Chapter 1: The Cure
Two brothers, Edward, age ten, Alphonse, age nine, had just gotten done picking some vegetables, and were racing each other to their two story house. The grass was green, and the air was fresh with no pollution. It was a beautiful day out. Nothing could ruin this perfect day. The two rushed into the house.
"Mom, we're back!'' Edward replied with his child innocence that both boys had. Both boys were in a happy mood, but, at the sight that now laid before them, all their happiness turned to immediate worry.
"MOM!'' Edward gasped out in horror as he dropped the basket of vegetables he was carrying to the wooden floor, and ran over to his and his brother's mother, who was lying on the floor, having collapsed. Al gasped in horror at the sight, threw his basket on the ground, and rushed over to his mother too.
"Ed-ward…'' She mumbled, obviously in pain.
"Brother, she's hurt! What do we do!'' Alphonse asked, worry evident in his voice. The two brother's whiney friend, Winry, had found out that her parents were dead, and Ed and Al feared that, what if their mother died? What would they do without her? She was their everything. They both panicked.
"Al, stay here. I'm going to get Aunt Pinako over here.'' Edward decided, standing up.
"But brother-'' Al started but was silenced by Edward.
"No Al, you need to stay here with mother. I'll be right back.'' Edward said as he rushed out the door to his destination.
Edward ran as fast as he could down to the big yellow house off in the distance. He ran faster then he ever had, because his mothers life was in danger; he didn't want her to die. He rushed up the steps to the porch, and just about broke the door down, almost off it's hinges, as he practically body slammed the door.
The puppy, Den, a black and white dog, jumped up from the sudden intrusion. Startled, he started barking and growling until he realized it was just Edward. Both Pinako and the whiney blond headed girl looked up in shock towards the doorway.
"Please, my mother needs help! She's hurt! We need a doctor!'' Edward practically screamed, worry and seriousness in his voice. Pinako, and the girl were speechless at first.
"Edward…'' The girl said.
"Winry, you stay here. Aunt Pinako, please! You must help her! We don't know what to do!'' Edward said.
"Hmm…I'll go take a look. Winry, be a dear and call the doctor. This could be urgent,'' Pinako said. She was a very short woman, an old woman at that, and always had a pipe in her mouth.
"Please, hurry!'' Edward begged.
"I'm coming, I'm coming.'' Pinako said, walking towards the door. Ed rushed her the whole way, bursting into the house.
"Al, is she okay?'' Edward asked.
"No, but we've got to find dad. She needs him!'' Al said. Ed's face angered a bit.
"What?" Ed said, apparently angered, "I'm not helping. He left us, he didn't love us and he didn't love mom enough to stay. I don't want anything to do with finding him just so he can leave us again.''
"But brother, if we don't find him, she'll die! She misses him too much!'' Al argued.
"Out of the way kids,'' Pinako said as she pushed Edward aside and out of her way. She turned Trisha over onto her back and put her hand to her forehead.
"Will she be okay?'' Al asked.
"She has to see a doctor,'' said Pinako.
"Let me go Al, I want in!'' Edward said warningly, trying to get out of his brothers grasp.
"No Ed, the doctor told us to stay put.'' Al said, trying to keep his brother from going inside the house.
"Mom needs us!'' Ed said in protest.
"But what if we get in the way?'' Al asked.
"You think I care?" Ed stated defiantly, "She's our mother, we've got a right to be in the same room!''
"Yes, but Aunt Pinako is in there. She'll be fine. Just believe.'' Al said.
"Ugh, guys, I'm bored! Why don't we play?'' Winry asked. She was in a long pink dress that had flowers on it, her long blond hair tied up in a high pony tale.
"Well Winry, I'm worried for my mother, and I want in!" Yelled an angry Ed. "Now, let me go now Alphonse!
"No brother! I won't!'' Al said for a final time. Ed lost his temper.
"Al, I'm really sorry for this, but…'' Ed trailed off and kicked his brother a little below his knee. Al cried out in pain and let Ed go, as Ed had hoped, and grasped his leg where he'd been kicked, holding it tenderly. Ed, on the other hand, rushed inside the house, or, tried to, if it wasn't for Winry grabbing him.
"Edward! How could you do that to him? He's your brother!'' Winry said, holding Ed back from the door he was about to open. Ed growled in frustration.
"Get off of me Winry!'' Ed yelled and with as much force as possible, back slammed into her, making both fall to the ground. Ed scrambled to his feet and ran into the house, leaving Winry crying on the ground.
"Edward, you jerk! How could you do that to me? I'm a girl! Boys don't hit girls!'' She screamed after him, sitting up and crying. Al went over to her.
