"Brother, can you drive this thing?!" Alphonse shouted through the interior opening.
"Guess we'll find out!"
Edward stomped on the gas pedal. The truck lurched forward.
"Hang on!" Edward warned as the truck crashed through the garage door. They make it out in time before the building deteriorates further.
"That was amazing, Brother! It looks like you've grown tall enough to reach the gas pedal now."
Al's remarks hit a nerve with Ed. "Are you calling me 'short'?!"
Alphonse is flustered. "I didn't say that -- Ah! Look out!"
Edward turns his eyes back on the road and swerves to avoid hitting a tree. The brothers breathe a sigh of relief, but Alphonse shifts his attention upon hearing his father's voice.
Hohenheim is kneeling on the floor of the truck, hands gripping onto the bloody and seemingly lifeless body of his eldest son. He tries in vain to elicit some type of response from the latter, but to no avail.
"William, can you hear me?" Hohenheim gently shakes his son. "Open your eyes, William. Open your eyes and look at me." He places a hand to Envy's cold, blood-splattered face. "Don't do this, William. Answer me!"
Alphonse turns away to do a quick scan of the truck's interior. Crates are piled on both sides, draped over with cloth. The young man pulls one off and drapes it over the Homunculus' open wounds.
"Dad, why is he still bleeding so much?" He tries to remain calm, noting the fresh blood on the bed of the truck.
Normally a composed individual, Hohenheim finds himself at a loss for words as Alphonse's question ignites turmoil and confusion within him. Unable to give a proper answer, the man closes his eyes tightly and shakes his head. He presses his son's body closer to him in a tight embrace.
Fingers from Hohenheim's hand traced their way along Envy's back, where they came to rest upon the alchemical line that ran from shoulder to shoulder. A revelation suddenly came to Hohenheim. He laid Envy down so that the latter was resting on his side. Then, placing his left hand over his right forearm, Hohenheim extended the index and middle fingers on his right hand and touched one of the nodes on Envy's shoulders. A faint light emitted from the alchemist's fingertips. He proceeded to trace his fingers along the alchemical line in a back and forth motion - from one node to another.
"Is that -- ?"
"Alkahestry -- a form of medical transmutation," Hohenheim replied.
"The same 'Alkahestry' from the country of Xing?"
"Yes, I'm trying to activate his regeneration process."
"Activate his...regeneration process?" Alphonse was bewildered, for he knew that Homunculi had their own process of healing from injuries that would be fatal to humans. Why his father had to apply Alkahestry to help Envy recover was puzzling, and based on the man's expression from earlier, Alphonse knew that Hohenheim was just was perplexed as he was.
Fingers twitched, accompanied by a low moan.
"He's waking up, Dad!"
The elderly alchemist stopped the medical transmutation and gathered the Homunculus in his arms. "William, can you hear me?"
Another moan escapes from Envy's lips as his eyes squint tight from pain. "Cold...so cold..." The spoken words were barely audible.
Hohenheim tucks in the sheet around him. "It's alright. You're going to be fine." The man suddenly winces in pain.
"Your wounds!" Alphonse exclaimed, remembering that his father had been injured as well.
"I'm okay." Hohenheim touches a palm to his chest. Light radiates from his hand as he performs a quick seal on his own physical injuries. He closes his eyes in concentration.
"Father...?"
Fingers brush against the back of Hohenheim's hand. The man opens his eyes and gazes into those of his first-born child's.
"Does it...hurt?"
The mournful look from his son makes Hohenheim choke on his next words. He takes a hold of Envy's outstretched gloved hand, presses it against his own face, and shakes his head. "No - no, it doesn't hurt - not at all." He forces a smile.
Envy's vision begins to blur. Unbeknownst to the half-conscious Homunculus, tears start to slide down the corners of his eyes. He chokes back a sob.
Hohenheim gently lowers Envy's hand and, reaching down, brushes away the latter's tears. "Shhhh...it'll be alright. It'll be alright." He wasn't sure who exactly he was trying to convince.
But Envy's tears did not cease. Instead, he sobbed harder than before, crying into his father's shirt as Hohenheim cradled him.
Alphonse wipes away tears of his own.
From the driver's seat of the truck, Edward swallows a lump in his throat as he tries to stay focused on navigating the road.
***
When the first stars shone bright in the evening sky, Edward switched places with Alphonse -- the former having driven all day without stopping. If Alphonse had not insisted on taking the driver's seat, his brother would not have relented. So Edward sat in the back of the truck while Alphonse drove on.
From time to time, Edward would glance in his father's direction. It was hard for him to focus anywhere else, but he wasn't even sure the man noticed his presence, as the latter kept his eyes locked onto the now slumbering figure in his arms. Hohenheim said not a word, and neither did Edward. Now that he did not have to keep his eyes on the road anymore, fatigue crept its way into Edward's body and mind. Soon, staying awake became impossible.
***
It was nearing dawn when their truck sputtered and ran out of gas -- having stopped in the middle of a deserted road.
Alphonse goes to the back of the truck. "Resembool's not far from here," he said to Hohenheim.
"We'll have to continue on foot then."
As Hohenheim gathers Envy in his arms, Alphonse goes to wake Edward. "Brother. Brother, wake up." He shakes him lightly on the shoulder.
Edward does not respond.
"Brother, come on. Wake up." Alphonse shakes him a little harder.
A low moan escapes from Edward's lips, but he does not open his eyes.
"Brother?"
There is silence.
The youngest Elric becomes alarmed. "Dad! Something's wrong with Brother!"
Hohenheim sets Envy down and goes to where Edward is sitting in a slumped position with his head tilted to the side. He check's Edward's pulse by pressing two fingers against the side of his neck. After that he places a hand on his son's forehead.
"He's running a fever."
Alphonse turns to his father. "What do we do?"
"We need to get home."
They left the truck with Hohenheim carrying Envy and Alphonse supporting Edward on his back. Together, they journeyed on foot down the path to Resembool.
***
The Elrics come to a stop. Hohenheim gently lays Envy down to rest in the shade of a tree before standing up to survey the area. The alchemist claps his hands together and touches his palms to the ground. Sparks of blue-white lightning fly out to envelop the plot of land and its charred remains. The lightning transforms the area and -- as Alphonse looks on in astonishment -- seem to reverse the flow of time in that spot. After the sparks die out - what was once the remnants of a past meant to be left behind -- stood the structure where the Elric brothers' misfortunes first began.
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