Fullmetal Wizard | Chapter 77

He knew the truth, and began to unwind his focus....

He took a deep shaking breath...

"Alphonse..." he breathed out miserably.

"Shh...easy now...shhh.." Mrs. Weasley's voice. He blinked. Mrs. Weasley sat beside him on the bed, rubbing his back soothingly. He let the breath out as he looked around with his eyes. He was surrounded. Harry, Ron, Fred, George all stood around the bed looking down at him with concern all over their faces.

Mrs. Weasley's hand was at the base of his neck, rubbing soothing circles in the many knotted muscles around his vertibrae. Ed closed his eyes..far too tired after the long night to fight off the overly motherly woman.

"Shhh..."

"How is he..?" Remus called from the doorway. "Sirus told me.."

"Shh...just got back to us..." Mrs. Weasley said soothingly.

"vwaz?" Ed cracked his eyes open.

"You were in a daze, mate.." FredorGeorge said. Ed wasn't sure which one. "Your eyes were open, but you weren't there.."

"Shhh..." Mrs. Weasley said soothingly. "Easy now..."

"m..fine..." Ed said sleepily. "Jooz verzie dtiret."

"Ed...Who's Alphonse..?" Ed blinked. That was Harry's voice, speaking so softly Ed could have chosen to ignore it with the excuse he didn't hear the question. Instead, Ed opened his eyes and looked over at the boy with the lightening shaped scar on his forehead.

"Alphonse.. iz mine brodder."

"You..never told me you had..."

Ed looked away at this point, nearly turning his head into the pillow, and closed his eyes. He tried to tuck his knees closer to his chest, but Mrs. Weasley was in the way at the moment. He settled with tucking his metal hand under his left side instead, and folded the stinging left to his right. It was a very tight self hug that held his chest together.

"It's alright. You don't have to talk. Just..uh.. wanted to let you know breakfast is at the table if you feel up to it." Mrs. Weasley said in her soothing voice.

Ed nodded. "Maybee lator. Vrightz nauw..naat zo hungree."

"You sure you're alright, mate?" FredorGeorge said. Ed didn't bother to sort out which one.

"Yeah."

He supposed it was Mrs. Weasley that brushed a hand through his hair. Her weight on the bed shifted and she was gone. His blankets were soon replaced over him, and he tucked his knees to his chin. Soon, he drifted off into true sleep.

He awoke quickly when he felt a warm rough tongue gracing his earlobe. He jerked his head away from the weird sensation, and the purring patch of fur that gave it to him with a snort. He lifted his head and saw a bundle of dark fur below him on the floor. It looked vaguely like a dog of some sort.

"A dog..? They didn't have a dog did they? " Ed said in Amestrian, and sat up. He reached down and scratched the ears of the beast with his left.

Nature called. Which forced him to walk, to make use of the life Al had given him. While there in the bathroom, he looked at himself in the mirror. His golden eyes still had dark bags under them, but, he supposed, that was to be expected when you spent an entire night zoned out in thought. He rebraided his sleep mussed hair.

He noticed someone had cleaned of the blood on his left sleeve. He lifted the sleeve and the scar it covered, and blinked. A bandage was wrapped around his forearm, and after a few moments of picking at the tape with no success, decided it was probably stuck in much the same way as the tape at his neck. 'Magically' sealed against him being able to get at it.

He returned to the room to change. Dog and cat remained, and now both had taken residence on his bed in his absence.

"Ok, ok..I get the message. I'm up." Ed said in Amestrian as he closed the door.

He sat at the edge of the bed and, as he removed his shirt, he heard the dog whine. He turned and patted the thing on the head with his left while he grabbed a clean shirt with his right. The thing whined again when he changed into his pants. Ed ignored it then and began his daily isometic exercises with the rapt audience on the bed, hissing through his teeth at particularly difficult portions. He then took the repair kit from where he had placed it and fiddled with a few screws in his right wrist. He opened forearm plate, made his adjustments within, and oiled the parts that needed it.

There was a knock at the door about then. Ed looked up, and sighed. Not really wanting to show the mechanics of his arm to anyone, but deciding it couldn't be helped if he were to be stay here for any length of time.

"I am dressed." Ed called. "Come."

He heard the door squeak open as he set aside the oil, and began the process of closing up the forearm plate.

"So that's where Padfoot went to." Harry said.

"Yes..he seems to be liking my bed very much. Tell me. Vhat kind of dog is he?"

"Oh..um..he's special." Harry sat at the edge of the bed and scratched at the dog's ears. The dog's tail thumped happily against the covers.

"I see dhat." Ed said, and tighted down the last screw. He then replaced the kit, and completed some quick isometrics with the right arm. "Ah..much bettah. ..timing vas off just enuff to drive me nuts." He muttered to himself.

"So..are you..?"

"'m alvright, Harry."

"Can I ask..um...why...you didn't bother..."

"Vhy I did not tell you about Alphonse?" Ed looked at Harry and held his gaze steady. Harry swallowed, and nodded.

Ed nodded and looked down. He ruffed 'Padfoot's' ears with his left hand and sighed. Ed thought on what to say, and time passed in silence.

"Is it because you're... ashamed..or.. "

Ed looked at Harry.

"No! no. Never. Never ever. Al alvays make me..so proud." Ed said. "He and I..Ve...ARE..so close. Nearly like de twins." Ed looked up for a moment, then bit his lower lip. Ed looked back at Harry.

"But..um..Dis.. De last I saw him..ve were both fighting so hard for our lives...." He looked away from Harry, to the wall, the floor, anything. "I ..um .. got knocked out..and vas..um..left for dead..." Ed stopped moving at all and stared off, searching the peeling wallpaper for the right words. Ones that were close to the truth at least.

He didn't see that Padfoot got up. The big dog suddenly lunged, lifting his forepaws and knocked Ed to his backside on the ground.

"Gaah!"

:::

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