"Are you okay Winry?'' He asked, putting a hand to her shoulder as she cried. Meanwhile, Ed ran to his mother's room. He dashed up the stairs, and into the room. Everyone turned to him.
"Edward, what are you doing here! You're supposed to be outside! Now, get!'' Pinako scolded him, going to shoo him out.
"No! I'm not leaving! She's my mother! I have a right to be in here!'' Ed yelled defiantly.
"No you don't! Now scat before I kick you out myself!'' Pinako said, but Ed ignored her and ran over to his mom, lying in the bed.
"She's got a fever, and a rare illness. But, if I can find the cure in time, she'll live.'' The doctor told Ed. Ed glanced up at him, then turned to his mother.
"Mom, you'll be okay! I'll make sure of it! You're not going to die on us, you won't! You can't!'' Ed said, grabbing her hand in both of his. She let out a small groan, but didn't move.
"Edward, your mother needs rest, and having you next to her isn't going to do her any good!'' Pinako said, walking over to him to pry him away.
"N-no…l-let him s-stay…'' Trisha said, her voice weak, and quiet, in a whisper.
"Mom…you're awake! You're okay!'' At hearing her voice, Ed regained hope. Then, at that moment, Alphonse walked in. Winry was still crying behind him. Ed turned to them, still holding his moms hand.
"Alphonse, mom talked! She'll be okay!'' Ed said, happily. Al brightened up at that. But their happiness was short lived, as the doctor spoke.
"I hate to ruin the happiness," the doctor stated, "but I never said she'd be okay.'' All three kids looked up at him questionably.
"But you said that if you found the cure, she'd be alright!'' Ed said.
"Yes, but I might not be able to find the cure. A cure for this illness hasn't exactly been made yet.'' The doctor said.
"But, why not?'' Al asked.
"Because we haven't been able to find the ingredients to make it. And, we don't know enough about the illness in the first place.'' The doctor explained.
"Don't dash their hopes, doctor. Let them believe she'll be okay.'' Pinako said. Ed turned an angry face at her.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean!'' Ed asked it as if she had offended him.
"Ed, you jerk!" yelled Winry, making her presence known. "I'm not forgiving you!''
"I don't care what you think Winry, but you deserved it anyways. Hitting me in my head with that wrench, yesterday.'' Ed said, not caring about her at all. Al walked over to Trisha's bed side.
"Mom….you can pull through! Me and Ed are right here!'' Al said.
Ed and Al stayed at their mother's bedside for the next few weeks, barely leaving to do anything. They would fall asleep on the edge of her bed, and wake up fighting over who got to use the bathroom first, then grabbing a quick breakfast that they could get into, then bringing their mom something to eat for when she woke up. Then stayed by her side the rest of the day, only occasionally leaving for bathroom breaks and hunger breaks, that they brought the food in to eat while watching their mother. The doctor came everyday to give her medicine that kept her with them.
Overtime, Ed finally decided to find his and Al's father. Their mom wasn't getting better and Al kept saying that she missed dad. So him and Al gathered up a bunch of addresses and mailed a letter to each, in hope that one would lead to their dad.
Then, just as things were looking bad, the doctor came over with a cure he thought might work. All three waited, and waited, and waited. It seemed to work, and in the next week, their mother was back on her feet, and the two boys rejoicing.
"To tell the truth," the doctor explaind to Trisha, "I didn't think that cure would work.''
"Well, it did. And I thank you.'' Trisha said. She was still in bed, but she was sitting up. A good sign. Ed and Al had tackled each other, giving one another a big bear hug and dancing around the room, laughing and rejoicing their mother's recovery.
"She's okay! She's okay!'' Al said as they danced and played around the room.
"We did it! We did it! She pulled through!'' Ed chanted. They both chanted as they continued rejoicing.
"Well, I'll come by weekly to make sure nothing happens, but other then that, you're on your own, okay?'' The doctor said.
"Okay, thanks again. I'll be fine now. Sides, I can take care of those two rascals now.'' Trisha said with a small laugh. At that point, Ed and Al jumped onto the bed, both tackling her into a hug.
"Oh!'' Trisha gasped, as she regained her balance for their sake and hers, but manly theirs.
"Hey, hey, now boys," said the doctor, "be careful with your mother there.''
"Mom, you're going to be okay! We knew it!'' Ed said, happily.
"Mom, you're the best!'' Al said, equally happy. She wrapped her arms around them, hugging them both back.
"Well, this certainly is a surprise. You two act as though you thought I was going to die.'' Trisha said. The two boys pulled back.
"Na, why would we think that? I mean, you can't die! It's too peaceful here!'' Ed said quickly.
Everything went back to normal, the doctor came by weekly, and everything was how it was supposed to be.
But…one day, things would change. Change for the better? Maybe.
-To Be Continued