Healing the Heart chap.10
It was about three hours later when Pinako and Winry both jumped at the sound of a blood curdling yell. The basement door flew open and Al came running out "HELP! YOU HAVE TOP HELP HIM!" Winry took off down the stairs she had forgotten to hook the pain killer to his I.V. what a fatal stupid mistake. She had got so wrapped up in him while she was washing him then when Al came in she'd been so startled she forgot. Running in she saw Edward sitting up on the table screaming " OOOOH GOD IT HURTS!" she ran over and grabbed the bag Pinako told her to put on his I.V. and she hooked it to the tube going into his arm. Pinako entered the room and saw Ed with such a look of pain on his face and confusion then she noticed that Winry just hooked up the bag. She gave her granddaughter an eyebrow raise as if to ask how could you forget something like that? Winry just yelled "I'm SORRY GRANNY!" as tears began to flow down her face seeing how much pain he was in. Pinako walked over and leaned into his face "ED! Listen to me" she pointed to her eyes "Look at me" He focused on her eyes "It hurts because the nerves are exposed. Winry has given you something for the pain. Do you understand me boy?" Edward's pain filled eyes stared at her and he shook his head yes because he was in too much pain to speak.
She leaned back "Good. It will take a few minutes for the medication to set in. Do you feel any relief yet?" He was rocking back and forth moaning awfully and crying from the pain. Then his moaning subsided and his rocking slowed as Pinako walked over with some bandages and began to wrap the exposed part of his shoulder up. "If you're going to be moving around like this you're going to rip stitches so I need you to stay as still as possible for a day or two." She pulled Ed's face to look at hers "Do you understand?" His eyes were glossed over with medication now but he understood her as he sluggishly nodded.
Panic had ripped through her body when she saw him in pain. She knew his first surgery was a hellish experience just from the way the automail was attached. She didn't want this one to be like that but she needed Winry's head in the game she would have to talk to her later and Edward needed to follow what she said and could keep him out of pain and he'd recover beautifully. As she finished wrapping his shoulder she asked Al to help her lay him back down.
"Can you speak now?" she asked him turning his head to look at her "Y-Yeeeah" he said trying to focus on her.
"Listen to me carefully Ed" she said sighing because she didn't want to cause him such pain "I didn't get to your leg today. The surgery on your arm took longer. I want you to rest and we'll do the leg in a couple of days. The leg isn't in as bad of shape as your arm was." She saw his eyes widen at hearing that news but then he brought his left hand up and put his index finger out and called her closer "Nooooo" he whispered softly "Do it tomorrow and get it over with."
Pinako slowly moved her head back "Your crazy Ed you have to heal some." He went to sit up "Nooo" But she stopped him "Alright" she said pushing him back down "We'll do it tomorrow that way they can heal at the same time."
Al got upset at hearing that and freaked out some "You didn't get to his leg? But what took so long? Y-You can't do another one tomorrow." He was frantic as Winry tried to calm him down "Al it's going to be okay." He somewhat pushed her off his arm "NO YOU SAID-" he didn't get it out before Ed stopped him "Alllll" Al looked at Ed then leaned do next to him "Truuust heeeer Al." Al sighed as he lifted up "But." He looked at Ed then turned to Pinako "I won't hurt him Al but he needs this and he wants it done." Al looked back and forth for a moment then gave in "Fine but I don't understand what's going on."
Pinako walked over to him "Come upstairs and I'll explain it to you. Winry will stay with Ed for now. We need to talk." Al nodded his helmet as he and Pinako walked to the stairs and went up to the kitchen.
After they went upstairs Winry moved closer to Ed she had to tell him "I'm sorry Ed it was my fault you were in so much pain. I forgot to hook your I.V. up." Putting her hands over her face "I'm a terrible nurse" she began to sob.
"Nooo" he said softly "You're the best nurse around. I wouldn't trust myself to anyone but yoooou." He then gave her a soft smile.
She took her hands away from her face and stared at him "B-But I caused you so much pain. How can you trust me again?" He looked up at her his amber eyes glossed with medication "Because I just dooo." Taking his left hand he put it up and she took it "I have faith in you Winry and I know it was a long surgery. You're tired and anyone can make mistakes." She didn't want to tell him the reason she forgot was that she was mesmerized by his body." So she stiffened up and took a deep breath "I promise I won't make the same mistake twice Ed."
