He was incapable of counting how many times the process repeated itself. The first connection was nothing compared to the second, and then the third. Each new wiring of nerves compounded the pain he felt even in resting. The small air currents that at first had felt like a caress against his skin were transformed into fingers of fire burning deeply. Everything was forgotten when the pain consumed him. Meaningless flashes of his life gone wrong lit up his world behind tightly clenched eyes at each new sensation. His flesh felt both sunburned and freezer-burned. Sweat alternately poured out of his skin and then froze in his pores. His jaw lost all feeling as it locked up. He lived and died for that moment when time stopped and he heard the voice. Winry. She let him regain himself; stayed strong and sure and constant. Wiping his tears, but for the first time in all of his memory not shedding any of her own. The mouth guard had gotten larger as foam gave way to blood, but he didn't notice.
After an eternity of this pattern she'd appeared again. "We're going to do the last connection, Ed. Then we have to clean up. This will be the worst, but I'll try to make it quick." He'd heard clanking when she spoke and another piece of memory came back to him. Al. He gagged on his own blood and wondered if that was how the armor tasted. Did Al's soul smell blood or was that sense left with the body? The clanking faded and retreated, then came back again. The armor face appeared above his and instantly he froze. He did his best to hide the pain and his tears. "Brother, I wheeled in the machines for Granny and Winry. They're almost finished. I'll be back soon." The armor left his sight. He listened to the clanking as it faded away. His tears came faster with every step, but he didn't cry out. A lined face with spectacles appeared. A gloved hand brushed the tears away. "Almost done, Ed." Granny faded away and he felt the hands take hold of him again.
The pain had him again, chewing and swallowing. He was digested, hurled up, and then swallowed again. He bid his time, groaning and straining against it for when time stopped. He almost welcomed the last painful jolt as the world halted. A moments escape and then her. But this time she didn't come. Tears of anguish broke his vision into a watery reflection. A cry of loss slipped past his teeth and out his lips. He had almost formed the conscious thought for what he felt when it hit him again. A yanking on both arm and leg; his leftover stumps were trying to tear themselves from his body. It went on and on. He struggled against his bonds, trying to rip his body in two just to have some relief.
Then as fast as it had begun, it was over. His body slammed back together and he became a vortex, drawing everything in to his center. The shock continued, his chest felt as if it was slowly exploding, ever expanding. Vertebrae popped up and down his spine as it tried to curl in on itself, dragging his lumbering body along with it. The veins in his forehead stood up in sharp relief, the small vessels in his eyes bursting under the pressure. A final wave rolled up both limbs and his chest popped. His vision blossomed into bright light until he couldn't see anymore. The light faded and he was alone with his memories. Adrenaline flooded his system as horror overtook him. He could see the doors, but the truth was no where in sight. He was dragged towards them, the shadow blocking out all the details and the vision began to grow fuzzy at the edges. The reek of blood and metal gagged him, growing stronger as he was drawn further forward. His eyes could make out the familiar words Netzeth in Prineip written on his destination. He began sobbing as the words came closer to his face, the doors falling forward and he was lost as they crushed him, without him ever regaining self.
