(Hunter's POV)
I woke up to a cool breeze hitting my face. I glanced at the open window, hearing the birds chirp.
I smiled. This scene seems familiar to me. Though there's no one here to kiss me now. I thought back to the last time I was in the hospital.
I sat up and just then Miles came into the room.
"Good, you're awake." He sat down.
"Well good morning to you too."
I looked at the clock. 9 o'clock.
I went to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear when I felt cords on my hand. Moving my hand into view, I realized I had IVs. When did these get here??? They weren't here last night.
"Antibiotics. For your eye and shoulder." Miles noticed my confusion.
"Oh." I shifted myself to the edge of the bed and stood up.
"Where are you going?" He immediately stood up.
I pointed to the bathroom. "You wanna come with me? Hold my hand?" I smirked, holding my hand out.
He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Shut up."
I laughed and walked into the bathroom, rolling my IV in.
I'm surprised they put me in a room with a bathroom. Normal patient rooms don't have bathrooms, but this one does... why was I put here?
I shut the door behind me and turned to the mirror.
My face was cut up, not a lot but it was enough to notice. I leaned forward examining the cuts, they were bandaged.
Two on my forehead, one under my eye, two on my cheek... two more on my chin...
What?!
Even a couple on my neck?! That shrapnel did a number on me...
I glanced at the eyepatch.
And I had this ugly feeling in my stomach, like anxiety. I took a few breaths before my trembling hands undid the knot that kept it secure and it fell into the sink.
I stared at my now grey iris. Oh well.. at least I still have an eyeball.
But my breath quickened as I looked at the huge gash Buccaneers heavy wire had left on my face.
About 6 inches in length... and it will definitely leave a scar..
I followed the incision that came down from my forehead, through my eyebrow, curved down my cheek, through my lips and ended on my chin. That is one ugly scar...
My heart raced and my stomach turned, I would now have to carry a piece of that day on my face for the rest of my life. A daily, sickening reminder, 'you weren't able to save your friend.'
My jaw clenched tightly.
I shook my head and rubbed my shoulder, the massive slash ached. Pulling off my shirt, I examined the bandages.
I glared into the mirror. I'll have a daily reminder of Bradley too now...
I scoffed, feeling disgusted. I pulled my shirt back on and looked at myself in the mirror once again.
It's hard to describe how you feel after a battle. It's like you're exhausted and defeated and yet you're not. Yes we won the battle but at what cost? At the cost of my friends lives? Was it worth it?
There is always that risk of death, but you never think it could happen to the people closest to you. And when it does happen, it's like getting hit in the stomach and having the wind knocked out of you.
I sighed. I will never get used to my new reality.
I secured the eyepatch once again and wheeled my IV to the door.
When I stepped out, I noticed Miles standing next to my bed. He looked up at me as I walked closer.
"Here." He held up Buccaneer's hardware nut on a chain.
I smiled sadly and took the chain from his hand. "Thank you.." I held the chain, looking it over.
I secured it around my neck, wincing at the annoying ache in my shoulder. I looked at it as it hung off my neck and rested on my chest.
I smiled, feeling comforted. I might have a scar to remind me of your death, but at least I'll have a reminder of all the good things about you.
"You have a couple meetings today." Miles' voice interrupted the sweet moment.
"Meetings?" Why do I need to see people? I'm perfectly fine in our little hospital room.
He hung a new Briggs coat around my shoulders, one that wasn't bloody and ripped. "You're needed somewhere."
"Come on." He guided me to the door and wheeled my IV out for me.
We walked down the hall and into an elevator, it brought us to a lower floor. We left the elevator and walked down a different hallway.
We stopped at a door and Miles knocked and then entered.
When I walked in I was met with Roy and Riza's face and the rest of the Mustang squad, except Havoc.
They all stared at me, faces lit up at my presence but a sense of pity entered the air. I walked in further, puzzled at the weird tension.
"We're sorry about Buccaneer." Riza spoke.
I shut my eyes taking a loooong breath.
That's the first thing you say to me?
I opened my eyes. "I am too."
"Hey." Falman walked up to me arms outstretched, he pulled me into him. I hugged him back, and he let go.
Miles placed a hand on my back. "I'll wait for you outside." I nodded, and he left the room.
Roy scoffed as the door closed I looked at him, he sat with his arms crossed, this pissy look on his face.
I looked back at Riza, looking for an explanation. She shook her head at me, and I brushed it off.
"How are you feeling?" Fury asked.