He slightly smiled as his eyes closed and his hand almost slipped out of hers but she held onto it tighter as he went to sleep. Holding onto his hand she watched him for a while then laid it gently next to him as she wiped the tears off her cheeks 'I can't do this again I have to keep my mind on his surgery and recovery' she thought looking down at him 'My God I caused him so much pain but….but yet he trusts me?' she couldn't understand for the life of her why he had put so much trust in her. Now she knew something was going on with her grandmother and him and she had to find out what it was. There was something more than just a friendly meeting of a mechanic and outfitee. It was like there was history somewhere she noticed the change after her and Al got back from town yesterday.
Pinako and Al sat at the kitchen table as she asked Al if he remembered her? Al informed her he remembered she was the one that showed up that horrible night after what they did and bandaged Ed up. Although he was semi in shock himself to find his self in a suit of armor when he awoke but then to see his brother legless and armless he was more in shock.
"I remember Ed saying we had to burn the house down and leave. I really didn't understand why he wanted to go till he said he thought you would blame us for what happened." Al turned to look at her as she spoke "After your mother died I tried to look in on you boys best I could but then you went to train with that teacher. Edward was so gung ho on learning alchemy and so were you that I didn't know if it was the right thing to do but then I let you go. When you boys came home you had learned so much and Ed kept talking about your mother and I knew something wasn't right. But that night." She looked towards the window "That night I felt something wasn't right especially when I looked out the window and saw the glow coming from the house. So I got over there as quick as I could but it was too late everything had already taken place. I found your brother crying on the floor as I bandaged him that's when you woke up and you weren't in the best of minds when you came to in that armor. The confusion on Edward's face and in your voice I could tell you were in over your heads. So I buried that thing you produced and brought you here to this house where it took Ed a few days to realize what had taken place." She sighed as she continued "By the second day when I woke up you two were gone and there was smoke coming from the hill where your house had stood. For a brief moment I thought both of you were in it till I saw the whole house a blaze then I knew. I knew that Edward couldn't handle what had taken place and he'd destroyed the only evidence to link you two and it."
"Wow I never knew you were so involved in it. Ed never told me I guess I was somewhat screwed up those two days myself." Al said sadly as they both heard the basement door open and saw Winry emerge she quickly turned to him and whispered "Don't mention this to Winry." He shook his helmet "Alriiight" Winry felt like she just walked in on a conversation that she shouldn't have as Pinako leaned over to Al "We'll talk more later."
Then she focused on Winry as she got a semi pissed off look on her face "Do you want to tell me what happened down there and why that I.V. wasn't administered?" Winry began to fall apart "I'm sorry granny I was just so tired and-"Pinako cut her off before her sentence was finished "That's bull and you know it. You've never done anything like this before." Pinako stood there and waited for an answer as Winry felt the embarrassment and frustration build up in her then she looked at Al then back to Pinako "ALRIGHT FINE I GOT DISTRACTED BY HIM AND AL CAME IN AND I FORGOT!"
Pinako sighed "I knew it. You got it bad girl it's written all over your face." Winry began to question her "Got what? What are you talking about?" Pinako grabbed her pipe and lit it as Al chuckled "You like him Winry it's understandable you'd be distracted by him." Al said eyes glowing through his helmet.
Winry's face turned three shades of pink as her head went down. Pinako smiled at her "Its normal he is a good looking boy but right now he's your patient and don't forget that." Winry raised her head "Yes Granny and I'm truly sorry it won't happen again." Pinako blew the smoke out of her mouth "I know now go get some sleep we have another long surgery tomorrow."
As she left the kitchen Pinako looked at Al "I don't know if it's a good thing their attracted to each other." Al looked over at her "Well they are teenagers and Ed has never been attracted to a girl before." He said as he laughed slightly.
Pinako stared at Al with a look of sincerity "Al do you honestly think Ed would drop everything he's doing just because he likes a girl? He's going to break her heart I just know it." Al thought back to the promise Ed made to him so long ago 'I promise Al nothing will ever get in the way of me finding a way to make you normal again.' Al sighed as he remembered and it saddened him that his brother had sacrificed so much already and now if he did like Winry he would sacrifice his happiness to.