Yes…chapter 7 is now up…Just so you know, the part with the cupcakes (it's the beginning part of this chapter) is based off personal experience. My younger sister was talking in her sleep and I was messing with her by responding to what she said. She actually did say cupcakes…It will make more sense once you read it. Also, the end is also based on personal experience…well, not exactly personal because I have never been pregnant, so it has never happened to me, but I do know someone who had this happen…I can't say anymore. I don't want to spoil anything…Oh yeah, regarding the voting, thanks and I may actually not listen to any of it (sorry!!) because I have another idea as to how this will end. However, votes are still welcome because I'm not sure which ending I will choose. (Just so you know, your voting had no effect on this chapter) Wow…this is a long author's note…
This is a longer chapter as compared to the previous ones. Normally, when written out, they are only about 2 ½ pages. This one was nearly 4 whole pages!
Chapter 7
Riza Hawkeye turned into one of the many rooms in the hospital. She smiled when she saw Winry lying in the bed, "Hey, Winry. I got here as soon as I could. I had to wait for work to end, though. You can't just leave when working in the military."
"It's okay," Winry smiled. "You haven't missed much."
"How are you feeling?" Riza pulled a chair near the bed and sat down.
"I feel great! I don't know what exactly the doctors gave me, but I feel wonderful! Drugs are amazing!"
"Um…okay," Hawkeye laughed. She looked over to the young blonde sleeping in the chair on the other side of the bed. "How about Ed? How's he holding up?"
"I think he's freaking out more that me. He's lost. I can tell. He wasn't sure what to do. He didn't know whether he should stay with me or be someone else. Once he decided to stay in the room, he didn't know what to do. As you can clearly see, he chose to sleep."
There was a moment of silence before Hawkeye asked, "Where's Al? I thought he was staying with you guys?"
"He is. I told him that he could go get something to eat. He's been her with me for the past few hours and I could tell that he needed a break."
"I don't wanna…"
Both women looked over at Ed, who appeared to still be sleeping.
"Did you say something, Ed?" Winry quietly asked.
"I don't wanna…"
Winry gave Hawkeye a confused look. "You don't want to what?"
"THE CUPCAKES!" Ed's eyes flew open as he jerked out of his sleep. Falling out of the chair, he looked around as it he had forgotten that he was in the hospital, but soon looked relaxed when he saw Winry.
"Are you okay, Ed?" Winry laughed.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, getting back into the chair. "I'm just not used to sleeping in a small chair." Quickly changing the subject to avoid any "short" jokes, he asked, "When did you get here, Lieutenant?"
"Not that long ago. I only got off work a half an hour ago."
"Oh. Where's Al?"
"He went to get something to eat," Winry replied. "Why don't you go down there, too? You haven't eaten all day."
"It's okay, Winry. I'd much rather be here with you. I don't want anything to happen while I'm gone."
"I don't mind. I insist that you go."
"If anything happens, I'll come and get you," Hawkeye added.
"Go get that cupcake you wanted."
"…What?"
"Never mind, just go," Winry laughed. Apparently Ed didn't know what he said in his sleep.
Ed hesitated a moment before he got up. Giving his wife a kiss on the head, he said, "Thanks Winry. I won't be long." Ed headed off to the cafeteria, leaving the two women alone.
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Several hours later, a few doctors and nurses came into the room. Winry was finally ready to deliver.
"Okay, Winry. I want you to push now," one of the doctors said.
"One, two, three," a nurse counted. When she got to ten, Winry could stop pushing for a short while.
"AHHHHHH!" Winry yelled, teeth clenched in pain. She had a death grip on Ed's hand.
"Eight, nine, ten. Okay, Winry. Stop pushing."
"Winry breathed heavily. Sweat poured down her face, plastering her hair to her forehead. She slowly released Ed's hand.
"Jeez, Winry! I never knew you had such a strong grip. That really hurt!" Ed rubbed his red, throbbing hand.
"That hurt? That hurt? I suggest you don't complain about anything or I will really hurt you. You don't know the meaning of pain!"
"Yes, ma'am," Ed hastily replied.
"Okay, Winry," the doctor laughed. "Let's do it again."
Winry's screams drowned out all the sounds around her. She barely heard the nurse reach "ten."
"I…can't do…this, Ed…" Winry panted. "It hurts…too much." Her eyes involuntarily filled with tears.
Ed had one hand in hers and the other around her back. "Winry, you are the strongest woman I know. You have gone through so much in your life and this is not going to stop you. Just be strong and it will all be over soon."
"He's right, Winry," the doctor said. "Just push once more."
After many "just once more" pushes, it was finally over. The sound of a crying baby filled the room.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Elric. You are now the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl." Turning to Ed, the doctor asked, "Would you like to cut the cord?"
Time seemed to stop as Ed walked over. He stared at his child. She was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. Yes, at this point she looked like a ball of bloody phlegm, but she was the most beautiful ball of bloody phlegm he had ever seen."
After cutting the cord, the nurse wrapped the infant in a blanket. "Would you like to hold your daughter?" she asked Winry. However, she did not receiver a response. Winry's eyes seemed out of focus and she was looking the other way. "Winry, are you alright?" Again, she got nothing.
Ed put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Winry, are you okay?" he got no response either. He looked into her eyes. They seemed so distant. He knew something was wrong.
"I can't get the bleeding to stop," the doctor said to the nurse.
"What do you mean it's not stopping? Is she going to be okay? What's going on?" Ed frantically looked at the doctor.
One of the nurses escorted him out of the room. "Please wait out here as we try to fix the problem. I'll come out soon to tell you what is going on." Before Ed could reply, the nurse went back into the room, shutting the door behind her.
Ed began to pace back and forth, constantly looking at his watch. Seconds seemed like minutes, minutes like hours. Eventually, one of the doctors came out.
"Edward," he began, "We are having a hard time controlling the bleeding. We are going to take her upstairs to surgery to try and stop it."
"Surgery? Will she be okay?" out of the corner of his eye, he could see Winry being rolled out of the room. "Can I go with her? How long will it be?"
"You go to the waiting room. I know others are waiting in there for you. The surgery should not be too long. A couple hours at most would be my guess. I will have someone come and get you when we're done."
Ed thanked the doctor and walked to the waiting room, his mind producing a million thoughts a minute. Before entering the waiting room, he thought, It's going to be a long few hours.
