Prompt 10 - Trace - "Gone Without A Trace"

*DUE APRIL 23rd*

Title: Gone Without A Trace
Author: enemytosleep
Word Count: 250

Rating: PG13
Characters: Ed/Winry

Anime/Manga: Anime-verse 
Summary: A man is more than the sum of his parts
Warnings: I am not a medical following is speculation based on my own knowledge and experience.

A/N: Not nearly enough words for this one...I had to cut out a lot. XD I hope it still makes sense now.

lj=cut text="Gone Without A Trace"

The young mechanic moved her fingers purposefully over his body. Winry leaned over him, palpating the swollen nerves that bulged beneath his skin, as she assessed the situation. As smart as he was, Edward never seemed to understand that damage to his automail meant more than loose screws and broken hinges. The kind of abuse he subjected these limbs to affected his human parts in ways Winry strived to fully understand.

His muscles were cramped and tense, and extremely sensitive to her touch. While he wasn't complaining aloud, the slight hitch of his breath when she applied some pressure spoke volumes. Gently she followed the trail toward the source of the impingement. She was convinced that there was a link between the mechanical damage of his prosthetic arm and the shooting pain he described.

She traced the affected nerves all the way to the base of his neck, landing on the source of his problems. Marking the spot with one hand, she used the other to flip her reference book to the right diagram. "The scalene group....myofascial trigger points...medial scapula..." Satisfied that she had found the answer, the diligent apprentice began to manipulate the offending knot.

His body responded to her touch quickly, and she made fast work of his ailment. "How does that feel, Ed?"

"Much better." He rotated his neck as he sat up, working out the stiffness that had set in. "Thank-"

She swallowed his gratitude with a kiss. He was here for now, and for that she was grateful.