NOTE: I would like to say that this may be seen as offensive to some, whether it be for medical bending of the rules or a disagreement in views of treatment centers. You are not being forced to read it. Please simply close the page and we'll both remain happy. I'm not trying to come off rude, but it's only a warning before you read...

Also, I realize there may be some confusion when it comes to treatment centers and asylums. I would like to stress that Winry is NOT in an asylum. An asylum includes the padded walls and such. They have far more serious cases in there. A treatment center could be considered acute.

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"Open your mouth, please."

Winry held back the urge to roll her eyes as she reluctantly parted her lips and did as Rose had asked her to do. She had reached the front of the line for the medication, and it was required that patients take their pills before they left the window. Winry didn't need to ask why they enforced this rule. It was painfully obvious. Suicidal people were prone to holding the pills in their mouth, if given the chance. It wouldn't be difficult to stash them and save them up for a tragic day in their near future.

"Thank you, Winry," Rose smiled, taking the paper cup back, and tossing it swiftly into the wastebasket. "Next please."

Winry was thankful she had allowed Paninya to go first with her medication. Because of this, her roommate was steadily chatting away with Edward by the wall. The two didn't seem to notice her, so she had cleverly decided to take her chances and try to slip past them. The blonde doctor couldn't just stop talking to one patient for the sole purpose to bother her- or so she thought.

Edward was busy focusing on Paninya's compliments to her medication, but his attention could easily rest on two things at once. He was a rather gifted young man, after all. He could clearly see Winry creeping away in the opposite direction, trying her luck at ducking behind the patient line, and making her escape out of the Day Room exit. The girl could be so predictable. A part of him was amused by her determination to stay away from him, and the other half was insulted. Did she really believe he wouldn't notice her trying to slink away?

"Nice to hear, Paninya. Hopefully, this will be the medicine that gets you out of here. We all know you've been staying in these places way too long," Edward grinned.

Although his golden eyes were focused on his patient infront of him, he could still see Winry moving closer and closer to the Day Room exit. It was going to be a shame he had to ruin her success, but he wasn't just going to let her slip away without speaking to him. That would ruin his active role in participating in his patients' treatment plans.

The moment the blonde teen had attempted to slither out the door; Edward's hand quickly shot out from his pocket and curled around Winry's wrist firmly. It had shocked her, needless to say. Her blue eyes widened in surprise, her head tilting up to look at the young doctor. She was met with a triumphant, exasperating grin.

"The Day Room isn't that big, Winry. An escape is highly unlikely," Edward laughed.

Winry couldn't say she was amused by this at all. This man was annoying. And he knew she thought he was annoying. All she wanted was to go back into her room and lay her head down. She wasn't eager to wallow in her sorrow, but she figured she would rather be lost in her own mind. It sure beat slipping into a baby role and allowing these people to fuss over her.

Regardless of what she had wanted to do, Winry found herself yanking out of Edward's grip violently. She narrowed her eyes at him with such anger, before gingerly placing one hand over her previously captured wrist, nursing it as though it had been burned.

"If you need to talk to me, than I suggest you just call me over. I happen to enjoy my personal space, thank you," Winry snapped.

This had shocked her though, because her words dripped with lies. She didn't dislike touches. She usually favored comfort too. Winry was never one to complain and grumble about personal space, but she found that she didn't welcome it as much anymore. She stubbornly chose to blame the treatment center for her growing flaws, although she somewhat knew it was her own fault.

Edward's grin had faded into a deep frown as he watched the girl rub at her wrist desperately. He slowly lowered his hand back to his side, sliding it carelessly into his pocket. He was having a difficult time keeping his anger in check with Winry's ongoing attitude. He had dealt with worse, but he always grew irritable when he was met with such resistance in the beginning.

"How cute, Winry. You already managed to somehow enforce and take a liking to one of the golden rules of this place," Edward said darkly. "However, I think the 'personal space' only applies to fellow patients."