I walked closer to them, joining the group. "Sore." I chuckled awkwardly. "I guess not eating and not sleeping before a battle wasn't a good idea."
The rest of the group just smiled, except Roy.
I glanced at him. I almost pitied him. He's really blind. My heart ached for him. All of me ached for him.
"How about you guys?" I glanced around the room.
"I'm fine, a little sore." Riza spoke up.
I smiled at her and glanced at Roy, who just sat there. He ignored the question.
My smile dropped and I stared at the ground, but I could tell the rest of the group shared glances with each other.
The atmosphere felt so warm and comforting and yet there was a hint of dismay.
I ignored it and chuckled, smiling again. I tried my best not to laugh but my chuckles turned into laughter anyways.
The way the rest were staring at me.. like I'd lost my mind.. maybe I had.
I took a breath. "I'm sorry.. it- it's not funny.. it's really not but.." I laughed again. "What the fuck was that?"
They looked at me, trying to understand what I meant.
I laughed some more. "We really fought monsters who thought they were god? Overthrowing a 'government'." I laughed harder, the realization had hit me and I thought it was very funny. "And.. and my friend died.. Two people died under my watch."
"Do you know how crazy that sounds?" I looked at them. Their faces beginning to liven up again. "Am I the only one conscious enough to question this reality?"
It started with Breda chuckling.
I straightened up. "This all started with us in one hospital room after the Colonel and Havoc were injured." I gestured to the room. "And now we're back in here..." I laughed. "In worse shape than when we started."
And then Falman broke.
And finally my laughter caught on and the rest of the room irrupted into hard laughter, except for Roy.
I took a breath and pointed at Falman. "You.. you were so scared when Bradley walked up to you on that gate."
"I know!" He wheezed. "I even called for the Colonel!"
Roy chuckled. "Did you really?"
He nodded and the room irrupted into even more laughter.
"Breda, you looked so serious when you thought we'd have to blame General Armstrong and her troops." Fury pointed at him.
"I know, I know." Breda could barely breathe.
I looked at Breda. "You were gonna have me AND Falman arrested?" My stomach hurt from how much I was laughing.
"I almost bled out." Riza piped up from her bed. Her laughs were strained from the wound on her neck, yet she still laughed.
"I lost my vision." I looked at Roy, who was finally having fun and laughing with us.
We laughed at how ridiculous the situation had turned out to be. It wasn't funny, it really wasn't, but the fact that we ended up here, like this, was hilarious.
"I lost an eye too." I pointed at my eyepatch.
The room irrupted into even more uncontrollable laughter.
Miles knocked on the door. "Is everything alright?" He sounded muffled.
We stopped laughing for a second and only laughed harder.
Finally the laughter died down.
I wiped a tear away. "Man, thats crazy." I chuckled, feeling my stomach ache from all the laughing.
"I haven't laughed like that in a long time." Breda was out of breath.
Falman smiled at me. "Thanks Devlin." I looked at him. "I think we all needed that."
The rest of the room nodded.
I smiled at them, feeling appreciated. Wow.. I guess I do have people to turn to.
I groaned as my shoulder hurt from the jolts of laughter my body had just experienced.
"Are you alright?" Fury looked at me, concerned.
I glanced at him. "Yeah, just a little sore."
"Y'know the eyepatch works for you." Breda examined my face. "You look like a real veteran now."
"Thaaaanks.."
"Believe me, no one would've taken your soft face for a war badass." I assumed he was talking about the Promised day battle and not the Ishval war.
I nodded and smiled.
"So," Falman looked at me. "What are you planning on doing now?"
"Hmm" I thought a moment. "Probably go back to Briggs honestly." I looked at him. "With everything that-"
"Tch" Roy's attitude cut me off.
I closed my mouth and looked at him. Okay now? Now I was getting annoyed. I know you didn't just do that, Roy Mustang.
The rest of the room followed the direction of the noise.
He probably knows everyone is looking at him.
"Of course you're going back to Briggs. That's your run away spot, after all." He sounded like a child.
I was honestly shocked. He really went there. Lord knows I don't have patience with you today..
"You always run away." He finished.
Okay.. okay.. That's it. You want a fight? I'll fucking fight.
The tension in the room increased.
I chuckled mockingly. "I run away?" I cocked my head. "You think I'm running away? Roy, I'm not the one run who ran off two months ago."
The room became quiet.
"I'm not the one who made some bullshit excuse. If you really didn't want to stay with me, you should've said something months ago!" I raised my voice.
I swung my IV cord out of my way harshly, causing the wound on my shoulder to open and bleed.
