3rd STD Testing:

Simone’s Notes:

A sexually transmitted disease is an illness caused by an infectious pathogen that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex. Increasingly, the term sexually transmitted infection is used, as it has a broader range of meaning; a person may be infected, and may potentially infect others, without showing signs of disease. In addition, "disease" seems to have much more of a negative connotation than "infection." Some STIs can also be transmitted via the needles used in IV drug use, as well as through childbirth or breastfeeding. Sexually transmitted diseases have been well-known for hundreds of years.

Edward sat in the hospital for the third time. The boy had already been here twice back in March. Ever since then, he had been loose with who he slept with. This was easy at first. But then, the old worry called guilt crept back onto him. He became suspicious of sickness again. This was turning into a nightmare habit that the boy couldn’t escape from. One that he was that he didn’t know how to break. One that he was to afraid to break. He hoped that he didn’t have an STD. Sure, Edward used condoms of all the time, but one couldn’t be too careful nowadays. The fear of being sick was overpowering. He didn’t want AIDS, herpes, or any other permanent disease. The boy really didn’t want to get Winry or Derdra sick at all. The alchemist couldn’t but to tremble at all. The thought of sickness made him shutter. Edward just couldn’t afford it! “Please don’t let me have an STD!” he thought over and over again. Ed looked around nervously. The boy was lucky to be alone today. He tried not to be seen by anybody he knew. How could the Fullmetal Alchemist explain his guilty habits to anyone he knew? They would look down upon him afterwards. Edward just couldn’t afford that.

After a few minutes, the door opened wide. Edward looked up to see Anjia looking around in the waiting room. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” he called aloud. Nurse Sarker rolled her eyes at him. “You again?” she asked. Ed nodded in embarrassment. The nurse shook her head as she sighed. “Come on!” she said at last. Edward sighed and went on in the slaugh-- er doctor’s office. “Sit!” Anjia ordered. Edward sat there in nervous silence. The nurse prepared her work. The alchemist stared in complete silence. He always hated this part. Edward was scared to death of needles. Anjia noticed his face. “What?” she asked harmlessly. Ed looked away “Nothing!” he snapped. “Just get on with it!” The nurse shrugged innocently. “Okay…” she said in fake sweetness. “But only if you ask nicely!” Edward glared at her coldly. He hated playing this game with her. Anjia would make him ask nicely to speed up; they would argue; she always won in the end. “Please don’t!” Ed called out annoyed. “Just ask!” Anjia insisted. The alchemist rolled his eyes. “Fine!” he snapped. “Can you please get on with it?” Nurse Sarker smiled sweetly at him. “Gladly!” she answered. Edward rolled his eyes again. Why they played this pointless game every test, he never knew!

The process was the same as the first two times. Anjia cleaned a patch on Ed’s arm, pricked the needle into his arm, drew out a sample of his blood, sent him off, and begin on the test. Edward just hated the painful needle pricking in his left arm. He despised his blood being drawn out for the test. He loathed the look Anjia gave him afterwards. “There, all done!” she said at last. “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” “Easy for you to say, lady!” Edward thought bitterly. He actually wanted to say to her face. But instead, the alchemist did the gentlemanly thing and shook his head. Nurse Sarker smiled at him like an angel. “Good,” she replied. Edward rolled his eyes again and rose to his feet to leave. “Have a nice day!” the nurse called happily as she watched him go. That made the boy run out of the hospital like Hell! Anjia smiled to herself and began the test.

The wait was always the worst part. The results were trapped on Edward’s mind. That was all he could think about. “Please let it be negative just like the last time!” he kept thinking over and over again. He seemed to be pushing his luck one too many times! Would this be the time that it would finally catch up to him at long last? Not telling anybody about it was the worst part! Everyone could tell that he was worried about something. When they asked him what was wrong, Ed would deny that there was a problem at all. When the people went as far as to keep questioning him, Edward would just avoid them for the rest of the day. The pressure and the wait were perfectly enough to drive anyone to complete distraction.

Within two days, Edward got his test results back. Just like the first two, the results were negative! Ed Elric was clean yet again. The alchemist could rest easy yet again. Great! Now, you can go back to feeding me with more sex and porn! [Oh shut up!] Excuse me? [Shut up… please!] That’s better! Edward sat back and sighed aloud. He just couldn’t win in the end! Where would this end?