Winry was taken aback by how cold the man suddenly sounded. But hadn't she deserved it? She wasn't exactly being so sweet herself. She could at least say that he had tried a few times to reason with her. It had all failed, but he had still tried. But now he was being rude, so Winry felt that she was justified in doing the same. She narrowed her blue eyes at him bravely and placed one hand firmly on her hip, giving him a threatening scowl.

"I think it applies to everyone in this place. I don't want your hands on me, so keep them away. If you want my attention, you know how to speak. You can easily just call out my name and I would come."

Edward wearily glanced around the Day Room, thankful that the other patients were moving on with their business and tending to their own problems. The only one who was actively listening was Paninya, but that couldn't be helped. He had been talking to her after all. Edward was not threatened by Winry's words, and he couldn't say his feelings were really hurt either. The girl was his patient, so he refused to allow her words to sink into his skin.

"Like a dog? Interesting… I'll keep that in mind," he mumbled dryly.

He should have known an insult like that would set Winry on fire with rage. He was out of place to be saying such things to his patients anyways. However, Edward didn't fear losing his job. That was nearly untouchable.

The young doctor watched calmly as Winry's eyes sparked with rage, her hands balling into dangerous fists. He arched a brow as she took a surprising step backward, instead of forward as he had previously anticipated. His golden eyes remained locked on her form firmly, keeping his expression dark and cold. If she wanted him to be the mean, cruel doctor she believed him to be, Edward was more than capable of doing it. She was pushing him a little too much from the beginning, and the blonde doctor just didn't think he deserved her icy attitude or piercing words.

"You egotistical prick! Don't compare me to a dog!" Winry shouted.

Stares were starting to accumulate, but Edward ignored them and kept his eyes on Winry, carefully considering her with a tilt of his head.

"You said you would come to me if I called you. Dogs do that," Edward said slowly, as if speaking to a young child.

"So do people! And I really doubt you would appreciate it if you were compared to a dog!"

"Well as a matter of fact-"

Winry had had enough. She stomped her foot down onto the tile, slightly wincing at the tingling pain that erupted up her leg from the force. To avoid making a scene was already impossible, so she didn't bother to keep her voice low or steady.

"I don't want to talk to you. I don't want your help, and I don't need your sympathy or your medication. I just want you to leave me alone and let me help myself," she hissed.

Edward slowly pulled himself up from the wall and groaned from his lack of movement. He had taken his eyes off of her for a split second to regain his balance, but the golden orbs were soon placed right back on her trembling form. He could see she was scared and irritable. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. The girl was shaking, and her voice had cracked numerous times through her words. She reminded Edward of a lost, pitiful creature.

"Whether you care for my help or not Winry, you're going to get it. Your parents placed you in this facility, and I am now responsible for treating you and giving you the medication and advice to make you better so you can actually get back into the real world," he said, his frown deepening. "But your stubbornness is not helping you in these walls, and it will only extend your stay in long term."

His last words had obviously struck a chord within the blonde teen before him. Edward could see that her whole attitude had suddenly changed. That fiery look in her eyes had so suddenly retreated, and was instead replaced with a lost, almost pained expression.

Winry found herself suddenly looking around the room to face the stares of the other patients. Were they all laughing at her? Were they all whispering about her problems and her situation? It had taken all the strength she had to force herself to look back to the young, golden eyed doctor.

"Long term?" she whispered.

Winry had expected as much, but she stubbornly clung to some hope she would be out within a week or even two. Long term stretched her stay to six months to a year.

"Your parents agreed to keep you under our watch for that length of time. It was painfully easy to see how much you hated this place, so I made the decision not to tell you earlier," Edward explained.

He had actually hinted it to her many times when they had their talk in the room before, but he hadn't flat out told her that the decision had already been made for her by her parents. How awful it must feel to have one's parents hide something so drastic and allow a stranger to bring down such lonely news.