"Woah!" Falman walked towards me. He held me back.
"I wasn't the one who-" I continued yelling as Falman knocked on the door for Miles to come in.
"Devlin." He spoke softly.
"Do you know how childish you sound right now??? You're sitting there pouting about my decision! You don't get to be angry about what I decide! You left me!" I ignored Miles' attempts at escorting me out of the room.
I fought out of his grasp.
"I didn't run away!" I gasped as tears stung my eyes.
"When I came here, I saw a life that I could have and I was done! So I thought screw Briggs! Screw Brigadier General! I didn't even care that I had been discharged! I only cared that I was with you!" My voice shook.
I've had enough.
"I was done because I had you!" I confessed. "I was in!"
Roy only sat in his bed, an unreadable expression on his face.
Yet his hands trembled. Why though? With anger? I wasn't sure. With hate? Maybe.
I brought my hand to my face, trying to stop myself from crying. I was not going to cry in a room of people.
I had finally reached the limit with Roy and the break up. I had held it off for so long that it finally accumulated and exploded in my chest.
"God..." I shook my head. "I remember crying over you and I don't mean a couple of tears and I'm sad." I looked up at him. "I'm talking about collapsing and screaming at the sky.."
"Lord knows, I would not survive you a second time, Roy." That was complete bullshit, everyone in the room knew it. I just wanted to say something that would make him feel as shitty as I did.
The room became quiet again.
"I think you've visited long enough." Miles wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Let's go." He grabbed my hand and guided me to the door but before he could push me out I stopped.
"General Armstrong is now my commanding officer. I'll be following her back to Briggs." And with that Miles gently pushed me passed the door, I now stood in the hallway.
I waited as he grabbed my IV and wheeled it out.
We walked back to my room.
(Roy's POV )
The room was quiet after the door closed.
My heart was racing and my hands trembled.
I felt like shit, I made her cry. I forced her to the breaking point. And I couldn't even say anything back.
I don't even know why I got so annoyed. I don't know why I feel so... off. I didn't mean to make her cry or make her that angry.
I don't know why I feel so moody suddenly, because I can't see? Probably. Because she might be leaving? Maybe.
She said all of that to me and I said nothing.
I made her so angry that she shouted at me. She told me how she felt and I just sat.
No words could describe how stupid I felt, why couldn't I find the words? Why didn't I say anything? Why?
"How could you do that Colonel?" Breda spoke. "You wanted her here."
I looked up but all I saw was darkness.
Huh, for once, I'm glad I didn't have to see her expression. That would've killed me.
"She's been at your side all this time, and you didn't say anything. You don't even seem to care." He continued.
"Words can't describe how stupid I feel." I admitted.
"I don't know what to say to her or how to say it. I'm afraid I lost the greatest thing for me." My voice shook.
"She might be angry but she'll understand, she's seen what Bradley's done." Falman joined in.
"It might be good for you two to talk, and by the sounds of it she's carried a lot of uncertainty over this. It's something the both of you need." Hawkeye finished.
"What if I can't get her back?"
"Oh come on. She's Devlin." Falmans voice got closer, I could tell he stood closer to the bed. "If she stayed with a stubborn man like you for this long, she'll come back around." He reassured me.
I chuckled. "Stubborn man?"
"Captain Buccaneer actually called you her old man." Falmans voice sounded sad.
"What about her and Miles?" My voice empty.
Falman scoffed. "No way. That's not them. They're family, and with Buccaneer's death, it probably brought them closer." He reminded me.
"Come to think of it. I don't think Miles has left her room since she woke up." Fury joined in after being quiet for some time.
Oh, yeah..
"Oh yeah, he sat with her for the days she was out." Falman informed them.
The room fell quiet.
Suddenly there was a sound of footsteps.
"Where are you going?" Breda's voice sounded curious.
"Going to see Hunt- Devlin." Falman cleared his voice.
Breda chuckled. "You two are on a first name basis now?"
Falman sounded nervous. "Uh well-"
"They watched their Captain die together." Hawkeye's voice interjected.
The room fell quiet once again.
"See you guys later..." Falman spoke sadly and left the room.
Just what did you see up on that gate...?
I don't even know the details... I wish you'd come and tell me but...
I pushed you away..
(Hunter's POV)
I huffed with anger. "Why did you even take me there?!"
"They wanted you to visit."
Miles and I were now back in my room and waiting for a nurse to come redress my wound.
"You yelled at a blind man." Miles scolded me.
