she so nervous?

"Colonel, would it be all right if I went home early?"

He stopped writing for a moment. "Oh? What for?"

"I'm not feeling too well, I'm afraid."

This time he kept his gaze on her as he leaned back in his chair, giving her his full attention. Part of her wished he wouldn't.

"You are looking pale. What's wrong?"

She hesitated. Should she just tell him? It was Roy, after all. Even if she did not fully understand what had happened, she would be able to expect Roy to. She had helped him through a few episodes of his own, after all.