"You're lying," Winry mumbled, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. "You're lying, because my mom and dad told me that if things didn't work out after a week or two, they would let me come home! They wouldn't just say that and turn around and do something else!"

Edward hated it when he had to explain such things to patients. Personally, he knew he would be pissed off at his parents as well if they pulled such a cheap trick on him. His parents were both no longer living, but regardless, he would feel the same.

"Would you like to see the papers?" he asked, taking a small step towards her.

Winry noticed Edward's advances to get closer, and instantly took a panicked step backward. There would be no tears for her at this time, because she felt far too angry and bitter to shed a single one. Instead, she sunk her teeth deep into her lip, letting her fingernails dig painfully into the palm of her hand. She didn't want to see any papers that held proof of her parents' hurtful decision to toss her away to these people.

"No, I don't want to see. It's obvious my problems were too much for them to handle. It was interfering with their jobs, so they decided to dump me off here. They're doctors after all, so I shouldn't be surprised!"

She didn't care if she was now the center of attention in the Day Room. She could visibly see one of the 'guards' as she now called them, making his way up to her. Did he really think she was a threat? Was it a crime to be angry and hurt when discovering your parents abandoned you in a lonely, frightening place?

Edward could easily see one of the staff members approach Winry as well. He couldn't say it truly shocked him. She wasn't being physically threatening, but there was no doubt that she was causing quite a scene. His eyes lingered on the staff member for a short time before he chose to once again focus his attention on the distressed blonde before him.

"Winry, you keep this up and you're going to be placed right back in that Quiet Room. If I'm not mistaken, you really didn't like it in there," Edward said. "I know you're not blind. You can see that man coming over here, right? You either calm down now or I'm just going to allow him to take you right back to that place with those irritating cameras."

Dr. Elric did not speak like most medical professionals. He truly believed his way helped him get through to the patients a lot more easily. He could tell that many of them within the hospital did not appreciate being treated like some baby or toddler. However, sometimes, they deserved just that. And for the most part, they brought it on themselves. Winry was one of those patients at the moment.

The blonde girl really wasn't in the mood to be bothered by staff and their obsessive need to grip at her or tell her that she needed to 'calm down'. That was impossible at the moment! Winry was a human being, and when people were angry and upset, it proved more than a little difficult to just wash away their anger.

But despite her thinking process, Winry attempted to do just as Dr. Elric had asked her. She took in a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She was determined to have a clearer mind by the time she counted back from ten. It had worked a lot in the past after all, and she trusted it to work again.

Edward watched her with mild surprise. The girl was actually listening to his advice for once. His body slumped back against the wall, while he continued to keep his hands nestled in his pockets. He could only guess that she was attempting to reason with herself. It was either that, or counting silently in the back of her head. In all honesty, Edward couldn't ever see how something so simple worked. It had never done miracles for him when he was in a rage. He had even attempted to count and curse in his mind after every number. The F bomb was his favorite for that particular exercise.

By the time the man had reached Winry to correct her behavior, the girl was finished with her soothing countdown. It hadn't done much, but it had done just enough for her to stay relaxed to finish off her conversation with the blonde doctor. She chose to simply ignore the one who had approached her from the side.

"You think about this, Dr Elric. Be sure to tell all of your fellow medical buddies, alright?"

Now this was interesting. Edward couldn't help but arch a curious brow and continue to stare. What could she possibly come up with next?

"When a patient aims to go rest and relax after a long day of confusion and irritation; it's best to just let them. Its amazing how most of you still scratch your heads in wonder on why people like me try to escape from here so often." Winry huffed, turning to head out of the Day Room. "Now I'm going back to my room. I don't want to talk about my feelings and I don't want to act like everything is okay. I just wanna be left alone for a little while."

