The Blade Alchemist

The Strange Man

Pinako POV

"There, finished." I stand up from the table looking at the completed arm for Winrys' customer. The customer should be here soon. I guess I'll get her work tools ready till she gets back. I look at the clock and notice that it's much later than I thought. "Hmm, where could that customer be?" I begin to hear the phone ringing in the living room. I'm gonna guess that's the customer. I walk to the phone and pick up the receiver. "Rockbell Automail." I answered.

"Yes, this is Mr. Welks, I had an appointment a little while ago. I'm sorry I didn't call sooner but I had some important family matters to take care of. I need to reschedule the appointment." I pulled out the note pad from the desk the phone rested on and looked at the calender. "Yes Mr. Welks. It will be no problem. Winry has an opening on Monday next week. Will that be okay for you?" I heard him rustling through papers and write something down. "Yes Ms. Pinako, Next Monday will be perfect. I'll see you then. Bye." 'Click' "Well that settles that. Guess I'll go make some tea.

"GRANNY!"

Winry POV

My shoulders were really starting to ache from the mans immense weight, even without his legs he still weighed a ton. I look up and finally see the house and Den running towards us barking. "Hush, Den. It's okay, I'm fine. Go back inside." I continued to slowly walk to the porch and called for some help. "GRANNY! Its ok sir, everything is going to be ok. GRANNY!" I heard the front door rip open and I look to see grandma running over. "His legs are gone and he's lost a lot of blood." I see my grandma gasp at the sight. "We need to get him on the table and close those wounds now! Hurry!"

I had already set him down on the porch and I didn't have the strength left to pick him back up. So I grabbed him under his arms and slid him across the floor to the operating room. With the last bit of strength I did have, I managed to place him on the operating table. "Winry, get some IVs in him and hurry before he goes into shock!" I nod and run to the medicine drawers to grab the IV equipment. "And grab those towels over there as well! We need to put pressure on one leg while we work on the other!"

"Yes granny!" I said grabbing the towels on top of the cabinet the IVs were in. I run back over and start the IV in his arm then begin pressing the towels on his left leg. "GET ANOTHER IV! HE'S GOING INTO SHOCK!"

Edward POV

"Aw man. This hurts, and Winry is gonna kill me thinking I somehow broke it." I was trying to sooth the pain I was feeling in the port that my arm was connected to. It just started hurting the other day for some reason. Me and Al were on our way to Resembool to have Winry take a look at it and find out why it was hurting. "I told you to call her before we left to explain what happened Ed. You brought this on yourself." Al said looking at me with what I could guess from his voice was a worried look. "Yeah I know. But we need to get on to Liore as fast as possible. We finally get a lead on the Philosophers Stone and now of all times my arm decides to act up." I turn and look out the train window and watch the scenery pass by. "Well we should be at the station in a couple of hours. Why don't you to get some sleep brother? I'll wake you when we get there."

I nod and lay down on the bench and try to go to sleep. It was almost impossible with the wooden seats and the dull pain in my port. Al noticed and decided to try to use conversation to help me forget about the pain. "Brother, its been almost a year since we last saw Winry and granny. I wonder how they've been while we were gone." I turn to him and saw he was looking down with what seemed like depression. "I know Al. It has been a long while. But knowing Winry and granny like we do, I don't see that anything would have changed. Winry will still be the annoying gear head she's always been."

With that, I could see Als face light up and I could swear he was smiling. "Yeah, I think so too brother. Your right, nothing has changed. She will be the same Winry we always knew. But...you still should have called her about your arm. Now all your gonna find is that wrench of hers in your face." I twitched at those words and placed my flesh arm on my forehead. Damnit Al, why did you have to remind me? I could practically see and feel that damned wrench now. "Shut up, AL." I heard him start snickering to himself trying to hold back his laughter. I just glared at him, "It's NOT funny Al! That shit hurts!"

Al stopped laughing and looked at me with concerned eyes. "You know she does it because she cares. She cares so much about us, brother. And we put her through a lot with not calling or visiting and just showing up out of nowhere all beat up. She's always there for us." I look back out the train window reflecting on what AL said. "Yeah….she is."

Winry POV

We fought the through the excessive bleeding for almost 3 hours but we finally managed to close the wounds and stop the bleeding. I plopped down into the chair next to the bed we put the strange man in. I was sooo tired. "He's going to be fine, but who knows when he'll wake up. He lost a great deal of blood. He just needs to rest now. I'll go make us some tea and start on dinner. You rest up a bit, Winry"

I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Thanks granny, but I need to call Mr. Welks and apologize for missing his appointment." I stand up and stretch out my arms. "No need, he called here shortly before you got back and had to cancel it himself. I set him up for next Monday. Will that be ok, dear?"

I tried to think about it but I was just so tired I couldn't think straight. "Yeah it should be. I'll worry about it tomorrow. I'm gonna go shower and change." Before I left, I looked at the strange...vest...of some sorts sitting on the floor near the door. What is that thing? Whatever it is, that is what caused the man to weigh so much. What is it for? I pulled myself back from thought and walked to my room. I pulled out a change of clothes and walked to the bathroom. I got undressed and turned on the water waiting for the water to heat up.

I turned to the mirror and see blood flakes scattered across my face and in my hair. What happened to that man? Who would do such a thing? He couldn't have lost his legs in a battle. There's no battlegrounds anywhere near here. And with how bad he was bleeding, it had happened within minuets of me finding him. What happened? I shake my head bringing me back out of thought again. Sigh, "I'll worry about it later. But for now, shoooowwwwwerrrrrrr! HOT!"

Pinako POV

I walked into the kitchen and filled the teapot full of water from the sink and set it on the stove. That poor man, his legs missing and left to die in the middle of nowhere. I hope he wakes up soon. It's sad that someone has to go through all that. And poor Winry, carrying that man all the way from the cemetery. She is just so strong hearted. I was pulled from thought by the whistling from the teapot. I turned the burner off and filled a cup with it. It was at this time that Den started barking out front. Sigh, "What now?" I walk over to the front door and opened it to by met with very familiar faces.

"Well, well. Welcome home boys."