I scoffed and snapped my head in his direction. "He deserved it! He was being an asshole! And for what?! Because he's angry? What does he have to be angry about!"
"I'm sure he's just upset about his sight being taken." He reasoned with my anger.
Aaaaand now I felt like an asshole. "Of course... what was I thinking?.." I closed my eyes, feeling like a fuck up.
I sighed. Fuck me..
"Don't worry about it. You can talk it over with him later. But it's probably best if you two stay apart for now, you're both in difficult positions."
I nodded. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."
"But um.." He took my hand. "You should probably talk to him, soon. If you still want-"
The door opened and Falman walked in, completely interrupting him. If I want what?? What do I want??
"That was intense." He leaned against the windowsill.
I shook my head. "Please don't."
He raised his hands up in defence. "I won't."
The door opened again and two nurses walked in. Miles and Falman left so they could clean up my shoulder.
I noticed that my IV had been removed. "Why did you remove my IV?" I looked at one of them.
"Major Miles asked us to. He says you have a meeting outside of the hospital but that he'd be bringing you back." She explained.
"Oh." Great, more people who are gonna be angry at me. I fully believe that I'm going to get blamed for Buccaneer dying.
The senior field medic who couldn't save him. How will people look at me now?
"Lift your arm."
I winced as I lifted my arm, and I held it there, waiting for her to finish to bandaging me. Please hurry, please hurry, because this hurts like a bitc-
"How did you reopen the wound?"
I sighed. "I argued with an ex lover."
"Ooooh..." She regretted asking.
They left once they were done. I pulled my Briggs coat over my shoulders and went for the door. I found Falman and Miles in the hallway.
"Ready?" Miles walked up to me.
"Yes." I followed them to the elevator.
"Where's this meeting?" I looked at them.
"Since there were a lot of people injured they set up medical tents outside of the hospital. Anyone who wasn't severely hurt was placed in these tents." Miles explained.
"Okay? What does that have to do with me?" We walked out of the elevator and onto the main floor.
I followed them out of the hospital entrance and onto the hospital courtyard. They were right, there were a lot of tents outside.
We walked through them and then landed at one of the very last ones. Miles gestured me to walk in.
I shook my head. "No.."
He stepped closer. "Why?"
I bit the inside of my cheek. "What if they're mad..? Because I couldn't save-"
He took my arm and guided me to the tent door. "That's not your fault, just go in."
He pushed me in. I don't even wanna see people right now, but here I was, in a tent of people who are probably blaming me for-
"There she is!" It was Smith.
I looked around the tent and found William, Hayes, Harvey and Moscow all in sitting on their own cots.
I was surprised when Smith walked up to me and pulled me into a hug.
"How're you?" William asked as Smith stepped away from me.
"Ah, sore." I avoided looking at them.
"Hey! The eyepatch works for you!" Moscow ran up to me and examined my face.
I chuckled. "Is that so?"
"Oh! Love the necklace!" He pointed at Buccaneer's hardware nut.
I grabbed hold of it. "Thanks.."
"Look." He pulled out his dog tags and showed me. He attached a piece of Buccaneer's automail onto the chain.
I smiled.
"We all did the same thing." Hayes walked up to us and showed me his own dog tags.
I looked around the tent and it was true, they all had done the same thing to honour the Captain.
Falman stepped beside me and showed me the hardware nut he had taken.
"Y'know you really stepped up back on the gate." Hayes looked at me.
"You really did." Moscow put his hand on my shoulder.
"You cleaned up the old man really nicely too." Smith interjected, he was talking about Fu.
"Listen guys.." I looked at each of their faces. "I am sorry for not being the leader I should've been on the gate. And... I am sorry that you had to watch the Captain die from my lack of-"
"Enough of that." William walked up to me.
"That wasn't your fault." Smith also jumped in.
"You did everything that you could up there." Falman spoke over my shoulder.
I stood and listened to him speak.
"We know how close you two were and it was always a shit show when you two were together." William laughed. "Always."
I laughed, feeling tears spring to my eyes. It was relieving to know that they didn't blame me for all the shit that happened.
"Yeah." I sniffled.
"You still have all of us, so don't be sad. You won't be lonely." Moscow made a good point.
I wiped my tears. "Thanks..."
I sat down with them and talked, about Briggs, about Buccaneer, about the General. We talked about a lot of things.
It ended with a lot of laughter, uncontrollable laughter and a feeling of comfort and security. It lifted my spirits being around them.
This is a visit I needed.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————Bohannon
Thanks for reading!
-I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of its characters