Edward took this time to feel insulted and rather angry, while storing the nugget of information in his head about Winry's mention of an indirect but probable escape. He was feeling more than irritated with the pesky girl. She rejected everything and apparently was the 'Queen of Sarcasm' in some unknown country. It was giving him a horrible headache and he was starting to think that perhaps she was more trouble than she was worth. It was a terrible way to think for a doctor, but he didn't care.

The moment Winry had stomped off into her room; the staff member was preparing to go hot on her trail. Edward had had at least enough decency to stop him with a raise of his hand. He didn't look pleased at all, and was wearing a rather permanent glare on his face.

"No. Leave her alone. Keep an eye on her though, please. She's still on suicide watch." Edward muttered with a slight growl of annoyance.

He had to do something about her. Winry was a fireball, and she was asking for a bumpy ride if she continued to behave this way. But if that was what would suit her, then perhaps it was best he let her learn the hard way. It didn't matter anyways, since she really had more than enough time to adjust now. Six months or longer in this place forced one to learn. Winry would be no different. Edward was certain of that.

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Winry had stayed silent for the remainder of the day after her 'time out' in her room. She only spoke to Paninya and stayed clear from Edward whenever she possibly could. As far as she could tell though, the blonde doctor didn't seem interested in talking to her at all. In fact, he hadn't really looked at her even once. Instead, he roamed around and spoke with his other patients. Winry wasn't sure whether she should feel relieved or upset. She had pushed him away after all. It was stupid to suddenly want his company after firmly stating that she didn't want nor need his help. Even still, she believed he would come up to her sooner or later within the day.

By the time the evening had arrived and Winry was tucked under her covers, she was surprised to find that Dr. Elric still hadn't come snooping around. Maybe he had finally gotten the hint? Maybe she finally got him to understand that she was more than capable of fixing herself?

'Who cares? It's better that way tonight anyways,' she thought mildly.

Instead of keeping her thoughts focused on Edward, she instead found herself eyeing the blinking alarm in the middle of the room. She didn't dare reach out to wave a hand infront of it. That would only cause those annoying nurses to come flocking inside. She sure didn't need that.

"Hey Paninya?" Winry whispered.

There was a shuffle of blankets and a slight yawn, before her roommate answered back.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Winry almost considered not answering back at all. But she had been wondering about this the whole day. Ever since she learned she had been placed in long term treatment, the thoughts and urges had been far stronger. She didn't feel guilty for her wants either.

"Did you ever want to… escape from these places?" she paused and pulled the thin blanket more comfortably around her. "You've been to treatment centers a lot, right? You ever tried to leave one before you were discharged?"

Paninya turned her body to face Winry on the opposite side of the bed. The faint light from outside the room spilled onto her dark form and lit up her face. Her eyes traveled to the cracked door before she put on a smirk and nodded her head.

"Girly, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were up to something. And that something would be 'escaping' and heading off," Paninya laughed.

Winry stayed silent and waited for the answer to her question. It was important to her after all. Surely her roommate had tried something of the sort. Paninya didn't seem the type that stayed docile and sweet through an entire hospital visit such as this.

"Anyways, of course I have. I mainly did it though for the injection. I never expected to get far."

"Injection?" Winry tilted her head.

"Well, yeah. You see, when you try to escape, people chase after you obviously. It's pretty hard to make it out of the building, but I managed once or twice. I never got too far, but I was proud."

Apparently escape was difficult. Winry would have to be careful when she tried. She didn't care to make any stupid mistakes. She was going to get out and she was never going to turn back.

"Anyways, when they catch you, they hold you down until you start to relax. If you don't, you get put in mechanical restraints. Catch my drift? A lot of times, they inject you though before that happens." Paninya smiled. "God, that stuff feels nice. It feels like you're walking on clouds and floating in honey or something."

Winry could smack the girl in the other bed. She was glad it was dark, because she couldn't hide the deep frown on her face.

"You only escape so you can get drugged up?" Winry grumbled. How lame.

