Disclaimer: FMA does not belong to me.
A/N: (bows) I'm so sorry guys!!! My inspiration fled me but now it is back and with that I have posted this chapter!! Enjoy!! BTW, if this seems rushed I'm sorry but I'm getting to the point that I can actually work with this thing and get the cool part up. R&R and I'll update soon!! I promise!!
Chapter 7During the next few weeks, Winry watched as Ed slowly made his recovery. His wounds healed, he was walking around unassisted now and he was eating without a fuss. On sunny days he would sit outside under a tree and read or just watch the birds flit through the trees. When it stormed he would watch the rain patter against the windows in silent fascination. He still received and accepted visitors but never held any conversations with them. About three weeks after this sudden change, the doctors proclaimed him fit and he was allowed to stay with Winry and Pinako in the small hotel room that the military was now paying for. And thus the routine, though slightly altered, continued. Ed would get up, eat, sit at the window and read and go to the hospital to meet with some therapist everyday like clockwork. Winry's only sense of reassurance that this was only temporary came from her grandmother. However, no longer able to stand Ed's shell, she left, saying that she had to go home so their business didn't go belly up. Winry knew that it was perfectly fine and it was just an excuse but she would not begrudge her grandmother for the choice to leave. If only Winry could leave so easily. If only this hadn't happened then Winry could keep seeing Ed's smiling face when she closed her eyes, replaced though with nothing more then the shell he had become.
"Winry," someone called. Winry snapped her head up quickly and smiled at Lieutenant Hawkeye who took a seat across from her at the small table in the hospital's cafeteria.
"Hello, Lieutenant," she greeted, forcing a smile onto her lips. Hawkeye gave her a disapproving look so she dropped it, opting instead to stare into her now cold tea.
"How's he doing?" Hawkeye asked, voice low. Winry let out a long sigh of air and shook her head.
"Physically he's fine. But everyday he keeps asking to see Al and everyday I keep running out of excuses to give him as to why he can't," she said, trying to fight off tears. Hawkeye patted the young woman's arm and sighed as well.
"If it will make you feel any better," she started, earning the girl's gaze. "I think Roy is going to let him see him soon," Winry thought her heart would stop.
"You can't," she said and quickly grabbed the surprised lieutenant's arm. "Please, lieutenant, don't let him! He can't yet! He isn't well!" she said, voice rising to a panic. Hawkeye hurried to shush the girl, patting her arm and squeezing her twitching hand. Winry calmed somewhat but her eyes remained desperate to her plea.
"We can't hold him off forever, Winry," she said. "Colonel Mustang thinks it would be best to show him sooner rather then later," Winry opened her mouth to object but Hawkeye stopped her.
"If we keep hiding it from him it will only make his condition worse. I've talked to the doctors and they agree that seeing Al might be for the best,"
"So when do I get to see him," spoke a slightly rough voice from behind them. Both women jumped, one whirling around in her seat and the other meeting cold golden eyes. Riza let out a breath of relief when she saw him, one hand on her chest and trying to calm her rapidly pacing heart. Edward just stood there waiting, watching them, the doctor standing near him, chewing a bit nervously on his lip.
"The colonel—" Riza started.
"When?" Ed asked, interrupting her. Riza studied the boy before her and sighed internally.
"Tomorrow," she said. Ed seemed to think it over before nodding and looking at Winry, not saying anything. Winry seemed to receive the silent message and stood from her seat.
"I-I'll see you tomorrow, Lieutenant," she said and held her hand out to Edward. Riza watched as he stared at it for a second before taking it and allowing himself to be pulled out of the building. Riza just shook her head sadly and turned to the doctor, a plea in her eyes.
"If I knew," started the doctor and handed her a sketchbook. "I would tell you," Riza took the sketchbook a bit cautiously, praying to god that it might be empty.
"I gave him that during our session today," the doctor said, taking Winry's vacated seat and rubbing his forehead. "Now, I'm regretting it," And Riza could see why.
"Did you have to give him colored pencils, too?" she asked.
"I didn't see the harm in it at first," replied the doctor. "Never again, though" Riza nodded in agreement, flipping through what little pages were tainted by furious doodling and trying very, VERY hard not to commit the images to memory. Images of burning homunculi would not do well in her over stressed mind. Snapping the cover closed on the wretched images, she handed the tainted sketchbook back to the doctor who took it just as cautiously as she had and set it on the table between them. Both were silent for a moment before the doctor stood, taking the sketchbook.
"I'll be coming with you tomorrow, just in case," he said. Riza nodded and he walked off. Riza cast a look out the window and sighed. The sunrays coming in from the windows merely told her that it was maybe a little past two and that she still had about twenty hours and change until the appointed meeting with the metallic corpse of Alphonse Elric.
That was it, she concluded. That was the last straw. What right did it have? What fucking right did it have to be so damn shiny and bright in it's bright filed of warm blue, frolicking with the puffy clouds and tempting the birds to fly into it? What right did it have to be so damn happy when Winry was watching Ed watch for the car that would take them to where they were keeping Al's armor? What right did the fucking birds have to by flying around so carefree and happy when they should be huddled in a tree waiting for the rain that should be falling to stop? Did they have any right to be that damn happy? No! None of it did! The dogs had no right to be barking, the sun had no right to be shining, the birds had no right to be flying and singing and the clouds, oh the clouds defiantly had no fucking right to be looking so damn puffy up there in that bright field of blue just tempting her to run the fuck away to where things weren't so messed up and they weren't waiting for some black military car to drive up to their sorry ass hotel to take them to see the metal corpse of someone that she had considered a little brother for years!
"Winry," Ed said, standing from his seat suddenly, eyes focused outside and down below. Winry snapped out of her enraged mental ramblings and looked over to the other blonde, smile forcing it's way onto her face and staying way the hell away from her cold as ice eyes.
"The car's here," he said and didn't even look at her as he grabbed his coat and shoes and left. Winry quickly grabbed her coat and followed the boy downstairs, smiling when she saw Major Armstrong trying to give Edward a hug. The smile faded and died quickly when Ed ducked under his hulking, strong as an ox arms and walked over to the car where Riza was stepping out. Winry sighed, giving the abandoned Major a sympathetic look, walking out into the horridly bright sunlight and cursing it once more. Riza cast a look her way and Winry had to sigh again. Edward was going to either give her grey hairs or a heart attack one day… if he didn't kill the car or the lieutenant first.
"Ed," she said, stepping up to the distraught boy and placing a hand on his arm. "Let's get into the car, ok? We won't get anywhere if we just stand here, will we?" Gold flicked to her briefly before he nodded slowly and slipped into the car. Winry followed, taking one of Ed's hands in both of hers but a frown crossed her face. Though she had taken Ed's metal hand in hers she could feel a twitching coming from the fingers. Looking up, she saw for the first time a sliver of some emotion running through Edward's eyes… and it killed her to see it. Pain was the only word for that slithering something in the once cold eyes. She squeezed Ed's hand tightly in her own and laid her head against his trembling shoulder, ignoring the way he stiffened then forced himself to relax. Distantly, the noticed the Major take the seat behind the wheel and Riza slid in on the other side of Ed. The doors were soon shut and off they went to the morgue where Alphonse was no doubt waiting for them.