"Winry, you have no idea. It feels great. Although my parents told the people here about my addiction and they found alternatives in the end."

The blonde one wasn't seeking some hyped up drug as a consequence to an escape. She just wanted to get out…period. She didn't see how someone could go through all that trouble for something so small anyways. But apparently if Paninya had an addiction, it wasn't exactly a small deal for her. Just like Winry's whole reason for being here wasn't small.

"Well I'm not interested in drugs, Paninya. I just wanted to know if there is an easy way to get out of here. I thought someone like you would actually know," she shrugged.

Paninya chuckled from under her blanket and pointed with one finger to the alarm, shaking her head.

"That makes it difficult at night. Although most would think it would be easiest to escape at this time; that thing over there would end it quickly." Paninya said. "But to be honest, there is no easy way out. But if you are willing to try your luck, I'd go for the daytime. Maybe during our lunch or dinner. Breakfast is too early and there's too much commotion with the patients."

Now that was a confusing idea. Why would someone try to escape during those times? Wasn't those the most active times in the day? Winry couldn't understand how it would be easier to try her luck on an escape around the afternoon or evening.

"You're not getting it, are ya?"

Winry slowly shook her head.

"Well, when we're escorted to lunch and dinner, we go to the cafeteria, right?"

The blonde was getting impatient. She nodded and balled her fists up in her blue blanket.

"Well that's when we're out of the unit, girly. The cafeteria isn't in here, remember? And I'd sure like to know how most plan to get out at night when everything is locked. At least you have a fighting chance when you're out in one of the hospital halls."

Winry had only been here for a day, but she had already begun to memorize the place. It wasn't something she could easily forget anyhow. And because of her mental notes on the place, she couldn't help but question one last thing.

"But there's locked doors out in the halls too, right? Don't those lead to the exit? How do you get by them?"

Paninya pushed her head back into her pillow and stretched herself out lazily in her small bed. She went quiet for a moment as a nurse walked by their room, but snickered the moment the woman was gone.

"You know, that's the part where you just have to be lucky and hope that someone is just opening the doors at that time. If not… you just run into a dead end and hope for better chances next round."

What a drag that was going to be. Winry had been hoping for a guaranteed way of getting out of this medical prison. Now she was hearing that her chances rested on luck alone. That or major 'Kung Fu' skills on the staff in order to get the keys. She now cursed herself for always refusing to take self defense classes in the past. They would have proved handy now. Especially on that Dr. Elric…

"Perfect…" Winry groaned.

"Winry Rockbell, are you seriously aiming to escape after being in here for just one day?" Paninya questioned with a small laugh.

"I'm going to be in here for six months to a year. I think that justifies my reasons for wanting to leave."

"Can't argue with you there. You need any help by any chance? I haven't tried for awhile now. It's challenging. But this is like the third hospital I've been in. Eight months so far… I could use a good exercise."

Winry was about ready to scold Paninya for her easygoing attitude on escape, but had paused at the sudden sound of footsteps down the hall. Her trusty roommate had informed her earlier that day that the staff made rounds every half hour to check in on the patients and make sure nothing out of the ordinary was going on. It usually resulted in getting a flashlight shined in your face too if you happened to be one of the unfortunate people who were awake at the time. Apparently, it happened to Paninya a lot in the past.

"Shh. Here come the guards." Winry whispered, sliding her eyes halfway shut.

It was already looking bad for her so far with her current behavior; she didn't need to be caught planning an escape too.

Down the hallway, Edward walked alongside a chatty evening caretaker. It had been thirty minutes passed, and the man was going up and down the halls, shining a bright beam of light into the patients' rooms on and off. In his mind, the young doctor wondered how the poor teens actually got their beauty rest. But to be truthful, he himself could sleep through a tornado. It was the light sleepers he felt bad for. Who deserved to have a light flashed in their face during late hours of the night?

"And to think she's only three years old, Ed! I'll show you a picture when I'm finished with my rounds."

Edward couldn't help but try to desperately tune the man's voice out of his head. All he ever went on about was his young daughter and her 'cuteness'. God forbid she ever got sick during the cold months. Dr. Elric got about five to six voice messages on his phone during those times, claiming that the man's little girl was deathly ill and needed immediate attention from a professional. Truth be told, the young one usually only had a mild cold, but Edward couldn't ever tell her stubborn father.

"I'll bet if I bring Elysia in here, things would change. She's one of those natural healers. Don't you think?"

Edward and the chatty man had soon arrived at the next room; both peering in to see if all was well. The flashlight was instantly flipped on and the beam traveled around the room quickly and quietly. As far as one could see, both girls were motionless and silent. The light hovered over Paninya for a split second, before it shifted over to the sleeping Winry.

'Sleeping my ass… I just heard one of them giggling a few minutes ago.' Edward thought darkly.

Winry's slight flinch revealed all in the long run anyways. Edward had always proved to be observant, so he noticed her faint movement almost instantly. Her eyes had even opened! He was inclined to leave the two in the shadows and allow them to continue their late night girl talk, but in the end he had decided differently.

"Paninya… Winry," he called out lightly.

As he expected, neither of them moved. Not that it mattered whether they responded to him or not.

"It's getting late. You two can continue your hilarious comedy show tomorrow. For now… go to bed."

Although the flashlight was now off of both the patients inside, Edward swore he detected a death glare coming from Winry in her bed. Visibly, he couldn't see her in the dark, but he knew she was most likely cursing and wishing all sorts of unpleasant things on him.

Despite the burning hatred he felt emanating from the room; Edward turned away from it and continued his walk with the man beside him. He knew Winry had not been expecting to see him this late at night. Hell, he hadn't even expected to see himself here either at this time. Which was exactly why he fully intended on heading home after the walkthrough of the patients was completed.

In the end, Edward found that all of the adolescents were sleeping soundly and no trouble was stirring within any of the rooms. All except the one that held Winry and Paninya. It's not that it surprised him that they were the only two that were actually awake, but he found he really didn't trust them too much. He didn't trust Paninya for good reason, and Winry was so easily turning into the girl's trusty sidekick.

"Those two give me a headache. I'm going home," Edward muttered, ignoring the chattering man's questioning stare.

This had been the fifth headache he had had for the day. He fully blamed the little blonde fireball that was currently fake sleeping in the room. Paninya had given him mini headaches through the week, and now they were growing in size from the girl's hot headed apprentice.

'Why do I get all the winners?' he thought miserably.

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Inside the hospital room, Winry was fuming. She had been hoping to not have to see that annoying man. Those hopes all had been shattered when he had appeared so suddenly in the doorway with the guard and the flashlight. The man had called out to them- scolded them and told them to go to sleep. His mere presence was now starting to make her sick to her stomach.

"That's one thing I'll be grateful for when I get out. I won't have to see him anymore," she hissed.

Paninya rolled over in her bed and sighed heavily with an amused smile.

"Well that's good. Because you'll be seeing him plenty when we try to escape, girly. And let me tell you, Dr. Elric is one hell of a runner. Caught me every single time on all my attempted escapes in this place."

Winry stayed silent for the rest of the night. She wasn't sure if she felt angry or just confused by Paninya's depressing news. How could a single doctor cause her so much trouble? They were supposed to just prescribe medicine… not chase down runaways. That wasn't in their job description!

The blonde rubbed at her forehead and glanced wearily at the large window in the room.

'I'm getting a headache.'

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Alright guys, like I said. The updates are slow and unfortunately… I'm having some major issues over here. Issues as in this story might be becoming a reality… again! But I'll be back! If I'm not around by Christmas… then… Merry Christmas! Same goes with my other story… but if I can get away with it, I'll update that again before the holiday hits! Please read and review! And thank you for all your support on this story!